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The Gathering at Dirleton on 20th May 2000
The setting for the Gathering was indeed well chosen. Dirleton has certainly been associated with the Nisbets for a very long time as the sketches and article on the Battle of Nisbet Moor certainly portray, although many may be more familiar with the names of Sir John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton,the Lord Advocate, and of Mary Nisbet of Dirleton, Countess of Elgin, whose favourite home was said to be in Archerfield.
 The actual Gathering took place in the Open Arms Hotel in Dirleton and certainly met all our requirements; it included a splendid marquee for our meetings, lunch and discussions. In the evening we were to reassemble for a most enjoyable dinner in the hotel. After registering on arrival, coffee provided an excellent opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. We then settled down for the first major event, a talk by Andrew Spratt, Curator of Dirleton Castle. This talk, illustrated with slides, was largely devoted to the subject of the Battle of Nisbet Moor in 1355. A drawing of the battle by Andrew Spratt is reproduced here. After this we were shown around Dirleton Castle by Andrew Spratt and were most impressed by the way the castle and gardens were maintained and in particular the skill with which the castle had been designed and built. However despite its solid construction the castle was largely destroyed and forced to surrender as a result of Cromwellls artillery.
We then returned to the Open Arms Hotel for an excellent lunch and the opportunity to resume discussions with some of those who we had met earlier in the day. Later, many members enjoyed a visit to Dirleton Church and then Archerfield House which is to be completely refurbished to create an Hotel, Golf Clubhouse and Leisure Centre. In the evening several members met for the customary dinner in the hotel.
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