EET/S4/13/12/A

ECONOMY, ENERGY AND TOURISM COMMITTEE

AGENDA

12th Meeting, 2013 (Session 4)

Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 4.

1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 4 and 5 in private and whether its future consideration of the draft report on the UK Energy Bill LCM should be taken in private.

2. Bannockburn 2014: The Committee will take evidence from—

Caroline Packman, Director, Homecoming ;

Johanna Boyd, Leader, Stirling Council;

Peter Selman, Director of Properties and Visitor Services; Project Sponsor for Battle of Bannockburn Project, and David McAllister, Project Director, Battle of Bannockburn Project, National Trust for Scotland;

Malcolm MacGregor, Convener, Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.

3. UK Energy Bill (UK legislation): The Committee will take evidence on the legislative consent memorandum LCM(S4) 20.1 from—

Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Mike McElhinney, Head of Electricity Markets, and Katherine White, Team Leader: Electricity Market Reform, .

4. Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the scrutiny of the Bill at Stage 1.

5. Bannockburn 2014: The Committee will review the evidence heard earlier.

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Jane Williams Clerk to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee Room T2.60 The Tel: 0131 348 5207 Email: [email protected] EET/S4/13/12/A

The papers for this meeting are as follows—

Agenda Item 2

PRIVATE PAPER EET/S4/13/12/1 (P)

Submissions pack EET/S4/13/12/2

Agenda Item 3

PRIVATE PAPER EET/S4/13/12/3 (P)

Agenda Item 4

PRIVATE PAPER EET/S4/13/12/4 (P)

EET/S4/13/12/2

Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee 12th meeting, 2013 (Session 4), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 Bannockburn 2014 The following submissions have been received from today’s witnesses:-

 NTS

 Standing Council of Chiefs

 Stirling Council

 VisitScotland

The following written submissions have also been received:-

 Chas McDonald

 Ian MacDonnell

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SUBMISSION FROM THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND Thank you for your correspondence of 4 February providing an opportunity for the National Trust for Scotland to present further information on The Battle of Bannockburn Re-enactment event, planned for June 2014. As you will be aware, the National Trust for Scotland is an independent charity, ultimately accountable to our 312,000 members. Our purpose is to conserve and promote our heritage. To that end, we care for some of Scotland’s most important heritage sites, including Bannockburn. We are currently making excellent progress on The Battle of Bannockburn project – a joint initiative between the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland which aims to transform the site in time for the 700th anniversary. The project is generously supported by the Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The National Trust for Scotland plans to hold several celebrations throughout 2014 commencing with the launch of the new visitor attraction in March and culminating in The Battle of Bannockburn Re-enactment event weekend in June 2014. At the request of EventScotland, the Trust’s original two-day Re-enactment event is now being planned with a third day to create a special long weekend of activity 28 – 30 June 2014 and with extra elements added to the original event idea. This is primarily to enable more visitors nationally and internationally to visit the site and also to contribute further towards the Year of Homecoming, supporting the Government initiative to generate increased interest in and economic impact for Scotland.

There does appear to be some confusion about the nature of this event and the Trust’s role in delivering this with the event becoming conflated with Homecoming as a whole. To be absolutely clear, this event is simply one of several signature events in the 2014 Homecoming programme. The Trust is pleased to be involved in contributing this important event to the extensive Homecoming programme which will be launched shortly. Planning for The Battle of Bannockburn Re-enactment event is at a key stage. We are in the process of appointing an events management and production partner to assist with the design and delivery of the event – this should be concluded by mid- March. Once appointed, this company’s first task will be to assist us in creating a business plan which sets out the financial requirements for the event – at this stage the level of Homecoming funding support being offered will become clear. The National Trust for Scotland’s Board of Trustees will then make the final decision on whether or not this event can proceed. Trustees will need to be satisfied that the Trust will not be put at financial or reputational risk. This decision is expected by the end of April 2013 I now turn to your specific questions:

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 What is your role in managing and delivering this event (and what are the decision taking and accountability responsibilities of the National Trust for Scotland in relation to the other stakeholders)?

The Re-enactment event on 28, 29 and 30 June 2014 is an integral element of the National Trust for Scotland’s programme of activity designed to mark the launch of the new Battle of Bannockburn experience, as well as to commemorate the 700th anniversary of this important battle. As such, the Re-enactment event is owned and led by NTS. As explained above, a specialist events production company is being appointed by the Trust to deliver the event. In addition, the Trust has established a Steering Group and a Working Group to develop plans and support delivery of the event. Representatives from the Scottish Government, Homecoming 2014, EventScotland, Historic Scotland, Stirling Council, Creative Scotland and the are involved in those groups. The Working Group is responsible for the planning and delivery of the event, reporting to the Steering Group who take a high level view of the event’s overall contribution to the Homecoming 2014 programme. The Steering Group is chaired by the National Trust for Scotland’s Director of Marketing and Commercial Services Henk Berits who is a member of the Trust’s Senior Management Team.

 What is the budget the National Trust for Scotland has allocated to the Bannockburn event and who is responsible for decisions regarding its spending?

Work to determine the required budget for this event will get underway as soon as the event management company has been appointed. While some initial scoping work has been undertaken, this could not be progressed until this appointment was made. The National Trust for Scotland does not do loss making events - the general principle is that the event will be self-financing and return a profit to the Trust in line with our events management guidelines. A business plan will be prepared this spring anticipating income from ticket prices and other commercial sources. The event Working Group and appointed event management company will make day to day decisions about the spending of this budget. As a key event in 2014, Homecoming funding support is also expected, although the full level has yet to be determined. This will be set once the full details of the event have been confirmed.

 How is your performance and that of the other stakeholders monitored, and who has responsibility for that monitoring?

Running events is a normal part of National Trust for Scotland operations. As such, standard Trust management procedures apply, with the Trust’s Senior Management Team managing performance overall. In addition, we would expect a series of measures and targets to be set by any bodies which award funding for the event.

 How does the National Trust for Scotland communicate with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders on progress with the event?

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The Working Group and Steering Group are the primary modes of communication with stakeholders. The Trust’s Director of Marketing and Commercial Services is the principal contact with stakeholders on the Battle of Bannockburn Re-enactment event. The Trust has an extensive programme of communication in place in connection with The Battle of Bannockburn project and the Re-enactment event is being factored in to those activities. In addition, we are making full use of the communications channels made available to the Trust through its partners like VisitScotland.

 What marketing activity has been undertaken in relation to the Bannockburn event, what is planned to be undertaken, at which audiences and how will the success of any marketing activity be assessed.

An event marketing and PR campaign is already underway for the Battle of Bannockburn Project. This has already secured substantial press and online coverage. The current marketing focus is the travel trade, particularly as we approach EXPO 2013 in April.

The Re-enactment weekend will become a key event within the marketing programme. Following the tender process outlined above, the Trust’s appointment of an events company and the EventScotland grant announcements in March, the project team will work in close association with VisitScotland and EventScotland to ensure the marketing drive supports the event as one of Scotland’s signature events within the Homecoming 2014 programme.

 Who ultimately is responsible for the success of the event?

The National Trust for Scotland clearly is committed to ensuring that any event that it undertakes is a success, giving individuals the chance to engage with our nation’s heritage and contributing financially to the charity. The same approach will apply to this important event.

National Trust for Scotland February 2013

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SUBMISSION FROM STANDING COUNCIL OF SCOTTISH CHIEFS

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is a non-political organisation. It and many of its members have close links to independent Clan-based organisations, both at home and overseas and the umbrella organisations.

Chiefs and Heads of Families have arranged Clan Gatherings for their Diaspora for many years. These events bring much-needed tourism and economic benefits, not only to businesses in the Clan heartlands, but also to Scotland as a whole. This is repeat business that could, and should, be exploited more fully.

Although not run by the SCSC, the 2009 International Gathering of the Clans was a watershed for Tourism. If the brand was built on successfully, numbers attending in future could be considerably higher. However if a future Gathering is to fulfil its potential, the private sector creditors from 2009 must be reimbursed their losses.

The SCSC was not involved in the arrangements, but was asked for, and provided, advice to Stirling Council on The International Gathering 2014, or Clans 2014. Its cancellation was a huge disappointment, both nationally and internationally.

There are no other centralised clan events being marketed in place of the International Clan Gathering as part of Homecoming 2014. There are individual clan gatherings at a local level, but these are being promoted and marketed by Clan Associations at different times of the year around Scotland and not on any strategic level.

The vast majority of the Diaspora who attend these events cannot afford to take the time off, or make an expensive visit to Scotland more than occasionally. They tend to arrange these visits to coincide with Clan activities, and short notice of major changes of plan has a disproportionately negative effect.

The SCSC does not have the professional competence to comment on marketing and promotional issues to do with the re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn 2014. It does, however, have a wide-ranging knowledge of the Diaspora.

The SCSC is of the opinion that it is now too late to plan any other events around Bannockburn 2014 to attract the US Diaspora. Time is too short. Overseas clansfolk need at least two years’ lead-time, but preferably longer.

The role of the SCSC in Bannockburn has yet to be fully determined, as there has only been one general meeting and, to date, no meetings of the steering group.

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The SCSC believes that Bannockburn will be successful for the home market, but the event as it stands may not be large enough to bring the same numbers of the Diaspora to Scotland as occurred in 2009. Nor should it, as the site is too small to hold that number.

The SCSC believes there would be an economic benefit in mounting large, centralised International Clan Gatherings in the future, but they will need very careful consideration. They should be run by the private sector, with the SCSC in an advisory role, and with the full support of central and local government and the public sector.

A. The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs

The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) was founded in 1952. The Objects of the Council, which is non-political, are to consider matters affecting Scottish Chiefs and the Clans and Names which they represent and to submit their views and interests to HM Government, to the Scottish Government, to local authorities, to tourist authorities, to the media and to associations connected with Clan and Family in the UK and overseas.

Chiefs and heads of Clans, Families and Names, have been heavily involved in ancestral tourism. They have arranged Clan Gatherings for their Diaspora for many years. These events bring much-needed tourism and economic benefits, not only to businesses in the Clan heartlands, but also to Scotland as a whole. Those attending will usually visit other places as well. This is repeat business that could and should be exploited more fully.

SCSC research reveals that Clan Gatherings make substantial financial contributions to local areas – mainly through hotels, catering and transport, without grants or help of any kind from the centre. Recent examples are: 900 Camerons, £300,000 to Fort William; 200 MacPhersons, £100,000 to Newtonmore; and 250 Eliotts, £75,000 to Newcastleton.

In 2012, the Gathering based at the Chief’s home on Mull attracted 1000 people from around the world, bringing some £700,000 to the island. Working with local businesses, this Gathering was helpfully scheduled in the off-peak month of May when there was less pressure on accommodation and infrastructure.

Clan Gatherings in the regions bring publicity, regional affinity, community spirit, a sense of belonging, genealogy, education, research, footfall to local shops and . Some clans run museums at no cost to the taxpayer, such as in Langholm. Others run heritage projects, such as the Heritage Trust, which has raised one million pounds for the of Girnigoe Castle on the remote coast of Caithness. Whether it be gatherings, museums, or heritage projects, Chiefs and Clans operate like small businesses in the rural .

The SCSC and many of its members have close links to independent Clan-based organisations overseas and the umbrella organisations - in particular the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations (COSCA) in the USA and in , the Scottish

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Australian Heritage Council (SAHC). The feeling of kinship between many in the Diaspora and the Clan or Family back in Scotland remains very strong. For them that is personified in the Chief, or Head of the Family.

B.

The SCSC was happy to support the International Gathering of the Clans based in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, as part of The Homecoming 2009. Its composition and connections brought added value to the occasion. That Gathering was organised by a private company called ‘The Gathering 2009 Ltd’, in which the SCSC had no financial, nor management interest. It was a totally separate organisation. Nothing on this scale had been undertaken before and the unique two-day event, with its Royal Patronage, was a resounding success, with about 50,000 thousand people from 40 countries around the world attending. There were some 300 Clan and Family groups from across Scotland, with 125 separate Clan tents in the “Clan Village” and an array of , , and re-enactment groups.

Given the nature of the challenges posed by the uniqueness of this event, it is perhaps not surprising that disappointingly Gathering 2009 Ltd. collapsed owing some £344,000 to numerous private sector creditors. This has cast a cloud over the event. However it must be remembered that it exceeded the expectations of the Diaspora and was a life-changing experience for many people.

This event generated an estimated £10.4 million boost for the Scottish economy, of which £8.8 million came to Edinburgh. This was a phenomenal return on public monies invested and showed what could be achieved. There was a 98% satisfaction with 80% wanting another Gathering. Not surprisingly, even then, people were talking about something similar in 2014.

The event was a watershed for Scottish Clan Tourism. If the brand was built on successfully, numbers attending in future could be considerably higher. However if a future Gathering is to fulfil its potential, the 2009 creditors must be reimbursed their losses.

Gathering 2009 was preceded the day before by the first ever Clan Convention, organised by the SCSC in the Parliament. This was attended by over 100 Clan Chiefs. It attracted key leaders within the international clan network and added value to their weekend in Edinburgh. This, too, was a notable success and demonstrated how much could be achieved with the public sector working together with the private sector.

C. Stirling 2014

The Intellectual Property Rights to Gathering 2009 were purchased by Stirling Council with the intention of staging a similar International Gathering of the Clans on 11-13 July 2014 to coincide with the Stirling Highland Games. The SCSC was not involved in the arrangements, but was asked for, and provided, advice.

With Stirling Castle as the backdrop, the event would feature much of what was delivered in 2009 - with one notable addition. Stirling was to link the “2014

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International Gathering” to the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, which has considerable resonance amongst the clans. The strapline ‘Clans 2014’ was used to signify that the event would aim at the clan network.

The starting gun for 2014 was fired in good time on 9th March 2012, with Stirling Council outlining their intentions in a detailed press release. It was clear at a reasonably early stage what was being offered. Added to this was a re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn which was to be organised by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to run from 28-29 June 2014.

Although the logistics of holding a Gathering on the scale of 2009 at Stirling was always questionable, there appeared to be the political will for such an event and it looked an attractive proposition. Given the enthusiasm of the Diaspora, some Clans, which have a regular pattern of Clan Gatherings that did not include anything in 2014, started to reorganise their schedules to attend this event and groups began booking accommodation and travel.

There were various meetings chaired by Stirling Council to take this significant project forward. However, it became clear by September 2012 that there were difficulties. In early October 2012 the proposed International Clan Gathering was cancelled. Some clans which had made travel arrangements and booked accommodation had to cancel them. Some lost money.

The news of the cancellation does not seem to have been communicated as thoroughly as it should have been. Many Americans still had no idea that the International Gathering at Stirling was not taking place. Even today some Heritage Centres around Scotland think there is to be an event the size of 2009 in Scotland.

It is possible that this false start, and lack of will to take the proposal forward, has made the chances of arranging another large international gathering more remote. It is clear that it takes more than two years to arrange such an event. The logistics are crucial and probably mean that such an event on that scale can only be held in Edinburgh, or . would find it difficult to cater for the anticipated numbers. Clans and Families as a whole are supportive and would like to be associated with such an event.

The cancellation of The Gathering 2014 or Clans 2014 was a huge disappointment to many, both nationally and internationally.

D. Bannockburn 2014

By now the Homecoming Team had moved swiftly to secure an extra day for the Bannockburn re-enactment, coupled with a form of tented village. There was no in- depth consultation with the SCSC. Although not a clan event as such, Bannockburn now became the ‘clan signature event’ for Homecoming 2014, with an extra day, thus running from 28-30th June, 2014.

The timing of the cancellation of the International Clan Gathering was unfortunate. The Stirling 2014 package was due to be fully announced three weeks later at a joint

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COSCA/SCSC clan conference at the Stone Mountain Highland Games in , on 20th October 2012.

Attendees at this Clan conference were key leaders in the US clan network. Some had come from as far as California and Colorado. Most of those present were in Edinburgh in 2009. These clan leaders are fundamental to the clan network. If they are not persuaded of the merits of an event or a course of action then there is no ‘buy-in’ by the clan members at large.

They were surprised and disappointed to hear that the proposed International Gathering had been replaced, not by a Clan event, but by a battle re-enactment. Most had anticipated a re-run of Gathering 2009 in Stirling, and the watered down plans were not well-received. As far as the leaders of the US clan network were concerned, 2009 was a magical formula that worked and had considerable worldwide appeal. What was on offer now did not have the same appeal. Some ten Chiefs including the Convenor of the SCSC saw their disappointment, as did the President and board members of COSCA.

NTS is shortly to announce full details of the events on offer at Bannockburn. The emphasis will be on the battle re-enactment, which will be spectacular. But without the spectacle of a Highland Games, it remains unclear how the Clans fit in beyond a clan village, which may itself be limited due to the terrain. Whatever the package, it will not be big and wide-ranging enough to be called a Clan Gathering on the scale of the one in 2009.

The SCSC understands that there are no other centralised clan events being marketed in place of the International Clan Gathering, as part of Homecoming 2014. There are individual clan gatherings at a local level, but these are being promoted and marketed by Clan Associations at different times of the year, around Scotland, and not on any strategic level.

The clans that were prepared to change their plans to fit with the Homecoming are no longer prepared to do so and it is too late to make changes now. The vast majority of the Diaspora who attend these events cannot afford to take the time off, or make an expensive visit to Scotland more than occasionally. They tend to arrange these visits to coincide with Clan activities and short notice of major changes of plan has a disproportionately negative effect.

E. What promotion and marketing should be undertaken to promote the Bannockburn event and other supporting events to potential US visitors?

The interest of the Committee in the US market is noted from the above question.

Well over half of the participants in any individual clan gathering in Scotland are normally from the USA. In some instances it is as high as 80%. The International Gathering in 2009 attracted some 75% of attendees from North America, which includes , but one must not ignore the other countries.

The SCSC does not have the professional competence to comment about marketing and promotional issues to do with the re-enactment of the Battle of

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Bannockburn 2014. It does however, have a deep knowledge of the Diaspora. The role of the SCSC and indeed COSCA is to assess the information available and make recommendations to their constituents.

As an observation, it would appear that apart from a dramatic Bannockburn website, there is little information on the internet to encourage or help visitors from overseas in making a decision on whether to come to the re-enactment, and base themselves in the Stirling area. There is no exposure of the event on any social networking site, which would create interest and discussion.

Gathering Ltd did its own marketing in 2009. The type and nature of any marketing will depend on the nature of the event and its size.

Bannockburn should be a great success, but if 25,000 people are trying to get onto a site that holds only half that number, it is likely to be remembered more for the problems than the event itself.

F. What further events should be planned around the Bannockburn event in order to attract the US Diaspora?

The SCSC is of the opinion that it is now too late to plan any other events around Bannockburn 2014 to attract the US Diaspora. Time is too short. Overseas clansfolk need a good two years’ lead time. Some Clan societies even plan four or five years ahead of any large-scale gathering. Given the problems associated with 2014, unfortunately many American Scots are generally disenchanted with what is now proposed.

Also, there are some Americans who feel that Scotland takes the Diaspora for granted, is dismissive of their concerns, and forget that they have choices. This worrying viewpoint needs to be taken on board. The SCSC believes that building excellent long-term relationships are more important to Scotland than, say, a ‘Return on Investment’, or organising a clan march so that a target can be met.

Clanship resides out in the regions of Scotland and there may be opportunities to maximise that in 2014. For example, there is a well co-ordinated schedule of events planned in in 2014, involving genealogy, history, presentations, music, book readings, Highland Games and Clan Gathering. This is all specifically aimed at the Diaspora, and yet no grant has been forthcoming. This project is entirely self funded and could attract upwards of 3000 people.

Another example is Glamis Castle in Angus. They plan to run a Clan Gathering based on their successful event in 2012, which attracted 20,000 people. This Gathering could have become International, but now there is not enough time to attract overseas American Scots.

Glamis has applied for a grant from Event Scotland for 2014, but it is unclear even at this late stage whether the grant will be realised. The application process appears to be too long and drawn out. It cannot be stressed strongly enough that if an international clan presence is required, then two years’ lead-time is needed and the main blocks, particularly finance, need to be firmly in place.

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There has been some discussion about enhancing local Highland Games with centralised funding. This would have a popular regional impact for Homecoming 2014. Unfortunately this concept does not seem to have been developed very much, if at all. To help with local Highland Games in 2014 only, and not on an annual basis, would be discriminatory and cause more resentment then joy.

Even if the Glamis Gathering were to go ahead and the Highland Games proposal progressed, these are not compelling reasons for Americans to come to Scotland at this late stage. Doubtless some would come, but not on any large scale.

G. What is the role of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs in the steering group in relation to Bannockburn 2014?

The SCSC has attended one general meeting about Bannockburn and two working group meetings. These were mainly concerned with the broad prospect of the re- enactment which is primarily NTS business. The SCSC has been invited to sit on the steering group, but what role it can play has yet to be fully determined. To date, there have been no meetings of the steering group.

Once the steering group is up and running, the SCSC can advise on what is being planned for 28-30th June, 2014. We have no doubt that the battle re-enactment will be spectacular. But the SCSC cannot comment on the other aspects, such as a Clan tented area, as there are no visible plans for this yet. Neither can we comment on the food and drink facilities, music, or the medieval village.

It is emphasised that the SCSC has no expertise in setting-up and running such events. But it can offer opinions about the likely views of the Diaspora. The SCSC believes that Bannockburn will be successful for the home market, but the event as it stands may not be large enough to bring the same numbers of the Diaspora to Scotland as occurred in 2009. Nor should it, as the site is too small to hold that number.

H. Conclusion

The SCSC welcomes and fully supports the aims and objectives of the Scottish Government to bring more tourists to Scotland, whether it be through clan events, or in other ways.

It is appreciated that the Scottish Government and its agencies are doing more to engage with the Clans here and abroad than ever before. This is a positive step, but is very much new territory and a learning process for all parties. Inevitably some matters will not run smoothly immediately.

The approach to this whole project could have been better. Instead it was complicated by the financial fallout from 2009. The planning and engagement with the Clans for 2014 has been mixed and needs to be improved. Despite assertions that COSCA was part of the ‘partnership’, very little communication has actually taken place with them except via the SCSC.

The Scottish Government needs to decide what events are historically appropriate and relevant to attract the Scottish Diaspora. There is no doubt that many people, 11

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whether part of the Diaspora or not, will come to Scotland for such events. However if a substantial Clan and Family presence is appropriate, it should work with the SCSC and its members from a very early stage, to maximise economic benefits for Scotland as a whole. That is surely more desirable and appealing than being presented with events into which the clans are expected to opt.

There are lessons that need to be learned from the way the approach to 2014 was managed. The whole aspect of future Gatherings should be discussed and assessed objectively by the key players involved, of which the SCSC is one. How often should such events occur, and, if so, where and when? How should they be organised? What other events, such as clan conventions, should be considered? How should they fit with the main programme? Whoever is in charge needs to appoint an Events Company very early on, so that work can begin immediately with interested parties.

The SCSC believes that any such wide-ranging event in the future should be run by the private sector, with the SCSC in an advisory role, but with the full support of central and local government and the public sector, and announced at least two years in advance.

Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs February 2013

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SUBMISSION FROM STIRLING COUNCIL Bannockburn Re-enactment Event

I thank you for your letter dated 4 February 2013 regarding the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee’s consideration of the Bannockburn re- enactment event being held in June 2014.

I set out below Stirling Council’s response to the questions that you raise.

What is your role in managing and delivering this event (and what are the decision taking and accountability responsibilities of Stirling Council in relation to the other stakeholders)?

The management and delivery of the Bannockburn re-enactment event is being undertaken by the National Trust for Scotland, in partnership with EventScotland. It will form a signature event in the 2014 Year of Homecoming programme. Stirling Council has an advisory role from a logistical perspective and has no responsibility for the event’s management or delivery. One officer from Stirling Council sits on the Bannockburn Re-enactment Working Group, and another sits on the Steering Group.

What is the budget that Stirling Council has allocated to the Bannockburn event and who is responsible for decisions regarding its spending?

Stirling Council is not funding the event, but has discussed funding the provision of a local shuttle bus service from Stirling city centre to Bannockburn for the three days of the event.

How is your performance and that of the other stakeholders monitored, and who has the responsibility for that monitoring?

The ultimate responsibility for the success of the event lies with the National Trust for Scotland, who will be putting in place appropriate performance monitoring systems.

How does Stirling Council communicate with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders on progress with the event?

Communication is through the Bannockburn Event Steering Group and the Working Group.

What marketing activity has been undertaken in relation to the Bannockburn event, what is planned to be undertaken, at which audiences and how will the success of the marketing activity be assessed?

The National Trust for Scotland have the their own communications department, who will be undertaking a full marketing campaign. VisitScotland will be promoting the event across the and internationally as part of the Homecoming 2014 signature programme. Stirling Council will be promoting the event as part of its 2014 programme of events.

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Who ultimately is responsible for the success of the event?

The ultimate responsibility for the success of the event lies with the National Trust for Scotland. The Trust will be securing an event production partner; they aim to have this partner in place by March 2013.

I trust the aforementioned answers your questions from Stirling Council’s perspective.

Stirling Council February 2013

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SUBMISSION FROM VISITSCOTLAND

Thank you for your letter of 4 February on behalf of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, regarding VisitScotland’s annual updates to the Committee and issues of governance and accountability for Bannockburn.

On the former I am content with the timescales you suggest and VisitScotland’s Parliamentary Affairs Manager will liaise with the Committee clerks to ensure updates are provided in September 2013 and then again in 2014.

Regarding Bannockburn, I am pleased to be able to clarify the current position by answering the questions you raised. Please note that, as EventScotland is part of VisitScotland, the answers I have given cover the work of our events directorate. I know that my colleague Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, has already written to you to explain this.

1. What is your role in managing and delivering this event (and what are the decision taking and accountability responsibilities of VisitScotland in relation to the other stakeholders)?

The Bannockburn event is owned and led by The National Trust for Scotland. Through EventScotland, VisitScotland is represented on the Strategic Group and Event Steering Group for Bannockburn, offering advice, guidance and event expertise to our partners at NTS.

2. What is the budget that VisitScotland has allocated to the Bannockburn event and who is responsible for decisions regarding its spending?

The production of Bannockburn is currently out to tender and submissions are to be reviewed by the Event Steering Group on 27 February. Once this is completed and there is a definitive plan for the event’s content, VisitScotland, through EventScotland, will be able to allocate an investment from the Homecoming Scotland event budget.

This investment will be assessed against the National Trust for Scotland’s event plan, ensuring that: the investment supports the successful delivery of the event; delivers a return on investment in the form of additional tourism spend; and contributes to the overall aims and objectives of Homecoming Scotland.

As plans for the Bannockburn event develop, additional in-kind support will be provided through the Homecoming Scotland marketing campaign, as well as through existing VisitScotland marketing activity.

3. How is your performance and that of the other stakeholders monitored, and who has responsibility for that monitoring?

As the event owner, NTS will be responsible for monitoring the event’s performance against a set of agreed targets and measures. These will be set by NTS with input from the partner organisations represented on the Strategic and Events Steering Groups.

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VisitScotland will require that an investment made through EventScotland be subject to our measures and targets. These will be set out in the offer of award letter and in the contract issued to NTS. This is standard practice and they will reflect the fact that the investment is to be used to boost attendance and visitor expenditure before, during and post event.

It is important to note that the Bannockburn anniversary is one event in the Homecoming Scotland programme - a programme featuring a number of events specifically created or tailored to encourage visitors to come to Scotland throughout 2014. Therefore, as well as assessing the individual impact of the Bannockburn event, EventScotland will assess the performance of Bannockburn in a wider context, examining the event’s contribution to the success of Homecoming Scotland as a year-long tourism initiative.

4. How does VisitScotland communicate with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders on progress with the event?

We regularly update colleagues in the Scottish Government’s Homecoming and Themed Events Team, which is part of the Tourism and Major Events Division.

With regard to other stakeholders, we will keep them informed of the event’s development through our extensive communication channels. Key players are already actively engaged directly through the Bannockburn Steering Group or the Homecoming Scotland Strategic Group

5. What marketing activity has been undertaken in relation to the Bannockburn event, what is planned to be undertaken, at which audiences and how will the success of any marketing activity be assessed.

Once the details for the event are confirmed (following the outcome of the event tender process) a full marketing strategy will be designed and implemented in-line with the content and tone of the event. Homecoming Scotland and wider VisitScotland marketing resources will be used to promote the event to audiences in the UK and internationally.

There is also a wider marketing strategy in place for the opening of the new Bannockburn Visitor Centre. This is led by NTS and will work in tandem with the event campaign. VisitScotland will work to support this activity too, promoting this new visitor attraction which is an important investment in Scotland’s burgeoning Visitor Economy.

6. Who ultimately is responsible for the success of the event?

The event is owned and managed by NTS, however, this is an important project and on that basis all partners are playing their part to ensure a successful result. This is reflected in the composition of the Bannockburn Steering Group and demonstrated by the commitment shown by each organisation involved.

I hope this information is helpful to you and please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can be of further assistance in this matter.

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SUBMISSION FROM CHAS MacDONALD

I would like to make some points regarding the entirety of the management of Homecoming 2014, most especially by VisitScotland and EventScotland. I realise that the remit of the committee meeting is more narrowly defined to the Bannockburn event, however, in my opinion it would be pointless to consider the latter without its history being considered. Unfortunately, it is a tale of woe, from beginning to end. I work with an organisation of heritage bodies in Lochaber, mostly OSCR registered charitable organisations, and one which is a charity, based in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Having missed out on funding in 2009, we resolved to do something of meaning and value for 2014. In January 2011, I had a conversation with a prominent member of the diaspora which kicked off thinking about what we could do in Lochaber. It took some working through, but by August 20011 we were moving and I made contact with EventScotland, who promised a reply when plans were being formulated. At that point websites informed us stakeholders were going to be gathered together to plan things. We held a public meeting in November, formed constituted in February 2012, and were planning in earnest. Eight and a half months passed from first contact without reply. Meantime, the Saltire Society held a conference in Parliament where Prof. Brian Hay asserted it was becoming too late to do proper work to promote and plan a useful year of activity. Even at this point it was obvious we had a very strong programme of events, and needed all our time to plan properly. We are not only holding events, we are also building a very large. rich database of family history connections relating specifically to our area, in order to encourage visitors from the diaspora. I contacted Tom Chambers shortly after his appointment, asking for an early meeting with ES in order to help us understand the application process, given that £3m had been set aside for 2014. To contextualise: when we had been turned down in 2009, it was because we were a Highland games. Then we found other games’ had received money, so we wanted to be sure that we were pitching correctly, and that there would no ‘misunderstandings’. Mr Chambers’ reply was as follows: … at present we are building the team and as such not able to deal with every enquiry… We will have a read your document by early next week and get back to you, but the funding application process has to be adhered too [sic] or every event organisers [sic] will have issues that are urgent. Unless the event is of a scale that will bring tens of thousands from outside Scotland the funding process and timescales must be the route we engage with events. Chambers, email 19-04-2012 Or to paraphrase, unless you are bringing in tens of thousands of visitors, wait in line. Meanwhile, we’ll get on with building the team.

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Offhand is an inadequate word for it. Dismissive and patronising is more like it. After all, I had been working on it for fifteen months by this point, and I knew that further waiting was going to make things more difficult. Eventually I was granted a meeting with a new boy at EventScotland only a week or so in post, and who was very sympathetic. However, he organised a meeting of the two of us, VisitScotland, and Ancestral Tourism. Only he and I bothered to turn up; the meeting room he had booked was double booked; and I had to do my pitch in a corridor. His advice was that nothing we were planning was fundable. Although I make this submission as a private individual, I will attach the latest version of our proposed activities, and you can judge their response for yourself. Given the shambles, I resorted to the Minister. Our events are not only worthy of funding, they are going to bring in significant resources, not least a £1.7m genealogy database which is being donated to us, at no cost, from a Canadian group. However, the Minister was ‘unable’ to talk to me. I again requested a Ministerial meeting, given my concerns. Still rejected. Having planned our events stream to come off the end of the Stirling Gathering, we were devastated to hear it had been pulled. We picked ourselves up, but the diaspora went into complete meltdown. Groups who were booked began cancelling (those that could). The US clans association, left in an information vacuum, began to talk of rescheduling to 2015. The final nail in the coffin, for me, was the appearance of Mike Cantlay in front of your committee on October 31st 2012, where he dissembled to draw a distinction between the Gathering and the Year of Homecoming. “… people often put the two words gathering and homecoming together and actually they are two quite different concepts. Now, there won't be a Gathering as such, but Homecoming is a celebration which goes on all year…” Cantlay, EET, 31-10-2013 http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9764000/9764437.st m Lawyers would not disagree they are different – one is a concept, the other is an event – but it is no less misleading to try to separate the two and wave it off as a mere detail. The irrefutable evidence is in the carnage of the Stirling Débacle. It is a simply unsustainable position to suggest the Gathering and the Homecoming are not one and the same, to the Homecoming audience. We might not concur with the association in the minds of US citizens, but it is there and we have to deal with it. There are two ways to look at this: either Mr. Cantlay does not fully understand the market sector, one in which he is responsible for spending of £3m of public money, or; he wilfully attempted to mislead your committee, and by doing so, Parliament. In the first scenario, his fitness to hold the office he does must be in question. In the second he must surely be expected to abide by the same rules elected officials do, and deliberate misleading of Parliament is intolerable. It seems to me that much is entirely plain and irrefutable.

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Furthermore, his understanding was the clan societies, namely SCSC and COSCA were very happy with Bannockburn being mobilised to help. Your deliberations may prove otherwise, but the veracity of that statement bears little scrutiny for me. The Gathering was the icon event. ‘Signature event’ would be to undervalue its significance. Edinburgh’s fireworks will be a signature event, as will Bannockburn, Glamis, the Clan Convention (if they happen). But the Gathering is the icon event most clearly conveying the Homecoming message to vast swathes of the diaspora. It’s like dismissing the opening ceremony of the Olympics as a signature event. It is not. It encapsulates the entire meaning for the audience. For there to have been no information six weeks out from Stone Mountain Games, and what should have been the start of the more intense part of the communications campaign, was quite simply negligent. EventScotland ought to have been all over the Gathering, and in full possession of the facts. It matters not one whit that it was another body holding it. The spending of £3m of public money was heavily tied up with the Gathering, and EventScotland had a duty to have been better aware of its progress. I spoke with the previous administration’s Provost in Stirling, and I know for a fact that ES had been involved significantly ahead of the May elections. Other information, and, granted, it’s second hand, was that ES and VS were just as surprised by the demise of the Gathering, and went into total panic upon hearing the news. For them to have been so out of the loop on its core trajectory is simply unacceptable. Albeit that Tom Chambers is now with another organisation spending much more public money in 2014, his incompetence should be censured by the Committee. That aside, once again Mike Cantlay is found at the head of an organisation incompetent to its duty to disburse public funds in a manner appropriate to the task. Turning to the Bannockburn events being touted as a replacement for the Gathering, it is clear to anybody who wants to listen, that they are a fundamentally inadequate compromise. In my view it is unhelpful to criticise the National Trust for Scotland in most respects in this matter. They are doing the best they can, as an organisation with charitable aims and a limited pot of money, as well as an event priority not core aligned to filling the Stirling gap. I suspect the National Trust will look back on the entire Stirling Débacle and ponder why got caught up in a series of compromises, thought through on the back of a fantasy, by an organisation (VS), trying to extricate itself from a dung heap partly of their own making, smelling of rosewater. Let’s be clear: the appetite for a half baked clan village, and what amounts to some overgrown children running raggedy round a field with wooden swords, yelling gibsonesque oaths in daft facepaint, is fairly much non-existent. As anybody who talks to the diaspora knows, they wanted a big gathering and a big march, before a big exodus to other places. Instead, to use the appropriate Scots term, they have been given a great big doozie. I’d like to take that as the stepping off point for looking ahead. There are significant structural issues with the entire Homecoming adventure. The idea is brilliant, but the execution is deadly. The Scots, in general terms, don’t ‘get’ the gathering sort of thing, and are ambivalent about the Homecoming because it holds all sorts of 19

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Brigadoon meanings for them. Conversely, the diaspora, in general terms, have an erroneous conception of Scotland, articulated in questionable iconography and cultural practices. I would argue this to be broadly agreed at the sharp end of the heritage sector. But it’s where we are at, and we do have to respect the diaspora’s right to formulate that part of the identity of Scottishness. Furthermore, the diaspora is fed up being seen as a cash cow, to be milked at every opportunity. They dearly love Scotland, and the identity they have wrapped up in it. They want, so strongly, to visit and find their roots. But they don’t want to spend their every last penny on it, being drip fed some titbits every time they get here. They want to be able to come, discover, and belong. The rest of it is a fun distraction, but still a distraction. Why VisitScotland came up with a concept of an ancestry year which focuses on all the other stuff covered in the previous years, is a perfect mystery. They have simply misunderstood that ancestry is about person to person contacts, people, and place. Why they have taken so long – and at the time of writing this, we still don’t know who is getting funding amongst the 160 applications Mike Cantlay mentioned – to get down to the business of allowing people and groups the freedom to make plans which encourage the development of an economic cultural model which recognises the small scale, high volume nature of ancestry, is anybody’s guess. The database we are building in west Lochaber will take years to get to completion. We have lost a year already. A year which involves training and compiling. Guide activity and resources (commercial and economic activities) need to be developed to help every visitor. That takes time. That is a year in which we have had to put off making other funding applications because of the instability as a result of EventScotland’s ridiculous dismissal of our aims, and the Stirling Débacle. It would be disingenuous to criticise VisitScotland for getting behind the Gathering. It’s not theirs to suppress, even if they have been incompetent in how they use and support it to best effect. But, the mega-event is both a feast and a curse. It keeps awareness up, it encourages visits and cultural exchange, and it provides motivation at a variety of economic and cultural levels. On the other hand, it centres activity around a specific time point – oddly in the centre of the current season, rather than at the shoulders (a clear aim of VS). It drives massive amounts of activity and resource into a very short time space, meaning we all have to work on top of each other to make a small mark. It localises activity in the . And it gives the oxygen of mass appeal to a rather fraught idea of Scottishness. Most significant is the central belt localising. Unquestionably gatherings are important, but the mega-event is counterproductive. Supporting regions to develop their own significant gatherings would be more productive. It would encourage the greater engagement with the things that matter to the diaspora. This stuff needs to get out into the Borders, into the Highlands, the islands, the east coast communities. There needs to be a direct engagement between the people of Scotland and the diaspora, which circumvents the old notions wrapped up in castellated towns, by bringing people together. Scotland, furth of the middle, doesn’t really feel that it is involved in it. It’s just another pageant ‘down there’. Which is why there should be little support for the Bannockburn drama.

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As an aside, the quinquennial timescale is simply wrong, but that’s for another day. If I might finish this with a comment upon the lack of involvement from Ministers. I am still entirely livid with Fergus Ewing for refusing to meet with me at my first request. It was plain to me, then, that things were going very awry. Alas, if only he had listened. It is simply not good enough that a Minister of the Crown does not meet with a citizen who has more than adequately demonstrated the need for a review of matters involving high levels of public spending. Somebody commented recently that VisitScotland had simply been pulling the wool over Ministers’ eyes. I have no doubt that the ministerial team investigated my complaints with VisitScotland at the time. One can only surmise that VisitScotland assured them that I was just an unfortunate with a bad attack of sour grapes. Shame I’ve been proven right, and Scotland has been made to look like bumbling incompetents in the eyes of friends around the world, and all at the hands of people who should be better. But to compound his error, the Right Honourable Mr. Ewing, delivered a stern lecture to assembled clan organisations on February 1st that we needed to understand that money could not just be handed out willy nilly with no return. A colleague commented that he came across as plain rude. Personally I found him plain patronising. As it is, the organisation I work with has two genealogical archives promised to us for free, which have a combined nominal value of £2.6m, the larger one (£1.7m) being donated from Canada. Yet EventScotland could not see any way that this database, and our events stream, could be supported to realise the phenomenal value and enhanced tax take that will accrue to Scotland from those precious gifts. It seems that building the team is far more important than building a strong sector. VE/ES’ utterly hidebound, top down, process driven approach to helping little people with big ideas and even bigger capacities, is causing far more damage than good. Haven’t they heard of the crowd at Ocean Drive yet? Instead, they will batter on with a half baked spectacular in Bannockburn, which will do everything to disappoint everybody, and little to enthuse anybody. Raise you glasses for anodyne. Chas Mac Donald February 2013

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SUBMISSION FROM IAN MACDONNELL, FINLAGGAN COUNCILLOR, HIGH COUNCIL OF

BANNOCKBURN 2014, APRIL MEETING : “, MY TRUST IN THEE”.

The Committee’s stated remit is to seek evidence in relation to the planning of Bannockburn 2014. Part of that planning I imagine is some executive oversight of the process by the voluntary panel to ensure that the new interpretation and re- enactment is in fact strong and academically sound, based on acceptable and authoritative research. In particular, the Highlands and Islands Constituencies and Members are deserved of particular emphasis in your executive oversighting just to ensure proper historic balance of prominence in the Battle of Bannockburn interpretation.

Correspondence to this committee from the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, Jan 2013, has stressed :- “At our 2012 clan conference in Atlanta, the idea of a re- enactment as a ‘clan event’ in 2014 was not particularly well received, which surprised me.” Our submission has some relevance in this context and will partially address the SCoSC concern in an ancillary way and help ensure that the re- enactment is perceived as a genuine “clan event”.

"CLAN DONALD VOL 1"; p.98. "The attack of the Highlanders and the men of Carrick at that critical moment settled the fortunes of the day, and the victory lay with the fourth battle. The great army of 100,000 fled before the prudent velour of the Bruce and the determined bravery of the Scots, and Bannockburn was won. As a reward for the undoubted services rendered by MacDonald of the Isles and his Clan at Bannockburn, they always thereafter had allotted to them, at the express desire of the King, the honourable distinction of a place in the right wing of the royal army."

The MacDonald Clan is endeavouring to infuse a small layer to compliment the integralism of the authentic historic experience that the Bannockburn Team is building.

"AS ONE OF ROBERT BRUCE'S LIEUTENANTS, ANGUS OG TOOK A PROMINENT PART IN THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN" {Royal Commission Ancient Historical Monuments Scotland, RCAHMS, 1977 - [1]}.

This question is the crux of the submission to the EET committee :- How is this authoritative 1977 Royal Commission statement of fact going to be interpreted in the new Bannockburn centre and on the day of the re-enactment, 2014 please? It is realised that there are a few eligible for a "prominent part".

Please see the website page on this aspect which shows how Clan Donald views the 1977 RCAHMS statement and its broader historical significance. {The website has a broader purpose:- Medieval and Cathedral are the Clan Donald’s legacy ; re Historic Scotland’s current re-interpretation process.}

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The "Call to Arms" by the Bannockburn Team is also an opportunity to and allay anyone's worry that the academically sound Clan Donald "prominent part" somehow doesn't end up as a "trivial part" [vagaries of an arduous, elaborate committee process?]

Can I also make just one other special reference:- to the St Oran's Chapel graveslab, No. 150 at Iona Abbey. There is a 35 slide PowerPoint presentation which clearly provides the evidence and analysis that it is definitely the monument and epitaph of the MacDonald Chief, Lord Angus Og, son of Angus Mor, son of Donald {more succinctly and more thoroughly than my May 2011 submission to Historic Scotland. I have not been advised of any decision, outcome}.

Besides the primary objective of striving for a correct, proven attribution of an important inscribed monument, there is the distinct probability of an opportunity arising from that submission to provide a timely outcome of some significance to the country's 2014 Bannockburn + 'Independence' events.

This is the appropriate time, the right occasion to remedy this incorrect attribution and the right opportunity to modestly celebrate it being returned to The Bruce's close friend and saviour, a "Bannockburn and independence hero", sometime during 2014. Not wait for a relatively inconspicuous 2018 {his death anniversary}. At least 55 million people world wide claim Scots descent, the largest clan being MacDhomhnaills, and the 2014 Homecoming-Independence celebrations will be an international magnet - "Scotland welcomes the world”.

The MacDonald Clan has answered the "Call to Arms" in more respects than one in the context of the Battle of Bannockburn. It's a seven century old commitment! We look forward to your response. Thank you all…….

"My hope is constant in thee"

High Council of Clan Donald March 2013

[1] DR’S STEER, KA & BANNERMAN, JWM; Published 1977. APPENDIX II, The Lordship of the Isles : Historical Background; p.203. "Late Medieval Monumental Sculpture in the West Highlands” - ROYAL COMMISSION, ETC.

REFS :-

 “I think you have done the most magnificent job, and you are to be congratulated.” The Right Honourable Godfrey James Macdonald of Macdonald.  “I have read your most impressive paper and you certainly have my full support.” Sir Ian Godfrey Bosville Macdonald of Sleat, Bart..  “There is some good stuff in here"; " interesting things to say about the grave monuments in St Oran's Chapel.” [At Iona conference] Dr David Caldwell, Archaeologist, former Keeper of Scotland & in the National Museums of Scotland; Curatorial Advisor to the Museum of .  "I appreciate your motives and applaud them.” Proff. Hugh Cheape, Uni. Of Highlands & Islands; former Principal Curator National Museums Scotland.

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 ANGUS OG MACDONALD, A CLOSE FRIEND AND WEST COAST ALLY OF ROBERT AND EDWARD BRUCE, IS A NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE HERO OF SCOTLAND. HE RESCUED AND PROTECTED THE BRUCE – DIED WITH EDWARD.

 ANGUS OG PLAYED A “PROMINENT PART” AT THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN. DENIAL OF HIS BURIAL MONUMENT AND EPITAPH FOR ETERNITY IS A SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL SHAME.

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