Scots celebrates St. Andrew's Day

INDONESIA: Scots around the world celebrated St. Andrew's Day on Wednesday.

First Minister Jack McConnell praised Scotland's progress in education and the economy, in his message to commemorate St. Andrew's Day, which falls on Nov. 30. St. Andrew is Scotland's patron saint.

"2005 has been a good year for Scotland. Six years after devolution, Scotland is using the powers of the new Parliament to make a mark -- within the UK and increasingly further a field too," he said in his message distributed to embassies and consulates around the world.

"Young Scots are increasingly confident and standards and attainment have improved every year since devolution."

McConnell also noted that Scotland had become an attractive place to work for foreigners. "Perhaps most significantly, Scotland's population is starting to grow. For 300 years Scotland has been known as an emigrant nation. We have been a country that has exported our brightest and best -- and many of them helped build new countries. Now, Scotland is a net importer of new people." -- JP