[Home] [News] [Organization] [Council of Finlaggan] [2007 Tour] [History] [Galleries] [Links] [Forum]

The Gathering, Forum and Tour of Skye, Kintyre and Islay   7 - 16 June 2007

Bookings will soon be accepted for the 2007 High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs' hosted tour which will focus on the beautiful and historic islands of Skye and Islay and the peninsula of Kintyre. All having strong Clan Donald connections; Islay was the patrimony or the eponymous Donald 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 Kintyre peninsula was one of the wealthiest parts of the Macdonald Lordship of the Isles and Somerled's final resting place is at Saddel Abbey.

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.

2007 is the Year  of Highland Culture and the centrepiece of this year's tour will be a major Gathering at Armadale in Skye with gala concerts and piping competitions.

After consulting last years' tourists, we plan to incorporate Scottish Country Dancing lessons and some traditional song so you can head home with at least a couple of dances and songs under your belt.

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

Final details and costs are being worked out but the bones of the itinerary are:

 

Day 1 - Wednesday 6th June 2007: Meet in Edinburgh
	Old and new friends meet at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel (pictured left) in Edinburgh. 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 7th June 2007: Travel to Skye
	An early start, boarding the coach at 8:30 am for the journey to Skye. We'll stop en-route for shopping and lunch at the Glengarry Castle Hotel. We check in at the splendid Dunollie Hotel at Broadford (pictured left). We'll wind down from our journey with a relaxing dinner that night.
Day 3 & 4 - Friday 8th - Saturday 9th June 2007: The Gathering
	There can be only one! But where to start? The Galley Aileach, Champion of Champions Piobaireachd Competition, Concerts, Living History Re-enactments of Somerled, Receptions and Dinners, a Torchlight Procession, The Gardens and the award-winning Museum of the Isles ... There will be business such as the Lands Trust AGM and the Chiefs' Forum, but there will be a lot of pleasure to be had at Armadale Castle as well!
Day 5 & 6 - Sunday 10th - Monday 11th June 2007: Kintyre
	We'll take the Road to the Isles via Mallaig through Clanranald country and Oban and check in at the beautiful Stonefield Castle Hotel at Tarbert (pictured left) for 2 nights, giving us plenty of time to explore the Kintyre Peninsula in a leisurely manner and recover from the Gathering!
Day 7 - Tuesday 12th - Thursday 14th June 2007: Islay
	Home of the Macdonald Lordship of the Isles and some of Scotland's finest malt whiskies, we'll have 3 days to explore the beautiful Island of Islay. Staying at the Machrie Hotel (pictured left) we'll sample some of the fine food the Island has to offer.
Day 8 - Friday 15th June 2007: Back to Edinburgh
Day 9 - Saturday 16th 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 Costs

Booking

To reserve a place on the tour, or for additional information, please contact Rob McDonald Parker:

Scotland

E-mail: Clan Donald Tours

Dates For your Diary

Future Gatherings and Tours to be hosted by the High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs: