The Gathering 2014

**Mael Coluim** · 24th October 12, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Actually Earn that is not the article I meant and having just re-googled "Lord Jamie Sempill" a new heap of articles are there and not the one I meant. However if you care to read through the various articles the answers will appear.

If you were not meaning "my" post, then I apologise for getting it wrong.

Jock, no apologies necessary, but my post hasn't anything to do with yours on past failures of The Gathering 2009 but is news on clarification on what hopefully is happening for The Gathering 2014.

Cheers, ern

**Alan H** · 24th October 12, 11:22 AM

Recent announcement...the Masters World Championships will be held at the Games in Inverness in 2014. There will likely be 100+ Masters Highland athletes in attendance, quite a few from Scotland but the majority from Canada and the USA.

Whether this floats your boat or not, it up to you.

**creagdhubh** · 24th October 12, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Alan H

Recent announcement...the Masters World Championships will be held at the Games in Inverness in 2014. There will likely be 100+ Masters Highland athletes in attendance, quite a few from Scotland but the majority from Canada and the USA.

Whether this floats your boat or not, it up to you.

Sounds awesome, Alan!

**Tobus** · 24th October 12, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Thats nearly it Frank! Anyway, "Frank's" website article, about His Lordship, that he has found contains much of the info. that Tobus is looking for.

Searching for Lord Jamie Sempill was just the ticket to finding everything I was looking for. Thank you, sir.

As to the article Mael Coluim posted, I think that's a promising sign. It appears that 2014 could turn out to be a very exciting time for the various activities in Scotland. Spreading out the events across the country and distributing the responsibilities/costs/rewards will have an overall benefit to everyone, and the clans can have more involvement with greater exposure as they desire. As the old adage suggests, they're not putting all their eggs in one basket. Even if one event fails to come to fruition, the others can still be successful. I think it's a good plan.

**Mael Coluim** · 24th October 12, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Alan H

Recent announcement...the Masters World Championships will be held at the Games in Inverness in 2014. There will likely be 100+ Masters Highland athletes in attendance, quite a few from Scotland but the majority from Canada and the USA.

Whether this floats your boat or not, it up to you.

So if we do go, Alan will we see you competing there?

**Alan H** · 24th October 12, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Mael Coluim

So if we do go, Alan will we see you competing there?

Probably not. I'll be blunt, here.... The Masters World Championships are an American invention. They're great, I really loved attending this year in Greenville, SC so don't get me wrong. Attendance at Inverness will be lower than it was this year, or will be at Alburquerque in 2013 because of the expense of transatlantic flights and so on. However, I'm sure they'll still be 100+ athletes there. ... mostly from the USA and Canada.

I hope to go to Scotland next summer. ... 2013. I even hope to throw at Inverness. But when I go to Scotland and throw, I want to throw at SCOTTISH Games, done like how they're usually done in Scotland. The MWC will be a North-American style Games, moved to Scotland. That's not what I'm looking for. At most Scottish Games there will be perhaps 6-12 lads throwing in the local group, usually in the morning. In the afternoon there will be about 6-8 "Open" class athletes, which is usually the lads that are on the Pro tour, but really means "anybody who's not local". A lot of smaller Games don't have a locals class. At these Games, the Heavies all compete in the afternoon, and there might be 6-12 athletes, total. All ages and abilities compete together, including women, if any show up.

When I go to Scotland and throw, I will be in the "Open" Classes. Reviewing the winner of the Open classes at Inverary, Inverness, Airth and Stirling over the past four years is like a countdown of the best of the best in Scotland. I will be sharing a trig with Craig Sinclair and Gregor Edmonds and Sinclair Patience and Bruce Robb. I don't throw anywhere near their level, but I will consider it an honor and a privilege to get out there and throw with them.

I am seriously looking forward to throwing the caber at the Games at Inverary. That is the Scottish Caber Championships. There's no way in the world that I will win or place top three, and I'd be stunned if I actually managed to turn the caber that they will have on hand. But I'm going to line up with that stick. I'm going to pick it. I WILL pick it, I'm going to work hard next Spring with a 17 foot, 130 pound caber, to ensure that I can pick it. I will control it and give it a good run-up and give it all the horsepower I've got to give. Three times. I'm not going over there to give up and say "aw shucks, I can't do that."

And I, for one, think that is just pretty damn cool.

**Alan H** · 24th October 12, 03:22 PM

However, that's not at all what the Masters Worlds will be like. Again, don't get me wrong. I loved the Worlds this year and it's a serious show. It will be a huge show in Inverness, 2014. For the overwhelming majority of you, for whom the athletics is just some big guys throwing some heavy stuff...and my, look at that lovely tartan, and where's the whisky tent? ... oh, and there's My Lord Schmuckford of Blitheringswell, and dear, let's go look at the antique cars, these big fellows will be at this all afternoon, we can come back any time... Wait, dear isn't that pipe band wearing kilts in the Ancient, Hunting, MacSchnitzer tartan in the Inversmock variant from 1894?

....for those of you who view athletics kind of like that, and I know that's the majority of people at X Marks who go to Games..... The Masters Worlds will be a great show. There will be some outstanding athletes there. To you, if a hammer goes 80 feet or 135 feet, it's irrelevant. It's a hammer. If a caber is 18 feet long and 130 pounds, or 16 feet long and 90 pounds...makes no difference, it's a caber. If weight flies 50 feet or 80 feet, it doesn't matter...it's a weight. if the athlete is 25 years old or 55 years old it doesn't matter...he's just some big guy throwing stuff... I understand. I'm totally and entirely not angry about this. I "get it".

For you, then absolutely the Masters Worlds is a great show. Absolutely, no questions asked. Lots of good athletes, LOTS of them, will be on the field at Inverness in 2014! You'll see 100 guys throwing, not 10. The weights, stones and cabers are still weights, stones and cabers. So, go. Enjoy. Cheer for the athletes! Lift a dram to them! You bet!

**cessna152towser** · 25th October 12, 08:31 AM

Can you elaborate a little on it? What do you mean by "left to suffer losses"? Was this just a case of them not selling enough of their wares to make a profit and being left disappointed? Or were they somehow taken advantage of?

Taken advantage of sums it up. It was the tradesmen who set up and dismantled the event and the performers who entertained our overseas guests who were left out of pocket. Our local Scout Fellowship Pipe Band were promised £500 for performing at Edinburgh Castle and at the Gathering and they are still waiting. To add insult to injury, I went along to the 2009 Gathering on the Sunday afternoon to watch their performance, only to find that they had been re-scheduled and had played earlier in the day.

**Phil** · 26th October 12, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

Phil, I've seen several references to this stated by folks in this thread. Can you elaborate a little on it? What do you mean by "left to suffer losses"? Was this just a case of them not selling enough of their wares to make a profit and being left disappointed? Or were they somehow taken advantage of?

Apologies, Tobus, for not replying before but I tend not to look in here every day. Here is a Wikipedia entry that covers the subject fairly well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gathering_2009 .

**Phil** · 27th October 12, 01:46 AM

This article in today's Herald may shed some more light on the situation. It seems that 60,000 Americans are being told not to come to Scotland in 2014 which seems a shame, particularly as there are lots of other attractions apart from a clan village and a clan march - http://www.heraldscotland.com/politi...tland.19260659 - still whatever is important to some I suppose.