Clan Sinclair Mini-Gathering 2002

10.30 Buses leave Inverness.

13.30 Lunch: Mackays Hotel, Wick.

Afternoon in Wick. The combined Wick and Thurso Pipes and Drums will also be playing in the precinct in the afternoon.

c.17.30 Buses leave for Thurso.

Evening: Free

Tour of the County with experts to look at Neolithic Cairns, Standing Stones, brochs and other historical sites.

 Lunch at Thrumster House with Islay McLeod who owns the Yarrows where the most ancient sites are.

Early dinner (not covered in the cost)

c.7.30 Buses leave for Ceilidh at Mackays Hotel, Wick followed by fireworks at Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles. There will be a cash bar at the Ceilidh but there will be a birthday brew at the fireworks.

Visit to the gardens at Castle of Mey (not inside due to building works).

Either:

• (weather permitting) Boat trip to look at the sea birds (puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars) on nesting sites and seals and then free,

or:

• (if non-sailing weather) Dunbeath Heritage Centre and Laidhay Croft Museum

Girnigoe and Noss Head and then free

Evening: Birthday Celebrations and Dinner at New Weigh Inn Hotel, Thurso.

Return to Inverness

Everyone is to make his or her own bookings as to where to stay. The Gathering will be centred in Thurso once again and the hotels which served us so well in 2000 are:

• New Weigh Inn Hotel Burnside Thurso KW14 7UG
  Tel + 44 (0) 1847 893722
  reception@weighinn.co.uk
• Park Hotel Thurso KW14 8RE
  Tel + 44 (0) 1847 893251
  Fax + 44 (0) 1847 893251
  reception@parkhotelthurso.co.uk
• The Station Hotel 54 Princes Street Thurso KW14 7DH
  Tel + 44 (0) 1847 892003
  Fax + 44 (0) 1847 891820
  stationhotel@lineone.net
• The Ulbster Arms Hotel Halkirk Caithness
  Tel + 44 (0) 1847 831641
  Fax + 44 (0) 1847 831206
  ulbster-arms@ecosse.net

Everyone who wants to come needs to register - either with your Clan Secretary, or by using the Internet through the clan shop, which also has a secure payments system - and make a non-refundable deposit of £50 (fifty pounds) sterling.

£150 (one hundred and fifty pounds) sterling.  50 (fifty pounds) deposit with the balance of  £100 (one hundred pounds) payable by Friday 19th April 2002.

This is unpredictable and we can have all four seasons in a day in Caithness even in late May. One needs to be able to dress accordingly. I would suggest that you pack layers including cotton shirts, skirts and trousers, woollen jumpers and sweatshirts, a waterproof coat or jacket and a pair of comfortable shoes that won't come to any harm if they get wet.

Informal clothes except for the Birthday Celebrations, which will be kilt and black jacket (Argyll or Prince Charlie) or dinner jacket/ tuxedo for men like the 2000 Gathering. No special clothes are needed for the Queen's visit to Wick.

An exhibition of paintings of Rosslyn entitled 'Rosslyn: Country of painter and poet' will be held at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh from April 11th until July 7th.

The programme of events is subject to change without prior notice. All items of property remain the responsibility of the owners. The Gathering is being organised by the Clan Sinclair Society of Caithness, which is a non profit making organisation with no assets and will not be liable for direct, special, indirect or consequential damages arising from any loss or damage caused by any act or omission of the organisers or a third party other than any statutory liability.