2010 marks the bicentennial of the arrival of the first European settlers in Lochaber, when three families from Lochaber, Scotland set up home near the head of Lochaber Lake.  On Sunday, October 17th, we will be celebrating their arrival in our community with a gathering at Sylvan Hall.  Activities begin at 5:00 pm with a barbecue and play facilities for the kids.  This will be followed by a fireworks display at about 7:00 pm.  After the fireworks, we will move inside for an evening of live entertainment with the emphasis on traditional Scottish fare.  This part of the program will be licensed and limited to people nineteen years of age and older, and there will be a $10 cover charge.  Among the entertainers will be the group made up of Allan Best, Andrew Stalker, Dave Tellum & Garth Wilson, who many of you will recognize from their performances at our pub nights.  Also taking part will be Nicolle Clappison on fiddle with Isaac Fraser on piano.  There will be others, but they are yet to be finalized.

For your perusal, there will be an indexed booklet listing well over 1,500 descendants of the three original families, whose arrival we will be celebrating; i.e. descendants of John “Red” Cameron, John “Squire” Cameron & Malcolm MacMillan.

As plans progress, this post will be updated, so check it out occasionally for the latest news.  Also keep an eye on the Antigonish Casket newspaper for more background on what’s behind this gathering.

The above painting Lochaber No More by John Watson Nicol depicts the anguish experienced by a couple leaving Lochaber Scotland for a land across the seas, not knowing what hardships they will face once they arrive in their new homeland.

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