Families with Italian heritage from Ayr and across Ayrshire will be part of a long-running cultural connection when Barga’s annual Scottish festival returns to Tuscany in September 2026.
The three-day event will run from Friday, September 4, to Sunday, September 6, in the medieval Tuscan town. The festival celebrates Barga’s historic links with Scotland, including the communities and families who settled in Ayrshire.
Ayrshire families at the heart of the story
Barga has family connections with a large number of Scottish-Italian families. Many people from the town emigrated to Scotland between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, later establishing restaurants, cafés, ice-cream parlours and fish-and-chip shops across the west coast.
The links remain visible in Ayrshire businesses today. Cechinni’s restaurants in Ayr and Ardrossan, Nardini’s at the Moorings in Largs and Cavani’s restaurant in Saltcoats are run by families whose connections reach back to the Tuscan region.
The Ayrshire visitors travelling to Barga include families from Ayr, Largs and Ardrossan with Italian heritage. Their presence reflects a relationship between Tuscany and Scotland that has continued through family ties, business, tourism and cultural exchange.
What to expect at the Barga Scottish Festival
During the festival, Scottish and Tuscan traditions will come together across Barga’s historic centre. Bagpipes, kilts and Scottish food will feature alongside the town’s cafés, restaurants and squares, where local and visiting accents meet.
Restaurants and eateries are expected to add Scottish dishes to their menus, while local associations will serve traditional Scottish street food. The 2026 programme will also include Highland Games, live music, bagpipes, cultural events and international delegations.
Whisky enthusiasts will be able to join guided tastings featuring rare and collectible Macallan miniatures selected for the 2026 edition.
A shared identity across generations
The festival is organised by the BargaScot Association and the Municipality of Barga. Its story is rooted in emigration, family and the way communities on either side of Europe have maintained their links over generations.
Designer Michael Lemetti created the Italian Tartan and a commemorative tartan marking the friendship between Barga and Scotland. The designs provide a visual symbol of the intertwined histories of the two communities.
Those connections now involve Barga, Glasgow and Ayrshire, with cultural and institutional relationships intended to promote tourism, friendship and exchange. For Barga, the festival is therefore more than a themed celebration: it is an annual expression of a Scottish connection that has become part of the town’s identity.