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HIGH in the mountains of Italy, Saltires are being flown as a tiny community celebrates its Scottish heritage.

The village of Gurro, near the Swiss border, can trace its roots back to a group of Highland soldiers who made their home there nearly 500 years ago.

Each one of the 310 villagers is a direct descendant of the Scots troops.

And as a result, they speak an Italian dialect containing 800 words of Gaelic origin.

Even their names reflect their Scottish roots, with names such as Donaldi used to this day.

Each year, the villagers remember their Scottish heritage with a festival of parades and parties.

Blue and white flowers and candles line the streets, and the women wear the same colours.

Saltires are flown but there is a mixture of all cultures, with a Swiss brass band performing under the Scottish flags.

Adolfo Nicolussi, director of the local museum which organises the bash and holds Scottish clothing and weaponry from ancient times, said the village was proud of its heritage.

(Image: Gordon Jack/Scotimage.com)

He said: “Despite the centuries that have passed, it has not lost its charm and continues to

fascinate visitors to Gurro.”

One resident, enjoying the festivities despite the rain, added: “We take great pride in our Scottish roots and remembering where we came from. It makes us unique, a real clan, living in the mountains.”

According to historians, a group of Highland mercenaries, who were being paid to fight for French King Francis I, stumbled across the mountain retreat after ending up on the losing side in the Battle of Pavia in 1525.

The battle is seen as a pivotal moment in the Italian War between France and Spain. Many Scots soldiers had been drafted in to support the French army but they were overpowered by Spanish forces in a bloody four-hour fight.

As snow blocked their retreat back to France, a group of Scots archers decided to settle for the winter on the remote mountain top before trying to return.

But when spring came and they had remained undiscovered by their enemies, they decided to stay.

They built stone houses and found their wives in a series of raids on the neighbouring villages below them.

The village, 815 metres above sea level, was so well hidden in its mountain location that the Italian government only discovered it existed in 1900.

The only access to Gurro was up a mud trail until roads were finally built in the 20th century.

The little village is a half-hour drive from Lake Maggiore, near the border town of Cannobio, in the Piedmont region of Italy.

(Image: Gordon Jack/Scotimage.com)

Anthropologists from Zurich University who studied the villagers’ language say there are around 800 Gaelic words in their vocabulary.

There is also a distinct trace of Scottish accent in their voices.