Clan's Weekend of Celebrations

ARMSTRONG Clan descendants from across the globe gathered at Gil- nockie Tower for a weekend of celebration.

The 2026 Armstrong Gathering brought tours and activities to attendees, showcasing the Scottish clan’s history at the Dumfriesshire event – with visitors bringing traditions of their own.

One particular group in attendance were from the Bay of Plenty Region in North Island New Zealand.

The group reconnected with their Scottish roots, performing a traditional Maori Welcome and Haka dance for hosts and visitors at the centre of the Debatable Lands and Armstrong country.

Resident historians Ian and Tom delivered their expertise with a tour of Gilnockie Tower detailing the dramatic tales and events of the Border Reivers.

Grounds of the tower were also transformed into a Reivers marketplace, platforming the work of local craftspeople and makers.

Featured work and crafts included: Langholm Candle Co, The Handmade Crafthouse, Burnfoot Wool, Ann Smith Art, Scrap Worko, Dumfriesshire Soap Co, Iona Butlin photography, and Reivers Reads.

Hand-whittled wooden creations, traditional soap making and felting were just a few of the traditional trades and show, as traditional practices familiar with communities living hundreds of years ago came to life. Teviotdale Steel Bonnets pitched camps, creating an authentic atmosphere of life on the battlefield.

Period weapons, armour and clothing also ignited the imagination of attendees, as well as domestic items and the not-so-glamorous reality of medical practices used during the period explained.

Scottish Borders Novelist Margaret Skea was also in attendance, bringing her know- ledge of Scotland’s sixteenth-century history.

The Neil Armstrong Room housed demonstrations of the popular Border Reiver strategy board game ‘Flags of War’, while traditional clothing and garments offered a glimpse into Scotland’s past.

Gilnockie Tower Owner Colin Armstrong said it had “been a pleasure to see so many kinsfolk gathering together in the ancestral home of the Armstrong Clan.”

Reflecting on the weekend, organisers described the gathering as a incredible success, and that the overwhelming feeling of the weekend was one of ‘belonging’.

They added: “Whether visitors had travelled a few miles or halfway around the world, everyone left feeling part of one extended Armstrong family.”
Plans are already underway for future events at the site, which is recognised as the spiritual home of the Armstrong Clan.