Thomas Learmonth from Ercildoune (now Earlston), better known as Thomas the Rhymer was a 13th century Laird, poet and a supposed prophet. Legend tells us how Thomas the Rhymer went out walking one day and fell asleep beneath a tree on the side of the Eildon Hills. He awoke to find a shining woman sitting […]
Clan Cunningham USA (CCUSA) society has changed it’s name to Clan Cunningham International (CCI) with the intention of uniting all of the various Cunningham societies under a new chieftain. CCUSA claimed that after their recent trip to Scotland, where they represented Clan Cunningham at The Gathering, it was made clear to them that Cunninghams […]
Lachlan Cattanach has been titled as the ‘only bad chief of Clan MacLean‘. Just outside the south-east corner of Pennygown chapel, near Salen on the Isle of Mull, there are two carved slabs lying on the ground. Apparantly, these graves are of this chief and one of his wives. The two were reported to have […]
Clan Gunn is one of Scotland’s oldest Clans, it’s history dating back centuries. The Clan is descended from Vikings, claiming their descent from Sweyn Asleifsson, a warlike Norwegian known as “the Ultimate Viking”. This most northern Clan inhabited Orkney, Sutherland and Caithness. Clan Gunn has been without a chief for more than 200 years. […]
Iain Sempill – Old Longyne and Auld Langsyne, originally uploaded by Amanda@ScotClans. Iain Sempill told me a fantastic story at The Gathering about how Auld Langsyne by Robert Burns, was based on a less known verse by a certain member of Clan Sempill. A great wee story by a very charismatic clansman.
This tiny ruined church sits in solitude overlooking the sea at Trumpan. Once the centre of a medieval village, Trumpan church now stands as a monument to a dark history where an entire population were massacred. Back in the 1500s The MacDonalds and The MacLeods were engaged in fierce clan rivalry. This came to a head in […]
Our roving reporter took this photo of the preparations for the Gathering this weekend – lots more to follow, watch this space, and hope to see lots of you there!
This tale is one of the saddest stories on Mull. At the foot of the 1,000ft cliffs of Gribun stands Clach na Leannan, the Stone of the Courting Couple. The stone is just 50 yards inland from a road where it passes the first farm coming from Salen direction, with a windbliwn elder tree at […]
An old Clan feud has resurfaced after plans were announced that the remains of Rob Roy MacGregor were to be dug up. The legendary outlaw is believed to have been buried in Balquhidder, Stirlingshire. But the chief of Clan MacLaren now plans to exhume a body for DNA testing, proving once and for all if […]
Homecoming’s main event – ‘The Gathering’ has come under attack when it issued a ban on all whisky products citing a conflict of interest with one of it’s main sponsors Diageo. This action has angered the smaller distileries who say the orgainsers of The Gathering and Homecoming have going against their original promise of promoting […]
