Topic: Ulster Scots, Princeton University and Founding of the University of North Carolina in1795: Role of William R. Davie, War Hero
Speaker: Donald C. McLeod, FSAScot, FCCP, Historian and former Professor of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Duke University North Carolina, and State University, Buffalo, New York, Southern Pines, NC
Topic: Scottish American Military Society - The Legacy and the Pride
Presenter: Kenneth A. Lloyd, National Commander, The Scottish American Military Society, USA
Topic: Robert Burns: As He Sees Us and We See Him
Presenter: Gus Noble OBE, President, Chicago Scots and Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care
Topic: The Legacy of the Glencoe Massacre
Speaker: Dr. Ryan Burns, PhD, Assistant Professor of History, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL
Sign up to be notified when volunteer opportunities at the 38th Scottish Festival & Highland Games are released. Volunteer's weekend admission is free!
The 2024 Scottish Festival & Highland Games will be moving to its new home at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, June 14 – 15.
Tickets will be going on sale next week and as always Children 12 and under are free! Register to get notified when ticket go on sale!
Topic: Climatic Change - Scotland Compared to North America
Speaker: Dr. Graeme Morton, Professor in Modern History, School of Humanities, University of Dundee, Scotland
Join us for a summer celebration of family & community! Live Music Food Highland Dancing Petting Zoo (11am-1pm) Children’s Games Raffles Facepainting (1pm - 3pm) […]
After 35 years on Clark Street, Chicago’s best Scottish Pub, the Duke of Perth has moved to a new home on Broadway. You are invited […]
Topic: The History, Nature, and Relevance of Scottish Foods
Speaker: Sarah McCaslin Dziennik, PhD, Adjunct Professor, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
Buy in August and Save $10!* Unlock Offer using code SCOTS Three time winners of Scotland’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ award, Skerryvore have evolved […]
Topic: Failing to Make Peace: Adam Ferguson, the Carlyle Commision and the Scottish Enlightenment in America Speaker: Professor Michael Brown, FRHistS, Professor and Chair in […]
Chicago Scots will return to Cantigny Golf Club for the game the Scots invented. Join us for a great day of golf with Scottish flair followed by the Awards dinner for our winners. All golfers welcomed.
The World of the Clans in Late-Medieval Gaelic Scotland
Professor Martin MacGregor, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Scottish History, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Scotland and the First World War
Matthew Dziennik, PhD, Associate Professor, British and British Imperial History, History Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
Join us at the iconic Palmer House for Chicago’s longest running black tie gala when Chicago Scots honor Scottish historian and economist Niall Ferguson as the 2024 Distinguished Citizen.
The Chicago Scots will host a SNACC HUB at Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care in North Riverside. Come to Heritage Hall, connect virtually to the in-person Conference in Alexandria Virginia on Friday December 6th (1:30pm-4:30pm CST) and Saturday December 7th (1:30pm-4:45pm CST).
As we approach Saint Andrew’s Day and the Holiday Season, we wish you and your loved ones health and every happiness on behalf of the […]
The Black Watch - History and Impact
Dr. Derek Patrick, PhD, Lecturer, School of History, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Topic: The Life and Reign of James VI in Scotland (1567-1603) - In the Time of His 400th Anniversary
Speaker: Dr. Steven Reid, Professor, Early Modern Scottish History and Culture, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Chicago in January is cold. Warm up with some good cheer, chat, poetry, laughter, tunes and toasts with the amber bead. And there will be haggis. Come join the Scottish fun at Martyrs'
Email nichtwiburns@gmail.com to be added to the invite list. Complete details will be included with your emailed invitation.
Back by popular demand Chicago Scots is pleased to partner with Gorton Center and the History Center of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff to host an authentic Burns Supper for everyone who is Scottish by birth, by heritage or simply by inclination. Gather your friends etc. Gather your friends and join us for Burns Night where we’ll honor the life and works of this legendary Scottish poet with supper, haggis, whisky and more!
Topic: Jacobitism and Cultural Memory, 1688-1820
Speaker: Dr. Leith Davis, PhD, Professor Department of English and Director of the Centre for Scottish Studies, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Topic: The Travails of Local Government in Scotland and Changing Status Since c1832
Presenter: Dr. Michael Pugh, BA (Hons), MPhil, PhD, PGCE, SFHEA, Senior Lecturer, Political History, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland
Chicago Scots invite you to have some Scottish Fun at a Tartan Day celebration featuring Scotland's Craig Weir (host of the Hoolie in New York), Jai McDowall (winner of Britain's Got Talent), Chicago's very own House-Rockin' Scottish-American Honky-Tonk Band, John Ballantyne's Crazy Heart and the Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers.
Admission is free! Please donate in support of Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care.
Topic: How the Scots Discovered the Environment
Presenter: Dr. Fredrik Albritton Jonsson, Associate Professor of British History, Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science and the College, University of Chicago
Chicago Scots is excited to host two of the world’s leading experts – Phil Long OBE FRSE, CEO of National Trust for Scotland and Tony Jones CBE, Former Director of the Glasgow School of Art President-emeritus of the Art Institute of Chicago– for an informative discussion on the National Trust of Scotland’s efforts to preserve the works of Mackintosh, Scotland’s visionary architect, designer & artist who revolutionized the Glasgow Style.
Topic: Odyssey of the Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) from the Scottish Borders, to Ulster, and America
Speaker: Donald C. McLeod, FSAScot, FCCP, Historian and former Professor of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Duke University North Carolina, and State University, Buffalo, New York. Resident of Southern Pines, NC
Join Chicago Scots and the Scottish Universities Alumni of Chicago for a preview of the award-winning whisky brands to be featured at the 2025 Highland Games in June. Brand Ambassador Kevin Obis will lead a guided tasting of these exceptional whiskies
Chicago Scots invite our dedicated volunteers to join us at the Old Town School of Folk Music to celebrate the life and legacy of Rory McEwen. Register below for your complimentary ticket!
Chicago Scots are thrilled to welcome Sir John McEwen to this year’s 39th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games, not only as the newly appointed Chief of this year’s Honored Clan, Clan MacEwan, but also as a gifted playwright, actor, and director. Sir John will perform his acclaimed one-man play, Country: Scotland. Whit like is it?, an hour-long show in which Professor Stramash, an academic who has just discovered the magic and possibilities afforded by theatre, conducts a whistle-stop tour of the history and literature of Scotland as he asks the audience to contribute to an understanding of the country’s essential nature.
Topic: Scots-Irish Self-Reliance on the Eastern Frontier: Living & Dying on the Dummer Claim Speaker: Julie A. Potter-Dunlop, PhD, Vice President & Secretary, Maine Ulster-Scots […]
Join us for a summer celebration of family & community! Live Music Food Highland Dancing Petting Zoo (11am-1pm) Children’s Games Raffles Facepainting (1pm – 3pm) […]
Topic: Civil War in North Carolina During the Revolution
Speaker: Donald C. McLeod, FSAScot, FCCP, Historian and former Professor of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Duke University North Carolina; and State University, Buffalo, New York; Southern Pines, NC
Topic: Cape Fear Scottish Immigration Memorial Project
Speaker: Robert McLeod, President, Cape Fear Scottish Immigration Memorial Project, Wilmington, North Carolina
New this year your Kilted Classic registration includes entry into every competition, with a chance to win a bottle of whisky on every hole, and we’ll be playing the newly renovated Hillside course at Cantigny! Your registration also includes one mulligan, on-course food and drink stations throughout the day culminating in an awards dinner at the Woodside tented pavilion, live highland dancing, whisky tastings, and fun Scottish twists like trivia, Beat the Scot, and much more. One all-inclusive price, more chances to win, and more Scottish fun than ever before!
Presentation Topic: The Reformation "Theatres of Conversion in Early Modern Scotland"?
Speaker: Dr. Ryan Burns, PhD, Assistant Professor of History, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL
Liz Davidson is currently Project Director of Mackintosh Illuminated the National Trust for Scotland's foremost capital initiative that seeks to widen and deepen appreciation of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his artist partner Margaret Macdonald
Join Chicago Scots for a Leadership Symposium in partnership with The Center for Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago.
Dementia cases in the United States and globally are projected to rise dramatically in the coming decades. While this trend is closely tied to longer lifespans and improved detection, it also underscores an urgent need for the memory care sector to evolve. Innovation, investment, and new forms of collaboration will be essential to meet the expanding and complex needs of individuals and families affected by dementia.
On December 5, join the Chicago Scots and Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care for an in-depth dialogue with experts from Scotland and the US who are shaping the future of brain health and dementia care.
The 180th Annual Saint Andrew’s Day Gala, the Feast of the Haggis, returns to the beautiful Palmer House Hilton. Join us for Chicago’s longest running black tie event!
All Chicago Scots Members, Families & Friends are invited to join the festivities!
Topic: "For Freedom Alone”: William Wallace, Robert Bruce and The First Scottish War of Independence, 1286-1329
Speaker: Professor Martin MacGregor, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Scottish History, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Topic: A Great Army of Militia: Pro-Government Independent Companies and the '45
Presenter: Matthew Dziennik, PhD, British and British Imperial History, Academic Sabbatical, Skye, Scotland
Topic: The Scottish factor in Cape Breton’s Coal-Mining Communities
Presenter: Don Nerbas, PhD, Associate Professor and the St. Andrew’s Society/McEuen Scholarship Foundation Chair in Canadian-Scottish Studies, Department of History and Classical Studies, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
Topic: The World of Sir Walter Scott and Abbotsford
Speaker: Giles Ingram, Chief Executive at Abbotsford, the Home of Sir Walter Scott
Everyone is Scottish (for at least one weekend). Each June, we celebrate with our family-friendly, two day festival. About 15,000 people join us each year […]
The Inveraray & District Pipe Band, current and four-time winners of the prestigious World Pipe Band Championships, will perform live on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Pfeiffer Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois before they compete in the largest pipe band championship in the United States at the 40th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton on Saturday June 13, 2026.
Join us for a summer celebration of family & community! Live Music Food Highland Dancing Children’s Games Raffles Admission is FREE!
Everyone is Scottish (for at least one weekend). Each June, we celebrate with our family-friendly, two day festival. Join us for a variety of Scottish activities and attractions from the iconic caber toss to the largest bagpiping and drumming championship in North America. There is truly something for everyone with our Highland Dancing competition, children’s activities, dogs of Scotland, a British Car show, a Celtic rock stage, knobbly knees contest, whisky tasting, genealogy and much more! At our marketplace you can buy everything Scottish….kilts, candy, jewelry and of course shortbread and haggis!
Every year at our Scottish Festival & Highland Games, the Chicago Scots feature a family or an organization as our Honored Clan. This year, to recognize and celebrate its’ strong Scottish roots, our Honored Clan is Rotary International. We are proud to announce that Rotary International’s Scottish President, Gordon McInally has agreed to lead our Parade of Tartans at 12:30 p.m. Gordon will also receive the Salute to the Chieftain from the Massed Pipe Bands at approximately 6.30pm on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
Ticket Discount. All Rotarians will receive a 15% discount on tickets. Your discount code is available through your local Rotary Club or contact Meghan Larson at meghanlarson@chicagoscots.org.
Recognizing Your Rotary Club. Every Rotary Club marching in the parade will be recognized by Club name. After you register, email your club name to Dawn Miller.
Parade kicks off at 12:30 p.m. Marchers should gather next to the Athletic Field at 12 noon with clans, families, and organizations.
Interested to Volunteer? Attend for Free. Volunteers get free admission on the day they volunteer. Time slots are 3-4 hours. See volunteer opportunities available here.
Massed Bands at 6:30 p.m. Gordon will receive the Salute to the Chieftain from the Piped Bands at 6:30 p.m. on the Heavy Athletics Field.