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Highland Homecoming Haggis High Tea
You are cordially invited……………….
After organising a successful, and hugely memorable, dinner party on Skiddaw (evening wear compulsory) a few years ago, the logical progression in this Scottish ‘homecoming’ year has to be something uniquely Scottish. It should, this year particularly, also be traditionally Scottish. The fact that we are a hillwalker organisation means there should obviously be a hill involved. When we put these criteria together we found that a traditional Scottish Homecoming (Haggis) High Tea ticked most boxes; the requirement for a suitable hill directed us to Ben Nevis, where the summit has plenty room for our diners (or should it be Tea’ers),. It will of course not just be a High Tea, but ‘Scotland’s Highest Tea’ (and consequently since they only have wee hills in England, Ireland and Wales, at the same time it will be ‘Britain’s Highest Tea’.
The date is set for Saturday 22nd August 2009. The purpose is to raise funds for Mountain Aid. Participants will be invited to raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship money. In return they will be able to take part in an event guaranteed to be great fun, guaranteed to be unforgettable, and guaranteed to be both worthwhile and challenging.
All participants will book their table in advance (between 1pm and 3.40pm and will be asked to choose from the High Tea menu. On the day participants will be asked to register at the checkpoint in Glen Nevis before starting (there they will be given their High Tea Voucher and a commemorative Homecoming High Tea T-shirt – they may also be asked to carry some supplies to the summit e.g. bottled water – and will be given a litter bag to help with our Ben Nevis summit clean-up effort). At the summit their table, a wonderful photo opportunity and a very memorable experience will be waiting. To enhance this, dress code demands ties for the gents and ‘pearls’ for the ladies – with a free dram for everyone complying with this. There will additionally be prizes for the best dressed participant(s).
For those not familiar with the concept of High Tea, this Scottish tradition, mostly the domain of Kelvinside and Morningside grannies, involves a main course meal served with bread and butter, and a two tier cake plate (always two tiers!), loaded with home baking and cakes.
Sadly, the High Tea concept is dying out, except in the aforementioned corners of culture, but our homecoming Highest Tea may help restore it to its former glory.
Numbers for our event are limited to one hundred (yes we are planning to seat and feed one hundred people on the summit of the Ben – in five sittings, each seating four people at five tables – all to be carried up the Ben and back down again). If you would like to be one of the hundred -and let’s face it, this is not something you can do every weekend - then please e-mail HighTea@MountainAid.org.uk.
For further information and to register, please click here.
If you would like to take part in the event but feel raising sponsorship money could be difficult, we do need a host of helpers, mainly ‘sherpas’, cooks and waitresses. For more information on this please e-mail Sherpas@MountainAid.org.uk or click here.
If you'd like to be there in spirit but not in body, and wish to donate to our worthwhile support fund, then please click here.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Registered Charity no. SC040294
Patron: Cameron McNeish