NEWS

October 2022: Genealogy Seminar at Stone Mountain

The Stone Mountain Highland Games were blessed with wonderful weather and huge crowds came to celebrate the games' 50th Anniversary. The first full programme of events since 2019 included two seminars by Graeme Mackenzie on Highland Clan and Family History which both attracted a full house.

August 2022: Inauguration of Clan MacBean Chief

The Lord Lyon declares Richard McBain of McBain to be the 23rd Chief of Clan MacBean at the MacBean Memorial Park near Kinchyle, the ancestral home of the clan, on the shores of Loch Ness. John Mackintosh of Mackintosh and the Very Rev. Allan Maclean of Dochgarroch - who gave the blessing - were joined at the ceremony by the Chairman of the Inverness Committee of Highland Council and other guests.

July 2022: MacMillan Family Tour in Lochaber

Graeme and Carol led a family group of 28 MacMillans, mostly from the USA, on a twice-postponed (because of the pandemic) pilgimage to the ancient home of their ancestors on the shores of Loch Arkaig. The majority of the group are pictured above at the cairn erected in 2002 at Murlagan to mark the bicentenary of the mass emigration of the Lochaber MacMillans to Canada in July 1802. 

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Back in Action after the Pandemic

The cancellation of events in 2020 and the difficulties of international travel in 2021 meant that few activities have been possible for most of the last two years - though it left lots of time for research from home using the huge amount of genealogical material now available online. Hopefully however, with the help of full vaccination, Highland Roots will be back in action at many regular events in 2022. 


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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS

Kirking of the Tartan in Colorado - September 2019

Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park, Colorado, in September
is surely one of the most spectacular sites for a Highland Games in the World 
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Tercentenary of the Battle of Glenshiel June 2019

The Kirking of the Tartan at the High Kirk in Inverness in June 
during the AHCS's events to mark the Tercentenary Battle of Glenshiel 
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Highland Roots in New Zealand & Australia


Graeme gave 28 lectures in 14 towns & cities throughout New Zealand and Australia during his 6 week tour in Feb. & March 2019
Click here for more details about this very enjoyable and successful tour 

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PAST EVENTS

2019
Feb-Mar: Lecture Tour in New Zealand & Australia
April 18: Annual Battle of Culloden Commemoration
May 18-18: Smoky Mountian Highland Games in Maryville TN, USA
June 7-9: Battle of Glenshiel Tercentenary Events in Kintail and Inverness
July 20: Inverness City Highland Games, Inverness, Scotland
Sep. 6-8: AGM Weekend for Clan MacKenzie USA at Estes Park CO
Oct. 5: Presentation at Scottish North American Leadership Conference in Troy MI, USA
Oct 18: Scottish History and Genealogy Seminars at Stone Mountain Highland Games, Atlanta GA, USA 


2018
May 20: Smoky Mountain Highland Games, Maryville, TN, USA
June 23: Ohio Scottish Games, Wellington, OH, USA
July 1: Seminar on Ulster-Scots McMillans in N.E. USA at Clan MacMillan Gathering, Belfast, ME, USA
July 14-15: Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Linville, NC, USA
July 22: Inverness City Highland Games, Inverness, Scotland
Aug 4: Aboyne Highland Games, Scotland
Aug 11: Strathpeffer Highland Games, Scotland
Sep 1: Braemar Highland Games, Scotland
Sep2-12: HRAT Clan MacMillan Tour in Argyll, Scotland
Oct 19: Genealogy Seminars for Stone Mountain Highland Games, Atlanta, GA, USA

2017, October: USA
Oct. 10, Tennessee: Talk to Mary Blount Chapter of DAR in Maryville
Oct. 20, Georgia: Seminar at Stone Mountain Highland Games, Atlanta
Oct 28, Florida: Seminar for Suncoast Genealogy Society at Palm Harbor

2017, March & July: Scotland
Mar. 22, Inverness: Talk to Highland Family History Society on Clan MacMillan
July 15, Inverness: Inverness highland Games
July 30-Aug 11, Galloway & Ulster: Guiding HRAT Tour

2016, April-May: USA
April 15-17, Charlotte NC: Launch of "Clan MacMillan: A New History" at the Loch Norman Highland Games.
April 21, Morristown TN: Lecture at Public Library
April 28, Kingston TN: Lecture at Public Library
May 20, Maryville TN: Scottish Genealogy Workshop at Blount County Library.

2015, October - November: USA Lecture Tour:
Oct. 10, Columbus, GA: All Day Seminar for Muscogee Genealogical Society
Oct. 12, Knoxville, TN: Workshop at East Tennessee History Center
Oct. 13,  Kingston, TN: Lecture at Public Library
Oct. 16, Atlanta, GA: Seminar at Stone Mountain Highland Games.
Oct. 29, Crossville, TN: Lecture to the Celtic Circle
Oct. 31, Minneapolis, MN: Lecture to Scottish Interest Group, Minneapolis Genealogical Society
Nov. 13, Salado, TX: Seminar for Salado Scottish Festival & Highland Games

East Tennessee Historical Society, Feb. 2015

2015, February: Tennessee, USA (pictured above)
Feb. 4, Knoxville TN: Lecture to East Tennessee Historical Society, Knoxville TN.

2014, October: USA
Oct. 10, Minnesota: Lecture to Scottish Interest Group of Minneapolis Genealogical Society
Oct. 13, Tennessee: Lecture to Memphis Scottish Society
Oct. 17, Georgia: Seminar at Stone Mountain Highland Games, Atlanta
Oct 27, Washington DC: Lecture to Genealogy Group of St Andrews Society of Washington DC   

2014, April: Washington DC, USA
April 8: Scottish Genealogy Seminars with Dr. Bruce Durie
April 9: Speaker at the Annual Washington Tartan Day Symposium

2014, February-March: New Zealand & Australia Lecture Tour
Feb. 1, Waipu, NZ: Public Lecture at Settlers Museum
Feb. 2, Auckland, NZ: Clan MacMillan – Private presentation on the clan and its history.
Feb. 4, Orewa, NZ: Public lecture to Hibiscus Coast Branch of New Zealand Society of Genealogists [NZSG]. See review.
Feb. 5, Auckland, NZ: Clan MacKenzie – Private presentation on the work of a Clan Seanachaidh.
Feb. 8, Wellington, NZ: Public lecture to Wellington Branch of NZSG
Feb 13, Waikanae, NZ: Public lecture to Kapiti Branch of NZSG
Feb. 19, Invercargill, NZ: Clan MacKenzie – Private presentation on clans & seanachaidhs in 21st century followed by Public lecture to Southland Branch of NZSG
Feb 21, Dunedin, NZ: Public lecture to Dunedin Family History Group
Feb. 27, Moe, Gippsland, Australia: Clan MacMillan – Private presentation on the clan and its history
Mar 1, Melbourne, Australia: Morning Lecture programme for Scottish Ancestry Group of the Genealogical Society of Victoria (oversubscribed, so repeated in afternoon).


2022 Events


April 16, Scotland:
Annual Battle of Culloden Commemoration

May 21-22, USA Townsend TN
Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival and Games at Townsend Visitor Center
7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway - near Maryville

July 10-16, Scotland:
MacMillan Family Tour of the Highlands in association with
Luxury Scotland Tours

Aug 5-6, Scotland:
Moy Game Fair with
Clan Chattan and the Inauguration of Richard McBain as the 23rd Chief of Clan MacBean
 

Oct. 14, Georgia USA:
11.30am and 3.30pm: Graeme presents Scottish Genealogy Seminars at the Hilton Northeast Atlanta as part of the 50th Anniversary Stone Mountain Highland Games.