Monday August 21^st  to Saturday August 26th 2017   

Following previous gatherings at Carmichael Scotland in 1983, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1996, Roots 1997, 2000, 2004, 2007, Homecoming 2009, 2010 and 2014 we are pleased to announce our 2017 gathering.

Background ..Visit Scotland and Event Scotland have announced that 2017 is to be the Year of History, Heritage & Archaeology and this has inspired the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to incorporate ‘A Splash of Tartan’ as the theme for their 25 night 2017 production on the castle Esplanade in Edinburgh. To emphasise this theme 25 Chiefs of Scottish Clans and Families have been invited to “host” each of the nights and to have their Clan tartan “splashed” on the castle walls. Carmichael has successfully been awarded the 22nd  event which is at 9pm on Thursday August the 24^th 2017.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a sell out event every year with over 225,000 seats and in early 2016 has gone global with events in Melbourne Australia and Wellington New Zealand. In 2018 it will go to the Gulf States and in 2020 to China. It has a TV audience each rear which globally runs to billions.

Apart from the tartan splash, which is effectively liquid lights, the themes for 2017 are major anniversaries for India, Canada and Quebec and the featured senior service is the Royal Navy. Scotland’s King Robert The Bruce had a navy on the west coast 300 years before any others.

To ensure we do our Carmichael night proud on August 24th we need a good turn out of tartan clad clan members and accordingly our gathering in 2017 will start on Monday August 21^st with clan members being picked up from either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports, accommodated in clan lands cottages or local hotels and after the usual mix of historic tours and banquets a big day out in Festival city Edinburgh will conclude at the spectacular tattoo. The gathering will disband on Saturday morning August 26^th.

As the Tattoo is a total sell out each year the clans are being given an early booking window from November 1^st 2016 so you urgently need to start planning to attend now. As we set out to work out our timetable and costs in more detail early indications of numbers likely to attend are needed now (email thechief@carmichael.co.uk) so we can reserve our clan seats before the deadline. If there is sufficient demand a Highland Tour led again by your Chief and his Lady will follow the gathering in the week starting August 26 2017.

For up to date information on the 11th Clan Carmichael International Gathering please follow the link 

Richard Carmichael of Carmichael

30^th Chief of the Name & Arms

26^th Baron of the lands of Carmichael

August 19 2016.