The Scotland County Highland Games is proud to host Ernest Gilchrist, who will present Fusion of Cultures: The Spirit of ArgyllAmerica™ Revealed at the McNeill Cabin on the John Blue House property. He is a native of Harnett County who currently resides in Atlanta, and as his surname implies, grew up among descendants of some of the earliest Highland Scots settlers of the Upper Cape Fear region. There, he was exposed to unique multicultural relationships, which would influence, shape and mold him.
Gilchrist grew up from childhood with a fascination for journalism and the literary arts. At Campbell University, he would later study under English professor and renowned poet, Dr. Shelby Stephenson, a former North Carolina Poet Laureate. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Campbell University, Gilchrist holds an MBA in International Business with a concentration in marketing from Mercer University’s Eugene Stetson School of Business and Economics.
Gilchrist is a contributor to the PBS documentary, Voices Over The Water, a fascinating documentary about the Scottish Diaspora in the United States, exploring their struggles and triumphs, and the various voices, all seeking a sense of identity and belonging.
Gilchrist gave a talk at the first annual Celts in the Americas Conference in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, on multiculturalism among descendants of Scottish Highlanders, descendants of Gaelic speaking African Americans and Native Americans in North Carolina’s Upper Cape Fear River Valley. Gilchrist has also spoken at various community venues, academic campuses, and festivals throughout the Southeastern United States.
Gilchrist is currently completing the second edition of Fusion of Cultures: The Spirit of ArgyllAmerica™ Revealed. He is working on a screenplay drama, which is loosely based on his book, and plans to open an ARGYLLAMERICA® cultural brand online store with legacy products and accessories, inspired by the legendary Longleaf Pine, a symbol of strength and heritage, rooted in North Carolina.
