Off Beat
The Tartan Army is the gift that keeps on giving.
Soccer fans don Scottish flags and construction cone caps outside South Station in Boston on June 13, 2026. Craig F. Walker / The Boston Globe
The Tartan Army may have departed New England last month, but its partnership with the commonwealth is only just beginning.
The cone in first class.
Soon-to-be sister cities Boston and Glasgow have entered a new chapter: The sisterhood of the traveling, er, traffic cone?
That’s right, the Scottish cone-atop-statue shenanigans continue.
A special traffic cone, signed by chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Stuart Patrick, arrived in Boston this week via a first class transatlantic Delta Air Lines flight.
Video of the initial signing of the stolen, ahem, donated traffic cone being signed in Scotland has garnered more than 1.2 million views on Instagram, featuring plenty of humor from Patrick, Glasgow influencer and MadeBrave founder Andrew Dobbie, and Danny Campbell, an architect and presenter on BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were set to officially receive and sign the cone during a ceremony at Logan Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
From there, the cone will travel throughout Boston, serving as a symbol of the new partnership between the two cities, while also fundraising for critical mental health resources in both regions: the Scottish Action for Mental Health and the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health.
Civic and tourism partners including Meet Boston and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism will help circulate the cone at local bars and businesses.
Andrew Dobbie, a member of the Delta cabin crew, the cone, and Danny Campbell. – Handout
The cone features the phrase “No Boston, No Party,” as well as illustrations honoring both cities such as the Red Sox logo, a roll and square sausage, Dawn the Duck, and bagpipes.
“What happened between Scotland fans and the people of Boston was completely organic, completely joyful and exactly the kind of story the world needs more of right now,” said Dobbie, the influencer driving this cone campaign, in a press release.
“If the cone can make people smile, bring good energy into their feeds and raise money for mental health charities on both sides of the Atlantic, that feels like a fitting next chapter of the story,” Dobbie added.
On June 18, Boston and Glasgow formally announced efforts to become sister cities, an international partnership which will officially start next year and seek to build on the connections established during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“What began with a traffic cone has grown into a genuine friendship between Massachusetts and Scotland, built on shared history, creativity, and a sense of humor,” said Healey in the release.
“From culture and tourism to business and innovation, we’re looking forward to building even stronger ties across the Atlantic,” the governor added.
“This partnership is one for posterity, and Boston is honored to receive this hallowed cone as a symbol of the bond we’ve built with the Tartan Army, the City of Glasgow, and the people of Scotland,” Wu said in the release.
Heather Alterisio
Heather Alterisio, a senior content producer, joined Boston.com in 2022 after working for more than five years as a general assignment reporter at newspapers in Massachusetts.
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