Nestled high in the Tuscan hills in Italy, lies a little piece of Scotland.
In fact, it's not unusual to hear a Glaswegian accent or two, as you wander around the beautiful walled town of Barga - or even spot a cone placed on the head of a statue.
The self-proclaimed "most Scottish town in Italy", can claim ties to Scottish celebrities such as Paolo Nutini, Daniela Nardini and Nicola Benedetti, who all boast links to the village.
The town is not only surrounded by scenery reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands, including stunning views of the Apuan Alps, but around 40 per cent of the 10,000 residents who call it home can claim to have Scottish relations.
Historical links
Speaking to the BBC in an interview, Mayor Umberto Sereni explained: “Many people from Barga live in Scotland, it is the history of our people, we went to Scotland for work.
“Now we can see many people from Scotland in Barga.
“We are very proud to be the most Scottish town in Italy. Any Scotsman who comes to Barga should feel at home - like in a little Scotland.”
In fact, many people who left the region at end of the 19th century to emigrate in search of work to support their families, ended up in Scotland.
Now, a whole generation of Scots-Italians are returning to the village their families originally called home, bringing a little bit of tartan to the this corner of Italy and celebrating the ties between the two countries.
One such person is Scots singer Paolo Nutini, who describes the 10th-century town as his "most favourite place to visit", he told the Daily Record: "I've been coming here just about every year since I was a baby and it's the most amazing place in the world.
"We always have a great time here and it always feels like coming home.
Speaking about eventually living in the town the Nutini family hail from, he added: "I would love to, if I'm able to one day, to buy somewhere in Barga to live or even just to stay in when I get the chance to visit."
Barga regularly holds Burns Suppers, plays host to Scottish weddings and even has an annual week-long celebration of Scotland.
‘Barga’s Scottish Week’ runs over a week in September, with events celebrating Scotland, while in August they also have the "Sagra del pesce e Patate", a festival dedicated to traditional fish and chips.
Gurro
Incredibly, they aren't the only Italian dwelling with such strong links, a small village north of Milan named Gurro, which lies close to the Swiss border, claims that its residents are descended from a group of Highland mercenaries who settled there almost five centuries ago.
Over 200 of the soldiers, who lost at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 settled there, rather than return to Scotland meaning many of the men still where kilts, Scottish flags can be seen dotted around the town, and surnames such as Gibi (Gibbs) and Donaldi (MacDonald) are common.
