Lynne Mowbray | With most of the buildings at the Maclean Showground rendered unusable  due to January’s severe storm damage, the 114th Maclean Highland Gathering rose to the challenge and forged ahead [at the venue], to provide another successful event.  Around 580 band members, 200 solo entries in the piping and drumming events, 60 dancers and around 100 keen highland games contenders, took part in this year’s event. Crowd numbers attending Friday evenings Ceilidh in the park, [which was held at Maclean’s new look McLachlan Park] were equal if not better to previous years, with one of the best ever display of band members taking part. Lower Clarence Scottish Association Chief Peter Smith said that he was pleased with the outcome of this year’s event. “The gate takings were down a little this year; maybe because of the disruption to the Showground facilities, due to the storm damage,” Mr Smith said. “We are very pleased with how the catering went, considering the Jim Thompson Pavilion [which housed the official Showground’s kitchen] was destroyed in the storm. “We’d like to thank the Maclean Show Society for putting on a fantastic luncheon and would also like to thank all the volunteers including Carmel Duckworth and Janice Hayward and their crews in the Clydesdale [Pavilion] and kiosk. “We’d also like to thank the Maclean Rotary Club for running the bar and the crew on the gate,” he said. Images: Lynne Mowbray