HEREDITARY STANDARD BEARER OF THE ROYAL BANNER OF SCOTLAND

As you will have noted from the minutes of the AGM the Clan Association was very disappointed that the Royal Banner was not to be borne at the opening of the first Scottish parliament for 300 years. Accordingly it was decided to write to the First Minister, copied to The Presiding Officer, and I have reproduced the text of our letter and the reply from Lord Steel below.

28th June, 1999

Mr. Donald Dewar - First Minister

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 lSP

Dear First Minister,

Subject: Office of the Hereditary Bearer of The Royal Banner of Scotland

We the Scrimgeour Clan Association wish to state our grave disappointment that the Royal Banner of Scotland will not be carried at the opening of the Scottish Parliament this coming Thursday, 1st July 1999.

For more than 700 years, the Scrymgeours have held the title of Hereditary Bearer of the Royal Banner of Scotland. Successive generations have accompanied Kings and Queens whenever they took part in official ceremonies and important state occasions. Certainly the office of bearing the Royal Banner is of importance to all of Scotland and not just the Scrimgeours, and we urge you to reconsider and to allow the Banner to be carried at the opening of the first Scottish Parliament for 300 years, and indeed all future openings of Parliament for the years to come.

This symbol of our history, tradition and continuity will not cost the Scottish taxpayer a penny. Indeed it will be an asset, after all heritage and tourism is now one of Scotland's largest industries.

Yours faithfully,

John D Scrymgeour

Honorary Secretary

Dear Mr Scrimgeour

OFFICE OF THE HEREDITARY BEARER OF THE ROYAL BANNER OF SCOTLAND

Thank you for copying me your letter of 28th June to Donald Dewar about the Royal Banner of Scotland and the Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament. I am sorry that I was not able to reply before the Opening but your letter was not received in my office until 5th July.

The arrangements for the Ceremony were developed initially by the Scottish Office and then under my co-ordination following my election as Presiding Officer. Our aim was to strike the difficult balance between tradition and modernity, recognising Scotland's many important traditions but also demonstrating that this was a new and forward-looking Parliament. So, for example, the Crown of Scotland borne by the Duke of Hamilton played a central part in the ceremony but we did not seek to involve all of the hereditary officer bearers.

I am pleased to say that many people think we got the balance about right although of course there are differing views, some wishing there had been more traditional elements, some even less. Clearly you were disappointed that the Hereditary Bearer of the Royal Banner was not included but as I say a balance had to be struck.

Yours sincerely

David Steel

(The Presiding Officer)