There were more than 40 countries represented at the 2009 Gathering in Edinburgh.
The event was the pinnacle of the Homecoming Scotland year which invited back the huge Scottish diaspora from the four corners of the globe to return in a year of celebration.
And return they did. Scores of different languages and thousands of accents mingled under the gentle sunshine in Holyrood Park.
Here are just some of the soundbites from the weekend:
“The idea is that my family comes from Loch Lomond area. Next week we’ll go up there and to just stand on the Loch means something important for us.”
“They have these [events] all over the US. It’s almost like we’re coming home.”
“We’re overwhelmed with this countryside. It’s just so different from the States. We just love this place.”
“We have ancestors from the Highlands of the McKillop family. Love it. Spent a week in the highlands and it was wonderful.”
“We came here for the Gathering and also to visit the registration house to trace my family.”
“We’re from Brisbane, Australia. London was a bit miserable so we thought we’d come north a bit. Loving it.”
“I’m from Auckland, New Zealand and we’ve formed a little clan group there called the Wallace clan and there’s 14 of us come out here.”
