The Gathering 2014 – Upcoming Event News

[cessna152towser]

Threads merged.
Whether or not there will be a "Clan Gathering" in 2014 there will be celebrations for the 700th Anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, the 500th Anniversary of the Battle of Hornshole, and Scotland will be hosting the Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games. There will also be lots of regional Homecoming events during 2014 so please do not let this deter you from participating in Homecoming Scotland 2014.
Homecoming Scotland was already planned before agreement was reached between the Scottish and English governments that an Independence Referendum would take place towards the end of 2014.
The two issues are entirely separate, please do not spoil the Gathering thread by discussing the proposed Referendum.

[frank_a]

I wasn't trying to spoil anything by mentioning both events, just wondering out loud if a budget-limited couple want to go to Scotland in 2014 with so many things going on that may well drive lodging and travel prices up. So go next year, or God willing, 2015?

Frank

[cessna152towser]

Sorry Frank, my comments were not aimed at you but at others who had already raised the subject prior to your post. As you said in your post, the thought of connecting the two events had not entered your head until it was suggested here.

[Chas]

I don't think I am stupid and having read this thread thoroughly, I am sure I am not the only one who is confused.

Homecoming

Gathering

Up until Friday I thought that these two terms referred to the same thing. I now am starting to believe that they are two totally different things.

I thought that if there was a 'Homecoming' then the people would be 'gathering' to do so. Now, people can gather anywhere in the world, but if they are gathering in Scotland, aren't they coming home to do so?

Could I please ask for one knowledgeable person to explain this. What the two things are; what they were called (official names, if they had one); when they were planned for; and lastly, but certainly not leastly, what exactly has been cancelled and what if anything is still going forward.

I do not expect anyone to be able to foresee the future and what may or may not take place. It is the past, with which I am concerned - where are we today and how did we get here?

Would it be possible for someone to make a bullet point list of what happened?

I know that I am not the only one who would be very grateful.

Thanks

Regards

Chas

[AcuteEnigma]

2012 is The Year Of Creative Scotland per www.visitscotland.com
2013 is The Year Of Natural Scotland
2014 is The Year of Homecoming Scotland

The Gathering would have been ONE event during the year of Homecoming Scotland. There will still be many, perhaps even hundreds, of events but no ALL-CLANS gathering at least that is what I got out of the meeting Friday.

There will still be a Bannockburn 700 celebration during the Year of Homecoming Scotland. Some clans may set up in a small clan village for one day. The man representing the Scottish government seemed to think the only thing the clans cared about was a big march, so there may be a march up the road to Stirling Castle.

The only hope is to turn the games in Strathmore, at Glamis Castle, into a huge clan gathering.

[AcuteEnigma]

Chas,

The Year of Homecoming Scotland is an all year long celebration.

The Gathering 2014 would have been one weekend in that year.

There are still dozens if not hundreds of events that will still happen like the Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games and whiskey tastings, tours, genealogy conventions, music festivals and all sorts of things.

No huge, all-clans gathering, at least not as of right now.

[Mael Coluim]

The Caution Flag Is Out Again:

New Confusion Surrounding 2014

For those of you following the continuing Gathering 2014 saga:

After specific reassurances last Friday that Scottish clan events, including a clan village and parade, would be integrated into the spectacular Bannockburn 2014 re-enactment activities, the Scottish newspaper The Scotsman reported this morning that there would in fact be no clan village and no parade associated with Bannockburn reenactments. Many of you have seen the article. We haven't yet been able to confirm or discredit the report, but it is notable that, according to The Scotsman article, both VisitScotland and EventScotland have declined to comment on the story.

At this point, it is certainly fair to say that it would probably be prudent to put plans for traveling to Scotland in 2014 on hold until we gain better clarity about what is and is not going to happen in 2014. Of course we know that Scotland's 2nd Year of Homecoming will offer many fine opportunities for visitors from the Ryder Cup to the Commonwealth Games. Additionally, we do still expect several smaller regional clan and Diaspora based events to materialize - eventually. At present, however, the fate of any sort of unified clan gathering occurring in 2014 is, at best, unclear.

Several Scottish organizations with interest in a second Gathering, including the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, COSCA, The American Scottish Foundation and the Society of Scottish Armigers have been in discussions regarding how best to proceed. While no decisions have been made, one point certainly emerges: The second Gathering as well as the 2nd International Clan Convention are events of tremendous import to the Scottish Diaspora. The Diaspora, in partnership with clan organizations in Scotland, must take on the primary role of designing and planning the second Gathering and Clan Convention. We must and can accomplish this through our leading Diaspora organizations.

Clearly, though, given the ever shortening timeline remaining before 2014 and the difficulty in making progress, it may well be that a second Gathering will not occur until 2015. It is more important to do it right than to do it in 2014.

Please stay tuned for further information as it becomes available.

Yours aye,

slm

Susan L. McIntosh, President

Council of Scottish Clans & Associations

[Jock Scot]

The word "on the street" is that a certain very interested group of people involved in a current major debate in Scotland are not wanting to be associated with yet another possible debacle at this present time.How true it is, I know not, but it is not an ureasonable train of thought.

[Mael Coluim]

Latest article from the Scotsman: US clan chiefs’ dream shattered as council pull plug on Gathering celebrations

[cessna152towser]

the Gathering in 2009 which drew thousands of visitors to Edinburgh from across the globe. That weekend brought £10.4m into the Scottish economy, but it came at a hefty price after the company behind the event, run by clan chief Jamie Sempill, went into administration, forcing an emergency bailout of £180,000 from the Scottish government. A number of the debts from 2009 remain unpaid, with more than 100 small businesses still awaiting over £300,000 in payment.
Martin Hunt, of Tartan Silk, which is one of the businesses still owed money, said: “In some ways I’m delighted this isn’t going ahead, but I’m also saddened, because as a concept it’s actually very good, and a great way to bring Scots families back to Scotland. But they can’t do another one without paying the people who did the first one. It’s embarrassing.”

Sad, but true, the bad taste left in Scotland by the 2009 Edinburgh Gathering was always going to be a stumbling block against holding another similar event. Though there should be plenty of regional events taking place, and Bannockburn 700 does promise to be a "want to be there" event. There could be lots of clans at Glamis Games which are around the same time, also Aboyne Games in August usually have quite a good selection of clan tents, and if 2009 is anything to go by there should also be regional gatherings of border clans, lowland clans, highland clans etc.. The Diaspora might find costs a bit cheaper if they spread their visits over the year rather than all trying to come at the same date.