'Sparks Fly' as Edinburgh welcomes Taylor Swift with civic gift

Edinburgh has heralded the arrival of the global pop sensation by creating a gift hamper celebrating the best of the city and of Scotland.

Contents will include a bespoke Edinburgh 900 Tartan Guitar Strap made by master tailors Kinloch Anderson, whisky courtesy of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and a personalised city itinerary from the Council’s in house destination marketing service, Forever Edinburgh.

It is hoped that the artist will use one of the guitar straps during her performances and sign a second, which would then be auctioned with the proceeds going towards the One City Trust, which combats inequality and social exclusion in Edinburgh.

The exclusive guitar straps, of which only two exist, are inscribed with the text ‘Fàilte chridheil gu Dùn Èideann’ - A heartfelt welcome to Edinburgh.      

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge said:

On behalf of the city and people of Edinburgh, I’m delighted to welcome Taylor Swift to Scotland and to Edinburgh. These performances are set to be some of the biggest and most spectacular the country has ever seen, with hundreds of thousands of fans attending and tens of millions of pounds set to benefit the local economy.

Whilst Edinburgh is no stranger to high calibre international events and culture, the fact that the world’s foremost pop superstar has chosen our city to begin the UK leg of her world tour is testament to the global reputation our city commands.

I’d like to thank Kinloch Anderson for their generous and expert work in designing the Edinburgh 900 tartan, of which several items were fashioned as part of this civic gift. I’d also like to thank all the other local and national companies which contributed to the hamper. I’m quite sure this will give Taylor a lasting memory of her time in the country of her ancestors and our beautiful capital city.”

CEO of Kinloch Anderson, John Kinloch Anderson said:

We have always been proud to call Edinburgh our home, and as the city experiences a "Swift" lift, we are happy to have contributed to the celebrations with the Edinburgh 900 Tartan.

As we all get ready to welcome Taylor, we are thrilled to have collaborated with local businesses to build an all-Scottish hamper, crafting products using this brand-new pattern.

Full list of items included in Taylor Swift’s civic gift hamper:

• Exclusive Edinburgh 900 Tartan Guitar Strap by Kinloch Anderson
• Edinburgh 900 Tartan Cat Bed by Kinloch Anderson
• Edinburgh 900 Tartan Blanket by Kinloch Anderson
• Taylor Swift’s personalised 4-day itinerary for Edinburgh by Forever Edinburgh
• Bottle of Malt Whisky from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
• A book titled ‘Edinburgh's Greatest Hits: A Celebration of the Capital's Music History’
• Miniature of Edinburgh’s Lind and Lime Gin
• Taylors Crisps
• A selection of chocolate by Coco Chocolatier
• A selection of Tea by Eteaket

For all the latest advice and information on Taylor Swift's performances please check our dedicated webpage.  

Published: June 7th 2024