Club Meeting

Thursday 7th January saw the first Zoom meeting of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry this year. Terry Keefe from Southport Rotary Club watched the presentation and invited members to join his club's virtual lunchtime meeting.

The night's speaker was Anne Daly from Mary's Meanders. (The Mary in question is Mary Queen of Scots.) Seven years ago Anne's friend Emma Chalmers founded the company. Born and bred in Dublin, Emma came to Scotland via San Francisco and has wide experience of the preferences and expectations of American tourists. Anne is a local lady who can trace Gaelic heritage and has a deep knowledge of Scots history and the local area. They started taking visitors from all over the world to locations in the district featured in the popular series Outlander, The Outlaw King and Mary Queen of Scots. Tours take fans to Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle, Doune Castle and Midhope Castle. The films also feature Carlisle and Bamburgh Castles.

Emma and Anne were awarded Visit Scotland's 2018-19 Thistle Award as Regional Ambassadors for Lothian and Borders and a further Tourism and Hospitality Heroes Award.

In her colourful presentation, Anne showed stills from the films featured in the tours. Recently, she and Emma had the chance to bid for some props from the films They bought a funeral bier, a crossbow and the head of William Wallace on a pole, which goes down well with their visitors. At present, Mary's Meanders are conducting their tours virtually, but hope to restart regular excursions as soon as regulations allow.

Spurred by Anne's talk, many members watched Outlaw King after the close of the meeting.

In other business, Secretary Liz Mackenzie brought the sad news that former member Kinley McDonald passed away on 24th December. Kinley left the club several years ago when he relocated to the west of Scotland. The club sends condolences to Kinley's family.