Arbuthnott Family Association

Newsletter 2008

Family Gathering Friday 18^th July to Sunday 20^th July 2008.
This year we are holding an International Gathering in Scotland. We are looking forward to welcoming many of our large family, including a number of members form overseas. The weekend will start on Friday evening with a family dinner in the Links Hotel in Montrose. On Saturday we are going for a day trip to Paisley to see the Arbuthnott Missal and Sunday will be at Arbuthnott. There is a reply form with this newsletter, which I would ask you to complete and return to me.

Programme of Events:

Friday 18^th July; the Links Hotel, Montrose
18.00 AGM
19.00 Family dinner, a buffet supper and dancing Scottish reels
22.00 end of evening

Saturday 19^th July
09.00 coach leaves Montrose for Paisley, (pick up at Perth park and ride at 10.00)
12.00 arrive Paisley Museum
14.30 leave Paisley Museum to go to Burrell Collection
14.45 arrive Burrell Collection
16.30 leave Burrell Collection for Montrose
19.30 arrive Montrose

Sunday 20^th July
10.00 church service at Arbuthnott Kirk
11.00 coffee in Village Hall
11.30 tour of Arbuthnott House and Gardens
12.30 soup and sandwich lunch in Village Hall
14.00 Group Photo
14.30 tour of Estate

The Family supper on Friday evening will be a very informal affair which we hope will enable everyone to meet up at the start of the weekend. There will be a band playing Scottish reels and a buffet supper to suit all ages. The cost for Friday evening will be £25.00 per person, payable on the evening.

The trip on Saturday to Paisley is an excellent chance to see a very special part of the family’s history, the Arbuthnott Missal and Psalter. The museum has very kindly agreed to host a private viewing of these special manuscripts for us. http://www.paisley.org.uk/attractions/museum.php

The Missal was the property of the Arbuthnott family until 1897 when it was purchased and presented to Paisley library and museum by Mr Archibald Coats of Paisley. Written for use in the parish church of Arbuthnott, Kincardineshire in the late 15th century, the Arbuthnott Missal, Prayer Book and Psalter are three of Scotland's rare collection of beautiful and important medieval manuscripts. The Missal is the only complete service book of its kind known to have survived the Reformation in Scotland. It provides a unique and irreplaceable insight into the forms of worship practised in Scottish churches not only at the time it was made, but for a period of around four hundred years before and after. Apart from its unique significance in Scottish religion, the Missal is a rare and important example of Scottish medieval art and letters - a large, beautifully preserved volume of 246 pages, lavishly decorated with twenty three-quarter page border illuminations and illustrations, as well as finely painted miniature initials spaced throughout the text. A striking full-page miniature painting of St Ternan, patron saint of the church of Arbuthnott, is modelled on William Chevez, Archbishop of St Andrews, and can claim to be one of the earliest Scottish portraits. The British Library has made digital copies of 30 pages from the Missal which can be viewed on line at http://www.bl.uk/ttp2/hiddentreasures.html

To complete a day of culture in the Greater Glasgow area we will visit the Burrell Collection in the afternoon. This is set in the grounds of Pollock House on the south side of Glasgow. Glasgow's major attraction, the Burrell Museum, is a Collection amassed by wealthy industrialist Sir William Burrell ship owner and art collector, before it was donated to the city in 1944. After much wrangling over where the collection should be located, it was, in 1963, finally agreed that it should be housed in a purpose-designed Museum building in Pollok Country Park, 5km south of the city centre. This idiosyncratic collection includes everything from Chinese porcelain and medieval furniture to paintings by Renoir and Cézanne. Carpeted floors maintain the silence to contemplate the beautifully displayed treasures. Carved-stone Romanesque doorways are incorporated into the Burrell Museum's structure as portals; some galleries are reconstructions of rooms from Hutton Castle, the Burrell residence. The entrance to the collection itself is the Hornby portico, a 26-feet high English Renaissance doorway which weighs 26 tons. The Burrell Museum incorporates reproductions of three rooms from Hutton Castle, near Berwick-on-Tweed, where Sir William and Lady Burrell moved in 1927. These are the drawing room, hall, and dining room, each furnished in the original manner and with some original woodwork.

The cost for the trip to Paisley will be £15.00 per person, payable on the day.

There is nothing planned for Saturday evening.

On Sunday 20^th July the gathering moves onto Arbuthnott for the day. The church service is at 10.00 in Arbuthnott Kirk and everyone is very welcome to attend, it will be a normal Sunday service as celebrated by the Church of Scotland. Having seen the historic Missal on Saturday it seems fitting to visit the Kirk for which it was commissioned and used for many years as the order of service.

The day will be centred on the Village Hall where coffee will be available after the church service and soup available at lunch, this will be provided by the Village Hall and should be paid for when collected. There is space for parking beside the hall.

There will be an opportunity to see round Arbuthnott House in the morning and to have a tour of the farm in the afternoon.

Please can you complete the reply form and return it to me, Charles Arbuthnott c.arbuthnott at btopenworld.com or 7A Woodhall Bank Edinburgh EH13 0HL telephone number 0131 441 1815. If you can’t join us for the whole weekend please come for whatever you can, as this will be the largest gathering of family members for a number of years.

Below there is a list of hotels and guest houses for the Montrose area.

Family Website,
The family genealogical website has proved to be an excellent source of information for all Arbuthnot(t)s. Anyone who has not had a chance to view the site should register on line with www.kittybrewster.com  Please contact Sir William Arbuthnot, Family Genealogist, arbuthnot at kittybrewster.com if you have any items of family news which should be added to the website. At the AGM last October, the meeting acknowledged the work done by William in respect of the web site.

Merchandise
There is a stock of merchandise held for sale which includes woollen scarves, ties, bow ties, woollen shawls, silk head squares, travel rugs and photo frames. All made in tartan. The tartan cloth is stored by the weaver at the mill and can be ordered from the secretary to be sent out direct. All enquiries to c.arbuthnott at btopenworld.com or telephone number 0131 441 1815

Reply Form.
                                    Name                   .........................................................
                                    Address                .........................................................
                                    Telephone number .........................................................
                                    e-mail address       .........................................................

Family Gathering July 18^th to 20^th July 2008.

1. Family Buffet Supper, Links Hotel Montrose, Friday 18^th July                                   yes / no
            Cost £25.00 per person                                                            How many?

2. Visit to Paisley Museum and Burrell Collection, Saturday 19^th July                 yes / no
            Cost £15.00 per person                                                            How many?

3. Church service, Arbuthnott Kirk, 10.00am Sunday 20^th July                          yes / no
                                                                                                           How many?

4. Lunch in village hall, Arbuthnott, Sunday 20^th July                                          yes / no
            Cost £10.00 per person                                                            How many?

Please return to Charles Arbuthnott
                                    7A Woodhall Bank
                                    Edinburgh  EH13 0HL
                                    e-mail c.arbuthnott at btopenworld.com
                                    telephone number 0131 441 1815 

Suggestions of places to stay in Montrosee
The Links Hotel: 01674 671000 www.linkshotel.comm
The Park Hotel: 01674 663400 www.swallow-hotels.com
The George Hotel 01674 675050 www.thegeorge-montrose.co.uk
The Limes Guesthouse 01674 677236 www.thelimesmontrose.co.uk
Fairfield Guest House 01674 676386 www.fairfieldguesthouse.com
The Cottage 01674 676386 www.cottageguesthouse.co.uk
Oaklands Guest House 01674 672018 www.nebsnow.com/oaklands
Ramsay Arms, Fettercairn: 01561 340334 www.ramsayarmshotel.co.uk
Eskview B & B 01674 830890
West Ballochy 01674 810207