Clan events planned for Scotland in 2015 get funding boost

February 7, 2015 6:41 pm

Local Clan events to benefit from over £26,000 in funding.

Local clan events across Scotland are to received £26,000 in funding support from the Scottish Government.

Applicants to the Scottish Government’s Clan Event Fund have been offered grant support to stage seven clan events across the country in 2015.

In 2014 people from across the world attended clan events in Scotland that were supported through the Clan Event Fund. Attendance at these events was estimated at 7,700 with almost 4,000 international visitors, from 18 diaspora communities, joining the festivities.

Enterprise and Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said:

“I am delighted to announce this second allocation of funding through the Clan Event Fund, which will support seven Clan events taking place across Scotland in the year ahead.

“This includes a number of international Clan gatherings that are expected to bring thousands of visitors to Scotland, generating income and providing a colourful spectacle in those communities where they take place.
“Not only will the Scottish Clan Event Fund help support activities during this year’s celebrations, but will help to provide a legacy of Clan activity through to our planned Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology in 2017.”
Hector Munro commented about the positive effect support provided through the Scottish Clan Event Fund had on the 10th International Clan Munro Gathering held in 2014:
“The Gathering was a huge success and without the assistance of the Clan Event fund we would not have been able to give the participants anything like the experience they had. It was an enormous amount of work for a dedicated few but we have been inundated with enthusiastic ‘thank you’ letters, emails and telephone calls ever since and we even made it on to the main news on the French TV channel TF1.

“So I think we have won a great many potential return visitors for Scotland.

“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the part played by Clan Societies over the past 100 plus years in attracting visitors to Scotland, often working unseen below the radar of the main agencies promoting Scotland. It doesn’t matter which Clan, it is always just a band of loyal volunteers who put on these events taking considerable risks on small budgets.”