Our sincere thanks also to Professor Boyd Robertson, for his support and contribution to the Society during his year as the Society Chief.

Ceannard 2012–13 / Chief of the Society 2012–13

The Co-Chomhairle is pleased to announce that Professor Donald MacLeod M.A D.D. has agreed to serve as Society Chief for the year 2012–13. Donald Macleod retired as principal of the Free Church of Scotland College in Edinburgh in March 2011, but he is still professor of systematic theology.

Donald began his ministry in Kilmallie Free Church where he served from 1964–1970. The next stage of his ministry was urban, in Partick Highland Free Church in Glasgow from 1970–1978. Ever good with words, he edited the Monthly Record from 1977–1990. He has been a Visiting Professor in Glasgow University since 1999. In 2007, he was honoured with a D.D. by Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia.

Prior to coming to the Free Church College in 1978, Donald was already highly regarded for his incisive theological mind. During the last 30 years, he has moulded the minds of many students, and published numerous books and articles. Donald Macleod is well known as a previous editor of the Monthly Record of the Free Church and as a columnist in the West Highland Free Press and the Observer newspaper.

Donald and his wife Mary are both from Lewis, and have three sons.

Clàr 2012-13/ Syllabus 2012-13

The Syllabus Sub-committee will shortly be selecting papers for the September 2012–April 2013 meetings and would welcome any suitably prepared papers for selection either this year or next year.

Coinneamh Bhliadhnail 2012 / Annual Business Meeting 2012.

The Annual Business Meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Friday 13th April in the Netley Centre, Bishop’s Road. All members and friends are welcome to attend. This will be followed by a talk by Society Chief, Professor Boyd Robertson, on “Beairteas Cainnt” (“Language Wealth”).

Seirbhis-chuimneachaidh / Culloden Anniversary 2012

The Anniversary Service will be held at the Cairn on Saturday 14th April. This will follow the usual pattern with the Society Chief giving his Address followed by prayers and a blessing by members of The Clergy. A lament will be played by one of the Society Honorary Pipers after which a wreath will be laid on behalf of the Society.

Cuirm Chiuil 2012 / Annual Event 2012

This year the Annual Gaelic Showcase will be on Friday 4th May at 7.30pm at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness. The theme of the evening will be “Fàilt’ air an dùthaich” / “Homeland Salute”. The solo singers this year are: Margaret Stewart, Norman MacArthur, Jenna Cumming, James Graham, Kathleen MacInnes and Paul MacCallum. The ceilidh band this year will be the Robert Nairn Ceilidh Band. Piper this year is Dr. Angus MacDonald, Society piper, and the chairman for the evening will be Allan Campbell.

Tickets are £12 / £10 and available from Eden Court on 01463 234234 or via the Eden Court website.

We anticipate an exceptional evening of entertainment this year and would urge you to book tickets soon to avoid disappointment!

Cille Choirill Memorial Plaque and summer excursion

Last year the Society commissioned a memorial plaque for Cille Choiril Chapel, to mark the interment there of the Keppoch Bard Donald Finlay MacKillop, and to record the visit to Roybridge in 1873 of Mary Mackillop who was canonised in Rome in 2010 as St Mary of the cross MacKillop.

The plaque is to be formally unveiled at a ceremony at Cille Choirill on Saturday 19th May, and the GSI 2012 Summer Outing from Inverness will take place on 19th May to coincide with the ceremony. If you would like to attend the Outing to Lochaber and the ceremony at Cille Choirill, please contact the Secretary.

Leabharlann / The Society Library

We are grateful for the donations of books, records, etc. received in the past months. All members are reminded that they are free to make use of the Library (within the Public Library) at Farraline Park, Inverness.

Indices to volumes I to LXIV of the Transactions are available and can be accessed on the Gaelic Society’s website in the following formats: sorted by subject or sorted alphabetically by title.

Transactions Volume LXV

Some of you would have noticed that a page of Professor William Gillies’ paper on “The Gaelic of Niall MacMhuirich” appeared twice resulting in one page of the text being missing in the volume. We have apologised to Professor Gillies for this most unfortunate technical error and have issued by post the corrected page 70 to all members.

Northern Scotland

Launched in 1972 by the Centre for Scottish Studies in the University of Aberdeen, Northern Scotland has been published by Aberdeen University ever since. Ownership of the title has now been transferred to a company limited by guarantee, Northern Scotland Journal Limited, trading as Northern Scotland, and from now on the periodical will be published annually by Edinburgh University Press. Northern Scotland Journal Limited is a joint venture by the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen and the UHI Centre for History. An order form for the publication Northern Scotland is enclosed should anyone be interested in subscribing.

Ballrachd / Membership

We have welcomed a number of new members since the beginning of the session and it is most encouraging to do this on a regular basis. Our Treasurer, Alec Graham, is grateful to all of you who complied with our request to pay your subscription by Standing Order. Those of you who have not yet taken advantage of this facility are reminded that this can be done by contacting the Treasurer at any time.

Membership remains at £15 per annum and is due for renewal on 1st July each year. Sending reminders to such a large membership is quite costly, so please put this date in your diary to avoid any lapse of your membership. Anyone requiring further information should contact the Treasurer or the Secretary.

Caoidh / Obituaries

Sadly, we have noted the loss of some of our members in the past few months. We would like to extend our sincere sympathy to those members who are mourning the loss of family and friends at this time. We would ask that you keep us informed of the passing of any of our members in order that a formal tribute may be paid to them at our members’ meetings and subsequently recorded in the Society Transactions.

We are once again preparing for our session of Members’ meetings. We look forward to welcoming you to our varied programme of talks, the first of which is on Friday 2nd October. We look forward to welcoming Mr.Calum Ferguson whose talk had to be postponed at short notice in October 2008.

The Syllabus can be viewed here.

Summer Outing to the Isle of Skye

Following the very successful Society trip to Lismore last summer, it has been agreed to make a similar trip this year. On Saturday 22nd August, we propose to travel to Sleat in Skye, and to visit Sabhal Mòr Ostaig where we will hear a brief history of the College development and view the latest developments on the campus.

It is also hoped that we may be able to have a brief insight to the College development vision for the next thirty years. We will then travel about a mile southwards towards Armadale and visit the Clan Donald Centre where those who wish it may have lunch. After lunch we will visit the Castle Gardens and the Museum of the Isles and hear some of the background to the development of the Centre.

A coach will depart Inverness at 8am and return for approximately 6.30pm.

If you are interested in joining the trip please get in touch with the Honorary Secretary.

Society Dinner 2009

We are happy to tell you that the Annual Dinner will once again be in the Lochardil House Hotel, Inverness and on Friday 13th November.

The Society Chief, Mr. Cailean MacLean, will address the company after the dinner, and this will be followed by some musical entertainment. Your order form for tickets is herewith enclosed and the Honorary Secretary looks forward to hearing from you in due course. As numbers are restricted and the tickets are available on a first come first served basis, you are requested to place your order as soon as possible and no later that Monday 2nd November.

Society Chief 2010

Council members are pleased to announce the appointment as Chief of the Society for the year 2010 as Brigadier Iain MacFarlane, Taynuilt. Further details to follow.

Annual Event 2010

We are happy to tell you that the next Annual Concert will be held on Friday 12th March 2010 in the Empire Theatre, Eden Court — be sure to put the date in your diary. As always there will be an excellent line-up of singers and musicians. Further details to follow.

Farquhar Macintosh Gaelic Scholarship Appeal

The Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Development Trust has set up the Farquhar Macintosh Gaelic Scholarship Appeal. Further information from the St. Andrew Society’s homepage:

Following the passing last year of our former President, Farquhar Macintosh, the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Development Trust and his family decided to raise an appeal in his name. The Appeal is to raise funds for future scholarships to the Gaelic College on Skye. The Society feels that the Appeal in the name of one of our former Presidents is for a genuinely worthy cause very much in line with the aims of the Society.

To this end the [St. Andrew] Society has made a substantial contribution to the Appeal and would encourage likeminded inividuals and Societies to make a contribution. Further Information can be requested from and donations sent to:

The Farquhar Macintosh Gaelic Scholarship Fund
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Development trust
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Sleat
Isle of Skye

Farquhar was a life member of the Society and, having served as joint secretary with Hugh Barron from 1961 to 1963, he was appointed Chief of the Society in 2002.

The Society Library

We are grateful for the many donations of books etc. we receive for our Library and would again remind you that this material is available to all members by visiting our Library (within the Public Library) at Farraline Park, Inverness.

The Council members would like to thank Mr. Murdo MacLeod for his sterling work in maintaining the Library so efficiently for the last nineteen years. A warm welcome is extended to his worthy successor, Dr. Donald John MacLeod.

Membership

We would like to welcome our new members and hope that your association with the Society will be a long and happy one.

If any of our members would like any information regarding any of our events, or any other matter in connection with the Society, please contact the Honorary Secretary. Likewise, if any member has any suggestions for the Council to consider, we would like to hear from you.

Our Honorary Treasurer is grateful to all of you who have complied with our request to pay your subscription by Standing Order. Those of you who have not yet taken advantage of this facility are reminded that membership was due for renewal on July 1st. Membership fee remains at £15.

All correspondence should be addressed to the Honorary Secretary:

Shona Campbell,
9 Castlehill Court,
Inverness,
IV2 5GS.
Tel: 01463 792318
e-mail: shona_m_@hotmail.com