Thousands of Scotland fans turned Miami's iconic South Beach into a sea of tartan during a colourful march this afternoon, led by pipers and filled with chants of 'No Scotland, No Party' and 'We've got McGinn'. The event, which began at 2pm local time, saw fans launching a volleyball while waiting for the march to start.
Police Join the Carnival Atmosphere
Local police closed off the road for the event and even got involved in the carnival atmosphere ahead of Scotland's match against Brazil tomorrow. Stunned locals and fans of other countries, including Brazilians and Colombians, watched and filmed the scenes, with some joining the march.
The march lasted around half an hour and ended on the sand at the famous beach. Revellers who had been enjoying the sun raced towards the crowd to capture quick snaps and videos of the kilted Scots. As it ended, the group surrounded the pipers as fans belted out an emotional rendition of Flower of Scotland.
Piper's Father: 'What Dreams Are Made Of'
Twenty-year-old piper Callum Bain, a music student and member of the Troon Caledonia pipe band, jumped into the sea shortly after the march to play a few tunes from the water. He said: 'We've only been here two hours but we got straight into the march. The march was really good fun. It was hot, but brilliant. We played all the traditional chants, Scotland the Brave, the national anthem, and all the traditional football chants. We are now just looking forward to the match tomorrow. We are going to the game, I'm hoping for a 1-1 draw. We need to get a point at least!'
His father Stefan, 50, from Kilmarnock, added: 'It's nice to see a bit of cloud cover now! I'm just so happy to be here, and it was brilliant to see Callum playing the pipes on the march. I'd take a draw tomorrow, but let's go and try and win it, we've got the guys to do it so we need to go for it. To see my son piping on Miami beach and to share the world cup experience with him is what dreams are made of.'
Previous March at Baseball Game
Today's march came a day after a similar procession to the baseball last night, where fans marched to LoanDepot Park for a game between the Texas Rangers and the Miami Marlins. Pipers and team mascot Billy the Marlin led the march, recreating scenes from Fenway Park in Boston. Despite the sweltering conditions, fans wore heavy kilts, much to the excitement of passers-by. The Texas Rangers won the game 4-3. Festivities included a pre-game march inside the arena, a performance by Nick Morgan (who released 'No Scotland, No Party' ahead of the Euros), and a first pitch from injured Scotland hero Billy Gilmour.
