Scottish Community Tattoo returns to Carleton Place with tribute to Royal Canadian Legion’s centennial
The sound of bagpipes and the spectacle of Highland dancing will return to Carleton Place later this month as the community celebrates a major Canadian milestone.
The annual Community Scottish Tattoo returns on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, beginning at noon on the grounds of Captain A. Roy Brown Legion Branch 192 at 177 George St. Now in its 32nd year, the annual event is being dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion, and will feature one of the largest gatherings of pipe bands and highland dancers the town has hosted since the Tattoo began.
The annual community tradition, which is open to the public, aims to celebrate Scottish traditions while recognizing the Legion’s century of service to veterans in communities across Canada.
“Carleton Place, and Lanark County for that matter, are steeped in Scottish Heritage and people love the sights and sounds of the Pipes and Drums and Highland Dancers,” said Rob Goebel, Chairman of the organizing committee for the Tattoo and the master of ceremonies. “Our Tattoo first started back on 1994 when 22 members of the Comrie and District Pipe Band visited their twinning community of Carleton Place.
This year’s program includes nine pipe bands and performances by the Rosemary Breman Highland Dancers. The MacEóin-Ramsay Pipe Band will serve as the event’s Duty Band, while Darryl Lim, drum major of the Ottawa Caledonian Pipes and Drums, will serve as Senior Drum Major.
“There are no competitions involved and it is meant to be a fun day for all pipe bands and their members that participate in our Tattoo in a relaxed, playing atmosphere,” Goebel told Lanarkist.
Visitors can enjoy a barbecue and refreshments throughout the afternoon on the Legion grounds. Event organizers recommend that visitors bring their own lawn chairs, as seating is limited. They also noted that only certified service dogs will be permitted on the grounds.
Due to the limited parking around the Legion, Leduc Bus Lines is providing a free shuttle service from the Carleton Place Farmers’ Market Square parking lot, at the corner of Lake Avenue East and Beckwith Street.
Shuttle departures to the event are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., with return trips starting at approximately 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Town officials note that local motorists should also be aware of temporary road closures during the event. Morphy Street, between Mullet Street and Ramsay Street, and Ramsay Street, between Morphy Street and George Street, will be closed to accommodate the tattoo.