Clan Donald Magazine No11 (1987) Online
The Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh Annual
Gathering 1986
The Annual
Gathering of the Society took place, as planned, on Saturday, 1st
November, in the Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh, and with an increased
attendance compared with the previous year, proved to be a highly
successful event. While it was regretted that Glengarry, who was
indisposed, and Clanranald, for business reasons, had to call off at
short notice, the head table was graced by Sir Ian Macdonald of
Sleat and Ranald Og Angus Macdonald, Yr. of Clanranald and his young
lady friend Miss Kate Rankine. The Chief, principal office-bearers
and guests were piped into the dining room by Jim Hood, kindly
deputising for Tom Speirs who was unavailable, to the quick march
"Pibroch o' Donuil Dubh". The President, Donald M. Macdonald,
invited his counterpart of the Clan Donald Society of Glasgow,
William B. MacDonald, who was accompanied by his wife Ruth, to say
grace, after which he welcomed the company and read apologies for
absence from Lord Macdonald, Glengarry, Clanranald, Ellice McDonald,
Jr., Mrs Donald J. Macdonald of Castleton, Air Vice Marshal Calum
Macdonald of Tormore, Rob McDonald Parker, Angus Macdonald
(Glasgow), Ronald Kelly (London) and their ladies, Roger Aldridge
(Preston), Mrs. May Bannerman (Glasgow), Ian Hutcheson (Edinburgh),
Miss Helen Macdonald (Edinburgh) and Mr. and Mrs. Ian M. Martin
(Sunderland).
After dinner Jim Hood
gave a fine rendering of the piobaireachd Lament for Donald of
Laggan, by Patrick Mor MacCrimmon, which has been described as
"a masterpiece in miniature" by the greatest of all pipers. The
piece was composed to commemorate Donald Mac Angus, 8th Chief of
Glengarry who was affectionately known as Donald of Laggan, no doubt
on account of his having been fostered in that district, at the
southern extremity of his family territory.
Donald, who died aged
102 on 2nd February, 1645, the same day that his Clan with Montrose
won the second battle of Inverlochy for Charles I against the
Campbells, had a daughter Isabella, who married Sir Rory Mor MacLeod
of Dunvegan in 1598. She had been a maid of honour to Ann of
Denmark, Queen of lames VI and was known in Skye as Iseabail
Mhoir Nighean Mhic 'ic Alasdair and according to tradition,
after her father's death she arranged for a MacCrimmon piper to play
her to sleep each night with this tune. She lived to the age of 103.
The President then
called on the Chief of Sleat to propose the toast to Clan Donald and
the Edinburgh Society which, after a speech in which he updated the
company on the activities of the various members of the family of
Sleat at large, Sir Ian obliged.
The reply on behalf of the Clan and the Society was made by Norman
H. MacDonald, Hon. Secretary, who recalled the importance of the
Clan's great past which he compared with its achievements in the
present day. The reply on behalf of the guests was made by Young
Clanranald who expressed his great pleasure in being again present
at the Society's Annual Gathering after an absence of one year and
stressed the importance of the Clan Societies in keeping alive the
traditions of the past.
During the dance which followed the President introduced the
artistes who provided songs and music. Tom Selvester delighted the
company with a selection of Scots airs on his fiddle. Morag McKenzie
(contralto), who sang at the previous year's Gathering, chose as her
group of songs the ballad "Angus MacDonald", which her fianc� Norman
H. MacDonald observed, had been sung at the Society's very first
Gathering in 1891 and in Gaelic, from "Songs of the Hebrides" "An
Triall-Bainnse - Benbecula Bridal Procession" which Miss
McKenzie accompanied at the piano by Mrs May Macdonald, remarked had
its origin in the land of Clanranald. Norman H. MacDonald followed
with the 18th century Jacobite song "Bonnie Prince Charlie" (Cam Ye
By Atholl) by James Hogg, "The Ettrick Shepherd" and the 18th
century "Smeorach Chlann Domhnall" (The Mavis of Clan Donald)
by John MacCodrum, Bard to Sir James MacDonald of Sleat.
Among those who attended the Gathering were Sir Ian Macdonald of
Sleat, Ranald Og Angus Macdonald Yr. of Clanranald and Miss Kate
Rankine, William MacDonald, President, Clan Donald Society of
Glasgow and his wife Ruth, Donald M. Macdonald, President and his
wife May, Norman H. MacDonald, Hon. Secretary and Miss Morag
McKenzie, Mr. and Mrs. Alan McDonald, Mrs. Florence D.C. Macdonald
and Miss Jessie Urquhart, Miss Mary McDonald, Mrs. Emily Galbraith,
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Ireson, Miss Ella McConnell, Mr. and Mrs. Jim
Hood, Chev. and Mrs. Kenneth McL. Hay, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Murray,
Mrs. Jean Macdonald, Mr. and Mrs. James S. MacDonald, Captain and
Mrs. Tom Selvester, Dr. Hector Macdonald, Mr. and Mrs. Alastair
Cherry, Mr. and Mrs. James Daly, Major and Mrs. Alan Donald, Mr. and
Mrs. Norman A.M. Macdonald, Mr. and Mrs. Angus MacDonald, Mrs.
Margaret M. Munn, Miss Elisabeth I. MacDonald, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas
Park, Frank Macdonnel Radcliffe, Pipe Major and Mrs. Bert Barron,
Miss Moira McDonald, Mr. and Mrs. Brian McGhee, Atholl Hay and Miss
Lynda Eva, Mrs Janet B. Hay, Miss Margaret Hendry and Mr. and Mrs.
Douglas Lammond.
N.H.M.
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