The Journal of Clan MacNicol of North America 2018 INTERNATIONAL GATHERING 12 OVER THE SEA TO SKYE 18 GEOLOGY OF SKYE 22 LEAVING THE OLD WORLD TRACING THE SCOTTISH DIASPORA – PART 4 CHIEFLY SPEAKING 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT 4 28 FLOWERS OF THE FOREST 6 SKYE UPDATES 8 GETTING KILTED! SCOTTISH NEWS 10 THE WALL AT CULLODEN 34 2018 GAMES AND FESTIVALS 36 47 MEMBERSHIP REPORT 40 DNA UPDATE 45 Scorrybreac VOLUME 34 NUMBERS 1-2 1 AUTUMN 2018 VOLUME 34 NUMBERS 1-2 www.ClanMacNicol.org US $20.00 CLAN MACNICOL OF NORTH AMERICA www.clanmacnicol.org Clan MacNicol Society, Inc. Member of the Highland Clan MacNeacail Federation PRESIDENT JOURNAL EDITOR JOHN MACNEACAIL JEREMY D. NICHOLSON DEPUTY WEB ADMINISTRATOR OF MACNEACAIL AND Chieftain in Clan MacNicol and Chairman, the JAMES C. NICKELSON, FSA SCOT SCORRYBREAC Highland Clan MacNeacail Federation 5 Chief of The Highland Clan MacNeacail 14560 12454 Glimmer Way P.O. Box 501166 Jacksonville, FL 32219-1873 P.O. Box 1172, Atlanta, GA 31150-1166 (864) 706-5022 Ballina, NSW 2478, (770) 650-0905 [email protected] Australia [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BRENDA N. PRITCHARD VICE PRESIDENT, 5 WEB PORTAL ADMINISTRATOR 11219 Oak Hollow Drive CLIFF L. WOLF Knoxville, TN 37932-1963 (865) 216-0817 35 DR. A. MURRAY NICOLSON 1 [email protected] Scorrybreac 3642 Airport Road Crestview, FL 32539-6176 Deputy Editor 2589 (850) 240-6128 WESTERN GAMES Chieftain in Clan MacNicol, 2 [email protected] COMMISSIONER High Commissioner for the Americas, and Secretary of BRUCE C. MCNICHOLS Urras Clann TREASURER Emeritus Journal Editor MhicNeacail BILL E. NICHOLSON 5 934 N. Rhodes Drive 226 Peter Spring Road 3 57 Green Valley, AZ 85614-5232 Concord, MA 01742-1945 Trustee of 40 Beverly Road (520) 398-4474 (978) 318-9255 Urras Clann Natick, MA 01760-1953 [email protected] [email protected] MhicNeacail (508) 561-7237 [email protected] 4 FAMILY DNA AND GENEALOGY Counsellor, Clan PROJECT MANAGER MacNicol SECRETARY, CO-COMMISSIONER FOR RON R. NICHOLS 5 CANADA 5 Director, Clan MARY LOU NICOLSON KLIMEK 100 O’Conner Court MacNicol 5 Georgetown, KY 40324-2091 Society, Inc. (502) 542-0138 #18-604 Griffin Road [email protected] 6 Cochrane, Alberta T4C 1X2, Canada President and (403) 932-0773 Director, [email protected] Scorrybreac Fund, Inc. CLERK 7 CAROL R. NICOLL Treasurer and 19 Dignon Road Director, Billerica, MA 01821-2146 Scorrybreac (978) 667-1634 Fund, Inc. [email protected] 8 CO-COMMISSIONER, Secretary and MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY AND Director, TREASURER FOR CANADA Scorrybreac JACQUES MCNICOLL Fund, Inc. 5 9 202 rue Berlioz – Apt. 203, Verdun, Quebec Clerk, H3E 1B8, Canada Scorrybreac (514) 564-5431 Fund, Inc. [email protected] 0 Deputy MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY PIPE BAND TO CLAN MACNICOL Membership DALE W. NICOLL THE NICHOLSON PIPES AND Secretary and 5 DRUMS W/S MALCOLM WILLIS P.O. Box 1912 Eastern Games 2144 Athene Drive Westminster, CA 92684-1912 Your contributions and comments are Commissioner Concord, CA 94519-2231 (714) 895-4127 urgently sought and always welcome. (925) 682-5234 [email protected] Please contact James or Jeremy directly at [email protected] www.nicholsonpipesanddrums.com their e-mail addresses. 2 Scorrybreac AUTUMN 2018 CHIEFLY SPEAKING s I write this, I realise that it is Thanksgiving On the subject of International Gatherings, Day in the United States so, although you there had been some thought of North America won’t receive my greeting in time, please hosting the next Gathering due to the fact that the Aaccept a warm but belated Thanksgiving St. Augustine event in 2016 had been cancelled from Jenni and I. due to Hurricane Matthew. Our Canadians were quick to volunteer but, New Zealand, which was Like about 110 others, in line to host the next Gathering, wanted to stay we have recently with the original roster and so will host in 2020, returned from the Isle probably on the South Island. With a return to of Skye and what was Skye in 2022, perhaps we can look forward to a an exceptionally good Canadian Gathering in 2024. International Gathering of Clan MacNicol. Not The Clan MacNicol Trust (Urras Clann even a wet and windy MhicNeacail) continues to thrive. It has Friday could dampen streamlined itself by reducing the number of the spirits or blow Trustees to four, at the same time creating a away the goodwill and management committee of eight, including Friday’s events were four North Americans, whose immediate task made even more special has been to organise the work and funding of by the attendance of the stabilisation of the Ben Chracaig cliff face Rev. Dr. Joe Morrow, following last year’s dramatic rockfall (shown the Lord Lyon King of on the cover of the previous edition). Thanks Arms, whose maternal to so many of you who have made individual grandmother is a donations with your annual membership Nicholson from Portree. renewals, and to those who have generously contributed larger sums to the Friends of the The Lord Lyon talked Scorrybreac Lands (FoSL). about the role of the Lyon Court, both Finally, I would like to thank all of you who historically and in so freely volunteer their time to act as office the present, and then bearers, and organise or attend functions on fielded questions behalf of the Clan. Your time and efforts are so including the role of greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by all of DNA in ascertaining hereditary titles. Altogether our extended Clan family. a most interesting address from a very humble but knowledgeable gentleman whom I hope to Of course, it is that time of year again when meet again next year when he visits Australia. Christmas decorations are coming out and Christmas cards written. However, due to the We’ve been to a lot of Clan Gatherings, but were high cost of postage, we will not be sending out absolutely thrilled to see the wide demographic Christmas cards this year, rather use this as a spread of attendees who represented all age greeting from all of us to all of you. groups and all countries in which we have Clan members – United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, So, from all of my family to you and all of your Australia and New Zealand. A special thank families, may Christmas bring you much joy you to Donnie Nicolson, our man on the ground and happiness and the New Year bring you in Portree, and the Clan MacNicol Society good health, peace, and prosperity. of Scotland for all the work that went into organising such a great gathering. The Isle of Skye has such significance for our Clan and, for everyone of us, Skye Gatherings are just special! Scorrybreac VOLUME 34 NUMBERS 1-2 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT his has been a busy and eventful year 2018 Clan MacNicol International Gathering for our Clan, both in North America and held October 11-14 in Portree, Isle of Skye, overseas. Scotland TMany thanks to all of you for your As noted in the article on page 12, the Skye patience regarding delays to the publication of Gathering organized by Donnie Nicolson, of the current issue of our journal. We hope that Portree with the assistance of Moira Stewart and you will find the exceptional double-length of Carol Nicolson of Balfron and other members of 52 pages a sufficient compensation. the Clan MacNeacail Society of Scotland, was a great success, notwithstanding the occasionally The Directors are also most grateful that over tempestuous bad weather! 100 members renewed their membership in response to the letter James Nickelson and I Attendance was great with our Chief, John circulated in late August. MacNeacail of MacNeacail and Scorrybreac and his wife Jenni and their son Adam and wife Natalie coming over from Australia. More 2019 North American Gathering and Annual than one hundred guests participated at the Meeting of Director to be held on October 12- Clan Ceilidh on Friday which included many 14 in Georgetown, Kentucky overseas Clan members and their families from the U.S. Canada, Australia and New Zealand, The Clan MacNicol Society is pleased to not to mention a substantial contingent from announce its preliminary plans to hold its 2019 Scotland itself. North American Gathering during the second weekend of October (Saturday, October 12 to The Clan was particularly honored that the Lord Monday, October 14) in Georgetown, Kentucky Lyon King of Arms, The Rev. Dr. Joe Morrow (near Lexington in the famous Blue Grass area accepted my invitation to the Gathering and of the state). Clan Director and local resident joined the Saturday morning events. Ron Nichols will host the weekend events along with his wife Lilia. 2018 Harman Nicholson of Balvenie Further details and a sign-up sheet will be Scholarship Awarded to Cade Legg of included in the spring 2019 issue of Scorrybreac. Cochrane, Alberta, Canada On behalf of the scholarship selection committee Chief John Macleod of Raasay comprising Brenda Pritchard, Bruce McNichols and Mary Lou Nicolson Klimek, I am delighted During the Stone Mountain Highland Games to announce that the 2018 Harman Nicholson of in October, I had the pleasure of meeting Balvenie Scholarship has been awarded to our and chatting with Chief John Macleod of young Alberta member, Cade Legg. Raasay, one of the three Clan Macleod Chiefs, who resides with his wife Elizabeth in Sandy At age 13, Cade is already an accomplished Bay, Tasmania near Hobart. Our own Chief, bagpiper who plays in the Cochrane Alberta Scorrybreac met John Macleod of Raasay at the Pipe Band, and has performed solo at several Richmond Highland Games in February.