The Minnesota Vikings are heading to Scotland’s capital next week.
NFL giants Minnesota Vikings have confirmed they will make a special visit to Edinburgh in order to celebrate their “shared historical ties” with Scotland - and fans will be able to meet them.
As part of a two-day visit, current NFL stars Jordan Addison and Brian Asamoah will travel to the Scottish capital on Thursday July 3, alongside wide receiver coach and two-time Super Bowl winner Keenan McCardell as the NFC North team explore the sights and sounds of Edinburgh, and get introduced to some of Scotland’s “most iconic” traditions.
The Minnesota outfit are named the Vikings due to the American state's strong Scandinavian heritage, with the name chosen to reflect this cultural connection. They plan to use the visit to Edinburgh as a way to celebrate their shared historical ties, with Norse influence leaving a lasting impact after their arrival in Scotland around 1200 years ago.
The Minnesota Vikings will visit Scotland next week.placeholder image
The Minnesota Vikings will visit Scotland next week. | Getty Images
“Our organisation is honoured to have such a passionate and growing international fan base, many of whom call Edinburgh and Scotland home,” say the Minnesota Vikings. “We are excited to meet as many of our Scottish Vikings fans as possible during our stay and hope this visit can become the first of many in the years to come.
“The players and Coach McCardell are hoping to soak in as much Scottish culture as they can over the course of the two-day visit, from sampling haggis to creating tartan. I know all three are also looking forward to spending time exploring Edinburgh, so our plan is to also take in as many sites around the city as possible.”
The visit will be one of three visits the NFL side make across the pond this year, with games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns scheduled to take place on September 28 and October 5 at Dublin’s Croke Park and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London respectively.
Scottish-based Vikings fans will also have a chance to meet their NFL heroes on the visit, with the saying they are hoping to be able to host a meet and greet with fans while in the capital, with further plans soon to be announced via the team’s UK social channels, though they have encouraged fans to “come say hi” if they see the Vikings wandering the streets of the Old Town.