The Royal Celtic Society congratulates the Flemish Caledonian Society, which this month celebrates its 45th anniversary, still under the leadership of its founder John Wembridge, a valued member of the Royal Celtic Society.
They celebrated this milestone birthday on Saturday 2 April with a concert in Ghent, led by the society’s dancers and pipe band. You can find a brief video, giving a flavour of what the concert was like, here: https://vimeo.com/696155336
The concert was a great success, sold out a month in advance and widely covered in the Belgian media. The society is to be congratulated for bringing Scotland’s cultural heritage to Flanders, teaching, in founder John Wembridge’s words, that “there’s more to Scottish culture than Loch Ness and whisky.”
The Royal Celtic Society’s connection to continental Europe dates bac 200 years, almost to our foundation. In 1822, Colonel Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonnell of Glengarry objected violently to the admission to the membership of some of our early continental supporters. The society made clear its disagreement and threatened to expel him, prompting the secretary, Captain William Mackenzie of Gruinard, to write to The Scotsman, that “the society is open to all whose hearts warm to the tartan, of whatever race, creed or religion.” We have pursued that inclusive approach in all the years since, are delighted to have a large European members’ group today, and we support the Flemish Caledonian Society with pride, in their endeavours on behalf of Scotland’s cultural heritage.