THINKING OF COMING IN 2021?

For those considering attending the 2021 Gathering, here is a record of the 2018 Gathering

The 2018 Clan Home Gathering was the most ambitious to date, lasting from Tuesday 7th August until Tuesday 14th, with events in Berwickshire and Edinburgh.
Events started at Duns Castle on the evening of 7th August with a drinks party for those who had already arrived, followed by a dinner in the magnificent dining room at the Castle. Homes, Humes and related families met from different corners of the world renewing links with each other and the lands of their ancestors.
Wednesday 7th was spent visiting two outstanding Berwickshire houses: Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, whose Haliburton grandmother had links with the Clan; Marchmont, the seat of Patrick Hume, Earl of Marchmont. Both houses have been magnificently refurbished very recently and were well worth the visit. The day ended with a fascinating discussion of the Clan genealogy.
Thursday 8th saw us join the Flodden Rideout which takes place every year as part of the Coldstream Civic Week. We were able to take part in a day of Scottish Border festivities and enjoy the magnificent view from the top of Branxton Hill. Again, we had another genealogy session in the evening.
On Friday 9th we visited Hume Castle, following a very expert talk by Dr Piers Dixon about the archaeology at the site. We were delighted to be entertained by a historical re-enactment and another archaeological talk from Dr Hill whose excavations had just started at the graveyard. We were very fortunate then to be joined by pipers and drummers from the Scottish Gunners who played for us. A hog-roast lunch was followed by a visit to the graveyard where Gos and Diana Home lead us in a memorial service to mark the centenary of the 1914-18 war. After a display of pipes and drums by the Scottish Gunners at Duns Castle, the evening concluded with a meal at the excellent Allanton Inn, except for a small party which joined revelry and dancing at the Coldstream Civic Week Dinner.
A visit to the Hirsel, the home of our Chief was the first highlight of our Saturday, with the AGM being followed by a buffet lunch and a display by the Coldstream Pipe Band, who were magnificent as always. In the evening at Wedderburn Castle, the home of the ancestors of many Humes and Homes, we enjoyed a display of Highland Dancing and more pipe and drum music from the Scottish Gunners, followed by a display of Scottish Country Dancing. This preceded our dinner in the dining room at Wedderburn and dancing of reels in the Ballroom by those who still had the energy,
Led by Ian Maitland Hume, our former convenor and expert guide, we toured Berwickshire by coach on the Sunday, visiting significant sites with Clan connections such as Coldingham, Polwarth, Hume Castle, ending at Paxton House, for a tour of the house and supper. For many, this was the end of the Gathering.
For some twenty or more of us, however, there was another element, as we moved up to Edinburgh. On the Monday afternoon we had a splendid walking tour of Edinburgh led again by Ian Maitland Hume. We proceeded down the Royal Mile from near Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace, visiting sites of interest including some of particular significance to us because of special Home connections.
The Tuesday saw a number of the Gathering visit the National Records Office to research their ancestry before ending the day with a meal at an Edinburgh restaurant culminating in a climb to Edinburgh Castle where we enjoyed the magnificent spectacle of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo – an appropriately glorious way to end a truly memorable week.