The 2022 Clan Home Gathering
We had approximately 100 people attending during the long weekend of 9-12 September 2022. It was excellent to see new faces, as well as repeat visitors.
Activities included a coach tour to Home related properties, raising the flag and Hume Castle, a formal dinner and dance, raffle and silent auction to benefit Hume Castle Preservation Trust, the AGM at the Hirsel along with the wonderful bagpipes performing.
The next gathering is currently in the planning stages. It will be held 10-14 September 2026 in the Scottish Borders, with some activities on the 14th in Edinburgh.
The 2018 Clan Home 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.
How the 2018 Gathering was planned
The main Gathering dates were set for the weekend of 11th and 12th of August with events also during the preceding week and at the start of the following week. See below for timetable.
We are very grateful for the photos on this page of our last Gathering in 2013 which were provided by Kim Wilhite. See her whole collection here
The Gathering 2018 was more varied than ever before! It included:
- Fresh archaeological interpretation
- The opportunity of staying in the ancestral castle at Wedderburn and neighbouring Duns Castle
- Genealogical workshops
- Taking part in the Coldstream Civic Week events
- Guided coach tour including visiting Paxton House and Marchmont House
- Pipes and drums
- Scottish reeling
- Historical re-enactment
- A visit, of course, to Hume Castle and its cemetery
- The AGM at the Hirsel, home of Lord and Lady Home
- Our formal dinner following the AGM at Wedderburn
- A visit to Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott
- The Edinburgh Festival and Military Tattoo
- A 1918 Commemoration service
And, of course, the opportunity of meeting people just like you! To share stories and family histories and to enjoy our common blood ties.
The 2013 Clan Home Dinner & Dance
The 2018 Clan Home Gathering Timetable
Please click on the link below for the timetable in PDF
If you are a past Clan Home Association member, we would ask you to rejoin as this confirms to the volunteers your interest and gives us a little money to work with. If you are not yet a member of Clan Home Association we would urge you to join. The subscription per person was reduced some time ago to a very reasonable £15 per year in order to encourage all Homes, Humes and associated families to join us and to continue membership each year; there is also the opportunity for you to become a “Friend of Hume Castle”.
If you have not received an email from us, please contact the Membership secretary with your correct email address.
For the accommodation at either Wedderburn or Duns please view the websites and email room choices to
For Attendance and Event bookings – regardless as to whether you are booking at Wedderburn or Duns or providing your own accommodation – please fill out the booking form, including the ‘To Be Confirmed’ (as tentative) and email it.
