Armstrong Clan Gathering
An opportunity for all Armstrongs from around the world to meet each other.
The outline of the programme will be:
Thursday 25 July
Early arrivals! If you have booked to stay at the hotel there will be a pack for you at reception so make sure you get it! The hotel serves a good variety of bar meals so you can either eat in all the time on an ad hoc basis and just use the hotel for bed and breakfast.
Friday 26 July
If you are around why not attend the final day of the Langholm Common Riding week? Details at www.langholm-online.co.uk
Later there will be an informal dinner in the hotel dining room which will be reserved for our exclusive use. The meaning of informal for this occasion is that you order what food you want from the bar menu (at your own expense!) and turn up from 7pm onwards. If you don’t want to eat just turn up, drinks can be purchased from the bar! Sometime during the evening there will be a quick run through the weekend's programme and everyone can introduce themselves!
Saturday 27 July
Gathering Day! In the morning Gilnockie Tower will be open from 9.30 am for formal Tower visits for those who are new Gatherers. There will be an opportunity to purchase souvenirs from the Clan Shop in the Tower. This will also be the meeting place at 10.30 am for those who wish to go on the “Old Tower Sites” tour. By necessity this will need to a bit of travel organisation as the sites, although accessible, are unable to cope with a large invasion of cars.
We will have an informal pub lunch in Langholm and then journey up the A7 to Carlenrig to see the place where Johnnie Armstrong and his followers were summarily executed by King James.
Returning there will also be an opportunity after this to visit the Clan Armstrong Trust’s Museum in Langholm.
At the Queen’s we prepare for the Gathering Dinner which will be held in the hotel’s dining room. We will meet at 6.30 pm onwards when the Clan Shop will be open followed by a three course dinner commencing at 7.00 pm with a welcome from Chairman Ted. It will comprise choices in all three courses followed by tea or coffee. A bar will be available in the hotel for individuals to purchase their drinks. After dinner entertainment will be provided. There will be another opportunity to do your clan shopping after the dinner.
Sunday 28 July
The Armstrong Country Tour leaves the hotel approximately 10.00 am. Amongst the sites to see are Lang Sandy at Rowanburn, Tourneyholm at Kershopefoot, Milnholm Cross, Ettleton Cemetery and Mangerton Tower before lunch (purchase your own at the two adjacent hotels at Newcastleton). After a leisurely break in which you could visit Newcastleton’s Liddesdale Heritage Centre (opens 1.30 pm) we will visit Castleton Cemetery and finally Hermitage Castle.
For those still at the Queens there will be an opportunity to visit the Lockerbie Air Disaster Memorial in the early evening.
Monday 29 July
Final farewells from the Queens Hotel after breakfast