Scotland’s Tartan Army turns Massachusetts into a World Cup party

Only about 2% of Massachusetts residents claim Scottish ancestry but that has not stopped the fans of Scotland's men's national team from being welcomed in and around Boston for the past 10 days as they celebrate their team's first World Cup appearance this century.

In a city and state that is known for its Irish heritage and immigration (about 20% of the population has Irish heritage), the Scots have been adopted with open arms and a toast.

The Scots have been spotted walking around Boston in kilts, with some playing bagpipes in the streets and chanting "No Scotland, no party." Others have drawn attention for placing traffic cones on statues' heads, adding soap to local fountains, cheering at Fenway Park and drinking the city "out of beer."

Shaun from Scotland also reviewed a hospital in Taunton after his wife went to the ER and others took on a Framingham neighborhood kilts and all.

The Scotland men's national team is set to play its second of two matches at Gillette Stadium (which will be referred to as “Boston Stadium” for the duration of the World Cup), tonight, June 19. Before the team moves down to Miami for their match against Brazil on June 24.

Here's what you need to know about these hardcore fans.

The Tartan Army: Who are they?

The Tartan Army is the name given to Scotland's famed supporters group, known for donning kilts while being loud, passionate and charitable, often getting involved with local charitable causes in the areas they visit.

The Tartan Army has based themselves in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the first two World Cup matches and have chartered a fleet of yellow school buses to travel to and from Boston Stadium.

Why are the Tartan Army called that?

They are called the Tartan Army because tartan is the overlapping pattern of horizontal and vertical lines that is shown in many kilts, and fans will wear kilts to games.

Both tartan and the kilts are cultural signifiers in Scotland.

What is tartan?

It is distinct from the plaid, which referred to a large blanket-like piece of Highland clothing rather than the pattern itself, according to the Scottish Tartan Museum in Franklin, North Carolina. "Typically today one thinks of 'clan tartans' — that is, tartan designs that represent certain Scottish clans and families. While this is typical, it was not always so," according to the museum.

The museum says the earliest tartan found in Scotland is from the third or fourth century AD.

Tartan was so much a part of Scottish Highland culture the British outlawed in 1747 as part of the post Culloden Acts targeting Highland clothes as an attempt to stop rebellion; the law was repealed in 1782.

What songs do Scottish football fans sing

The Tartan Army faithful often sing popular songs by Scottish artists "Yes Sir I Can Boogie at Hampden Park" and "No Scotland No Party" at football matches before.

Nolan Rogalski contributed to the reporting of this story.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Scotland’s Tartan Army in Massachusetts for the 2026 World Cup