Last week, SNP plans to subsidise school trips to the site of the Scots victory over the English prompted claims the government was using public money to push Nationalist propaganda.
However, according to leaked documents obtained by the Sunday Herald, that row was only a skirmish ahead of a much bloodier confrontation to come.
They show Alex Salmond wants 2014, the 700th anniversary of Bannockburn, to be another Year of Homecoming.
The first minister set out his plans at a secret meeting with tourism body VisitScotland on September 2, saying he wanted a “ministerial taskforce” to deliver “radical thinking” rather than the “usual suspects”. One of VisitScotland’s first ideas was to involve Diageo, the drinks giant currently laying off 900 workers, to the fury of the SNP government.
Both the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup will be in Scotland in 2014, but as the leaked minute of Salmond’s meeting adds: “2014 is also the anniversary of Bannockburn”.
The papers show the first minister believes the 2009 Year of Homecoming, held to mark the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’s birth, is a “huge success on all fronts” despite widespread criticism of its £6 million marketing campaign.
“He would like to see more Homecomings in future years,” it said. “The first minister believes 2014 could be the next Homecoming given the major events already taking pace that year – the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup. 2014 is also the anniversary of Bannockburn.
The first minister also suggested that Scotland could host the biggest- ever Highland Games.
The minute describes Salmond laying down how he wants Scotland marketed abroad, with an emphasis on genealogy, tapping the Scottish diaspora, China, golf and historic buildings. Despite his desire for a huge Highland Games, Salmond “indicated that he does not want to see the usual suspects ... He is looking for radical thinking and it is important that we think radically about how best to spend the money available.”
Two days later, VisitScotland’s chairman Peter Lederer led a meeting to set up the taskforce. “It was felt that representatives from some of the bigger corporate firms in Scotland should be involved, eg Diageo, First Group, Edrington, Highland Spring etc,” a minute stated.
The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was the most famous confrontation of the first Scottish war of independence, when Robert the Bruce’s forces defeated King Edward II’s army near Stirling. A rally is held there every year, which is attended by SNP members and militant nationalists Siol nan Gaidheal.
Kelvin MacKenzie, a former editor of The Sun who has criticised Scottish public spending, was scathing about Salmond’s plans. “Why doesn’t he invite Megrahi over to open the f***ing thing?” he said last night.
The celebration could also expose splits in Salmond’s Cabinet.
In 2003, Kenny MacAskill, now the justice secretary, declared it was “time to move on” from Bannockburn.
However, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon and minister for parliamentary business Bruce Crawford regularly attend the annual SNP rally at the site of the battle and lay wreaths.
Historian professor Tom Devine said: “I would support another Homecoming in five years, but I’m not convinced it should be built around Bannockburn.”
A spokeswoman for VisitScotland said: “This is just one of a number of meetings we have had on building on the success of Homecoming.”
A spokesman for the culture minister, Michael Russell, said: “The organisers of this year’s Gathering [Highland games in Edinburgh] have already said they would like to hold a similar event in 2014.”
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