About Us

The Taste of Scotland and Celtic Festival and Highland Games are produced by the Taste of Scotland Society, Inc., a non-profit 5019(c)(3) corporation, based in Franklin, NC. The organization is made up of individuals who are interested in Scottish history and culture. And while most members have Scottish or other Celtic ancestry, membership is open to all, and there certainly is no DNA test to belong. You merely need to be interested in the activities and goals of the organization. If you are interested in becoming a member, click here to download a membership form. If you would like more information, please use the contact form on our home page, and one of our volunteers will get back to you.

A Brief History

In the early 1990’s, Dr. Gordon Teale decided to donate his collection of Scottish artifacts to two new venues, one in Scotland, and one in the United States. The latter was first established in Highlands, North Carolina, a nearby tourist community in our county. In 1993 a museum with Scottish tartan specialization was established in Franklin, and interest in uncovering Scottish ancestry among the residents was encouraged. Those responding formed the “Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum,” now called “The Taste of Scotland Society, Inc.” For over two decades, the Society has been producing Burn’s Night, Tartan Day, Scottish Heritage Day and participating in Winter Wonderland. Volunteers from the Society have participated in the Taste of Scotland Festival since the beginning and starting in 2012, the Taste of Scotland Society took over sole control of the Taste of Scotland Festival from the Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, members of the Society have volunteered to participate in many other activities such as learning Scottish country dancing, taking tartan search information to other Highland Games in North Carolina, and distributing Scottish information to schools and universities in the area.