Clan Donnachaidh Society, Rannoch and Highlands Branch (Scotland)

Jenny Stark, Chairman

Mrs Sylvia Robertson, Treasurer - Phone: 01796 472061

Greetings from Scotland to Clan Donnachaidh Members worldwide.

Presbytery have ruled that there will be no more Sunday services at Struan Kirk because of the shortage of ministers and I feel the Clan members should be made aware of this. A quote from the Blair Atholl & Struan - "Sadly we have had to suspend services at Struan Kirk for the time being due to unforeseen circumstances but we will still hold some of the special services as usual."

The three aims of the Rannoch and Highland Branch are to promote the History, Heritage and Sentiment of Clan Donnachaidh, including supporting the Clan Centre at Bruar. Over the past five years we have donated just short of £3.000 towards office technology and the upgrading of the office.

Some of our annual events include fund raising, part of the proceeds of which go to give prizes to Atholl Province Curlers and a trophy to the most improved learner Golfer in the Junior Section of Pitlochry Golf Club.

The local Branch has also become a member of the friends of Pitlochry and Moulin Heritage Centre.

When "Plantlife", a charity speaking up for wild plants were seeking people to help create a patchwork meadow showing wild flowers, two local branch members stitched a square depicting our clan emblem......bracken.

The first Highland Games of the season at which the Rannoch and Highland Branch is involved is the Atholl Gathering at the end of May. This is held in the grounds of Blair Castle and is opened by the entrance of the Atholl Highlanders who then fire a salute from their canon.

---

The Robertson Oak

George Robertson of Faskally had been one of those who had been out in the ’45 and, fleeing south after the defeat at Culloden, hid in a farmhouse beside the Aldour burn (from allt dour, burn of the otter), in those days fully half a mile to the east of Pitlochry. When the Government soldiers came to flush him out, he saw them coming. He sneaked out of the house and escaped by crawling along the burn and climbing into a large oak tree nearby, until the search was over. Afterwards he made good his escape to France. That tree became known inevitably as “the Robertson Oak” and stands beside the sewage treatment works at Aldour, on the south-eastern outskirts of Pitlochry, opposite the Blair Athol Distillery. The tree is reckoned to be some 400 years old. The farmhouse still exists, now part of the Distillery’s visitor centre.

2003 Commemorative Plaque

In 2003 a new stone base for the commemorative plaque was erected at the Robertson Oak in Pitlochry. The base was supplied by Robertson Memorials of Aberdeen, courtesy of Graeme Robertson. The unveiling ceremony took place on a wet Saturday during the Annual Clan Gathering and Blair Athol distillery supplied the refreshments.

Sylvia Robertson had gathered acorns from the tree and raised them to small saplings which she sold on for Clan funds. One of those plants is now growing in the grounds of the new Pitlochry Hospital.

Photographs from the Rannoch & Highland Branch can be found on our Photo Gallery Page.