ENGAGEMENT

Lochiel & Lady Cecil are delighted to announce the engagement of their eldest daughter, Catherine to Henry Trotter. I am sure we wish the young couple the best of health and happiness in the future.

CULLODEN

I have just had a communication from Colonel Charles Cameron to say that the opening of the revamped centre at Culloden will take place on 16th April 2008. This is of course three days before the annual Memorial Service on Saturday, 19th April. I pass on the information at this juncture so that any one making plans for the 19th might wish to include the 16th. This is a National Trust event and not a Clan Cameron event.

BATTLEFIELDS

Some time ago, I raised the issue of the effect of new electric pylons being sited on the Sherrifmuir Battlefield. This battle which took place in 1715 during the first Jacobite Rising was inconlusive. Such was the chaos on the field that the Camerons actually retreated not through cowardice but because they did not know what was going on. Anyway during the inquiry into the siting of the new power line, an expert revealed that none of our battlefields including Culloden and Falkirk are protected from planning applications. This is a serious matter which affects our historical heritage. It is time that we petitioned the Scottish Government to ensure that those iconic places where the great historic disputes were settled are not built over.

JOHN CAMERON - INVERASDALE

While I was at the Mod, I was fortunate enough to meet Mr & Mrs Hector MacKenzie. Hector was kind enough to give me a copy of a recently published book of Gaelic poetry. The poems were written by John Cameron of Inverasdale who was Hector's uncle. The gaelic poems have a side-by-side English translation. The book is entitled:
Inbhir Asdal nam Buadh Orain agus Dain le Iain Cameron
(The songs of Iain Cameron 1991-1989) The Inverasdale bard.

It is published by Clar and the ISBN is 1 099901 34 X

KILT STOCKINGS

Back on terra firma after a Trans-Atlantic Cruise. Wonderful weather, food, company, facilities etc. I wore my kilt on the formal dining occasions. There were several others also wearing kilts. There was a debate about white stockings. Personally, I have never worn white stockings either with my day or night outfit. However, it appears that many people regard white stockings as the correct dress wear. My presference is for stockings of a colour which tones with the kilt. My own recollection is that white stockings are a fairly recent development. However, things change. You may remember Jack McConnell going to tartan day in New York with a striped kilt. I have seen leather kilts and indeed every combination of material and design. What do you think about the stocking debate?

COMMUNICATION GAP

Over the past two weeks, I have been cruising across the Atlantic and, while I was in e-mail contact, the wifi connection was both slow and expensive and so I chose not to add any more blogs. I will soon be home and in a position to make more comments.

SPREADING THE WORD

One of the features of our recent summer programme is that the Clan Cameron Association has had a stall at several of the Highland Games throughout the country. For the first time, this year, the Clan Association was represented at the Lochaber Games and our picture shows the Cameron stalwarts - Barry Chalmers-Stevens and Caroline McCarthy along with the Chieftain of the Lochaber Games Sir Jimmy Saville. We have all found that the stall has been very popular - particularly from Camerons and indeed members of other clans from North America, NZ and Australia.

TARTAN - A RECOGNISABLE UNIFORM OR A VICTORIAN MYTH

Dear Readers, I suspect my subject today is quite controversial. As someone who has worn a kilt as long as I can remember, I have great attachment to my various kilts. One which I still wear was given to me as a 21st birthday present 45 years ago. Personally, I feel that when I wear my Cameron kilt it identifies me as a Cameron and I must admit I will engage anyone wearing a Cameron kilt in conversation. In the mists of time the feileadh mor (in English philamore) as it was called was simply a blanket worn round the waist with the extra bit thrown over the shoulder. The colours represented the natural dyestuffs found locally and so to some extent the garment did relate to the area if not to the clan. It was the army that developed the kilt as the feileadh beag or philabeg the small kilt. This became popular with the Victorians - particularly the Scottish aristocracy and systematised the tartans. Nowadays we Camerons have a wide range of setts and tartans most based on the Clan Cameron tartan, the Cameron of Erracht and the Cameron of Lochiel. The latter is strictly reserved for the family. Today the kilt has become the essential male garment at weddings and the modern kilt with all its accessories is far removed from the traditional blanket carried conveniently draped around the body. But is this not true of all clothing? It adapts and changes according to the circumstances. What do you think?

THE OAK TREE - A SYMBOL OF SOLIDITY

At the last Clan Cameron Rally at Achnacarry an oak tree was planted Quercus Rubrus. Not only is the oak the badge of the Clan Cameron but it is also symbolic of something which has withstood the test of time. Indeed the parallel with the Clan Cameron and the oak are clear. The clan had its early beginnings as an amalgamation of tribes around that area of Scotland which is now regarded as its heartland. From there, Camerons have spread like the branches of the oak tree to all corners of the world.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

I recently had an enquiry from a gentleman whose name is Stronach asking if he is connected with the Clan Cameron. Clan Cameron online gives Stronach as a name associated with the clan. As we know the name Cameron derives from Cam (twisted) and Sron (nose) in the same way as Campbell is Cam (twisted) and beul (mouth). It is said that this is because the Campbells talked out of the side of their mouth (ie did not always tell the truth). However all of those names or indeed nicknames were in the past and we are by descent or association lucky to have these names. Getting back to Stronach, it is almost certain that the stron- refers to the nose and just as Camranach is the collective for Camerons so Stronach is the collective for those descended from someone whose nose was a significant feature. Another explanation may be that they are associated with the place called Strone. Indeed there is a place in Lochaber called Stronaba. I have also been approached by someone of the name Stranack which could conceivably be a variation of Stronach. However, it may be that the name Cameron does not come from the Gaelic roots since there is historical record of a Sir Richard de Cambron in Perthshire who was Sherrif of Atholl in 1296. Who knows?