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A Celebration of Scotland's Treasures

Save the Date: April 10, 2025 at The Metropolitan Club, New York City

The National Trust for Scotland Foundation will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025

Stay tuned for more information and when tickets will be available to purchase.

In the meantime, please see below for details from the 2024 celebration.

Honoring Tom Conti

Thursday, April 11, 2024

The Metropolitan Club

New York City

Great Scot Award presented by Jackie Bird

The evening included live and silent auctions with one-of-a-kind prizes, a whisky tasting, a meal among friends in The Metropolitan Club’s spectacular dining room, and Scottish cèilidh to end the festivities.

Guests enjoy A Celebration of Scotland's Treasures. Image courtesy of Hechler Photographers.

To Purchase Tables or Tickets

Watch this space and announcements from NTSUSA for when tickets will be available to purchase for the 2025 celebration.

The Silent Auction

More details to follow about our auctions. The Silent auction will be available online to anyone who would like to participate.

Tom Conti

2024 Great Scot Honoree

Tom Conti is a Scottish actor, director and novelist. He was born in Paisley to an Italian father and Scottish mother and attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

He moved to London on meeting his wife, actress Kara Wilson, and after many years of unemployment, found acclaim in a role with Sir Paul Scofield in Christopher Hampton’s new play Savages in 1973. He then became a TV favorite in The Glittering Prizes written by Frederic Raphael but it was Brian Clark’s Whose Life is it Anyway? that brought him the greatest success and took him to Broadway and a Tony award in 1979.

Films followed, most notably Reuben Reuben for which he was nominated for an Academy award for best actor. The popular role of Costas the Greek in Shirley Valentine still entertains as the most repeated film of his 40+ oeuvre but Paddington 2 looks a good perennial to follow. He was excited to play Einstein in Chris Nolan’s Oppenheimer, having thoroughly enjoyed working with him on The Dark Knight Rises.

His daughter Nina has just taken New York audiences by storm in her ventriloquial solo show at The Soho Theatre and has just made her first film Sunshine which she wrote, directed and starred in. And it doesn’t stop there. Nina’s son Arthur Conti has just filmed his first big role for Tim Burton in Beetlejuice 2. Tom couldn’t be more proud.

You are invited to join The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA for our annual fundraising gala, A Celebration of Scotland’s Treasures.

 

The evening provides a festive opportunity for those who love Scotland to come together and celebrate the country’s heritage and natural beauty. Our gala features the presentation of the Great Scot Award, live and silent auctions with one-of-a-kind prizes, music by Skye Trio, a whisky tasting by The Macallan, and a four-course dinner in the Metropolitan Club’s spectacular West Lounge followed by a spirited Scottish cèilidh in the Great Hall to draw the evening to a close.

A Celebration of Scotland’s Treasures provides critical funding that enables NTSUSA to support the conservation priorities of Scotland’s largest conservation charity. The National Trust for Scotland’s two most recent acquisitions – the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides and Mackintosh at the Willow on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, which exemplify the range of properties cared for by the Trust – were made possible in part by proceeds from previous NTSUSA galas. Since 2000, NTSUSA has committed more than $11 million to the National Trust for Scotland.

For questions about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, email events@ntsusa.org.

Co-Chairs

Charlotte Lyeth Burton

Paula Kirby and Peter McWhinnie

Naoma Tate

Benefit Committee

Araminta Birse-Stewart

Flora Fraser

Susan and Henry Livingston

Caroline McCracken-Flesher and Paul Flesher

Alasdair and Susi Nichol

Gus Noble OBE

Dr. E. Quinn Peeper and Michael Harold, Esq.

Paul Roberts and Stephanie Donaldson

Helen and DuWayne Sayles

Donna Schinderman

Andy Scott and Hanneke Scott-van Wel

Christopher Thomson

Dorothy Welsh

Charlie Whitfield

Peter Wilson

Scot Meacham Wood

Junior Committee

Lauren Colavita

Fraser Grier

Rory Hedderly

Iona MacGowan

Molly Mellvile

Leila and Vincent Rovito

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

Whether you’d like to donate an auction item or purchase a table to entertain clients, there are a range  of ways corporations and organizations can support our work. Please contact Programs and Partnerships Manager Sarah MacPhee at 203-808-9729 or via e-mail at smacphee@ntsusa.org for more information.

About the Great Scot Award

The Great Scot Award is presented annually to a Scot or American who has contributed to the countries’ shared heritage. The recipient is selected by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the award presentation is the highlight of the annual gala, A Celebration of Scotland’s Treasures. Honorees include Billy Connolly (pictured here with presenter Alan Cumming, also a Great Scot Award honoree), Denise Mina, Ken Burns, Phyllis Logan, and Alexander McCall Smith. Below you will find a full list of past Honorees.

Great Scot Award Honorees

2023

Judy Murray OBE

International Tennis Icon, Author and Philanthropist

2022

Diana Gabaldon

Author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling Outlander novels

2021

Brian Denis Cox CBE

Scottish actor working in film, television, and theatre

  • Honorees 2008-2020

    2020

    Denise Mina

    Scottish crime writer and playwright.

    2019

    Andy Scott

    Internationally recognized artist and sculptor of The Kelpies, the worlds largest equine sculptures.

    2018

    Mark Beaumont

    World record-breaking long distance cyclist.

    2017

    Ken Burns

    Documentary filmmaker and kinsman of Scottish poet Robert Burns.

    2016

    Phyllis Logan

    Actor, best known for her roles as Mrs. Hughes on Downton Abbey and Lady Jane Felsham on Lovejoy.

    2015

     Sir Billy Connolly

    Stand up comedian, actor, musician, TV presenter, and artist

    2014

    Richard Scott

    10th Duke of Buccleuch and the 12th Duke of Queensbury

    2013

    Ian Gow

    Chief Curator, National Trust for Scotland

    2012

    The International Alliance for the Advancement of Scottish Roots Music

    2011

    Mrs. Thomas J. Hubbard

    Philanthropist

    2010

    Christopher Forbes

    Vice chairman of Forbes Inc., noted collector and connoisseur

    2009

    Alan Cumming

    Award-Winning Actor, Singer, Writer, Producer, Director, and Author

    2008

    Alexander McCall Smith

    Internationally Acclaimed Author

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