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MCLEANSCOTLAND NEWSPAPER
with up to the minute
news and lots of stories and tales from old Alba
above: croft on North
Uist, we can take you to the Uist's if you wish,
many do!
3 December 2008 parts
of the Scottish Highlands woke up to temperatures as
low as -12C and motorists faced treacherous
conditions with icy roads, blizzards and freezing
fog patches in some areas.The B974 between Banchory
and Fettercairn was blocked by snow and ice and
Traffic Scotland warned that roads in the Highlands,
Strathclyde, the south-west, the Lothians and the
Borders were all affected by ice. Nine schools in
Aberdeenshire and three in the Highlands were
closed.NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said five of
its A&E departments had recorded their busiest ever
day on Tuesday as the cold snap took hold. The
health board said 1,906 emergency patients were seen
- a 20 per cent rise on the previous highest
recorded figure of 1,583.The average number of A&E
patients seen in the area per day is 1,226 -
Tuesday's level was 55 per cent above this.
Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary treated more than 300
patients, a 40 per cent increase over its normal
attendance.
One wreck, 260,000 bottles, 04 December
2008 WHEN the SS Politician ran aground
off Eriskay in 1941, she was carrying a cargo of
260,000 bottles of whisky. Islanders raced to get
their hands on the booty and plundered up to 20,000
bottles, inspiring the book and the film Whisky
Galore. Despite several salvage operations to find
more of the cargo, it's always been thought highly
unlikely that any more would surface, as the ship
was dynamited by Customs officers. However, a lone
bottle from one of the salvage attempts appeared at
auction yesterday and sold for £2200. Experts said
it could be one of fewer than 20 still in the hands
of collectors. More than 60 years after the
Politician sank, the chance of new finds is growing
slim. They would be hard to authenticate and the
contents would probably be undrinkable anyway. The
bottle of Ballantine Scotch from the Politician that
sold yesterday is now in the hands of a teenager
fascinated by the story of the wreck.
04 December 2008
A BOOK of Christmas carols and songs in Gaelic has
been published in the run-up to the festive season.
The 16 songs feature traditional carols, including
Ciùin an Oidhche (Silent Night) and Fada Cian ann an
Stàball (Away in a Manger), as well as childrens
songs like Rinn sinn bodach sneachd an diugh (We
made a snowman today). Other well-known songs, such
as Nollaig Chridheil (We wish you a Merry
Christmas), are also included. The book, priced £10,
has been published by the Highland Council's Màiri
Mhòr Gaelic Song Fellowship. Hamish Fraser, chairman
of the council's Gaelic committee, said the book was
timely not just for Christmas, but also the Year of
Homecoming next year.
02 December 2008 PUPILS in an island
school have become the first in Scotland to be
taught how to run a croft as part of their lessons.
Michael Russell, the environment minister, launched
the new national course yesterday at Sgoil
Lionacleit in Benbecula, where youngsters will learn
the skills required to manage and care for the land
as part of the curriculum. Taught by a crofter and a
teacher on a croft, pupils are learning about
crofting history and regulation, soils, crops and
weather and livestock management. Gaelic is embedded
in the course, which has the approval of the
Scottish Qualifications Authority.
A
SCOTTISH SONG OR
TWO. WHO IS PIGASUS? see here
. SCOTTISH FACTS
and history
HISTORIC kilt
ILLUSTRATIONS
CASTLES some remote castles you van still visit, SOME
MOST HAUNTED!
SCOTTISH BOOKS as recommended by Paul
McLean
What is the Scottish sport of
SHINTY?
THE WEATHER REPORT!
www.scotsman.com/weather.cfm
SEE THE PIPES AND
VETERANS PARADING THROUGH PERTH - JUNE 2008
World's No 1 whisky stock heads to Edinburgh
08 October 2008 HE has devoted 36 years of his
life to putting together the world's largest stock
of whiskies. But Brazilian Claive Vidiz has said
goodbye to his 3384-bottle collection as it embarks
on a new life in one of the Capital's best known
tourist attractions.
The 73-year-old decided it was time to pass his
hand-picked collection on and after eight years of
deliberating who the worthy owners should be, the
array of rare whiskies will soon take pride of place
in the refurbished Scotch Whisky Experience on
Castlehill.
THE world's most expensive tartan is rolling
off the production lines at a Scottish textile mill.
Kilts in the tartan will cost up to £5,000 and it
has been described as a champagne fabric rather than
a bottle of beer". The tartan, woven from pure
Mongolian cashmere, has been designed by Peebles
knitwear firm Holland & Sherry to celebrate 172
years of operation in the Borders town. It will sell
at around £500 a square metre and will be unveiled
at November's Dressed to Kilt fashion show in New
York, modelled by
Sir Sean Connery and Ewan McGregor. Brian Wilton,
director of the Scottish Tartan Authority, said it
"accentuates the traditional high quality image of
Scottish Highland dress which sadly has been dragged
down to the gutter by many shops in the likes of
Edinburgh's Royal Mile and Princes Street selling
cheap imports".
Restoration plan for 12th century chapel 12
September 2008 A 900-YEAR-OLD chapel where
Robert the Bruce's descendants prayed for his soul
is to be restored, it was announced yesterday.The
12th century chapel next to Airth Castle, near
Falkirk will once again be used for weddings and
other special occasions. Detailed plans for the
historic ruin include a futuristic glass building to
be encased within the existing walls. According to
the proposals, the chapel's medieval arcade and
tower will also be restored. Graves, including those
of Bruce's descendents who owned the castle, will be
maintained and a walled garden and land created to
surround the chapel. The plans have been unveiled by
entrepreneur Steven McLeod, boss of Airth Castle
Hotel and Spa Resort, in whose grounds the chapel
stands.
I KNOW ITS NOT SCOTTISH - but it IS Celtish!
Senior Three in a Row Achieved in Style. In an
awesome display Kilkenny recorded their first three
in a row since 1911 with a display of sheer power,
skill and hurling artistry to win todays final.
Ahead 2-16 to 0-5 at the break the side finished
3-30 to 1-13 ahead
when referee Barry Kelly called time. Presenting his
third McCarthy to cup to his home county GAA
President Nicky Brennan complimented all involved in
his proudest moment. WHY IS THIS HERE YOU ASK? well,
Paul is half Irish and that half is from Kilkenny!
Hurling is similar to Scottish shinty and Paul is
very proud of the "Cats" of Kilkenny!
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Scottish Regiment launches battle to upgrade its
historic museum 3 Sept.08.
A MULTIMILLION-pound appeal was launched yesterday
to secure and improve the headquarters of one of
Scotland's most famous regiments. Trustees of
the Black Watch
regiment are buying historic Balhousie Castle in
Perth from the Ministry of Defence and are
planning its redevelopment. They say the
expansion of the castle, which has housed
the regimental headquarters and museum since
1962, will ensure the history of the Black
Watch is preserved for future generations. |
More than £1 million of the £3.2 million needed has
been raised and organisers of the Black Watch
Heritage Appeal are confident of securing the rest
to complete the upgrade by 2010. The Earl of Airlie,
the appeal president, said: "The Black Watch is one
of the most famous regiments in the world and the
red hackle symbolises all its many achievements. We
must ensure these achievements are recorded for
posterity and this appeal will enable us to do so."
The Black Watch, which first saw battle in 1745,
is famous for the red hackle on soldier's caps. In
2006 it was merged with other Scottish regiments to
form the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Its title is
now The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal
Regiment of Scotland. Perth's provost, Dr John
Hulbert, said: "It is right that the future of
Balhousie Castle should be secured for the Black
Watch, for Perthshire and for Scotland." Seven rooms
of the castle contain prized regimental artefacts,
including a broadsword used in the attack on Fort
Ticonderoga, New York, in 1758. Major David Noble,
the appeal director, said the castle was an
important part of Scotland's heritage, which needed
to be preserved. He added: "We are doing everything
we can to make sure the name of the Black Watch
remains as relevant today as it has in the 267 years
of its history."
SAYS
PAUL MCLEAN "Come on and see what YOU can do to help
this famous regimental museum. Being in Perth myself
I feel closer to this museum than even my own Grand
Dad's regimental museum at Stirling castle (The
Argyll's). Please do what you can".
SEE THIS PAGE
Tartan army raps Brown's 2012 UK team plan 24
August 2008
GORDON Brown yesterday provoked the wrath of
Scotland's football fans by calling for a British
team to compete in the 2012 Olympics.Speaking from
Beijing, the Prime Minister said he was "determined"
the move would go ahead. Britain has not entered a
football team in the Olympics since 1960 because of
fears it could jeopardise the future of the
individual England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Irish national sides.Brown's views were yesterday
supported by England footballer David Beckham who
said he believed football deserved its place in the
Olympics and left the door open to possibly playing
for Great Britain in 2012. Brown said: "I think when
people are looking at the Olympics in 2012 –
Britain, home of football, where football was
invented, which we gave to the world – I think
people would be very surprised if there is an
Olympic tournament in football and we are not part
of it." The English Football Association backs
Brown, but an SFA spokesman said: "We are absolutely
opposed to Team GB. We think it will threaten the
independent status of the home nations." Tam Ferry,
the Tartan Army's spokesman for the No Team GB
campaign, added: "I think Gordon Brown should be
running the country, not sticking his nose in places
where it's not wanted." PAUL MCLEAN: " I think its a
load of rubbish! We want our own Scottish team, not
a made up team of four nations, who will pick it and
manage it? and how many English players will be in
the team? probably every position. As a Tartan
Army soldier myself, get to hell with that idea!
'Haunted house' in £1000 charity challenge
to Sir Sean MAKING A PLEDGE: Staff
at The Real Mary King’s Close will give £1000 to
charity if Sir Sean is not impressed by its tour
23 August 2008 SIR SEAN CONNERY has been
challenged to put his money where his mouth is after
criticising one of Edinburgh's top visitor
attractions. Staff at The Real Mary King's Close
were left stunned after the legendary Scottish film
icon made some scathing comments on the attraction
in his new book, Being a Scot. Owners were bemused
at his description of the Royal Mile attraction,
which has around 170,000 visitors a year, as "a
Disneyfied haunted-house experience". They have now
challenged Sir Sean, who is in Edinburgh to launch
his book at the Edinburgh International Book
Festival, to visit them and see for himself. As an
incentive they have promised to pay out £1000 to a
charity of his choice if he is still unimpressed
with what they offer visitors. In return they have
asked him to agree to pledge the same amount to
their nominated charity, the Sick Children's
Foundation at the Royal Hospital in Edinburgh, if he
does change his mind about the attraction. Sir
Sean's publicist could not be reached for comment on
the challenge. But Paul has a few words; aye, away
you go big man, lets see how you do, and while I am
here, when do you think you will be living in your
beloved Scotland again?
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Perth, July 2008.
Paul's home, with many
friends there he has a good idea of what is
going on and happening in Perth. This week
he went down to the excavations at the
ancient Whitefriars Monastery, where a "dig"
is taking place. The site has given up many
ancient walls and foundations, burials and
oddments from both Victorian times and the
original building in the 13th century. A
story and photo etc was featured on this in
the local press. |
end of July
2008. We looked after the football team
FBK Kanuas for two days in Glasgow, they
were here to play Glasgow Rangers in a
European Competition, we arranged hotels and
transport and also looked after the team,
Directors and Officials whilst here.
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06
August 2008
RANGERS slumped to the worst defeat
of their 52-year European history
last night when they were knocked
out of the Champions League in the
second qualifying round by Kaunas
who deserved the victory in a
dramatic 87th-minute winner. |
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10 July; A MAIN road in southern Scotland
is set to be closed for up to eight weeks after a landslide triggered by
heavy rains. Police confirmed that the A7 at Auchenrivock, south of Langholm, in
Dumfries and Galloway, would remain shut for some time as much of the nation was
lashed by downpours. A further landslip also partially closed a stretch of the
same road north of Langholm. Severe weather warnings were issued for parts of
Scotland, with the south appearing to be the worst hit. In Edinburgh, about 23mm
of rain fell between 9pm on Wednesday and 9am yesterday – more than a third of
the city's average rainfall for July. In Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway,
which has a July average of 98mm, a total of 23mm also fell overnight, while
24mm fell in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, which has a July average of 76mm. This is
despite this year seeing the warmest May ever recorded in Scotland and 2008
being on target to be one of the ten warmest years.
Saved from Vikings – and bound for home 1
July 2008 FIFTY years ago Douglas Coutts was a
schoolboy volunteer on a dig on Shetland when he unearthed the single most
important archaeological discovery in Scotland for more than a century. As he
scraped away the earth inside the foundations of a ruined medieval church on
tiny St Ninian's Isle, the 15-year-old stumbled across the finest hoard of
Pictish silver ever found in Britain – silver brooches, bowls and other
artefacts buried 1,200 years ago by islanders to prevent them from being seized
by the Vikings. On Friday, the 50th anniversary of his find, Mr Coutts, 65, a
retired librarian from Bressay, will be the guest of honour when the St Ninian's
Isle Treasure returns to Shetland for only the second time since it was
discovered. The treasure, which is housed in the National Museum of Scotland,
last returned to the islands in 1967 when the hoard was briefly displayed in the
former Shetland museum. Mr Coutts : "Being a novice I was a bit bemused by the
whole thing. But we were all told that we were not to let anybody know about the
find and I took that to mean that I had found something very unusual. I remember
a flight being arranged for me to go to Glasgow to do media interviews. That was
my only reward." Jane Carmichael, the director of collections at the National
Museums Scotland, said: "The loan is part of our ongoing partnership with
Shetland Amenity Trust and working together we will strive to ensure that as
many people as possible in Britain have the opportunity to see this part of
Shetland's rich heritage." The history behind this; ST NINIAN'S Isle is a tiny
island at the southern tip of Shetland, linked to the mainland by a 500m sand
spit. The treasure hoard is believed to have been buried around AD800 by
islanders at a time of frequent Viking raids on Shetland. The hoard consisted of
29 objects – 28 made of silver and a porpoise jawbone. The archaeologists
uncovered eight silver bowls, a silver spoon, 12 brooches, three cone-shaped
objects, possibly thimbles, two pieces of sword scabbards, a sword hilt and a
pronged implement which is believed to have been used for eating shellfish.
Islanders bid to get Trump on board for castle plan July 2008
OFFICIALS in the Western Isles want Donald Trump to become involved in a
multimillion-pound project. Western Isles Council and the Stornoway Trust
yesterday met George Sorial, from the Trump Organisation, about a plan to
develop the landmark Lews Castle in Stornoway as a hotel and museum. Mr Sorial
said: "The site is beautiful and the project has great merit. There is no doubt
that, with proper planning, the castle can be restored to its original
magnificence and serve as the jewel of Stornoway. We look forward to reviewing
the plans in greater detail." Said Paul "Well, who knows what will happen? Give
ten years and Trump might be the largest landowner in Scotland!"
1 July 2008 HE WAS Scotland's most famous philanthropist, who used his
millions to fund libraries, education, science and the arts. Now a new festival
of Andrew Carnegie is to be launched in his home town of Dunfermline, in Fife,
this summer in what is planned to become an annual fixture celebrating the
"father of philanthropy". Literature, music, politics, film, science and
innovation will all be celebrated during the festival, created by the Carnegie
UK Trust and the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust. Carnegie, who was born in
Dunfermline in 1835, moved to Pennsylvania, in the United States, with his
family in 1848, and rose from working in a cotton mill to become the world's
richest man after building up a massive steel business. Convinced he had a duty
to help others, Carnegie dedicated his fortune to funding libraries, schools,
universities, scientific research trusts and foundations in the US and Scotland.
In 1909, on a visit to Dunfermline, Carnegie wrote in the visitors book: "The
humble home of honest poverty. Best heritage when one has a heroine for a
mother."
SOME CARNEGIE QUOTES
"There is little success where there is little laughter"
"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity,
no matter how impressive their other talents"
"No man can become rich without himself enriching others"
"The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch
that basket"
IN NUMBERS
1835 The year Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Fife.
1.20 Carnegie's first weekly wage, in dollars, at a cotton mill, when he was
aged 13.
1865 The year Carnegie launched his own business interests and began a bonanza.
480m The amount in dollars that Carnegie sold his steel company for.
350m The amount in dollars given away by Andrew Carnegie.
2,509 The number of libraries throughout the English-speaking world that
Carnegie built.
29 June 2008 THOSE English nationalists who
claim Scotland is lagging behind the rest of the UK might soon be able to
prove their point. English Conservative MPs are backing a plan to move England
ahead of Scotland by an hour, in a bid to resolve a long-standing dispute over
the UK's most appropriate time zone. The move is being backed to bring it into
line with western Europe.The plan is backed by environmentalists, farmers and
road safety experts in England who say it would make better use of the light
down south, but in Scotland it has been met with fierce opposition. (too bloomin
right!) With dawn in winter arriving later in Scotland than England, opponents
have warned that farmers would be forced to work in the dark until mid-morning,
while schoolchildren would have to go to school in pitch black for months on
end. A two-time zone nation would immediately raise several problems, for
example, over TV scheduling. If London-based schedulers moved to the new English
time zone, the watershed in Scotland would effectively begin at 8pm "local
time", and not 9pm as at present. A spokesman for the SNP said: "In
Scotland, the majority of people would prefer the extra hour of daylight in the
morning. Scottish children should not have to go to school in the dark."
Paul says "once again we have those English trying to push us into something we
do not want, just because they do! Bring on Independence I say, the faster
the better!"
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Fort William Football Club - superstars?
28 June 2008
The American media executive (Paul McDonald) yesterday unveiled his proposals to
turn Fort William into a fan-controlled club, whose followers will decide its
fate via an internet site. He describes the project as a "high-concept reality
(television] show that involves replacing the current players of a Scottish
soccer team with American players and putting America in total control of the
team's destiny … (which] will transform the world of fantasy sports by turning
the fantasy into reality". Conused Fort William FC officials say all they have
agreed with Mr McDonald is a kit sponsorship deal, which will see their shirts
showing the logo of "America's Team". Mr McDonald claims to have roots in the
Lochaber area, with his ancestors being said to have left Scotland around 150
years ago for a new life in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland, before
heading across the Atlantic. PAUL MCLEAN COMMENT; well what can I say? either he
is a complete nutter, or he is a genius in the making. But come on, replacing
all of the team with Americans, don't think so. How would they play, where would
they live and what work would they all do each week? Come on MacDonald, get to
grips with the actual day to day problems with your plan. Aye fine, maybe a good
idea to use a web based management, but by now means is it a new idea, you've
been beaten to that one son. So he has also roots in Co Mayo, wonder if he
thinks he can make an American Mayo team? er, watch out there boy, they play a
different type of game over there, I should know! And finally; does he really
think he can get better players over than the ones we have here at present? ok,
FW are not the best in their league by any means, but, they play in Scotland and
they are Scottish after all!
Club: Fort William FC
Formed: 1984
Nickname: The Fort
Colours: Gold-Black
Stadium: Claggan Park - Capacity 4000
Address: Fort William FC Claggan Park Achintee Road Claggan Fort William
Scotland PH33 6PG
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23 June 2008 THE rain was beating down heavy on the Clyde. The sky was
grey, the water was grey, the buildings were grey. And then a grey fin
appeared.The distinctive curve of a dolphin emerged from the water with an
explosion of air from its blowhole before it slipped back down to hunt for food.
It was a rare sight for the centre of Glasgow yesterday and attracted a stream
of onlookers willing to brave the weather for a glimpse of the creature. The
dolphin seemed content, despite being surrounded by litter, at one point peeking
through the water with a salt-and-vinegar crisp packet on its fin, and later
with a plastic carried bag caught around it. The animal spent hours swimming
near the Glasgow Science Centre.
Risso's dolphins are known for distinctive scarring across their bodies from
fighting and encounters with their chosen food source, squid. A spokeswoman for
the Scottish SPCA said the dolphin was first spotted on Saturday near Faslane
Naval Base and was initially monitored by Ministry of Defence staff. By
yesterday morning it was reported near the Millennium and Bells bridges,
swimming near the science centre and Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
.................................
2014 Commonwealth Games
joy for Glasgow
- (story November 2007).
Scottish sport was celebrating on both sides of the world yesterday as Glasgow
won the right to stage the 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 In Colombo, Sri
Lanka, where Glasgow held off the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to win the
Commonwealth Games Federation ballot by 47 votes to 24, Scotland's First
Minister, Alex Salmond, said: "We will make these Games the greatest sporting
event our country has ever seen. They will be our chance to show the whole world
the very best of Scotland." In Glasgow, thousands gathered around television
screens as the decision was announced by CGF president, Mike Fennell. More than
2,000 children watched events unfold at the Tollcross Leisure Centre, where the
swimming will be staged in 2014, and thousands more celebrated at the Old
Fruitmarket in the city centre. Motorists joined in the party by blaring their
horns "What motivation it will be to have the chance of running in the
blue vest of Scotland at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Among the first to
offer his congratulations was the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who said the
years between 2010 and 2020 "looked like a great sporting decade for our
country". The decade will also bring the Ryder Cup to Wales and Scotland, the
Olympic Games in London and the Cricket World Cup in 2019. It was only last week
that the Prime Minister confirmed that England would bid for the Football World
Cup in 2018.General Yakubu Gowon, the Abuja bid chairman, was gracious in defeat
and accepted that the Games had been won by "a better presentation"."The Games'
£288 million budget has been underwritten by the Scottish government and Glasgow
City Council, and although 70 per cent of the venues are already in place, with
athletics at Hampden Park, the proposed site of a brand new athletes' village
will require the redevelopment of the run-down east end of the city. Once the
industrial heart of the city, much of the area is a wasteland. There will also
be a new velodrome and indoor arena. The 17 sports chosen for the Glasgow 2014
Games are: athletics, aquatics, boxing, badminton, weightlifting, lawn bowls,
hockey (men and women), rugby sevens, squash, netball, cycling, shooting,
wrestling, gymnastics, judo, table tennis and triathlon.
A guesthouse owner
from Argyll has taken the honours in the annual world porridge-making
championships. Story 7 October 2007. A
dozen cooks from across the UK had gathered in Carrbridge, in Strathspey, for
the contest to see who can make the finest bowl of the oatmeal dish. Judges
marked the entrants on their porridge's appearance, consistency and taste,
before deciding on a champion. The winner of the coveted Golden Spurtle, or
stirrer, was Maria Soep from Kilchrenan. Ms Soep, who reached the final last
year, came out victorious after a three-way cook-off. She said her secret was a
special batch of pinhead oats bought from
Oban (och no better place in the
world!), on Scotland's west coast. "I buy my pinhead oatmeal
from a health food shop - it is the best that money can buy," she said. "I
soaked them overnight, added a bit of salt and some good water. "But it's the
oatmeal that counts." Mrs Soep added: "It feels great to have won - I am
delighted." A spokesman for the competition's sponsor's, Hamlyn's Oats of
Scotland, said: "The judges thought it was the toughest competition yet. "The
standard was incredibly high and the final was very tense." The event was won
last year by Army Sergeant Coleen Hayward MacLeod, who has been responsible for
making porridge on a daily basis for hundreds of soldiers from the 1st Royal
Irish Regiment at Fort George, near Inverness.
6 OCT.
Historians puzzle over black face in ancient
tapestry of Culloden battle
A TAPESTRY of
the Battle of Culloden has revealed a new
mystery about the last battle fought on
British soil. The historic work, which shows
events at the 1746 conflict from the point
of view of government troops, was bought at
auction by the National Trust for Scotland
(NTS) for about £4,000. It will play a
central role in the new £10 million visitor
centre at the battlefield near Inverness.
Among the red-coated troops charging the
Jacobite Army and a tartan-clad Bonnie
Prince Charlie is a black figure who may
have played a part in the battle. Trust
officials and historians have been baffled
by the discovery of the man.The trust says
he may be a servant of a government officer,
General McNaughton. Katrina Thomson, the
NTS's deputy curator, said it is not clear
whether the tapestry is a true depiction of
a scene from the battle or whether it
reflects later influences. But she said
historians are excited about the mystery
figure and efforts are being made to find
out more about him. "We just simply don't
know who it is. We are presuming it is a
black character," she said. "When we bought
the needlework there was a suggestion via
Bonhams [auctioneers] that he was a servant
of a General McNaughton. "We tried to chase
this up with some historians but they had
not come across the name, or a mention of a
black servant." Clare Meredith, the NTS
chief conservator, added: "There is a figure
with a black face wearing a bright blue
jacket and a grey cap, standing beside a
horse. He could be a manservant to a serving
officer. "We hope that when it goes on
display historians and members of the public
will shed light on this." The panel clearly
reveals the allegiance of its original
owners to King George II. It is thought to
have been worked in the late 18th century by
women in the household of Charles Edmond
Hay, third Laird of Hopes - a relation of
John Hay, fourth Marquess of Tweeddale, who
was Secretary of State for Scotland during
the critical years of the Jacobite uprising.
Ms Thomson added: "The needlework has
suffered some damage over the 250 years but
although it will not be the prettiest
textile in the new exhibition, it is
arguably the most fascinating. "Objects
which project government, rather than
Jacobite, loyalties are rare. Its depiction
of a critical point in the battle makes it
invaluable to the interpretive displays in
the new visitor centre which aim to tell the
story of Culloden from both sides." NTS said
the 4ft by 2ft panel was a section of a
larger wall hanging. It will be among over
250 original objects associated with the
history of the battle, including loans from
the National Museums of Scotland, the Royal
Armouries in Leeds, the Drambuie Liqueur
Company and Inverness Museum among others.
The project has received support from the
Scottish Government, the European Regional
Development Fund, Highlands and Islands
Enterprise and the Gaelic development agency
Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The most famous Jamaican
servant was Francis Barber, who was born on
a sugar plantation in Jamaica around 1735
and worked for Samuel Johnson, as servant,
companion and surrogate son.
6 OCT. Clan
chief leaves £15m in his will
A CLAN chief
who tried to sell a Skye mountain range has
left more than £15 million in his will. John
Macleod, of the clan Macleod, caused outrage
when he put the Cuillins up for sale to fund
repairs to clan seat Dunvegan Castle. He
died in February aged 71. The majority of
the money was left to his eldest son, Hugh.
6 OCT.
Scots-made club holes out at £89,000
A
SCOTTISH-made golf club has fetched a
record-breaking £89,577 at auction. The 18th
century long-nosed putter, attributed to
Leith clubmaker and former caddie, Andrew
Dickson, was sold by Sotheby's in New York.
A collection of 11 antique St Andrews-made
golf clubs also earned more than £60,000.
They were designed by two of golf's most
illustrious names - "Old" Tom Morris Sr and
Hugh Philp. The sale of the Scottish clubs
was part of a larger lot - the Jeffrey B
Ellis Antique Golf Club Collection - which
fetched more than £1 million in total when
it went under the hammer. It was the largest
collection of golf memorabilia to come up
for auction in recent times.
5 October
2007. Orkney arrowheads find
points to Scotland's earliest settlement
THEY may look
like just a collection of broken stones, but
the finds made in a field in Orkney might be
evidence of the earliest settlement in
Scotland. Two flint "tanged points" or
arrowheads found on the island of Stronsay
are thought to have been used by hunters
between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago,
just after the Ice Age. The arrowheads were
found among a collection of scattered
artefacts, including bladed tools, on a farm
by Naomi Woodward and a team of MA students
on an archaeology course at Orkney College.
The discoveries were made during a two-week
research trip in April, but have just been
made public. Two points from the late upper
Paleolithic period (13-10,000BC) had
previously been found in Orkney, at Ness of
Brodgar, and on Stronsay - but both were
lost in the 1920s. Ms Woodward said: "I had
been out there a couple of times and the
landscape for archaeology is quite minimal
compared to the rest of Orkney; not a lot
has been made of it. "The tanged flint
points are signs of a very early
archaeology, which at this moment is not
particularly understood in Orkney or
Scotland. "They are probably hunting
implements, most likely mounted and used as
projectile points. "We think they could be
early Mesolithic or late Paleolithic, so
maybe from 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. "It
would be just after the Ice Age and there
have been European examples of these kind of
points." In 2001, a team from an Edinburgh
University project called Scotland's First
Settlers confirmed that a shell midden found
at Sand, near Applecross in Wester Ross, was
used 9,500 years ago, making the site one of
the earliest dated human occupations in
Scotland. An encampment at Cramond, near
Edinburgh, has also been dated to 8,500BC.
It is also known that settlements of people
were established in the west of Scotland
around this time from discoveries at another
site, at Kinloch on the island of Rum. Ms
Woodward is reluctant to claim that the
Stronsay site is the earliest, but said: "If
we have a site that these items are found in
context, then it could be. "But, at the
moment, they are only surface finds -
although it seems we have an assemblage of
pieces from individual chance finds that
relate to each other. "The next step now is
to see if we have actually got a site
beneath this."
CalMac
wins £43m islands ferries tender (20
Sept 2007). CALEDONIAN MacBrayne, the
state-owned ferry company, was yesterday
awarded a six-year contract to run lifeline
services, ending a controversial tendering
process in which it ended up as the only
bidder. CalMac retained the 26 routes it
operates around the Clyde and Hebrides with
a subsidy of £43 million in the first year,
a rise on last year's £31 million. The new
contract, to start from 1 October, will
include improvements to services for a
number of islands, but the Scottish
Government rejected the case for a new route
between Mallaig and Lochboisdale in South
Uist due to high costs. The new contract
includes additional sailings to Gigha,
Arran, Coll, Tiree and Mull in winter and an
improved summer service to Islay. It also
includes the introduction of a performance
regime, giving CalMac an incentive to
deliver the services to the standard set in
the contract.
w/e 15 sept.
How Buffalo Bill won wild west of Scotland
BUFFALO Bill gained
immortality as the gun-slinging hero of American
frontier folklore, but it has now emerged how he
also locked horns with the Old Firm giants of
Scotland's wild west coast. The full story of
Colonel William Frederick Cody's remarkable stay
in Glasgow has finally been told nearly 100
years after he hung up his spurs and
six-shooters for the final time. A new book has
revealed that the legendary figure of the old
West caused a sensation by turning up at a
Rangers game at Ibrox, sending a team of
hardbitten cowboys to play in a charity football
game at Celtic Park and giving money to shoeless
urchins in George Square. Cody, the book
reveals, also caused uproar in the Court of
Session in Edinburgh and, during a subsequent
national tour, set a goods yard ablaze in Dundee
and threw the Aberdeenshire fishing industry
into crisis. For three months in the winter of
1891/92, the soldier, bison-hunter and showman
brought his Wild West spectacular to the
district, while in 1904 he took the show around
the country from Dumfries to Inverness.
Before the travelling circus
opened at the 7,000-seater Glasgow amphitheatre,
Cody produced a series of inspired publicity stunts.
Learning that a 12,500-strong crowd was expected at
a Glasgow Cup clash between Rangers and Queen's Park
at Ibrox, he provoked deafening cheers by arriving
at the ground in full western regalia. Cody was then
presented to both sets of players at half-time and
issued personal invitations to the players to come
and see his show. "Buffalo Bill knew virtually
nothing about football, but he a was master showman
and publicist, and wanted to turn up at the biggest
game in town."
Cody also sought to harness
the popularity of the city's other big club by
sending his right-hand man, Major John M Burke, on
to the pitch at Celtic Park (Paul's team) to help
kick off the team's clash with Dumbarton on New
Year's Day 1892. A month later, Cody sent out a team
of his cowboys to take on Glasgow amateur outfit
Brandon for a charity challenge match at Celtic
Park.
Another first-hand report
reveals how Cody took pity on a down-at-heel George
Square news vendor, her shivering barefoot daughter
and another "poor body" by giving them enough money
to buy new clothes.
w/e 15 sept.
Scottish 'embassies' to go global as SNP bids to
raise nation's profile
THE Scottish National Party
is planning a major expansion of Scottish
'embassies' in a bid to boost the nation's
profile across the globe. The plan will add to
the three official Scottish Government
delegations in Washington DC, Beijing and
Brussels. Ministers and officials are also
examining whether the diplomatic staff should be
primarily based within existing UK embassies or,
as a far more expensive option, housed in
separate Scottish Government buildings.
Scotland's existing presence in the US and China
takes the form of a sole Scottish Government
civil servant based within each UK embassy. Both
officials focus on trade and cultural exchange,
including the Tartan Week celebrations in the US
and on liaison between Chinese and Scottish
universities and colleges as part of the drive
to attract foreign students. The Brussels office
is based at a separate Scotland House, along
with Scotland's enterprise agencies, and has a
role in keeping an eye on moves at the EU which
might affect Scottish interests.
w/e 15 sept.
Nicklaus maps out new course A
NEW championship golf course was mapped out in
Scotland yesterday by a legend of the sport, Jack
Nicklaus. The 18-time Major winner and his design
team was in Stonehaven to inspect a site on a £40m
leisure development. It includes an 18-hole
championship course which Nicklaus says will provide
a "memorable golfing experience" on the Ury Estate.
Yesterday he planned out the routing for all but
four of the 18 holes.
w/e 15 sept.
I don't normally do this, but och, come on, what
a Saturday!
Hearts 4 -
Rangers 2
IT is tempting to see the goal-a-thon at Tynecastle
through the prism of Scotland's exploits in France.
In barnstorming fashion Hearts were able to
rediscover their mojo - and how!
Emphatic win
puts Celtic top
Celtic
5 - Inverness Caly Thistle 0
CELTIC went to the top of the
SPL yesterday with a crushing destruction of
Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Notching their third
five-goal league victory on the trot, Celtic were
only rarely at their imperious best, yet still
contrived to dismantle their opponents in a
thoroughly professional manner. "We are doing fine,
it's the best start to the season since I've been
here," said manager Gordon Strachan afterwards.
That's true, and knowing what happened in the league
after two lesser starts, the rest of the SPL should
worry that they may already be playing catch up.
'Mon the Hoops!
24
August 2007, Russians buy up hardy Highland cattle
Breeders of Highland
cattle are receiving scores of requests for their
distinctive £5,000-a-head beasts from farmers in the
world's largest country. Russians want the beasts
for their ability to survive cold weather, thrive on
poor grasslands, scrape through snow for grazing,
and even scare off predators such as wolves. The
massive interest has come in the wake of a visit to
Moscow by a delegation of British cattle producers,
farm equipment manufacturers, and technical
consultants. Tatyana Petukhova, an agricultural
manager in Central Russia, said: "We have a lot of
interest here in the breeds and techniques which you
have in Scotland and in the UK. We want to improve
the breeds and techniques here." Farmers and
crofters view Highland Cattle and Blackface sheep as
better able to fend for themselves than many other
kinds of livestock. After a snowfall, the sheep and
Highlanders will scrape the ground looking for food
while many other breeds of both sheep and cows will
be helpless. Ken Brown, the chairman of the society,
said: "They are ideally suited to the climate over
there. Their thick hair and skin keeps them warm in
the winter, but the thickness of their skin actually
helps them stay cool during the Russian summer,
which is hot. And a major issue over there is
wolves. Now while we don't have wolves in Scotland,
Highland cattle tend to gang up on a predator and
try to chase them if a calf is threatened, for
example by dogs."
Trump's plan to create £1bn coastal golf resort
BUSINESS leaders in
the North-east Scotland yesterday (22 August) threw
their weight behind Donald Trump's controversial
plan to develop a £1 billion golf resort on a
picturesque stretch of the Aberdeenshire coast.
Environmental groups have condemned the billionaire
tycoon's proposals to build two championship golf
courses on environmentally sensitive links land on
the Menie Estate, near Aberdeen. But the North-east
committee of the Scottish Council for Development
and Industry (SCDI) is urging Aberdeenshire Council
to approve the plan, which it claims will bring a
"truly world-class project" to the area. Duncan
Skinner, the committee chairman, said: "The
diversification of the North-east economy over the
next ten to 15 years is vital, and we should achieve
much of this diversification when the oil sector
remains particularly strong. Diversification against
a backcloth of success is much easier than when
attempted in an environment of decline. "Clearly,
the tourism sector is one that offers much potential
for the region, but we are not in the mass-market
game. We have to build our tourist industry at the
top end of the quality spectrum and offer
exceptional experiences for our visitor target
market." He added: "The reputation of Trump golf
projects around the world is such that the location
of such a facility in the North-east will send out a
strong message globally about this region, what we
stand for and what we can offer as a destination."
Paul's comment; yes,
it would be nice to have another golf course here
(we only have a few) and yes, tourism might grow in
the area and surrounding areas. BUT, with this
type of golf course and its owner, what kind of
tourist would we get? Maybe high powered
Exec's that fly in for a round, then fly out again.
Is that tourism? No. Yes locals could
play (could they, would they be allowed?) and maybe
one or two money rich golfers would wander off the
resort, but methinks a hotel on site, every facility
for pampering these rich golf folks would be
available within the resort, why then would anyone
need to leave it? And where would profits go?
Aye, to the Tower back home. So upon
reflection, I would like to hear more and maybe Mr
Trump would kindly email me? Over to you Mr
Trump, the ball is in your court (or should it be
"hole" ) now.
England in a flap again as they lose 2 - 1 (he, he,
he!) Wed. 23 August.
ENGLAND head
soccer coach Steve McClaren refused to rule Paul
Robinson out of his European Championship plans
despite another howler last night from the
Tottenham goalkeeper. Robinson, whose
air-shot blunder condemned England to defeat
against Croatia last year, gifted a German
striker a first-half equaliser as England
slumped to their first defeat at the new
Wembley. Robinson was substituted at half-time,
with Portsmouth's David James taking his place,
but McClaren said: "I was disappointed with the
way we conceded that goal. It may have been a
mistake, but there were two or three mistakes
before that. Germany coach Joachim Loew was
understandably delighted. "There are very few
places in the world where winning is such a good
experience," he said with a smile. "My players
are dancing happily in the dressing room.
SO WHERE WAS THE HIGH AND MIGHTY BECKHAM?
exactly! C'mon Scotland ...
Scotland 1, South Africa 0 LOOK OVER YOUR
SHOULDER ENGLAND, WE WON!
ALEX McLeish (our
manager) last night savoured his fourth win in
five matches as Scotland manager. Kris Boyd
stepped off the substitutes' bench to grab the
only goal of the challenge match against South
Africa at Pittodrie and while McLeish admitted
his experimental team were outplayed at times by
the visitors. Boyd's goal was his sixth for his
country in only ten appearances, five of which
have been as a substitute... said Parreira, (oc
S Africa) "I think the result was fair, but I
was pleased with the performance of my team. It
was good for them to be exposed to playing a
team of Scotland's style. As I say, Scotland are
very direct and that's fine because it is the
way they want to play. Scotland should keep that
way and they have possibilities to qualify for
the European Championships."
Irish eye up a
21-mile bridge ... to Scotland
STRETCHING for 21
miles, it would span one of the last major
expanses of water separating European states and
allow rail passengers to travel from Glasgow to
Dublin in about 90 minutes. An Irish think tank
has proposed that Ireland should join the
European high-speed rail network, via a new
bridge or tunnel to Scotland. The Centre for
Cross Border Studies admitted the link would be
a "hugely ambitious" project, but predicted it
would provide major economic benefit to both
countries. Andy Pollak, its director, said a
bridge was more likely than a tunnel across the
North Channel between County Down or County
Antrim and the Mull of Galloway, near Stranraer.
However, he was unable to say how much it might
cost. A new one-and-a-half mile bridge across
the Forth is estimated to cost £1.5 billion,
while a four-mile tunnel - the shortest option -
would cost £2.1 billion. Mr Pollak said the link
could be built by 2030, when trains travelling
at 187mph could reach Paris from Dublin in
seven-and-a-half hours. Mr Pollak said: "A link
would provide a massive boost to economic and
social links between both parts of Ireland and
Scotland, something a lot of people, including
the Taoiseach and both the Northern Irish and
Scottish First Ministers, view as an
unadulterated good." Alex Salmond, the First
Minister, discussed improved transport links
when he met Ian Paisley, his Northern Ireland
opposite number, in June. Mr Pollak said the
project would also boost Ireland's trading
opportunities with Europe and relieve pressure
on Ireland's overloaded airports. He admitted
the plan would also require costly upgrading of
the 100-mile Stranraer-Glasgow rail line, which
is protected under European law because it is
already classed as a trans-European route. Mr
Pollak said the original idea was that Ireland
should be linked into the European high-speed
rail network, which stretches only as far
north-west as Glasgow He said: "I put it forward
because I think it could be one of the triggers
to the next phase in Ireland's economic
development. And who's not to say that it could
not also be part of the next phase of Scotland's
economic development?" However, the scheme was
met with a muted reaction in Scotland yesterday.
A spokesman for the Executive said: "While there
are potential economic benefits to both Scotland
and Ireland in building better transport links,
we have no current plans for a bridge."
The North Channel Partnership, which
comprises local authorities and business groups
in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said the
1,000ft deep Beaufort's Dyke trench could pose
problems. It also warned about the impact on the
current £40 million redevelopment of the
Cairnryan ferry terminal. The port will handle
the lion's share of the two million annual
Scotland-Northern Ireland ferry passengers when
Stena Line moves there from Stranraer to join
its rival, P&O, next year. Robert Higgins, the
partnership's chairman, said of the link plan:
"It's an interesting idea, but if anyone is
doing some blue-sky thinking on this then the
challenges have to be weighed up against the
perceived benefits, not least the position and
depth of Beaufort's Dyke. "Also, the ferry
companies are investing in the port currently so
the implications there also need to be
considered." Mr Pollak's proposal is the latest
in a series of such schemes that stretch back
more than a century. Test borings for a tunnel
under the North Channel were considered in 1895,
and several politicians in the British and Irish
parliaments have since called for a link. A
tunnel under the Irish Sea to Wales has also
been proposed.
Lossiemouth's
chance to rival Cape Canaveral
LOSSIEMOUTH, we
have lift-off. Space tourism - including a plan
by Sir Richard Branson to launch commercial
rockets from Scotland - should be encouraged by
the government, according to a group of MPs. The
call means that, within a decade, Cape
Lossiemouth could rival Cape Canaveral as a
launch centre, and Scotland could be hosting
international visitors eager for the ultimate
tourism experience. The spin-off would be the
creation of hundreds of well-paid jobs and the
attraction of investment in the "knowledge
economy". Sir Richard's firm Virgin Galactic has
already pledged to launch commercial space
flights from RAF Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth
by the end of the decade. Sigourney Weaver, star
of the sci-fi film Alien, and Victoria
Principal, the former Dallas actress, are among
more than 150 who have already booked their
£114,000 seats on the programme. Space tourism
became a reality in 2001 when American
multi-millionaire Dennis Tito paid £10 million
for a trip to the International Space Station
aboard a Russian spacecraft. He orbited the
Earth for a week. Although Virgin Galactic will
be based in New Mexico, it plans to create a
European launch site, and has already identified
the "ideal" conditions at RAF Lossiemouth. Its
space tourists would be taken to a height of
about 55,000ft at which point the rocket would
be fired, propelling them out into space before
returning to Earth in an operation similar to
that of a Space Shuttle landing. The whole
flight would take about two and a half hours,
with tourists spending 15 minutes in space,
including five minutes of weightlessness. Seven
or eight people would be able to travel on any
one trip. Scottish Enterprise is staking a claim
for the country's future space industry through
Careers Scotland Space School - a world-leading
programme supported by the Executive and the
international space community. A total of 26
young Scots are preparing to travel to the space
school in Houston, Texas, in September as part
of a programme that aims to inspire them into a
career in space science.
The oldest naval ship afloat in the UK,
the HM Frigate Unicorn, has welcomed ghost
hunters aboard in a desperate bid to save it
from being lost forever due to a lack of
funding. While paranormal buffs have welcomed
the chance to spend a night with the spooky
inhabitant of the Dundee-berthed vessel,
maritime campaigners say they are saddened such
measures are needed to save what is an
internationally recognised ship. The
183-year-old, 150ft-long vessel is funded solely
by revenue from admissions and donations and
receives no government or local authority
funding. The city's more famous nautical
attraction, the RRS Discovery, is secured by
public subsidy. Urgent work to preserve the
Unicorn's ageing wooden hull is now required and
the situation is so serious that the ship has
been added to National Historic Ships Committee
'Vessel At Risk' list. Manager Bob Hovell said:
"The ship has a fascinating history and like
many old structures we appear to have at least
one former resident who appears reluctant to
leave. Over the years I have had visitors
reporting hearing and seeing things. I'm a
sceptic, but I have seen and heard a couple of
things that are quite difficult to explain." The
ghost vigils are part of a wider campaign to
raise funds to allow the vessel to be moved from
Victoria Dock to a dry dock nearer to the city
centre, where its fragile hull could be shielded
by a canopy. 15-Jul-07
JULY 2007;
CLAPPED-OUT buses groaning on the rock
highways. Fast-food stalls blowing burger-sized
holes in the ozone layer. Guitars cranked up to
11. Green fields turning into a giant mudbath.
And the high-voltage static of thousands of
shellsuits clubbing together into the queues for
the loos. Welcome to the alternative to the
planet-saving platitudes of Live Earth - T in
the Park. Scottish rock fans faced a dilemma
yesterday. After a rain-lashed Friday, they
might have been tempted to stay at home with a
six-pack and a caramel wafer, and watch the
eco-spectacular on TV. After all, James Blunt
was playing! enough said. So who was on
the bill? Beach Boy legend Brian. Wilson
topped the bill at the Pet Sounds tent. The View
fromDundee were headliners in King Tut's tent,
having played another festival earlier in the
day and made a mad dash from Ireland by
helicopter. Arctic Monkeys and 70-odd acts
including Arcade Fire, Rufus Wainwright and new
Scots disco king Calvin Harris. Even on the
campsite, T in the Park looks different from
other festivals. There are none of the
Glastonbury deluxe mobile homes surrounded by
white picket fences. Everyone beds down in
little green igloo tents. Then it's beer for
breakfast and on with the party. It goes on
until Sunday night!
JULY 2007; ONE of Scotland's top TV
producers has warned that the country's
television industry has been plunged into crisis
due to a massive cut in spending by the major
network companies. Recent figures reveal the BBC
and the other major networks have slashed their
spending on programming in Scotland by millions
of pounds. And Allan MacDonald, the Scottish
head of the TV producers' body PACT, said:
"Scotland was leading the way five or six years
ago, but we're now way back. It's dropping right
across the board, BBC, ITV and so on. Television
and film in Scotland are in crisis." The BBC has
slashed spending in Scotland by £20m, most of it
due to a cut in the number of network programmes
being made - those shown across the UK such as
the flagship Monarch Of The Glen. In its annual
report, the BBC revealed its spending on
television programmes in Scotland fell from
£105m in 2005-2006 to £85m in 2006-2007, down
almost 20%. But at the same time spending in
Wales increased from £66m to £71m, and in
Northern Ireland from £37m to £49m. In the
English regions the amount spent was also up,
from £267m to £300m. PAUL'S NOTE; HERE WE
GO AGAIN, THE BBC IS ENGLISH TV AND NOT BOTHERED
ABOUT SCOTLAND, IT NOW BECOMES PLAINLY OBVIOUS
EH!
1
June 2007. A RECORD number of Scottish beaches
have gained the coveted Blue Flag or Seaside
Award status in the annual battle to reach
European Union standards, it was revealed today.
Seven Scottish beaches - one fewer than last
year - and one marina have this year been
awarded a coveted Blue Flag, the international
benchmark for water quality and cleanliness. The
seven beaches awarded the Blue Flag this year
are Montrose in Angus, Broughty Ferry near
Dundee and five beaches in Fife - Aberdour
Silver Sands, Burntisland, Elie Harbour, St
Andrews East Sands and St Andrews West Sands.
Nairn beach in Moray, which won a Blue Flag last
year, has been dropped from the list and instead
gained a Seaside Award. Blue Flag beaches are
judged against 29 criteria which include bathing
water quality, litter management, provision of
environmental information and safety measures.
Seaside Award beaches have to meet more than 15
of the criteria.
IONA AND MULL
GATHERINGS THE man was little to be
envied, wrote that curmudgeonly genius, Dr
Samuel Johnson, "whose piety would not grow
warmer among the ruins of Iona". Next
weekend sees Iona and its larger island
neighbour, Mull, hosting two Gaelic praise
traditions, which should more than satisfy
the ecumenical credentials of the
60-year-old Iona Community, and make
stunning listening, regardless of one's
beliefs. Next Friday 8 June to Sunday ,
Fèill Chaluim Chille - a festival of
Scottish and Irish Gaelic culture - will
host such Celtic music stars as Scotland's
Capercaillie, Ireland's Kíla and the
Scots-Irish-Cape Breton fusion of Dàimh in a
1,000-plus capacity marquee at Torosay
Castle on Mull. The bill also features Kerry
accordionist Seamus Begley and Scots fiddler
Aidan O'Rourke and friends, as well as a
host of other performers from Scotland,
Ireland and the Isle of Man. The festival
celebrates the pan-Celtic Saint Columba, but
also marks the tenth anniversary of what was
originally Iomairt Cholm Cille - the Columba
Initiative, established to foster greater
links between Scottish and Irish Gaeldom.
But apart from the big names, there is a
particularly appropriate resonance in the
appearance of two choirs - Cor Cúil Aodha,
from the village of Coolea in the south-west
Cork Gaeltacht, and the Gaelic Psalm Singers
from Lewis, both of whom perform in Iona on
Friday evening and (with local
schoolchildren and choirs from Ireland's
Aran islands) in a Saturday morning choral
celebration at Iona Abbey, these days
magnificently restored.
MAY 27, 2007. The Scots boy racer
who beat the odds to become a legend
Dario
Franchitti, Indianapolis 500 winner On
Sunday, the 34-year-old became the first
Scot in more than four decades to claim one
of American motorsport's most esteemed
prizes. After a gruelling 166 laps in
torrential rain, the Bathgate native took
the chequered flag at the 91st Indianapolis
500, emulating the legendary Jim Clark's
achievement in 1965. As Franchitti himself
declared with no little humour in the
build-up to the race, it is the "Superbowl,
or the Academy Awards with wheels". Boasting
a total purse in excess of $10 million
(£5.04 million).
SUNDAY 13 MAY Epic
film quest for Rome's lost Scottish legion -
we told you of
this absolutely ages ago, remember? IT IS a
timeless tale that has been cherished by
generations of spellbound schoolchildren: a
mighty force of Roman troops disappears without
trace after marching into Scotland to subdue
rebellious Celtic tribes. The Ninth Legion.
After several false starts by other directors,
Macdonald believes he will be the first to make
a feature film of Rosemary Sutcliff's celebrated
historical yarn. He wants to create a
swords-and-sandals "western", filmed on location
in Scotland, in which the Romans speak with
American accents. Sutcliff's 1954 novel is set
in Scotland after the building of Hadrian's Wall
and recounts the story of a young Roman's search
to discover the truth behind the disappearance
of his father, who was a member of the Ninth
Legion. The 4,000 elite Roman troops marched
into Scotland in a bid to subdue the pugnacious
indigenous Celtic tribes but, according to
legend, they vanished without trace and were
never seen again. (Paul's note; so don't
mess withus then, a lesson). The origins of the
real Ninth Legion are uncertain, though it
distinguished itself in Spain around 24BC and
became known as the Legio IX Hispana. It also
served in Germany, Hungary and Africa, before
probably joining the 40,000-strong army
assembled to invade Britain in 43AD. There is
evidence to suggest the Ninth was stationed at
Eboracum (York) from 71AD. But the Romans never
subdued the northern Celtic tribes - variously
referred to as Brigantes, Caledonians and Picts
- who repeatedly launched raids into the mighty
Roman Empire. The Romans began construction of
Hadrian's Wall around 120AD, in an attempt to
keep the hordes at bay. It is much the same time
the Ninth Legion disappears off the page of
history, with many concluding they must have
been sent to Scotland and were slaughtered by
the ferocious paint-anointed mountain warriors.
(Paul again; so, we are to have another
blockbuster as we did for Braveheart, bring it
on!)
HISTORICAL NOTE: Unlike England, Scotland
was never considered part of the Roman Empire
although the Romans did advance into Scotland
several times during their 300-odd years in
Britain. Their first foray north was made in 79
or 80 AD by Cnaeus Julius Agricola from
Carlisle, reaching as far as Perthshire. Later
expeditions in 82 and 83 established forts as
far north as Aberdeenshire and the following
year Agricola's forces defeated the native
Caledonii at Mons Graupius. However, most of his
forts were abandoned shortly after and by 118,
the effective limit of Roman rule was marked by
Hadrian's Wall (named after the emperor
Hadrian), a defensive barrier running across the
north of England between the Tyne and the
Solway. During the 140s, the Romans tried to
move their border northwards and built a new
defensive barrier, the Antonine Wall, between
the Forth and the Clyde. For the next forty or
fifty years, the Romans regularly occupied and
abandoned this position in favour of the
security of Hadrian's Wall. Between 208 and 211,
the Emperor Septimus Severus conducted a major
campaign against the Caledonii and other tribes
from major camps based around the Tay and Angus.
When Severus died in 211, the Romans retreated
again to Hadrian's Wall. The final incursions
came a century after Severus but this time, the
Picts (a confederation of tribes based north of
the Forth) fought back and by 367 had overrun
Hadrian's Wall which the Legions finally
abandoned in 400.
12 May; SCOTTISH fishermen yesterday won a key
victory in their battle to prove the sustainability of
stocks of monkfish in northern waters - only three
months after the supermarket group Asda (part of
Walmart) halted the sale of the species. The store chain
sparked a storm of protest in the fishing industry
earlier this year by announcing plans to stop selling
monkfish in response to concerns the company had about
the species' long-term survival. But it has now been
revealed that the leading environmental pressure group,
the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), has taken
monkfish from northern stocks off its "fish to avoid"
list, following a recent meeting with representatives of
the Scottish white fish fleet. An MCS spokeswoman said
scientific evidence, compiled by Dr Chevonne Laurenson
from the NAFC Marine Centre at Scalloway in Shetland,
suggested there had been a "significant increase" in the
abundance of the stock over the past five years and that
there were no biological indicators to suggest monkfish
was being exploited at unsustainable levels. Mike Park,
the executive chairman of the Scottish White Fish
Producers' Association, said the industry had made big
sacrifices to protect stocks. "The removal of monkfish
from the MCS 'fish to avoid' list is acknowledgement of
measures we have deployed to protect the environment,"
he said.
... continuing a story we mentioned a wee while back
.....
 |
JACOBITE's
clash with Redcoats - once again with
their Hanoverian foes yesterday in a
dramatic re-creation of one of the most
brutal encounters in Scottish history.
Dozens of actors gathered for a rendition of
the Battle of Culloden that will form a
groundbreaking audiovisual spectacle at a
new visitor attraction to open at the end of
the summer. Previous attempts at the
filming, at Lauder Moor in the Borders, had
to be abandoned due to extreme cold last
month. The state-of-the-art £9m Culloden
visitor centre, near Inverness, will double
the size of its 1960s predecessor. Visitors
will enjoy an "immersion experience". The
battle in 1746 saw 5,000 clansmen face a
9,000-strong Hanoverian army. It resulted in
1,250 Jacobite deaths and effectively ended
Jacobite hopes of restoring the exiled
Stuart dynasty to the throne of Britain and
it saw the old ways of the highlander vanish
forever! |
Walk
of the week - GLEN TROOL, GALLOWAY
This
walk passes the site of a major
Scots victory over the English, in a
battle that led eventually to
Bannockburn and one of the nation's
proudest moments. There is a
memorial to mark the spot, and the
route is well marked by the Forestry
Commission. Stout footwear is
needed, and you should take the
usual precautions for walking in a
remote area.
Distance
Five miles.
Height climbed Undulating - 500ft in
total.
Time Three to four hours.
Map OS Landranger 77.
Park In
Caldons car park. Turn right at
marker-post 49, a mile and a half
past Glentrool visitor centre - the
car park is on the left just before
a bridge. Walk Cross the bridge over
the Water of Trool, then take a path
to the left. (If you go right here
and follow the path for a few
hundred yards, you reach a memorial
to six Covenanters shot dead in
1685.) The path to the left follows
the Southern Upland Way (SUW), along
the river and over a wooden
footbridge, then through woods to
another bridge. Cross the bridge and
bear right at the SUW marker-post,
up an increasingly steep path
through conifers. The path then
drops down to the edge of Loch
Trool, opposite Glentrool Lodge.
Continue along the undulating path,
passing Maiden Isle, which lies
closer to the far (north) bank. A
little further is the site of the
Battle of Glentrool, where Robert
the Bruce, with only a small force,
defeated 2,000 English soldiers in
1307, seven years before
Bannockburn. After the battle site
information board, climb some steps
and carry on past the edge of a
plantation, eventually dropping down
and turning left towards a stile.
Cross the stile and take the
footbridge on the left, over the
Glenhead burn, then go left along a
path, leaving the SUW. Once at a
track, go left and then through a
wooden gate, before crossing the
Gairland burn. After a kissing gate
by a cattle grid, the track rises up
towards Buchan. Ignoring a path to
the lodge on the left, carry on up
and then to the left, dropping down
to Buchan Bridge, where the burn
cascades below. Keep going uphill
and round two sharp bends, then turn
left to see Bruce's Stone (the
memorial to the battle) - from here
you get great views of the loch and
valley. Return to the track and go
left. You pass Glentrool Lodge after
about three-quarters of a mile, and
300 yards after the gates you take a
path on the left - signed with a
white marker-post. The path rises
through a forest plantation and then
drops back down to the loch before
bearing right. About three-quarters
of a mile further on, you reach the
Water of Trool and a path that leads
back to the car park. Refreshments
The café in the visitor centre does
very good soup. Alternatively, try
the House o' Hill hotel at
Bargrennan, located two miles before
the visitor centre after turning off
the A714 from Newton Stewart.
APRIL 2007
Board meeting
It's a far cry from
Bondi, but for the surfing fraternity Thurso is the
place to be this month. Professional surfers from
across the globe are heading north to Caithness and
the O'Neill Highland Open, part of the World
Qualifying Series tour, with a prize purse of
125,000 (£64,000). The surf breaks in Thurso are
rated among the top 20 in the world. It's no
surprise to learn that Thurso is widely recognised
by surfers as the coldest event on the World
Qualifying Series circuit. "It's kind of amusing,"
says Heddle. "You get guys from Brazil and Hawaii
coming in to try on wetsuits - they've obviously
never needed a wetsuit before they encountered the
Pentland Firth." But it's all part of the great
surfing experience - or so Heddle assures those who
think charging into the Firth, even in a wetsuit, is
an activity bordering on lunacy. "It's hard to
describe surfing to people who don't do it," he
acknowledges. "But the buzz you get from riding the
waves is something else, believe me." The huge
popularity of events such as the Highland Open
certainly seems to endorse that sentiment, and Andy
Bain is delighted that the Thurso event has now been
upgraded to a six-star contest, in recognition of
its status as one of the most progressive in
competitive surfing. "We were rated so well
last year that this year we're at level six," he
explains. "This means that 10 per cent of the top
surfers in the world will come here to compete for a
place in the surfing world championships. That's
pretty good, I reckon." Scottish surfing champion
Malcolm Findlay has no qualms about endorsing that.
"Thurso East has its own special character, much the
same as a fine malt whisky stands apart from its
rivals," he says. For professionals such as Findlay,
surfing Thurso is a great experience because of,
rather than despite of, the unpredictability of the
waves and weather. The fickle conditions all add
value to the experience - especially when the
first-time visitor encounters a popular surfing spot
known universally as "the s*** pipe". "There are two
really good surfing breaks at Thurso East," says
Findlay. "One is in front of Thurso Castle and the
other is to the right of an old sewage outlet pipe
into the bay - now thankfully defunct. "We get
Aussie surfing aces coming over and asking, 'Right
mate. Where's this s*** pipe?'" The O'Neill
Highland Open runs from 26 April to 1 May. For more
details, visit
www.oneilleurope.com/highlandopen
Repaint the town red, yellow, blue
ITS multi-coloured façade is an
iconic, picture postcard image known to millions
of television viewers. But the famous harbour
front of Tobermory is taking on the appearance
of a "shabby, neglected backwater" according to
locals. Now Argyll and Bute Council is being
accused of failing to properly maintain Mull's
main town, known to many as the backdrop for the
BBC children's programme Balamory. In a stinging
letter to Allan Macaskill, the council leader,
Michael Asher, director of Tobermory Harbour
Association, has claimed that local people are
becoming "ashamed" of their town and urges
action. Mr Asher's wish-list of improvements
includes the resurfacing of the town's main
street, restoration of all street signs, the
repair and painting of railings, lampposts and
public toilets, and a general tidy-up of the
Ledaig car park by the marina. He said his
letter was inspired by locals with serious
concerns about the lack of maintenance: "We all
pay our rates as required and in return we
expect maintenance work to be carried out by our
council to restore the fabric of our environment
to an acceptable level. "Tobermory has taken on
the appearance of a shabby, neglected backwater
and we are becoming ashamed of it." Mr Asher
said the town attracts hundreds of coach tours
and an increasing number of cruise ships each
year, adding: "Tourists coming in to Tobermory
will be met with shocking roads, shabby
lampposts and toilets which have not been
painted in years and broken railings." He said
it would take a relatively small investment from
the council to maintain facilities. See!
We don't only bring you those nicey nicey
stories where everything is happy as Larry, we
are honest and aye, we agree with the complaint.
Tob is getting a wee bit dour and does need a
lick of paint, hopefully it will! Paul Mc.
Scottish Cup ill-served by muddled coverage
THERE are some
football tournaments, such as the World Cup and
European Championships, in which every ball
kicked is televised and re-televised, analysed
to death then prodded back into life before
being dissected again. There are some, such as
the FA Premiership, in which enough matches are
shown to give us a reasonable cross-section of
what is going on. Then there are others where
there is little or no apparent connection
between what is shown on TV and what is actually
relevant to the outcome. The Scottish Cup, alas,
has been placed firmly in the latter category
these past couple of seasons. Games you don't
want to see are trailed for days then presented
as if they were the apex of sporting excellence,
while others you wouldn't mind catching a
glimpse of are left out entirely, reduced at
best to that most lowly of TV presence, 30
seconds of 'news' footages a day or two after
they happened. Take this season's competition,
for example. The BBC, which has the right to
show two games at any stage before the final,
opted for Aberdeen-Hibernian in the third round,
then Motherwell-St Johnstone at the
quarter-final stage. That left the company
unable to show last weekend's semi-final between
Hibs and Dunfermline, and, as Sky had already
opted to show St Johnstone's clash with Celtic,
the two East Coast teams played before a
live-in-person audience of approximately 25,000
and a live-on-TV audience of exactly zero. In
the event, the game was not exactly gripping,
and ended goalless after 90 minutes. Which means
there will be a replay on Tuesday, which Sky -
as their entitlement is one original match and
one replay per round - will be able to screen.
This time, though, the problem, rather than lack
of exposure as was the case with the original
tie, is going to be too much. The fact that ITV
is showing a fairly attractive-looking Champions
League semi-final between Manchester United and
AC Milan the same night should knock a few
thousand more off the Hampden attendance. So in
the end, what should be one of the highlights of
the Scottish football calendar will be played
before a small crowd, watched on the box by a
small audience, and generally devalued.
In my view (Paul) the BBC are totally
uninterested and biased towards Scotland.
The English media in general are the same.
Diners fuel new oyster cult
THEY were once so common that ale houses would
offer complimentary bowls of them to customers,
to be eaten by the handful. But native Scottish
oysters fell on hard times, to the point that
wild examples of the species hold protected
status. However, a resurgence in the popularity
of the shellfish - including its appearance on
the menus of London's top restaurants - has
prompted an 85 per cent rise in production,
according to the Scottish Shellfish Farm
Production Survey. At the peak of production,
during the 18th and 19th centuries, 30 million
native oysters were being produced per year
around the country - in Edinburgh alone, it is
estimated that 20 million were consumed in one
year - supporting a thriving industry, including
exports. James McCallum, a Scottish Natural
Heritage spokesman, explained why the native
oyster had lost favour. "In the past,
over-harvesting, diseases and chemical pollution
were all factors in the species' decline, while
today the biggest threat to the recovery of them
is the unlawful harvesting from sea lochs," he
said. "Collection of native oysters is unlawful
without consent from the Crown Estate." Despite
describing them as very difficult to open and
"quite ugly" compared with the average oyster,
Mr Cumming said he would still like to have them
on his menu. "I would love to serve them. I
think they would probably cook up quite well,"
he said. "I would probably just do them simply,
with a dash of lemon juice, and serve them that
way." Chef Martin Wishart uses native oysters in
his Leith restaurant: "They have a much nuttier,
more iodine taste than other types," he said. "I
have served them in certain dishes, dropped into
them at the last moment or chopped up. If a
certain dish requires it to bring forward the
taste, then we will use them."
SO
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
SCOTTISH THE native, or Scottish, flat oyster
(Ostrea edulis) are virtually all dredged, legally,
from wild stocks, and some of these may be re-laid
to grow and "fatten" on inshore beds. The process of
fattening helps the oysters to become plump and
succulent, but they actually contain almost no fat,
as the reserves they build up are mainly glycogen,
which is a carbohydrate. Native oysters spawn in the
summer, and so are not marketed in the UK from May
to the end of August.
PACIFIC THE Pacific oyster
(Crassostrea gigas) was introduced to the UK during
the 1970s and is cultivated in hatcheries, then
grown to market size in suitable areas. Techniques
for on-growing Pacific oysters commonly involve use
of plastic mesh bags fastened onto steel or timber
trestles with rubber bands. The best farming areas
are sheltered sites, such as Scotland's Loch Etive
and Loch Fyne, where some mixing of marine and fresh
water occurs.
Spring 2007. Film-makers restage Battle of
Culloden - 200 miles away in the Borders
IN TERMS of its accurate portrayal of the realities
of war, it will compare to the opening scenes of
Saving Private Ryan. The costumes will be authentic
and the weapons replicas of those used in the heat
of battle. However, one aspect of a filmed
re-enactment of the Battle of Culloden will not be
real - the scene of the battle itself. The
five-minute film is to be shot as the centrepiece of
a new £10 million visitor centre at the battlefield,
near Inverness. But due to sensitivities over
filming at the real site on Drumossie Moor, the
shooting will instead take place on Lauder Moor,
about 200 miles to the south, in the Borders. The
Culloden site still includes the graves of some of
those who fought in the 1746 battle between the
Jacobites, under Prince Charles Edward Stuart, and
the government troops, led by the Duke of
Cumberland. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS),
which owns the site, says it is not appropriate to
film the re-enactment on a war grave. Deirdre Smyth,
its property manager, said: "It wouldn't be right to
have people running around the battlefield in
costume and making a film. More than 300
professional actors and volunteers drawn from
re-enactment societies will be recruited to take
part in the film. Alexander Bennett, the project
co-ordinator at the NTS, said the film would be the
centrepiece of its new exhibition and would be shown
on floor-to-ceiling screens: it is known as an
immersion theatre.
"We
will immerse the visitor into the heart of the
battle," he said. "They will be in the thick of it
as we try to demonstrate the brutality of war and
show people the awfulness of this conflict and what
it must have been like to be part of it. People will
be leaving possibly feeling terrified, and we are
not holding back on that. War is a brutal thing and
why should we hide the truth?" He went on:
"Some of the costumes will be produced especially
for the film, but we hope to also use existing
costumes. We will also use existing or replica
weapons - there are huge banks of these things
available nowadays, as there have been many
productions of this type in recent years. The
new visitor centre is due to open in August as part
of the Highland Year of Culture. It will tell the
story from both sides of the last battle fought on
mainland Britain. The NTS has already raised more
than £6.5 million in grants for the project and a
public appeal aims to raise a further £500,000
towards the cost. No decision has yet been taken on
who will officially open the new centre.
JACOBITES' LAST STAND
CULLODEN was the scene of the last major battle
fought on mainland Britain. The conflict on 16
April, 1746, was the Jacobites' last stand in the
failed '45 rebellion, led by Prince Charles Edward
Stuart, against government troops under the Duke of
Cumberland. The fighting was over in less than
an hour, ending Jacobite hopes of restoring the
Stuart dynasty to the throne. It was not a
Scotland v England, or Highland v Lowland, affair -
the Jacobite side included both Highlanders and
Lowland units, while the government army was joined
by the Argyll militia and Highland clans.
April
12 2007. Scots VC hero of
Crimean War gets memorial at last
ONE
of Scotland's forgotten war heroes
was finally given permanent
recognition yesterday - more than
120 years after being buried in a
pauper's grave. Serving soldiers
were joined by Second World War
veterans during a dedication service
honouring Sergeant James McKechnie.
The Scots Fusilier Guard was one of
the first men to be awarded the
Victoria Cross when he won the medal
for gallantry during the Crimean
War. But he later fell on hard
times. About 80 people yesterday
gathered at the Eastern Necropolis
in Glasgow where Sgt McKechnie was
buried in an unmarked grave. The
regimental padre, Angus Kerr, led
the dedication service and paid
tribute to Sgt McKechnie, who was
born in 1826 in Paisley,
Renfrewshire. Mr McKechnie was a
28-year-old sergeant in the Crimea -
in modern-day Ukraine - when he made
history. On 20 September, 1854, at
the Battle of the Alma, his
battalion was thrown into disorder
amid withering enemy fire when a
pole carrying the Queen's Colour was
smashed and its silk riddled with
bullets. But Sgt McKechnie turned
the tide when he held up his
revolver and dashed forward,
rallying the men around the flag.
The Scot was wounded in the action
but became one of the first to be
awarded the VC during its
inauguration in 1857. The crosses
were cast out of the bronze of two
cannon captured from the Russians at
the siege of Sebastopol in the
Crimea. Sgt McKechnie retired from
the army following 22 years of
service and moved back to Glasgow.
The hero married relatively late in
life but his wife is thought to have
died soon afterwards and he passed
away on 5 July, 1886, not long after
her death. He was 59 years old.
William Brockie, the secretary of
The Scots Guards Association, said:
"He was one of the first people
awarded the VC and it's very sad
that he was laid to rest in a
pauper's grave. "The dedication
service was the right thing to do
because it was high time he was
given a burial with the military
honours he deserves." The
Edinburgh-based firm Abercorn
Memorials donated the 27in grey
granite headstone, worth £500, and
it was put into place last week. Sgt
McKechnie's VC medal is kept in a
vault at the Scots Guards'
regimental headquarters in London,
but a replica is on display.
April 2007. Sir Sean would quit
Bahamas for an independent Scottish nation
SIR Sean Connery has
said he will return to his native Scotland if it is
granted independence, born in Edinburgh's
Fountainbridge but left Scotland more than half a
century ago. Sir Sean, 76, moved to London in the
Fifties, then to Spain in the Seventies. In 1999 he
took up residence in the Bahamas, where he still
lives, with his second wife, the painter Micheline
Roquebrune. But in an interview with a Sunday
newspaper the former James Bond actor said he would
"look forward" to coming home to an independent
Scotland. He says Scottish independence would offer
further opportunities for his goodwill activities.
Lewis ferries report throws Highland
Sabbath overboard. Easter 2007.
IT IS the last
bastion in the fight against outside interference in
the Highland Sabbath. Sunday sailings to the Isle of
Lewis had been ruled as totally against the will of
the Lord, but that could be about to change after
the economic benefits have been taken into account.
A £15,000 report commissioned by the local council
has said that Sabbath sailings from Ullapool in
Wester Ross to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides could
create jobs. As a result, battlelines have
been drawn, with traditionalists fiercely trying to
protect the day of rest while supporters of a
seven-day a week economy say their cause has been
boosted. The Stornoway-Ullapool ferry service is one
of the Caledonian MacBrayne's busiest routes and
carries 92,000 passengers a year. The main vessel,
the Isle of Lewis, is the biggest Cal-Mac ship,
carrying 680 passengers and 92 cars, and taking
two-and-a-half hours to cover the 42-mile crossing.
"Tourism would receive a boost because the lack of a
seven day service... suppresses the island's ability
to penetrate the short break market [as] some people
wish to return home on Sunday for work on Monday. It
causes bunching of demand in hotels in Stornoway,
with the knock-on effect of losing bookings to the
island as a whole." A spokesman for the Western
Isles Council, which is known officially by its
Gaelic title of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said that
the report would be discussed in detail after the
local authority elections next month.
Day of rest from sheep shearing to
hanging out the laundry. April 07.
Presbyterianism in
its present form arrived in the Outer Hebrides in
the 1820s and 1830s, as freelance preachers,
equipped with newly-available copies of the Gaelic
Bible, packed out churches and revivalist meetings.
Many of those church-goers then plumped for the new
Free Church. The only works allowed are "works of
necessity and mercy" such as cooking dinner,
rescuing a sheep from a ditch, working as a nurse in
a hospital, a GP on call, a firefighter or a police
officer. However, shopping, unnecessary travel,
school homework, cutting peats, computer games,
planting crops, shearing sheep, sports, housework,
watching TV, knitting and gardening are generally
out and many will take offence at incomers, or
locals for that matter, who hang their washing out
on a Sunday. Individual households and churches will
have their own variations. The very strict might ban
whistling, washing the dishes, the use of scissors
or colouring pens, listening to services on radio or
tape, and using public transport, even to go to
church. The Western Isles are not uniformly Free
Kirk, or even completely Presbyterian. While the
northern islands of Lewis, Harris, Scalpay, Berneray
and North Uist are mainly Protestant, the 'Southern
Isles' of South Uist, Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay
are largely Roman Catholic.
Do
you believe in fairies?
IF YOU had asked your
great-great-grandmother if she believed in fairies,
she would have looked at you askance. Believe in
fairies? Of course she did! Ninety-five per cent of
Scots continued to believe in fairies right up until
the middle of the 19th century. These were not the
diminutive, be-winged fairies of 1800s children's
books. No, these were strange folk who bewitched
you, killed your cattle and kidnapped your wives and
daughters. Fairy lore flowed through the centuries,
their presence acknowledged in ballads, poems and
stories. They came in all shapes and sizes and
different parts of Scotland had different myths.
Even today they are remembered in the fairy glens
and fairy hills found in every part of Scotland.
There's no question that they existed. John Frances
Campbell of Islay was one of the first to go into
print with his new theory. "I believe there once was
a small race of people in these islands," he wrote
in 1860. Campbell’s theory remained speculative
until a remarkable archaeological discovery in 2004
on the Indonesian island of Flores. The skeletal
remains of a dwarf man, similar to modern humans,
were discovered in a cave. Carbon dating proved that
this small humanoid co-existed with modern man and
may have survived until fairly recently. In light of
this discovery, Indonesian folk tales of "little
people" are being re-evaluated and questions are
being asked if these abnormally small people have
been living with us all along.
Whilst it seems unlikely that a race of little
people were hiding in the woods of Scotland, the
commonality of fairy lore still demands some
universal explanation. One man not afraid to stand
up and state his belief is Sir Iain Noble, the owner
of Hotel Eilean Iarmain on the Isle of Skye.
"There's
no question that they existed. They most definitely
did," Noble insists. "We have two fairy houses quite
close by and we have records of conversations
between fairies and people on the island." Nobel is
referring to the houses at Glenn an Uird, but
so-called fairy houses cover Skye like a rash. The
island is particularly rich with fairy stories and
these underground homes have long been regarded as
the doorways the fairies, or
na
Sithein,
used between their world and our own. "From 1000BC
onwards, the Iron Age people were prevalent in
Skye," says Martin Wildgoose, an archaeologist who
helped in the excavation of the fairy houses and
concedes there could be a fact-based explanation for
fairies. "They were probably much smaller than us,
and they lived in turfed underground houses.
WANT A new flag? Ask a postie.
April 07. When Orkney council
decided to create a new standard to represent the
island chain, help arrived from an unexpected
source. Its centuries-old banner could not be made
official because Scotland's heraldry supremo ruled
it was too similar to other existing emblems. So
postman Duncan Tullock set to work with his
grandchildren's crayons. Now his blue, yellow and
red design will flutter over the islands forever -
even though it bears a suspicious similarity to the
flag of Norway. Tullock's blue and yellow Nordic
cross on a red background was voted the most popular
standard out of 100 designs submitted to the
council. Tullock, who lives in Birsay, the ancient
capital of Orkney, said: "I was absolutely delighted
when I heard that my design had been chosen for the
new flag. "I am not a designer but I just thought I
would have a go, and used the grand-bairns' crayons
and one of their colouring books. It took a couple
of hours to get it right.
"The red and yellow are there because
they are in the traditional Orkney flag. Red is the
Orkney colour and the yellow is in recognition of
both the royal standards of Scotland and of Norway,
and it's the colour of the sand on the beaches. The
blue in the flag is for the sea all around us." The
islands' council asked its 20,000 inhabitants to
choose from a shortlist after being told that its
traditional banner - the red and yellow cross of St
Magnus - could not be made official by the Lord
Lyon. The Cross of St Magnus is believed to date
from the 14th century when it was the flag used by
the temporary union of Sweden, Denmark and Norway,
and by extension Orkney and Shetland. But the Lord
Lyon, who rules on Scottish heraldry, told the
council the St Magnus cross was too similar to a
number of designs, including the old arms of the
Kingdom of Ulster. Islanders were told that if they
wanted an official banner they would have to come up
with something fresh. There are now plans to
"saturate" the islands with the new flag in a grand
display of Orkney pride.
DISGUISES WHO WON THROUGH
Disguised as cows , in long dark frocks a squad of troops
under the Earl of Douglas were able to get to the foot of
the battlements at the previously impregnable castle of
Roxburgh, then scale the walls, overwhelm the garrison and
capture it! The attack, against the English garrison
took place in 1314
and was a major psychological victory.
Bonnie Prince Charlie , who escaped dressed as Flora
MacDonald's maid Betty Burke, after Culloden, may have
learned his art from his father, the Auld Pretender, James
VIII. On his way to the 1715 Jacobite uprising, he
vrossed France dressed as a priest.
THE ELUSIVE HAGGIS OF SCOTLAND
One of our best loved creatures, the haggis, a shy
creature of the heather clad hills who forage for berries,
heather, neeps and tatties. The term for a group of haggii
is a humph, or as most often heard of as a herd.
Because haggis are hill creatures they have developed one
leg longer than the other, being the left or right depending
on territory. Haggis is the main feature dish of a
Burns Supper held each January 25th. It is worth a
mention, that as haggis are so rare you will be lucky indeed
to actually see one in its natural habitat. Wish to
join in a haggis hunt? contact
info@mcleanscotland.co.uk
Thanks to Jim Hewitson's Scottish Miscellany, a great book
to savour over a whisky by a log fire!
SHINTY - SCOTLAND'S OLDEST GAME
SHINTY is a game unique to Scotland and one of the oldest
games in the world. fast moving and skillful - there
is no other spectator sport like it! It is played by
two teams of twelve each player armed with a stick called a
caman (the gaelic for shinty |
