Gathering Interactive
Click here to watch Lord Sempill's introduction to The Gathering 2009 and other videos.
About The Gathering 2009
Vision
To hold the greatest clan gathering the world has ever seen.Mission
To stage an international Clan Gathering and Highland Games to celebrate Scotland’s rich history and cultural traditions.Key Messages
• Come home and celebrate your roots
• A unique celebration of Scottish heritage and culture
• A celebration of one of Scotland’s greatest traditions
• An opportunity to thank the clan associations and Scottish societies from around the world for their role in keeping these traditions alive.
The Gathering 2009 Ltd was setup in February 2007 to organise and execute The Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh on the 25th and 26th of July 2009. The Gathering 2009 Ltd has received public funding from EventScotland, City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian. This was granted on the basis that the event would provide a 18:1 return on investment to Scotland as a whole.
The Gathering 2009 is one of the signature events of Homecoming Scotland, a year long government initiative aimed at encouraging those with a passion or connection with Scotland to come home.
For many years Scotland has witnessed a decline in the popularity of Highland Games and a near extinction of clan activity. However, the opposite is true in some countries, especially in North America, where clan membership exceeds 100,000 and over 300 Highland Games and festivals are held annually.
Over the past few years there has been an overall strengthening of national identity within Scotland. This has provided an ideal environment in which to celebrate the contribution that the clans and their descendants have made to maintaining national traditions.
This strengthening will be enhanced by providing an educational component associated with each event within The Gathering 2009 which will encourage people to try out the various disciplines and learn more about them. Additionally there will be an emphasis on youth participation which will be nurtured through school and community group engagement prior to the event.
The Gathering 2009 Ltd works alongside Red Sky at Night Ltd who will produce The Gathering 2009 and be responsible for the onsite logistics over the 2 days as well as the Parade and Pageant.
The Gathering 2009 Ltd
27 Queen Charlotte Street
Edinburgh
EH6 6AX
Tel: 0131 561 1323
Email: info@thegathering2009.com
Download our brochure (pdf - 906KB)
