Bookings are now being accepted for the 2006 High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs’ hosted tour which will focus on the beautiful and historic islands of Skye and the Uists: Both having strong Clan Donald connections; Uist was a major part of the Clanranald patrimony and, of course, Skye is home to the patrimony of the High Chief and of Clan Uisdein, the Macdonalds of Sleat. Skye is also home to the Clan Donald Centre and Museum of the Isles at Armadale.
The Chiefs’ Hosted Tours and Gatherings offer an unrivalled opportunity to tour the land of your forefathers and learn about your history in a relaxed atmosphere. They also afford an opportunity to meet and have fun with the Chiefs and indigenous clansfolk and to sample the scenery, history, music, dancing, culture, cuisine, drinking and convivial hospitality of Scotland.
Potential tourists may like to check Ian Ross Macdonnell’s tongue-in-cheek Skyelark’s Travel Advisory gleaned from the work of Martin Martin in 1695.
Picture: Archie McIntyre, Piper to the High Council marches the Chiefs and the Clan, banners flying, to the Glencoe Monument during the 2005 Gathering.
Itinerary
| Day 1 – Wednesday 7th June 2006: Meet in Edinburgh | |
Old and new friends meet at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel (pictured left) in Edinburgh. Bonnie and Peggy will be manning the welcome desk and there will be a tour of the City in the afternoon for those who wish it. The Welcoming Dinner will be at the hotel at 7:30 pm. | |
| Day 2 – Thursday 8th June 2006: Travel to Skye | |
An early start, boarding the coach at 8:30 am for the journey to Skye. There will be a shopping stop at the House of Bruar in picturesque Pitlochry and lunch at the Invergarry Hotel. From there we go up the A9, turning off at Dalwhinnie to head for Skye. We check in at the splendid Cuillin Hills Hotel at Portree (pictured left), the island’s capital. The Cuillin Hills is one of the finest hotels on Skye and we’ll wind down from our journey with a relaxing dinner that night. | |
| Day 3 – Friday 9th June 2006: Tour of Skye | |
A timely start at 9:30 am to tour Skye, including Duntulm where Flora Macdonald (heroine of the ’45) is buried and on to the Museum of Island Life at Kilmuir. Lunch will follow at the Aros Centre and the MacLeods will doubtless give us a warm welcome to Dunvegan Castle (pictured left) if we show that our intentions are peaceable! Dinner will be back at the Cuillin Hills Hotel. | |
| Day 4 – Saturday 10th June 2006: The Gathering | |
There can be only one! The formal gathering of Clan Donald will be at the Clan Donald Centre and Museum of the Isles at Armadale Castle, formerly the seat of the High Chiefs and successors to the Lords of the Isles. At noon the Clan will march to the graveside of Donald J Macdonald of Castleton, to honour the great Clan Donald Seannachie and patriarch of the Clan’s historians and celebrate his contribution to the Clan. Following lunch we will have the Annual Clan Donald Forum (our AGM) with input from the Chiefs, High Commissioners, Finlaggan Councillors and the opportunity for clansfolk to ask questions and make suggestions. In the evening there will be our formal Reception, Dinner and Dance. Dress is formal or the best you have with you. | |
| Day 5 – Sunday 11th June 2006: Travel to South Uist | |
On the coach by 8:30 am for the ferry to Lochmaddy, South Uist (Clanranald Country). Lunch will be taken on board. We’ll meander down the islands, stopping here and there. We’ll be accommodated at the Borrodale Hotel (pictured left), a few miles inland from Loch Boisdale and we’ll have a ceilidh that night with talented local artists. | |
| Day 6 – Monday 12th June 2006: Touring Uist | |
This will be a leisurely day visiting many interesting places including Eriskay (pictured left), site of the famous Whisky Galore wreck of the SS Politician: With some coaxing and perhaps judicious spiritual lubrication, you may be able to elicit a deliciously funny rendition of the epic Am Politician from Clanranald himself on site! We’ll also visit Ormiclate, Howmore, Flora Macdonald’s birthplace and the fine little South Uist Museum. Let’s hope Sir Ian will give us one of his fascinating Nature Walks. Dinner and entertainment that evening will be back at the Borrodale Hotel. | |
Day 7 – Tuesday 13th June 2006: Through the Highlands and Islands | |
This will be a fascinating day’s travel to Lochmaddy for the ferry to Uig, down through Skye to Armadale for the ferry to Mallaig, through Clanranald and Cameron country to Glenfinnan (pictured left) and the West Highland Museum at Fort William, through majestic Glencoe, across Rannoch Moor, down through bonnie Strathyre and the Trossachs to Edinburgh with stops. There will be a well-earned dinner back at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel to round off a great day’s touring. | |
| Day 8 – Wednesday 14th June 2006: Symposium | |
This will be a milestone in the history of the Chiefs’ Tours: the 8th day of our first 8 day tour, including the important all-day Clan Donald Historic Symposium with highly qualified guest speakers such as Dr Willie Gillies, Hugh Cheape (Curator of the Modern Scottish Collection at the Royal Museum of Scotland) and Dr David Caldwell (Archaeologist at the National Museums of Scotland and Director of the Finlaggan Project). Our farewell dinner that evening will be at the highly regarded Malmaison (pictured left) in the ancient harbour of Leith. | |
| Day 9 – Thursday 15th June 2006: Farewells | |
After breakfast, we bid our farewells to each other as we make our own plans to continue our visit to Scotland, venture further afield in Europe, or return to our homelands. | |
Availble Packages and Estimated Costs
1. Standard Package. The full extended 8 day Gathering and Tour (June 7 to 15) costs UKP £950 or USD $1,755 at an exchange rate of UKP £1.00 : USD $1.85. We regret that there will be a possible surcharge if the rate deteriorates. Single room supplements can be obtained, please ask for a separate quote.
2. Luxury Package. A luxury package is available at UKP £1,025 or USD $1,895 subject to the same conditions as above. This gives premium rooms at the hotels on Skye.
Booking
To reserve a place on the tour, or for additional information, please contact Rob McDonald Parker, Chamberlain to the High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs:
1 East Trinity Road
Edinburgh EH5 3DZ
Scotland
Dates For your Diary
Future Gatherings and Tours to be hosted by the High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs:
| Skye, Kintyre and Islay | 6 – 13 June 2007 |
| Antrim & Northern Ireland | 5 – 12 June 2008 |
| Glencoe | June 2009 |
| Uist and Skye | 2010 |
The High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs are:
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| Mac Uisdein / Sleat: Sir Ian Macdonald of Sleat, Bart. 24th Chief of Sleat. | ||
| Mac Somhairle Buidhe / Antrim: The Rt. Hon. Alexander MacDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim. | ||
| Mac ‘ic Ailein / Clanranald: Ranald Macdonald of Clanranald KM, 24th Chief and Captain of Clanranald. | ||
| Mac ‘ic Alasdair / Glengarry: Ranald MacDonell of Glengarry, 23rd Chief of Glengarry. |