Youngsters living in America’s Deep South will get the chance to learn all about Scotland’s national bard next week.
The children are gaining the opportunity, via a live address to a haggis streamed over the internet from an Aberdeenshire community more than 4,000 miles away.
The Stonehaven and North East twinning group on Monday will broadcast a live storytelling session all about Robert Burns to schoolchildren at the Athens iAcademy in Alabama – which is twinned with Stonehaven.
It is part of a series of sessions organised by the twinning group, and follows a previous broadcast which told American youngsters how the Scottish crown jewels were smuggled out of Dunnottar Castle.
Mearns Heritage Service founder Dave Ramsay has agreed to don his kilt and Highland regalia for the educational event, and show them an authentic address to a haggis – provided by a local Stonehaven butcher.
Mr Ramsay will tell the youngsters about Burns’ special connection to the north-east and the Mearns region in particular, where his father was born before moving his family south to Ayr.
Phil Mills-Bishop, chairman of the twinning group, said: “Dave will be in full Burns Clan outfit and local Stonehaven butcher McHardy’s has provided a haggis which Dave will address for the kids, which will be a first I think.
“Dr Jenny Sallee, deputy head of iAcademy, has prepared the kids.
“One pupil was concerned about the eating habits of Stonehaven when she learned what haggis was, but was relieved to know there was a McDonald’s nearby in Portlethen.”