Posted 7/14/2009
This coming Saturday, July 18, the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival will be held at Look Memorial Park in Northampton from 9:00 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. In addition to more than 30 pipe bands, a clan village, and Olympic-quality Scottish athletics, there will be music (including Enter the Haggis and others), Celtic vendors, food, children’s activities, dancing, animals, and more.
Amherst’s 250 years of history is filled with Scottish connections and references:
• Emily Dickinson was a descendant of Clan Gunn through her paternal grandmother, Lucretia Gunn, of Montague.
• Robert Frost was a Campbell and a Gordon through his mother, Isabelle Moody, and related to Clan MacIntyre through his father.
• Kendrick Park is named for George and Jenny Kendrick. Kendrick is short for MacHendrick. George was born in Enfield, MA (later flooded by Quabbin Reservoir), which had been settled by Ulster Scots.
• Samuel Minot Jones, benefactor of the Jones Library, was a Rait on his grandmother’s side. And on it goes . . .
There’s no escaping Scotland. Surrender early, and come to the festival. For more information, go to the Glasgow Lands Festival website at: