If you are a Scottish ex-patriot, or a member of the worldwide Scot Diaspora, you may already be a reader of The Scottish Banner. If not, perhaps you'll want to consider a subscription.
Founded in 1976, The Scottish Banner is the world's largest international Scottish newspaper. The monthly publication reaches over 50,000 readers worldwide, providing a positive link back to the land they love, Scotland.
With the just published July edition, The Scottish Banner marks 39 years of publication. Its success is a classic example of niche marketing, established long before anyone had coined the term. Its founder, Valerie Cairney, is herself a Scottish ex-pat, having emigrated from the UK to Canada with her Scottish parents in the mid-1950s. Twenty years on, as a working journalist in Toronto, she recognized the void felt by all ex-pats when it came to keeping in touch with their homeland. Likewise, as an event planner for Burns Suppers, St. Andrews Balls, and theatrical shows, she saw the need for ex-pats and Scot diaspora alike to come together as a community. To fill that void she launched The Scottish Banner and life has never been the same.
Today Cairney makes her home in the USA, in Florida. There are two editions of the paper, the North America edition (Canada and the USA) and the Australasian edition (Australia and New Zealand). The later is edited by her son, Sean. Cairney visits with Under The Tartan Sky about why she founded the paper, its editorial makeup, interesting people she's interviewed along the way, and her love of Scotland. Read all about it - The Scottish Banner, here, Under The Tartan Sky!
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