Welcome to…

The Clan Pringle Association

A registered Scottish charity: SC043865

Amicitia Reddit Honores (Friendship Reflects Honors)

About Us

Welcome to the Clan Pringle Association Website!

The surname Pringle is one of the oldest place-names from the Scottish Borders. Pringles have lived in the Gala Water area of the Scottish Borders since the Dark Ages and the surname was first recorded in the reign of King Alexander III of Scots in the mid-13th century. It is a Scottish place-name and is derived from the name of our original homestead “Hoppringill” in the Parish of Stow of Wedale. If you are a Pringle you are welcome to join our Clan Association which was constituted in 2012, to come along and meet us and our clan chief Sir Murray Pringle, 10th Bart., at our clan gatherings and you are also welcome to join our Pringle DNA project. If you are interested in Pringle genealogy, please visit our Genealogy Resources Page. You can also download and read our Clan Pringle Newsletter.

Information about the next Pringle Clan Gathering is to be found in our latest newsletter.

Upcoming Events

25th-28th June 2025 –  International Clan Pringle Gathering in Scotland, including:

Wednesday 25th June 2025: 

    • Initial get together and drinks, possibly in Melrose in one of the hotel bars there. https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/melrose-p242311
    • Braw Lads Gathering: 1845-1900 hours. Ride out to Torwoodlee TheBrawLadsGathering.co.uk. The ride out (on horses) leaves Netherdale to make its way to Torwoodlee to visit the Laird of Torwoodlee. A small ceremony takes place at the Old Tower where the Braw Lad removes a Sod from the grounds and the Braw Lass takes a stone from the Tower to use at the Ceremony at the Old Town Cross on Braw Lads’ Day. There will also be a fancy dress parade in Galashiels town. James Pringle of Torwoodlee states: “The access to Torwoodlee House on the Wednesday is limited and the main ceremony takes place at the Tower; the path is fairly easy but a view can be had from the top for anyone less able. Visiting Pringles are, of course, welcome to witness this as ‘members of the public’ and the best approach is to park in the farm steading and walk back down to the Tower esplanade (no more than 300 metres but the track is a little rough) and join the assembled (small) throng.”

Thursday 26th June 2025: Kelso area sightseeing visits:

Friday 27th June 2025: Galashiels visits and the main Pringle Gathering event at Torwoodlee:

Morning:

Afternoon:

    • The main event at Torwoodlee House in the afternoon (possibly in a Marquee in the grounds outside), including:
        • Arrival at Torwoodlee at 3pm. Those who wish to can walk to Torwoodlee Tower and/or around the grounds enjoying our great Scottish summer weather. Also meet with other Pringles from all over the world and view displays of Pringle memorabilia.
        • 4pm – Parade of the Chief, Host, Chairman and dignitaries into the ensembled gathering of Pringles, led by the Chiefs banner bearer.
        • The 12th Clan Pringle Association Annual General Meeting (paid up members of the CPA are entitled to vote in the AGM),
        • Ceremony of clan members together recognising and pledging allegiance to our new Clan Chief,
        • Speeches and guest lecture (to be confirmed),
        • CPA membership certificates (signed by our clan chief and association chairman) will be handed out at the end,
        • Barbeque and drinks at 6pm. Food by a professional chef from www.buccleucharms.com.
        • Carriages back to our hotels at 8 or 9 pm.

Saturday 28th June 2025: Galashiels and Melrose area sightseeing visits:

    • Suggested group visit to Melrose Abbey. Open 0930-1700 hours. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/melrose-abbey/
    • The Braw Lads Gathering Festival in Galashiels town centre. A ceremonial ride out (on horses), established in 1930 to commemorate events and associations in the history of the town. It is led by the Braw Lad and Braw Lass, along with their four Attendants, who carry out ceremonies along the route.  www.TheBrawLadsGathering.co.uk
        • 09:00 hrs: Fording of the Tweed to Abbotsford
        • 09:15 hrs: Visit to Abbotsford House
        • 10:20 hrs: Bands play at The Mercat Cross
        • 10:30 hrs Old Town Cross Ceremonies
        • 12:00 hrs: War Memorial Final Act of Homage
    • Possibly dinner together in a Melrose restaurant in the evening. Possibly in Burt’s Hotel www.burtshotel.co.uk or its sister The Town House www.thetownhousemelrose.co.uk or the Provender Provendermelrose.com. Or a short drive away, the Buccleuch Arms in St Boswells www.buccleucharms.com. We need to known numbers attending, so we can book a table etc.

Sunday 29th June 2025:

Register your interest in attending the Clan Gathering here.

Download the Pringle Clan Gathering flyer here: Scotland 2025 Pringle Gathering Flyer

See our Newsletter for more information and updates. 

Book a room in a hotel in Melrose:

A picture from the 2014 Clan Pringle Gathering at Torwoodlee

Zoom Meetings

The CPA has regular Zoom Meetings, please see the CPA Newsletter for more details and for the date of the next meeting.

Sir Walter Scott of Abbotsford on the Pringles:
Publishing his version of ‘The Ballad of the Outlaw Murray,’ Sir Walter makes the following note:
“The honourable name of Pringle, or Hoppringle, is of great antiquity in Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire. The old tower of Torsonce is situated upon the banks of the Gala. I believe the Pringles of Torsonce are now represented by Sir John Pringle of Stitchell. There are three other ancient and distinguished families of this name; those of Whitebank, Clifton, and Torwoodlee.” – Quote from ‘Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border’ by Sir Walter Scott of Abbotsford, Bt.
OBJECTIVES:

To raise the public profile of the clan and highlight the honour of the Pringle name.

To promote Pringle history and to correct the errors of previous historians.

To protect and preserve the historical sites that have been the home to Pringles throughout history.

To conduct Pringle genealogical research and DNA research.

To include the worldwide Pringle diaspora in the Clan Pringle Association.

To provide a forum through which Pringles can contact and communicate with each other.

MISSION STATEMENT:

“To connect our family worldwide; to share, research and preserve its history.”

Pringle historic homes:

Whytbank Tower has been partially restored by its owners. 

Work on stabilizing (not restoring) the tower started in the spring of 2015, and was completed in 2017. For more information please visit www.torwoodlee.com.
BBC News: Historic Torwoodlee Tower repairs completion celebrated

Buckholm Tower is yet to be stabilized and is still suffering damage from the weather.

Support Us

The Pringle Charity Fund:

The Clan Pringle Association met the charity test and achieved charitable status in 2013,  under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, and was entered into the Scottish Charity Register. The Clan Pringle Association charity is regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

To make a charitable donation to the Clan Pringle Association, please send a donation via PayPal to our Treasurer at:

Our charitable aims and objectives are:

Your charity’s registered name is: The Clan Pringle Association

Your charity number is:  SC043865

Your charity was registered on: 18 March 2013

Your principal contact address is: Torwoodlee, Galashiels, Scotland, TD1 1TZ

Your charitable purposes are: G – the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science

Your charitable objectives are: To preserve the Pringle family’s traditions, sites, artifacts and records and to study its history, culture and relationships with other Scottish families and similar organisations by scientific, genealogical, archaeological and other research and make the results publically available to interested parties. The work to advance the knowledge of Scotland’s culture and heritage will be disseminated as widely as possible.

Visiting Scotland?

flight, tickets, air-4488576.jpg

If you are a Pringle and you are planning a visit to the Scottish Borders, you might consider this list of sites: 

Tour of Pringle Sites