Wednesday July 23rd 2025
Dalkeith Jarnac Twinning Group at the Place de Dalkeith monument in Jarnac
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The Dalkeith Jarnac twinning group visited Jarnac in France to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the two towns twinning. The visit cemented Dalkeith and Jarnac’s 65th year friendship alongside celebrating the continued relationship between the two towns.
Visiting on Sunday the 13th of July to Thursday 17th of July, a party of 11 guests flew out from Edinburgh to Bordeaux before making their way to Jarnac. The party of 11 included Midlothian Provost Debbi McCall, Depute Council Leader Colin Cassidy, Councillor Margot Russell and Community Council Chairperson Ann Stewart-Kmicha, alongside 7 other guests including Twinning Group Chairperson Margaret Howden.
Arriving on the Sunday, the group was picked up from the airport and taken to a reception at the Jarnac local Salle des Fetes Community Hall where they met their hosts, welcomed with drinks before heading to the hosts houses they were staying in.
On the first morning a reception was held at the Jarnac Town Hall where the charter to celebrate the 65th anniversary was signed by Jarnac Mayor Phillippe Gesse, Midlothian Provost Debbi McCall, Dalkeith Twinning Chairperson Margaret Howden and Jarnac Chairperson Catherine Demay. Commemorating and marking the beginning of the anniversary celebrations.
On their second day, the group from Dalkeith were taken to visit the recently renovated Bouteville Castle which had views of Jarnac’s surrounding vineyards alongside a rich history. This was followed by an afternoon touring the town’s Courvoisier Cognac Distillary.
The following day, the group gathered in Jarnac’s town square where they were given a walking tour of the town, learning about the rich history of their twinned French friends. Later, they met up again at the Place de Dalkeith where a large monument has been built to commemorate the date of twinning between the two towns, the 10th of September 1960.
The day finished with a large meal in a restaurant on the River Charente to celebrate the end of the visit. There were around 40 people at the meal, including three people from Lautertal in Germany, which is another town that is paired with Jarnac.
Chairperson of the Twinning Group Margaret Howden explained, “Our official group visit to Jarnac last week went very well indeed and we were warmly welcomed back to our twin town.”
“We made new connections and cemented established ones. It was a wonderful few days to spend among our Jarnac friends.”
Secretary of the Twinning Group Sandy Howden added, “It is great to see the support we have inside the council for twinning and we look forward to our 70th anniversary and any future visits.”
On their last day before flying home, they all met at the twinning committee room to say their goodbye’s to their friends from Jarnac and thank them for hosting the anniversary, continuing to develop Dalkeith and Jarnac’s 65 year long friendship.
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