MWC 2014

[jmvleasa]

They have announced that the 2014 Highland Games Masters World Championships will be held at the North Meeting Park in Inverness the 2nd weekend in Sept. I am planning on competing. My wife and I have never been to Scotland so I will be seeking tips about travel from those who have visited or reside there. See you in 2014.

[Jill Richmond]

Hi Jay,

First of all, you want to go to your travel agent and ask him/her to put a package together for you: flights, hotels etc. I do not know how long you intend to stay in Scotland, but a few ideas spring to mind. I see that the Highland Games Masters Games Championships are being held the second week in September 2014, so you will have returned to the USA by the time The Gathering 2014 is being held in October. It is a pity the two do not coincide.

Things to do: if you can, hire a small car, if only for a day or two. Culloden is only a few miles from Inverness and is a must. Inverness is an attractive city with stunning scenery on its doorstep. A trip down the Great Glen (Loch Ness, Loch Oich, Loch Lochy, Loch Linnhe (connected to one another by the Caledonian Canal) is a great thing to do. This will take you to Fort William, and from there, if you have time, to Ballachulish and Appin. Glen Coe is also within easy reach from Fort William. There is also boat hire at Inverness if that interests you.

This is just a small selection of things you could do. Also a good website to visit is http://www.visitscotland.com.

If I can be further help to you, don't hesitate to let me know.

Jill

[jmvleasa]

Thanks Jill, right now we are palnning on coming over the week before and staying the week after to get in as much as possible. THis has been a dream trip for me since I was old enough to gain an appreciation of my family history.

[Kaye Saunders]

Hi Jay,

First of all, you want to go to your travel agent and ask him/her to put a package together for you: flights, hotels etc. I do not know how long you intend to stay in Scotland, but a few ideas spring to mind. I see that the Highland Games Masters Games Championships are being held the second week in September 2014, so you will have returned to the USA by the time The Gathering 2014 is being held in October. It is a pity the two do not coincide.

Jill

Jill, isn't The Gathering taking place 11-13 July 2014? Hopefully it is, as I have plans to be there, and certainly can't make October.

Kaye

[Kaye Saunders]

Now, after doing some websurfing I see that things are in limbo and The Gathering doesn't appear to be taking place
Will be watching for updates with great interest.

Kaye

[Kyle MacLea]

Whoa!

I went looking.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-t ... l-20156004

It's still looking like something may happen, but perhaps in the context of the Bannockburn celebration earlier in the summer?

I'm thinking something is going to happen, we just may have to wait a little bit to see it straightened out. Still planning to be there!

Kyle

[Jill Richmond]

Yes, Kaye, you are right the date is 28th to 30th June 2014. This is when the re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn will take place. The Gathering is planned for the same weekend, although I don't think that the date for it has been officially confirmed yet.

My apologies for misleading you with the October dates. Where I deamed those up from, I'm not sure. Ageing grey matter I reckon.

Useful websites: http://www.battleofbannockburn.com
http://www.nts.org.uk
http://www.visitscotland.com

Regards,

Jill

[jmvleasa]

Plans are well under way for our trip to Inverness in September. I already have lodging about a 5 min walk from the North Meeting Park. Any suggestions of things to do in that area that may be a little off of the beaten path that would be of interest to a history buff. We are already planning a trip to Culloden just looking for suggestions on things that would not be on a typical itinerary.

[Kyle MacLea]

Hope we have some suggestions for you! I myself don't have any but will look forward to reading any suggestions and filing them away!



Kyle=

[Jill Richmond]

Further to my post of Mon, October 29 2012, the following may be of interest to you: Visit Scotland has a useful website: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns ... ss-p236801
Other places nearby are 1. The Highlanders Museum, Fort George. Fort George is an interesting example of a n eighteenth century barracks and now houses The Highlanders Museum. The museum has recently had a makeover and looks extremely interesting. http://www.highlandersmuseum.com
2. Cawdor Castle: http://www.cawdorcastle.com. The ancestral home of the Thanes of Cawdor.
You can download E-brochures of places to visit from the Visit Scotland website.

Jill