Irish President Catherine Connolly Conducts Official Visit to Scotland

Irish President Catherine Connolly began a four-day official visit to Scotland on September 16, 2026, marking the first such visit by an Irish President in ten years. The mission started in Edinburgh with a meeting at Bute House with First Minister John Swinney, who had extended the invitation during a meeting in Dublin in November 2025. During the visit, Connolly met with King Charles III at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, where the King hosted a dinner and reception for the Harmony in Food and Farming summit.

In discussions with Swinney, the leaders addressed global challenges including climate change, unregulated AI growth, and violence against women and girls. Swinney also raised the issue of self-determination, referencing a memorandum signed by leaders of the Scottish National Party, Sinn Féin, and Plaid Cymru calling for constitutional change in the United Kingdom. While the Irish Government characterized the trip as an effort to foster cultural ties, Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticized the alignment of nationalist leaders in Scotland and Wales, suggesting it could set back Irish unity.

President Connolly's itinerary includes visits to Glasgow, Coatbridge, and the Isle of Skye, where she will visit the Sabhal Mor Ostaig National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture. In Edinburgh, she was inducted as an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and visited the National Library of Scotland. She also reviewed a joint project with the Royal Irish Academy supporting deaf victims of gender-based violence in rural areas.