Among the great and the good at the Gathering of the clans in Edinburgh was the Earl of Elgin, Chief of the Name of Bruce.
The stunning event in Scotland’s capital attracted a crowd of over 50,000, who gathered with the rest of the far flung Scottish diaspora to rebuild their nationhood and enjoy the famous local hospitality.
The Earl, a descendant of the famous King Robert the Bruce, was on hand to sum up the pure and ancient nature of the clan bonds.
It’s a great human event and it just shows the continuity of family spirit. It’s blood that counts!
“The thing is it’s not the 90 or 100 chiefs. It’s the hundreds of thousands of others who are still interested in the origin of their name and linking it to Scotland is something that is incomparably powerful for our whole nation.
“There is no money; there’s just love and affection and in these modern commercial ages this is an absolutely superb gift that our country has.”
The Bruces have long been a noble family. They arrived from France with William the Conqueror in 1066 and steadily grew in lands and power until one of their number claimed the crown of Scotland in 1290.
His grandson was the legendary Robert who fought against the English kings and won glory at the Battle of Bannockburn.
