Scottish Society of Wilmington
Celebrating Scottish culture and heritage in North Carolina's historic Cape Fear region
Fall 2024
President's Message
Saor-làithean sona, a h-uile duine!*
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Wow, here it is the Holiday Season already! Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas rush has begun. We started celebrating on December 3 with the "Highland Holidays" show by the fabulous cast and crew of Highland Echoes and the Scottish Cultural Outreach Foundation at the Brooklyn Arts Center in Wilmington. They are performing around North Carolina and at the Scottish Christmas Walk festivities in Alexandria, Virginia. It was great to see a good number of our members in their tartan attire, and to be able to pitch SSOW to a room with a lot of unfamiliar faces!
We had a busy summer and fall here, too, even considering that we usually take August off, since it's too hot to wear wool. We started off the summer with a very successful Third Annual Port City Highland Games, which we feel is well on the way to becoming a cherished event here in the Lower Cape Fear. We get a little bit bigger and better every year! As a run up to the Games, we had a great Spring Cèilidh at Flying Machine Brewery, with the Blarney Brogues providing the music (Flying Machine provides a special beer for the Games and the Brogues are featured entertainment).
The Scottish Society continues to make a name for itself with our attendance at other Games, including Grandfather Mountain, Scotland County and Crystal Coast. We always enjoy seeing our members and meeting new folks at these events! By the way, we could use some help at all of these Games (including PCHG) with set up, staffing and tear down, so please let me know if you’re available. I also attended the annual Holiday Open House at Mill Prong House, in Red Springs, which gave me a chance to see the restoration being done with the funds SSOW has donated over the past two years. They are open the first Sunday of every month for tours and it’s a nice ride in the country to get there.
Our upcoming calendar is every bit as full and exciting! First, we’re gearing up for the 32nd Annual Robert Burns Supper at the Hotel Ballast. This year, the fourth Saturday in January falls on the 25th, which is Burns’ actual birthday! The Port City Pipes and Drums will be performing, and we’ll have great music throughout the evening from Galen and Lisa again this year. Tickets are on sale now, so get yours today! (See more information elsewhere in this issue.) Shortly after that, we’ll participate in the 4th Annual UNC-W Bagpipe Festival on February 16, with its workshops and recital. Bill Caudill won’t be joining us this year, but he has arranged for Jerry Finegan, an award-winning piper and judge, to fill in for him. We will provide financial support and a reception following the recital.
Also in February, we will be out at Moore’s Creek National Battlefield Park for the 249th Commemoration of the Battle of Moore’s Creek (February 22-23). This year’s event is a dress rehearsal for A250, the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. In 2026, Moore’s Creek will host the inaugural events for this national celebration, and exciting things are planned. SSOW continues to support these events by participating in the wreath-laying ceremony, sponsoring golf carts, serving lunch to the volunteers, and hosting an information table throughout the day. We’re excited to be exploring other contributions we can make to the A250 celebrations as well.
As winter turns to spring, we’ll march with our Celtic cousins in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Downtown Wilmington. We had a great turnout last year, with tartan-wearing marchers, as well as volunteers and puppies from paws4people promoting the Games. Again this year, we’ll have a pickup truck available for those who want to participate but can’t make the long walk, so come on out! We’ll round out our spring calendar with a Cèilidh in April or May before gearing up for the 4th Annual Port City Highland Games on Saturday, May 31st. (Our date is dependent on other regional Games, and we follow the Games in Greenville over Memorial Day weekend, so we are the Saturday after Memorial Day, not always the first Saturday in June.)
Finally, if you’re reading this newsletter and you’re not (yet) a member of SSOW, I would like to encourage you to join and support our efforts to promote Scottish culture and heritage in the Lower Cape Fear. In addition to the entertainment we provide at our events, we contribute to various other events and causes as I noted above. The 2024 Burns Supper is the first one that has ever turned a (very modest) profit and we don’t charge admission to our Cèilidhs, so your dues are our primary source of income. As we continue to grow in membership and in recognition, the Board has concluded that, for the first time in our 32-year history, we need to raise the cost of membership. Beginning January 1, an Individual Membership will be $30 (up from $20), a Family Membership will be $40 (up from $30) and a Sustaining Membership will be $80 (up from $50). So join today to lock in the lower price!
Slàinte,
Catherine
*Happy Holidays, Everyone!
First Trip to the Scotland
by Topher Davis, SSOW Board Member
On September 7, 2022, I boarded a plane in Wilmington, NC to fly to London for a celebration and a vacation. I was going to see my son, Huntley, graduate with his masters in Medieval History from the University of Sheffield. That was the celebration, and we had asked Huntley where he wanted to go to explore and unwind after finishing his master’s thesis. He had chosen Scotland and Edinburgh in particular probably more for my enjoyment than his. Little did we know what was coming over our 2-week holiday.
I landed on Thursday morning thanks to the red eye from Charlotte to Heathrow. I grabbed my bags, did the immigration two step, took the subway to Kings Cross Railway, and hopped on a train to Sheffield. Little did I know that the whole world was changing during the 2-hour train ride from London to Sheffield.
HRH Queen Elizabeth II passed during that fateful trip. So, I arrived in Sheffield to a country having lost its figurehead. Loved or hated, it was a shock to the countries of the UK. We packed Huntley’s apartment up and then headed back to London to store baggage and begin our “Adventure & Celebration.”
We passed her train coming back from Edinburgh as we headed that way to find my ancestral home. As an aside, my family left Scotland around 1699 and moved to the New World where they settled immediately in Charleston, South Carolina at the beginning of 1701, and primarily never left. So we finally arrived in Edinburgh and checked into our AirBnB. We got in without problems, and we settled in for a relaxing week of exploring castles and ruins and pubs. The next morning, we woke to an email that would soon become routine. Essentially the email said that, due to mourning for the Queen’s passing, Edinburgh Castle would be closed for the next 2 weeks, they regretted any inconvenience, here is your money for the tickets back, and a final statement that “the pubs are still open” This message (including the pubs are still open) was repeated many times over the next few weeks.
So, Huntley and I step backed, punted and reconfigured our trip on the fly. We found The Oxford Bar on Young Street in New Town Edinburgh. This establishment is where Ian Rankin wrote many of his Inspector Rebus mystery novels and is a prominent character in his novels. We also found the Ensign Ewart Pub on the Royal Mile. They had nightly live music and we had a blast every time we went.
Despite the plethora of pubs we found, Huntley and I did have a really great tour that wasn’t cancelled. Rabbies is a local tour group that takes single to multi day excursions from the Highlands to the coast and even a Whisky tour. Huntley chose a different tour for us. We did the Hadrian’s Wall, Roman Britain, & the Scottish Borders tour. It was remarkable, and well worth the day trip. We saw so many wonderful things.
Being someone who grew up traveling to the North Carolina mountains, it is remarkable how similar the Highlands of Scotland looks like the mountains of NC. For the trivia-minded of us, I found out that the supercontinent, Pangea, split apart millions of years ago and its oldest mountain range split into three different ranges on three different continents. The Appalachian Range in North America, the Scottish Highlands in Europe, and the Atlas Mountain Range in Morocco in North Africa. I’ve been lucky enough to visit all three and you can see many similarities in all three but the Highlands and the Smokies are almost identical twins.
We returned to London on the day of the Queens funeral and got ready to return to the States. All in all, it was a wonderful time for me and my son to explore and wander through a beautiful friendly country. Ok, this was a rambling synopsis of an unusual trip to Scotland, but I hope you enjoyed it and soon you will hear about my next trip back to Scotland.
Old Rugged Kirks Project
Efforts to preserve old kirks (churches) in Scotland are part of a broader movement to protect historic buildings, given their architectural, cultural, and religious significance. Many of Scotland’s historic kirks date back centuries, serving as key landmarks of Scottish heritage. However, challenges such as declining congregations, maintenance costs, and changing community needs have put many of these structures at risk.
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One preservation effort is being led by Les Taylor of Fraserburg, Aberdeenshire, who reached out to the SSOW to spread the word about his "Old Rugged Kirks" project. The aim of this project is to visit, photograph and catalogue these churches in an online reference guide before they are lost for ever. Les tells us "Scotland’s abandoned old churches are more than just former places of worship, they represent an important part of the essence of our global Scottish identity, yet they are now being closed down all across Scotland at an alarming rate." If you would like to support this project, click the button to the left for the website and more information about this particular project.
Here are some other efforts and organizations involved in preserving Scotland's old kirks:
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Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
HES is a government agency responsible for the care and promotion of Scotland’s historic environment. They offer grants and technical advice for the conservation of historic churches and other buildings.
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Scotland’s Churches Trust
This organization supports the maintenance and promotion of churches across Scotland, encouraging public engagement through activities like guided tours and events. They also help with funding small-scale repairs.
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Friends of the Old Kirks
Community-led initiatives often form "Friends" groups to save specific kirks from neglect or demolition. These groups raise funds, organize volunteer efforts, and advocate for the preservation of their local church.
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Conversion and Adaptive Reuse
Many old kirks have been preserved by converting them into community spaces, homes, or cultural venues. For example, some have become museums, wedding venues, or music halls, blending historic preservation with modern utility.
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The Church of Scotland
As a denomination, the Church of Scotland has been active in efforts to find new uses for redundant kirks while working to maintain those that remain in active use.
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Individual Projects
Specific restoration projects, like the repair of St. Andrew’s Kirk in Eyemouth or the Old High Church in Inverness, often rely on local fundraising and support from national grants.
Save Guthrie Kirk
While we're on the subject of saving old kirks, we've been informed of an effort by Clan Guthrie USA to purchase the Kirk in the town of Guthrie in order to preserve it for the clan. This is from their press release:
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"In a heartwarming display of community spirit and dedication to preserving the Guthrie’s Scottish rich cultural heritage, the Guthrie Clan is announcing the establishment of the Guthrie Church Foundation, with the sole intent to raise funds and save a historical church, the Guthrie kirk. As part of this effort, the Clan is reaching out to community members to participate in raising funds for this foundation and to help ensure the long-term preservation of this cherished landmark."
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You can find more information and ways to donate by clicking the button to the left.
New Scottish Government Representative
Colin R. Gray has been appointed as the Head of the Scottish Government's US Office, beginning his tenure in August 2024. Prior to his move to Washington D.C, Mr. Gray spent the previous 16 years serving the UK government in a range of posts at home and overseas. He was Deputy Consul General in Atlanta from 2021 to 2024 and, before that, Deputy Head of Mission in Peru (2017-21). Previous roles include Head of the UN Political Team in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Head of Communications at the British Embassy in Seoul, Korea.
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Mr. Gray is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde, and holds a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) degree. A former newspaper journalist, he also holds an Advanced Certificate in Public Relations from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations. He speaks fluent Spanish and Korean.
Damage to Grandfather Mountain
Old Yonahlossee Road
We all know that much Western North Carolina was devastated by Tropical Storm Helene. Grandfather Mountain was no exception. The following is from Steve Quillen, President of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
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"I am directing this notice to our Clans, Conveners, Campers, Patrons (all classes) and the attending public.
Hurricane Helene (or Tropical Storm Helene by the time it arrived in Avery County) devastated the North Carolina High Country, both from disastrous flooding and high winds. Our beloved Avery County was hit especially hard, as you have no doubt noted in media reports.
Luckily, the Grandfather Mountain Games came through very fortunately when compared with many in the county. That is not to say we came through unscathed. There is certainly work to be done to allow us to hold our 69th Annual Games July 10-13, 2025, but I want to allay any concerns on the part of the public about our ability to hold our event. We will go on!
Having said that, we do need help to recover and so does our community.
In summary, our impacts are assessed as follows:
We have some trees down at MacRae Meadows and MacRowdy that have to be cut up and removed. We have $10,000 of repair and replacement to the campground electrical system. We have $5000 to $10,000 of road repair at Gate 2 and the entry to the Chieftain parking area.
Most importantly, Old Yonahlossee Road was left impassable for nearly the entire length. Old Yonahlossee Road is the path by which our shuttle buses access MacRae Meadows. The Road is privately owned by others, but we desperately need to contribute financially to the restoration of the road to ensure the restoration is done before next July. The greatest and most expensive damage to the road is from severe washing. In many places Old Yonahlossee is a third of its former width and cannot accommodate school buses.
In recent years, the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games has seen our resources diminished by the costs of no Games in 2020 because of COVID, the tragic death in 2022 associated with the Bear, the cost in 2023 of removing over 90 trees on MacRae Meadows due to fungus and insect attack, and the 2024 failure of a major portion of our electrical system which required wholesale replacement. Each of these occurrences represented a significant, unbudgeted expenditure. In the aggregate, they represent over $400,000 in out-of-pocket expense for GMHG.
We are now in the position of asking for donations to help with these extraordinary expenses associated with Helene. We hope that our subscribing Clan societies, Scottish societies, and supporting individuals will donate to GMHG as generously as you can. No donation is too small; any amount will help. We pledge to keep the donations separate from our operations funding, and we will donate any money remaining from the campaign to the Avery County Chamber of Commerce “Build Back Avery” fund. The Avery Chamber of Commerce account will be targeted 100% to Avery County recovery.
GMHG is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit and your donations will be tax deductible.
Thank you very much for your consideration of this appeal. Please click on this link for donations: GMHG Helene Recovery"
Clan MacDuffee Announcement
Thomas MacDuffee, FSAScot Armiger and President of Clan MacDuffee Society of America, reached out to ask us to help get the word out that the MacDuffees are searching for a new Clan Commander, and to settle the name of the Clan. If you are a MacDuffee, MacDuffie, MacDuffy, MacFee, MacFie,
MacPhee, or MacPhie, you can apply for the position as shown below. Click the button to the left to visit the Society's website with more information.
Wanda L. Moore Celtic Music Scholarship
The Wanda L. Moore Celtic Music Scholarship was established to assist musicians and vocalists who wish to pursue additional study in Celtic music. Recipients receive a $1000 award to be used for classes and private lessons to expand their expertise and proficiency, and to further their knowledge of Celtic music repertoire and history. The Scholarship is made possible by the Scottish Society of Wilmington (SSOW), a 501(c)3 organization supporting Scottish culture, history, education, and activities in North Carolina since 1993.
About Wanda L. Moore
Wanda L. Moore was part of the original group of charter members who came together to form the SSOW. She served as the second president, from 1997 to 1998, and remained a lifelong member. She grew up on a farm near Wilson, NC, graduated from ECU in Greenville to become a middle-school teacher, married and settled in Wilmington. Being raised in a musical family with fiddles, guitars, piano and harmony singing, she wanted her legacy with the SSOW to include assistance to promising talent and to future generations.
Application Criteria
Applicants can be instrumentalists or vocalists.
Applicants must have intermediate or above proficiency in their specialty.
Applicants must be under the age of 26 on December 31 or the year in which they apply. There is no minimum age, but applicant must show evidence of dedication, talent and progress appropriate to their age as noted above.
Applicant or Applicant’s family must be members* of the SSOW and applicant must reside in North Carolina.
Applications may be submitted anytime between January 1 and April 1. Checks will be distributed by June 10.
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FURTHER INFORMATION AND APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
Flowers of the Forest
Brian David Stewart passed away suddenly on August 14, two days after his 67th birthday. Brian was an enthusiastic member of the British Motor Club of Cape Fear and actively involved with the SSOW, the St. Andrew’s Society of Washington DC & Color Guard, and was a devoted supporter of the Wilmington Police Pipes & Drums, Port City Pipes & Drums, and the City of Alexandria (VA) Pipes & Drums. He is survived by his wife, Judi Blaine-Stewart, and two sons.
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If you have a submission for Flowers, please send a message to admin@wilmingtonscots.org
Kids Corner
Brought to us by the Scottish Outreach Foundation, a non-profit charity dedicated to preserving Scottish heritage and culture through performing arts and various educational programs.
