Dougray Scott to lead New York Tartan Day parade

Dougray Scott is to lead a parade celebrating Scottish culture through the streets of New York as part of city's Tartan Week celebrations.

He has been announced as this year's Grand Marshall of the 26th Tartan Day Parade.

He told BBC Scotland that it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

The Mission Impossible star, who is from Fife, said he couldn't turn down the opportunity to share his pride in his homeland.

The Emmy and Bafta-winning actor said he hoped that Americans with a connection to Scotland would turn out to watch Saturday's parade with its 1,500 participants - including bagpipers, Highland dancers, Scottish clan members and Celtic dog breeds.

He said he was delighted to be asked and that some "terrific" Scots had led the annual parade before him - including Sir Billy Connolly, KT Tunstall, Sean Connery, Karen Gillan and Sam Heughan.

On his own heritage, he told The Afternoon Show on BBC Radio Scotland: "I think I've always strongly identified with being Scottish.

"I think we have a great country. We have a history of being welcoming and politically diverse, culturally diverse and we fight for the underdog.

"We have an innate approach to the world - politically, culturally - and we certainly I think are very egalitarian in our heart and soul.

"I’m not saying that we are the greatest people on earth - we’re not."

Scott - who is from Fife - said like anywhere else, Scotland had its "pros and cons".

"But it’s my history," he said. "It's where I was brought up and I have such familiarity with [it] and I do love being there.

"Every year I go and I stay in this place on the west coast of Scotland, and I walk and play golf and fish and recharge the batteries."

He said the location brought him "a feeling of spiritual calmness".

Glasgow also has a special place in his heart, with Scott saying it was a city that he loved "very much".

He said: "Both my parents are from there and I spent a lot of time in Glasgow growing up."

His love for his homeland has led him to develop works of Scottish fiction for the screen.

He recently won an International Emmy for his role in the adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel Crime.

He said he was really looking forward to representing Scotland in New York, and was planning to invite some friends to the parade.

The first parade took place as a way to recognise the contributions made by Scottish-Americans to the United States.

A small group of people and two pipe bands marched from the British Consulate to the UN building.

Now thousands of people will line the streets to watch the procession as it goes along Manhattan's Sixth Avenue to Central Park.

The parade is the centre piece of a weekend of Celtic celebrations in the city.

Scott's kilt will be in Morrison tartan, which he called "beautiful".

"I can't wait to put it on," Scott said, adding: "I don’t get a chance to wear a kilt very often but I love them.

"I'm Scottish, we wear kilts, so why not? Give me a broadsword as well!”