Introduction
The Highland Society of London is a charity, which exists to promote and support the traditions and culture of the Highlands of Scotland, whilst maintaining a Membership of individuals to support the Society’s activities. The trustees of the Society form the Committee of Management, which meets four times per year to administer the Society’s affairs. The Membership of the Society meets twice per year to discuss the activities of the Society in General Court and to elect the Committee of Management; each General Court is followed by a dinner, and the Society also arranges a cocktail party each May.
The Highland Society of London was originally formed on 28th May 1778, when twenty-five Highland gentlemen met at the Spring Garden Coffee House in London, in order to form a Society that “might prove beneficial to that part of the Kingdom”. The first President was Lt-General Simon Fraser of Lovat and the Society was subsequently incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1816. Since 1965, the Society has been registered as a charity with the Charity Commission of England and Wales, number 244472. In October 2022, the Society registered with Companies House as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales, company number 14430503. The current President is Duncan Byatt.
For over two hundred years, the Society has been influential in matters relating to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In 1782, the Society procured the repeal of the Disarming Act (passed after the Rising of 1745 and which, amongst other things, prohibited the wearing of Highland Dress); and from 1784, secured the restoration of forfeited Highland Estates. The Society was also instrumental in setting up the forerunner of the British Fisheries Society in 1786, leading to the founding of fishing villages at Ullapool, Tobermory and others. In 1815, the Society established the Royal Caledonian Asylum (now Royal Caledonian Schools), to educate needy children of Highland descent living in London. In 1859, the Society took a prominent part in forming the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers; and in 1902, successfully opposed an attempt to abolish the Kilt as the field dress of Highland Regiments. The Society’s subsidiary charity, the Baroness Von Wilczek (née Mackenzie) charity, founded in 1911 to help Scottish Regiment war widows in need and whose funds were finally exhausted in 2014, has now been wound up; its remaining obligations are being met from a separate fund within the Society.
During this time, the Society gathered a large collection of Gaelic manuscripts and other historical artefacts. Many of these manuscripts (including copies of the Poems of Ossian, published in Gaelic by the Society in 1807) are available to view at the National Library of Scotland, in Edinburgh; and the Society’s unique collection of ancient tartans is on view at the National Museum of Scotland, also in Edinburgh. There are other items on display at the Caledonian Club in London and at the The Museum of the Isles at the Clan Donald Centre, at Armadale on Skye.
The current focus of the Society is to support traditions and culture particular to the Highlands and Islands. The Society awards the prestigious Gold Medal for the best player of Piobaireachd at each of the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting, annually; and awards prizes at various other Piping competitions. Each year the Society also presents the Highland Art Prize (in conjunction with the Royal National Mòd) and an art prize through the Royal Scottish Academy; Gaelic singing prizes at the Royal National Mòd; the Gaelic Singer of the Year award at the Trads; Highland Dancing prizes at the Glenfinnan Games; a dissertation prize through the University of the Highlands and Islands; the Highland Book Prize; and the Fiction prize at the Gaelic Literature Awards. In addition, the Society makes financial grants to a number of related charities and organisations that promote and support Highland traditions and culture, and Members are encouraged to contact the Committee of Management with suggestions for suitable beneficiaries. The Society is funded through Life Membership fees, income on its investments and charitable donations.
The Rules and Bye-laws of the Society currently state that: “Persons qualified for being proposed Members are natives of the Highlands of Scotland, Descendants or Spouses of Highlanders, Proprietors of Land in the Highlands, Individuals who have done signal service to that part of The Kingdom, or Officers serving or who have served in Highland Corps.” Candidates for Membership must be proposed and seconded by two existing Members (neither of whom is the candidate’s parent) for approval by the Membership at a General Court. There is a Life Membership fee due on joining (currently £250), but no annual subscription; although Members wishing to make ongoing donations can do so via the Society’s Justgiving site.
The Society’s regular activities in London include the General Court and Annual Dinner in March, celebrating General Sir Ralph Abercromby and all Scotsmen who have fallen in defence of their country, with the focus of the evening on the piping of the Society’s Honorary Piper; the Spring Cocktail Party in May, generally held in conjunction with members of the Northern Meeting and the Argyllshire Gathering; and a second General Court and Dinner in either November or December, followed by a selection of Highland music and entertainment. Members are encouraged to attend these events, and to bring guests. The Highland Ball takes place at the beginning of March each year, under the auspices of the Highland Society of London.
Piping
The Highland Society of London was founded in 1778, during the aftermath of the ’Forty-five and the horrific exactions perpetrated by the Duke of Cumberland and the Westminster Government. The Society’s objects were primarily to try to alleviate the hardships caused to the Highlands and their inhabitants, and to prevent the loss of the unique way of life of the Highlanders. There was a second and hardly less important, though unwritten, object: the repeal of the Disarming Act of 1746 and the restoration of confiscated lands.
In 1781, at a time when in Parliament Members of the Society were campaigning hard for the repeal of the Act, the Highland Society held a piping competition. This took place on 10th October in that year, in Falkirk. That town lies almost exactly on the division between Highlands and lowlands, and it would have been very difficult to prove that a tune played there was played in the Highlands and so fell foul of the Act. Thirteen pipers competed, each playing two or more tunes. The winner was Patrick MacGregor, son of that John MacGregor who had been piper to Prince Charles Edward during the ’Forty-five. He became Piper to the Society. The competition was a great success, and continued annually, later in Edinburgh, and then became triennial, and paved the way for piping competitions as we know them today.
The Society has presented awards for piping ever since, and still presents the Gold Medals at the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting each year. The Society also supports the annual piping competitions at the Skye Highland Games and the London Competition organised by the Scottish Piping Society of London. In addition, the Society organises and presents the MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd Competition at the Argyllshire Gathering, for pipers under the age of 22 years.
Art and Literature
Each year, the Society gives an award for the best work by a Highlander at the Royal Scottish Academy’s Annual Exhibition. In addition, in conjunction with the Royal National Mòd, the Society launched the Highland Art Prize for artists and art associations based in the Highlands and Islands, comprising an annual exhibition and competition during Mòd week each October.
The Society presents the annual Highland Book Prize in May each year, in conjunction with Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre and the William Grant Foundation, to bring recognition to books created in or about the Highlands. In addition, the Society supports the Fiction Prize at the Gaelic Literature Awards and offers an essay prize through the University of the Highlands and Islands for the best undergraduate dissertation on a subject relating to the Highlands and Islands.
Singing and Dancing
Another essential part of Highland life is contained in the many beautiful Gaelic songs which have been handed down over the past few centuries. Sadly, a great number have been lost, largely during that period when there was a concerted effort to erase the Gaelic language, and children were beaten if caught speaking it at school. But the Royal National Mod, held each year in October since 1893, awards prizes for the traditional solo singing of Gaelic songs, as well as for choral arrangements of the songs. It includes competitions for solo singing by boys and girls aged between 16 and 18 and the Society presents a prize for each, thereby encouraging those who may be the Mod gold medallists of tomorrow.
The Society has also recently agreed to sponsor the Gaelic Singer of the Year award (from December 2019) at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. In part, this cooperation arose as a result of the Society’s funding support for the recording of Sàl/Saltwater, a piece of music specially composed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Iolaire disaster on 1st January 1919.
Nor is Highland dancing neglected. The Society presents, and has for some ten years, an annual prize for dancing to be awarded to a pupil at Queen Victoria School, in Dunblane. The Society also provides annual support for Highland dancing at the Glenfinnan Gathering, which celebrated its 75th Anniversary in August 2020.
Other Charitable Activities
The Society makes financial grants to a number of related charities and organisations that promote and support Highland traditions and culture, generally based on recommendations from Members to the Committee of Management.
In recent years, the Society has supported the Highland Hospice, Piobaireachd Society, Highlanders’ Museum (Fort George), Coisir Lunnainn, Royal Caledonian Schools, The Black Watch Heritage Appeal, An Ealdhain Arts Trust, Royal Caledonian Education Trust, Macleod Memorial Piping Competition, The Highland Military Tattoo, Skye Reading Room, Oban Music Society, Knockando Woolmill, Mallaig Book Festival, Musica Scotica, An Lanntair/Iolaire Commemoration, Clan Macpherson Museum, John Rae Society, CiRCUS Artspace, the Scottish Tartan Authority, Kilmartin Museum, West Highland Museum, Dingwall Heritage Trail, Nairn Book and Arts Festival, Piping Times and the Elizabeth Ross Manuscript.