The Gathering 2009

[Mael Coluim]

My inbox received today the first email newsletter from The Gathering 2009 to hosted in Edinburgh. So in case you are not registered at the official site and are interested here's what was said.

Welcome to the first newsletter of The Gathering 2009, this monthly newsletter will keep you up to date on all the developments in the preparations of the event. We will provide all the information you will need to know to make your visit to The Gathering, Edinburgh and Scotland in 2009 as stress-free, memorable and entertaining as possible.


The Gathering 2009 is being held in Holyrood Park on 25th and 26th July 2009. It aims to be the largest international gathering of the clans ever held, and is one of the signature events of the Homecoming Scotland initiative. The Gathering will take the form of a classic highland games and will feature a clan parade up the Royal Mile followed by a unique commemorative clan pageant to be held on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade.

Newsflash
Following the AGM of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) we now have the full support of the SCSC and an important development has taken place in which the SCSC will host a clan convention on Friday 24th July 2009. The audience for this event will be Clan Chiefs and senior clan association representatives. Additionally there will be a ballot for a number of additional tickets to this event in 2008.

Website launch
The Gathering 2009 official website will be launched in October 2007. The website will be full of information about the event and will develop more details over the following months. The website will also have a forum and blog, as well as downloadable podcasts and lots of fantastic footage of Edinburgh and Scotland.

Tickets to The Gathering 2009 will go on sale in early 2008, although we will be taking reservations in late 2007 through the website and forms distributed worldwide. Applications for clan tents will be available from Oct 2007, please fill in the online form to apply. More detailed information will follow in September.

Travel and Accommodation
On our website we will be listing information about travel and accommodation within Scotland. This will detail the hotels with room allocations and special room rates specifically for The Gathering and how you can book direct with these hotels. We will also list a number of tour specialists who can book your entire holiday from beginning to end. This will therefore allow you to make your travel plans well in advance to make sure you don’t miss out! Support
We are very grateful to everyone who has offered to promote the event around the world and the work that has been done to date. At this stage the most important support we can receive from you is that you send this newsletter out to all your friends, colleagues and family who you think would be interested in the event. They will then be able to register online for our regular newsletter and updates about the event.


The team here at the Gathering is comprised of Lord Jamie Sempill, Jenny Gilmour and Lucy-Rose Walker. We would love to hear your stories about your connection to Scotland and your plans to attend The Gathering.

I'm saving up for it. Should be alot of fun and a most memorable trip of us who do not reside in Alba.

[Phil]

It is just a couple of days before the Edinburgh festival starts so if you plan on staying on for a while you will need to book accommodation early - hotel rooms are like ducks teeth then. Also Continental fly direct to Edinburgh from Newark NY daily, so no need to bother with the sassenachs down south.