Edinburgh gathering - 2009

[cessna152towser]

At the moment it appears that my clan will not now be taking part in the Edinburgh Gathering as the organisers of the gathering have allocated a tent to a breakaway splinter group rather than to the official clan society which was approved by the Lord Lyon here in Scotland. One of the problems of the clan having no chief is that there is no mechanism to prevent a new group setting itself up and purporting to represent the clan as seems to have happened here. Looks like the organisers of the Gathering are happy to sacrifice historic authenticity for commercial opportunity which tends to strengthen my already held fears that the Edinburgh event might turn out to be a tacky tourist gimmick. I now find myself without the expected Gathering passport but as things have turned out there seems now to be no point in me applying for an overpriced passport for the Saturday evening parade and pageant. There are only silver passports still available and a few bronze ones with restricted views. My present plans envisage attending the Highland Games at Holyrood Park Edinburgh on the Sunday only when I would hope to meet up with many of you.