Stone Mountain Highland Games
Thursday 18th October 2007
So, we’re on our way to Atlanta, to the Stone Mountain Highland Games to be precise, but not without a couple of run ins with the American authorities before we even got out of Edinburgh.
We are making another short film for the website and we were trying to do a bit of filming at the airport. Have you ever tried to film at an airport recently? Don’t bother! No sooner had I got the camera out my bag when a mysterious man in dark glasses with an ear piece appeared from nowhere asking me to delete what I’d recorded for security reasons!
So, when you watch the film, you’ll just have to believe us that we were at Edinburgh airport. Who knows what filming at Atlanta airport will be like, I might give that a miss for fear of arousing the suspicions of the FBI, CIA or the Department of Homeland Security.
The good people at Delta airlines gave us a let off though, we had 3 bags instead of 2 and we were way over the weight limit with all the brochures we’re carrying with us. We got the check in equivalent of a rap across the knuckles but were spared the $50 excess baggage charge.
Friday 19th October 2007
What an amazing day we’ve had today! Not much to report from last night. We arrived pretty late after a fairly painless journey and found our way in a bright red Chevvy to The Comfort Inn, just outside Stone Mountain Park. Needless to say, we didn’t try filming anything at Atlanta airport. 
We devoured a Wendy’s and 2 cans of Budweiser (it’s great to be back in America) and hit the hay. Today, we whisked around a few hotels saying hello to some old and dear friends and making some great new ones.
Quite by chance we bumped into our old friend Chrissy Harrison from COSCA and agreed to share a tent with her at the games. Her organization does a great job keeping as many of the clans connected to each other and pointing curious Americans in the direction of their Scottish heritage.
We popped in to say hi to The Moncreiffe Clan and they very kindly gave us the chance to tell them all about The Gathering 2009. We even showed them the film I made around Edinburgh. I think they liked it – although they did laugh at some bits that weren’t meant to be funny. It looks like they’re going to come over in 2009 which is great news… I even got them on film saying so!
We managed to have lunch with some old friends from Clan MacBubba, Ron Right and Becky Prather. We joined Clan MacBubba in 2003 so it was great to meet up with them again. If you'd like to join Clan MacBubba check out their website .
Tonight we went to an amazing reception at the host hotel in Atlanta. It was about 20 minutes away down some pretty terrifying motorways – or freeways as they like to call them here… I guess because people feel “free” not to indicate.
We met up with some great friends – old and new. Rob Pearson from The New World Celts and Diana Shultz from Scottish Ancestral Trail and many others – a lot of whom will be appearing in the film. You’ll be glad to hear, Lucy –Rose and I even found time for a quick drink and a chance to exchange notes.
Saturday 20th October 2007
It’ was an early start today and we headed off for another game of roulette on the Atlanta freeway, thankfully just a short journey today to get set up at The Stone Mountain Highland Games. The games are held in the woods at Stone Mountain, in the shadows of the “granite dome monadnock.” There’s a huge carving on the side of the mountain of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis. It’s a pretty interesting place with lots of modern history. If you haven’t been have a read about it .
The director of the games, Dick Swanson was fantastic, he looked after us throughout and made sure I got plenty of opportunities to speak.
The Duke of Montrose was the chief of the games whilst Charles Kennedy, chief of Clan Kennedy, and I were guests of honour. I was invited to speak on the podium today and let all the visitors to Stone Mountain learn all about The Gathering 2009.
I praised them on their weather and said that I thought it was great that they put the clans in the woods… and that it might be good for them to stay there! It was a great opportunity to let all the people at the games know all about what we're planning for 2009. I really believe that these guys will love it! After I made my speech we were truly inundated with people who really seem like they’re planning to come!
Later that afternoon we bumped into my friend Peter Wilson, he imports Irn Bru into the States, and is secretly a bit of a singer – have a look at this link and see him singing his own personal ode to the great fizzy pop from Scotland. It’s made from girders you know….
http://www.funfoodadventures.com/IRN_BRU_Song-1.wmv
We wrapped up at around 6 o’clock and headed out for a meal with Peter at a local Chinese Buffet – well… it wouldn’t be a trip stateside without one “all you can eat” experience. Much to our dining companions disappointment, there wasn’t any Irn Bru on the menu.
Sunday 21st October 2007
Well, it was our last day in Atlanta today – and it was great to catch up with so many passionate and enthusiastic Scottish Americans… including Mary Sloan ,who had an organization called Clan Cleavage… apparently they bounce! The pictures seem to back that up!
Both Lucy Rose and I spoke to hundreds of people and we even met the Scottish Santa…. Maybe Santa’s A Scotsman after all.
Today was a bit more relaxed, so we got a chance to enjoy food, games and massed bands. The standard of playing was truly amazing and we certainly could learn a lot from these guys about organizing a Highland Games.
We left with a great feeling, not just about The Gathering 2009, and about what we have to live up to, but also about the genuine love, warmth, passion and enthusiasm of all the Scottish Americans we met. A lot of them really are knowledgeable, dedicated genealogists and I know they won't be disappointed if they manage to take part in The Gathering 2009.
For Lucy Rose it’s back to Edinburgh, for me it’s onwards to New York, then home before a trip Down Under to Australia and New Zealand, so watch this space.
Keep your eyes out for the film, it promises to be interesting. And if we met you at Stone Mountain – then watch it! Because you’re probably in it. One good thing about going home? We don’t have to carry all those brochures and leaflets back with us.
