Wu made the announcement Thursday at The Haven, a Scottish restaurant in Jamaica Plain, where she was greeted by a hearty contingent of Tartan Army members — as the national team’s fans are known — as well as David Clay, the British consul general to New England. The Scottish fans chanted “No Scotland, no party,” and then, “No Wu, no party,” as Wu signed the letter.
Over the next year, Wu said the two cities’ leaders will finalize details of how they will invest resources and collaborate on shared initiatives — likely related to innovation, higher education, climate, or arts and culture.
The leaders will formalize the agreement when Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Jacqueline McLaren, visits Boston next April for “Tartan Day,” Wu said. With 650,300 people, Glasgow is Scotland’s most-populated city.
An estimated 50,000 Scottish soccer fans are visiting Boston for the World Cup, draining beer kegs at the city’s bars and liquor stores, raising the roof at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park on Sunday, and leaving orange traffic cones on statues.
“We wish we could keep you all forever,” Wu said Thursday. “This kind of agreement will make sure that you always see Boston as a home base. We want you to come back again and again and again.”
Iain MacGillivray, an Inverness, Scotland, resident, greeted Wu with a bagpipe serenade as she arrived at The Haven. He called the Boston-Glasgow partnership “amazing” and “very appropriate.”
“This is cemented history,” MacGillivray said.
Members of the Tartan Army swarmed a bride and groom who happened to be walking by in Boston on Thursday.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
With the United States’ 250th anniversary approaching and “the whole fervor and the vibe [of the World Cup festivities] … it’s been absolutely awesome,” he said. “The Scots have loved Boston, Boston’s loved the Scots. We are so appreciative of the Americans and the Bostonians for hosting us so amazingly.”
Clay, the British consul general in Boston, said it’s been “brilliant” seeing Bostonians and Scots bond over the past week.
Both Boston and Glasgow “have long histories, [and are] proud of their identities, incredible schools, sporting heritage, brilliant education, real centers of innovation,” Clay said.
“There’s so much that the two cities have in common,” he said, “and I’m really excited to take forward the partnership after this World Cup is over, and figure out where we can take it.”
Members of the Tartan Army chanted together as they marched through the streets of Boston on Thursday.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Niki Griswold can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @nikigriswold.
