The Armstrong Clan Association Gathering
14th to 17th July 2017
at The Queens Hotel, Lockerbie
We are pleasantly surprised and very pleased at the number of people booked to attend the Gathering this year. Whether it is because of increasing interest in Genealogy, or because of the currency exchange rate, it is hard to tell, but a warm welcome to all.
The Gathering will be based at The Queens Hotel, where we will host the Gathering Dinner and other events. All the guest rooms are currently fully booked, but there are other suitable hotels close by in the area. We can supply a list if needed. Please contact the hotels directly as they do not always advertise all their rooms on the web sites.
Our programme covers a range of interesting and varied activities, including a talk by a local historian and, as suggested at the last Gathering, a Coach Tour, plus the usual visits to Gilnockie Tower and Reiver Sites. Due to the logistics of so many people visiting the Armstrong Reiver sites on the Saturday afternoon you may want to consider the alternative activity.
All the events will be detailed in your Welcome Pack, which will include the Souvenir Programme. If you plan to visit a lot of the sites and participate in the tours, you may well need an extra day in the area.
Due to Health & Safety constraints and the large number of visitors, tours of Gilnockie Tower will have to be timed and booked in advance on the Friday Evening (a change from published ‘Events Schedule’). So if you wish to move on to another scheduled activity promptly, you may need an early booking!
THE GATHERING ITINERARY
Thursday 13th July
Early Arrivals. Suggested places to visit, Carlisle Castle, Tullie House Museum and Cathedral, Gretna Green, The Lockerbie Disaster Pan Am Memorial & Garden of Remembrance. Your Welcome Pack will be available for collection from The Queens Hotel during the evening.
Friday 14th July
From 10am onwards—A member of the Gathering Team will be on hand at The Queens Hotel to greet you, hand out your Welcome Pack and answer any questions. For people staying at The Somerton & Kings Arms Hotel, your Welcome Pack will be at the respective Receptions when you check in. If you are staying elsewhere, please collect your Welcome Pack from the Queens Hotel.
From 6pm Join us for an informal gathering which will include introductions, a run through the programme for the weekend, booking your tour of Gilnockie Tower, socialising and getting to know your fellow gatherers. It is assumed you will have your own transport, but you may be able to arrange car-sharing if not. Drinks and food will be at your own expense and can be ordered at the bar. If you don’t want to eat, just turn up for the social event.
Saturday 15th July.
There are daytime choices to make. You can do as many or few of the activities on offer.
9.30 to 12.30 Gilnockie Tower, timed and booked tours.
Please be there promptly to take full advantage of your hour and to keep the tours running on time.
Reiver Sites. Either before or after your Gilnockie tour, consider visiting these Armstrong sites local to that area. Kinmont Willie’s Sark Tower at Morton and Lang Sandy at Rowanburn, who was presumed to be over 6’ tall and reputed to be ‘The Worst Reiver Ever’.
Nick and Jane Armstrong can advise.
Lunch, meet up either at 12 noon Canonbie, or 12.30pm Newcastleton depending on your next choice for the afternoon.
12.30pm lunch at The Grapes or The Liddesdale Hotel, Douglas Square Newcastleton.
It would be best to take lunch at one of these pubs if you have chosen to continue your Reiver Tour with Nick & Jane as Guides.
Likely Sites you will visit are Tourneyholm Kershope Foot, Ettleton Cemetery, Milnholm Cross and Mangerton Tower which was built before 1244 and was the residence of Alexander Armstrong in 1376. Simon Armstrong rebuilt it by 1583. Finally demolished in 1880 to make way for the railway.
OR
12.00 Noon lunch at The Cross Keys, Canonbie is most convenient for people wanting to explore the history of the notorious Bewcastle Armstrongs.
1.15-2.30pm only, Knowe Presbyterian Chapel, especially opened for us. A unique Chapel established by dissenters in 1788. Re-built by subscriptions many from Armstrongs on both sides of the Border.
2.45pm, St Cuthbert's Church, Bewcastle to hear Mike Jackson’s talk about “The Rise & Fall of the Armstrongs in Bewcastledale”. Why were there so many Armstrongs in centuries past and so few now? Why are there 3 different Armstrong Coat of Arms on the Memorial Stones? Were they religious?
7pm. The Armstrong Gathering Dinner in The Queens Hotel, Function Room.
Dress code: Smart Casual or more formal “Highland Dress”. We hope to see both ladies and gentlemen with splashes of tartan.
There will be an opportunity to listen to the piper ‘Alfie Will’ and take some memorable photos. He will pipe us into dinner at 7.30pm.
The menu choice for the 3 course dinner includes some notable, traditional Scottish dishes. Please order & pay for drinks at the bar. During the evening there will be a “Silent Auction”. Funds raised will go towards our 50th Anniversary in 2019.
More information on the auction to follow.
Sunday 16th July. Again more options
10am. The Coach Tour (booked in advance and pre-paid).
This will leave the Queens Hotel promptly. This subsidised tour will take in some of Dumfriesshire's scenery and historic places.
Caerlaverock Castle. A great triangular shaped Medieval Fortress seat of the Maxwells. Johnnie of Gilnockie swore manrent to Lord Maxwell.
Burns House at Dumfries, set out to show how Robert Burns, the great Scottish Poet, lived.
Alternatively, time to be confirmed:-
Take a Guided Reiver Tour with Nick and Jane.
Visit Langholm Castle c1526, probably erected by Christopher Armstrong brother of Johnnie of Gilnockie.
Carlenrig, The execution site of Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie by James V of Scotland in 1530.
Journey across Tarras Moss to Hermitage Castle. Late lunch at Newcastleton taking in a minor site on the way back to Lockerbie.
6pm. Armstrong Clan Association Website Demo by Tony Wood, at the Queens Hotel.
We are proud of our new website. Take a look and work your way round the site with Tony Wood. All welcome. Bring your iPads.
7pm. Meet in the Bar of the Queens Hotel. All welcome. Order drinks and Bar Meals at your own expense.
Monday 17th July Breakfast and Goodbyes.
Anyone is welcome to join us on a trip to places such as Langholm Castle, Carlenrig or Hermitage Castle, an atmospheric, foreboding, wicked place, where De Soulis stabbed Alexander Armstrong in 1320. Lunch in Newcastleton.
Gathering Fees
The Gathering Package is £35 (44USD, 58AUD, 63NZD, 59CAD) per person. For other currencies please contact your Country Convenor. This includes the Piper and the Gathering Dinner at the Queens Hotel on Saturday evening and one Souvenir Programme per Hotel Room. If more are needed please contact us prior to the event. (Drinks, except tea or coffee at dinner are not included).
The cost of the Sunday Coach Tour to Caerlaverock & Burns House is £5 (7USD, 9AUD, 9NZD, 9CAD) per person and is non-refundable. This must be booked in advance with Judy Jeffrey and pre-paid along with the Gathering Fee. Cost of admittance to the Castle and lunch is not included.
Send your payment by cheque/check, less your deposit, to your Country Convenor before 16th June. Please include information on what package you are paying for (“The Gathering Package” or “The Gathering Package plus Sunday Coach Tour”), along with names of all your party, a contact address, contact phone number and e-mail address.
Contact details:
Queens Hotel, Annan Road, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. DG11 2RB.
Tel: +44 (0)1576 202415 Website: www.queenshotellockerbie.co.uk
Judy Jeffrey. Email: judy@aboutappearance.co.uk