MARK IT IN YOUR DIARY

This year has been officially designated in Scotland as the Year of the Homecoming. Because of this, the Clan Cameron is arranging a spectacular Clan Gathering or Rally at Achnacarry from Thursday, 30th July 2009 until Sunday, 2nd August, 2009. We are hoping to attract Camerons from all over the world. Among the events, the Clan Cameron Association Scotland are hosting a reception in the Nevis Centre on Friday, 31st July at 7.00. If you would like to come, please let us know. You can contact me directly at clangathering09@yahoo.co.uk

You can find out more information about the Gathering, how to join the Clan Association, and a host of useful links and contacts at http://www.clancameron.org.uk/

The picture shows Achnacarry Castle in front of which the main Gathering will take place.

I look forward to meeting you at Achnacarry in July/August.

New Year Resolutions

I never make any New Year resolutions probably because I know that I would break them long before the first month was out. However, I am aking all of you to consider making a simple and relatively inexpensive resolution and that is to enrol a Cameron friend or colleague in the Association this month. 2009 is the Year of the Homecoming and it is a good opportunity to increase the membership of the Association. If you need details, go to the clan website and from there click on the membership tab. You can then download an application form. Simple!

May I wish you all a very good new year.

www.clancameron.org.uk

Christmas Greetings

As we come to the end of another year, it is time to reflect on all the interesting Clan Cameron events that happened during 2008. Perhaps the most dramatic was held in the north of France in a town called Bergues. It was here that "The Gentle Lochiel" - Lochiel of the '45 died. After Culloden at which he was badly injured, Lochiel went into hiding in the hills. Eventually, he sailed with Prince Charles Edward to France. There he became Colonel in Chief of "The Regiment d'Albanie" and fought with great distinction. However in 1748, he contracted malaria which developed into meningitis and he died in hospital. There is a plaque on the wall of this building commemorating Lochiel and the part he played in the Jacobite Rising. Being a non-Catholic, he was buried outside of the cemetery and much later his bones were dug up and re-buried in the graveyard at Bergues. This October, exactly 260 years after his death, the Clan Cameron Association along with the 1745 Association, The Royal Stuarts, the Grahams of Montrose and Alliance France-Ecosse erected a plaque to commemorate this great leader of the Clan Cameron. The picture shows Donald Andrew Cameron, Younger of Lochiel along with the Deputy Mayor of Bergues unveiling the plaque. I have used this picture on my Christmas greetings card to Clan members and would like to share it with you all and wish you a very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.

HOMECOMING CAMERONS

I am sure many people will be coming to Scotland in 2009 as a result of the Homecoming initiative. There are many events taking place throughout the year and at various venues throughout Scotland. In case you had not heard, there will be a rally for all Camerons and related clans at Achnacarry, the home of our clan chief, Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel. This event will take place from Thursday 30th July until Sunday 2nd August 2009 but the main events will be on the Saturday, 1st August. I hope you will manage to visit us. For more information go to our website: http://www.clancameron.org.uk/

HOMECOMING

As you all probably know, 2009 has been designated the Year of the Homecoming in Scotland. It was initially envisaged that this would recognise the 250th anniversary of the birth of our national poet - Robert Burns. As he said himself when describing his birth:

Oor Monarch's hinmost year but ane,

Had five and twenty days begun.

'Twas then a blast o' Jan'war win'

Blew hansel in on Robin.

The Monarch in question was King George II who died in 1760. Thus his hinmost or hindmost year was 1760 and his hindmost (last year) but one was therefore 1759. Twenty five days begun gives us 25th January 1759. At that time of year in Scotland there are often gales and on Burns's birthday, it seems this was no exception. Hansel is a welcome gift and he is using the diminutive form of Robert for himself.

WHITE STOCKINGS AGAIN

You may recall that we had a short debate about the wearing of white kilt stockings. I think I made clear my opposition to such garments without wishing to offend anybody's sensitivities. I recall once wearing my green stockings (which toned with my Cameron kilt) when singing with the local choir at the Mod. I was taken to task by a young German lady who pointed to the fact that all the other men in the choir were wearing white stockings. I assured her that they were wrong and that these white stockings were a modern fashion perhaps borne by the kilt hiring firms in an attempt to have a neutral colour which would not clash with any tartan.

In a recent event in Bergues, Northern France to celebrate the 260th anniversary of "The Gentle Lochiel" by unveiling a plaque, one of our group - Julian Hutchings ceremoniously threw into an open fire a pair of white stockings to symbolise the opposition which his late friend David Lumsden of Cushnie had towards the offending white stockings. What do you think? I have posted a photograph of the open fire into which the stockings were cast.

What does a Scotsman wear beneath his kilt?

I am sure that all of us Scotsmen who wear a kilt are continuously asked this question. "What does a Scotsman wear below his kilt?"This I think should remain a mystery and adds to the mystique of the Highland dress. The relevance of this particular blog arose from an incident at the Glenfinnan Games last Saturday. We had many visitors from all over the world at the Clan Cameron Association stall including a young couple from Nice. Among the items for sale at our stall, was a lady's kilt in the Cameron of Erracht tartan. The young lady tried it on and looked stunning in her Cameron kilt. She did however put it over her jeans and continued to wear it thus throughout the day. We know therefore what a French lady wears under her kilt but the riddle of the Scotsman and his kilt must remain a mystery.