About Us
Gather. Celebrate. Support.
Our Tradition
The Lonach Hall is a historic building restored and refurbished to award-winning standards. It is a unique, flexible facility, situated in the friendly community of Strathdon within the Cairngorms National Park, just 45 miles west of Aberdeen. It’s hillside location provides visitors an opportunity to take in the stunning views across the strath, the river Don, and the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Managing the hall
The LHCA
The Lonach Hall is managed by The Lonach Hall Community Association (LHCA), a committee of volunteers with the objectives of:
-
Making The Hall relevant, welcoming and used by the local community as a place to Gather, Celebrate and Support.
-
Overseeing and organising short term, reoccurring and strategic maintenance activities required to ensure a lasting future for The Lonach Hall.
-
Managing the financial, regulatory and Health & Safety responsibilities associated with providing community services at The Hall.
-
Offering Resilience Hub services at The Hall during major events such as storms, power outages etc.
-
Organising fund raising activities to keep The Hall viable.
History of
The Lonach Hall
The origins of the Lonach Hall date back to 1823, when King George IV honoured Charles Forbes with a baronetcy – Sir Charles Forbes Bart of Newe and Edinglassie. Later that same year, to mark his son John’s coming of age on 15th December, a bonfire was lit on the Lonach Hill, and the Lonach Highland and Friendly Society was founded to preserve the Highland dress and the Gaelic tongue. In 1836, the Society agreed to hold a Highland Gathering.
Established in Strathdon
In 1844, a circular was posted by the Society’s Hon Secretary, encouraging subscription to build a meeting hall, and the following year the original Hall was built “combining with the charitable and beneficial intentions of the Society, the opportunities and locality for a building wherein both business and recreation may be pursued”. As the years passed and membership of the Society increased to nearly 300, a bigger hall was required, and in 1896 the Main Lonach Hall, with caretaker’s flat, was added, costing nine hundred and ninety-seven pounds and seventeen shillings. That same year, Strathdon’s Dr Howie took delivery of Scotland’s first motor car and supported fundraising for the Hall by driving passengers from Newe to Bellabeg for sixpence.
In 1927 Castle Newe was demolished, and many targes, swords and portraits, as well as busts of the first Baronet and his two sons, were put on display in the Hall. They can still be seen today thanks to Colonel and Mrs Tuck, direct descendants of the Forbes family.
Today, the Society continues to flourish, drawing its members from the Strathdon community, and the Lonach Gathering, held on the 4th Saturday in August each year, has become one of the most spectacular and most friendly of all the Highland Games.
