Atholl Highlanders Mini-tattoo and Reception, Athol Massachusetts 5/2/2012

**usonian** · 2nd June 12, 08:05 AM

Central New England X-Markers, this may be of interest to you (I know there will be at least a couple of us there today.)

After last weekend's games at Blair Atholl, the Duke of Atholl and his Highlanders got on a plane to visit Athol, Massachusetts as part of the town's year-long 250th anniversary celebrations. The Highlanders will be performing a mini-tattoo on the uptown common (1225 Chestnut St., Athol MA 01331) at 2:00 and then heading to Town Hall for an official reception.

As one of the organizers said in response to a query about today's lousy weather, "It always rains in Scotland. The Highlanders will perform and march rain or shine," so bring your umbrellas and/or Inverness capes if you've got them!

**Kinetikat** · 2nd June 12, 02:41 PM

Looking forward to your post-event report, Usonian!

**usonian** · 2nd June 12, 05:04 PM

I need to go through my photos and edit a couple of video clips which I'll post here... I only had my camera with me so I didn't get many.

It was quite an impressive performance (and it did indeed rain buckets during part of the tattoo and march) and a very nice reception at town hall. It was my privilege to present the Duke with a carved stone on behalf of my Masonic Lodge (the 7th Duke presented the lodge with a gavel in 1904 and there's been a friendly history ever since) and it was nice to finally meet X-Marker Tulloch in person!

**usonian** · 4th June 12, 06:40 PM

Here's the best video the I got of the Highlanders as they marched to the common:

The Athol daily news has several more videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/AtholDailyNews.

The mini-tattoo:

My Brothers and I making our presentation to His Grace:

(Rather an auspicious inauguration for my kilt, which I had just finished making earlier in the week!)

The inscription:

For those of you who get Red Sox or Orioles broadcasts, at 6:30PM EDT on Wednesday the Highlanders will be taking the field at Fenway Park before the game. They head for Bermuda the next day.