"But we have no slaves in Scotland..."
With these words, over 330 years ago, the Court of Session in Edinburgh rejected slavery...
But slavery still survives around the world, even in Scotland.
Welcome to the website of the Tumbling Lassie Committee - we exist to raise awareness and funds for charities
fighting against modern slavery and people trafficking and to help survivors in Scotland and beyond.
If you agree with us that slavery should belong only in the history books, please help us to support charities
that are working to make that a reality.
But slavery still survives around the world, even in Scotland.
Welcome to the website of the Tumbling Lassie Committee - we exist to raise awareness and funds for charities
fighting against modern slavery and people trafficking and to help survivors in Scotland and beyond.
If you agree with us that slavery should belong only in the history books, please help us to support charities
that are working to make that a reality.
The Fifth Tumbling Lassie Ball, Prestonfield House, Edinburgh
Saturday 28th October 2023
BALL TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
The final release of tickets to the next Tumbling Lassie Ball, the largest anti-trafficking fundraising event in Scotland, is now available. This year's theme is a black and gold masquerade. The ticket price includes a drinks reception (kindly sponsored by the Faculty of Advocates) featuring the famous "1687" cocktail, a three course dinner with wine, dancing and live entertainment.
Highlights of the Ball include:
- Compering by former law student and now antiques and art expert Natasha Raskin Sharp, star of TV's Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt and Flog It!, who will also conduct the live auction;
- Acclaimed Scottish artist Elaine Johnston will paint live on stage throughout the event, with the resulting work being auctioned live;
- Other auction lots and raffle prizes include flights in a private plane, a Scotland rugby jersey signed by the team, a framed limited edition print of Parliament House and a night in the Boathouse Cottage at the Dundas Castle Estate; and
- With many thanks to the Faculty of Advocates Criminal Bar Association, there will be dancing to Tumbling Lassie's house band, Clappy Doo!
Tickets are £95 per person, with a limited number of discounted tickets available for trainee solicitors and those under 5 years' PQE, at the price of £75 per person.
Tickets can be bought on Eventbrite:
Alternatively, if you would prefer to pay by cheque, please email us at tumblinglassie@gmail.com with your name and contact details and the number of tickets you require.
also on Saturday 28th October 2023
in the morning -
Tumbling Lassie Seminar, Mackenzie Building, off the High Street, Edinburgh
A half-day seminar on modern slavery and people trafficking in Scotland and elsewhere, chaired by Eric Robertson, A-D
There will be a panel discussion of Q&A to look in more detail at the issues raised.
Registration/coffee from 9am - seminar from 9.30am-12.30pm
Please come along, bring others and collect 3 hours CPD (for advocates). There is no charge for this event, but there will be an opportunity to make a voluntary contribution towards the work of IJM/SOHTIS.
A further author generously adds his support to the Tumbling Lassie
July 2023 saw the publication of a fascinating new historical study touching on the relationship between Scotland and slavery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in the form of Richard Blake's Sugar, Slaves and High Society - The Grants of Kilgraston, 1750-1860 - recently featured on the BBC News website and in The Scotsman.
A beautifully and extensively illustrated book based on new archival research, it lays bare the hidden links between the fortunes of privileged and wealthy Scots in the Georgian and Victorian period and the terrible fates of slaves on plantations in the West Indes.
In a gesture of great generosity, and to bring modern good out of ancient evil, Richard is donating a portion of the proceeds of sales of his book to the Tumbling Lassie appeal.
The book can be purchased direct from the publisher at
The book can also be obtained via Amazon
The first Tumbling Lassie event since the arrival of Covid-19, the performance of the operettas Dandie Dinmont andThe Tumbling Lassie at the Queen's Hall on Sunday 10th April 2022, raised over £1,000 by way of donations from a generous and enthusiastic audience. Those donations have already been forwarded to our charities. We record here our thanks to Alexander McCall Smith, Tom Cunningham and the performance team who arranged for this excellent production to take place at no cost to the appeal. For a review go to: https://theqr.co.uk/2022/04/11/the-tumbling-lassie-dandie-dinmont-queens-hall-edinburgh/
On Thursday 15th December 2022, we were delighted to host a seminar at the Mackenzie Building, High Street, Edinburgh (by kind permission of, and generously supported by, the Faculty of Advocates), which was addressed by the Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris KC under the title "So we have no slaves in Scotland?"
The
Scottish criminal justice system regularly encounters situations where
accused persons may have been trafficked and/or forced into criminality. The Solicitor General's address discussed the Crown's response
to these complex circumstances and the relative Lord Advocate's
Instructions.
The event was followed by a reception with mulled wine and mince pies - a first opportunity for Tumbling Lassie supporters to meet together for more than two years...
The generous donations given on the evening will be forwarded to our charities, to support their essential work.
On the evening of Wednesday 15th February 2023, at the kind invitation of the Colinton Literary Society, Alan McLean KC, Chair of the Tumbling Lassie Committee gave a talk on "The Tumbling Lassie case - its context and its modern resonances". The talk was followed by a stimulating Q&A session with the large audience. Generous cash donations given on the evening will be forwarded to our charities.
On Thursday 23rd March 2023, in conjunction with the Scottish Young Lawyers Association, we held an event at the Mackenzie Building entitled "BUT WE HAVE NO SLAVES IN SCOTLAND...", when Alan delivered his illustrated talk on
the Tumbling Lassie case, its modern resonances and its inspiration of the appeal. The talk was followed by a reception with refreshments. A good and social evening produced many volunteers keen to get involved with the work of the appeal.
the Tumbling Lassie case, its modern resonances and its inspiration of the appeal. The talk was followed by a reception with refreshments. A good and social evening produced many volunteers keen to get involved with the work of the appeal.
To donate to the Tumbling Lassie appeal, with the possibility of gift aid, contact us by the methods mentioned below or go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thetumblinglassie.