The Gathering, Edinburgh 25-26 July, 2009
A message from the Clan Chief
Dear Clansfolk
Many of you will know that Edinburgh is hosting The Gathering 2009, on 25-26 July 2009. This will be the first gathering of all the Scottish Clans for some thirty years, and promises to be an extraordinary weekend. There are three linked events:
Holyrood Park – Highland Games and Clan Tents
Over the two days of the weekend Holyrood Park will host the World Highland Games Heavy Events, Piping, Highland Dancing and the Clan Tents. So far, 103 clans have signed up, with another 30 or so expected – an impressive turn-out. We will be there, with a colourful display of clan banners and information and a warm welcome for all. On Sunday afternoon Holyrood Park will also host an informal clan parade open to all visitors to the Games (this is separate to the Saturday evening Parade along the Royal Mile).
Holyrood Park is the royal park of Holyrood Palace, at the lower end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. It offers plenty of space for the 30,000 visitors expected each day. Planned as a family event, there will also be dedicated areas for genealogy and kids, and extensive catering facilities with Scottish food and drink. Entry tickets for this, the main event of The Gathering, will be moderate in cost – details of exact pricing are awaited.
Clan Parade and Pageant
The second event is the Clan Parade and Pageant on Saturday evening. Using the facilities and seating of the famous Edinburgh Tattoo, the Pageant will take place on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, and will be a colourful evocation of Scotland’s past, featuring massed bands and dancers.
The pageant will be preceded by a parade from Holyrood Park to Edinburgh Castle, walking up the Royal Mile. Each clan will be led by its Chief and his/her banner. For practical reasons on this narrow, and in parts steep, route, walking in the parade must be limited to ticket holders for the pageant; watching is of course open to everyone. It is expected that the parade will take some two hours to pass, with most participants in clan dress. This is the first time the entire Royal Mile has been closed for an event.
Tickets (“Passports”) for the Parade & Pageant, which also include admission to both days of the Games, cost £88 or £95, depending on the seating area chosen for the Pageant. To put this in context, the overall cost of organising The Gathering exceeds £2 million, and a reasonable seat at a London theatre is £50. Half of the 8,500 Passports have already been sold. However, virtually every event of the weekend can be enjoyed without a Passport.
For Passport holders who wish to attend the Pageant but not join in the Parade (which involves walking uphill) it will be possible to book a seat on a bus instead.
Clan Convention
The overall aim of The Gathering – and of The Homecoming, a larger series of events in 2009 – is to strengthen connections between Scotland and the diaspora. Clans are obviously central to this, and if anything their role will only increase in the next century. To discuss this, the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament are hosting a convention to discuss the role and development of the clan system. It will be held in the debating chamber of the new Parliament building, which holds about 500 people. It is expected that about 150 Clan Chiefs will attend the event, each accompanied by an officer of one of the clan societies in the diaspora; amongst others attending will be the Lord Lyon and heralds, historians, and politicians. It is likely the event will be televised on the Internet, and be made available on DVD.
Should you go to The Gathering?
I am impressed by the careful thought given to organisation by the company responsible. Edinburgh has a good history of hosting large, colourful events, and the organisers are drawing on this local expertise. The degree of support from government, and the patronage of Prince Charles, all point to this event being something special.
The UK chapter of the Nesbitt/Nisbet Society is investing heavily in time and money, hiring a clan tent (one big enough to allow sitting and chatting – maybe refreshments too) and arranging a really good display. I’ll be commissioning a standard and banner and look forward to seeing these flying above the tent. We look forward to meeting any of you who attend The Gathering at our tent, and at the informal clan parade on Sunday. We also hope some of you coming may be able to volunteer an hour or two to help staff the tent. I am also looking forward to seeing the other clan tents, particularly of related families such as Hume and Dunbar. The sheer variety of activities in Holyrood Park is surely enough to entertain anyone for the whole weekend.
Participation in Saturday’s Royal Mile Parade and Pageant (for which the Passport ticket is necessary) is very much optional; however anyone with some romance in their heart is likely to enjoy the Pageant. I shall certainly be in the Parade, with banner, and do hope some of you will be able to join me.
So… if the timing and the cost work out for you, do think about coming. But if you can’t, there will of course be ample coverage of the weekend in our newsletter and website.
Practical matters
Tickets for Holyrood Park (Games, Clan tents etc) will go on sale soon, via The Gathering website. There will be plenty of these, probably on sale on the day as well. However, if you would like a Passport ticket (to include the Parade & Pageant), bear in mind that 50% of these have already sold, three-quarters to those outwith the British Isles. It would be advisable to buy one soon; they are available through The Gathering website and, as part of travel packages, through selected travel agencies. If buying a Passport, you will be asked to specify a clan name to aid organisation of the parade – please give this as Nesbitt.
Accommodation in Edinburgh will obviously be at a premium. There are three choices: first, to go with one of the travel agents working with The Gathering, such as Cashel, who have already block booked large amounts of accommodation in central Edinburgh and currently have plenty of beds; second, to book independently; smaller hotels/guest houses and hotels outside the centre (e.g. the Holiday Inn, just 15 minutes by bus) still have availability; third (most useful to late bookers), to stay in one of the many cities and towns with excellent travel links to Edinburgh and travel in by train.
Overseas visitors will doubtless wish to spend a few days in Edinburgh – full of N/N connections , also a good base (with hire of a car) for exploring covenanter sites in Ayrshire and the Nisbet homeland of Berwickshire; there are also good hotels in the Borders region itself. Members of the UK Society can advise on itineraries.
We are not holding a separate UK Gathering in 2009, not least as the Edinburgh Gathering will absorb all our capacity. However, I would be willing to lead an informal group on a N/N walking tour of Edinburgh, if wished, probably on Monday 27th.
More information
The starting point is The Gathering website: www.clangathering.org
There is a lot of information here – be sure to check out the FAQs too. You can also click through to travel agencies and accommodation details/costs & booking.
Locations of hotels can be checked on the web and at review sites such as tripadvisor. Some of the travel agencies can organise multi-centre trips & excursions. It would be sensible for anyone booking a package this far in advance to take out travel insurance. See also:
www.homecomingscotland2009.com The Homecoming
www.visitscotland.com Scottish Tourist Board
www.edinburgh.org Visit Edinburgh
www.scot-borders.co.uk Visit Scottish Borders
Contact point
The Society’s presence at The Gathering is being organised by a small group, including David and Sue Nisbet, Graham Nisbet and myself. Please feel free to contact me with any queries (clanchief {usual at sign} nesbittnisbet.org.uk).
Mark Nesbitt of that Ilk 13 July 2008
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