BBC ALBA EXPLORES WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING PART OF A 21ST CENTURY CLAN

21st Century Clans - Monday 19 October at 9pm on BBC ALBA

It was hailed as the world’s largest international clan get-together when it was held in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh in July as part of the Year of Homecoming.

‘The Gathering’ threw the spotlight firmly onto the Scottish clan system, which was left in tatters after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Now a new BBC ALBA documentary addresses what it means to be part of a clan today. Are clans in 2009 just part of a shortbread tin image of Scotland with little relevance to most people or are they a deeper part of our culture?

21st Century Clans sees presenter Cara Fraser and BBC music show ‘Rapal’ presenter Niall Iain MacDonald travel to The Gathering and throughout Scotland on a quest to find out what attracts people to become part of a clan.

For Lord Godfrey MacDonald, High Chief of Clan Donald, unifying events like The Gathering are imperative to clanship. He says: “That is what it means today, people getting in touch with their roots. There is no other group of people around the world that has a clan system. It is absolutely unique.”

It’s not only in Scotland and countries of traditional Scots emigration where there is interest in clans. For German hotelier Albrecht Kurbjuhn, who formed the Clan MacLeod Society of Germany, lacking family ties to Scotland wasn’t an obstacle.

A holiday in Scotland gave Albrecht the idea of joining a clan. He says: “I wanted to latch onto a part of Scottish mysticism and legend which fascinates many people in Germany.” He chose Clan MacLeod because the clan’s colours and symbols closely resembled the flag of Mecklenburg, his region of Germany.

“The constitution of Clan MacLeod states that members may be friends of the MacLeods. As Chief John MacLeod of MacLeod said when we visited Dunvegan Castle in 2000: ‘We have traditionally been open not only for blood relatives but for people who want to identify with our clan.’”

Visitor to The Gathering Brigadier John Macfarlane, from Argyll, agrees that clans need not be just for those who share a surname: “That’s always been the way in the Highlands. Some were real MacDonalds but others were splinter groups. They might not have had a clan or maybe they just did something for the clan chief. Does it matter? If someone’s happy to be a MacDonald, then that’s fine.”

Tom Hye, European convener of Clan Hay and creator of the Clan Hay Pipe Band in Belgium, says for him the reason for joining a clan is simple, the clan system opens doors. He smiles: “It’s a large family but with one difference, worldwide you have friends. Most families don’t have that.”

21st Century Clans was produced by Mactv and directed by David Martin. The documentary will be broadcast on BBC ALBA on Monday 19 October at 9pm.