Views From
The Williamsburg Scottish Festival

Over the years, this Festival has been held at several locations around Williamsburg. It was first held on the William and Mary campus until a home football game forced the Festival to relocate. For a few years, it was held on the grounds of the Jamestown Historic Park and Settlement. All areas of the Park were open - one might see rampaging pipe bands marching among the Native American dwellings. Finally, after relocating to the winery, a new air of sophistication was added to the Festival.

This Festival has also had its humerous highlights. As an example, as part of a ceremony to end 300+ years of hostilities between two rival clans, a Black Angus escaped and ran wild for a few days. (No one had prepared the poor beast for the sound of the pipes.) All throughout the day, announcements were made regarding efforts to find the lost bovine. Visions of a steer roast following a successful reiving endeavor abounded.

The Awards We've Won!

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1. Clan MacLachlan won their first Lord Dunmore Heritage Award at the Williamsburg Scottish Festival, September 25, 1993. Jim Finegan and Michaele Finegan are pictured here with their family. Shadow, the Newfoundland, helps guard the tent from wild cattle.
2. Clan MacLachlan won their second Lord Dunmore Heritage Award at the Williamsburg Scottish Festival, September 27, 1997. Pictured are Clara McLaughlin, Jim Finegan and Michaele Finegan.

The People We Meet!

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1. Members of Clan MacLachlan gather for a group photograph as they celebrate winning their second Lord Dunmore Heritage Award during the the Williamsburg Scottish Festival, September 27, 1997.
2. Clan MacLachlan on parade during the parade Of Tartans at the Williamsburg Scottish Festival, September 27, 1997. Pictured are Clara McLaughlin, Michaele Finegan and Jim Finegan.

The Things We See!

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1. Caber Tossing - almost as much fun as the Caber catching Competition! Taken in 1986 at the Jamestown Historical park.
2. A view of the God's Speed in Jamestown Historical Park during the 1986 Festival. Mixing the Festival with the Park offered a truly unique and moving experience.
3. Massed Bands as seen from the MacLachlan tent. September, 1986.
4. The Stewarts of Appin demonstrate the art of life in 1745 during the 1997 Festival. Several living history units attend each Festival giving the visitor a sense of Celtic life in days gone by.
5. Williamsburg is also known for its dance and piping/drumming competitions. All are fun to watch. September, 1995.

The Places We Live!

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1. An early Clan MacLachlan tent from the years the Festival was held at the Jamestown Historic Park, September, 1986. This tent shows how simply a Convener can start: a picnic fly tent, a card table, tartan ties and, most importantly, a play pen for the wee bairn. The Conveners went on to build a display that reflects their personality. They eventually won the Festival's Best Tent award in both 1993 and 1997.
2. The 1993 Williamsburg Scottish Festival's Lord Dunmore Heritage Award winning tent. Eight years after first convening a festival, Clan MacLachlan's Jim and Michaele Finegan were honored for their efforts by being named the Festival's winner. Williamsburg selects their winner based on the tent's appearence, the nature and accuracy of the information provided and convener's knowledge of that material.
3. During the 1994 Festival, the half-walls turned out to be a blessing. Since the walls were actually full sized walls folded over, they could be raised to provide some protection when the wind and rain picked up. Many a Clan member took advantage of this amenity during the day.
4. In 1995, the weather was both warm and wonderful. The tent provided much needed shade and a convenient play area for the MacLachlan bairns. Many of the heavy display boards had been replaced by a more portable hinged shelve arrangment.
5. By 1997, when Clan MacLachlan was awarded their second Lord Dunmore Heritage Award, the display borads had given way to overhead banners made from flag nylon, velcro, and bungie cords. The casual observer looking towards the rafters of the tents will see mainly photographs and pictures. The interested reader can make use of the extensive textual material that is also available overhead. Photo from the Williamsburg Scottish Festival, September 27, 1997

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This page was last updated on June 17, 2011.

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