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Clan Currie Gathering Scheduled for August 16-19, 2007 Society Selects Scotland’s Isle of Bute for 2007 Clan Reunion Mark your calendars: the 2007 Clan Currie Reunion will take place on the Isle of Bute in Scotland August 16-19. The centrepiece of the gathering will be the 60th Anniversary Bute Highland Games. The Society has selected Glasgow-based tour operator, Nigel Cole to coordinate the trip on behalf of Society members and friends. According to Society president, Robert Currie, “The 2007 clan gathering promises to be even more impressive than our last international reunion in 2001.” For 2001, the clan met at the Blairgowrie Scottish Games in Perthshire, Scotland. While the international gatherings normally occur every five years, Clan Currie opted to wait an additional year so as to share in the fun and excitement of Bute’s 60th Anniversary games
The principal event for the gathering will be the Bute Games. Depending upon clan participation, the Society is looking into hosting a cocktail reception at Rothesay Castle as well as a clan dinner/ceilidh and a worship service. Once a final count has been made, the Society can go about making the necessary reservations and bookings. While programs are still being finalized, the following is a draft agenda for the weekend:
All members and friends who are planning to attend the gathering should contact the Society no later than April 1, 2007.
In addition, clansfolk are encouraged to contact tour operator Nigel Cole to coordinate any and all aspects of their visit to Scotland. Nigel and his partners are available to assist with hotels, flight reservations, and general sightseeing both before and after the Games weekend. Nigel is a member of the Clan Currie Society and has extensive knowledge of the Clan obtained through assisting with extensive research of a Currie family history entailing visits to many sites and people around the West Coast and islands. Nigel’s passions are history, heritage and ancestry and organises tours for groups based around these themes. Nigel can also assist with activities on Bute, including sightseeing, golf and trout fishing. Nigel is experienced with many of the locales and destinations that are historically significant to clan history. Nigel is also an excellent contact for booking seats at the popular Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He has set up a page on his website exclusively for the Clan Currie Gathering, click here.
Tucked away at the Firth of the Clyde among the sea lochs of southern Argyll, Bute is only 15 miles long and four miles wide. Located less than a two-hour drive west from Glasgow, the island is accessible only by ferry. One route from Glasgow takes travellers along the shores of Loch Lomond and through the Arrochar Alps, which are considered among the most spectacular settings in Scotland. Bute’s principal town, Rothesay has just been voted Scotland’s best seaside resort being described as ‘splendid and peaceful’ benefiting from elegant Victorian mansions built by Glaswegian merchants which line the water’s edge. Also, palm trees and exotic plants thrive on the small island, which is warmed by the Gulf Stream. The isle was thrust in to the spotlight in 2003 when fashion designer Stella McCartney (daughter of former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney) chose to marry at Mount Stuart, the Victorian Gothic home of the Marquess of Bute.
On Bute, research published in “Transactions of the Buteshire Natural History Society” shows the presence of the MacMhuirich/Currie family as far back as the early 15th century. The farm known as “Balliecurrie” first appears in records dating back to 1440. Elsewhere on the island, the Bute Barones Charter of August 16, 1506 records the granting of the Balilone and Achamor farms (near Loch Fad) to members of the MacMhuirich (Currie) families. The Bute Sons and Daughters Genealogical Group is an exceptional resource for Currie’s with Bute ancestors. The Group maintains an outstanding website at www.butesonsanddaughters.co.uk.
Bute has been home to games for many years, though their early history remains unclear. The Bute Shinty and Amateur Athletic Sports Club developed the modern games on the island in 1947. All competitions run in accordance with amateur rules (there are no professional competitors). Bute has seen its games grown in stature. They are considered among the major
And for the overall champion, H.R.H. Prince Charles commissioned the Duke of Rothesay Trophy for the heavyweight competition, personally designing its original specifications. Developed for the 2000 games, the Duke of Rothesay Trophy is made of wood with inlaid silver, and includes a carved limewood lion holding a sceptre and a sword. Competitors for the trophy must wear traditional highland dress, adding to the games' pageantry and spectacle. Dancers, pipers and drummers compete for several different trophies depending on the age group. The dances included the sean truibhas, sword dance, highland fling, half reel, strathspey and reel. Somewhat unique to the Bute games are the international wrestling competitions. Scottish backhold-style wrestlers have come from as far away as India to compete at Bute. The Clan Currie Society “adopted” the Bute Games as their home games in Scotland in 2003 in recognition of the Island’s strong Currie connections and their wonderful “small town” spirit and hospitality. The Society is a Life Patron of the Games. For additional information on Clan Currie’s Bute homecoming, visit: http://www.clancurrie.com. The Rothesay and District Pipe Band lead the official opening ceremonies of the games, playing at noon in the Public Stadium. The stadium is considered by many as one of the finest venues for highland games. It has a lush green field and compact grandstands. Its meadows are perfect for pipers and pipe bands to tune up. It also has extensive areas for clan tents and trading posts. The march to the games' field goes past the massive red sandstone known as Rothesay Castle. The oldest portions of the castle date back to the 13th century. It was built by a hereditary High Steward of Scotland, from which come the Stuarts, who made their home on Bute. The castle's circular design was unique on Scotland and withstood Viking invasions.
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