JOHN Swinney has arrived in Boston ahead of Scotland's World Cup opener against Haiti with a packed schedule in store ahead before and after the match.
The First Minister touched down in the US on Thursday evening and has a stream of key meetings lined up either side of cheering on Scotland at the Boston Stadium.
He has been invited to the match by Fifa as part of a delegation with the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
Friday, June 12
On Friday Swinney is set to meet with a series of business leaders and investors in Boston.
In the morning he will be taken on a private tour of Harvard University with the University Marshall and representatives of the SFA in a bid to strengthen existing relationships between Harvard and Scottish institutions.
He'll then take part in a bilateral meeting with the mayor of Boston Michelle Wu in the afternoon at Boston City Hall.
The meeting will focus on strengthening cultural and economic ties between Boston and Scotland, specifically cultivating partnerships in shared areas of interest including finance, education, healthcare and biotechnology.
In the evening he will host Scotland's kick-off reception with the Governor of Massachusetts Maura Healey.
The pair will hold a meeting prior to the reception before joining guests to celebrate Scottish culture, tourism, innovation and food and drink with stakeholders. They are both expected to make speeches at this event.
Swinney is also due to a Scottish Night in Boston dinner and gala event, hosted by the David Yarrow Foundation in aid of Street Soccer Scotland where he will join "high-profile" representatives from the world of sports, entertainment and business.
He will take part in a Q&A on stage with Street Soccer Scotland founder and CEO David Duke MBE and comedians Fred MacAulay and Greg Hemphill.
Saturday, June 13
Following breakfast meetings with business leaders and investors, he will attend a Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal charity presentation. The cause makes a local charitable donation whenever Scotland plays.
In the afternoon, Swinney will be going to a fan festival at City Hall, Boston, where he will join in celebrations with Tartan Army supporters.
In the evening, he will then head to the Scotland v Haiti match which kicks off at 9pm local time (2am Sunday in the UK).
Sunday, June 14
The First Minister will tour the Museum of African-American History before departing Boston.
