He may be retiring from comedy but the Big Yin is not hanging up his welly boots just yet.

Sir Billy Connolly is set to join thousands of kilted marchers as he leads this year’s Tartan Day Parade in front of around 30,000 spectators in New York City.

Manhattan’s Sixth Avenue will be taken over on April 6 by around 1,500 participants, including solo pipers and drummers, Highland dancers, pipe bands and Scottish clans. And the beloved 76-year-old comedian, who has lived in the US since 2011, will be leading the way as Grand Marshal.

Tartan Day has been celebrated for more than 20 years, recognising the contributions made by Scottish-Americans to the United States.

It seems only fitting that Sir Billy takes centre stage at this year’s event, after moving from his home in New York to Florida just two years ago.

He revealed that travelling around the world had led him to love his Scottish origins, particularly the city of Glasgow, where he grew up and forged his career as a performer.

Sir Billy said: “I’m thrilled to be this year’s Grand Marshal of the New York City Tartan Day Parade.

“I can’t wait to hear all those bagpipes echoing off the skyscrapers and to see Sixth Avenue awash with thousands of swaying kilts. “It’s going to be brilliant.”

The news comes after the comedian announced plans to retire from comedy. In Billy Connolly’s Ultimate World Tour, a documentary broadcast on ITV just before Christmas, he also said he would like to die in his homeland.

“I remember standing by the shores of Loch Lomond, Inversnaid, and the sky was beautiful,” he said.

“I remember that line, I forget whose line it is: ‘Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said, this is my own, my native land.’

“I don’t like to look like a bagpiper with heather in my ears, but sometimes your love for the place just has to find a stage.

“I’d like to die there. It’s a weird subject to bring up.”

In 2013 Sir Billy was diagnosed with prostate cancer, for which he had successful surgery.

On the same day he was told he had Parkinson’s Disease. Sir Billy takes the Tartan Day baton from KT Tunstall, who led the march last year as the event celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The singer also made history as the first woman to lead the event. Tunstall said at the time: “I’m delighted to participate in this tradition and proud to be the first female solo Grand Marshal.

“I’m always happy to celebrate my roots as a Scottish musician, and I’ve never felt more empowered in my own career than I do now.”

Over its two-decade history, the parade has featured many of Scotland’s best known politicians, designers and performers.

Sir Sean Connery lead the event to 6th Avenue for the first time in 2002, when it attracted a record number of pipe bands from across the world.

Other notable Grand Marshals include actors Alan Cumming in 2009, Brian Cox in 2012 and Outlander star Sam Heughan in 2016.

This year will see a series of dance workshops, kilt fittings and ceilidhs take place from April 3-8 across Manhattan.

A group of 75 Vikings are to join in the celebrations, with the Jarl Squad travelling over 4,000 miles from their home in Shetland to touch down in the Big Apple.

But the parade continues to be the main event, with approximately 30,000 spectators expected to watch the sea of kilts as participants move down the street.

Kyle Dawson, New York Tartan Day Committee president, said: “We’re beyond delighted to announce that Billy Connolly will join us as Grand Marshal of this year’s New York City Tartan Day Parade this April.

For over half a century, he has entertained us all through his work and, because of this, he is beloved on both sides of the pond.

We look forward to enjoying a big year with the Big Yin.” In 1998 the United States Senate declared April 6 to be National Tartan Day in recognition of the contributions made by Scottish-Americans.

And it was in 1999 that two pipe bands and a small group of enthusiasts marched from the British Consulate to the UN for what was the first Tartan Day parade.

Since then, the event has expanded to include hundreds of pipers and thousands of marchers.

But it has not been without moments of controversy.

In 2016 the Clan MacLaren issued an appeal for members from all over the world to fly to New York and rescue it from being banished from the parade.

The organisers had warned that, unless they got at least 20 marchers, that year’s event would be the last march for the MacLarens.