Quarriers Canadian Family - Scotland Trip

    In September 1997, 48 Canadians, including two original Quarriers children, made the journey to Scotland and to Quarrier's Village.

    The first night in Scotland, the guests were taken to the Fox and Hounds an authentic Scottish Pub in Houston for an informal meal and mingle.  The next day included a walking tour of the Quarriers Village, in which many of the current residents opened their homes to visitors who had a connection to that particular cottage.  Shopping in Glasgow was on the agenda for the afternoon, followed by a traditional Scottish ceilidh in the Quarriers Village Saturday night where we danced Scottish Country Dances.

    During an emotional weekend, a plot of land which is to be known as Canada was dedicated.  At a ceremony after a special church service Sunday, September 21st, the congregation was piped over to the site of the Maple Grove.  At the grove, both Peter Graham and John Keir, the two original Quarriers children in the Canadian party, planted the first two Canadian maple trees.  Fred Wardle, past chairperson of Quarriers Canadian Family, made an excellent speech about the role's Quarriers Children have played in the development of Canada.  The Quarriers Canadian Family flag bearing the same logo as our homepage was raised and will fly over the grove in perpetuity.

    This event was covered by both the press in Scotland and Canada. Nancy Durham, CBC London, spent the weekend with the Canadian party and her reports were shown on Sunday Report, September 20th and on Schlesinger, September 28th, also on the CBC network.

    A bus tour along the River Clyde and the coast to Largs Sunday afternoon precluded a formal dinner at the Glynhill Hotel, which marked the end of our weekend with our Scottish family.

An optional highland tour was taken advantage of by many of the members of our group, so Monday morning after breakfast everyone was outside the hotel to see them off in style!