The Opening Ceremony

2015 GMHG Torch Light Ceremony

The Parade of the Tartans

Massed Bands

2015 GMHG Kirkin’ of the Tartan

2015 GMHG Heavy Athletics

2015 GMHG Festival Teaser

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Lord Sempill will be attending the 2013 Stone Mountain Game

Every year during the third week of October, you’d be forgiven for thinking a little piece of Atlanta was in fact a little piece of Scotland. Over one weekend, the picturesque grounds of Atlanta’s Stone Mountain Park meadow resound with the sounds of bagpipes, fiddles and harps, as it plays host to one of the biggest Highland Games events in the world.

With only two weeks to go until the beginning of the 41st annual Stone Mountain Highland Games, half a world away in Scotland, Jamie, Lord Sempill is preparing to make the trek to his third international Highland Games event for 2013. “I’m coming back to America for a second time. Rain stopped play at Grandfather Mountain Games in July, so I’m coming back for a dry game – and I don’t mean no alcohol.” For American clans attending Stone Mountain, they’ll have the chance to meet with Jamie and who will be happy to share one of Scotland’s finest offerings, a dram of single malt whisky.

Lord Sempill comes from one of Scotland’s oldest families and has been actively involved in the international clan network for fifteen years. As the driving force behind Edinburgh’s 2009 Clan Gathering, Lord Sempill attracted 42,000 people from around the world to the event, which was described as the largest recorded international clan gathering. The Gathering also included a clan convention which became the largest meeting on record of Scotland’s clan chiefs. He’s certainly got his finger on the pulse in the world of the clans – as an active member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, an honorary member of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations, Inc., and a board director at the American Scottish Foundation.

Over the years Lord Sempill has seen the relationship grow and prosper between the international clan network and Scotland, with his latest venture yet another step in building those ties. He’s currently working in collaboration with Macdonald & Rees, a new Scotland-based ancestral tourism company who specialise in providing the ultimate ancestral journey – bespoke visits to Scotland based on an individuals clan genealogy. Lord Sempill says that for many descendents around the world, tracing your roots can be a daunting prospect. “For many with Scottish ancestry, it’s a lifelong dream to travel to Scotland and discover family history and ancestral connections. Macdonald and Rees provide descendents with expert historians and genealogists on the ground, that ensure an incredibly meaningful and insightful visit home. Whether an individual or a family group, we can reconnect you to the world of your ancestors.” Jamie recently led a group of Clan Rose descendents to their ancestral homeland just east of Inverness, where they met with Clan chief Chief and 26th Baron of Kilravock, David Rose.

This year thousands of Scottish descendents will don their family tartans and make the trip to Stone Mountain, where two days of Highland Games competitions will take place including the ever-popular heavyweight events, piping, drumming and Highland dance competitions. There will also be a parade of the tartans and Clan Challenge athletic events, open to any attendees. The guest of honour, Margaret Elliot of Redheugh Chief of Clan Elliot will also be making the trip from Scotland. As well as Lord Sempill, other distinguished guests include Andrew Morrison – Viscount Dunrossil, Lord Montgomerie – Younger of Montgomerie and David Rose Chief of Clan Rose.

Lord Sempill and Mike McAlpin at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, 2013

Attendees will also have the chance to find out more about their genealogy in the clan information area, with 65 clans and family associations confirmed in attendance. You’ll most likely find Lord Sempill at the Scottish Heritage USA tent, however he will be making visits to clan association tents. “The torrential rain stopped play at Grandfather Mountain, so I didn’t get to speak to a lot of the clans who were there. I’m especially interested in meeting those who want to make the trip to trace their roots and discover Scotland.”

For more information on the Stone Mountain games, view our event listing over at TartanFootprint.com where you can also download the schedule of events and get in touch with Lord Sempill directly.

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Grandfather Mountain and McRae Meadows – Home to the GFM Highland Games

With only one week to go until the beginning of the largest Highland Games held outside of Scotland, this years gathering at Grandfather Mountain is shaping up to be one of the biggest. The games are held in the North Carolinian high country over four days attracting more than 50,000 punters, and coincide with the Council of Scottish Clans Association’s (COSCA) Clan Caucus. With so much to see and do, I’ve put together a handy highlights guide for all of our North American friends attending.

History
The first games were held in 1956, making this years celebrations the 58th annual event. North Carolina boasts a rich history of Scottish immigration, and the game’s location high on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain is said to closely resemble Kintail in the Scottish Highlands. Donald McDonald, co-founder of the first event, modeled the original games upon a 1954 souvenir programme he received from the Braemar Highland Games and included events such as highland wrestling, tug o’ war, shot put, tossing the caber and various running races. A piping and highland dance competition were also held. Small by todays standards, the games were an instant success and generated an enormous amount of interest in Scottish heritage, inspiring the formation of Highland Games in other American states.  Over the years more events were added to the programme including music competitions, a parade of the tartans, ceilidhs and the grueling hill-race known as ‘The Bear’.

Overview
The Games will be held from Thursday 11th till Sunday 14th July at MacRae Meadows on Grandfather Mountain near Linville, North Carolina. The opening ceremony begins at dusk on Thursday, with a torchlight ceremony where representatives of each of the 100 clans and 16 societies announce their family’s participation in the gathering. This ‘raising of the clans’ proclaims that they have once again come together to celebrate their heritage. In addition to the many sporting and music competitions held over the weekend, there’s plenty of other events including an open air scottish-market, ancestry and clan tents, sheepdog demonstrations, kids competitions, a Celtic rock concert, the parade of tartans and a country dance gala.

Highland Games Events
At the centre of the gathering are the highland games events, where athletes will compete in traditional heavyweight events such as turning the caber, tossing the sheaf and the hammer throw. On Friday evening 800 runners will participate in a five-mile footrace, called “The Bear,” that climbs 1,568 feet in elevation from the town of Linville to the summit of Grandfather Mountain. The next test of extreme endurance is the 45th running of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon on Saturday. A clan tug o’ war will take place on Sunday afternoon.

Music and Dance Events
The music and dance competitions begin on Saturday, with groups and individuals competing in piping, drumming, fiddle, harp and dance events. The highlight of the programme is the Highland Dancing Atlantic International Championship where the finest Scottish dancers will compete for the distinguished title. The Celtic Jam takes place on Friday night and features performers that blend the traditional Celtic sounds of the Isles with the traditional bluegrass sounds of the Southern Appalachians. Performers include Tuatha Dea, Cutthroat Shamrock, Ed Miler and Barleyjuice.

COSCA Scottish Clan Caucus – Thursday 11th July
Held over one day prior to the opening of the games, the Clan Caucus is a forum for clan societies and organisations to make their voices heard. This years theme centres around finding the best way forward for Scottish America and features an impressive array of speakers including:

• Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor – Convenor of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and Chief of Clan Macgregor
• Jamie, Lord Sempill (Keynote Speaker) – Coordinator of the 2009 Clan Gathering
• Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish – Former Scottish First Minister
• Dr. Bruce Durie Ph.D, FSAScot, FHEA FIGRS FCollT OLJ. – former head of Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and Chair of the Ancestral Tourism Steering Group for Scotland

Topics up for discussion on the day include the future of international clan gatherings, what Scotland can do to make ancestral tourism even better and sustaining Scottish heritage in America. COSCA’s AGM will take place at the games on Saturday at 2pm under the chieftan’s tent on McRae Meadows. Following this, you can join the caucus special guests for an informal open ‘field discussion’ led by Sir Malcolm.

In the days immediately following the games, COSCA will formulate and publish a Grandfather Mountain Scottish Clan Caucus Summary Report 2013. This report will chronicle the discussions, disagreements and areas of consensus reached during the caucus and will provide a useful starting point in figuring out the way forward for the American diaspora.

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Information regarding ticketing, accomodation, parking and directions to Grandfather Mountain can be found at the Games website – www.gmhg.org

And for information on the Clan Caucus, head on over to COSCA’s website for all the latest updates, including the finalised agenda – www.cosca.net

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Ellice McDonald Jr, CBE.

t is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ellice McDonald, Jr., CBE, a central figure and past High Commissioner of Clan Donald USA. McDonald spent a lifetime involved in the clan society and received many awards and honours for his work, including the title of CBE. He was also chiefly involved in the establishment of the Clan Donald World Centre on Skye. He died peacefully at his home Invergarry in Delaware on 10 June 2013. He was 100 years old.

Born in New York City on 22 May 1913, McDonald was the son of Canadian physician Dr. Ellice McDonald and portrait artist Ann Heebner McDonald. He was the grandson of Archibald McDonald of Glencoe, who was the last of the chief factors of the Hudson Bay Company. McDonald received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Strathmore College, and in January 1941 he volunteered for United States Army, serving as a commissioned officer in the Pacific Theatre.

McDonald was appointed High Commissioner of Clan Donald USA in July 1976, serving in that capacity until 1983. During this time he spent a great deal of energy and money reinvigorating and reorganising the society. He incorporated Clan Donald-USA, Inc. and divided the country into 13 regions, appointing regional and state commissioners. The magazine, “By Sea By Land,” was published and regional and state newsletters were distributed. Today, CDUSA is thriving and has more than 4,000 families. An authoritative history of the clan was published by Donald J. McDonald in 1978, with much of the books success owing to Ellice, who ensured that every Clan Donald association had a copy.

McDonald also established the Glencoe Foundation as a private charitable foundation which made contributions to Scottish organisations such as the National Trust for Scotland, the Royal Caledonian Schools in Bushey and the Clan Donald Lands Trust on Skye. Macdonald became a trustee of the latter in 1970 and he, alongside his wife Rosa, took a great interest in helping out this organisation which still exists today.

Soon after becoming commissioner McDonald also established the Clan Donald Foundation, dedicated to promoting the customs, traditions and heritage of the Scottish people. The foundation became the foremost Clan organization in the United States with several thousand members and approximately 95 commissioners in every State including Alaska and Hawaii. On 13 December 1995, Queen Elizabeth II conferred on McDonald the title of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). On 18 June 1992, a similar honour was bestowed upon his wife, Rosa. They are the only husband and wife in the North American Continent to have received this honour. McDonald was the guest of honor of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, North Carolina. It is believed he is the first American to have been so honored.

2002 saw the opening of the newly built ‘Museum of the Isles’ at the Clan Donald Lands Trust on Skye. It hosts extensive archives and valuable artefacts, with the bulk of the funding coming from the Glencoe Foundation Inc. – backed by Ellice and Rosa McDonald. In 2004 McDonald was awarded the Tartan Day Award, which acknowledged his outstanding services to Scotland. In making the announcement, Robert Murdoch, national chairman of Tartan Day said: “I was extremely pleased to hear that the selection committee for the second annual Tartan Day Award has determined the recipient will be Ellice McDonald, Jr., CBE. Tartan Day as we celebrate it is now eight years old, but Ellice McDonald, through his creation and support of the Clan Donald Centre on Skye, has been upholding Scottish traditions for years… His tireless activities in that regard have benefited Scots and Scottish-Americans worldwide.”

Ellice first met his wife, Rosa (deceased), in 1930 when he was sixteen, and they married in 1954. They shared a lifelong passion for cats and dogs and they adopted countless numbers of strays and rescue pets who happily shared their animal “bed and breakfast” with the occasional pure bred German Shepherd or Golden Retriever. In 1978, McDonald also established and became president of the Gurkha Welfare Trust Foundation (U.S.A.) which cooperated closely with the Canadian Gurkha Appeal.

His family want to express their gratitude to the staff and nurses who took such good care of Ellice in his final years. The interment will be private. The family suggests gifts to Faithful Friends Animal Society, 12 Germay Drive, Wilmington, DE 19804. A guestbook can be signed by clicking here.

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