So far, there has been more attention paid to those who will not be there: Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson, comedian Billy Connolly, actor Ewan McGregor and the last four Conservative secretaries of state who held out against home rule for Scots.
But today in Edinburgh, the focus will be on those who are there, in proceedings laden with symbolism of a nation regaining at least part of its former freedom. Queen Elizabeth is one of those who received her invitation to open the new Scottish parliament with more time to fit it into her schedule than busy football and showbiz stars.
As the crown jewels of Scotland are taken out of their vault in Edinburgh Castle for the day, she will travel from her official residence, Holyroodhouse, in a horse-drawn carriage. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said it would be unseemly for Her Majesty to be processing with mere commoners. Mr Tony Blair, too, is to be kept in his place, as a visitor in the gallery. Members of the Scottish Parliament and 1,500 children from all over the country will walk less than 200 metres to the temporary home of the modern legislature, borrowing its debating chamber from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
It is clear that the Labour-led administration in the new Scottish executive is keen not to make the event into a major national celebration.
That is why Mr Donald Dewar, the First Minister, refused to make the day a national holiday and why there is not a vast free concert, as in Cardiff on the day in May when the Queen opened the new Welsh assembly.
Instead, the 129 Scottish parliamentarians have become engrossed in matters of internal housekeeping. Despite being at the heart of a revolution in the ways the UK is governed, they have been arguing over whether constituency members should have more support funds than those elected from a regional top-up list (they will), whether they are wasting money on a £110 million futuristic parliament building (MSPs decided they are not) and defending a decision to take 17 weeks off from parliamentary duties each year.
The first recess begins after only one day of exercising their new powers. On Friday afternoon, the parliament closes until late August.
Rachel Donnelly adds: The hand-over of transfer orders enabling the formal devolution of power to the Welsh Assembly took place during a distinctly low-key ceremony in the assembly chamber in Cardiff yesterday. The First Secretary of Wales, Mr Alun Michael, handed over the orders to the Presiding Officer, Plaid Cymru's Lord Elis-Thomas, and from midnight the Welsh Assembly assumed responsibility for the £8 billion Welsh Office budget. The 60-member assembly will pass secondary legislation in keeping with primary legislation enacted at Westminster.
Meanwhile, the former Welsh secretary Mr Ron Davies resigned yesterday as chairman of a powerful assembly committee.
He had been under pressure from fellow members of the assembly's Labour group to step down as head of the influential Economic Development Committee following recent revelations about his private life.