By Elizabeth Quigley BBC Scotland reporter in Rome

They have come from all over Scotland, a tartan army with a difference, complete with piper resplendent in kilt, more than 400 Scottish pilgrims have descended on Rome.

A mass of the Scottish pilgrimage to Rome was held

With less than four weeks' notice it has been something of a mad scramble.

Some of the Scots have interrupted their October holidays and diverted to Rome.

Others had long-standing arrangements to visit the Vatican to mark the Pope's 25th anniversary and now have another, unexpected, reason to celebrate.

The day before the consistory - the ceremony where the cardinals receive their red birettas, or caps - about 120 Scots gathered just a few hundred yards from St Peter's Square at the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina for a mass.

Archbishop Keith O'Brien arrived wearing purple robes and was promptly swamped by well-wishers.

The archbishop shook hands and even cuddled a baby.

It was a great surprise when I was asked to stay a little longer Archbishop Keith O'Brien

Three-month-old Johanna from Mexico City had no idea why her mother felt it was so important for her to be given a blessing by the man in the brightly coloured clothes but she seemed more than happy to be nestled in the archbishop's arms.

With most of the pilgrims inside the church, the mass should have been about to start.

But one small group still lingered outside.

"Hurry up," they were told. "He won't start without you!"

Terry, Helen and Paul O'Brien - the brother, niece and nephew of the cardinal-elect - took the hint and quickly found their seats.

The delight at being appointed a cardinal was clear on the archbishop's face, but so was the surprise at being chosen.

A piper helped greet Archbishop O'Brien

During the homily, he told the congregation that although he had planned to be in Rome this week, he had not planned to stay this long.

"It was a great surprise when I was asked to stay a little longer," he said.

"But if it was a surprise for me then I'm sure it was a tremendous surprise for other people."

After the mass, there were more handshakes and hugs and then just enough time for a final group photograph of close family and friends.

In the middle of the "team photograph" stood a beaming Keith O'Brien.