Super thread, Chas. The 1977 Gathering began a new era for those of us in Highland Scotland. That year we began to realise the size of the Scots diaspora in a very real and different way. The "clans" we knew as family relationships had become something quite different overseas. There they had taken on a sort of corporate identity. It was a bit confusing for us in the lead-up to that Gathering, but many of the chiefs and leading folk agreed to give it a go and contributed.

Individually, it turned out to be a hugely costly agreement. A great success from a tourism point of view with millions coming into the country and being dispersed within the country. An even greater success if one looks at the rapid spread of interest in succeeding years (and increasingly in Highland dress by those not thought of as 'of' the culture).

But those who footed the outside-commercial-Edinburgh bill at home were not re-imbursed in any way -- and their joint expenditure was enormous. There's more to the story, of course.