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:
- Suggested visit to Smailholm Tower. Open daily except Fri & Sat, 10am to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm). Closed for lunch 12 noon to 1pm. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/smailholm-tower/
- Suggested visit to Greenknowe Tower. Open 24/7. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/greenknowe-tower/
- Suggestion of Lunch and shopping in Kelso Town Centre and Kelso Abbey. www.VisitKelso.com
- Suggested visit to Floors Castle in Kelso. Open 1030-1600 hours. www.FloorsCastle.com.
Friday 27th June 2025: Galashiels visits and the main Pringle Gathering event at Torwoodlee:
Morning:
- Suggested visit to the Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels www.greattapestryofscotland.com
- Suggested visit to Old Gala House in Galashiels, if its open. https://www.liveborders.org.uk/culture/museums/our-museums/old-gala-house/
- Suggested visit to Abbottsford House (home of Sir Walter Scott the author). Open 1000-1600 hours, if its open. www.ScottsAbbotsford.com
- Suggestion of Lunch (in The Salmon Inn www.salmoninn.co.uk or Quins Pub Quinsofgalashiels.co.uk and shopping in Galashiels Town Centre. https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/galashiels-p242321
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.
- The main event at Torwoodlee House in the afternoon (possibly in a Marquee in the grounds outside), including:
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:
- Pringles can accompany our Chairman Derek Pringle to church in the morning. Possibly in one of the following churches:
- Melrose Parish Church Bowdenandmelrosechurch.org
- St Mary’s of Wedale Parish Church in Stow stowandheriotchurch.org.uk
- Caddonfoot Parish Church caddonfootchurch.org.uk. Which was designed by Alexander Pringle of Whytbank and built in his memory by his wife.
- Galashiels Parish Church galashielschurchofscotland.org.uk
- Pringles can accompany our Chairman Derek Pringle to church in the morning. Possibly in one of the following churches:
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:
- The George & Abbotsford Hotel in Melrose: GeorgeAndAbbotsfordMelrose.co.uk
- Burts Hotel in Melrose: BurtsHotel.co.uk
- The Kings Arms Hotel in Melrose: KingsArmsMelrose.com
- Station Hotel in Melrose: StationHotelMelrose.com
- The Townhouse Hotel in Melrose: TheTownHouseMelrose.co.uk
- Waverley Castle Hotel in Melrose: Leisureplex.co.uk/waverley-castle-hotel
Zoom Meetings
The CPA has regular Zoom Meetings, please see the CPA Newsletter for more details and for the date of the next meeting.
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:
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.
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