KINCARDINE residents welcomed visitors from across the pond last week.

The community council hosted guests John and Judy Gates on Wednesday (1 July), who hail from the local village’s namesake – Kincardine, Ontario, Canada.

The couple dropped in during their trip to the UK and were given a tour of a few notable places in the area.

Sandy Brown, chairperson of the community council, said: “It was wonderful that we could greet our visitors from Kincardine Ontario and show them good Scottish hospitality.” The group met in the Baking Room, went to Tulliallan Kirkyard and then headed to Tulliallan Police College, where Inspector Martin McCole gave an interesting and informative tour.

Next up was a trip to the library to see items from the Mercat Cross time capsule.

They topped up their energy levels with a delicious lunch in the Unicorn, where there was a tasty Scottish feast featuring dishes such as haggis, black pudding, salmon, cranachan, meringue and shortbread.

Two small gifts were also presented to the visitors by the community council and they had a short walk around part of the village, before a quick stop-off at the Auld Hoose.

John – a former executive committee member of the Kincardine (Canada) Scottish Festival and Highland Games – also brought with him a letter of greeting from his mayor Anne Eadie.

As well as having a common name the communities also share a rich Scottish heritage – as many of the original non-native settlers came from Scotland – which is widely celebrated in Canada through the games and other events.