Malcolm Hay with the Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire

Celebrations of the anniversary of the Battle of Harlaw during the previous week, not to mention a number of other significant celebrations during the summer, meant there was a smaller than average turnout at the annual Clan Hay Gathering at the Aboyne Highland Games in August, but it was nonetheless a happy and successful weekend as we welcomed Hays from Scotland and from across the world.

Members attended from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and continental Europe for this annual fixture of the Clan Hay calendar, on this 30th anniversary of the first Hay tent on the field of this, one of the major highland games of the season.  As usual, the Hays took their place in the Clan village alongside the other principal families of north east Scotland, including the Gordons, Leasks, Frasers, Farquharsons, Irvines, Burnetts and Forbeses.

One of the lunch tables at Delgatie Castle

The following day, Sunday 7th August, the Clan Hay travelled from Aboyne on Royal Deeside up to Turriff to the Clan Hay Centre at historic Delgatie Castle, where we were as usual entertained to a magnificent lunch by the castle's chatelaine, Joan Johnson.

The next main gathering of Clan Hay will take place over the weekend of 4th and 5th August 2012.  As has become customary, this will include our usual involvement in the Aboyne Games on the Saturday and at Delgatie Castle on the Sunday.  A ceilidh will be held, in co-operation with other local clans, at Crathes near Aboyne on the Saturday evening.  And in 2013, coinciding with the 500th aniversary of the Battle of Flodden, Pam Rotheroe-Hay is planning an extensive programme of activity during the week prior to the games, when Hays from across the globe will have the opportunity to join in a tour of many of the historic sites associated with Clan Hay right across Scotland.  Keep an eye on these news pages for regular updates, and please contact Pam on treasurer@clanhay.org for full details.