The Carolina Caledonian Fest will celebrate Scottish heritage, especially that of the most
significant Highlander Scots' settlement in the New World, the Argyll Colony (Cape Fear
Scots) and what they established on American soil. In naming our festival we resisted
the notion of including "highland games" in the title. Like most other folks, we love the
pageantry and Scottish pride that the gam
es ignite. We wish to promote that pride as
well, while ever remembering the bitter history that prompted the Highlanders to come
here. Bladen County, the "Mother County", was the home of the largest community of High-
land Scots in North Carolina, Cross Creek. In later years that area of Bladen County be-
came Cumberland County and Cross Creek is now named Fayetteville. So, it's only fitting
that Bladen County play host toour festival, and there's not a nicer venue in the County than Lu Mil Vineyard. Situated just outside the little town of Dublin (We know, but it's still Celtic), Lu Mil Vineyard is a virtual paradise, filled with numerous fields full of lush Muscadine grapevines that adjoin rolling hills covered by green lawns and beautiful pines. An altogether appropriate location for our festival. From the Producer
Despite having been born and raised in Lee County, I knew little of the area's historical connection to Scotland, other than there was a Scotland County. My knowledge of my familial connections to the Highland Scots was equally lacking. Maybe that was because the connection was through my mother, whose family rarely, if ever, spoke of their ancestry. I knew that my Great Grandmother was a Campbell, so I began with her and tracked my lineage back to Scotland by way of Moore County. I soon discovered that my line of Campbells included Archibald Campbell, a founding member of of the Argyll Colony which arrived in Brunswick Town in 1739. In addition to Campbell, the surnames McIntosh, McIver, Stewart, McCallum were found on my family tree as well.
