As always, the Gathering started in a local hostelry. This time in the Eskdale Hotel in the High Street . Chairman Micheil was on hand to greet old friends and welcome new members .

This year the AGM was held on Saturday morning and was well attended . Chairman Micheil Armstrong of Mungbyhurst opened the meeting by welcoming old and new members.

The formal business of the meeting went very smoothly but there was a lively discussion on the matter of the Data Protection Act. It was resolved that personal information about members would not be available except with individual members permission. Fiona Armstrong of Byreburnfoot and Olive Richelieu-Blackburn were re-elected to serve another term as directors.

The Reiver Trail, which was to be officially opened on the Sunday, the web site and the possibility of signs for the museum were all discussed .

After lunch we spent the afternoon at the Museum, giving members the opportunity to meet our new museum attendant, the very efficient and welcoming Ann Dalgliesh. This was also an opportunity to view the archives, the exhibits and artefacts and later in the afternoon members settled down to watch the Armstrong Video.

Yes, the Armstrongs were once again celebrating together - sitting down to a delicious meal prepared by Chairman Micheil ably assisted by his wife Cherry and Fiona. For the second year running we were at the Rugby Club in Langholm and what a splendid spot it was, with a warm dining area, decorated with candles and clan flags! The guests included the Graham Clan (Bruce and Sonia, and the MacGregor Clan Chief , Malcolm MacGregor of Macgregor). The fare consisted of magnificent cold roast beef with new potatoes and salad. Then came the puddings, from lemon tart to toffee roll, to a chocolate mousse... and that was followed by the entertainment. This year we were delighted that Trust member and professional soprano Mairi Armstrong was present and sang for us a selection of classical and Scottish songs. In addition to Mairi we were fortunate to have a group of talented entertainers. The evenings entertainment finished in true Armstrong tradition, with a fine rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

The first Border Reiver Trail opened in the borderlands of Scotland
and it’s thanks to us!

It takes in eight historic sites in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, including a haunting castle and a brooding tower, and is already attracting great publicity around the world.

Today the south of Scotland valleys are peaceful. But 500 years ago, they echoed to the sound of hooves and the clash of steel, as men called reivers thundered through the night. Thousands of raids were run between the 15th and early 17th centuries between Scotland and England. Hundreds of years of warfare between the two countries had made the area a battleground.

‘But war’s the borderer’s game, their glory, their delight.
To sleep the day, maraud the night…’

To survive, families on both sides of the divide took to raiding, or reiving. The word ‘reive’ means to steal and it was, indeed, a lawless time; trust only put in close family; murder rife; feuding, a way of life; it was the reivers who gave us the word ‘blackmail’; a child’s hand left out of the christening service, so he might grow up to smite ‘unhallowed blows on his enemies’; allegiance to family and clan first, then to King and country…

Among the riding families were the Armstrongs, Bells, Elliots, Grahams, Humes, Johnstones, Maxwells and Scotts. It was a unique situation. Nowhere else in Europe did civil order break down over such a wide area – or for so long.