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The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA to Host "A Celebration of Scotland’s Treasures" Noted Author Alexander McCall Smith to Receive the Great Scot Award The Clan Currie Society is pleased to announce that they have joined the Host Committee for "A Celebration of Scotland's Treasures" which will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at The Metropolitan Club, one of the grandest and most prestigious clubs in New York City. As part of the festivities, the Trust will bestow their Great Scot Award to author Alexander McCall Smith. Guests will be greeted in the Metropolitan Club's courtyard by a traditional bagpiper. The evening will begin with a reception in the Great Hall featuring Scottish music and an exclusive whisky tasting by The Macallan and will be followed by dinner, during which renowned Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith will accept the Foundation's Great Scot Award and give a brief talk. Scottish music will be provided by Maeve Gilchrist, a musician and composer from Edinburgh, Scotland. Maeve's music spans the genres of folk and jazz.
After dinner there will be a short live auction of exciting prizes, including a four-day trip on the Royal Scotsman, a seven-day Scottish vacation including two days at Gleneagles, and a custom portrait by renowned portraitist Johanna Spinks. Of special note to members of Clan Currie is a four-day stay on the Island of Oronsay noteworthy for both its haunting beauty as well as the remains of a fourteenth century Priory founded by the Lord of the Isles which contains the magnificent hand-carved grave slab of Canon Gilbride MacMhuirich. All proceeds will benefit The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA and its efforts to support the work of the National Trust for Scotland. The USA Foundation's goal is to increase the recognition of The National Trust for Scotland within the United States and to help raise funds to support specific projects and the general operations of the Trust. The USA Foundation has sent over $1.5 million in grants to Scotland to help in the preservation of Scotland's built and natural heritage. The Clan Currie Society participates in the annual Service of Commemoration at the Culloden Battlefield each April. Alan Currie, Clan Currie's Convener for Scotland explains, "Many MacMhuirich/Currie's participated in the battle. Iain MacMhuirich, a senior member of the family was one of many Highlanders that fought and died on Drumossie Moor (the original name for the battlefield) alongside the MacDonalds of Clanranald and other clans." In addition to representing Clan Currie at the annual ceremony, Alan Currie also has the distinction of having appeared as a Jacobite soldier in the documentary film on the Battle of Culloden, which is being screened at the new Visitor Centre at the historic site just outside of Inverness. The new centre, which uses modern technology to tell the story of Culloden through accounts of the people who lived at the time, will have its official opening on the anniversary of the battle, April 16, 2008. About Alexander McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE One of Scotland's living treasures, Dr. McCall Smith is internationally known as a writer of fiction, most famously as the creator of the The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. He is also Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and an amateur bassoonist and co-founder of The Really Terrible Orchestra. Dr. McCall Smith was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in the December 2006 New Year's Honours List.
About The National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland was set up in 1931 as a conservation charity to protect and promote Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. The Trust is independent of government, separate from The National Trust (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland), and dependent on the support received through legacies, donations, and the subscriptions of its 300,000 members.
The Trust is the largest conservation body in Scotland, caring for over 128 properties covering 200,000 acres. Properties include mountains, coastlines, islands, woodlands, battlefields and historic sites, gardens, industrial heritage, castles, mansions and cottages and their contents. These properties attract nearly 2 million visitors per year and it's estimated that as many again visit the open countryside owned by the Trust. The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTSF) was established in 2000 as a not-for-profit organization by a group of American volunteers with a passion for Scotland and a dedication to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). Their mission is to raise significant funds and increase membership in America to support properties of historic interest and natural beauty under the care of the National Trust for Scotland. To date, over $1.5 million in grants have been made to support the NTS. For further information, contact the Benefit Office at 212-873-2955 or via e-mail at NTSFUSA@aol.com. To learn more about the National Trust for Scotland, visit their website at www.nts.org.uk. The US Foundation website can be found at www.ntsfusa.org. Click here for images of the Oronsay Priory
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