This Message from the Chief and the Timeline that follows were published in
Roslin O Roslin, Winter 2000 (Vol 3 No 18), edited by Rory Sinclair.
Dear all,
A very good and Happy New Year to you all. 1999 was a great year for the clan
culminating in the successful setting up of an Association in Australia which
means that the three legged stool (Canada, USA and UK) has now become a four
legged chair. So many of you have worked hard and given much of your time in so
many different ways - thank you for that.
This year brings new challenges and opportunities. It started in the best
fashion for me as, after spending Christmas with Iona staying with friends
in Buckinghamshire, we drove up to Caithness for the annual Christmas reel party
- the highlight of which was an all Sinclair eight-some reel including Margaret
Thurso, her son John and his son Jamie.
Iona then went back South for New Year whilst I continued to stay with Patrick
and Nicky Sinclair. Following dinner with the Thursos, I saw the New Year in
with them in their lovely home in the centre of the county. Some of you who are
coming to the Gathering this year will be staying there as they also run a very
good bed and breakfast. I recommend it to anyone.
Sadly Berrie was not with us as he was in Zimbabwe on the start of his gap year
but will be back in time for the Gathering. When we were not celebrating,
Margaret, John, Patrick and I did some serious work on finalising arrangements
for it and fuller details of the latest draft of the itinerary will be found in
this edition. I believe it will be a memorable occasion and I am only sorry that
not all of you who wanted to come could be included. However there will be more
opportunities in the future and I am already discussing the next one.
Laura Zola has already set sail from Venice to follow the route taken by Nicola
Zeno 600 years ago. Niven and I plan to meet up with her in Kirkwall in May and
speed her on her way on the next leg of the voyage.
Whilst in Inverness-shire on our way to Caithness, Iona and I had a long
and very useful meeting with Lachie Stewart, the architect for the Clan Sinclair
Trust. Bad weather has hampered his work but the full survey of Girnigoe and
Sinclair Castles has now been done and compared with that done by McGibbon and
Ross which was published in 1889. At most they were about 1'6" out which
considering the equipment they had at the time is remarkable.
The plans for their preservation are being drawn up in consultation with
Historic Scotland. We cannot do anything without their approval as the Castles
are Scheduled Monuments. When they are agreed they will be available for
inspection together with full details on our new web site
www.clansinclair.org. We also looked round Lachie's home
which is a tower house on the sea in Ross-shire and was in very similar
condition to Girnigoe seven years ago when he bought it but now is an eight
bedrooms house. it had not been lived in since 1710 and thus Lachie has first
hand experience of this type of building.
Sinclair Bay Trading Co. Ltd has been set up as the trading arm of the trust and
I am working closely with Rory, Mary Selver in the USA and Margaret Stokes in
Australia to source Sinclair related products at the cheapest price. I have
already proved that we can provide tartan and made-up kilts and skirts
considerably cheaper than the buying locally in the USA. We intend to provide
specialist items as well as run in competition with the shops on the more usual
items.
I am still taking an active part in politics in Westminster having been lucky
enough to be one of the ninety two hereditary peers that survived the reforms.
Peter Rosslyn also was elected but John Thurso chose not to stand but the
Sinclairs are still well represented.
The work of the clan and politics will keep me more than busy in the forthcoming
year but I am also planning at least one trip to the USA and one to Australia at
the end of the year. I am talking to Rory as to the best time for another visit
to Canada.
I look forward to welcoming many of you over here for the gathering in July.
Best wishes.
Malcolm Caithness
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Anniversary Time Line
Our Chief has put together the following time line of anniversaries that have a
5 or 0 as a final digit. This would change every year for 5 years before
repeating and the intention is to publish the time line every January. In five
years you will have a collection of every Sinclair event of importance.
Hey kids! Collect 'em all!
|
Date
|
Anniversaries in 2000
|
| c.2500 BC |
4500th of stone cairns in Caithness |
| 600 BC |
2600th of 1st Brochs built in Caithness |
| 795 AD |
1205th of Vikings invading Western Seas |
| 800 |
1200th of Vikings on Channel Coast |
| 875 |
1125th of the first Earl of Caithness |
| 875 |
1125th of Sigurd, brother of Rognvald,
Earl of Moeri invades Caithness |
| 890 |
1110th of death of Rognvald |
| c.900 |
1100th of Einar, son of Rognvald, builds castle at Knock Einar now
Knockinnon in Caithness |
| c935 |
1065th of Northern Britain being known as Scotland rather than Caledonia,
Pictavia or Alban |
| 1245 |
755th of Gilbert of Moray, Bishop of Caithness, Saint, social worker and
reformer dies |
| 1290 |
710th of drowning of Margaret, the Maid of Norway, off Orkney |
| 1320 |
680th of the Declaration of Arbroath - the letter to the Pope asserting
Scotland's independence and signed by Earl Magnus of Caithness and Orkney and
Henry Sinclair of Rosslyn |
| 1330 |
670th of the Battle of Teba, Andulsia, Spain. Sir William Sinclair dies
trying to carry The Bruce's heart to the Holy Land. |
| 1350 |
650th of King David II of Scotland declaring "ane common and equal weicht,
quhilk is called weicht of Caithness (pondus Cathaniae) in buying and selling
sall be keeped and used by all men within this realm." |
| 1400 |
600th of Prince Henry, Earl of Orkney's, death in Orkney |
| 1420 |
580th of death of Henry Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Orkney |
| 1470 |
520th of William, 1st Earl of Caithness, being forced to resign Earldom of
Orkney>/td>
|
| 1505 |
495th of death of William 2nd Earl of Caithness |
| 1560 |
440th of John Knox (mother was a Sinclair) founds Presbyterian church in
Scotland |
| 1680 |
320th of the Battle of Altimarlach - the last clan battle in Scotland
fought between the Sinclairs and Campbells |
| 1705 |
295th of death of John 8th Earl |
| 1715 |
285th of Battle of Sherrifmuir. David Sinclair of Brabsterdorran and The
Master of Sinclair fight for Jacobite cause |
| 1765 |
235th of death of Alexander 9th Earl |
| 1790 |
210th of Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster's Statistical Account of
Scotland |
| 1855 |
145th of death of Alexander 13th Earl succeeded by James |
| 1965 |
35th of Malcolm, current chief, inheriting the Earldom of Caithness from
his father |
| 1995 |
5th of John inheriting the Viscountcy of Thurso from his father |
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