Ananova:

Got any Scottish in you? If so, your ancestral country needs you.

This year, Scotland is launching "Homecoming 2009".

It is a year-long drive tourism drive aimed at Scottish expatriates, inviting them to come home for a holiday.

The Scottish Government initiative takes place in the 250th anniversary year of the birth of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns.

The plan is to attract 100,000 extra visitors to Scotland, generating an extra £40m for the economy north of the border.

More than 200 events will focus on 'tourism trigger' themes such as golf, whisky, Burns, great minds, innovation, culture and heritage.

In July, Edinburgh will host the largest gathering of the Clans for two centuries.

The Scottish diaspora in countries like America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand is being targeted through television and web publicity.

Advertising in the UK will include a mailshot campaign telling people how to put together a Burns supper (haggis, turnip and potatoes, to the uninitiated).

Mindful of a Scotsman's tender heart for the homeland, the musical choice to market Homecoming 2009 is the iconic song Caledonia by singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean - a "wee homesick song", as he calls it.

An abbreviated version has been recorded for an advert featuring Scottish celebrities such as Sir Sean Connery, actor Brian Cox, singer Lulu, golfer Sam Torrance and cyclist Chris Hoy.

They each sing a line or two, some more tuneful than others.

The advert drew criticism when it was revealed it would be played only to TV viewers within the UK, but First Minister Alex Salmond subsequently announced it would be shown to audiences in North America too.

He said: "Caledonia is a song that resonates with Scots the world over.

"For those far away, it is a reminder of strong bonds, full of the promise of return. This advert will sing to Scots about what we have to celebrate."

It will be a huge marketing drive and, in the current economic conditions, a timely one.

Tourism is Scotland's biggest industry, generating over £4bn in revenue annually and supporting at least 9% of employment north of the border.