Of course, all the merriment came on account of the so-important Group Nine qualifying match for Euro 2000, the European Football Championships. In Tallinn, men in kilts, singing all day and waving the Saltire, do not turn heads anymore. In fact, for many Tallinners, they are a nice diversion from the usual packs of drunken Finns, the butt of many jokes among the locals, who are rapidly losing patience with the antics of their northern cousins. Witnessing the merriment and lust for life displayed by the invading Scots produces a smile even on the most jaded faces of the usually reserved and cautious Estonians. For the last decade, European football has remained consistent in many ways.
Old rivals meet regularly both on and off the pitch.
One thing that can almost always be counted on is that there will be some form of confrontation between Estonia and Scotland. Nearly every qualification tournament and UEFA-sponsored tourney has pitted the Scots against the Estonians. But really, these frequent incursions by the Tartan Army have also brought significant changes to Tallinn. Enlivened by the price of beer and bedazzled by the beautiful blondes, a significant number of Scots have actually settled in Tallinn over the past few years. Many of them have learned the Estonian language and married Estonian women.