EDINBURGH Airport has revealed that around 12,000 Scots have passed through its gates travelling to Boston to cheer on Scotland at the World Cup — with more Tartan Army reinforcements on their way.
An estimated 50,000 Scots have travelled to Boston to support Steve Clarke and his team in Scotland’s first World Cup in 28 years.
Thousands of fans witnessed John McGinn seal a historic 1-0 win over Haiti for Scotland in their opening Group C match of the tournament, with thousands more eagerly waiting to cheer on the team in Friday night’s clash against Morocco at the Boston Stadium.
A week ago, Tartan Army fans waiting to board flights to the US at Edinburgh Airport were seen belting out a rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland as pipers helped to see off supporters to the tournament.
Since then, a spokesperson for the Scottish capital’s airport told The National they believe around 12,000 fans have passed through their gates over the last two weeks, making the trip to Boston.
Stephanie Wear, chief commercial officer at Edinburgh Airport, said she is “especially delighted” to see how warmly welcomed the Tartan Army has been in America.
She said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many Scotland fans heading to the US using the excellent services offered by our airline partners - they’ve brought a real buzz, energy and sense of fun to the airport.
“As an American, I’m especially delighted to see the Tartan Army so warmly welcomed in my home country, and I hope they keep that incredible support going as they cheer Scotland on throughout the tournament.”
With daily flights to Boston, hundreds of Scots have made the trip over the Atlantic, but with other various routes available too, a spokesperson for the Edinburgh Airport added that it is difficult to pin down an exact number.
For example, they said some supporters flew from Edinburgh to Paris, then to Copenhagen, then to Philadelphia, to finally arrive in Boston last week just to watch their team play.
With daily services to New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C, along with a route to Orlando, which some Tartan Army supporters may be using for the Brazil game in Miami, and flights to Toronto, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal, it is likely fans have taken all sorts of “wild and wonderful routes” to make it to Boston.
Sharing the departure times for its Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia flights on Wednesday, Edinburgh Airport wrote: “Prepare yourself, Boston.
“Tartan Army reinforcements are on their way.”
The tweet quickly picked up more than 10,000 likes with Scots and Americans flocking to the comments to share messages of support amongst supporters.
One person wrote: “Virginian here....loving these Tartan Army posts and Americans discovering the joy of it all...now you've put another smile on my face and I am now following the frickin' Edinburgh Airport! LOL what a time to be alive.”
A second added: “This city can’t get enough of no Scotland no Party.”
While another commented: “The kegs are on back order!! Bring more Whiskey!”
A fourth also joked: “Tell them to pack some more beer in their carry-ons. You're drinking the city dry.”
The comments come after local reports that the Tartan Army are drinking Boston dry, with bars across the city seeing record sales.
Scotland fans have firmly cemented their world-famous reputation for partying while at the World Cup, with the owner of the Boston Taproom saying they ran out of its Samuel Adams Boston Lager over the weekend.
They added that between Thursday and Sunday, they sold four times as many Boston Lagers as it normally sells during a typical four-day holiday stretch like the Fourth of July.
Meanwhile, Hennessy’s Bar in Boston said that it tripled its St. Patrick’s Day sales and sold out of beer altogether on Sunday night, according to The Boston Globe.
“We’ve been here for over 30 years, and we’ve never seen anything like it,” said Noelle Somers, Hennessy’s chief operating officer.
And Kari Kuelzer, owner of Grendel’s Den, located near Harvard, said the Tartan Army had turned “ordinary match days into something unforgettable”.
