A ROSYTH man was saved by a Dunfermline kilt company after being asked to be a standard bearer at the New York Tartan Day Parade.

Graham Dobbin moved to the Big Apple to start a business in October and joined the St Andrews Society of the State of New York.

On a return trip back to West Fife in March, Graham received an email asking him to represent the society during the parade on Saturday, April 7.

With just two days to buy a new kilt before flying back across the pond, he was struggling to find an outfit.

Thankfully, Kingdom Kilts on Bridge Street came to the rescue.

He told the Press: "I was having no luck at all.

"I must've visited maybe seven or eight different shops but I wasn't getting anywhere.

"I then went to Kingdom Kilts and I was in and out in 40 minutes with the Spirit of Fife Tartan designed by them. The staff couldn't have made me feel more special."

Fife singer KT Tunstall was named the first female Grand Marshal of the parade as she led a procession of thousands, with more than 30,000 spectators watching on to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event.

Graham marched up Sixth Avenue with the society as pipers, drummers, highland dancers and full pipe bands from all over the world took to the streets as part of the week of celebrations.

He laughed: "It was great to show off the tartan and feel quite exotic! I was very proud to be there.

"Standing on Sixth Avenue, it was packed with Scottish flags and it was such a real experience hearing the echo of pipes. It was amazing.

"The funniest part was being in a queue with 300 others for the after-party at a club on Times Square where everyone was walking in with sgian-dubhs, axes and wooden staffs."

The day was also special for his wife, Rebecca, who bought a World Peace Tartan shawl from Andrew Carnegie's birthplace shop.

"Before the parade started, a man asked where she got it from," Graham said.

"It turns out he was actually the designer of the tartan itself, Victor Spence. What are the chances?"