Consulate General, Edinburgh
Press Release
05 August 2005
Ambassador Robert Holmes Tuttle Completes Inaugural Visit to Scotland
Robert Holmes Tuttle, the new United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and his wife Maria made their inaugural visit to Edinburgh August 5. "I wanted to visit Scotland as early in my tenure as possible," explained Ambassador Tuttle, who took up his new position in London July 17. "The U.S.-Scotland relationship is important to the President, and it is important to the American people. I especially wanted to visit now to thank the people of Scotland for hosting such an outstanding G-8 summit, and to thank your police for all of their highly professional efforts."
Ambassador Tuttle's most important responsibility of the day was laying a wreath at the Scottish War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. The red poppy wreath, inscribed "With abiding gratitude, the Ambassador of the United States," was placed in the center of the monument. After the ceremony, Ambassador Tuttle toured the memorial, which he said was a very moving experience, especially coming so close to V-J Day. "It is an honor for Maria and me to be in this place today," expressed the Ambassador.
Ambassador and Mrs. Tuttle are collectors and patrons of modern and contemporary art; Ambassador Tuttle served as Chairman of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art for a number of years. The Tuttles thus were thrilled to visit the National Gallery of Modern Art, where they thanked the curator, Richard Calvocoressi, for organizing last year's highly regarded "Year of American Art." Responding to recent press reports that many people around the world do not believe the United States has a culture, the Ambassador stated "You only need to look at modern art, or at jazz music, to know that the United States has a rich cultural heritage, one that many people enjoy. Just look at the success of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival."
In the afternoon, Ambassador and Mrs. Tuttle called on Lothian and Borders Police Chief Constable Paddy Tomkins to thank him for his and the rest of the Scottish forces' "truly magnificent" work during the G-8 summit. They then met with Major General WEB Loudon, Commander of British Forces Second Division, to thank him for the long history of cooperation between the British and the U.S. armed forces.
Ambassador Tuttle hopes to return to Scotland after the Scottish Parliament is back in session so that he can call on political and civic leaders in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
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