The meeting and dinner are centered around the Grandfather Mountain Games which take place Thur - Sun July 8 - 11, 2010. Please check out the web site www.gmhg.org for more information about the Highland Games.

The Society is currently looking for a member for the position of Tartan Newsletter Editor. Anyone interested and with experience in desktop publishing (this is the new format the Society would like to use for publishing future Newsletters) please contact me at President@macdougall.org.

Clan MacDougall Society of North America donates more than $9,000 toward renovation and preservation of Dunollie Castle

Past-president Richard T. MacDougal spoke to our Clan Chief and others during a formal dinner at Argyll Gathering Hall in Oban on July 22. Here is the text of his remarks:

Madam MacDougall, Project Director Catherine Gillies, distinguished guests, MacDougall clanfolk, friends:

While our celebration today is not the end, but only an early stage in the grand and wonderful scheme to renovate Dunollie for the use and appreciation of MacDougall clanfolk, it certainly is a red letter day and high water mark in the process.

To celebrate more than 2 years of hard work by the leaders in Oban, and the overlapping terms of office of 2 Presidents and officers of Clan MacDougall Society of North America, I am deeply honored and prideful to be delegated by the American Clan Society to present this check to the Dunollie Trust for $9,220.00 dollars!

Here is a link to a news story about the event. 

INTERNATIONAL GATHERING OF THE CLANS AND CELTS

to be held in Nova Scotia in 2011

In 2011 all Celts will be invited to take part. New Scotland will be alive with new acts, new faces and an abundance of events.
Plan your vacation for 2011 to be in Nova Scotia breathing the wonderful sea air and taking in all the Celtic events from one end of the province to the other. Hear the pipes, meet the friendly people, look up the family tree, eat lobster, or apple pie, whatever your taste, plan on being here for "The Gathering".
Watch the Federation of Scottish Clans Web Site at: www.scotsns.ca for details.

Gaelic School in Nova Scotia

The Clan MacDougall Society of North America is funding an initiative of Cathy MacDougall, a three hour a week Saturday School in the Scottish Gaelic for students up to 13 years old at the Lakevale Community Center, in Nova Scotia - a community near Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

This is an area with a number of historically important MacDougall families.

A more complete account of this project will be provided shortly.  Parents interested in having their children participate in the program may download a medical and release form. (Microsoft Word document - 22kb)

For additional information on participation contact Cathy MacDougall at (902) 863-1560 or Shirley MacDougall at (902) 863-4470.

Look for Clan MacDougall tents at these Scottish games:

Note: We've moved to the Google Calendar format. You can add the Society's Scottish Games calendar to your iCal application by clicking here.
Having trouble seeing the calendar above? Click HERE to open the calendar in a separate window.

Regional commissioners: Please send information about 2009 or 2010 games at which there will be Clan MacDougall tents to webmaster@macdougall.org for inclusion in this calendar.

For a general list of Scottish games and festivals, visit The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals.   For an excellent site about Scottish Games in Canada, visit http://web.ripnet.com/~nimmos/highland_games.html There is no guarantee that a Clan MacDougall tent will be at games listed on these other sites.  

Notices

How to get involved in the Clan MacDougall Society of North America Check out the Standing Committees page and contact the chairperson of a committee on which you would like to serve.

 Message group A Yahoo group has been established for the Pacific Northwest regional MacDougalls. All MacDougalls are welcome. Visit the page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MacDougall/

The Tartan
Now available in PDF format for download. Thanks to Pat McDougal, Tartan Editor, and the printing/graphic design firm, McDougal Design, for making this available. You need the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader to view the files.

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 GYLEN CASTLE DEDICATION
On Friday, May 12, 2006 an event took place which was of great interest and significance to all MacDougall clan folk who are concerned with clan history and treasures. Chief Morag MacDougall of MacDougall cut the ribbon officially reopening Gylen Castle to visitors.
It has been 11 years since the mother and aunt of Chief Morag created the Gylen Castle Repair Fund and commenced the process of applying for grants and making plans for the careful reconstruction and repair of this beautiful clan treasure. It has suffered from more than 350 years of ravage and deterioration from weather, at its high perch on the southern end of Kerrera Island in Oban Bay, on the northwestern shore of Scotland.
 I am greatly indebted to Chief Morag, her husband, Richard Morley, our good friend Hamish MacDougall of Appin and Bridge of Weir, and friends at the Oban Times for providing us with details of the dedication ceremony.
More than 80 interested clan folk and media attended the dedication – some of whom walked and some of whom rode the two miles from the ferry dock to the castle.
Prior to and after the official ribbon cutting at the castle, there were interesting and informative speeches back at the Gylen Teahouse by a number of the official representatives, most of whom are well known to many of you: Mike Robertson (Factor of the MacDougall estates and interests), Catherine Gillies (of the Friends of MacDougall Collection), Dr. John Raven of Historic Scotland, Martin Hadlington (Chief architect of the Gylen Repair Project), and, of course, the official speech of Chief Morag herself.
Unavoidable conflicts kept me from going over to represent our NA Society, but we were ably represented by Mr. Gary MacDougall of Chicago, who gave an excellent speech on our behalf. There was very good coverage by local and national Scottish news agencies.
To put the significance of the completion of this extensive repair work in historical context, let me fill you in on some of the history of this architectural treasure.
Gylen Castle was built during ca. 1582-1587 by Duncan MacDougall, who was either the brother or the son of the chief at that time. It was clearly constructed as a fortified residence. Its design is obviously defensive, with heavy walls, guarded entrances, gun loops and ports, and observation outlooks on all sides. However its design was not entirely for utility or defense.
Not only is it surrounded by glorious scenery on all sides, but, clearly, great care, artistry and craftsmanship went into its construction. You will see many interesting features such as: crowstep gables, corbled cornices, romanesque carvings, and sculptures of faces and figures.
Sadly, no amount of repair work or money will restore Gylen to its original condition, because in 1647 (after only 60 years) a detachment of the army of the fanatic Covenanters captured and burned the castle and killed all who resided and defended therein, either on the spot or taken to Inverary Castle and hanged.
To add to this tragedy, it was on this occasion that the great family treasure, the Brooch of Lorne, disappeared. It had been captured by MacDougalls from Robert the Bruce in 1306. The Brooch of Lorne has since been returned to the MacDougalls and remains in the possession of the Chief.
 Gylen Castle was returned to the Chief of the MacDougalls in 1660, after the restoration.
Even though the repair work on Gylen is finished, important planning continues for repair and preservation of Clan MacDougall treasures: Dunollie Castle and Dunollie House and estates, in the interests of visiting Clan folks.
The "Gylen Castle Repair Fund" was some time ago converted into the "MacDougall of Dunollie Preservation Trust", and this continues to be a primary vehicle for funding continuing preservation work.
Donations to this fund can be made through the Clan Society Treasurer or directly to Scotland. In addition, I will continue to sell copies of Bill MacDougall’s clan history "Kings in the West, and Beyond the Seas", with proceeds going to the Preservation Trust.
Respectfully submitted, June, 2006
Richard MacDougal, Past President
Chairman, International Relations Committee

Sheet music:   Suzanne McDougal has been kind enough to scan images of several Clan MacDougall-related bagpipe tunes and make them available on the Society's Web site.
Midi tune:   Mary (MacDougall) Hilchie of Ottawa, Ontario, printed one of the scanned tunes above and made a midi sequence called dunolly.mid.

 This area is for special notices of interest to MacDougalls. To post a notice here, please send it to webmaster@macdougall.org