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One of the UK’s oldest heritage societies has launched a global £1.5 million campaign to secure a permanent home in Edinburgh, with a deadline of January 2027 to complete the purchase.  The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, founded in 1780 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783, is seeking to buy a B-listed property on a site within Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once part of the historic southern gateway to the city. The building has been offered to the charity at a fixed price if purchased by January 2027. The Society is contributing £600,000 from its own investments and must raise the remaining £1.5 million.

For nearly 250 years, the Society has supported archaeological and historical research. Its early Fellows contributed collections that formed the foundation of the Scottish history and archaeology galleries for the National Museum of Scotland. Today it connects more than 2,700 Fellows across six continents and reaches millions of people annually through media and digital channels, including recorded lectures and open access publications.

Scotland’s first national heritage hub

Despite this historic role, the Society currently operates from an inaccessible top-floor flat within the National Museum of Scotland complex which limits its ability to engage with the public and collaborate across the sector. The project would establish Scotland’s first national heritage hub. Here, academics, visitors and anyone curious about Scotland’s past can explore their heritage and engage directly with the work of protecting Scotland’s history.

The campaign carries added significance as the Society approaches its 250^th anniversary in 2030. Diana Murray CBE HonFSAScot, President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said: ”For centuries, this small corner of Edinburgh has been a gateway to Scotland’s past. We now have a rare and time-limited opportunity to secure this building and open our doors properly for the first time in our modern history, ensuring that Scotland’s past belongs to everyone, at home and across the world.”

Dr Simon Gilmour FSAScot, Director of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, added: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of opportunity, affordability and historic significance. The building sits at the very heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter, beside the National Museum of Scotland, within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in an area attracting more than ten million visitors a year. We invite everyone who cares about Scotland’s past to help us secure it.”

Architectural and historic significance

Located on the corner of Bristo Port and Bristo Place, this B-listed property holds special architectural and historic significance, standing on ground that has witnessed more than five centuries of Scottish history. Bristo Place was once the southern gateway into Edinburgh, entered through Bristo Port, a fortified arch built in 1515 as part of the Flodden Wall. In 1503, Margaret Tudor entered the city here through a grand Renaissance arch to marry King James IV, marking the Treaty of Perpetual Peace between Scotland and England. Nearby, in 1638, the National Covenant was signed at Greyfriars Kirk, another turning point in the nation’s story, and later the doomed Darien project was directed from a house on Bristo Place.

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is an independent membership charity which actively supports the study and enjoyment of Scotland’s past. The Society’s purpose is “to investigate both antiquities and natural and civil history in general, with the intention that the talents of humanity should be cultivated and that the study of natural and useful sciences should be promoted.”

Professor Ewan is Professor Emerita of Scottish Studies and History at the University of Guelph and one of Canada’s leading authorities on Scottish and medieval history and has been a Fellow of the Society since 1985. She said:  “From Canada I have seen first-hand how deeply Scotland’s history runs in people across the world. The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland has been at the heart of Scottish historical scholarship for nearly 250 years, connecting researchers and heritage enthusiasts across the globe. A permanent home would transform what the Society can offer to that global community.”

Dr Lorna Barrow FSAScot, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, editor of the Journal of the Sydney Society for Scottish History, former researcher on the Australian edition of Who Do You Think You Are?, and recipient of the Celtic Council of Australia’s Duine Urramach award for services to Scottish heritage, said: “Scotland’s story belongs to people on every continent and nowhere is that truer than here in Australia where Scottish heritage runs deep in our national story. Helping the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland secure a permanent home is something the global Scottish community should rally behind.”

For more information, visit: www.socantscot.org.   

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In June 2026, the grounds of Scone Palace—long regarded as the spiritual heart of Scottish kingship—will once again echo with the clash of arms. This time, however, history is not simply being remembered; it is being lived anew. Among those taking the field is Andrew McKinnon of New South Wales, Australia: an armiger of Clan MacKinnon, his arms granted by the Court of the Lord Lyon, and serving as Gillie Mòr (swordbearer) for the clan.

He has been invited to compete in a full-contact medieval tournament on 20–21 June, representing Australia alongside fellow New South Welshman Rodney Deaman. Their opponents are not merely other competitors—but history itself.

Where kings were crowned

 

Few locations could be more fitting. Scone Palace stands near the ancient Moot Hill, where Scottish kings—including Robert the Bruce in 1306 and Charles II in 1651—were crowned upon the Stone of Destiny. Centuries later, the same ground will host a different kind of coronation: not of kings, but of courage, skill, and living tradition.

At the heart of the tournament lies something far rarer than sport: a true interclan contest. Not since the Battle of Mulroy in 1688—fought between MacDonald of Keppoch and Clan Mackintosh—have Scottish clans met in formalised combat. In that final clash of the old clan era, Clan MacKinnon stood alongside MacDonald of Keppoch.

Now, 338 years later, Clan MacKinnon once again takes the field—this time against Clan Murray. Representing Clan Murray is Roy Murray, serving as Gillie Mòr for his clan and fighting on home soil. Opposing him, Andrew McKinnon carries both the weight of his lineage and the distinction of representing Australia in what is believed to be the first international jousting contest between Australia and Scotland. Rounding out team Australia is Rodney Deaman, a highly experienced international competitor. Roy Murray’s teammate for Scotland will be experienced horsewoman Jane de Bleu. History, it seems, has come full circle.

The tournament will feature two principal disciplines:

• The joust—the thunder of hooves, the splintering of lances, and the timeless test of nerve and precision.
• Ground combat with poleaxes—a demanding and highly technical form of armoured fighting, requiring strength, control, and tactical awareness at close quarters.

For McKinnon and Deaman, this is not theatre, but the culmination of years of training in historical martial disciplines—where authenticity is matched by athleticism.

A clan story renewed

For Clan MacKinnon, the symbolism runs deep. To have stood in the last interclan battle of the old era, and now to take the field in the first of a new one, is a rare and powerful continuity. It speaks not only to heritage, but to resilience—the enduring identity of a clan whose story has crossed both centuries and continents. From the Hebrides to New South Wales, and now back again to the ancient seat of Scottish kings, the journey is as meaningful as the contest itself. “I am proud to represent both Australia and Clan MacKinnon. I feel a deep calling to serve the betterment of our Clan. Though small, we have achieved remarkable things throughout history, and I am in a unique position to win new renown for the MacKinnon name. Cuimhnich bàs Alpein.”

History, as the clans have always known, is not something left behind. It is something carried forward—into the field, and into the fight.

Beyond the tournament, this moment marks the beginning of a broader storytelling journey. Andrew McKinnon’s participation will form part of The Bard & the Blade, a developing series exploring Scottish history through lived experience—where scholarship meets steel, and where stories are not only told, but embodied. For history, as the clans have always known, is not something left behind. It is something carried forward—into the field, and into the fight.

Andrew McKinnon (gàidhlig – Anndra Mac Fhionghuin Nan Cath [Andrew McKinnon of the battles]) is an armiger of Clan MacKinnon and serves as Gillie Mòr (swordbearer) for the clan. Based in New South Wales, Australia, he trains in historical martial disciplines and represents both Australia and Clan MacKinnon in competitive medieval tournaments across the globe.

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A public appeal has been formally launched to help safeguard and transform National Mining Museum Scotland, which is home to a Recognised Collection of National Significance, Scotland’s first ‘super pit’, and the country’s last surviving colliery built in 1895.  The initiative aims to preserve the legacy of coal mining – an industry that powered the Industrial Revolution, drove innovation and social change, advanced workers’ rights, and shaped Scotland’s landscape. It has been designed to give everyone who has a passion for preserving Scotland’s national heritage an opportunity to ‘be part of’ the museum’s future.

The Be Part of Our Future appeal marks the launch of community centred, nationally significant initiative to preserve the memories of Scotland’s mining heritage. It is hoped it will support the museum in caring for and interpreting the nationally significant collections it houses, maintaining and repairing aspects of the A-listed colliery buildings and grounds; developing green energy and community initiatives; and enhancing the venue’s capacity to host community and cultural events across the site.

Launching the initiative, Mhairi Cross, CEO of National Mining Museum Scotland said: “This initiative is vital for the museum at this moment. This appeal brings together essential strands: raising financial support we need and gathering the stories and memories that keep Scotland’s mining heritage alive. Together, these strands strengthen our ability to honour the past while building the resilience the museum needs now, and in the years ahead. This is about preserving the experience of mining communities and ensuring that the museum remains strong enough to carry their stories forward.”

Living heritage site

Former mine worker at the Lady Victoria Colliery and Kilmarnock Mine Rescue Station, from a long family line of coal miners, Sinclair Sutherland (age 75) is supporting the museum in engaging young people with the appeal by telling his stories through a new series of child-led video interviews. Now a volunteer and family history researcher at the museum, he said: “I’m very pleased to support National Mining Museum Scotland and would urge everyone to ‘Be Part of Our Future’ in whatever way you can to protect this national treasure.  It is an incredible living heritage site which triggers memories and stories. It’s like our generation’s form of social media, allowing us to share the important learnings we had down the pits in a really visual and inspiring way.  There are not many heritage sites where you can meet and learn from the people who were involved. It is a real honour to represent the pit community, but we also want to make sure that our legacy lives on in the next generation. Younger people will be the tour guides of the future, and sharing stories as part of conversations will enable us to continue to deliver a unique, authentic, and worthwhile experience.”

Fellow interviewee, former timekeeper, Marion Brown age 90 from Newtongrange, agrees: “Working for the coal mines was so much more than just a job. From the social clubs and our cooperative stores to the landscapes and monuments, the industry made so many of the communities we know today and it’s important to remember that. It’s not just been part of our family heritage, it’s our national heritage and we must do all we can to preserve it and the living memories we still have access today.”

The Lady Victoria Colliery was opened in 1895 as Scotland’s first super-pit. It ceased production in 1981 and now serves as an example of one of the best-preserved Victorian Collieries in Europe. The National Mining Museum Scotland was established to make Scotland’s mining heritage relevant to everyone by embracing the legacy of Scotland’s mining communities and found in  Newtongrange, Midlothian.

For more information about the Museum’s ambitions for transformation or to donate to the Pithead Circle, visit www.nationalminingmuseum.com/ourfuture. To share a mining story or find out more about the museum’s Living Archive From the Depths of Coal, Rose the Scotland We Know, email: [email protected].

 

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Dressed to Kilt, the internationally recognized celebration of Scottish fashion, culture, and philanthropy, returned to New York City on April 11 at the New York Academy of Medicine for an evening that brought together standout talent from across Scotland, the UK, and the U.S. Co-founded by Sir Sean Connery and Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll, the event once again delivered a dynamic runway experience in support of the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Hosted by Dr. Carroll alongside Scottish television personality Danni Menzies, the show highlighted this year’s theme, Scotland Cool: Braveheart to Outlander, with a mix of heritage tartans and contemporary design.

A standout moment included the appearance of Miss Scotland 2026, Eilidh MacDonald, who walked in a bespoke Gwen Russell gown representing the next generation of Scottish cultural ambassadors. Scottish football legend John Collins also took to the runway, marking Scotland’s highly anticipated return to the global football stage.

Fashion and performance

The evening featured a dynamic mix of fashion and performance, including a U.S. debut by award-winning Scottish jazz vocalist Georgia Cecile and a high-energy appearance by rising boy band Just The Brave. Designers from across Scotland and beyond showcased collections that blended craftsmanship with innovation, including Carolyn Baxter, Prophetik by Jeff Garner, Calzeat, Strathmore Woollen Company, Lorna Gillies, Sandra Murray, and Red Label Kilts of Canada, led by designer Deana Lloy, whose presence added an international dimension to the runway.

The evening was further elevated by support from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which offered guests exclusive access to its global whisky program and introduced a custom event label, “Kilty Pleasures.”

This year’s show also marked two significant commercial announcements. The first was the launch of a new bespoke women’s design brand, Redmond Harvey of Scotland, founded by designer Holly Harvey. Known for one-of-a-kind dresses and gowns, the brand debuted a series of striking long tartan gowns on the runway, signaling a fresh and elevated direction in Scottish womenswear.

The second announcement introduced a landmark collaboration between Strathmore Woollen Company and the Navy SEAL Foundation. Strathmore will curate a range of products in the official Navy SEAL Foundation tartan, designed primarily for the women of the Navy SEAL community—including wives, mothers, daughters, and supporters. Following the show, these pieces will be available via the Navy SEAL Foundation’s e-commerce platform. This partnership represents the first collaboration of its kind between the Foundation and a Scottish company, celebrating both Scottish craftsmanship and the legacy of the SEAL community with a distinctive Highland influence.

True to its mission, Dressed to Kilt continues to serve as a platform for philanthropy, with proceeds benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation and several former Navy SEALs participating in the show. Blending culture, fashion, and purpose, the 2026 edition reinforced the event’s place as a distinctive and enduring highlight of New York’s cultural calendar.

All images courtesy of JP Yim/Getty Images for Dressed To Kilt.

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

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Archaeologists from the National Trust for Scotland have recovered an unexploded mortar shell, thought to have been fired by government artillery during the historic battle. The battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746 was a decisive defeat for the Jacobite army, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, at the hands of the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. Intact and gunpowder-packed when it was discovered, the 5.5-inch shell is the first piece of complete government ordnance found at Culloden battlefield and provides fresh evidence for the deployment and action of government and Jacobite forces at pivotal moments in the battle.

Many other projectiles, including cannon shot, musket balls and fragments of mortar shells, have been uncovered at Culloden, but never before has undetonated ordnance been found. Parts of the battlefield are on boggy ground, and it is thought the shell landed on wet ground and the fuse extinguished before it could ignite the powder. Weighing 8kg (17.5lb), heavier than the Jacobite’s three and four-pound cannonballs, the shell is thought to have been fired from one of the government army’s six Coehorn mortars. The Coehorn mortar was a lightweight, squat gun that shot explosive shells in high arcs over lines of troops. Fragments of other shells from Coehorn mortars have previously been found at Culloden and at Glen Shiel, where Coehorns were first used during a battle on British soil in June 1719, but the recent discovery is the first complete and unexploded example ever to have been recovered from a Jacobite battlefield.

The Culloden mortar shell was discovered in a field to the north-west of the Memorial Cairn by a team of archaeologists, metal-detectorists, and volunteers led by the National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology Derek Alexander and the University of Glasgow’s Professor Tony Pollard. The dig was part of a week-long programme of fieldwork, including digging test pits, machine trenching, metal detecting and mapping, at the Culloden Battlefield in October 2025. During the excavation, over 100 projectiles, including lead musket balls and pistol shot, were uncovered. Cleaning of the shell by conservator Will Murray at the Scottish Conservation Studio confirmed the presence of a bung, and digital x‑ray imaging demonstrated conclusively that the object was hollow with an internal chamber. The shell still retained part of its original plug, and plant fibres trapped in corrosion layers were also recovered for future analysis.

More secrets and stories to be uncovered at Culloden

Derek Alexander, The National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology, said: “This is a remarkable – dare I say, explosive – find of the kind archaeologists dream of, but never expect to encounter. Along with the other projectiles recovered, this discovery helps us better understand the formation of troops and concentration of fire during this brief, but brutal, battle. The mortars may have been aiming at the Jacobite artillery, so the place where the shell landed may mark the heart of the Culloden battlefield. The ground rises slightly in this area, providing a better vantage point, and it is adjacent to the old road along which artillery could’ve moved more easily, making it a plausible location for the Jacobite artillery positions. We have a more vivid image of how the battle played out, but the discovery also tells a human story. Mortar shells mark their path through the air with a smoke trail from the lit fuse, helping the government artillery officers to know how to adjust the length of the fuse to ensure maximum damage. This shell may have been a failed first shot. When it didn’t explode as expected, the Jacobite fighters standing nearby must have felt an immense relief. This is our fifth consecutive year of digging at Culloden, so it’s an ideal time to assess what we’ve found and consider how this work impacts on-site interpretation and the long-term management of the battlefield. We didn’t have high expectations for this previously unexplored area of the battlefield – acidic soil was thought to have impacted the preservation of artefacts, and the broken ground makes detecting difficult – so we’ve been invigorated by this unexpected discovery. It’s clear there are many more secrets and stories to be uncovered at Culloden. The mortar shell was found buried 30cm deep into the ground and items like these can only be found during professional excavations led by experienced archaeologists, so the battlefield remains safe to visitors. This shell has been cleaned and assessed now, making it safe to handle, and has ensured it is safe to go on display. These exciting finds are made possible by the work of our committed archaeology volunteers and team of local metal detectorists, and the continued generosity of our members and supporters. Professor Christopher Duffy not only made a lasting impact on the interpretation and protection of Culloden, but his hugely generous legacy donation has really expanded the range of our investigations.”

Cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, Culloden Battlefield was visited by over 366,000 people in 2025 and is a place of pilgrimage and remembrance for visitors from Scotland and beyond. The battlefield is central to Scotland’s cultural identity, and yet historic battlefields don’t enjoy the same protections as other historic sites, such as Scheduled Monuments or listed buildings. In its 2026 election manifesto, the Trust is calling for the next Scottish Government to commit to Conservation Management Plans that will give battlefields enforceable protection.

Derek Alexander added: “The importance of more rigorous protection for historic Scottish battlefields like Culloden and Bannockburn is underlined by finds like this one. Not only are such places symbolic of our national story, they also may hold many undiscovered artefacts that can tell us more.”

One of the most harrowing battles in British history

Professor Tony Pollard of the University of Glasgow said: “Artillery played a vital role at Culloden, particularly on Cumberland’s side, where the Royal Artillery’s cannon were well served by experienced gunners; after disabling the Jacobite guns in counter-battery fire, they delivered round shot, grape shot and canister shot at the Jacobite infantry, first as they were stationary and then as they charged across the wide expanse of open moor. “We have found evidence for all these types of shot, but our previous archaeological investigations have also recovered fragments from an exploded mortar shell. This was fired into the mass of Jacobites as they engaged in hand-to-hand fighting on Cumberland’s left, landing so close that their detonation risked friendly fire casualties. Their location is a clear indication that the impact of the Jacobite charge was taken extremely seriously and regarded as an immediate threat to Cumberland’s line.”

2026 marked the 280^th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden. On 16 April 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head in one of the most harrowing battles in British history. Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British throne, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,600 men were slain – 1,500 of them Jacobites.

The National Trust for Scotland’s richly researched, stimulating and sensitive Culloden Visitor Centre stands beside the battlefield and features artefacts from both sides of the battle and interactive displays that reveal the background to the conflict. It is both a monument and a guide to a pivotal day in history. Culloden’s enduring legacy also persists in popular culture, including the book and television series, Outlander. Fans of the series are currently running a fundraiser in support of the Culloden Fighting Fund, which supports the Trust’s ongoing interpretation of the battle and enables it to create new displays, such as this one of the mortar shell. The fundraiser runs until 2 May 2026 and can be found online at www.justgiving.com/page/jesuisprest.

Main photo: Derek Alexander, The National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology. Images courtesy of the the National Trust for Scotland.

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Perth treated visiting bands to a warm welcome, turning on a sunny 29^oC (84^oF) day for the 2026 Australian Pipe Band Championships on Saturday April 11. An estimated crowd of 7,500 people came to Subiaco Oval to see 18 bands from around Australia and Singapore compete throughout the day.

Amongst the 500 pipers and drummers performing were guest players from around the world, including contingents of players from the USA, Scotland, and New Zealand.

The quality of the school bands who came from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia was very impressive and made the Juvenile Grades hotly contested events.  Western Australia Police Pipe Band were the winners in Grade 2, the highest grade in the Championships.

Another local WA band, Perth Metro, won Grade 3. City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band were the victors in Grade 4A, with Scotch College Melbourne No.2 winning Grade 4B. Scots College Sydney No.1 won Novice Juvenile A. Scotch College Melbourne No.2 won the Novice Juvenile B contest.

The highest level of pipe band competition in the country

Interestingly, the local West Australian bands were the best dressed, with WA Police, Perth Metro, Perth Highland, Coastal Scottish, and PLC Perth each winning the dress inspection in their respective grades. There was also a Drum Majors Flourish contest during the day, which is always a crowd-pleaser.

The Drum Majors march along the course, displaying their skills ‘flourishing’ the mace and occasionally throwing it the air and catching it without missing a step. The winning Senior Drum Major was Dominic Anderson-Strudwick of the Australian Federal Police Pipe Band, based in Canberra. Winning the Juvenille Drum Major Flourish was Hamish Wiseman from The Scots College Sydney.

The day concluded with an impressive 500-strong massed band advancing across Subiaco Oval toward a capacity crowd in the Pavilion.  Recognised as the highest level of pipe band competition in the country, the Championships are run by Pipe Bands Australia every two years. This is the first time in 30 years that the Championships have been held in Perth, with Pipe Bands WA hosting the event.

Following the presentation of trophies the President of Pipe Bands Australia, Ainsley Hart, announced that Brisbane will host the 2028 Australian Pipe Band Championships.

For updates on pipe band events, and for full results of the 2026 Championships, visit the Pipe Bands Australia website: www.pipebandsaustralia.com.au. The entire video stream of the 2026 Championships is available to watch online via the Pipe Bands Australia YouTube channel:  www.youtube.com/live/VstUmu3C2ec.

Images courtesy of Louise Rowland.

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Jupiter Artland is an odd and intriguing name for one of the Edinburgh area’s oddest visitor destinations. You can get there by car or bus but however you do so it feels strangely like arriving at a safari park. But animals are not the main attraction here. Instead of giraffes and lions there are works of art. It’s Jupiter Artland, after all.

The story starts a long time ago. Bonnington House was originally built in 1622, in the last years of James VI. It was much altered over the years and completely refurbished in, ironically, a Jacobean style, in 1858. The house had been owned by various noble Scottish families but the present owners, Robert and Nicky Wilson, acquired the property in 1999.

They have since spent a great deal of money refurbishing and adding to the house. However, early in their acquisition they saw the potential of the fields, meadows and woodland surrounding the property as an open-air art and sculpture gallery. They started acquiring works and laying out the site. Jupiter Artland finally opened in 2009 and over a million people have now visited.

Artworks

Many of the artworks are big but some are quite enormous, features of the landscape rather than objects set there. Some you can’t miss; others are almost hidden and you have to really look for them. The souvenir map is an excellent guide, however, and with it you should be able to track down the 33 numbered artworks.

Some of the artworks you look at and study, like traditional exhibits in a gallery. Most you can touch. Some of them you actually interact with, and none more so than Cells of Life by Charles Jencks.

If you arrived by car you’ll have driven through Jencks’ work on your way to the car park. If you arrived on foot after getting off the bus, you’ll probably stop and explore as soon as you see it. It’s a substantial artificial landform composed of several terraced mounds, like the remains of Iron Age hillforts, with spiral paths that climb to their summits. Between the mounds are still, clear, sky-reflecting pools. It’s mesmerising to watch the shapes of the mounds change as you follow the paths and take pictures of the clouds mirrored in the water.

It’s supposed to be, as its name suggests, an artistic response to the cell, the very basis of life in all its forms. I have to confess I don’t quite get that: to me it comes across more as a stylised celebration of landscape, hill and loch, with nods to humankind’s impact on the environment. Go and see and interact for yourself. What do you think?

Better felt than tellt

Near Cells of Life there are some paddocks where you many find the likes of ponies and donkeys. They may give a break from the art, if you or the children need one. If this is a safari park for art, there are at least a few genuine animals around.

It’s tempting to describe lots of the other artworks but I’m going to limit myself as it’s much better to go and see and prepare to be surprised. As the Scottish phrase has it, Jupiter Artland is better felt than tellt. However, there is a corner of the park that I particularly enjoyed. It’s near the hub of the park, The Steadings, where you’ll find the café and shop and indoor gallery. It’s quite near the main car park. Just to the west of The Steadings is the area known as Gala Hill, a pleasant and airy woodland which has a surprising number of intriguing, sombre and sometimes funny artworks.

If you have children with you, I can confidently predict that their favourite will be Firmament by the legendary artist Antony Gormley of Angel of the North fame. Firmament is in stark contrast to his usual slightly eerie standing human figures. It’s inspired by an old star map and is like a giant Meccano set gone mad. In recreating the night sky, the metal links actually almost take the shape of a sinister monster. Gormley recommends looking at the sky through the artwork. It’s in an elevated space at the edge of the wood with a fine view over the Forth bridges.

Gala Hill also features three works by the late Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay, who was a pioneer of art designed to be experienced in the landscape, as at his famous garden of Little Sparta at Dunsyre in the Pentlands. I still remember Finlay’s exhibit at the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival and there’s a faint whiff of that event about Jupiter Artland.

Signpost to Jupiter

Bonnington House itself is not open to the public and is a private home, but it often provides an attractive background as you explore the sculptures. Joana Vasconselos’ Gateway is an ornamental pool set amongst thousands of Portuguese tiles, amongst beautiful gardens with Bonnington House as a backdrop.

Perhaps surprisingly, Bonnington House was bombed during the Second World War causing some minor damage. One of the artworks commemorates this event; Henry Castle’s Hare Hill models one of the bombs that fell as well as the aircraft itself, linking the spot to Hare Hill, some six miles away in the Pentlands. A Luftwaffe bomber crashed there during the war, and its wreckage can still be seen.

Other artists you’ll probably have heard of, and who are represented in the park, include Andy Goldsworthy and even Tracey Emin. The park supports educational visits to the park for young people; going to visit, and paying the entrance fee, helps to support this important work.

On our visit, in the spring of 2025, we spent a couple of hours at Jupiter Artland, yet there were not only some artworks, but entire areas of the park that we didn’t get to. So, there’s always a reason for another visit. However, you might ask, why the name. Why Jupiter Artland? The honest answer is that I don’t know! However, there is an artwork by Peter Liversidge entitled Signpost to Jupiter which is, indeed, a signpost pointing (up the way!) to Jupiter. The sign points out that, depending upon orbits, Jupiter is between 893 and 964 million kilometres away.

So, now you know.

 

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Yes, that’s right. Move over, Glastonbury Festival. The massed pipes and drums have taken the crown. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has officially been named Britain’s No.1 most popular music festival in 2025, according to YouGov Ratings. This result places the Tattoo ahead of some of the UK’s biggest names in live music including The BBC Proms, Glastonbury Festival and Reading and Leeds Festivals.

YouGov Ratings, the largest and boldest attempt ever to measure what Britain thinks, analysed millions of responses from the public to determine the nation’s most loved music festivals which revealed the Tattoo was on top for all UK adults.

A Call To Gather

Fresh from its victory in the UK festival rankings and near sellout shows in Brisbane and Auckland, it’s now full steam ahead for the 2026 Show, A Call To Gather in Edinburgh. A production that will invite audiences from across the globe to unite in a shared celebration of music, culture, and community.

Jason Barrett, CEO, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo said: “For generations, the Tattoo has been woven into the fabric of our nation’s summer, and today, in the eyes of those surveyed, it stands not just as a tradition but as a global stage-setter. We are humbled and deeply grateful for this recognition. For more than 75 years, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has brought together world-class performers from every corner of the globe, uniting heritage, bold creativity, and unforgettable spectacle in a way only the Tattoo can. In 2026, we will once again open our gates to the world with our show A Call To Gather, and I have every confidence that our audiences – new and returning – will understand exactly why the Tattoo continues to be so loved.”

Looking ahead, A Call To Gather will continue to innovate while honouring tradition, bringing together allies and friends from home and abroad in a production that embodies the Tattoo’s unique ability to convene cultures.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo returns for their 2026 Show, A Call To Gather from 7-29 August. For details visit: www.edintattoo.co.uk

 

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When we think of revolutions, we think of mass social movements that reshape the political landscape of a state. Some revolutions, however, transformed the literal landscapes they took place within. The Industrial Revolution likely comes first to mind, or perhaps the age of enclosure which preceded it. Yet there is one revolution which arguably laid the foundations for all the rest that followed: the Neolithic Revolution.

Modern humans inhabited the British Isles on and off for the past 500,000 years, coming and going with the retreat and advance of the great glaciers that scoured all traces of these ancient settlers from the land. The first people to arrive in post-glacial Scotland walked here. Until approximately 6,000BC the British Isles were not isles at all, but linked by land to the rest of the European continent.  Sea levels rose gradually, turning that land bridge into a boggy morass. The collapse of a colossal ice shelf in Norway is credited for its final inundation, creating a flood which was truly biblical in scale and suddenness. In its wake, any people who wanted to settle in, trade with, or invade Britain and Ireland had to do so by boat.

The basic patterns of life changed relatively little for the next several thousand years. Small kin-based communities survived by hunting and gathering. Some established semi-permanent camps, likely for safeguarding resources and for allowing children and the elderly among them some respite from the wilds. One such camp was discovered near Moffat in 2014, dating to between 9,000 and 8,000 BC. Another from a similar period was found at Cramond on the outskirts of Edinburgh, and yet another in the Isle of Rum.

Permanent settlements

By around 5,000 to 4,500BC, the way of life for over 100 prior generations began to fundamentally change. Farming practices from the Middle East made their way to Scotland, not – as was previously believed – due to some sweeping invasion or replacement of the locals, but very gradually and piecemeal. In some parts of Scotland agriculture was not significantly adopted until nearer 2,000BC, and well into the Middle Ages many Highland communities relied more on pastoralism than on agriculture.

Permanent settlements slowly popped up in low-lying, fertile areas such as the Lothians, Moray, and Ayrshire. Some emerged in places you might not expect – one of the oldest farming settlements yet discovered was the Knap of Howar in the small island of Papa Westray, Orkney, which was first established around 3,800BC. Most domestic buildings were small rectangular structures, often built partially of stone where stone was readily available. The majority of buildings were likely made mainly from timber, which does not survive the passing of ages. This is why stone houses like those at Skara Brae are so synonymous with the Neolithic, not because they were necessarily typical but because they are some of the very few which have endured.

Far more houses of the dead than the living survive from the Neolithic. Scotland has thousands of chambered cairns, interment places for a community’s dead, with remarkable clusters located in places like Kilmartin Glen, the Northern and Western Isles, and in the hinterlands of the Cairngorms. These extraordinary tombs were expertly crafted, featuring massive quantities of worked masonry, internal compartments, and – as in the famous case of Maeshowe – an alignment of their entrance passages to the light of the setting sun on the winter solstice.

Iconic symbols of ancient Scotland

Neolithic peoples raised standing stones, among the most iconic symbols of ancient Scotland. Sites like Machrie Moor in Arran include multiple stone circles and dozens of standing stones set within a landscape where hills, farmland, and waterways intersect. Such places were not developed all at once, but over the course of centuries. We will likely never understand exactly why they were raised, but the communal effort of doing so likely functioned to bring together disparate groups in a shared effort to strengthen bonds and revel in rituals.

Recent investigations have demonstrated that it was the stone circles of northern Scotland which inspired the raising of more southerly counterparts like Stonehenge, and not the other way around. Indeed, it appears that Orkney, particularly the area around the Ness of Brodgar which includes the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness, was the closest thing to a cultural capital in the British Isles at the time.

Such specialised and communal endeavours were made possible by agricultural surplus. The earliest crops grown in Scotland were ancient strains of barley and wheat. Cattle, sheep, and goats were farmed alongside them, and diets were supplemented by harvests of wild nuts and tubers, herbs, shellfish, and game. Neolithic middens – organic rubbish piles – are invaluable sources of information for this period. Imagine what future archaeologists might conclude from the contents of our household rubbish bins!

Between 3,000 to 2,000BC significant changes in material culture appear in the record. New styles of pottery such as Beaker pots appear in grave goods, demonstrating an influx of people into Britain from the rest of Europe and occasionally beyond. Several Neolithic graves such as that of the ‘Culduthel archer’ in Inverness also contain increasingly sophisticated archery equipment. The vast majority of day-to-day items, however, are lost to time due to being made of organic materials, leaving us with tiny fragments to form our picture with.

All of these activities changed the very face of the land. To prepare arable ground for crops, Neolithic peoples undertook considerable deforestation. The earliest trees in Scotland were birch, elm, hazel, alder, and oak, and evidence from pollen samples taken from Scotland’s bogs show many were hewn and burnt away in the Neolithic. This, in turn, encouraged the development of the very peat bogs which attest to their existence, as deforestation can result in the spread of acidic boggy ground. In some places, bogs spread so thickly that standing stones were consumed by them. The Callanish Stones in Lewis, the tallest being 4.8 metres high, were completely submerged in peat bog for thousands of years until their rediscovery in 1857.

A successful revolution

Some native species were hunted to extinction or near-extinction, likely in part to protect the herds belonging to permanent settlements from them. These include massive elk, brown bears, and lynx. Others were brought in, such as Soay sheep and pigs. The basic pattern of growing crops in lower, more fertile soils and having animals grazing on more upland, marginal ground was established. You will still see this arrangement in many parts of Scotland today.

The Neolithic Revolution profoundly changed humanity’s relationship with the land. Permanent settlements and monuments became fixed points in the cultural, social, and economic imagination. The ‘wilds’ were tamed, to a far greater extent than previously believed, by the clearance of trees, the sewing of crops, and the grazing of animals. Social hierarchies, more clearly defined than ever before, began to emerge. Stone buildings provided far greater protection from the elements, and a growing population nurtured by agriculture fanned out into every previously unreached corner of the country.

To someone alive in 5,500BC, the changes evident by 3,000BC would have rendered the world unrecognisable. The Neolithic Revolution set in motion basic patterns of life which are still with us today, and which will likely remain with us indefinitely unless some science fiction-worthy leap forward or apocalyptic lurch back occurs. Some revolutions transform society for a few years, while others create paradigm shifts that last for generations. More than 6,000 years later, the changes of the Neolithic still shape us. Now that’s a successful revolution.

Text by: David C. Weinczok

Main photo: One of several sets of standing stones at Machrie Moor, Arran. © David C Weinczok.

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The nation’s most iconic prankster has broken out of the pages and landed on an official UK collectable 50p. The Royal Mint in collaboration with Beano have unveiled a brand new 50p coin celebrating 75 years of Dennis the Menace – and knowing Dennis, he’s already planning what mischief to get up to next. Since bursting onto the scene on 17^th March 1951 in Beano issue 452, Dennis has been giving Walter Brown a headache for three quarters of a century. Now, the spiky-haired, red-and-black jumper-wearing icon is making history as he and his trusty Abyssinian Wire-Haired Tripehound, Gnasher, appear on an official UK 50p coin.

The collectable 50p has been created in collaboration with Beano. The design showcases Dennis in his instantly recognisable striped jumper alongside his loyal, sausage-obsessed companion. A selection of coins will feature vibrant colour printing, bringing Dennis and Gnasher bursting to life straight from the pages of Beano and onto metal.

75 years of laughs

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, said: “Dennis the Menace is a true British icon who has been causing mayhem and bringing joy to readers for 75 remarkable years. There’s something wonderfully fitting about this legendary mischief-maker finally making his mark on a collectible 50p and I’m sure Dennis himself would see it as his greatest prank yet. This coin captures everything we love about him, that unmistakable mischievous grin, his furry pal Gnasher by his side and that irresistible spirit of rebellion that has made him a favourite across generations. We’re incredibly proud to bring Dennis to life in this way, and we know this coin will be treasured by Beano fans young and old.”

Rob Glenny, Executive Director of Growth and New Product Development, added: “Dennis has always had a knack for turning up where you least expect him, and we’re very excited that he has now landed on a 50p coin. With Gnasher by his side, this coin captures the unmistakable spark that has kept Dennis at the heart of childhood for generations. To see that mischief officially minted is a brilliant way to mark 75 years of laughs, pranks and unleashed imagination.”

Beano is Britain’s longest-running weekly comic, first published by DC Thomson on 30^th July 1938. Over its 87-year history, the comic has entertained generations of children with its characters, humour, and rebellious spirit. Alongside Dennis the Menace, Beano has introduced readers to much-loved favourites including Minnie the Minx, The Bash Street Kids, and Roger the Dodger. Today, Beano continues to delight readers both in print and online, remaining a treasured part of British popular culture.

 

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Scotland Ice Hockey Cup is proud to announce what promises to be one of the most significant ice hockey events ever staged in the United Kingdom: the Scotland Ice Hockey Cup – NHL Alumni USA vs Canada Series, coming to Scotland April 20-27, 2026.

For the first time, professional players of the National Hockey League will take to the ice in Scotland as USA and Canada NHL Alumni go head-to-head in an unforgettable exhibition series. This landmark event will bring together some of the sport’s most iconic names for a showcase of elite talent, fierce rivalry, and world-class entertainment.

This historic series marks the largest NHL Alumni event ever hosted in the UK — delivering the intensity of international competition combined with the nostalgia of hockey’s golden eras.

A legendary rivalry comes to Scotland

The USA vs Canada rivalry is one of the most celebrated in global ice hockey history. Now, Scottish fans will experience that passion and pride live, as former NHL stars represent their nations in a thrilling exhibition showdown. This is more than a tournament — it is a celebration of hockey heritage, bringing together generations of fans to witness icons of the game in an electric international setting.

“This is shaping up to be the biggest ice hockey series ever staged in the UK,” said Robert Aldridge, Lord Provost of Edinburgh. “We’re proud to welcome everyone to the Scotland Ice Hockey Cup featuring USA vs Canada for what promises to be a fantastic matchup – perhaps a repeat of the thrilling Olympic final – and an unforgettable atmosphere. It’s a fantastic opportunity for fans to see true legends of the game compete right here in the capital. With the free youth hockey clinic being hosted alongside the event, I’m sure the next generation will be inspired to grow and strengthen the ice hockey community even further.”

The Scotland Ice Hockey Cup will further elevate Scotland’s growing presence on the international hockey stage and inspire the next generation of players across the country. As part of this commitment to growing the game, NHL Alumni players will host a free youth hockey clinic on Sunday prior to Game 3 of the Cup, giving young athletes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn directly from former National Hockey League legends. The clinic will focus on skill development, sportsmanship, and sharing the passion of the game — ensuring the legacy of this historic USA vs Canada series extends well beyond the ice.

The exhibition series will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland. Full event details, participating NHL Alumni players, venue announcements, and ticket information is available at: www.scotlandicehockey.com

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It’s often described as a little piece of England in the Mediterranean. But it would be just as accurate to describe the Rock of Gibraltar as a small chunk of Scotland in the sun, given the indelible mark the country and its people have made on Britain’s famous fortress in the Mediterranean over the past three centuries.

One of the first Scots to make his mark on Gibraltar was the 1st Earl of Portmore, David Colyear, whose family seat was in Perthshire. A Major-General in The Queen’s Royal Regiment, Colyear served as one of the first governors of Gibraltar, following its capture from the Spanish by an Anglo-Dutch force under Admiral Sir George Rooke in 1704.

After his tenure as governor ended in 1720, seven years later Colyear was despatched to Gibraltar with military reinforcements to take command of the garrison when Spanish forces under the Count de las Torres laid siege to the Rock. The siege was lifted, however, whilst Colyear was en route to Gibraltar.

Strategically vital territory

When Spain next attempted to wrest back the strategically vital territory from Britain, in the Great Siege of 1779 – 1783, Gibraltar was under the governorship of another Scotsman, General George Augustus Elliott. Born in Roxburghshire in 1717, Elliott served in the Engineers and as an aide-de-camp to King George II before being appointed governor in 1777. When the Great Siege commenced two years later, he set about strengthening Gibraltar’s defensive fortifications, which helped the garrison resist the repeated attacks from both land and sea launched by the Spanish and their French allies. Amongst the military units at Elliott’s disposal was the 2nd Battalion, the Highland Regiment, which distinguished itself in the fighting. The Great Siege finally ended in February 1783, with Britain retaining control of Gibraltar. In recognition of his successful defence of the Rock, General Elliott was knighted and later made a peer.

But the history of Scottish soldiers on the Rock has not always been so illustrious. On Christmas Eve 1802 simmering discontent with conditions in Gibraltar and the authoritarian rule of the newly appointed governor, King George III’s fourth son, Prince Edward, boiled over when armed (and, it was claimed, drunken) soldiers of the Royal Scots surrounded his residence at Line Wall Road. Complaining that they were “being treated worse than slaves”, the aggrieved Scottish soldiers demanded he be replaced as governor. A confrontation with soldiers from an English regiment that remained loyal to Prince Edward ensued, and, after an exchange of fire that left one Royal Scots soldier dead and several others wounded, the rebellion petered out.

Unrest broke out again just a couple of days later, however, and once again soldiers from a Scots regiment were involved. This time, it was men of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers who marched on the prince’s residence. Eventually, the mutiny was put down after more violent clashes with loyal units. The ringleaders of the mutiny were court-martialled and three executed by a firing squad drawn from their own regiment. Several others were exiled to Australia, then a penal colony. However, London felt it prudent to recall the unpopular prince to England soon after.

Although he continued to hold the title of governor until his death in 1820, Prince Edward would never return to Gibraltar. From 1814, the actual running of the territory fell to Lieutenant-General Sir George Don, a Scot born in Edinburgh, who held the post of Lieutenant-Governor of Gibraltar until his death in 1832. In contrast to Prince Edward, Don became one of the Rock’s most successful leaders, as popular with the military garrison as he was with the civilian inhabitants, the so-called ‘rock scorpions’, as the Royal Navy dubbed them.

Scottish influence

Don’s tenure began at a particularly difficult time, with an epidemic of yellow fever ravaging Gibraltar, which killed almost one thousand of its inhabitants. Upon his arrival, Don found Gibraltar to be in a sorry state of neglect – overcrowded, filthy, disease-ridden and poorly administered. Described by William Jackson, governor of Gibraltar between 1978 and 1982, as ‘a man of vision and political acumen’, Don immediately set to work on improving conditions and infrastructure. He introduced a proper sanitation and sewage system, oversaw construction of the Rock’s first civilian hospital – today called St Bernard’s – and overhauled law and order, establishing a civil judiciary and the Gibraltar Police Force. He also instigated sweeping political and social reforms, including addressing long-standing religious discrimination by abolishing a ban on Catholics owning property. During Don’s 18-year reign as de facto governor, Gibraltar began its transformation from simply a useful base for the Royal Navy to a town and community in its own right.

The Scottish influence in Gibraltarian society deepened further in 1854, when the Church of Scotland opened the St Andrew’s Church on Governor’s Parade, principally to cater for the large number of Scottish soldiers stationed on the Rock, but also the sizeable Presbyterian community. For the next few decades Gibraltar enjoyed relative peace and growing prosperity. A key figure in the economic development of Gibraltar during the latter part of the 19^th century was John Mackintosh. The son of a Scots emigrant to Gibraltar, he was born in 1865 and made his fortune as a coal merchant. During his life he supported many causes, providing homes for the poor and elderly, and donating generously to the Rock’s civilian hospital, which named a wing after him. He died in 1940 and Gibraltar’s main plaza was named John Mackintosh Square in his honour.

But World War II brought more upheaval to Gibraltar and its people. In the run-up to the war, another Scotsman was serving as governor, the Edinburgh-born General Sir Edmund ‘Tiny’ Ironside, who helped prepare the colony for the titanic struggle that lay ahead by overseeing the beefing up of Gibraltar’s defences. Ironside’s spell as governor was cut short, however, when he was recalled to Britain upon the outbreak of war to take up the post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff – overall commander of the British Army.

The defensive preparations begun by Ironside were continued by another officer of Scottish descent, General Noel Mason-Macfarlane, who was appointed General Officer Commanding Gibraltar in July 1940, amid fears Hitler and his fascist Spanish ally General Francisco Franco were planning a joint invasion of the Rock. Although the feared invasion never materialised, most of Gibraltar’s civilian population was evacuated as a precaution. Some were sent to Jamaica and Madeira, others to various parts of the United Kingdom, including Glasgow, where several pregnant Gibraltarian women were sent to give birth after arriving by ship at Liverpool docks in August 1940, deemed at that time to be safer while the ‘Blitz’ was underway.

Post-War tragedy

After the war, the people of Gibraltar were gradually repatriated, a process only completed in 1951. That year, just as life was beginning to return to normal, the Rock experienced its greatest post-War tragedy, one which turned a Scots fireman into a local legend. On the morning of 27 April, whilst its cargo of depth charges was being unloaded at the dockyard, the Naval Armament Vessel Bedenham caught fire. Among the local firemen who responded to the emergency was Sub-Officer George Henderson. Born in Aberdeenshire in 1910, Henderson joined the Gordon Highlanders in 1931. While stationed in Gibraltar a few years later, he married a local woman and, after leaving the army, settled in Gibraltar, joining first the police force and later transferring to the Dockyard Fire Brigade.

As the fire on the Bedenham quickly spread, Henderson boarded the ship with his hose to fight the fire. Unfortunately, the fire set off the depth charges, causing an immense explosion that tore the ship apart, killing Henderson and twelve others, injuring more than fifty, and causing substantial damage throughout Gibraltar. An investigation later found that the fire was started due to faulty ammunition on the ship. For displaying “courage of the highest order in the face of almost certain death” in his efforts to control the raging inferno, Sub-Officer Henderson was posthumously awarded the George Cross in November 1951.

In the wake of the tragedy, another Scotsman was made governor, General Sir Gordon MacMillan, a highly decorated World War II veteran. Besides the damage caused by the Bedenham disaster, MacMillan also had to deal with renewed belligerency towards Gibraltar from General Franco, who now made the return of the territory to Spain a political priority. His increasingly aggressive policy towards the Rock eventually led to the sealing off of the border with Spain in 1969, effectively blockading Gibraltar.

During the 1982 Falklands conflict Gibraltar’s military usefulness was again demonstrated, serving as an important staging post for British ships of the naval task force heading to the South Atlantic to retake the Falkland Islands after the Argentine invasion. Serving as Flag Officer Gibraltar at the time – the overall commander of all military forces on the Rock – was Rear-Admiral John Mackenzie from Perthshire. Rear-Admiral Mackenzie had to contend with the possibility that rogue elements in the Spanish army might try to take advantage of Britain’s preoccupation with the Falklands situation by attempting a military move of their own against Gibraltar, fears that were shared by the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Scotland’s presence in Gibraltar

“Mr Nott (the Defence Secretary) said that the Prime Minister was much concerned about the implications of this crisis for our position in Gibraltar,” a note of a Cabinet meeting, held two days after the Argentine invasion, stated. “(She) noted the jubilant reaction in the Spanish press to the Argentine seizure of the Falkland Islands, and was also clearly concerned that the move of the task force might leave us militarily exposed to a similar Spanish attempt against Gibraltar.”

To deter any planned Spanish aggression, Mackenzie requested the garrison be reinforced with an anti-aircraft unit equipped with surface-to-air missiles and RAF Jaguar strike aircraft, based at the airport. It later transpired that Gibraltar did indeed face the threat of attack during the Falklands War – not from Spain, as feared, but from Argentina. The chief of the Argentine Navy, Admiral Jorge Anaya, dispatched a team of commando divers to the southern Spanish city of Algeciras, from where they were to swim out into the Bay of Gibraltar and attack British shipping in the harbour using limpet mines. Fortunately, the Argentine team was arrested by Spanish police before they could execute the plan and swiftly deported.

The diminishing military presence in Gibraltar over subsequent decades has meant that the Scottish presence has also inevitably waned. In 2022, the St Andrew’s Church was closed due to dwindling attendance and the building sold to developers, bringing an end to the Church of Scotland’s presence in Gibraltar after 168 years. But from the local ten pound note, which features a portrait of General Sir Augustus Elliott, to the numerous statues, plaques and street names scattered throughout the territory commemorating distinguished Scottish governors and business leaders, the profound impact Scots have had on the history of the Rock is still very evident to this day.

Steven Taylor is the author of Rock Scorpion, a thriller set in Gibraltar during the Falklands War. Now available to buy from Amazon in paperback and ebook format. Visit: www.steventayloronline.co.uk

Main photo: The mighty Rock of Gibraltar. Photo: MOD © Crown copyright.

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The Edinburgh Tartan Parade returns on Saturday 9 May 2026 for its second year, celebrating Scotland’s rich heritage, tartan, and global cultural connections in the heart of the nation’s capital. Following a highly successful & spectacular inaugural parade in 2025, which welcomed 1,600 participants, this year’s event is set to grow to approximately 2,500 participants, with thousands of spectators expected to line the route. The parade will step off from the Royal Mile at 1pm, winding down Cockburn Street, across Waverley Bridge, and concluding at the Mound Precinct.

The Parade will be followed by a Participant Ceilidh in the Gardens at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens. Please note, this event is exclusively for participants, volunteers, and special guests, and is not open to the general public. In the evening, a Post-Parade Celebration Concert will take place at the Usher Hall, headlined by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Ally the Piper (USA), with Gail Porter joining as MC.

The Edinburgh Tartan Parade is organised by a six-member team voluntary group, Tartan Parade Scotland and in part, inspired by the long-established New York Tartan Day Parade.  In 2026, the Parade aligns with US 250 commemorations, marking 250 years of shared history between Scotland and the United States. American performers, including Ally the Piper and her band, will travel from the USA to take part in the celebrations. The event also coincides with Europe Day and World Fair Trade Day, providing an opportunity to highlight Scotland’s European and global relationships.

The Edinburgh Tartan Parade is a non-political, inclusive, civic celebration with a focus on heritage, culture and community.

The Edinburgh Tartan Parade takes place on Saturday 9 May 2026. For more details visit: www.tartanparade.scot

Main photo: Leading the way, The Edinburgh Tartan Parade committee. Photos: Tommy Slack.

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In 1959, my grandfather, W.S. “Shakes” Morrison, made the decision to retire from Parliament and step down as Speaker of the House of Commons. As a former Speaker, he was then raised to the peerage and became Viscount Dunrossil and as a new peer he would need a new coat of arms. Shakes was a Scot, a native Gaelic speaker from Argyll, whose parents had moved there from the Outer Hebrides. He therefore approached the Lord Lyon, King of Arms, the chief heraldic authority in Scotland, to help design the arms.

Morrison is one of the larger clans in Scotland. It’s the 18^th most common name in Scotland, the 8^th or 9^th most common in the Highlands and Islands and the third most common in the Outer Hebrides. But they hadn’t had a chief in 350 years, not since the last Brieve or hereditary Judge of the Isles had been murdered by Macleods in the early 1600s. Without a chief, they could not be recognized as a clan, a “noble community”, under the law.

As a result, a clan society was formed in 1909 to try to identify possible candidates for chief, suitable to the Lyon Court. Various suggestions had been rejected, either because they were not armigers (people with their own coat of arms) or because they were not from the Outer Hebrides, where the main center of clan activity had been.

Who gets to decide who’s a chief?

This was an impasse. Generally speaking, heraldry and titles were a feature of Lowland, Anglo-Norman culture. The sets of Hebrideans and armigers just didn’t intersect!  So, as Shakes recited his ancestry (orally, in Gaelic, as he’d learned it), Lyon felt he’d solved a 50 year—even a 350-year problem. Shakes must be the chief!  “Not so”, said Shakes. He had older brothers. “Then the oldest must be chief!”

And so it happened. Shakes died in 1961, in Australia, where he was Governor-General. A few years later his brother, Dr. John Morrison, Morrison of Ruchdi, was acclaimed by the clan and by Lyon as chief. Today, Dr. John’s great grandson, Alasdair, is the fourth chief in this new line. Alasdair is studying Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Glasgow – a very modern chief! The Morrisons are not alone in setting out to find a chief and be accepted as a clan. There are many other surname groups which have recently formed societies.

This raises lots of questions. Should they be recognized as a clan, should one of them be accepted as chief? Who gets to decide who’s a chief and what names are clans? What’s the role of the Lord Lyon and the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs? What’s the role of a clan chief today? And who really cares about this? I have attempted to answer these questions—and more—in the first half of my new book, The Making of a Scottish Chief: Shakes and the Morrisons of Ruchdi. What are my qualifications for writing this book, you might ask?

Though not actually a chief myself, I serve as the vice convenor (vice chairman) of the Standing Council and on the Advisory Board of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations in the US. I am not, however, a lawyer, just an informed amateur in these matters, and nothing I say in this book should be seen as representing the official position of any of the august organizations with which I have the honor to be associated. Nevertheless, this does represent the way I see the consensus moving.

The second half of the book is all about Morrisons. There are some characters there! John Wayne, for instance (whose birth name was Marion Morrison), was a proud paid-up life member of the Clan Society. There have been other weird and wonderful Morrisons too worth hearing about, Clan Morrison includes among its membership such notables as Van Morrison, Jim Morrison and David Gilmour among many others.  The book concludes with accounts of the lives of my father and grandfather.

Leadership and honour

I hope that anyone with even a hint of Scottish ancestry—not just Morrisons—will find this part interesting, not just because of their individual accomplishments, but because of how they illustrate the way a modern chiefly family can still bring honor to the name they bear. I have also endeavored to explain how the duties, functions and privileges of a chief have changed over the centuries, but leadership and honour remain core values.

We live in a time when hereditary titles have lost much of their luster, when the word “entitled” has come to have strongly negative associations. Hereditary peers are no longer able to participate in the Parliamentary chamber which bears their name. Even a Prince has been stripped of his titles and roles, for having brought dishonor to his country. If a chief is to mean anything and the institution of chiefs is to survive and have value for future generations, it is imperative that we see it as an office, a job, not just a title.  As I say in the book, you can be a lord, even a duke, without anyone to lord it over. But you can’t be a chief without a clan.

Author Andrew Morrison, the current Viscount Dunrossil, is the Vice Convenor (vice chairman) of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and serves on the Advisory Board of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations in the USA. The Making of a Scottish Chief is a must-have for anyone with even a hint of Scotland in their ancestry—it is insightful, informative and laced with wonderful anecdotes reflecting a rich and fascinating history.

This book was released on April 6^th (National Tartan Day) and is available from all good online booksellers (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones etc) or directly from the publisher: Elm Grove Publishing: www.elmgrovepublishing.com.

Main photo: The author (left) with Lord Lyon King of Arms and the late Dr. Ru. Morrison, Chief of Clan Morrison.

 

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As Scotland’s men’s football team makes plans for the 2026 World Cup and Scottish football sits top of mind for many across the country, we have added our voice to those seeking assurances about the preservation of the first ever Hampden Park in Glasgow.

The site, at Kingsley Avenue in Glasgow’s southside, is where Scottish and International Football played out its formative years. It was home to the Queen’s Park club from 1873–1883, and hosted Scottish Cup finals, including the very first final between Queen’s Park and Clydesdale in 1874, as well as Scotland internationals.

The story of Scottish football

Importantly, it was also where modern football as we know it was created. Scottish teams are considered the first to start passing the ball between teammates, which went on to inspire the game in South America and beyond. Since 1905, the grounds have been leased by the Hampden Bowling Club, but with the club winding up in this month, there has been a considerable level of community and public concern that the site will be lost and subject to development. Football’s Square Mile, the world’s largest open-air football museum sharing the story of Scottish football and the impact of the earliest matches in Glasgow on the modern game, is leading the call for the site to be saved.

Philip Long, the National Trust for Scotland’s Chief Executive, said: “Scotland’s recent win was a glorious moment in the game’s history, so let’s not sully that by the potential obliteration of the very first Hampden Park. The site is intrinsic to the development of the game of football as we know it, so it makes a vital contribution to Scotland’s culture and modern identity. A place of such significance needs to be protected and respected. It is vital that our country’s cultural history is preserved, and we continue to tell the stories that have made Scotland the place it is today. We urge all parties concerned, as well as Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government, to come together to find a way forward that will ensure this pivotal site is saved and its historic role shared and celebrated.”

The first purpose-built international football stadium

An archaeological excavation at the site discovered the remains of what has been described as ‘the first purpose-built international football stadium’, and it is considered the template for the countless pitches and stadia that followed it worldwide. Eventually, because of the construction of the now adjacent railway line, Queen’s Park and Scottish Cup and International fixtures moved to a new site – ‘Hampden Two’ – 150 yards away in Crosshill in 1884. However, this was not before Scotland beat England 5–1 in 1882, an event commemorated in a mural on the back of the bowling pavilion, visible daily to commuters on the very railway line that led to the move. The third Hampden Park was built on land acquired in Mount Florida in 1899, and play began there in 1903. This is the stadium that is still in use today.

Football’s Square Mile and the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust have been working together to devise a feasibility study that can design a viable future for the site of the first Hampden Park. Funding has been secured for the study, and a design team is ready to start once a small amount of gap funding is found.

Ian McLelland, the National Trust for Scotland’s Regional Director for the South & West, added: “Over the last 150 years, football has become synonymous with Scotland and Hampden Park synonymous with Scottish Football. We’re aware of the valiant efforts being made by Football’s Square Mile and the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust to find a viable way forward for the very first incarnation of Hampden Park so that it is not lost. While as a charity, we are not in a position to take over the site, we are keen to support the interpretation of this cultural legacy and work with partners to tell the story of Scottish football and its impact on the world. Football’s Square Mile fulfils an important need in Glasgow, ensuring that this intangible history is not lost. Intervention at national and local authority level will be necessary, and we believe this site and the heritage it represents certainly justifies that.”

Text and images are courtesy of the National Trust for Scotland. For more information on the Trust or to help them protect Scotland’s heritage see: www.nts.org.uk

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It is no surprise to see Americans celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and honoring their Irish roots. Likewise, it is not surprising to see the proliferation of Scottish Games and festivals where kilts and bagpipes represent the diaspora of Scots to America as well. The Celtic influences on America are unmistakable and widely celebrated—and in some cases, elevated to large-scale international performances such as the Virginia International Tattoo, held each year in Norfolk.

This event, one of the largest of its kind in the United States, brings together military bands, massed pipes and drums, Irish dancers, Highland dancers, and performers from across the Celtic world and beyond. Notably, pipe bands from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States regularly perform side by side, while both Irish and Highland dancers add a vibrant visual expression of Celtic tradition through precise footwork and centuries-old choreography.

Ulster-Scots

There were Irish and Scots emigrants in the United States as early as the 17^th century. Irish indentures and some prisoners from Cromwell’s wars in Ireland were among the earliest from that nation. Between 1720 and the coming of the American Revolution in 1775 it is estimated that roughly 250,000 Irish – mainly Protestants from Ulster whose ancestors were planted in that region during the Tudor dynasty from lowland Scotland and northern England made their way to America due to social and economic hardships. Scottish merchants prospered in port cities and population centers up and down the Eastern seaboard while other Scots predominated the trade being established with Native American tribes on the frontiers.

Highland Scots, many being affected by the social, economic, agricultural, and cultural changes in the years following the failed Jacobite Rebellion of 1745–46 settled in organized parties – sometimes recruited by colonial governors and led by former tacksmen of Highland estates. They established notable settlements, the largest of which was in the Cape Fear Valley of North Carolina. Ulster-Scots were the predominant pioneers who settled the colonial “backbone” of the early American colonies pushing toward and across the Appalachian mountains and beginning the nation’s westward expansion.

Emigration was renewed again following the American Revolution, with further Scots and Ulster-Scots being influenced by the “push” of economic and social factors such as the continued rises in land rents, while the “pull” of favorable accounts of settlements sent home by neighbors and kinsmen who had improved their conditions in America. The beginnings of the “Highland clearances” where estate owners found it more financially beneficial to turn lands over to sheep and deer forests than have rent paying tenants with only limited means led further Highland Scots to settle among the regions already pioneered by their kin.

The largest numbers of Irish emigrants to America came during the famine years of the late 1830’s through the early 1850’s where as many as 2 million Irish settlers came primarily to the cities of Boston and New York City with many dispersing further afield as well. The promise of riches which were offered by news of the discovery of gold in California was also another motivator for many who were in dire straits and seeking better opportunities in America.

Celebration of their uniqueness and identity

While Scots and Ulster Scots in the South proliferated and continued the expansion of settlement into lands cleared of Native American threats as well as those formerly occupied by the French and Spanish, Irish emigrants also expanded along growing westward trails as well as providing labor for factories, the expansion of roads and canals, and the beginnings of rail transportation. Place names taken from Ireland and Scotland as well as the surnames of prominent settlers can be found from their original places of settlement and along their routes westward throughout the expanding United States. Presbyterian Scots as well as the Catholic Irish placed high regard on education, and early schools as well as colleges which were established based on those values were among the earliest in many regions, with many still existing from those pioneering efforts.

The hearty fighting spirit of both Scots and Irish –drawn as some suggest from long struggles in their homelands – led many to become military as well as political leaders from their earliest years in America. A romantic attachment to their homeland, perhaps in some cases influenced not only by family tradition but also by images created by writers such as Sir Walter Scott, Jane Porter, and Robert Burns led many to not only hold on to their concept of ethnicity but to celebrate it through the establishment of St. Andrews and Hibernian Societies nationwide as well as military units with Scottish and Irish themes which reflected the unity of their ethnic communities as well as celebration of their uniqueness, identity and echo of the martial traditions carried to America by Scottish and Irish immigrants.

The cultural representations of these Celtic communities are relatively easy to find through the years. Newspapers were published in America in the native languages of the Gaelic speaking Irish as well as Highland Scots, as well as in the native Welsh of those lesser-known settlers even up into the early 20^th century. Emigrations of Celts from Brittany in France to New York City in particular from the late 19^th century into the mid-20^th century also brought that lesser known culture into the Celtic-American mix. Celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day in Irish communities, St. Andrews Day and Burns’ Nights in Scottish communities, and even St. David’s Day in Welsh communities are recorded from the 18^th century until the present. Irish music clubs and sessions, Irish dance schools and Feis events, as well as the founding of pipe bands, Highland games, and fiddler’s gatherings represent efforts to keep traditional music and culture flourishing.

Large-scale events like the Virginia International Tattoo serve as a modern culmination of these traditions—bringing together not only Celtic performers but also international military ensembles, reinforcing how these once-immigrant traditions have become part of a broader American cultural and ceremonial identity. Meanwhile, the ballads and fiddle tunes preserved in isolated regions such as the Appalachian mountains represent the last vestiges of traditions which have had no outside influences to disturb them. They represent the strength of the oral traditions which were so prevalent among these Celtic peoples and served as the inspiration and roots of our own American traditional music.

Celtic roots

Pride in these ethnic connections has become quite mainstream in modern America. The “Roots movement” of the mid-1970’s – inspired in part by the release of Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, as well as the Bicentennial of 1976 seemed to inspire many Americans to delve into their own family stories and backgrounds – with many “discovering” their Celtic roots for the first time. Others who were aware of their ethnic roots had celebrated these connections for much longer. For many years, host Fiona Ritchie’s The Thistle and Shamrock brought an awareness of Celtic music and culture to millions through her widely broadcast National Public Radio show, and the release of the Outlander series of novels and its resulting television adaptation by Diana Gabaldon has launched a new interest and curiosity among mainstream America.

So, whether you celebrate with traditional music in a pub on St. Patrick’s Day, attend a Highland gathering, or experience the spectacle of the Virginia International Tattoo, know that the Celtic roots of America are quite deep. This history, these stories, and their associated lore are an important part of the American story. They are woven together into America’s history just as threads are woven together to make a colorful Scottish tartan or a rugged Irish tweed.

Text by Bill Caudill, a native of Waxhaw, North Carolina, is a historian, folklorist, and award-winning professional Scottish bagpiper known for his expertise in Highland Scots heritage in the American South.  The 2026 Virginia International Tattoo runs April 16–19 at Scope Arena in Norfolk as part of the Virginia Arts Festival. Learn more at: vafest.org/tattoo.

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The American Scottish Foundation (ASF) announces the presentation of the 2026 Young Scot Wallace Award for Piping. Growing upon the American Scottish Foundation’s recognition of the great talent of Young Scots, the American Scottish Foundation expanded its Wallace Awards to include Young Scot Awards in various categories.

The ASF Youth Bursary program begun by the Foundation’s founder Lord Malcolm Douglas Hamilton 70 years ago, expands and builds upon his vision of support and helping Scottish and Scottish American youth in their experiences.

During New York Tartan Week 2026, the ASF will recognize award winning and celebrated piper, Craig Weir, who has advised and helped the American Scottish Foundation in the development of the ASF Pipes and Drums on the Fountain Terrace at Bryant Park.

The Pipes and Drums at Bryant Park is now in its 12^th year and a leading element is the opportunity it offers to Scottish Youth Pipe Bands to build upon taking part in the New York Tartan Day Parade by performing on the Fountain Terrace of the Park – in the shadow of Andrew Carnegie’s New York Public Library.

Connecting the diaspora in its love of Scotland and the pipes

The award will be presented during the Pipes and Drums on the Fountain Terrace on Saturday April 11 at 12pm mid the performance taking place that day. “I am so grateful for Craig’s help and commitment to seeing the young Scottish pipe bands involved in New York Tartan Week and helping us develop Bryant Park Pipes and Drums into such an amazing part of New York Tartan Week – and we are looking to build on that with spotlighting Highland Games opportunities too,” noted Camilla Hellman, President, American Scottish Foundation.

Craig Weir grew up in Dundee and from the age of 8 the pipes have been a part of his life. The pipes have led to Craig travelling the world playing from Europe, China, Canada and the US where he has performed in 12 States to date. Craig has performed for many dignitaries including the various members of the Royal Family; fulfilling several performances for Queen Elizabeth II most notably at Balmoral in August 2022, and as part of Dundee funeral cortege farewell.

Craig pipes have greeted His Holiness The Dalai Lama and First Lady Michelle Obama.  From royal visits to rock and roll, Craig has taken the stage connecting the diaspora in its love of Scotland and the pipes. From Queen to Bay City Rollers and to his own band with roaring horn section, Gleadhraich. In 2025 Gleadhraich performed in Tulsa, Oklahoma for Scotfest and will play later this year at the New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival as well as performing internationally.

For more information visit: www.americanscottishfoundation.com

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The Bundanoon Highland Gathering have announced the following competitors for the events being run by the Kilted Warriors under the direction of Dr. Lance Holland-Keen and Aaron Monks. The Brigadoon committee would like to express their deep appreciation and congratulate the Kilted Warriors for their continual support at Bundanoon. At 3.10pm, on the oval The Kilted Warriors will be lifting the Bundanoon Stones. Incredible feats of strength, speed & stamina will be the order the day when the Brigadoon pays tribute to a traditional Scottish coming-of-age ritual in April.

This is a must see event as the weight of the stones are 100kgs, 110kgs, 120kgs, 145kgs and 165kgs.This should be an outstanding event this year as these are the top athletes in the games at the present time. Competitors for Bundanoon Stones include Tyler Helm, Defending Champion, Aiden Canini, Andrew Frazer and Bradman Houston.

History of the Stones

Modelled on the MacGlashen Stones from Scotland. Only five of the stones are used at any one time with the current competition set comprising the 100kgs, 110kgs, 120kgs, 145kgs and 165kgs.  The stones vary in size from 43 centimetres to a massive 50 centimetres or half metre in a diameter. The history of the stones goes back over one thousand years to the highlands of Scotland when a boy was considered to have reached manhood when he could lift two stone in weight from the bare ground onto the top of a stone dyke or fence as we know it.

Most villages took part in this exercise and the stones varied from village to village. In the late 1970’s the lifting of the stones was brought back to life in Scotland with the introduction of the MacGlashsen Stones. The five round stones range in weight from 100 kg through to 165 kgs.  The stones are laid out five metres apart lightest to heaviest with each competitor having to lift all five stones on top of a wooden barrel four feet in height.  The person who can lift all five stones on top of the barrels in the fastest time is declared the champion of the day.

Also taking place on the field at Brigadoon is the Australian Highland Heavy Weight Events Championships. This is an outstanding field of heavy weight competitors, so the competition should be fierce which include: Rob Melin-Defending Champion, Jamie Muscat, Lance Holland Keen, Kurt Livins, Luke Reynolds, Nigel Skurrie, Lachlan Page, Shane Carstairs and MacaSuley Tinker. This event will start from 11am and finish at 2.30pm. There will be five events with one Australian Highland Heavy Weight Events Champion.

Bundanoon Highland Gathering also features solo piping and pipe band performances, Scottish dancing, fiddlers, clan and Scottish community groups, a unique range of stalls and more throughout the day.

The Bundanoon Highland Gathering will take place on Saturday, April 18^th in Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands. For more details visit: www.brigadoon.org.au

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The Puffer Preservation Trust, the charity that has managed the ongoing restoration and cruising operations of Clyde Puffer S.L. VIC 32 since 2002, has been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) of £245,537 to support a programme of essential restoration to enable the vessel to continue steaming through West Coast waters into the future.

A regular sight in Scottish waters

S.L. VIC 32 is one of the last iconic Clyde Puffers to operate on steam.  Once a regular sight in Scottish waters delivering crucial supplies to Islanders on the West Coast of Scotland.  VIC 32 was commissioned by the Admiralty, as part of a fleet of over 100, and built to carry provisions to naval vessels and depots during WWII.  Unlike most of her sister ships, VIC 32 was not scrapped and was purchased by Nick and Rachel Walker in 1975.  They undertook an extensive renovation to carry passengers resulting in a unique example of a steamboat that has been almost continuously cruising in West Coast waters for 45 years.

Whilst the money generated from carrying passengers over the past 20 years has allowed the charity to fund the necessary maintenance and restoration of the vessel, the COVID years and a following dip in tourism on the West Coast made it challenging to complete the final parts of this works programme.

This National Lottery Heritage Fund award will enable the Puffer Preservation Trust to complete many of these final parts, including a replica wheelhouse and completion of replacement steel hull plating throughout the hold area of the vessel. The funding will also support investment in a steam turbine powered by VIC 32’s biofueled boiler to generate on board electricity.  Replacing a diesel generator and further reducing the carbon footprint of the vessel which was already ahead of its time in converting to Biofuel in 2022.

Scottish seagoing icon

The project will also expand on the opportunities for people to get involved with VIC 32. Including workshops for volunteers to take part in the project and learn some of the traditional skills associated with maintaining a heritage vessel. In the long-term the works funded by this grant will allow the Puffer Preservation Trust to keep the boat steaming and educating future generations on the workings of steam power, as well as a continuing educational role demonstrating how these boats were entwined in the lives of Scots along the West Coast.

Phil Robinson, Trustee of Puffer Preservation Trust said: “The trustees of The Puffer Preservation Trust are extremely grateful to the NLHF for providing the financial assistance to support and sustain VIC 32’s much needed works over the coming 18 months. The Clyde Puffer is a Scottish seagoing icon, and this NLHF award will enable VIC 32 to operate into the foreseeable future.”

Caroline Clark The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland added: “The Clyde Puffer is a hugely evocative symbol of way of life that has become a part of Scotland’s shared heritage. With our support, thanks to National Lottery players, the Puffer Preservation Trust will continue to care for and operate Vic 32 for many years to come. A living reminder of these hard-working little boats, their crews and their vital role in the communities they served.”

For further information visit: www.savethepuffer.co.uk.

Did you know?

The S.L. VIC 32

• Built – 1943 at Dunstons Shipyard, Yorkshire for the Admiralty.
• Launched – 3rd July  1943.
• Carried – She is known to have carried cement, ammunition, and naval stores as far away as Scapa Flow and Devonport.
• Weight – 163 TONS.
• Speed – 6 knots.
• Max no. of personnel – 10 passengers , and 5 crew.

 

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On 8 March 2026, Oor Wullie and The Broons, two of Scotland’s most beloved cultural icons, celebrated 90 remarkable years of mischief, family humour and unmistakably Scottish storytelling. To mark the milestone, a year-long programme of events, publications and community activities will honour Scotland’s favourite schoolboy and best-loved family, whose adventures have helped shape the nation’s identity for generations.

Woven into Scotland’s cultural DNA

First appearing in The Sunday Post on 8 March 1936, Oor Wullie and The Broons created a uniquely Scottish universe that has endured for nine decades. Their stories chronicled working-class life with warmth, humour and a deep sense of community, becoming woven into Scotland’s cultural DNA. Since then, Oor Wullie has spent nine decades perched on his famous bucket, getting up to no good with his pals Bob, Wee Eck and Soapy Soutar, girlfriend Primrose Paterson and dodging his nemesis PC Murdoch around the fictional town of Auchenshoogle.

Meanwhile, The Broons has portrayed the joys, chaos and heart of family life in 10 Glebe Street, from Maw’s wisdom to Paw’s blustering and from the antics of the bairns to the romances and mishaps of Hen and Daphne.  The Broons and Oor Wullie were an instant hit, and the country quickly became enamoured with the comics’ cast of characters. Readers were particularly charmed by the distinctive Scots language in the strips.

For many, these comics weren’t just entertainment, they were a window into everyday Scottish life, reflecting everything from changing fashions and technologies to shifts in society across the decades. Few cultural exports capture the Scottish experience as honestly, or as affectionately, as Oor Wullie and The Broons.

Lived vividly in Scotland’s imagination

Thomas Hawkins, Editor of The Sunday Post, said: “Very few fictional characters have lived as vividly in Scotland’s imagination as Oor Wullie and The Broons. For 90 years they’ve mirrored Scotland back to itself – its humour, its grit and its sense of community. This anniversary is a chance to celebrate where they’ve come from, and the new stories still to be told.  From boosting morale during the Second World War to putting a smile on readers’ faces during the Covid pandemic, Oor Wullie and The Broons have been a reassuring constant in a world in flux.  Throughout this anniversary year, we have fun activities and events planned plus a national competition to help find the next budding comic artist. So, get involved, we can’t wait to see what you will come up with.”

Martha Burns Findlay, Head of Public Programmes at the National Library of Scotland, added: “The National Library of Scotland is proud to preserve and champion Scots language as an integral part of our nation’s cultural heritage. We care for rich collections in Scots dating back centuries, from the likes of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott to Oor Wullie and The Broons, including the first ever Broons annual which was published in 1939. Oor Wullie and The Broons are truly national treasures, and we’re delighted to be working with DC Thomson to celebrate this special birthday.”

 

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The American Scottish Foundation 2026 Supper Club will bring together an array of performers for an evening of Scottish musical celebration – culminating in a performance for the first time of the award winning Atlantic: A Scottish Story, an unforgettable live performance of the award-winning podcast series and the hit Edinburgh Fringe production.

Set against the backdrop of the remote island of St Kilda, Atlantic weaves original and traditional Scottish music with true stories and rich characters to tell a deeply moving tale of a community on the edge of the world. Atlantic: A Scottish Story is part of the Carnegie Hall Festivals – United in Sound: America at 250 programing. Join creators Scott Gilmour and Claire Mckenzie (Noisemaker), alongside acclaimed artist Kirsty Findlay (The List Hot 100 Artists 2024) who will lead in bringing this powerful celebration of life. Alongside performances from some of Scotland’s most exciting new musical voices. Atlantic was developed in association with Royal Conservatoire Scotland and Noisemaker will continue development with Carnegie Mellon – four young performers from Carnegie Mellon.

Atlantic highlights the rich musical traditions that have influenced American music folk, bluegrass and country music, creating a powerful bridge across cultures.

Experience Atlantic: A Scottish Story at the ASF Supper Club, Thursday April 9^th, 2026. For details visit: www.americanscottishfoundation.com

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The Lower Clarence Scottish Association is proud to announce that Willie MacCallum, a generational talent in the world of the Great Highland Bagpipe, will be visiting Maclean for the 2026 Maclean Highland Gathering.  The recital will be held at the Former Maclean Services Club 36-38 River Street, Maclean from 7.30 pm on Saturday 4 April 2026. The event is free, and no bookings are required. Do not miss this unique opportunity to hear one of the world’s best in person.

A native of Campbeltown, Kintyre, Willie received his main tuition from his uncles Ronald and Hugh and also came under the guidance of another relation, his second cousin P/M Ronald McCallum, MBE – all champion pipers. The McCallum family can trace their piping directly back to John McAlister who won the prize pipe in 1782 at the Falkirk Tryst. Willie has been competing in piping competitions since 1973.

Piping Champion

Upon turning to open piping in 1979, he won his very first professional contest, the Piobaireachd event at Inveraray Highland Games against some of the finest competitors in Scotland. His solo prize winning list is incomparable and includes: Glenfiddich Invitational Piping Championship – Overall Champion, a record nine times, Glenfiddich Invitational Piping Championship – MSR Winner – eleven times, Glenfiddich Invitational Piping Championship – Piobaireachd Winner – four times, Inverness Gold Medal – Winner – 1989, Oban Gold Medal – Winner – 1995, Silver Chanter – Dunvegan, Skye – Winner – three times, Bratach Gorm – Scottish Piping Society of London – Winner – four times, Argyllshire Gathering – Senior Piobaireachd – three times, Argyllshire Gathering – Former Winners MSR – five times, Argyllshire Gathering – Open Marches – 1987, Argyllshire Gathering – Open Strathspey & Reel – 1987

He was a member of the successful Grade One Pipe Bands Babcock Renfrew, British Caledonian Airways, Scottish Power and Spirit of Scotland. During that time, he enjoyed several Pipe Band Championship wins and worked with some of the most successful Pipe Majors in the history of pipe bands. He has played for HM Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle, as well as regularly for HM King Charles.

Chief Peter Smith, of the Lower Clarence Scottish Association, said “We are extremely excited to have a piper of Willie McCallum’s calibre coming to Maclean for Easter. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Andrew & Amy Roach in arranging Willie’s visit to Maclean and to Riverview Funerals for their generous support.”

The Maclean Highland Gathering takes place over the Easter weekend April 3-4 in Maclean, NSW. For further details visit: www.macleanhighlandgathering.com.au

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Funds will support vital conservation work at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve—protecting rare alpine habitats, native wildlife, and the long-term health of one of Scotland’s most important mountain landscapes.

The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTSUSA) has met a challenge set by the Connecticut-based Jeniam Foundation, resulting in a gift of $75,000 to the National Trust for Scotland in recognition of the 75^th anniversary of its acquisition of Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve. The gift comprises individual donations from more than 70 NTSUSA supporters across the United States, which were matched by the Jeniam Foundation.

The National Trust for Scotland purchased Ben Lawers in 1950 to protect its rare population of arctic-alpine plants, the largest in the United Kingdom. Since then, the Trust has embarked on a long-term program to understand the pressures affecting species and habitats by monitoring changes to the 11,000-acre landscape. These insights have helped reverse nature loss over the past 75 years. Successes on Ben Lawers include forty years of regular footpath maintenance, allowing open access to the landscape for more than 40,000 annual visitors. Updated wayfinding and interpretation highlight the significance of the cultural landscape (which dates back thousands of years) as well as the biodiverse natural habitat.

The Trust also has purchased grazing rights at market rate to enable the natural regeneration of the countryside, using GPS collars to create virtual fences, and pioneered the restoration of montane scrub, planting more than 400,000 montane willows.

Scotland’s natural beauty

In September, the Jeniam Foundation issued a challenge to NTSUSA, the American friend’s group of the National Trust for Scotland, offering to match all donations to Ben Lawers dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000. With this important leverage, NTSUSA sent an appeal to its members that was met with tremendous enthusiasm. In just two months, the Jeniam Foundation’s match was met and exceeded.

“Ben Lawers is a special place in part because it was the first property the National Trust for Scotland purchased specifically for nature conservation,” said Kirstin Bridier, executive director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA. “The Trust not only cares for castles and country houses but also protects nearly 200,000 acres of wild countryside across Scotland. The success of this fundraising appeal demonstrates that Americans are interested in conserving Scotland’s natural beauty as well as its cultural heritage for the benefit of future generations.”

NTSUSA’s $75,000 grant to the National Trust for Scotland not only marks the 75^th anniversary of the Trust’s acquisition of the landscape, but also recognizes the recent retirement of Helen Cole, who worked on the mountain as property manager and senior ranger for 35 years.

Ben Lawers is located north of Loch Tay in the Scottish Highlands. It is the 10^th highest Munro (mountain over 3,000 feet) in Scotland. The National Trust for Scotland is that country’s largest independent conservation charity. In addition to wild landscapes like Ben Lawers, the Trust looks after ancient houses, battlefields, castles, mills, gardens, coastlines, islands, and all the communities, plants and animals which depend upon them.

In the US, The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA has raised nearly $12 million for the Trust’s conservation priorities since its founding in 2000.

 

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Scotland has contributed a great deal to the James Bond phenomenon, both the books and, especially, the films. Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, was English but he had a notable Scottish family background. When the long-running film series began, former Edinburgh milkman and footballer turned actor Sean Connery made the role of Bond his own to the extent that in the later books, Fleming gave Bond a Scottish background not unlike his own.

Actors like Robbie Coltrane, Robert Carlisle and Alan Cumming have appeared in the films, while Lulu, Sheena Easton and Shirley Manson-fronted Garbage have all provided theme songs (The Man with the Golden Gun, For Your Eyes Only and The World is Not Enough, in case you are wondering). And of course, Scottish locations have featured in several of the films, most notably From Russia with Love, The World is not Enough and Skyfall.

Geoffrey Boothroyd

But right near the beginning of the Bond phenomenon, a Glasgow resident helped to shape Bond’s profile and even inspired one of the most popular recurring characters in the film series. Geoffrey Boothroyd was not actually Scottish, though. He was born in Blackpool in 1925, but by 1956 was living in Strathbungo, near Queen’s Park, in the quietness of 17 Regent Park Square, as douce and prosperous then as it is now. He worked for the now vanished British chemicals giant ICI in their armaments division. In his private life he was also a firearms expert and enthusiast.

Boothroyd enjoyed the early Bond books but was not happy that Fleming had armed 007 with a .25 Beretta. Boothroyd wrote to Fleming and advised him (trigger warning – 1950s attitudes coming up!) that the Beretta was ‘…really a ladies’ gun and not a really nice lady at that…’. Fleming was always keen to get the detail in his books correct and entered into a correspondence with Boothroyd. Boothroyd recommended a .38 Smith and Wesson or a Walther PPK. In the end, Bond was armed with the Walther right up to the present day in both films and books.

At the time Boothroyd and Fleming were making their acquaintance, the author was busy editing the book of From Russia with Love. Fleming had wanted a cover picture that juxtaposed a Beretta pistol with a rose. Somehow, Berettas proved hard to find. Fleming wrote to Boothroyd asking if he knew how he could get hold of a Smith and Wesson instead. As a gun enthusiast, Boothroyd actually owned one, and sent it off to Fleming in London (special delivery, you would hope). The Glasgow weapon was duly illustrated alongside a rose on the cover of the first edition.

Meanwhile, in the usually quiet Glasgow Southside suburb of Burnside, a horrible triple murder had taken place. The victims had been shot, and the weapon used was a Smith and Wesson. The local police had Boothroyd registered as possessing the exact same weapon so they came knocking on his door in the quiet surrounds of Regents Park Square. Boothroyd was able to immediately demonstrate his innocence by proving that his weapon had an alibi; he showed the police a telegram from Ian Fleming – yes, that Ian Fleming – conforming receipt. (The murderer was later identified as the notorious Glasgow criminal Peter Manuel, who was captured, tried and hung in 1958).

The Glasgow firearms expert

Fleming’s next Bond novel, in 1958, was Dr No and it features an armourer who supplies Bond with a Walther PPK; the armourer’s name is Major Boothroyd. Before he gets the Walther, though, the fictional Boothroyd removes 007’s Biretta telling him ‘Ladies’ gun, sir.’ Geoffrey Boothroyd had been immortalised in fiction

Fleming did not actually come face to face with the real Boothroyd until he travelled to Glasgow in 1961, in a meeting arranged by Scottish Television. By then Boothroyd had been engaged as an advisor on the first of the Bond films, Dr No (the films did not follow the order of the books). The film retains the character of Major Boothroyd, played by Peter Burton. In subsequent films, Bond’s weapons and gadgets are supplied by ‘Q’, played by the much-loved character actor Desmond Llewellyn, but if you watch carefully you’ll notice that in one or two films he is still addressed as ‘Boothroyd’, a long-lasting tribute to the Glasgow firearms expert.

Fleming died of a heart attack in London in 1964. His final novel, The Man with the Golden Gun was in the pre-publication stages and Boothroyd (the real one from Glasgow) was the obvious choice to advise on the book’s weaponry and he even helped with the editing of the book.

A lasting contribution

Boothroyd was now living in 11 Regent Park Square, having moved there from No. 17 on his marriage. He appears in a short film, The Guns of James Bond, made in 1964, in which he discusses his choice of weapons for Bond. Sean Connery introduces the film which was mostly shot inside No. 11. The film is available on the BBC archive on YouTube, so you can easily view it, and the remarkable Mr Boothroyd, online.

Boothroyd had been a lodger in No. 17 with the family of Mr Harold Skaife. Skaife ran a business called Glasgow Cine Services that supplied film and sound recording services. He built a sound recording studio in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, where Glasgow songstress Lulu recorded her very first songs. And Lulu, of course, would go on to record a Bond theme. It really is a small world.

Geoffrey Boothroyd sold his house, 11 Regent Park Square, in 1971. He went on to publish a number of books about guns, and eventually died in 2001. Perhaps you are as uncomfortable reading about guns and gunsmithery as I am writing about them, but Boothroyd seems to have been a good egg. And he made a lasting contribution to one of the most lucrative expressions of British popular culture.

 

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A Scottish charity campaigner has begun an extraordinary 3,000-mile endurance challenge across the United States to raise funds and awareness for mental health support in Scotland. Craig Ferguson, a Paisley-based mental health advocate, will walk from Los Angeles to Boston, completing a full marathon every day for 104 consecutive days, aligned with the upcoming Fifa World Cup 2026. Kicking off in February, this awe-inspiring pursuit will see Craig cover the equivalent of more than three thousand miles on foot, with the aim of reaching Boston in time for the Scottish national football team’s opening World Cup match on 14 June.

He was inspired to undertake this journey following his own experience of mental health challenges, and in tribute to friends and loved ones in his life who have been affected. Through this effort, he hopes to shine a spotlight on mental health, and to raise £1 million pounds of vital funding for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH). Craig is no stranger to ambitious endurance fundraising. In 2024, he completed a remarkable 1,000-mile walk from Glasgow to Munich ahead of the UEFA European Football Championship 2024, passing through six countries and raising more than £70,000 for the Brothers in Arms men’s mental health charity, before being greeted by cheering fans on arrival in Germany.

Training for the “Tartan Trek” has been intensive, with Craig covering between 100 and 120 kilometres each week, alongside gym sessions of up to four days a week, as he prepares to brave the elements. He will complete the entire walk wearing a kilt – a powerful symbol of his connection to Scotland which, Craig says, also gives him a strong sense of motivation and personal empowerment. Craig hopes to be welcomed at the finish line by family and friends, as well as members of the Tartan Army, echoing the scenes in Munich where supporters gathered to celebrate the completion of his first endurance challenge in 2024. Like many Scottish football fans, he is also hoping to secure a ticket to watch his national team compete during the tournament.

Overcoming the challenge

When asked about the upcoming journey, Craig said: “I’d be naïve to think this is going to be a walk in the park. This challenge is three times the size of anything I’ve taken on before – physically and mentally – but that’s exactly what makes it so special. For me, it’s about pushing through, overcoming the challenge, and making it to the finish line in one piece. I chose to support SAMH because mental health causes are incredibly important to me, and I wanted to open up the conversation on a much bigger scale. We see the impact of mental health across Scotland and around the world, and SAMH are leading the way by breaking down barriers and making support accessible to all. I’m incredibly proud to be backing their life-changing work.”

Billy Watson, Chief Executive at SAMH, said: “Craig’s Tartan Trek captures exactly what SAMH stands for – courage, compassion and taking action when it matters most. Mental health challenges affect people in every community, and early support can make the difference between coping and crisis. The funds raised through this challenge will help us continue to provide accessible, community-based mental health support across Scotland, including through initiatives like The Nook. We’re incredibly grateful to Craig for taking on this remarkable challenge and for helping ensure that no one has to face mental health problems alone”.

Funds raised through the “Tartan Trek” will support SAMH’s nationwide services, which provide practical, emotional and social support to thousands of people experiencing mental health challenges each year. This includes adding to its national network of Nooks – welcoming, walk-in, barrier-free mental health support hubs available across Scotland.

Hazel McIlwraith, Director of Fundraising & Major Appeal at SAMH, added: “Craig’s Tartan Trek is one of the most extraordinary fundraising challenges we’ve ever been part of. Walking more than 3,000 miles coast to coast across the United States – a marathon a day for over 100 days – is an incredible physical feat, but what truly matters is why he’s doing it. Craig is using this challenge to shine a light on mental health, to show people that it’s okay to ask for help, and to raise vital funds that will directly support our life-saving services across Scotland. We are immensely proud to support him on this journey and grateful for his honesty, courage and determination.”

For more information on the Tartan Trek or to support Craig’s journey, visit: www.thetartantrek.co.uk

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Dundee Heritage Trust (DHT), the guardian of Captain Scott’s pioneering Antarctic ship, the Royal Research Ship Discovery in Dundee, has announced the beginning of the second phase of a major repair and conservation project aboard the ship. This next phase, coinciding with the 125^th  anniversary of the Dundee-built polar research ship, will involve extensive repairs to the weather-beaten bulwark and stanchions, and create a fully supportive habitat for the vessel for the very first time. The works are expected to cost in excess of £2M and are generously supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Tay Cities Region Deal, the Northwood Charitable Trust, the Headley Trust, amongst others. Discovery Point and RRS Discovery will remain open as usual to visitors throughout the works, a rare opportunity to observe both traditional shipwrighting skills and modern conservation methods in action, as tales are uncovered from within the ship’s historic timbers.

The first phase of the major works project took place from 2023 to 2025 and focused on £1.4M of urgent structural repairs to the most vulnerable stern section of the ship. This included conserved areas of the ship’s deck and stern, involving traditional shipwrighting methods such as caulking, steam bending, and blacking—endangered skills at risk of being lost to over 1,000 historic ships across the UK, including 6 operated as visitor attractions in Scotland. Through the project, these traditional techniques are being preserved, documented, and shared for future generations.

125 years of Discovery

The announcement of the next phase of conservation work comes as the RRS Discovery approaches its 125^th anniversary on March 21^st.  The Royal Research Ship (RRS) Discovery was built in Dundee and launched in 1901. It was the first ship in the world purpose built for scientific research in ice-packed Antarctica, providing the ideal vessel for the first official British exploration of the region since the voyage of James Clark Ross sixty years earlier (1839–1843).  The 1901 expedition launched the careers of some of the leading figures in what was to become known as the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’, including Robert Falcon Scott (who led the expedition), Ernest Shackleton, Edward Wilson, Frank Wild, Tom Crean and William Lashly. The RRS Discovery is the sole surviving UK ship from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, which lasted between the end of the 19th century and the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition of 1921–1922.

The expedition carried out scientific research and geographical exploration in what was then largely an untouched continent. It was seen as a trailblazer for later ventures and a landmark in British Antarctic exploration history, with many notable discoveries including the Cape Crozier emperor penguin colony; snow-free dry valleys in the western mountains; the Antarctic plateau (upon which the South Pole is located); evidence that the Ice Barrier was a floating ice shelf; and the discovery of many new marine species.

Following further Antarctic expeditions in 1925 and 1929, as well as an extended period as a Sea Scout training ship based in London between 1931-1979, RRS Discovery returned to Dundee in 1986, where it has resided as a multi-award-winning visitor attraction operated by Dundee Heritage Trust, attracting over 80,000 visitors a year.

Returned to its home city by Dundee Heritage Trust in 1986, RRS Discovery is today at the geographic, economic and cultural heart of Dundee, explored by tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe each year. Part of the UK’s National Historic Fleet, she is officially recognised as one of the UK’s most important historic ships. Formed in 1985 with a mission to preserve the ship for future generations, the Trust also has responsibility for Discovery Point, an Accredited museum and one of the region’s most popular visitor attractions telling the story of Discovery and her groundbreaking scientific expeditions. The current project aboard the ship is a part of the Trust’s wider transformation project at DiscoveryPoint, which hopes to transform the museum for the next generation.

Emma Halford-Forbes, Heritage Director at Dundee Heritage Trust said: “We’re thrilled to be moving on to the next phase of works aboard the internationally significant RRS Discovery. We’ve formed an excellent team, who have guided us through the first phase of works and shared so much knowledge and skill with our team and volunteers. We’re delighted to be working with them for the next two years.”

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More than 1,000 performers from 13 countries descended on the city of Brisbane for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, exclusively at Suncorp Stadium to celebrate the iconic event’s 75^th anniversary milestone.

International arrivals included more than 800 musicians who flew into Brisbane from across the world, as well as over 38,000 Tattoo fans from intestate and overseas, with the expected economic impact an estimated $39 million to Queensland.

A living canvas of music, movement, ceremony and precision

Freddie Bailey, Pipe Major at Brisbane Boys College Pipe Band and Alexander Middlemis on drums, with Highland Dancers, Macey Bennett and Sian Roach, and Alan Lane, Artistic Director of the Tattoo put tartan on the tarmac at the Brisbane international Airport to welcome fellow performers and interstate and international fans.  In a record-breaking Australian first, the world-renowned Tattoo presented four consecutive nights at Suncorp Stadium, the first time any act has delivered four back-to-back performances at the iconic venue.  Representing Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Tonga the United Kingdom, the United States and more, the cast created one of the most globally diverse line-ups ever assembled for an international Tattoo production.

Ahead of opening night performers arrived in Brisbane to undertake four days of intensive, full-scale rehearsals, transforming Suncorp Stadium into a living canvas of music, movement, ceremony, and precision. These final rehearsals brought together military bands, cultural groups, dancers, drummers, and pipers, many performing together for the very first time, to deliver a seamless, emotionally charged production under the stars.

More than 30 bands and cultural groups performed in The Heroes Who Made Us, including UK Military Bands from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, The Combined Military Bands of the Australian Defence Force, Queensland Police Pipe Band, Western Australia Police Pipe Band, Australia’s Federation Guard, His Majesty the King of Norway’s Guard Band and Drill Team, Japan Air Self-Defence Force Central Band, His Majesty’s Armed Forces The Royal Corps of Musicians Tonga, Top Secret Drum Corps, United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Brisbane Boys’ College Pipe Band, alongside performers from New Zealand and beyond.

Renowned for stirring music, military precision, cultural displays, and dramatic performances set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a global phenomenon, drawing over 230,000 spectators annually in Scotland and over 100 million more worldwide through international broadcasts. Hundreds of thousands have flocked to previous Australian editions of the Tattoo in Sydney (2005, 2010, 2019) and Melbourne (2016).

Unique in global performance

For many involved, the Brisbane performances carry deep personal meaning. Among the cast were members of a fourth-generation Scottish family, who prepared to share this emotional milestone together on Australian soil, a living reflection of the heritage, pride, and continuity the Tattoo represents. Alan Lane, Creative Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said ahead of opening night: “With the energy and excitement building. Each day sees the arrival of more of the creative team and cast from around the world.

Transforming over 1,000 cast members into one seamless production in just a few days is the challenge of the Tattoo. A challenge that makes the Tattoo unique in global performance. Performing four consecutive nights at Suncorp Stadium is something no artist has done before. I can’t wait for Australian audiences to see the Show we’ve prepared for them.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner added: “We’re thrilled to host the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Brisbane for the very first time. This spectacular, world-class event will draw visitors from across the country, deliver a big boost for local businesses, and shine a global spotlight on Brisbane as Australia’s lifestyle capital.”

Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff said: “We’re proud to play our part in bringing The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to Brisbane and it’s fair to say we’ve never seen this much tartan on our tarmac. As the city’s gateway, Brisbane Airport plays a vital role in welcoming performers and supporting the logistics that make world-class cultural events possible.”

Returning to Australia for the first time since 2019, the Brisbane season represents one of the Tattoo’s most ambitious international stadium productions to date. Cutting-edge lighting, immersive sound design, and large-scale visual effects will elevate the performance, blending the timeless traditions of the British Armed Forces with modern storytelling and world-class production innovation. The Tattoo then travelled to Auckland’s Eden Park for its successful New Zealand run.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will take place in Edinburgh August 7-29^th. For details see: www.edintattoo.co.uk

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

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As hereditary Chief of a Scottish Clan, I feel a strong sense of duty, reaching out to my fellow kinsmen worldwide, to bring them together in friendship, embracing our past and enjoying all aspects of our Clan Society today.  Our activities are far reaching, from Highland and Celtic Games and Clan Gatherings to exploring our history, ancestry, Highland dress, tartan, music, dancing, Gaelic traditions and whisky.

I greatly enjoyed my first visit to Australia last year, when I was privileged to be Games Chieftain at the Bundanoon Highland Games in April. My Clan Society team, headed by Hon Troy Grant, took me on a splendid tour over the Mountain Range from Sydney to Brisbane, taking in local Scottish heritage sites at Glen Innes and Maclean.

I was delighted to be invited by Ian Young and the Committee to be Chieftain at the Melbourne Highland Games and Celtic Festival on 29 March. I am very much looking forward to that occasion, visiting Melbourne and meeting both Grants and fellow Celtic followers alike.

My great grandfather Frank, being a second son, emigrated to New Zealand in 1870, seeking fame and fortune, as was typical at the time. He farmed near Otago, stood for Parliament in 1884 and became the Earl of Seafield in 1888.  He died shortly after and was buried in Oamaru.

His eldest son, James inherited and returned to the UK, only to die in the trenches in 1915, passing the Seafield titles to his daughter Nina and the Grant titles and Chieftainship of the Clan to his brother Trevor, my grandfather, who became Lord Strathspey.  He returned to the UK with his family in 1912, the year his son Patrick was born, my late father.

I therefore have a strong connection with New Zealand. We are re-starting our Society there, which in the 80s had more members than our US Society!  Canada also has a special significance for me, as a Baronet of Nova Scotia. The title was granted in 1625, by King James 1st of England and 6th of Scotland to my forebears, who helped fund an early settlement mission to Nova Scotia.

I attended a 400-year Anniversary Celebration at Stirling Castle last July, which included lectures about the Mission, early settlers and the present day. My title of Lord Strathspey is a Barony, which allowed my forebears to sit in the House of Lords in Westminster. As the senior title, this takes precedence over the Baronetcy title of Sir and is therefore my correct form of address.

The Chieftainship of the Clan is my most significant position

I regard the Chieftainship of the Clan is my most significant position. My mission is to support our Clan worldwide, increase global participation in events and history, developing and sustaining our bond of kinship.  I helped my late father set up the International Societies in the 1980s and am following his footsteps in my various trips abroad and Clan activities. Life is now so very different, the internet and social media bringing instant connectivity, the sharing of ideas and events as they happen. This necessitates a change in the way our Societies are run, embracing the new technology.

Personal contact remains all important and thankfully meeting together, whether at a Gathering, Games or just socially remains key, IT (in theory!) simply making all such arrangements easier to set up and manage.

Our Societies in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand are either re-starting or evolving in a similar manner. We have agreed to set up a global website and a digital historical archive for all to share, access and enjoy.

Meanwhile, we have launched the Grant 1714 tartan, one of the earliest Clan tartans on record, the traditional Clan tartans, including Grant, having been registered in the 1850s.  We are following this with the launch of a Grant 1714 branded Highland single malt Scotch whisky.

I work closely with all those involved in the Societies, trying to help bring about change, expand our “offering” and reach out to members, both old and new, embracing the spirit and bond of Kinship.

Our Annual Gathering in Scotland will take place from 7-13 August in Grantown on Spey, including the Abernethy Games on 8^th and the Grantown Show on 13^th. All Grants, affiliated families and friends are all most welcome!

I feel blessed to work with our Clan Grant Society teams and to meet the ancestors of longstanding Grant families from around the world.

Standfast Craigellachie!

Your Chief, Michael, Lord Strathspey

For details on the Clan Grant Society visit: www.clangrant.org or Clan Grant USA at: www.clangrant-us.org.

The Melbourne Highland Games and Celtic Festival takes place on Sunday March 29th for information visit: www.melbournehighlandgames.org.au

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts, no matter how small,  and thank you for considering your support.

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As the USA prepares to commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, there’s no better place to reflect on our shared story than Virginia. The 2026 Virginia International Tattoo takes place April 16-19 at Scope Arena in Downtown Norfolk, proudly celebrating 250 Years of American Independence.

Presented in partnership with Virginia Tourism Corporation and The Hixon Family, join a cast of over 800 performers from across the globe in a dazzling display of military pageantry, precision, and passion, featuring massed pipes and drums, military bands, drill teams, dancers, choirs, and special guests. Expect heart-stirring moments of majesty and might, timeless traditions, and stirring tributes that will move and inspire.

“Each of the 2026 Tattoo’s seven performances will be just under two hours long, but the staff, cast, crew, and volunteers of the Tattoo will collectively spend more than 60,000 hours in order to make those two-hour performances happen,” said Scott Jackson, Producer/Director of the Virginia International Tattoo since 2002. “Our performers in 2026 come from five different nations and eight different time zones. That means every hour of every day from now until opening night, someone somewhere in the world will be preparing for the Virginia International Tattoo. Every hour of every day somewhere in the world people will be preparing to share their very best with you, the audience!”

What is the Tattoo?

 

The centuries-old tradition of Tattoo originated as a signal from drummers instructing Dutch innkeepers near military garrisons to “Doe den Tap-too” or “turn off the tap”. Hearing the call “Tap-too” soldiers would return to their barracks for an evening roll call. The ensuing parade of soldiers evolved into a military marching band performance now known worldwide as “Tattoo.”  The Tattoos seen across the world today are ceremonial performances of military music by massed bands. Each Tattoo is influenced by the culture of the country they represent.

Fans of these massed spectacles of music and might flock to the world’s great Tattoos including The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, Basel Tattoo in Switzerland, and Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Canada. But the greatest Tattoo in the United States, and rivaling the largest in the world, is the Virginia International Tattoo.

This year’s performers include Royal Canadian Air Force Pipes and Drums (Canada), Musique de la Marine Nationale (National Band of the French Navy), Republic of Korea Army Military Band and Honor Guard Battalion, King’s Color Squadron of the Royal Air Force (UK),  and from the USA Camden County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, Hampton Roads Police Color Guards, The Kiltie Band of York, Norfolk Fire-Rescue Honor Guard, Rhodes Academy of Irish Dance, Tidewater Pipes and Drums, U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, U.S. Navy Fleet Forces Band, Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and more.

No comparable experience in the United States

As it has been since 1997, one of the anchor events of the Virginia Arts Festival is the Virginia International Tattoo. Led by J. Scott Jackson, the Virginia International Tattoo has become the largest such event in North America and numbers among the largest Tattoos in the world. Selected by the American Bus Association—the nation’s premier travel organization—as the top event in the United States in 2016, the Virginia International Tattoo has drawn visitors from across the country and around the world and has welcomed performers from 31 nations.

There simply is no comparable experience in the United States and no greater voice for expressing our nation’s gratitude to those who serve. Some of the most memorable of the 25 past Virginia International Tattoos have saluted the Tuskegee Airmen, Vietnam Veterans, Medal of Honor recipients, and women in the military. Each show is a moving lesson in history and patriotism for every generation, including the more than 20,000 students who attend the Tattoo every year.

Don’t miss the Virginia International Tattoo – America’s International Military Tattoo. Tickets are available and on sale now at www.vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822, or in person at the Virginia Arts Festival Box Office located at 440 Bank St, Norfolk, VA 23510.

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Independence Days around the world often mean fireworks, military parades and other exuberant traditional festivities. On the tiny Scottish island of Gigha, however, the celebrations are rather less headline-grabbing – yet no less significant. The population of just under 200 mark Gigha Day – their “independence day”, the day the islanders succeeded in purchasing the Hebridean island in a community buyout in 2002 – on March 15.

“For the first few years, it was quite a big day,” explains Ian Wilson, vice chairman of the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, which manages the island. “Now at 1pm that day the school kids read a poem, we raise the flag and everyone goes back to the hotel. It’s not like July 4^th!” Low key the celebrations may be now, but the community buyout was a landmark event when the islanders bought Gigha from its last private landlord for £4m.

The Hebrides

Just seven miles long by a mile and half wide, Gigha is the most southerly of the Hebrides, with stunning white beaches, above average sunshine and amazing views from its west coast across to the islands of Islay and Jura. But before 2002, when the buyout was completed, those beautiful natural assets weren’t enough to keep the population afloat – the number of residents on the island had dropped to below 100 and the primary school was in danger of closing.

Now, the population has nearly doubled, sub-standard housing has been renovated, and a host of projects have proliferated over the last 24 years. These include the creation of 9km of paths, complete with of interpretation boards and information boards, forming loops around the island, allowing visitors and locals alike to explore away from the main north-south road, and a campsite for visitors.

It’s not been an easy ride – “I would say to anywhere else considering it do it as a last resort not a first” says Ian. But he admits: “There are certainly lots of things on the island that wouldn’t be here with a private landlord.” The island’s history with humans stretches back thousands of years to the Mesolithic era. When the sea roads were the super highways of their day, Irish settlers arrived, and the Gaelic language and culture flourished here. For 2,000 years Gigha was a heartland for the language with the 1921 census showing the island as 75 per cent Gaelic-speaking.

Gigha also has a tradition of harp playing, mainly through the Galbraith family, one of three surnames associated with the island; the others being MacNeill and MacDonald, two clans who fought over the land here. The Norse took over in the 9^th century, and the island became part of the Viking southern Kingdom of the Isles until the end of the 13^th century when King Haakon IV was defeated at the Battle of Largs – his mighty fleet assembled just off Gigha.

But there was little peace for the inhabitants of the fertile island under Scottish rule. Until the late 19^th century the island was mainly held by the MacNeills but there were various murderous ups and downs including in 1530, when Ailean nan Sop (or Alan of the Straw, due to his habit of setting light to buildings using straw as kindling) slaughtered several inhabitants and later that century when the Macleans of Duart descended, killing hundreds on Islay and Gigha.

The biggest community buyout in the UK

The MacNeills sold the island for £49,000 to one James Williams Scarlett in 1865 and after that, the island had a succession of owners which coincided with a slide in population from a peak of 600 in the 18^th century to below 100 when the island was put up for sale in 2001. Many of those who left in the 18^th century boarded ships for the US, joining those from surrounding islands to settle in the Cape Fear area in North Carolina.

Once quite isolated – before the first steamships started passing by in 1877, people rowed or sailed across the three miles to the mainland and the island only got its first pier in 1895 – now there is a regular car ferry which takes just 20 minutes from the mainland. The community voted yes in 2002 on plans to try for a buyout and only 17 days after the ballot the £4 million was raised, the funds coming from the lottery-backed Scottish Land Fund, which gave its biggest grant ever of £3.5 million, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which provided £500,000, which was double its previous biggest grant.

It was a landmark decision – the biggest community buyout in the UK at the time with the island’s owner, Derek Holt, having turned down three private offers to allow the community sale to go ahead. There was a small catch – £1 million had to be repaid but a huge fundraising effort by the islanders, with ceilidhs, quizzes, sponsored rows around the island and the sale of the main property, Achamore House, saw that money raised. It hasn’t all been plain sailing – at one point finances were said to be on a “knife’s edge” and there have been highly public fallouts among islanders on the way forward. But there have been some unqualified successes – the sub-standard housing has been renovated thanks to funds from the “dancing ladies”, wind turbines bought by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust.

Gigha’s profile was further boosted in 2021 when it became the setting for a reality TV drama called Murder Island, written by famous crime author Ian Rankin, while in recent years the island has been gaining a reputation as a Dark Skies location. A site in the quiet north of the island has been named as a Dark Sky Discovery Site by the UK Dark Sky Discovery Partnership. On cloudless dark nights the Milky Way is clearly visible from here and the group behind the initiative, Dark Skies Gigha, holds several starry events over the year including a party to mark the Perseids meteor shower each August.

Ian says: “It’s a welcoming island, you only have to be here for ten minutes, and you feel you are at home. People come looking for a better quality of life and they find it on Gigha. It’s a fantastic place to live – I can’t explain it, it just gets you.”

BY: Judy Vickers
Main photo: Isle of Gigha – Twin Beaches by Brian Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Set in the stunning landscapes of Glen Innes Highlands, in northern New South Wales, the Australian Celtic Festival is a truly unique celebration of living Celtic culture in Australia. Each May, the township of Glen Innes embraces its Celtic heritage and welcomes thousands of visitors from across Australia and internationally to gather among the iconic Australian Standing Stones – the National Celtic Monument of Australia now in its 34^th year.

In 2026 the Festival celebrates the Year of Scotland, delivering four days of music, ceremony, culture and action from Thursday 30 April to Sunday 3 May 2026.

Honoured Guest

Every year the Australian Celtic Festival is delighted to invite an Honoured Guest who reflects the year’s featured Celtic nation. This year we are pleased to announce acclaimed cook Ali Stoner, known internationally as Roving Haggis, as its Honoured Guest in 2026.

Glasgow-born and Melbourne based Ali demonstrates her creative approach to Scottish food with storytelling and invites us to make her delicious and innovative, yet traditionally inspired recipes celebrating Scottish culture, heritage and connection.  Ali will play a central role in the Festival program with a series of special presentations and side events across the weekend, and will officially open the Festival at the Opening Ceremony on Friday 1 May in Glen Innes Town Square. 

The Australian Standing Stones venue

Over the four days, events are held throughout Glen Innes and the surrounding District, with the main Australian Standing Stones venue a hive of activity on Friday evening 1 May, Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May, with Celtic inspired market stalls and food vendors, music, dance, piping, ceremony and live action. Visitors can watch thrilling live jousting tournaments on horseback, cheer on competitors in the Highland Games, catch the Celtic nations ceremonies, Kirkin of the Tartan and visit the Clan and society tents around the stone circle. Families will love the Celtic Kids marquee including performances on the Sunday Family Fun Day, especially designed for the young ones, Celtic dog parade and Fashion parade. Our Celtic Cauldron marquee will host the Poets Breakfast and offers the chance to experience the living traditions of Celtic music, song and language in an inspiring environment.

The re-enactors add another fascinating layer to the weekend. Groups such as An T-Arm Albannach and the New England Medieval Arts Society (NEMAS) re-enactment and living history groups will take you back in time with demonstrations, traditional crafts, storytelling, military drills and dramatic battle displays. Their presence gives visitors a real sense of the history behind the culture being celebrated. The entertainment line up at the Highlands Stage has a full program of top Australian Celtic musicians and dancers, harpists to Celtic rock. This stage is adjacent to an array of food vendors and the Boar ‘n’ Drum Tavern and licensed precinct with outdoor screen to listen to the music with old friends and new in the welcoming atmosphere.

Evening Events

Friday Night kicks of the entertainment at the Australian Standing Stones venue, with the Friday Night Céilídh in the Highlands Marquee hosted by energetic Scotsman, Graeme McColgan and Ceilidh Connections. This traditional gathering will have you on your feet faster than you can say haggis!

The Saturday Night ‘Sesh’ hosted by Mick McHugh from The Gathering and featuring a variety of local and visiting artists will make for an energetic evening’s craic!

ACF Celtic Food Trail

A major feature of the 2026 Year of Scotland is the expanded ACF Celtic Food Trail, which weaves culinary experiences throughout Glen Innes and the Festival site. Leading this journey is acclaimed Scottish cook and storyteller Ali Stoner, the Festival’s Honoured Guest.

Ali brings warmth, authenticity and deep cultural knowledge to the Festival, sharing traditional Scottish recipes, stories and sustainable food practices. She will appear at the Celtic Cauldron alongside Roberta Muir, host demonstrations, and participate in special side events with local producers, chefs and venues across town. Throughout the week, local cafés, pubs, restaurants and producers will embrace the Celtic theme with special menus, tastings and events that invite visitors to truly “taste Scotland in the Highlands.”

Events Around Town

During Festival week Glen Innes comes alive with events for both visitors and locals. On Thursday evening the much-loved 100,000 Welcomes Concert offers a warm musical introduction to the weekend ahead. Across the town there are talks, workshops, the Highlands Hub Celtic Symposium, a busking competition, the Australian Celtic Cultural Awards for art & fashion. The Land of the Beardies Museum also hosts special programming that connects local history with Celtic heritage.

On Friday morning the official Opening Ceremony takes place in the historic town centre, bringing together civic leaders, performers and community in a proud and festive moment. Saturday morning features the iconic Street Parade from 9:30am, when crowds line the main street to watch massed pipe bands, clans, dancers and community groups march together in solidarity and celebration.

After the parade, many local businesses join the festivities by decorating their shop windows in Celtic themes. Free shuttle buses run throughout the weekend, connecting the town, Showgrounds, Visitor Information Centre and the Australian Standing Stones so everyone can enjoy the Festival with ease. 

Stay and Explore

Glen Innes offers accommodation to suit every traveller, from motels and boutique farm stays to caravan parks and scenic camping areas. Many visitors choose to stay longer to experience the beauty of the New England High Country in its peak autumn season, with golden landscapes, crisp air and spectacular natural scenery just a short drive from the Festival.

With accommodation sometimes hard to find, we encourage day trips from neighbouring towns and villages.

Tickets for official Festival events are available online at www.australiancelticfestival.com, where you can also find the full program of events happening across Glen Innes. Follow the Australian Celtic Festival on Facebook and Instagram for updates, artist announcements and behind-the-scenes stories as we prepare to celebrate the Year of Scotland in 2026.

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

Support the Scottish Banner! To donate to assist with production of our publication  and website visit: The Scottish Banner

In a revelation that feels straight out of Outlander, researchers at Robert Gordon University have uncovered new evidence of an assassination attempt on Prince Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, during his stay at Bannockburn House in January 1746. The discovery of a lead ball consistent with an 18^th century musket shot, found during conservation work on a historic bed in the room traditionally associated with the Prince, adds a dramatic twist to one of Scotland’s most storied chapters.

Using cutting-edge X-ray technology, archaeological visualisation experts from Robert Gordon University identified a deformed lead projectile concealed within the bed’s footboard—silent testimony to a moment of violence that may have unfolded during the Jacobite siege of Stirling. “This is historical detective work at its finest,” said Dr Catherine Bradley, Conservation Trustee at Bannockburn House. “For centuries, local tradition spoke of a shooting incident here. Now, fragments of that story are aligning with physical evidence. Every new detail takes us deeper into the intrigue of 1746.” The find follows last year’s identification of a musket ball impact on the room’s wall, suggesting not one but possibly multiple shots were fired. Researchers are now asking: How many attackers were involved? How did the Prince escape? Could there be truth to the whispered tales of a secret tunnel?

A living story

Professor Pritchard said: “This research improves our understanding of the Jacobite Rising and the dangers faced by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Our 3D visualisation technologies allow for the digital preservation of fragile objects and sites, creating records that support further research and public sharing. By capturing these assets accurately, we are both expanding our knowledge and guaranteeing their preservation for future study.”

The Bannockburn House Trust, in partnership with Robert Gordon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Historic Environment Scotland, is leading the investigation. Researchers emphasise that the investigation remains ongoing. The emerging evidence does not yet conclusively define the nature of the incident, but it does expand the evidence base. Further analysis and archaeological digs are planned. Malcolm McEwan, Chair of the Trust, said: “This is what happens when community heritage meets world-class research. Bannockburn House is not just a building – it’s a living story, and we’re inviting the public to be part of its next chapter.”

The discovery stemmed from a collaborative programme involving Historic Environment Scotland, Robert Gordon University, and Johns Hopkins University; which brings postgraduate students from the United States to Scotland to engage directly with historic buildings, conservation practice, and digital documentation as part of their training.

Main photo: Bannockburn House. Photo courtesy of Bannockburn House Trust.

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Savannah, Georgia, USA is a beautiful city to visit in May for the 48^th annual Savannah Scottish Games. The area is known for old live oak trees draped in Spanish moss, with its long, draping, silvery-gray strands that hang from trees in warm, humid climates like the Southeastern U.S.

Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe and is renowned as America’s first planned city designed to create a scenic, walkable environment. The design is based on a grid system each containing a central square, surrounded by homes, churches, and civic buildings. Twenty-two often tree-shaded, public spaces of the original twenty-four squares are still in existence today.

Savannah is known for its rich history (including being the birthplace of the Girl Scouts and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), a vibrant arts scene, delicious Southern cuisine, and a reputation for being one of America’s most haunted cities, making it a top destination for history buffs, foodies, and those seeking spooky tales. A perfect backdrop for a Scottish games!

In January 1736, 177 Scottish Highlanders, recruited by Gen. James Oglethorpe, founded New Inverness (later Darien) an hour south of Savannah on the Altamaha River to serve as a military buffer against Spanish Florida. Led by John McIntosh Mohr and Hugh Mackay, these settlers were renowned for their warrior skills, crucial in defending the colony.

Fort King George State Historic Site in McIntosh County, Georgia, is the site of the oldest English fort on Georgia’s coast, built in 1721 as the British Empire’s southernmost outpost in North America to defend the frontier against Spanish and French threats. Today, it features a reconstructed colonial outpost with a blockhouse, barracks, and museum, showcasing the hardships of early soldiers and the history of the region.  This coastal region is a great day trip from Savannah full of beaches, tidal communities and fresh seafood.

Family friendly festival

The Savannah Scottish Games is a family friendly festival jam packed with dancing, music, athletics, and fun for all ages. Held at Bethesda Academy for 18 years, the Savannah Scottish Games will welcome you with the sound of bagpipes, the thrill of the caber toss, and the warmth of Highland camaraderie. Bethesda is located approximately 12 miles east of downtown Savannah. Founded in 1740, it features gorgeous marshland on the Moon River with the region’s signature majestic live oaks draped in Spanish moss. A great backdrop for a Highland Games.

Bring a lawn chair and brace yourselves for the ultimate battle of strength on the bonnie fields. Cheer on 60 heavy athletes throwing heavy things. If that is not enough, competitions include tug-of-war and the Irish sport of Hurling. Wee lads and lassies are greeted at the front gate with a Children’s Passport. Visit with the various organizations and clans, collect passport stamps and redeem for a prize! Imaginations soar as sheep/duck herding border collies, birds of prey, hockey and living history reenactments perform demonstrations under the live oaks.

From powerful pipe bands and traditional bands (Seven Nations bringing Celtic rock, and folk music performances by Scotland’s Colin Grant-Adams, and local favorites- Swamptooth and Lochlann), you can take in a variety of music and dancing all day long.

Strolling the marketplace is a unique shopping experience. Enjoy local beer and mead—popular with the Celts and Vikings. Find your new favorite whisky during the whisky seminar & tasting experience.

Where Lowcountry charm meets Scottish tradition—Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty/Stewart Sells The Lowcountry, is proud to be the Title Sponsor of the Savannah Scottish Games. Come to the 48^th annual Savannah Scottish Games to experience Scotland in Savannah. Come for the heritage. Stay for the music. Leave with tired feet and a full heart!

For more details visit: www.savannahscottishgames.com

 

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

Support the Scottish Banner! To donate to assist with production of our publication  and website visit: The Scottish Banner

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The National Trust for Scotland celebrates stories of prominent women from its past. The women have enhanced Scotland’s rich heritage in art, conservation, estate management, forestry, horticulture, interior design and photography.

The National Trust for Scotland is celebrating the stories of the remarkable women associated with the special places in its care to mark International Women’s Day on March 8. The pioneering women, who are strongly associated with the conservation charity’s heritage places across the country, have been instrumental in the development of the historic properties, with the legacy of their achievements inspiring the work of the National Trust for Scotland to this day.

The stories of the women from different walks of life have been shared as part of International Women’s Day to celebrate their contributions to the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women. Some of them are remembered for their work in different fields from art, conservation and estate management, forestry, horticulture and interior design to name a few. Their work has influenced and enhanced Scotland’s rich cultural heritage that the National Trust for Scotland works hard to care for, share and protect, now and for future generations to enjoy.

Sarah Beattie, National Trust for Scotland Senior Curator, said: “We’re delighted to celebrate International Women’s Day by sharing the inspiring stories of some of the women associated with the special heritage places cared for by our charity. These women, from different backgrounds, have been influential in their respective fields and their achievements have helped challenge societal notions across the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries to leave lasting legacies that we work hard to conserve. It is thanks to the ongoing generosity of our members and supporters, that we’re able to continue our work to care for, protect and share Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage for everyone.”

Inspiring stories

Hannah Lorimer (1854 – 1947) – Kellie Castle, Fife

Hannah’s love of art grew from staying at Kellie Castle in Fife as a young woman, where she was inspired to compose music and create art, embroidery, paintings and sculptures. Her creativity and curiosity led her to learn about plaster moulding from her family’s renovation of the property, with her skills helping to secure the opportunity to complete the decorative plaster ceilings at Falkland Palace for the Marquess of Bute.

While her brother (John Henry Lorimer) and nephew (Hew Lorimer) became famous for their artistic endeavours, Hannah was never considered a professional artist, but her legacy lives on through her work.

 

Miss Christian Dalrymple (1765 – 1839) – Newhailes House & Garden, East Lothian

Christian inherited Newhailes estate as the eldest daughter of her father, Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, 3^rd Baronet of Hailes, who died in 1792. However, as a woman, Christian, was unable to inherit his baronetcy and focused her efforts to improve and manage the condition of the estate, repairing the library roof, improving the servants’ accommodation and extending the stable block.

As an early pioneer of conservation, Christian protected the grounds from industrialisation, helping to safeguard her legacy and the beautiful landscape at Newhailes for future generations.

 

Mary Irvine (1721 – 1779) – Drum Castle, Aberdeenshire

A prominent figure from Scottish history, Mary helped her brother, Alexander Irvine, hide from Redcoats in a secret room at the castle following the Battle of Culloden. Following his death in France after his exile, Mary dedicated her life to managing the estate at Drum where she established the Royal Forest of Drum, with remnants from the ancient oak woodland still surviving to this day. Mary was influential in creating and maintaining a working forest and negotiated a good price for oak timber with local shipbuilders.

An advocate for conservation, Mary recognised the importance of the forest and the dual value it offered, expressing her thoughts on the trees, ‘I think they must be profitable as well as pretty’. Mary was daughter of Alexander Irvine, 16^th Laird of Drum Castle.

 

Mairi Sawyer (1879 – 1953) – Inverewe Garden, Scottish Highlands

Having spent most of her life at Inverewe, it is no surprise that Mairi shared her father, Osgood Mackenzie’s passion for gardening. After his death in 1922, Mairi took over caring for the ambitious loch-side garden, containing plant species from across the globe, which was transformed from a barren wilderness in the Scottish Highlands into a coastline paradise that is a feast for the senses.

Although hindered by labour shortages after the Second World War, Mairi was determined to make the garden a success and in the spirit of inclusion, opened the garden to paying visitors for the first time to share its unusual and exotic plants for everyone to enjoy.

 

Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (1864 – 1933) – Hill House, Helensburgh and Mackintosh at the Willow, Glasgow

Having studied at the Glasgow School of Art in the late 19^th century, it is here that Margaret met Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which was the catalyst for a life-long artistic partnership that influenced interior design and architecture in the following years. Despite attracting attention on her own merit, the husband-and-wife duo worked collaboratively on many projects, so it is unclear how much she inspired his work, with both designers having contributed to the development of the ‘Glasgow style’ from 1890s to around 1914.

Regarded as one of the most versatile, imaginative and successful artists working in Glasgow in the early 20^th century, original examples of her work can be found inside the Hill House, in Helensburgh, as well as in the recreated interiors of the Mackintosh at the Willow tea rooms on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street.

 

Agnes Toward (1886 – 1975) – Tenement House, Glasgow

Mrs Agnes Toward and her daughter Miss Agnes Toward were the epitome of independent Glaswegian women in the 19^th and 20^th century. Mrs Toward had to provide for her daughter following the death of her husband in 1889 and successfully ran two dressmaking shops in the city to provide a middle-class upbringing for Miss Toward. Despite societal pressure on women to marry and the notion of ‘spinsterhood’ that dictated how widowed and single women were viewed at this time, Mrs Toward led an independent life with her daughter, moving into the Tenement House in 1911.

Miss Agnes Toward was afforded a good education due to her mother’s work ethic, which led her to formal college qualifications that helped her secure and hold the job as a typist with Prentice, Service & Henderson, a role she held for almost 50 years. Unlike many of her colleagues who would have stopped working following marriage, Miss Toward never married and continued working until the age of 73.

Text and images courtesy of the National Trust for Scotland.  For more information on the National Trust for Scotland and the properties and stories above, please visit: www.nts.org.uk.

Main photo: Mrs Agnes Toward, the former resident of Tenement House in Glasgow.

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

Support the Scottish Banner! To donate to assist with production of our publication  and website visit: The Scottish Banner

Discover inspiring stories from Scottish trailblazers this International Women’s Day (March 8^th).

Scotland is a land steeped in fascinating history and filled with magical tales and experiences for visitors to explore and enjoy. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day on 8 March, it’s a time to reflect on the stories and achievements of Scotland’s well-known women, alongside the unsung heroines who influence the country we know today.  From distinguished scientists and social reformers to trailblazing engineers and world-renowned artists and authors – Scotland has produced a plethora of formidable women.

The most famous and intriguing of all Scottish women, Mary Queen of Scots, was born in 1542 at Linlithgow Palace. She became the Queen of Scotland at only six days old. Explore The Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre in Jedburgh or visit a range of incredible sites across the country linked to Mary’s eventful history.

Take inspiration not only from the women that have left their mark across Scottish history, but from the vibrant array of Scottish women forging new stories. Women showcasing ingenuity and leadership in tourism and empowering meaningful change across Scotland – the below are a brief example of Scotland’s inspirational stories with women at the core.

Historical & Cultural Experiences 

The Glasgow Women’s Library-Glasgow Women’s Library is no ordinary library.  As well as a lending library, it holds a wonderful treasure trove of historical and contemporary artifacts and archive materials that celebrate the lives, histories and achievements of women. From Suffragette memorabilia and 1930s dress making patterns to rare 1970s Scottish Women’s Liberation newsletters, it’s all here.

The only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women’s lives, histories and achievements, Glasgow Women’s Library offers archives, exhibitions and events in the heart of the city’s East End. The library runs a vibrant and diverse programme of events and activities available all year round. Including Women’s Heritage Walks, book readings, exhibitions and so much more.

The Hill House – Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (Helensburgh, Argyll)-The Hill House in Helensburgh is widely recognised as the most iconic home designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scotland’s most famous architect. Commissioned by Glasgow book publisher Walter Blackie in 1902, up-and-coming architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and artist Margaret Macdonald worked collaboratively to create the unique building, furniture and textiles. Mackintosh said of his wife: ‘Margaret has genius, I have only talent’. She is now regarded as one of the most versatile, imaginative and successful artists working in Glasgow in the early 20^th century.

Edinburgh International Festival – Nicola Bendetti first Scottish and female Director-The Edinburgh International Festival welcomes the finest performers in dance, opera, music and theatre from across the globe to Edinburgh for a spectacular three-week celebration every August. As well as being one of the most influential classical artists of today, Nicola Benedetti is both the first Scottish and the first female Festival Director since the Festival began in 1947.

Women-Led Tours Showcasing History, Culture, and Adventure

Black History Walking Tour of Edinburgh, Lisa Williams-Discover Edinburgh’s deep links with Africa and the Caribbean over the past 500 years in this guided walking tour.  With a focus on the Caribbean and Edinburgh’s role in the Transatlantic Slave System, hear the little-known stories of Edinburgh’s many visitors and residents of African, African American and Caribbean heritage from the 16^th century to the present day.  The tour is led by Lisa Williams, an author, poet and founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association.  She curates a range of events across Scotland to promote Caribbean culture and leads walking tours focusing on Edinburgh’s black history.

Invisible Cities, Zakia Moulaoui (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scottish Borders)-Invisible Cities is a community interest company, set up by Zakia Moulaoui, that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city.  The organisation offers tours that are off the beaten track, personal and highlight real people, and raise awareness about social justice.  As we approach International Women’s Day, visitors can join Invisible Cities ‘Real Women of Edinburgh’ tour that uncovers stories about women’s contribution to the city or ‘The People of Glasgow’ tour that explores the communities in Scotland’s largest city.

Shetland with Laurie, Laurie Goodlad- Shetland with Laurie is a Scottish travel writer and tour guide itinerary planner with a passion for all things Shetland.  Born to the islands, Laurie can trace her ancestry back hundreds of years and wants to share her deep connection to Shetland with its visitors, allowing them to feel a sense of belonging themselves.  Laurie guides visitors through bespoke tours to help unlock the secrets of these fascinating islands.

Food and Drink Experiences by Female Founders

Cail Bruich, Lorna McNee (Glasgow)-One of two Michelin-starred restaurants in Glasgow, Cail Bruich aims to create truly memorable dining experiences, working closely with producers and suppliers to offer guests the highest quality of food and drink. Head Chef Lorna McNee, protégé of the late chef Andrew Fairlie of Two Michelin-starred Restaurant Andrew Fairlie and the only female head chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Scotland, took up her first head chef role at Cail Bruich in August 2020. Lorna creates elegant plates of food that make the most of Scotland’s seasonally changing ingredients prepared with respect and a lightness of touch.

Spirit & Spice, Ghillie Basan (Cairngorms National Park)-Ghillie Başan harnessed her intrepid spirit to build a highly distinctive, thriving business at her remote Highland home. She offers remarkable off-the-beaten-track experiences with food and drink at their core. At her business, visitors savour her unique style of food, Scottish spirits, and a real sense of outdoor adventure. Take part in a Whisky Food Safari and enjoy the flavours of the wild landscape while enjoying the stunning views.

Nc’Nean Distillery, Annabel Thomas (Morvern Peninsula, Scottish Highlands)- Meet Annabel Thomas, founder and CEO of Nc’nean. Nc’nean is an organic whisky distillery nestled on the west coast of Scotland with a focus on sustainability.  Nc’nean is one of the first female-founded distilleries in Scotland to be established in 200 years. They were also the first distillery in the UK to receive net zero verification, operating on 100% renewable energy.

Loch Levens Larder, Emma Niven (Kinross)-Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of Kinross, Loch Leven’s Larder is a family-run farm, restaurant, food hall and gift shop that celebrates the finest in local produce, craftmanship, and honest farm-fresh foods.  Loch Leven’s Larder was founded by Emma Niven and her husband after they took over the family farm and recognised an opportunity to champion the community.  The Larder uses as much local produce as possible, from vegetables grown in their own fields to produce from the many artisan makers in the surrounding area and the rest of Scotland.

Lussa Gin – Georgina, Sofie and Claire – (Isle of Jura, Argyll)-Located off Scotland’s west coast, the long and narrow Isle of Jura is home to around 250 people and 6000 wild deer. It is also home to Lussa Gin – an award-winning gin made by three women with 15 botanicals from the island wilderness. Visitors to the remote distillery, 25 miles along the single-track road from the Jura ferry, will be treated to fine views along the way.

Adventure & Outdoor Escapes

Wilderness Scotland-Starting in 2019, Wilderness Scotland decided to introduce an assortment of exciting, fully guided women-only departures to create a space to enjoy the great outdoors. Wilderness Scotland’s new trips have been devised to be even more inclusive to women who want to adventure in the wilderness.  Whether a visitor wants to reduce competitiveness, feel confident in trying a new activity, take pride in their own abilities, avoid feeling self-conscious or simply become a part of the wilderness women’s community, these women-only trips open up the wilderness to more women to travel the wilds of Scotland with the kind of solidarity, ease and atmosphere that perhaps doesn’t come in a mixed group.

WanderWomen (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, East Lothian)-Owned by Anna, WanderWomen Scotland facilitates award-winning, outstanding outdoor experiences for women in a unique mix of mindfulness and adventure.  Anna created WanderWomen in 2018 to encourage women to have their space in the male-dominated adventure world.  Her retreats include mindfulness walks, meditation, foraging, loch swimming, and more.

Wild Braemar, Annie Armstrong (Cairngorms National Park)-Owned by Annie Armstrong, Wild Braemar offers experiences including guided walks, wild swimming adventures, outdoor learning and creative workshops. Located in the heart of the stunning Cairngorms National Park, Wild Braemar aims to showcase the best of Scottish landscapes and natural spaces with experiences that are tailored to the visitor, providing unique opportunities to connect with nature.

Selkie Explorers, Celia Bull (Isle of Eigg)-Skippered by Celia Bull, an experienced yachtswoman who has sailed the world’s oceans for over 20 years, Selkie Explorers offers female crewed sailing day and multiday trips of the Hebrides, St Kilda and Northern Isles aboard a yacht named Selkie.

Incredible Creators

Prickly Thistle, Clare Campbell (The Black Isle, Scottish Highlands)-Prickly Thistle is a luxury brand dedicated to Scotland’s iconic cloth, tartan, made by women. The brand has taken their vision and created three unique tartan designs. These designs feature within all of the product ranges which have been manufactured exclusively within Scotland from only the highest quality raw materials.

Radical Weavers, Mari Breslin (Stirling)-Immerse oneself in craft courses where heritage and culture intertwine, offering a chance to learn the art of weaving and explore Scotland’s textile history.  Step into the enchanting world of weaving at the Radical Weavers independent charity studio nestled in the heart of Stirling. Experience one of the craft courses where heritage and culture intertwine, offering a unique opportunity to learn the art of weaving and delve into Scotland’s rich textile history. Discover the joy of creating tartan-inspired treasures, a perfect gift experience beyond the ordinary.

Siobhan MacKenzie-Siobhan Mackenzie is a multi-award-winning Scottish fashion designer. Born and raised in The Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland, her Highland heritage and Clan Mackenzie roots inspired her graduate collection and have remained a firm inspiration transcending throughout the brand. Five days after graduating with a First-Class BA Honours degree in Fashion Design & Production Siobhan launched her self-named label in 2014, aged 21.  Whilst a student Siobhan undertook an internship with Scottish kilt-makers Glenisla, where she learnt the art of kilt making and thereafter began to experiment with new techniques.  Her innovative design flair mixed with a Made in Scotland brand ethos reinvents the classics into a contemporary label inspired by Scotland. Clients have included Justin Bieber and Alan Cumming on the Traitors.

Text and images courtesy of VisitScotland. To plan your next trip to Scotland, see: www.visitscotland.com

Main photo: Loch Levens Larder.

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Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

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The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s debut in Brisbane in February 2026 proved to be a landmark cultural triumph, blending Scottish pageantry and international flair with Queensland’s vibrant energy. Staged at Suncorp Stadium from 12–15 February, the event marked the Tattoo’s first-ever full‑scale production in the city and formed the centrepiece of its 75^th anniversary celebrations. Audiences were treated to The Heroes Who Made Us, a milestone show honouring the Tattoo’s incredible past while imagining its future.

The production showcased the signature elements that have made the Tattoo world‑famous: massed military bands, stirring anthems, precision drill, and the unmistakable sound of the pipes and drums. More than 1,000 elite performers from across the globe, led by the Massed Pipes and Drums of UK military regiments, delivered a spectacle of scale rarely seen in Australia. Performers came from across Australia as well as New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Tonga, Japan and the USA.

Brisbane embraced the event wholeheartedly with the city streets alive with Tattoo guests and performers throughout the weekend. Though rain was persistent during the performances the extensive logistical planning contributed to the Tattoo’s polished presentation. Audiences were enthralled with performances being shown on Australia’s largest LED screen, measuring an incredible 50m by 22m, which displayed images of Scottish landscapes including the Tattoo’s home of Edinburgh Castle.

The greatest show on earth

The Tattoo’s success in Brisbane stemmed not only from its theatrical grandeur but also from its deep history and cultural resonance. The Tattoo has often been called ‘the greatest show on earth’ and the Brisbane production certainly honoured that. The planning and detail that went into this show was like a military operation and audience feedback has been incredible.

Ahead of the Tattoo the show’s promoter told the Scottish Banner that pipe bands would form a focus of this production and that was delivered, along with some incredible local and international cast. The combination of military precision, global performers, and Scottish heritage created a powerful emotional experience for audiences to take home.

By the time the final notes faded on 15 February, the Brisbane season had firmly established itself as a highlight of the Tattoo’s 75‑year celebrations. Its blend of tradition, spectacle, and community engagement ensured that the Brisbane edition will be remembered as a resounding success.

Do you enjoy our content?

Content on the Scottish Banner website remains free for users. Stories and events listed for the international Scottish community continue to be an important resource for many across the world. As advertising revenue remains a challenge, our readers can donate to help us produce unique Scottish content for global Scots. Every contribution counts and thank you for considering your support.

Support the Scottish Banner! To donate to assist with production of our publication  and website visit: The Scottish Banner

Travellers to the UK need to be up to date with the new policies now coming into effect. Visitors to the UK need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) if they do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months, or do not already have a UK immigration status. From 25 February 2026 eligible visitors without an ETA will not be able to board their transport and cannot legally travel to the UK. An ETA is a digital permission to travel – it is not a visa or a tax and does not permit entry into the UK – it authorises a person to travel to the UK. Non dual citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA will now be required to apply online in advance for an ETA to visit the UK. An ETA currently costs £16 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.

British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA. However dual British citizens must have a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK.  It is strongly advised that dual British citizens make sure they have a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement, to avoid problems like being denied boarding when travelling to the UK. From 25 February 2026, dual British citizens who cannot produce a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement will need to have additional identity checks and will not be able to go through UK passport control until their British nationality is verified.

Further guidance on ETAs, or renewing your UK passport, is available on: www.gov.uk

Support the Scottish Banner! To donate to assist with production of our publication  and website visit: The Scottish Banner