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James Charles Macnab of Macnab (23rd Chief)

The Gathering Retrospective

The Chief is grateful to Archie Mackenzie, Editor of the Scottish Field for allowing Alan Cochrane’s article “Second time around” to be reproduced on the website. He comments as follows:-

“I very much agree with Alan Cochrane’s assessment of “Homecoming 2009” and in particular what he says about the “Gathering and Games”, which took place in Holyrood Park in July. Like him I too was “completely won over” by the Gathering and “the March of the Clans” up the Royal Mile. It is unfortunate that the company which organised the Gathering and Games has since been forced into administration in part due to the City of Edinburgh Corporation withdrawing its guarantee.

Second time around
If we're going to bring back all the 'Macs' again, there are lessons to be learned.

Words by Alan Cochrane, The Daily Telegraphs Scottish Editor.
Scottish Field Magazine, February 2010.

It's normally best to allow a little time to pass before passing judgement on events, great or small; after all, instant verdicts rarely pass the test of time.

Thus, it is perhaps timely now to look back on what was supposed to be the happening of the year just gone. Homecoming was billed as 2009's absolute highlight, with the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns as its centrepiece but with The Gathering, that rallying call to the Scottish diaspora to return to their homeland, if only for a holiday, as its climax.

Originally dreamed up by Jack McConnell, the previous First Minister, it was taken up with unbridled enthusiasm by Alex Salmond and his Scottish National Party administration when they won the Holyrood election in 2007. And therein lay part of the problem, because no sooner had the SNP taken control than accusations started to fly that an overtly political message was threatening to overshadow the whole event.

Although these criticisms were denied by the organisers, there is little doubt that Mr Salmond and his team saw Homecoming as an opportunity to preach their separatist message to an international audience. However, if Homecoming, as the umbrella event, attracted a fair bit of adverse comment - not least from this observer - I and others were completely won over by the Gathering and its pinnacle, namely the March of the Clans up the Royal Mile on that marvellous summer evening.

This, surely, was what Homecoming was all about. Scots and those of Scottish descent walked and sang and waved and laughed and cheered against a fantastic backdrop of tartan all the way up the old High Street, watched by thousands of cheering locals and tourists. My reputation for unalloyed cynicism was shattered. Together with my daughters and a friend and his brood, we applauded everyone; everyone, that is, except the Campbell contingent. I've heard subsequently that this group, probably one of the largest on show, were disappointed to be boo-ed; they shouldn't be. It was an essentially good-natured response to this clan's amazing if controversial part in Scotland's history.

Looking ahead
But it's not the reaction to this clan that continues to make waves a full six months or so after the event, it's the fact that although the Homecoming and The Gathering are estimated to have boosted the Scottish economy to the tune of several millions, the company responsible for organising the latter event made a huge loss, being bailed out in the end by Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Executive.

That is not to say that The Gathering won't be repeated. It will and it should. The teething troubles of the first event should not deter us from backing something similar, just so long as some simple lessons are learned.

The first and most obvious is to keep politics well away from everything. It almost spoiled the whole thing in '09. By all means, let's have all of our leaders involved, but let's ensure that when the clans return, probably in 2012, party politics doesn't rear its very ugly head again.

Next up is - For goodness sake keep things simple. Those thousands of Scottish descent who turned up last year didn't need elaborate ceremonies to feel welcome; the ones that I spoke to felt at home almost as soon as they landed. They may well come back in even greater numbers if another change is made, and that is to keep things affordable. I have frequently complained in this space about the high prices we charge our tourists, and the sometimes poor attendances at Gathering events - the Highland Games in Holyrood Park, for instance - proved that there is a limit to what locals and visitors alike will pay.

And a tenner for a burger after a massive queue is more than most people will put up with.
The emphasis on simplicity and affordability should not be difficult for a country like Scotland. After all, virtually every community in the land organises some kind of Highland Games, complete with reasonably-priced food stalls and beer tents. And organising huge events, such as those at Cowal or Braemar, are no mean feats. Couldn't we utilise better the expertise of the men and women who run these first-class gatherings to run The Gathering on a national, not to mention international scale.

The report on The Gathering, is still available below.

Read the latest PDF report on the Gathering and Killin Highland Games by clicking HERE or download it by right clicking, and select Download linked file.

The previous messages are still available on the Chief and Trustees messages page: Here

"Guneagal"
James Charles Macnab of Macnab.

The Chief's New Year Message 2010

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