The Scottish tourism agency wants 2014 to be the year the world's 50 million Scottish descendants make a visit home.
The Queen's Commonwealth Games baton toured Dunedin on Saturday to coincide with celebrations for St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day.
The Commonwealth Games are being held in Glasgow next July. Six weeks later, Scots will vote on whether to become independent from Britain.
Visit Scotland chair Mike Cantlay says that with the eyes of the world on Scotland, it has developed a year of events called Homecoming.
Mr Cantlay says there are only five million Scots, but 50 million Scottish descendants around the world, so the country feels it should put on a big party.
