The Scottish Festival in Pleasanton is the oldest and biggest in the world, run by the Caledonian Club of SF. I go for the Scottish pastries and the Band Competition which is out of this world, all different grades of from all different countries. Then on Sunday they have all of the bands in a massed organisation in the front of the grandstand, playing "Amazing Grace" and others. Its a tear jerker.... Peter At 12:16 AM 8/29/00 -0700, Jim MacIsaac wrote: >Peter -- >Replies interjected below. >Jim > >"Peter J. McDonald" wrote: > > > Did Cecily tell you I have found the ex-owner of "Kinlochmoidart" who is > > the 14th and last Laird. His name is David Somerlund Robertson Macdonald, > > who is directly related to Donald Macdonald who led us in 1745. They sold > > out to the Stewarts in 1883. > > He has a mound of information as his grandfather recorded it all, yes > > Grandfather, he is 74 which would mean his father was born around > > 1890/1900, and his grandfather would be born around 1860/1870. If I get > > permission I will share all of what I get.... > >Wow! What a gold mine you have found. I certainly would be interested in the >stories and information you assemble. > > > > > Have you any Maicisaac web sites that have our History? > >I have started a MacIsaac/MacEachain Family site on MyFamily.com, but have >been >waiting to get more of my information uploaded before I send out >invitations for >others to join in. It is an invitational site requiring a Username and >Password to >visit, and free if you don't mind the advertising stuff. It is very >flexible for >uploading and sharing pictures, trees, history and family news >information. I will >send you an invitation when I decide to launch it. It includes a tree >tracing my >MacEachen lines back to Eachuinn MacLean, 1st of Lochbuie (b/c1300). His >blood >traces into the Lords of the Isles and from there the legendary trace goes >name by >name back to a pagan high king of Ireland b.c125. I will be uploading my >history >of Highland Scotland that has been a most fascinating study for >me. Eventually it >will all come together in a book titled: Our Highland Scots -- the >MacIsaac/MacEachain Family. > > > Do you have other macisaac's you are in contact with? > > > >I have identified nearly all descendants of my 1849 immigrant Neil MacIsaac. >However, they are not nearly so numerous as the MacEachen/in branches of >his wife >and dtr/law. So my site will likely be more visited by the McEachin family >interests. I have had a number of contacts from MacIsaac families in Cape >Breton, >N.S. (there are 500 M(a)cIsaac families listed in the phone book for the >western >county of Cape Breton alone). Most of those families emigrated from Scotland >during the late 1700s and early 1800s with a large component coming from >Clanranald's Inner Isle estates of Rhum, Eigg and Canna. We all trace back to >Moidart; but since it will be impossible to establish direct relationships >I have >not pursued the Cape Breton/P.E.I. branches. > > > > > I noticed how many Macisaac's were from South Uist in the LDS register. > > > >That is very interesting. I found nothing in LDS records for S.Uist >families when >I did a cursory review many years ago. Someday I will have to visit their >files >again. > > > > > Are they restoring the Castle? > > > >When I visited the castle in 1998 it was closed to entry inside the walls >due to >safety. There was a notice of some kind of coming restoration >activities. I don't >know it it is yet happening. > > > > > Thank you Jim for all your info, > > I will be at the Scottish Festival in Pleasanton, CA if you are coming down > > for Sept 2 +3, I go every year. If you need a place to stay.`I can offer > > you that. > > Peter > > > >Do you live in California? I enjoy the Highland Games gatherings here in >WA on >occasion. But I'm not really into all of this clan stuff. So many people >like to >walk the talk and wear the tartans, but actually know little about their real >heritage. As you may know, the tartan was banned after The '45 and the >Highlanders >went through great sacrifice to construct new clothes to wear. But even >as the >Highlanders were being massively cleared, the Lowlanders and English were >adopting >their former attire and bagpipes. Very few of the poor Highlanders ever >wore their >traditional garb again. > >Slainte Math! >Jim