In 2004, the first International Clan MacDougall gathering was held in Oban, Argyle and Butt, Scotland.
Since that time, Gatherings have been held at Dunollie Castle, Museum and Grounds and hosted by the Clan Chief and Family. In July and August of 2024, the most recent International Gathering was held. I, Misha Lowther (current President of CMSNA), had the perfect opportunity to attend. It was amazing! These gatherings take place every four years. The next one is set for 2028, I believe. My visit to Scotland took me to three different cities.
Glasgow
I had the chance to visit Glasgow, Stirling, and Oban with most of my time being in Oban for the Gathering. Glasgow was amazing in that I discovered most of the city was recovering from a fire in 2018. It was so wonderful to see them rebuilding and refurbishing the town that was affected. Here, in the United States, most of the buildings would have been deemed unfit and demolished to make way for new buildings. There were murals all over the city as well as many places to see and things to do. One day is NOT enough, though it was a lot of fun. The double decker site seeing buses are so much fun. They offer a lot of interesting information-all local!
Stirling
I visited the Battle of Bannokburn and the Wallace Monument. I missed out on Stirling Castle so will have to revisit that for next time. The Wallace Monument was amazing! What a view. Oh My Goodness! The tower took me a bit to climb but there are three floors to explore before you reach the top open area. The climb is worth it! AND they had a lovely re-enactor there to artfully describe “the Battle of Stirling Bridge.”
I did get to see Stirling Castle up close because it was a stop on our Site Seeing Bus. We just had booked an appointment for the Battle of Bannokburn and didn’t have time to do both. I hear Stirling Castle is a full day trip in and of itself. I think I would need two days but that just means MORE time in Scotland–which is absolutely wonderful to me.
The Battle of Bannokburn has a lovely museum building with a round map table to show you where and how it took place. There was also a 3D immersion presentation to view of the battle. I loved every minute of it and came away so inspired to continue serving the Society and Clan MacDougall as well as to further explore my scottish roots and heritage.
Oban
we stayed at an airBnB called “Dunheanish” which looked and felt like a miniature castle for one small band of travelers. We spent a week in Oban for an International Gathering of Clan MacDougall hosted at Dunollie Castle, Museum and Grounds. The Chief of Clan MacDougall, Madam Morag MacDougall of MacDougall and Dunollie hosted the gathering along with her family. It was truly like visiting home at a Castle Keep. The Family’s hospitality was so sweet, familial, and welcoming. I am not sure what I expected but it exponentially surpassed anything I could have thought this trip would be like. The Gathering’s festivities included dance lessons (which I should have taken part in for the Ceilidh), a talk regarding a Rent Book which is part of Dunollie’s history, boat tours around the islands, tour of Gylen Castle, tour of Dunstaffnage Castle, tours of Dunollie, photography sessions at Dunollie, sessions for learning Gaelic, and so much more.
I truly can’t wait for the next one to take place. I encourage anyone who is traveling to Scotland to visit Dunollie Castle. Email Dunollie and let them know you are visiting and when. You might even get an opportunity to meet with The Clan Chief or one of the Family. They are very welcoming and dear. Scotland is a dream or so it feels that way having been there. Oban is a lovely City. It is a Gateway and always has been. When you visit, drop us an email and let us know about your visit.
~Misha Lowther
