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They came, they saw, but did they conquer? That’s the first question on many peoples’ minds when considering Rome’s efforts to subdue Scotland. Pseudo-histories and long-busted myths still endure in the popular imagination, while even Scotland’s foremost historians and archaeologists debate the extent and nature of Rome’s brief but dramatic presence north of Hadrian’s Wall.

Leading on from last month’s summary of the history of Scottish castles, I’m here to put all our legionaries in a row when it comes to the fundamentals. When did they arrive? Why did they leave? Did Scotland truly remain unconquered by them? Read on for a crash course in the Roman invasions of Scotland. The first coordinated incursion into what is now Scotland occurred in 78 or 79AD under the Governor of Britannia, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, though scouting parties no doubt ranged north for several years before then. As far back as Emperor Claudius’ invasion of Britannia in 43AD, Roman navies circumnavigated the British mainland and reached even allegedly received submission from the king of Orkney.

The reach of Rome

Fresh from annihilating local druidic resistance in Wales, Agricola proceeded into southern Scotland to extend the reach of Rome to the limits of the known world. Beyond Britannia was, they believed, ultima thule, the most distant point on earth. If Rome could conquer Britannia, nowhere on earth would be beyond its grasp.

The campaign of the late 70s and early 80sAD saw the only large-scale pitched battle yet known between Romans and Caledonians. According to Tacitus, Agricola’s son-in-law and biographer, it occurred at a place called Mons Graupius, the Graupian Mountain. A transcription error in the 15^th century led to the Graupians being spelled to this day as the Grampians. This is the battle that gave us the Caledonian chieftain Calgacus’ epic speech extolling the “last of the free” to defend their homeland against Roman tyranny – though Calgacus was almost certainly invented by Tacitus to give Agricola a worthy, named adversary.

No one knows precisely where this battle was fought, but Tacitus records that some 10,000 Caledonians were slain while fewer than 300 Roman auxiliaries fell. Propaganda aside, the Highland tribes were scattered but not wholly defeated. Their time for revenge would come. Meanwhile, Agricola fought an insurgency and never again managed to lure the locals into a pitched battle. Southern Scotland as far as the Tay had been secured for Rome and the tribes to the north had been cowed, but not for long.

The Antonine Wall

By 90AD all Roman forts north of the Forth-Clyde line were abandoned, as too were some major forts further south. Evidence from several forts show signs of burning, though whether this was done by Romans wishing to deny local tribes any spoiled or by the tribes themselves in anger, no one yet knows for sure. The legions returned within a few years though made no major progress until the late 130s and early 140s AD when the Antonine Wall was built, stretching from Bo’ness on the Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde.

The Antonine Wall was a major undertaking, comprising 17 forts with a total garrison of some 7,000 legionaries and auxiliaries. Significant remains can still be seen at Rough Castle in Falkirk, Croy Hill, and the bathhouse at Bearsden. It was occupied for only 20 years before the Romans had to withdraw south once more, though not before they dealt some devastating blows to the locals. A massive assault was orchestrated on the native hillfort of Burnswark near Lockerbie, with stone and bolt-throwing siege engines, massed slingers and archers, and thousands of legionaries arrayed against the Selgovae tribe on the hilltop. None were spared, a terrible lesson in the price of defying Rome’s ambitions.

Another campaign was mounted in the 180s under the Emperor Commodus, though by the end of that decade many Roman forts from the Tay to the Tweed were again burnt – this time, almost certainly by native hands hoping to drive the invaders out forever. The final confirmed campaign of any scale came with the Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons, Caracalla and Geta, in 208-211AD. Severus gave Caracalla explicit orders to annihilate men, women, children, and animals alike, and archaeological evidence bears out that these orders were followed with ruthless comprehensiveness. However, Severus’ death in York in 211 halted the campaign, and Hadrian’s Wall once again became Rome’s northernmost frontier in Britannia.

A possible campaign was mounted in the early 4^th century, but no conclusive evidence for this has yet been found. So, far from never invading Scotland or making much progress in it, Rome mounted at least five major periods of campaigning which brought imperial troops as far north as the Moray Firth near Inverness. For those who believe that Rome under-invested in its northern invasions, in the late 2^nd century AD 1 in 5 Roman soldiers in the entire empire were stationed in northern Britannia.

Military occupation

Their reasons for withdrawing are hotly debated to this day. Rome extracted raw materials from Scotland as well as countless enslaved people, but the area’s riches were nothing like the silver veins of Iberia or the spice and salt roads of the eastern Mediterranean. Some argue that the Caledonians were simply too ferocious for the Romans, or that the Highland topography proved too challenging. Yet, Rome conquered equally warlike peoples in Germania, the Balkans, Cappadocia, and elsewhere, and met with even more challenging terrain in the form of the Pyrenees, North African deserts, and indeed among the Alpine Gauls in northern Italy.

There is simply no single answer or cause for why Rome failed to conquer Scotland, just as there is no single answer for why modern empires such as the United States or Soviet Union failed to conquer Afghanistan.  The Roman occupation of Scotland was intended to be permanent, with Roman towns and the locals converted to Roman ways, but in the end it amounted to purely military occupation. There were no civitas (towns), grand villas, or civic infrastructure projects like aqueducts – only forts, marching camps, roads to facilitate the movement of troops, and defensive lines in the proverbial sand such as the Antonine Wall and Gask Ridge system west of Perth. Tribes who revolted against the Romans or who merely got in the way of conquest were subjected to brutal punitive campaigns and massacres.

The military nature of the occupation left little love lost between natives and invaders. Only a handful of dragonesque brooches, hallmarks of Romano-British culture, survive in the southeast at locations like Trimontium, one of the hubs of the invasion effort. In southern Scotland there are only the merest hints of anything resembling the entrenched Romano-British culture which emerged further south.

The blink of an eye

Locals in what is now the Scottish Borders, Lothians, and Dumfries and Galloway certainly traded with the Romans, while some tribes accepted bribes meant to keep them out of the way. The most famous example is the Traprain Treasure, a hoard of Roman silver hacked up and given to the Votadini tribe whose capital was atop the whaleback hill of Traprain Law in East Lothian.

The story of the Roman invasions of Scotland has captured imaginations for centuries despite only occurring for what is, in historical terms, the blink of an eye – around 140 years from first incursion to the final withdrawal. Increasingly, more scholarly and popular light is being shone not on the invaders, but on the native peoples who resisted them and who lived their lives with the shadow of the Empire looming over them.

This is the focus of the work being done by organisations including the Trimontium Trust in the Scottish Borders and the Scottish Crannog Centre in Perthshire. Both have many fantastic online resources where you can continue your journey of understanding the legacy of the Roman invasions of Scotland, and how – albeit for a brief time – they contributed to the Scotland we know today.

Main photo: Roman generals and emperors depicted in the frieze of the Great Hall of the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. William Hole, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Glengarry Highland Games welcomes Colin Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry, the 24th hereditary Chief of Glengarry as the Guest of Honour for the 2025 Games. The first Macdonell’s arrived in what is now Glengarry County in 1784 as United Empire Loyalist refugees after the American Revolution. They were followed in 1786 by two groups of MacDonalds who left Scotland for the Canadian wilderness after years of famine and increased farm rents.

From these first pioneers, MacDonell’s and MacDonald’s have spread throughout Canada and the United States.  This year, the Glengarry Highland Games is calling on all members of Clan Donald to return to Glengarry and the Glengarry Highland Games on August 1st and 2nd.

A premier Scottish cultural event

Games President Don Gamble said;  “Our Glengarry Highland Games were born in 1948 bringing to Maxville a premier Scottish cultural event enjoyed by generations. As part of our celebration, we are proud to remember our Scottish Highlanders who came to settle these lands over two hundred years ago and we honour the past by recognizing the many Clans that attend our Games each year highlighted by the Clan parade prior to the official opening. As President of this year’s edition, I am humbled that Glengarry, the Chief of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry has accepted my invitation to be the Games Honoured Guest. Failte air aoigh le urram (Welcome honored guest.)”

Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry has lived in Canada for 60 years. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, is a Registered Professional Forester (ret) and a Certified Management Accountant (ret). Glengarry worked in the west coast forest industry and then moved to Southeast Asia to represent his company, overseeing the company’s investments. On returning to Canada, Glengarry held a number of senior positions with industry and Government. Glengarry lived in the Yukon for twenty years and retired as a Director with the Yukon Territorial Government.  Glengarry lives in North Vancouver, BC with his wife Lourdes. Glengarry takes a keen interest in Clan Donald. He is a member of The High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs, the Clan Donald Society of Scotland, a life member of the Clan Donald Society of Nova Scotia, and a life member of Clan Donald USA, North Pacific Region.

Clan Glengarry

Fittingly, his daughters were Highland dancers and his grandchildren also dance. He was the band manager and a piper with a Vancouver Island pipe band and attends all the local Highland dancing competitions and Highland Games. Colin Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry said: “As Chief of Glengarry, it is my great pleasure and honour to be with so many of the descendants of the original United Empire Loyalists and the Clan Glengarry members who, in the late 1700s, entered the virgin old-growth forests of Eastern Ontario, and, using their own arms and backs, tamed the land creating the wonderful communities we now see. God bless their memories, and may we each contribute new memories to this continuing story. On behalf of my family and Clan Donald members joining us today, I extend a warm welcome to the thousands attending the 76^th Glengarry Highland Games. Cragan an Fhithich!”

Glengarry will participate in the Official Ceremonies at noon on Saturday, August 2, 2025, and welcome all to another exciting version of one of North America’s premier highland Games.

The 2025 Glengarry Highland Games will take place in Maxville, Ontario August 1 & 2, 2025. For full details visit: www.glengarryhighlandgames.com.

The newly imagined Piping Live! festival and World Pipe Band Championships are set to stage another summer spectacular showcasing the country’s national instrument.

Glasgow is preparing to host the world’s biggest week of bagpipes this summer, with the return of Piping Live! from Monday 11^th to Sunday 17^th August, and The World Pipe Band Championships on Friday 15^th and Saturday 16^th August. Renowned as a UNESCO City of Music, the city is tuning up for the events that attract attendees and participants from across the globe. 

The world’s biggest piping festival

The world’s biggest piping festival, Piping Live! – which is organised by The National Piping Centre and is now in its 22^nd year – attracts over 30,000 attendees annually to Glasgow for an eclectic programme of entertaining events at venues across the city to celebrate the contemporary and traditional sounds of Scotland’s national instrument. This year, organisers are proud to unveil a show-stopping reimagined outdoor ticketed space at their home on McPhater Street, complete with a Centre Stage, The Bothy (an acoustic tent) and other exciting new additions to the already hugely successful event that shines a global spotlight on Scotland.

Piping Live! Artistic Director, Finlay MacDonald, said: “We are very proud and delighted to present this year’s edition of Piping Live! to the people of Glasgow and beyond. Thanks to the supporters, funders, performers, participants and attendees who continue to invest their time into our festival, we can continue building on our diverse, inclusive and engaging programme that showcases the breadth and depth of piping traditions and contemporary influences. This year, we are so looking forward to festival goers and performers experiencing our enchanting and newly-imagined festival site at McPhater Street. Expanding upon our popular Street Café, we know this new investment will allow us to bring an even wider variety of talent to Glasgow: with an array of emerging talent, international performers, live events and showcases planned for the festival’s run.There are opportunities for pipers and spectators of all levels and ages – from ‘come and try’ sessions, high-level competitions, enjoying street performances or at our Big Band event – you don’t have to be a piper to enjoy the wonders of Piping Live! The countdown is now on to August for when the city will be awash with the sounds of pipes and host to performers from every corner of the world.”

This year’s Piping Live! festival, which aims to be a celebration of diversity and culture in piping, is delighted to be welcoming pipers and performers from all walks of life to participate in its dynamic programme.

Across its seven-day run, it will offer everything from fierce competitions between globally recognised musicians, to captivating concerts, reel-y enchanting recitals and more – with musicians from Australia to Ukraine and everywhere in between, showcasing their talent and skills in the captivating offering of free and ticketed events  – before the week comes to a fitting crescendo with The World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green.

The pinnacle highlight of the international competitive pipe band calendar

Meanwhile, The World Pipe Band Championships – organised by The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and delivered by the city’s culture and sport charity Glasgow Life – is an iconic event the city first hosted in 1948 and has staged every year since 1986. As the pinnacle highlight of the international competitive pipe band calendar, it attracts thousands of spectators from near and far every year to watch the world’s best talent compete in the ultimate ‘battle of the bands’.

Glasgow City Council Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations, and Chair of Glasgow Life, Bailie Annette Christie, said: “Scotland is renowned as the global home of piping, and Glasgow’s reputation as a fantastic destination for music lovers is also recognised widely by its designation as a UNESCO City of Music. And with the city hosting both the world’s biggest piping festival and the premier competitive pipe band event – there’s definitely nowhere better to enjoy world-class piping than Glasgow in August during the city’s 850^th birthday year. Offering great entertainment and memorable experiences celebrating our nation’s culture, heritage and music, Piping Live! the World Pipe Band Championships are much-loved highlights of our city’s cultural programme. Both events are very valued by Glasgow; they make a significant contribution to our visitor economy, attracting many thousands of pipers and spectators, as well as the attention of the world’s media, to further enhance the city’s profile. It’s a pleasure and privilege for Glasgow to host these incredible piping extravaganzas, and we look forward to welcoming attendees from near and far this summer.”

The World Pipe Band Championships – a much-loved event that’s hugely popular with competitors, supporters and spectators alike – always attracts thousands of visitors to Glasgow to experience the stirring sights and sounds, and memorable atmosphere, of the event. Attendance at last year’s premier pipes and drums showcase reached around 35,000 – with huge viewing figures online too – watching an impressive line-up of nations competing. That included countries as far afield as Australia, Oman and Hong Kong; the biggest contingent of bands (119) was from Scotland, the second largest was from Northern Ireland, and the third largest was from the USA.

Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Chief Executive, Colin Mulhern, said: “The World Pipe Band Championships is an iconic event that is incredibly important to the global piping community. Bringing together in Glasgow the very best bands in the world, it’s always spectacular and an unforgettable experience for competitors and spectators alike. Last year’s Worlds saw 204 bands from 13 countries taking part, and more than 7,000 pipers and drummers taking to the field at Glasgow Green to compete in the ultimate ‘battle of the bands’.  We can certainly expect another wonderful showcase of piping and drumming at this year’s event, with a hard-fought contest for all of the categories and of course, the title of this year’s world champions. As always, tickets will be in great demand, so we’d encourage everyone planning to come along to book their tickets as soon as possible.”

Piping Live! 2025 programme highlights – from Monday 11^th to Sunday 17^th August – are at: www.pipinglive.co.uk.  More information on the World Pipe Band Championships 2025 on Friday 15^th and Saturday 16^th August, including the livestream of this event, visit: www.theworlds.co.uk.  

Main photo: Alan Harvey/SNS Group.

2025 marks the incredible 50^th anniversary of the PS Waverley’s first sailing in preservation. Waverley is the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer and named after Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley novels. The Scottish Banner spoke with Douglas McGowan MBE, President of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, on this milestone year for one of Scotland’s most iconic and historic vessels to have ever sailed.

Douglas for this that do not know, can you tell us a bit about the history of the iconic PS Waverley?

DM: The Waverley was built in 1946 on the Clyde for the London and North Eastern Railway Company to replace the previous Waverley which was sunk by enemy action at Dunkirk in 1940. She was built primarily for the Craigendoran to Loch Goil and Loch Long service, calling at Arrochar to connect with the Loch Lomond paddle steamer Maid of the Loch. During her career in public ownership, she was also used at peak periods to assist on the main ferry routes such as Wemyss Bay-Rothesay and Gourock-Dunoon.

She lost her striking red white and black funnels with nationalisation of the Clyde steamer fleet in 1948 when her funnels became buff with a black top. During the 1950’s and 60’s and up until 1972, she was owned and operated by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company mainly on a variety of Clyde cruises but in 1973, the CSP Co was amalgamated with MacBraynes to become Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd (CalMac). The new funnel colours to reflect this change of ownership became red with a black top and red lion rampants on the sides of the funnels. By this time, Waverley had become unique in her maritime status: she was now the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer.

You were involved in the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society purchasing the Waverley for just £1 in 1974. Can you tell us how this came about and what it was like to receive such an offer and what do you think would have happened if the Society had not taken on the Waverley?

DM: My colleague Terry Sylvester and I, representing the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, had struck up a good relationship with the General Manager of CalMac. From 1970, we had various meetings at their Head Office at Gourock, suggesting various ways to improve the marketing and public awareness of Waverley as a unique vessel within their fleet. Several of our proposals were implemented and a mutual trust and respect grew between us. For example, we suggested they paint the funnels a different colour from the rest of their fleet of car ferries. They also painted the paddleboxes black: both of these initiatives were suggested to improve standout from the rest of their fleet.

However at the end of the 1973 season, as we expected, Waverley was withdrawn from service as she was losing money and required considerable expenditure on her boiler, paddle wheels and timber decks. I received a phone call from the CalMac General Manager in November 1973 asking if I could attend a meeting in his office. I expected the worst……to be told “thank you for all your efforts in supporting us to keep the Waverley sailing but sadly, we have to take her out of service and sell her to the highest bidder.” The evening before that fateful meeting, Terry phoned to tell me that he wouldn’t be joining me at the meeting. “I don’t see much point in travelling all the way from south Wales to Gourock just to be presented with the ship’s bell as a memento.”

And so, it was just the two of us at that meeting. Looking back now, 52 years on, it certainly was a surreal moment when I was told that CalMac’s parent company, the Scottish Transport Group, had decided that in view of all the support and assistance offered to CalMac, their Board had decided to gift this historic ship to our preservation society (PSPS). You could have knocked me down with a feather! At first, I thought it was a wind up! A 700-ton paddle steamer which had a passenger certificate (then) for 1,350 passengers……as a gift! But, then came the bad news, “You will have to give us £1 to make the deal legal!” I phoned Terry that evening and told him “Well, you were absolutely right, they want to give us the ship’s bell BUT they are giving us the rest of the ship as well!” The rest as they say is history. But had we declined this amazing “Paddler for a Pound” offer, she would have been sold to the highest bidder….and that could have resulted in razor blades! Perish the thought!

The Waverley is synonymous with sailing down the Clyde and “Doon the Watter”. What is it about the magic of Waverley do you feel have captured the imagine of generations of Scots?

DM: The Waverley had become not only the last Clyde paddle steamer but the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer. In the early 1970’s, the PSPS proactively marketed her as a very special ship. The cruise down the river Clyde to Dunoon, Rothesay and the famous Kyles of Bute has been loved by generations of Glaswegians and became known as “Doon the Watter”. When Waverley became the “last of the line” she was synonymous with this special voyage that their parents and Grandparents had done before them, keeping the tradition very much alive. There is something magical about leaving the narrow confines of the River Clyde in Glasgow and 2 hours later experiencing the beautiful scenery of the Firth of Clyde.

 

Waverley’s maiden voyage was on June 16, 1947. Waverley has been lovingly restored with new decks, cabins and engines over the years.  What features of the ship are you most proud of and why?

DM: The Waverley has to comply with all modern regulations which includes an annual drydocking. Her amazing original 1947 triple expansion engines are at the very heart of Waverley. I’m very proud of playing my part in her preservation and when I see Fathers with their captivated sons and daughters watching these cranks whirling round and taking in the intoxicating aroma of hot oil and steam, yes, I say to myself it’s all been worthwhile!

2025 marks the 50^th anniversary since the Waverley’s first sailing in preservation. Can you tell us what special events are planned during this milestone year, and did you ever envisage marking 50 incredible years of service?

DM: It is quite amazing to think that Waverley is celebrating 50 years as a preserved steamer this year and carried over 6 million happy passengers in the process! Looking back to 1975, our first year of operating Waverley, we did have a number of unexpected operating issues to deal with. There were some days when I thought we’d be doing well to keep her going for 50 days, never mind 50 years!

We are marking our 50^th anniversary with calls at “new” piers for the first time such as Salen on the Isle of Mull and Rochester in Kent. Piers need the Waverley and Waverley needs piers! There is currently an ongoing project to have Helensburgh pier reopened. The Waverley’s survival over 50 years is due to a very large band of mainly volunteers from all walks of life who have regularly given their time and sometimes money to help keep those paddles turning. We are inviting them on a special cruise during the summer to thank them.

This year PS Waverley will visit 74 ports and piers around the UK. How does it make you feel that you have been part of a team of people who have allowed millions of people to enjoy the Waverley over the years? Also how does it make you feel to see so many people still wanting to be part of this unique piece of Scottish maritime history?

DM: Even after 70 years of sailing aboard the good ship Waverley, I still get a thrill when I go up that gangway! I’m immediately immersed in a different world, a world of relaxation, sea air, and the reassuring steady beat of the paddles. Sheer nectar! But most of all, what really makes me proud is seeing happy families on deck on a summer’s day, children totally animated and having fun, whether it’s having a tasty portion of fish and chips in the dining saloon, watching those hypnotic engines doing their stuff or Mum and Dad enjoying a relaxing refreshment in the Jeanie Deans lounge. We are in the entertainment industry, and it does my heart good seeing people having a great day out. Above all, Waverley is not stuffed and mounted in a museum, she is a living thing, alive and well, paddles thrashing, engines whirling round, that unique steam whistle sounding and happy passengers!

 

It is a real credit to the entire Waverley team that she is still sailing in 2025. How important, and difficult, is it for the Society to continue to keep the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer in service?

DM: There are many challenges associated with maintaining a 1947 paddle steamer in service. Health and Safety and new regulations play a major part, all of which cost money. Often, new specialised replacement parts have to be specially made, sometimes by our own engineering team. And we are very fortunate to have an excellent management team led by a very passionate General Manager. In addition, the Board of Directors of both Waverley Steam Navigation company (the Waverley’s owner) and Waverley Excursions (the Waverley’s operator) offer full support behind the scenes. In recent years, our marketing team have been very proactive on social media which has brought to Waverley an entirely new audience.

And finally, Douglas you have such a strong connection to the Waverley there must be some incredible stories to tell? Can you share with any personal highlights you have experienced with your association to the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer?

DM: Our first sailing on 22^nd May 1975 with specially invited guests was very memorable. We had succeeded in returning the Waverley to service as a preserved vessel! Bringing both our baby daughters on board for the first time was rather special and even today, all those years later, they still love the Waverley. And we now have 5 proud Grandchildren, who simply delight on coming aboard “Papa’s boat”!

But the culmination of my full time 34 career in the chocolate industry merging with the Waverley arrived when I was appointed President of the Confectioners Benevolent Fund in 2001 with a special Dinner at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Waverley transported the 350 guests, the great and the good from the UK’s confectionery industry from London’s Tower Pier to Greenwich.  Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting many celebrities, MP’s, Mayors and Councillors on board and shaken several thousand hands!

Probably the biggest but most unexpected accolade of all was receiving the MBE in the 2017 New Years Honours from Prince Charles (as he was then) at Buckingham Palace. An amazing day enjoyed by myself, my wife Jean and my two daughters Lynn and Jan.

For more information, or to help and support the Waverley for future generations to enjoy, visit: www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk  

Early bird adult weekend tickets are now available for CelticFest 2025, to be held in Warwick, the Celtic Capital of Queensland, at the Warwick Showgrounds on Saturday 4 October and Sunday 5 October. Available until sold out, the $50 early bird adult weekend tickets are the cheapest way to get to CelticFest, the largest Celtic festival in Queensland. Once they’re gone, they’re gone – don’t miss out, and make sure your family and friends don’t miss out either.

City visitors are encouraged to #GetTheirCountryCelticOn at this year’s event, with CelticFest celebrating the region’s rich Celtic heritage while also providing a taste of Queensland country. And with CelticFringe events on offer from Friday 3 October, CelticFest patrons will just have to stay the whole weekend to fully immerse themselves in the Celtic in the Country experience!

Celtic entertainment

The highly-anticipated ticketed CelticFest event, which in 2023 attracted over 10,000 attendances, will bring back favourites such as the Australian Highland Games Championships – caber toss, anyone?  The Gathering Irish band, highland cows from Keans Agri Leyburn Highland Stud, the Medieval Arena, knights in single combat and pitched battles, pipe band and dancing displays, Irish dancing, Celtic-themed markets, Celtic animals, the gathering of the clans, Celtic-inspired bar and food – and much more!

There’ll also be camp-drafting and Australian Light Horse displays in the Main Arena, giving the event that real ‘Queensland country’ feel. CelticFest 2025 will run over two days, with a full program of music on the Main Stage on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night is CelticFest Party Night, with The Gathering Irish band headlining a night of foot-stomping, rock-on Celtic music on the Main Stage, and the Darling Downs Irish Club hosting a ceili (Celtic bush dance) in the Doug Feez Pavilion. Supporting acts and other program inclusions will be announced over the coming months.

CelticFest will also again host the Australian Highland Games Championships, and visitors can watch professional strongmen and women as they perform many feats of strength, including putting the stone, the farmer’s walk, and the perennially popular caber toss.  The medieval village will be open for CelticFest attendees to stroll through, providing a window into a bygone era, including combat between knights of yore, graceful dancing displays of women through history, and the daily life of those who lived in feudal times.  Visitors will also be able to watch displays from roaming entertainers – including pipe bands, the graceful Women in History and tribal belly-dancers – and highland dancers, marvel at the gloriously gentle Highland cows, wander through Celtic-themed markets, trace their genealogy, and feast on Celtic-themed food and drink.

CelticFringe

CelticFringe events return in 2025; these are events which are separately organised and ticketed (where applicable) by local businesses and community organisations and they will be held in a variety of venues in Warwick and around the Southern Downs. CelticFringe music events include Australian Celtic Women ‘craicing’ the CelticFest weekend open with a feature-length concert at the Club Warwick RSL on Friday 3 October, and CelticFest visitors can also #GetYourCountryCelticOn with Limerick MCB performing at the Sandy Creek Pub. Meanwhile Highlander Celtic Rock Band will give a rousing show at the closing CelticFest weekend concert on Sunday 5 October – also at Club Warwick RSL.

The Southern Downs Explorer Heritage train will run a tour to Clifton and Greenmount on Friday 3 October and, on a sporting note, Warwick parkrun will host a Celtic-themed parkrun on the banks of the Condamine River on Saturday 4 October – including a kilted dash! More CelticFringe events will be announced over the coming months.

Earlybird adult CelticFest weekend tickets are now available for $50 from the CelticFest website at https://www.celticfestqld.com.au/tickets, until sold out, after which online pricing applies. There is no senior or pensioner pricing, however children under 18 go free. A new ticket type this year is a separate CelticFest Party Night ticket for Saturday evening only; but CelticFest Party Night is also included in the Saturday and weekend tickets.

In addition, three-night campsite-only passes are available from the CelticFest website, priced at $90; all campers will also need to separately purchase CelticFest weekend tickets.

For more information, please follow the Festival on Facebook and Instagram at CelticFest Warwick, or visit: www.celticfestqld.com.au.

Leading tourism and whisky experts have revealed their hopes for an enriching and sustainable revival of Scotland’s legendary Whisky Coast, once home to the ‘Whisky Capital of the World’.

Plans for over 13 new distilleries, as well as a number of innovative new whisky experiences and hotels, have recently been unveiled across Argyll and the Isles – an area which encompasses four of Scotland’s recognised whisky regions – Campbeltown (once known as the Whisky Capital of the World), Islay, Highlands (Oban and Loch Lomond) and Islands (Jura and Tobermory).

Recognising the significance of this, Cathy Craig, CEO of the Argyll and Isles Tourism Cooperative said: “Whisky, or Uisge Beatha has shaped communities and culture throughout Argyll and the Isles for centuries, so it is incredibly exciting to hear it could continue to do so in the future with so many planned new developments offering a world-class whisky experience across the region and existing businesses diversifying to offer new visitor experiences. These will be a fantastic addition to our year-round whisky calendar. Already known as Scotland’s Whisky Coast due the high volume of world-class distilleries dotted along our coastline, this would give visitors so many more immersive ways to learn more about our important whisky heritage and why our destination, with its abundance of fertile landscapes, produces some of Scotland’s finest food and drink.”

Renowned whisky author and Master of the Quaich Charlie Maclean added: “These developments are potentially massively significant for Argyll and the Isles. Whisky production in Argyll peaked in the nineteenth century when there were thirty-four distilleries producing some two-hundred thousand gallons a year, so with all the new developments, the area could be reaching or at least matching an all-time high.”

New whisky experiences

New whisky themed visitor experiences in Argyll & the Isles include:

• Ardbeg House (new for 2025) – Opening in September, Ardbeg House will offer visitors ‘the ultimate whisky and hospitality experience’ on the Isle of Islay, Ardbeg’s island home. Inspired by the island’s wild and untamed landscape, this stunning new hotel celebrates the spirit of Islay and the legendary stories of Ardbeg and its whiskies. Ardbeg House brings together the best of Islay’s offerings – both on the plate and in the glass.
• Whisky and Waves (new for 2026) – This new sailing tour operator is launching a wide range of whisky and sailing cruises aboard their 40ft yacht. Sailing from Oban’s North Pier and Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, each cruise will feature a complimentary whisky tasting experience showcasing some the very best single malts that Scotland’s Whisky Coast has to offer. Experiences include a ‘Sail and Sip’ Whisky Distillery Crawl. Speaking about his new venture, founder Michael Sharkey said: “We’re thrilled to be setting sail with our new whisky adventures in 2026. It will be a fantastic year for Scotland’s Whisky Coast as we see some of the new distilleries take shape and The Clipper Race returns to Oban. Guests sailing with us will be given a chance to get a taste of the best of both worlds, enjoyed responsibly under our expert guidance.”
• Island Nights, Whisky Flights at Another Place, The Machrie (new for 2025) – Another Place, The Machrie on Islay, renowned the world over for its championship golf and great food and drink, has launched a new whisky experience in partnership with progressive B Corp distillery Bruichladdich, which itself was revived in 2000. The new two-night escape gives whisky lovers the chance to immerse themselves in the spirited heritage of Islay whisky. Guests will enjoy a guided tour of the Hebridean distillery, which is home to Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore single malt whiskies, as well as The Botanist (Islay’s first dry gin). As well as enjoying all that the island has to offer, guests can sample a complementary dram in their room – the perfect Islay nightcap. Speaking about the new experience Judi Blakeburn, chief commercial officer at Another Place, The Machrie said: “Ensuring our guests enjoy memorable experiences that authentically showcase the island’s unique heritage, and the importance of protecting wild settings is at the heart of what we do. So, we’re very pleased to be working with one of the island’s most progressive distilleries to offer guests a new experience that will take them to the heart of Scotland’s whisky isle.”
• The Wee Still at Oban Distillery (new for 2025) – Nestling beneath the steep cliff that overlooks Oban, one of Scotland’s oldest sources of Single Malt Scotch Whisky has opened a new bar for 2025. A great way to conclude a tour of their working distillery, where visitors can learn about the whisky-making process, stopping at the production area, old filling store and dram room along the way.

Published proposals highlight plans for 13 new distilleries across Argyll and the Isles, including three in Campbeltown, six on Islay, one at Luss on the Banks of Loch Lomond, one at Inveraray Castle, and one in Ardrishaig, a coastal village on Loch Gilp.

Scotland’s Whisky Coast

This complements the destination’s year-round programme of whisky experiences. Highlighting another way in which Argyll and the Isles is unique as a whisky destination, whisky enthusiast, founder of World Whisky Day (in May each year) and author of The Pocket Guide to Whisky, Blair Bowman said: “Argyll and the Isles encompasses four of Scotland’s recognised whisky regions, earning it the title of Scotland’s Whisky Coast. Whisky is quite literally known in Scottish Gaelic as the Water of Life, uisge beatha, which is very apt. There is something magical about each and every sip. When you pick up a glass from Argyll and the Isles, you’re not just picking up a drink, you’re picking up a story of Scottish life too. It tells you story of history, a story of culture and a story of craftmanship – from the farmers producing barley to the unique distillation processes.”

Argyll and Bute Council Leader Jim Lynch added: “Argyll and Bute is well known for its outstanding food and drink sector, and if these new developments come to fruition, they will provide a welcome boost to the area and the local economy. We already have more than 20 distilleries in Argyll and Bute producing world-class whisky, gin, and rum products. From large-scale companies to small micro-distillers, this fast-growing market creates much-needed employment and makes a valuable contribution to the local, Scottish and UK economies. In addition to new distilleries and visitor experiences, several existing distilleries in Campbeltown, Mull, Oban, and Islay are continuing to sustainably expand production, improve visitor facilities and develop pioneering approaches to sustainability and environmental responsibility. It is fantastic to see such innovation and growth happening right here on our doorstep.”

 

Did you know?

-According to the Scotch Whisky Association, 13 distilleries have opened across the whole of Scotland in the past five years.

-Argyll and the Isles is currently home to 20 distilleries producing world-class whisky and gin products.

-At its peak in the nineteenth century, Argyll was home to more than 30 distilleries. This figure could be matched if all the proposed developments go ahead.

-Oban Distillery, perched on the picturesque harbour, is one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries.

-For many, the ultimate whisky experience is a trip to Islay. This tiny wee island boasts nine working distilleries, producing whiskies that truly reflect their environment with a characteristic peaty flavour and a hint of salty air and seaweed.

-Campbeltown. Was once the ‘Whisky Capital of the World’ and home to 34 whisky distilleries – now just three remain.  Kilkerran Distillery which opened in 2004 – the first distillery to open in Campbeltown for over 125 years.

-Single-malt Scotch whisky is special in provenance, heritage, production and taste. Made by a unique process of distillation and maturation, only whisky distilled in Scotland can claim the exclusive title of Scotch.

To plan a world class food and drink experience on Scotland’s Whisky Coast visit: https://www.wildaboutargyll.co.uk/eat-and-drink

Main photo: Lagavulin Distillery, Islay.

 

A milestone moment in Nova Scotia’s maritime and cultural heritage is fast approaching. After five years of restoration work, the Ship Hector, a symbol of Scottish immigration and perseverance, will once again take to the waters on July 12, 2025, marking a new era for the ship’s storied history.

The launch event will include a formal ceremony, cultural performances, heritage displays, and the highly anticipated dockside launch of the Hector into Pictou Harbour – a rare spectacle, as traditional ship launches of this kind are seldom seen today.

“The side launch of the ship will be an unforgettable sight, and spectators can expect quite a show when the Hector makes her big splash,” says Vern Shea, project manager for the restoration. “Seven sliding ways will be positioned under the Hector, secured, and when released, will allow the vessel to slide down the standing ways and into Pictou Harbour. Once afloat, she’ll be stabilized and inspected before being secured at Pier C.”  The opportunity to step aboard for deck tours will be available when all post launch preparations are completed in the days following the launch. Visitors will be able to experience the ship’s craftsmanship up close while the vessel is afloat.

Bring history to life

Beyond the launch itself, visitors can also immerse themselves in heritage experiences that bring history to life, including Gaelic song workshops, an 84^th Regiment Afoot Encampment, Highland dancing, and bagpiping performances that celebrate Scottish traditions. Members of Pictou Landing First Nation will participate in the Ship Hector launch through cultural expressions and contributions to the day’s program highlighting the connection between the Mi’kmaq people and early settlers. Hands-on maritime activities, such as blacksmithing and knot-tying will showcase skills that shaped seafaring life in the 18^th century and genealogy experts will be on hand to help Ship Hector descendants trace their family roots, connecting past and present.

Throughout the entire launch weekend, Pictou will be alive with festivities, from free outdoor waterfront concerts and a Pictou Yacht Club regatta to a headline Launch Day concert at the deCoste Performing Arts Centre. Adding to the excitement, the iconic Bluenose II will make a special visit to Pictou, welcoming guests aboard for deck tours. Local restaurants will also be stepping up, hosting live entertainment and offering themed specials. As phase one of the ship’s restoration nears completion, the Ship Hector Society is also completing a major transformation of the Hector Heritage Quay Interpretive Centre. Supported entirely by federal and provincial funding, the new centre will feature interactive exhibits that tell the story of the Scottish settlers’ partnership with the Indigenous Mi’kmaq people of Pik’tuk.

Honouring the legacy of those who came before us

On September 15, 1773, approximately 200 Highland Scots arrived aboard the Ship Hector to Nova Scotia. They were the first of thousands to come to Canada and the Hector was the first ship to bring emigrants directly from Scotland to Nova Scotia. “Launching the Hector is more than just putting a ship in the water,” said Wes Surrett, Chair of the Ship Hector Society. “It’s about honouring the legacy of those who came before us and the shared stories that continue to shape who we are – stories of immigration, resilience, and community. The settlers who arrived on the Hector wouldn’t have survived without the help of the Mi’kmaq people, who have long stewarded the lands and waters of Piktuk. That early relationship, and the generations of perseverance that followed, laid the foundation for who we are today. This launch is about honouring all of that. It’s a moment for everyone who sees themselves in the history of the Hector.”

The Ship Hector is set to evolve beyond its role as a dockside attraction. The next phase of this ambitious project will see the vessel transformed into Canada’s largest fully rigged, electric-powered passenger sailing vessel, offering tours and sail training programs. Targeting full operational status by summer 2027, the Hector will serve as a landmark of Canadian heritage, a premier tourism destination for Nova Scotia, and a vital economic driver for the region. With the final phase of work expected to begin after the ship is back in the water, the “Charting Our Course” capital campaign aims to raise an additional $1.8 million to com

On July 12, 2025, history will make waves once more as the Ship Hector replica returns to the water in a spectacular public event dubbed ‘The Big Splash’. Two decades after the original launch in 2000 and after five years of meticulous restoration, thousands are expected to gather on the Pictou waterfront to witness this rare and emotional moment in Nova Scotia’s story.

Visit www.shiphector.ca for full event details and updates.

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh has officially opened the newly completed Floral Clock in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens. This year, the landmark celebrates the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and 200 years of braille, the tactile code that enables blind and partially sighted people to read by touch.

The Lord Provost was joined by representatives from RNIB and visually impaired members of the community to mark the completion of the new design, which takes three gardeners six weeks to create. More than 35,000 flowers and plants are used in the clock, which will be in bloom until October. This includes plants like antennaria, crassula, echevaria, sedum and saxifrage and annuals such as pyrethrum, begonias and geraniums.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “Seeing the floral clock take shape is a wonderful annual tradition and this year doesn’t disappoint, with a beautiful display in honour of a worthwhile cause. The RNIB provides essential support to blind and visually impaired people, and in 2025 they mark a real milestone with the 200^th anniversary of braille. I hope the clock’s design will give people pause to reflect on just how important braille is to all those to use it. Thanks to the hard-working parks team who have spent the past six weeks creating the clock, which will be enjoyed by many thousands of people throughout summer.”

The 200^th anniversary of the invention of braille

The RNIB is the UK’s leading sight loss charity which offers practical and emotional support to blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers.  This year, the RNIB is marking the 200^th anniversary of the invention of braille, a code based on six dots used to represent the alphabet and numbers.  James Adams, Director of RNIB Scotland, added: “It is a great honour that RNIB has been chosen for this year’s floral clock. It marks the 200^th anniversary of the invention of braille which opened up opportunity for blind and partially sighted people to be able to access the written word, and with that came the liberation of being able to also receive information that is taken for granted by wider society.

Braille is a system that endures, and continues to transform the lives of blind and partially sighted people, offering them privacy, independence, and opportunity. RNIB was brought into existence to improve tactile literacy and we still work every day to widen access for blind and partially sighted people. Therefore, we are delighted to have Braille200 so prominently marked in the heart of Edinburgh and give everyone the opportunity to celebrate braille and include accessibility in their lives.”

The Floral Clock was first created in 1903 by then Edinburgh Parks Superintendent, John McHattie, and is the oldest of its kind in the world.  It initially operated with just an hour hand, with a minute hand added in 1904, followed by a cuckoo clock in 1952. Until 1972 the clock was operated mechanically and had to be wound daily. Since 1946 it has been designed in honour of various organisations and individuals, including the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Queen, for her Golden Jubilee. In the clock’s centenary year in 2003 it won a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Sixty years ago, five founding fathers of today’s Scottish Heritage USA filed in New York for incorporation of a non-profit organization to “recognize and enhance original bonds of ancestral and national character among the peoples of Scotland and of North America; to disseminate knowledge of their respective cultural heritages, and to support the preservation of historic sites and maintain of centers of artistic and literary endeavor.”

From the genesis of Scottish Heritage USA’s founding in 1965, the organization has been committed to supporting a strong relationship with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). It began with Scottish Heritage underwriting student exchanges between NTS’s Threave Gardens in Scotland and Longwoods Gardens in Pennsylvania. In 1974, the board approved $12,000 for an information center at the Georgian House at No. 7 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, and later $30,000 to NTS for Georgian House renovations.

That same year, the joint sharing of a tent at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games at MacRae Meadows near Linville, North Carolina. That tradition continues to this day, along with Scottish Heritage USA donating over $1.5 million to the National Trust for Scotland and its USA Foundation in the intervening years, including $300,000 for the Culloden Visitor’s Center, $250,000 for renovations of the Dwight Eisenhower suite at Culzean Castle and Gardens, and support for projects such creation of the online Robert Burns Library Collection, St. Kilda and Arran archeology, restoration of Hill House and Falkland Palace, the Glencoe Restoration project and numerous renovations to NTS properties, lands and museums for public access and use.

Supported many heritage and cultural projects

“Scottish Heritage USA’s work has not been limited to National Trust for Scotland projects. The organization has supported many heritage and cultural projects here in the US such as An Crios Greine global piping contest, Blue Ridge Pipes and Brass, Mill Prong Preservation, the Tartans Museum in Franklin NC, The Pipes of Christmas in New York, New Jersey and Boston, and American Scottish Foundation’s Tartan Week concerts at Bryant Park,” according to Scottish Heritage USA President Peter McC. Wilson IV.

“One of our most visible projects in the US has been the sponsorship and management of the Scottish Cultural Village at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games each July. We also set aside a portion of our member funds to support summer camp scholarships for disadvantaged youth in highland dance, pipe and drum and Scottish fiddling.”

Scottish Heritage USA is holding a special Anniversary Gala Dinner on July 13 at the end of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games to celebrate the organization’s Diamond Jubilee. A festive dinner, traditional Scottish music and song by Scottish Heritage minstrel Colin Grant Adams and Master Fiddler Jamie Laval, stories of Robert Burns from the National Trust for Scotland’s Learning Manager Chris Waddell, and recognition of Scottish Heritage USA’s decades of success will make this an evening to remember for all.

The reception and dinner costs $85 per person for members and $100 per person for non-members. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.ScottishHeritageUSA.org

Scottish Heritage USA was founded in 1965 to recognize and strengthen the bonds of friendship between the peoples of Scotland and the United States. The non-profit association has members across North America, supporting partnership with the National Trust for Scotland as well as a variety of cultural and heritage programs, places, educational events, and scholarships.

Main photo: Colin Grant Adams – Scottish Heritage USA’s minstrel.

During renovations, an exceptionally rare Victorian Crossley engine, was found tucked away in the attic of CoDE The Court, where it had remained hidden for decades. It is now on display in The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building.

Built in 1878, this marvel of Victorian engineering, it was far ahead of its time, used to regulate the temperature of the Edinburgh Police Chambers, and its survival offers a rare glimpse into 19^th century innovation.

One of the most exciting finds in Scotland

Remarkably, this engine is the second-oldest surviving Crossley four-stroke engine in the world and the oldest in Europe. Only two other examples exist, the oldest is housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA, and another in Denmark. Its discovery, in near original condition, by founder Andrew Landsburgh, adds a significant chapter to Britain’s industrial heritage.  It’s unclear whether the engine was newly installed in the building or a second-hand acquisition.

Adding to the intrigue, research revealed a royal connection. In the 1800s, Edinburgh Police Chambers and Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s Scottish residence, had the same system installed; adding to the royal connection, this rediscovered engine had originally been installed in the short lived “Royal Aquarium” at Waverley, before being moved to the police chambers in 1881 where it was installed for the purpose of ventilation.

Andrew Landsburgh, Director and Founder of CoDE Concepts, said “This is one of the most exciting finds in Scotland. We found it during The Court’s renovation, posted a photo online not knowing what we had, and suddenly experts from around the world were contacting us telling us we’d uncovered something incredible. What began as a refurbishment turned into the discovery of a vital piece of Edinburgh, and the world’s industrial heritage. This engine connects us directly to Scotland’s innovative past and the very beginnings of technology which still powers the modern world. We’ve brought it down from the attic to The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building, where visitors can experience this historic find firsthand.”

A piece of engineering history

The story of this extraordinary discovery also featured in the documentary Potential Energy, which delves into how the engine was found, its relocation from the attic to The Lost Close, underground vaults of the building and the possibilities of restoring it for modern use. The engine is currently on display at The Lost Close.

To mark this discovery, The Lost Close is launched the Scottish Innovations Tour, exploring the country’s contributions to innovation and industry. Visitors will journey through The Lost Close, now the permanent home of the Crossley ‘Otto Silent’ engine, and uncover Edinburgh’s role in shaping global technological progress.

James Armandary, Tourism Development Lead of The Lost Close, said “This is an incredibly exciting addition to The Lost Close. It’s not every day you uncover a piece of engineering history that bridges the gap between Scotland’s past innovations and technology we take for granted today. This building continues to surprise us with its storied history and with the launch of the Scottish Innovations Tour, visitors will not only be able to see the engine up close but also explore Edinburgh’s long-overlooked role in shaping global industry.”

The Lost Close, hidden for nearly two centuries beneath layers of rubble from the Great Fire, was also rediscovered during renovations in 2019. Lost Close was originally the vault for the first purpose-built bank in Scotland. The underground space beneath the old courthouse is now home to events such as whisky, gin and beer tasting, as well as historical storytelling.

For details visit: www.thelostclose.com 

All images courtesy of James Armandary Photography.

 

Portobello High School and Queensferry High School will be the first secondary schools in Scotland to pilot a zero-phone policy, with Portobello High School and Queensferry High School introducing the policy last month- with young people required to store their phones in pouches at the start of each school day.

All learners from S1 to S6 will be responsible for storing mobile phones in secure and lockable Yondr pouches during the school day. The storage pouches are locked and un-locked magnetically, with phones remaining in the pupils’ possession throughout the school day.

Protect the learning environment

The phone-free policy has been introduced following extensive engagement with pupils and parents and carers over a six-month period, with focus groups meeting to discuss the policy and 86% of parents and carers of children attending Portobello High School positively supported the introduction of the policy. It is hoped that the new phone-free policy will protect the learning environment, encouraging young people to stay in class and focused on learning without the distraction of checking or responding to a notification on a phone.

Research shows that a phone free school environment positively impacts young people’s mental health and wellbeing, both in school and at-home, encouraging a healthier approach to managing time online and increasing face-to-face interaction.

Focus on learning

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “I’m pleased to see Edinburgh schools leading the way in introducing a mobile-phone free school environment. Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners’ attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people. I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing.”

Kings, Castles & “Durty” Wee Rascals

Australian Jim Stoddart was born in a Glasgow Tenement and raised in a Glasgow Housing Scheme 1943-1965. Jim will be taking readers on a trip down memory lane, of a time and place that will never be the same again, and hopes even if only a few people in the Scot’s Diaspora have a dormant folk memory awakened, then he shall be more than delighted.

Victory in Europe

The 80^th anniversary of V.E. Day was celebrated joyously in Britain in May with many ceremonies to mark the occasion. My wife, Jean, and I have known and appreciated since childhood how significant was the contribution to that victory from Commonwealth countries such as Australia Canada and New Zealand – and of course our cousins from the U.S.A.  Victory in the Pacific was still to come but watching the celebrations on Sky UK and the BBC brought memories back for us and prompted us to reflect upon the sacrifice of our parents’ generation to bring Victory to Europe .

Born in 1943, Jean and I were ‘war babies’ and oblivious to the intense bombing surrounding our tenement homes lying close to the River Clyde in Glasgow.  Its shipyards, its docks, its steelworks and heavy engineering workshops were significant targets of the Luftwaffe during World War II. About 1,500 civilians died at Clydebank, the location of John Brown’s Shipyard, on one dreadful night.

Air Raid Warden

My father tried to enlist in the Royal Air Force as a gunner for the turret guns of a Lancaster bomber but was refused. He was a riveter in the Harland & Wolf shipyard, in a reserve occupation. He was needed like others in the shipyards throughout Britain who were constantly building and repairing ships to compensate for the tonnage of those being sunk running the gauntlet across the Atlantic to feed and arm Britain. So after his shift at the Shipyard he became a member of Glasgow’s Civil Defence as an Air Raid Warden. That was dangerous enough. On one particular night he nearly died when on patrol accompanied by a police officer. A landmine (a parachute bomb) was dropped at the end of our street. We lived next to the Princes Dock. These were massive bombs intended to land more gently than a conventional bomb so as to cause maximum lateral damage to buildings. They literally sucked the air out of people’s lungs leaving them dead but their bodies almost intact.

My dad and the police constable were lucky because they had both run toward the parachute believing it was a German pilot bailing out from a bomber shot down by the city’s ack-ack guns. A soldier behind a baffle wall shouted for them to stop – screaming “It’s a bomb!”  They were all blown back up the street with only minor injuries. My older brother and sister lost school friends that night, their school friends’ broken bodies placed in a makeshift mortuary in the co-operative dairy lying on the other side of our street. My wife’s dad, Cecil (Charlie) Smith was a boy soldier in India before partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan. Stationed at Rawalpindi in the 73^rd Field Battery, of Northern Command, he is seen in photographs decked in dress tropical uniform, breeches, riding boots, spurs and pith helmet. He’s beside the horse-drawn guns of the Royal artillery and in other multiple photographs of champion teams with shields representing football, hockey and mounted sports. He left the army circa 1938 to start an apprenticeship as an electrician. That didn’t last. It was now 1939 and he is called back in to service with the ill-fated British Expeditionary Force (BEF) into France with the 306 Battery of the 77^th Highland Field Regiment. Then comes escape and rescue from Dunkirk as part of the walking wounded on the last hospital ship to leave the beaches. He is later fighting in the North African, and Italian campaigns, then on to Greece and Albania.

National heroes

The famous 51^st Highland Division was tasked to be the rear guard to allow the rest of the BEF to escape the Beaches of Dunkirk. The 51^st were literally sacrificed for the common good. All of them were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Jean’s favourite uncle, Frank Simpson, was part of the ‘new’ 51^st division with a lot to live up to. Frank was deployed to North Africa against Rommel’s Africa Corps and fought in the Battle of El Alamein. There was a high cost in dead and wounded for the many national heroes of the eighth army as quoted by Winston Churchill. He was part of the victory parade at Tripoli with Winston Churchill taking the salute. Later we find Frank at Messina because it was decided the best way in to Germany was through Sicily and Italy. Frank in his story- telling after the war said that the Scots got on particularly well with the Australian troops. I guess they had a very similar egalitarian attitude toward superior officers. Although the Australians found it hard to believe that any Scotsman like Frank could be teetotal.

Frank Simpson made his own little impact on military history as recorded in a book The Story of an Artillery Regiment of the 51^st Highland Division by BSM Sam Wallace M. M. On the third of September 1943 at Messina 308 Battery, part of the 51^st Highland Division was completing the last of a barrage of 29 rounds of rapid fire with ‘super charge’. We can imagine how hot the guns had become when the order was given to CEASE FIRE. Wallace in his book says: Actually Sergeant Frank Simpson fired off the last shell from the gun after cease fire which saved the gun. He was later told that he had disobeyed orders…Five guns were disabled and lost that day because the shells left in the guns on CEASE FIRE were stuck there because the heated barrels contracted on cooling.  There was a final outcome from this catastrophe because the artillery training manual was amended to read CEASE FIRE – EMPTY GUNS.

Nevertheless according to his son, Campbell Simpson, he was demoted to corporal at the time for using common sense and a knowledge of schoolboy science to save his 25 pound howitzer. His demotion was not recorded in the official history. His son, Campbell, believed he got promoted back to sergeant when his team were back in preparation for Operation Overlord, the D-day landings. Frank landed on Sword Beach near Ouistreham in Normandy and eventually fought through Belgium and Holland as the Germans breached the dams in their retreat back to Germany. By Christmas 1944 Frank was in the Ardennes at the Battle of the Bulge. He said that because of the cold and before they could fire their shells they had to heat the cordite in them over a fire.  The 51^st Highland division crossed the Rhine on the 23^rd March 1944. The German army were in full retreat as the allies advanced. Frank ended his service doing policing and guarding duties in occupied Germany.

The dawn of peace

My older sister was Dux of her primary school and had the honour of becoming the Queen of the Old Govan Fair in 1945. This was a traditional celebration with roots going back to early medieval times. It was a massive pageant attended by many thousands of Glasgow’s citizens. They lined the streets of Govan, Plantation and Ibrox to watch the colourful floats and tableaux, the pipe and brass bands and the marchers from all sorts of organisations. Money raised on the day went to the local hospital. Speeches at the coronation from honoured guests included:-

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it was on the third of September 1939 that hostilities broke out with all the attendant horror that we witnessed and suffered…We are able once again to hold the Old Govan Fair celebrations with all their glories and traditions. Wartime restrictions have brought us difficulties, not previously encountered, but this is our brave attempt to depict the Govan Fair as it was in the pre-war days. I now call upon Mrs Neilson of the Elder Cottage Hospital to crown Miss Jane Stoddart, pupil of Lorne Street Public School Queen of the Fair for 1945.

I am pleased and honoured…on behalf of the people of Govan, to perform the ceremony of crowning you, Miss Jane Stoddart, as Queen for the ensuing year. Together with your loyal subjects I wish your majesty every felicity during your reign… Your majesty begins her reign at an auspicious and happy time, at the dawn of peace after a long and trying war in which you subjects have given valued and effective service in the field, and in the shipyards and factories of Govan. The local people have every reason to be proud of their magnificent contribution to bringing about peace.”

My sister was then off to the hospital with her four maids to wish the patients well on their road to recovery. The reporter from the Govan Press found it difficult to estimate the massive number of people attending the historic procession and crowning but it seemed to him that the whole of the 100,000 population of Govan had turned out together with crowds of servicemen returned from the front. He describes gum–chewing American GI’s, Canadian tank men, Aussie diggers and Chinese seamen all enjoying and joining in with the fun and festivities. The post-war return of the Old Govan Fair was one of many small steps toward normality and hope for this stoic generation who deserve to be remembered for winning Victory in Europe for all of us.         

A team of archaeologists and scientists led by Karen Hardy, Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, has discovered evidence for one of the earliest human populations yet known in Scotland. Stone tools found on the Isle of Skye have been dated to a period known as the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP), around 11,500 – 11,000 years ago. The wider context of these finds has been analysed in detail, with respect to highly detailed maps of local glacier formation and an enigmatic group of stone circular structures which appears to lie below modern sea level.

Hugely significant discovery

These sites were discovered by Professor Hardy and local archaeologist, Martin Wildgoose. Their discovery means that the west coast now represents the largest concentration of evidence for these pioneer human populations anywhere in Scotland and reveals how early humans of this period ventured much further north than previously believed.  The discoveries have been announced in a paper – At the far end of everything: A likely Ahrensburgian presence in the far north of the Isle of Skye, Scotland – published in The Journal of Quaternary Science.  Professor Karen Hardy said: “This is a hugely significant discovery which offers a new perspective on the earliest human occupation yet known, of north-west Scotland.”

The team, from the universities of Leeds, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett and Flinders in Australia worked together to reconstruct the local landscape and changing sea levels. During this period, which is immediately after the Younger Dryas (also known as the Loch Lomond Stadial), when much of west Scotland was buried under ice, groups of nomadic hunter-gatherers most likely of the Ahrensburgian culture from northern Europe, crossed Doggerland, an area that is now covered by the North Sea, and established themselves on Skye. Back then, the landscape of Scotland would have looked very different to today.

Pioneering people

Professor Hardy added: “The journey made by these pioneering people who left their lowland territories in mainland Europe to travel northwards into the unknown, is the ultimate adventure story. As they journeyed northwards, most likely following animal herds, they eventually reached Scotland, where the western landscape was dramatically changing as glaciers melted and the land rebounded as it recovered from the weight of the ice. A good example of the volatility they would have encountered can be found in Glen Roy, where the world-famous Parallel Roads provide physical testament to the huge landscape changes and cataclysmic floods that they would have encountered, as they travelled across Scotland.”

Once they reached Skye, these early people crafted tools from stone found locally on Skye. Professor Hardy believes the settlers deliberately and strategically chose where to base themselves as they selected a location that had good access to coastal and riverine resources, as well as natural materials like ochre that was highly valued by ancient cultures. Although the sites themselves cannot be visited, the landscape these early pioneers encountered can be imagined at Sconser. Around 11,000 years ago, after the last of the Cuillin Mountain glaciers had melted, the sea level would still be lower than today, and it would have been possible to walk to Raasay.

Main photo: Stone tools found on Skye. Photo:  Karen Hardy.

A team of specialist engineers have cast a protective spell over the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct with the completion of a year-long, £3.4 million restoration project.  The structure in the Scottish Highlands, made famous worldwide by the Harry Potter films, has undergone an extensive maintenance programme to safeguard its future for generations to come.   Network Rail, along with principal contractor AmcoGiffen, assessed the condition of the viaduct. Concrete repairs were carried out across the structure sympathetically, taking care to replicate its heritage appearance.

New safety handrails for staff working at height were installed, along with renewing ballast retention systems at the ends of the structure. Ballast is the stone material under the track that maintains stability, drainage and prevents damage to the underlying structure.   Engineers also worked in the River Finnan, protecting the piers from erosion caused by the fast-flowing river.

Laura Craig, Scheme Project Manager at Network Rail, said: “This project was years in planning due to the complexity of navigating such a large-scale, historic structure. Our highly skilled team faced numerous challenges, from preserving the viaduct’s original integrity to implementing modern engineering solutions. Every step of the process required meticulous attention to detail and a deep respect for its heritage.  It’s an honour to look after the Glenfinnan Viaduct, knowing how much it’s loved all over the world. We’re proud to see it standing strong and it’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.”

The largest mass concrete viaduct in Scotland

The Glenfinnan Viaduct opened in 1901 and is the largest mass concrete viaduct in Scotland, spanning more than 1,000 feet. The build cost £18,904 at the time, which is around £2 million in today’s money. Historic Environment Scotland have designated the structure as Category A, the highest level, meaning it’s of significant architectural and historical interest. As part of its preservation, Network Rail refrains from cleaning off efflorescence marks from the rain as it drains through, ensuring the character of the structure remains. The viaduct is an icon of Scottish tourism, drawing thousands of visitors each year.

Many pass over the arches aboard ScotRail trains, as well as the ‘Hogwarts Express’ Jacobite steam train operated by West Coast Railways. Countless more tourists make the trip to Glenfinnan to admire the spellbinding views from the ground. James Shuttleworth, West Coast Railways’ Commercial Manager, added: “Having run ‘The Jacobite’ for over three decades and celebrated its centenary in 2001, we truly appreciate the historic significance of the viaduct. The recent restoration work has further highlighted its importance, not only as a vital piece of railway heritage, but also as a beloved film star in Harry Potter, for which we proudly provided The Hogwarts Express.”

The restoration of the viaduct is part of a broader programme of work in the Glenfinnan area. A two-year, industry-leading pilot project enhanced the natural habitat by planting trees across approximately 200 hectares to protect, restore and expand rainforest and peatland habitats. Additionally, deer fencing has been installed at Ardmolich to safeguard the newly planted native woodlands from overgrazing.

Scotland is a castle lover’s wonderland. Over 2,500 castles still stand across the country in every style imaginable, from vast royal strongholds crowning volcanic crags to slender towerhouses nestled among rolling hills. They are as synonymous with Scotland as bagpipes and shortbread – indeed, iconic castles like Eilean Donan decorate the lids of many a biscuit tin!

Where and when did Scotland’s first castles emerge? Who were their builders and destroyers? How did they actually function in times of peace and war, and what forces brought about the end of the castle age? Read on for a crash course in Scottish castellated history.

What is a castle?

At the most fundamental level, a castle is a fortified residence of the royalty or nobility built during the Middle Ages. They are most often, but not always, products of feudalism. Most scholars agree that the earliest castles in Scotland were built in the late 11^th century AD, and that the socio-political systems which they were part of had largely disappeared by the early 17^th century.

Fighting was only one part of castles’ function. The vast majority could only hold out against raids and low-level warfare. All but the mightiest would fall quickly and fairly easily to a large, determined army, and Hollywood-style assaults with siege ladders and battering rams were exceptionally rare. Still, castles were at the centre of every major military campaign in Scotland in the Middle Ages.

A castle must also function as a home, with everything needed to support an extended household. That means a great hall for dining and feasting guests, kitchens, bakehouses, breweries, stables, smiths, and support system of farming and services around it. Many castles had villages develop around them if there wasn’t one already.

To sum up, if it was built between the late 11^th and early 17^th centuries with some potential for defence but also for domestic living, I’m happy to call it a castle. If it’s all fighting and no homemaking, it’s a fort; if it has castle-like architectural features but no practical means of being defended, it’s probably a country house, palace, or folly.

Scotland’s first castles

Two quite distinct castle types compete for the title of Scotland’s oldest. The best-known are motte-and-bailey castles, timber castles built atop earthen mounds (motta in Latin) introduced by knights from areas like Normandy in mainland Europe. Around 300 have been identified in Scotland. On average, a team of 50 labourers could raise a basic motte-and-bailey castle in around 40 days.

Many motte-and-bailey castles were built on the contested fringes of the Scottish kingdom. Kings like David I (r.1123-1153AD) invited European knights to build them and then hold them against rivals like the Earldom of Orkney in the north and Galloway in the southwest. John of Fordun, a 14^th century chronicler, wrote of David I that, “He it is that decked thee [Scotland] with castles and towns, and with lofty towers.”

Duffus Castle in Moray is one of the best surviving examples. Built by the Flemish knight Hugh de Freskin, its wide-topped bailey had secondary buildings with the defensive tower capping the higher motte. Duffus was rebuilt in stone during Edward I’s campaigns in the late 13^th through early 14^th centuries, but the weight of the masonry proved too much and it collapsed into partial ruins. Other notable examples include the Bass of Inverurie, the Motte of Urr, and Hawick Motte.

Around the same time, the Norse settlers in places like Orkney and Argyll raised castles of their own outside the feudal system. Norse seafarers raiding throughout Europe encountered early castles and clearly wanted some of their own. Norsemen even went on crusade to the Holy Land, no doubt marvelling at the fortifications there.

Their castles were built in stone from the start. Castle Sween, for instance, originates from around 1100AD and was built by Suibhne (Sween) to monitor the sea-highways of the west coast. It is a prime example of a ‘galley-castle’, one built to prioritise quick access to longboats. Other examples include Cubbie Roo’s Castle, Skipness Castle, and Kisimul Castle.

The ‘Golden Age’ of Scottish castles

Large castles are best built in times of peace and plenty, not war and scarcity. The 12^th and 13^th centuries in Scotland brought a favourable climate and, in relative terms, amicable relations with England, giving Scottish lairds breathing room for castle-building. No longer were a flurry of timber castles being raised upon the kingdom’s fringe – greater beasts were now stirring,

Builders again took inspiration from France, where mighty round towers called donjons formed the nucleus of many castles. Such towers became the centrepieces of Scottish baronial castles like Dirleton and Bothwell. Many of the defining features of castles as we think of them took shape in this period: dry and wet moats, curtain walls, wall-walks with crenellations, and enclosed courtyards.

Two types of stone castles emerged and evolved during this ‘Golden Age’. Royal castles from c.1200AD like Stirling and Edinburgh served as fixed centres for administration and justice for the kingdom writ large. Baronial castles built by ascendant families like the Douglases, Stewarts, and Murrays were like mini-kingdoms unto themselves. Such families typically used one as their caput or main castle with several others scattered throughout their lands.

This is the period that gave us many peoples’ favourite castles, including the likes of Caerlaverock with its triangular form and picture-perfect moat, Dunnottar Castle on its nigh-impregnable promontory, and Urquhart Castle astride Loch Ness.

All, however, fell to Edward I’s invasions, failing their first major test on a national scale. Majestic as symbol of power they may be, but as keepers of the kingdom they proved surprisingly fallible. This prompted a major re-think.

Late medieval castles: build up, not out

By the 15^th century more and more nobles contented themselves with more modest builds. The climate had turned wetter and colder, plague wrought its ruin, and time and time again the big baronial castles fell into enemy hands. What’s a status-obsessed aristocrat to do?

While royal castles became increasingly palace-like in true Renaissance style, hundreds of towerhouses rose up across Scotland. These slender, multi-storey castles were not nearly as big an investment and did the job just as well. In an age when the king’s power was outstripping that of even the mightiest noble and when gunpowder weapons became capable of blasting through the thickest walls, they were an ideal compromise.

Towerhouses could stand up against raids from rival clans but were never intended to halt armies. They rose higher than any castle buildings before them – a very notable feature of Scottish castles is their tendency to ‘build up’ and not ‘build out’. Excellent examples of towerhouses include Preston Tower, Fairburn Tower, Alloa Tower, and Castle Stalker.

There were holdouts. Tantallon Castle in East Lothian is regarded as the last great curtain-walled castle in Scotland. It’s effectively one giant wall cutting off a promontory. Built by the Douglases in the mid-14^th century, it resisted two separate large-scale sieges by the King of Scots (no less) but fell quickly to Cromwell’s cannons in the mid-17^th century.

The end of the castle age

By the early 1600s several factors conspired to bring the age of castles to a longwinded end. The increasing centralisation of power in the crown, advanced artillery, the Union of the Crowns in 1603, the transition of feudalism into early modernity, and changing fashions all played their part.

In 1677 the Earl of Strathmore summed up this shift in preference: “Who can delight to live in his house as in a prison? Such houses truly are worn quyt out of fashion, as feuds are … the countrie being generally more civilized than it was.”

Many castles, like Callendar House and Fyvie Castle, built grand new modern-style residential wings around their old towers, turning a once martial and stark structure into a luxurious country house. Large windows, decorative turrets, walled gardens, and other ornate features were added with abandon, and some castle owners outright abandoned their old towers to begin anew.

With all that said, it’s important to bear in mind that these were not tidy, abrupt divisions. Timber castles persisted long into the High Middle Ages, many older courtyard castles simply added towerhouses and kept on going, and even the oldest and staunchest castles always had “unnecessary” decorative features as markers of status. Even today, castles like Stoneypath Tower and Kilmartin Castle are being sympathetically restored as residences to their late medieval grandeur. Indeed, you could view the restoration of many castles in the 19^th and 20^th centuries for tourism as just the latest phase in their lifespan.

Finally, it is easy to look back and see them as the products of grand masterplans and of past peoples unrecognisable from ourselves. To that end, here is one of my favourite inscriptions from any Scottish castle. It adorned the entrance to Pinkie House in Musselburgh, rebuilt by Alexander Seaton around the ruins of an old castle destroyed during the Rough Wooing of the 1540s.

It reads: “Alexander, Lord Seton, built this house in 1613, not as he would have wished, but according to the measure of his means and estate.” Don’t we all!

Text and images: David C. Weinczok.

Main photo: Smailholm Tower.

Visitors to the ancient, chambered cairn of Boreland in Knockman Wood, Galloway can now step back in time to see how the ruin once looked around 6,000 years ago. An enormous pile of stones is all that remains of the cairn built by the Neolithic farming pioneers who made the area their home but now an innovative new visualisation allows people to imagine what the cairn would have looked like in the past. Hundreds of photographs taken from drone have been used to create a 3D model of the tomb – a technique known as photogrammetry.

The full textured model of the site is used as the foundation for reimagining the monument in its original state and how the cairn may have been used by those who built it. Working with professional archaeologist and artist Marcus Abbott,  Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), has produced an online video that can be accessed via a QR code on the interpretation panel at the site or viewed on the FLS website.

Vibrant ancient society

FLS Archaeologist Matt Ritchie said:  “This visualisation allows us to imagine what this Clyde Cairn – a type of tomb characteristic of southwest Scotland – would have looked like when it was first built. The architecture suggests its use as both a tomb for the dead, where people placed the deceased in the chambers within the cairn, and a space for the living, where people could pay their respects within the forecourt. Archaeological studies of these chambered cairns can reveal only the bare bones of their story, leaving much to the imagination. But they were built by a vibrant ancient society with beliefs, traditions and practices that would seem very strange to us today. Watching the video and seeing the cairn come to life will hopefully get visitors at the site – and those visiting online – curious and questioning whether the ceremonies that accompanied the placing of the dead in these monuments were small family affairs or large communal gatherings? Were there drums and chanting, dancing and trance-like states? Perhaps there were grand fire-lit feasts with songs, speeches and toasts? Or were there solemn torch-lit processions, arcane rituals and strange incantations?”

Of the cairns that survive across Scotland, some remain closed, their secrets hidden beneath huge mounds of stone, such as at Boreland in Galloway. Others bear the ravages of time, their features masked by rubble and collapse. Or have disturbed by treasure-hunters, their chambers ripped open and exposed. Many more have simply been lost over time.

Matt added: “The reconstruction of Boreland really helps us appreciate and understand the remains of the chambered cairn as it survives today. It can be difficult to connect with these people and communities from so long ago, but their lands are our land and by reimagining and appreciating these ancient structures that they left behind, their story is told and can connect us today with the lives of our ancestors.”

You can see the new video online – and onsite the next time you’re in Galloway enjoying Knockman Wood. This old oakwood is a haven for both wildlife and archaeological sites. The yellow Woodland Trail will take you through oak and hazel woodland toward the ancient chambered cairn. Learn more: https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/forest-parks/galloway-forest-park/knockman-wood

Main photo: Boreland Cairn visualisation. Image: Marcus Abbott.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has announced they will be touring the Show The Heroes Who Made Us in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The dazzling spectacle, a key part of the Scottish events calendar, will be performed in Brisbane and Auckland in February next year, and will include performances by national military forces from Australia and New Zealand as well as from the UK.

Iconic performances

2025 marks the 75^th anniversary of the organisation and these events further extend the international reach of the Tattoo that traditionally takes place on the stunning Edinburgh Castle Esplanade every August with a global cast.

The Shows will take place 12 -15th February at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and in Auckland’s Eden Park, home of the All Blacks national rugby team, on 19-21st February. The Australian Defence Force will play a key role at the Brisbane Show, and the New Zealand Defence Force will do the same in Auckland.

The Shows will incorporate elements of this year’s Tattoo theme, The Heroes Who Made Us, spotlighting the individuals who have shaped and supported the iconic performances over the past 75 years.  The Heroes Who Made Us will include its signature Scottish bagpipes, massed military bands, Tattoo Dancers, and international performers from across the UK, Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.

This emotionally charged Stadium spectacular will bring together over 1,000 of the world’s finest performers to showcase stirring anthems, traditional Scottish heritage and bold, contemporary choreography in celebration of the values that connect us all — honour, community, resilience and pride. Led by the magnificent Massed Pipes and Drums from UK Military regiments, the Show will feature over 30 bands and acts from around the world including fan-favourite Top Secret Drum Corps and performers amongst many more.

A truly remarkable spectacle

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has previously travelled down under to delight audiences with performances in Wellington, Sydney and Melbourne in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2016 and most recently in 2019 at the ANZ Stadium in Syndey. This tour will be the first time the spectacular event has been performed to Brisbane and Auckland audiences.  While The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Show has been screened at more than 150 cinemas across Australia and New Zealand in recent years, in 2026 people across the countries have the opportunity to once again truly experience the iconic spectacle in person.

Jason Barrett, Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing The Royal Edinburgh Military to Australia and New Zealand once again in 2026. Throughout the 75-year history, the Tattoo has proudly crossed oceans, continually reaching new audiences and connecting Tattoo fans in the unique Tattoo spirit. This upcoming tour will blend our Scottish traditions with the distinctive military heritage of Australia and New Zealand all set against the backdrop of two spectacular venues. We eagerly anticipate hosting new audiences and welcoming back Tattoo fans to witness a truly remarkable spectacle.”

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a globally acclaimed celebration of military tradition, music, ceremony and cultural performance. First staged in 1950, the Tattoo has grown into one of the world’s most recognised live events, bringing together performers from over 50 countries. In 2010, it was granted the Royal title by Her Majesty The Queen, and is proudly supported by its patron, HRH The Princess Royal. The Tattoo has raised over £13 million for services and arts charities since its inception.

Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek. Visit www.edintattoobrisbane.com.au or www.edintattooauckland.co.nz for ticketing info, VIP packages and more.

Main photo: Pipe Major Alisdair McLaren, Highland dancer Connor Ferguson and drummer Chevii Jay Clarke at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. All images courtesy of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Following an incredible response to their new fourth album ‘Glasgow Love Story’, Scotland’s Tide Lines have stormed in at No. 1 in the Scottish Albums Chart and No.11 in the UK Official Albums Chart – a major achievement for the fully independent band and win for Scottish music. Written, recorded and produced entirely by the band in their studio on the Isle of Mull, and released on their own label, the success is a testament to their tireless DIY approach and ever-expanding, organically built fanbase. The band celebrates their Scottish roots and believe in protecting the planet for future generations, as Rosalind Jones explains.

Tide Lines are Scotland’s foremost Folk Pop Group. Four multi-talented, down-to-earth young men in their 30s, they incorporate Gaelic tradition with lyrics featuring social and environmental themes.

Independent artists, Tide Lines’s first self-produced record and video, Far Side of the World, hit Scotland’s charts in 2016 and still makes a barn-storming impact today. Rising stars ever since, Tide Lines last two albums climbed rapidly to Scotland’s Number 1 spot.

The song’s romantic story and infectious tune was seized by The Royal Edinburgh Tattoo’s Creative Director, Michael Brathwaite, for the finale of his Stories themed ‘Tattoo 2023’. Whilst its memorable video features one young man on a desperate search to find ‘his’ Highland girl, and to ‘feel the breeze of the Hebrides on the far side of the world’, this hit song was  piped and danced sensationally, by 800 global performers including 100 Highland girls! For thousands watching from Edinburgh Castle’s esplanade, on television at home, and millions more world-wide, Tide Lines’ Far Side of the World was the highlight of the show.

Inclusive appeal

Popular with teenagers to octogenarians Tide Lines’ friendly inclusive appeal was amplified when invited a second time to Murrayfield this March for Scotland-v-Wales.  Hearing their songs before kick-off, Scotland supporters felt they were meeting familiar old friends. The score? Scotland 35-29 Wales. Described by The Scotsman as ‘Folk melodies with big-chorused contemporary indie-rock’ and by The Line of Best Fit as ‘…Warm, tender and utterly charming’, Robert Robertson (vocals, guitar), Alasdair Turner (guitar, bagpipes) Ross Wilson (keys, bass guitar) and Fergus Munro (drums), all from rural backgrounds, are passionate about protecting the environment. Today two live near the sea and two are based in Glasgow – where all four met at university. Mod gold medallist Robert who studied English, is their singer-song writer front man. Ross studied music and music technology. Fergus and Alasdair both followed music related studies.

Ceilidhs at Glasgow’s legendary music venue, The Park Bar, in Argyle Street – meeting place for Gaelic speaking Hebrideans since 1895, was a catalyst for Tide Lines’s formation. Intent on releasing Far Side of the World, they suddenly realised the group didn’t have a name! Searching the lyrics for inspiration, providentially two lines and two words clicked: ‘In my mind, I see her smile; where tide lines grace the isle’… Given their environmental empathy, they couldn’t have picked a better name. Their first big gig, Tiree Music Festival 2016, was followed by concerts around the Hebrides – Scotland’s westerly islands. Environmentally at risk, the Hebrides face higher tides and Atlantic storms ripping up swathes of kelp and undercutting precious machair.

Thanks to Ross’s technical capabilities, Tide Lines independently record and self-produce their albums in their recording studio overlooking Bunessan bay, near his home in Mull. Hosting the annual Feis Mhuile ceilidh for aspiring young musicians, Bunessan has a long musical tradition. The village famously ‘owns’ the mid-19^th century Gaelic hymn Leanabh an aigh, ‘Child in a Manger’, composed by poet-crofter Mary MacDonald. Sung to its evocative folk tune ‘Bunessan’, rewritten in English as Morning has Broken – it became Cat Stevens’ international hit. Daughter of a Baptist minister, Mary MacDonald might approve Bunessan’s folk music’s renaissance as Celtic folk-pop, resounding inside Mull’s former Baptist chapel. Recording studios don’t usually enjoy heavenly sea views combined with excellent acoustics. Nor do pop stars usually spend so much time together in church singing! Have Tide Lines absorbed a spiritual element? They certainly feel energised by Mull’s beautiful west coast, crediting it for boosting their creative processes – perfecting lyrics, fine tuning their music and recording their songs. Famous for its ‘magic’ has Mull imbued Tide Lines’s songs with their ‘Joyous’ and ‘Uplifting’ elements? Not entirely. Much more is due to Tide Lines and the relaxed friendly way they communicate with their audiences.

Glasgow Love Story

Following their first recording success, in 2017 the innovative group produced their first album Dreams We Never Lost, but during Covid they couldn’t tour so they kept their fans updated with news on Facebook plus videos of them ‘together’ whilst isolated, playing from their homes. Ingenious in concept and execution, individual parts were incorporated into heartening videos for their fans, also in lockdown. Was this why their second album, Eye of the Storm in 2020 was so named? An Ocean Full of Islands in 2023, released post-pandemic, marked a leap forward, now in their converted church, reflecting and exploring various ideas, to a backdrop of islands.

January 2025 Tide Lines nailed their colours to the mast when they supported CAPE – Climate Adapted Pathways to Education. Verses from their songs featured in CAPE’s free to download publication ‘Implementing Climate Change Education in Schools: Constructive Hope in Action report – CAPE.’  They all signed its dedication, writing: ‘We are truly honoured that CAPE recognises the deep connection between our music and the natural world. It brings us great joy to know that the heartfelt lyrics, inspired by the stunning beauty of the Scottish Highlands will introduce each chapter of this report. As we grew up, the magnificent oceans, islands, mountains, and rivers that surrounded us had a profound impact on who we became. We are genuinely excited about this opportunity to inspire readers of this report to appreciate and protect our precious planet for future generations.’

Released in April Glasgow Love Story is a tribute to their adopted city. Touring June to November, Glasgow, Sunderland, Manchester, Bristol, London, Edinburgh, Stirling, and Dundee venues of 15,000 capacity, are selling out through their website tidelinesband.com. Their actions speak as loudly as their words. Tide Lines market environmentally, socially, and ethically responsible merchandise. Clothing is 100% ethically sourced and organic. They use recycled plastics and compostable shrink wrap. CD’s for Glasgow Love Story are recycled plastic wrapped in a compostable sleeve. In a world dominated by streaming, physical album sales are vital to an independent band like Tide Lines without any label or industry backing.

Although Glasgow Love Story features more social than environmental lyrics, Better Days hits out that ‘sometimes it feels as if the world is already broken’, inviting audiences to ‘drink with them to better days’, optimistically refraining, ‘we may not know the answers, but we’ll find them in the end’. Scotland’s favourite folk pop group infect fans and strangers with their song’s messages. Their name is like a wake-up call. Tidelines are getting higher. Every dawn, sunrise illuminates oceans full of islands threatened by sea level rise. Tide Lines’ enigmatic dedication must echo to the far side of the world – ‘protect our precious planet’.

Main photo: Nathan Dunphy.

The Melbourne Tartan Festival Ceilidh Dance with music by the Melbourne Scottish Fiddlers at Collingwood Town Hall on Friday 27^th June is the opening event of this year’s Festival. The ceilidh’s loyal following is attracted by the high energy dance style reminiscent of many a Scottish village hall.

On Sunday 29 June is the annual Kirkin’ ‘O The Tartan service at The Scots’ Church, Melbourne. The Parade of Clans will be piped into the church, with each Clan announced and welcomed in both Scottish Gaelic and English.  To register your Clan’s participation, go to: www.trybooking.com/CYLYX.

The Melbourne Tartan Day Parade on Collins Street on Sunday 6^th July is a Festival highlight, gaining in stature and recognition as it enters its 5^th year. This is a truly stirring and colourful spectacle, as the sound of the massed pipe band echoes across the city, with more than 200 pipers, drummers, dancers and clan representatives in traditional dress parade down Collins Street, Melbourne.

The Parade is followed by a massed Highland Fling recital in the forecourt of the Westin Hotel. Highland dancing and piping displays will be on the terrace and balconies of the Old Treasury Building from 11.30am with pop-up events around the city.  A CBD Scottish Connection guided walk with cultural historian, curator and tour leader Kenneth Park will commence at 10.00am – bookings essential.

Festival highlights

Melbourne Tartan Festival Gala Dinner and Concert at Melbourne Town Hall is on Saturday 19^th July.  This year’s distinguished Guest of Honour is Member of the Scottish Parliament, Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson.  Guest Speaker is The Honourable Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece.

Guests will be piped in on arrival to enjoy drinks in the Town Hall foyer before entering the glittering Main Hall for a traditional Address to the Haggis, sumptuous gourmet meal accompanied by fine wines and entertained with a mix of traditional and contemporary concert style entertainment with a few surprise guest artists.  This will be a night to remember as you dance the night out to internationally acclaimed Celtic rock band Claymore.

During the month long Festival there will be concerts and piping recitals featuring Graeme McColgan ‘The Scotsman’ with ‘Highland Harmonies from Distant Shores’, the Victorian Pipers Association Solo Piping Championships, The Victorian Scottish Dancing Members Association 64^th Australian Commonwealth Championships, online and in person genealogy and history lectures, whisky tasting, Burns Suppers, poetry in the park and pub and much more throughout the month of July.

Visit the Melbourne Tartan Festival website for the full program and booking links, with more events being added weekly, at: www.melbournetartanfestival.com.au.  Also visit and follow the Festival Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MelbourneTartanFestival

A fine piece of woven fabric lay buried in the bottom of Loch Tay in Perthshire for nearly 2,500 years, naturally preserved by the silty bed. Believed to be one of the oldest of its kind in Britain and dating back to the early to middle part of the Iron Age, it was found in 1979 when an Iron Age loch dwelling house, known as the Oakbank Crannog, was excavated on Loch Tay.

Now, the public will be able to see this ancient textile close-up when it goes on show for the first time at The Scottish Crannog Centre’s Iron Age village, visitor centre and museum, on the banks of Loch Tay.

Oakbank Textile

Previously thought too fragile to go on display, the textile will become a permanent exhibit at the Centre. Thanks to a painstaking stabilisation and conservation process, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland, it will be housed safely in a climate-controlled cabinet. The ‘Oakbank Textile,’ has been analysed by archaeologists at the University of Glasgow who have radiocarbon dated the material to between 480 – 390BC.

Maureen Kerr, an experimental archaeologist and volunteer at the Centre, said: “The exciting thing is that there’s nowhere else in Scotland, and very few places in the rest of the UK, that has a textile of this size and age. The weave on this fine textile is called a 2/1 twill which is really unusual for the time in southern Britain and northern Europe as most twill weaves were 2/2. This sheds considerable light on the technologies society had in the Iron Age. Twill weaves, which this textile is part of, is a dense, flexible fabric, very similar in appearance to our modern denim weave. It has been made, we think, on a two-beam loom, or a warp-weighted loom. This, combined with the fact that there are the remnants of a possible hem indicating that it could have been part of a piece of clothing, makes it a rare and special discovery.”

Crannogs

Dr Susanna Harris, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, carefully examined the textile on behalf of the Centre.  She said: “There are very few early textiles of this date and we think this is the first one of this type, of 2/1 twill, in Scotland. Wool was such an important material in Scotland it’s been exciting to analyse this piece. It’s great that the Scottish Crannog Centre has taken this step. It’s really important finds like this go on display. It may be a small piece of textile but it tells us a lot about the heritage of Scottish textiles.”

Crannogs were dwelling houses built on stilts or stone over water and usually had a bridge connecting them to the shore. Very few exist outside of Scotland and Ireland. The first crannogs in Scotland were built on lochs from Neolithic times. In 2021 the Scottish Crannog Centre was dealt a devastating blow in 2021 when a fire burned down the site’s reconstructed crannog, built by archaeologists in 1997. The Centre opened to visitors on its new and enlarged site near Kenmore last year and the build team is well on the way to completing a new crannog using sustainable and historical construction methods.

For further information visit: https://crannog.co.uk

Main photo: Experimental archaeologist Isobelle Hanby with the piece of woven fabric. Photo Martin Shields.

Two full days of Celtic culture, August 30 – 31^st in Canmore, Alberta.

The vein of Scottish culture that runs strong through Canmore’s community is celebrated annually through the Canmore Highland Games. Founded in 1884 as a coal mining town, and driven by the expansion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Scottish immigrants and their families settled in Canmore, bringing with them their customs and traditions.

Immerse yourself this Labour Day weekend in the majestic Canadian Rockies and the traditional sights and sounds, athleticism, and spirit of Scotland. Canmore is the Scottish Highlands of Canada on August 30-31.

Celtic custom

Reflecting rich Celtic custom, the weekend will be filled with music, dance and sports. Highland dancers of all ages, from near and far, will take the stage in dance competitions exhibiting strength, agility, and grace. The air will be filled with the sounds of the hundreds of pipers and drummers who come to win honours at the Piping and Drumming competitions. The closing ceremony is the finale of the day, where all bands will join the Massed Pipes & Drums of the Canmore Highland Games, and sometimes, move you to tears.

Central to the Canmore Highland Games, and a crowd favourite on the festival fields, are the heavy highland sports. Cheer for the athletes as they throw the hammer, try the stone put, and attempt to toss the caber end over end. These traditional athletic competitions showcase the strength, skill, and endurance of the players.

The Canmore Highland Games also serve as a gathering point for Scottish clans. Clan tents will be set up to share about the history and heritage of various Scottish clans. Perhaps you’ll find your people?   Wander through the Celtic Market to find Highland garb and Celtic items of all descriptions. Peruse the British Car show. Watch the Sheepdogs at work herding. Enter in the Tug of War-there is something for everyone!  We give cheers to our opening day with the Taste of the Highlands Saturday night, August 30^th. Enjoy an evening in a Celtic Lounge atmosphere sipping wines and whiskeys, meads and ales from some of the world’s most celebrated producers. Appetizers will be served up by some of Canmore’s finest restaurants.

A vibrant celebration of Scottish culture

Over the two days of the Canmore Highland Games, festival tents will showcase additional entertainment from Celtic bands and Irish Step Dancers. An additional ticket can be purchased for a special Scotch-tasting experience. Be sure to join us for our BIG kitchen party, the Canmore Ceilidh, on Sunday night, August 31^st. Back by popular demand, coming all the way from Glasgow, we have the Rollin Drones, a dynamic, energetic, 6-piece bagpipe pop band, here to close out our weekend of events with the party of the summer!

The Canmore Highland Games have grown significantly since their inception, becoming a major event in Canmore’s cultural calendar. Held annually on the Labour Day weekend, the games attract participants and spectators from across Canada and beyond. The event is a vibrant celebration of Scottish culture and a premier summer festival in the Rocky Mountains that you don’t want to miss.

Get all the details and tickets at: www.CanmoreHighlandGames.ca

All images courtesy of Canmore Highland Games.

1,600 parade participants descended on Edinburgh in May for the very first Edinburgh Tartan Parade, with baton twirlers, 18 pipe bands, dancers, Vikings, groups and organisations. A dazzling spectacle of tartan clad people of all ages,  weaving down from The Royal Mile, through the  old streets of Edinburgh to The National Galleries was lined several deep by spectators.

The sunshine could not have bettered this memorable day, the inaugural Edinburgh Tartan Parade.

Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge said “ We are delighted to be here for the very first Edinburgh Tartan Parade. This is Edinburgh’s 900^th anniversary as a city and we hope this parade will go from strength to strength for years to come.”

A vibrant celebration of Scottish culture and heritage

The parade was a vibrant celebration of Scottish culture and heritage which included a spectacular display of tartan-clad participants marching through the historic streets of Edinburgh.

From traditional bagpipers to highland dancers, this event was a feast for the senses.  The inaugural Edinburgh parade was designed to “celebrate the Scottish culture, foster community engagement, and commemorate Edinburgh’s significant 900^th anniversary as a city.”

The event also hosted the Tartan Parade Celebration Concert later that evening at Usher Hall featuring the Red Hot Chilli Pipers & Rura.

Main photo: Lindsay School of Dance.

All images courtesy of Tommy Slack/Tartan Parade Scotland.

The Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular returns on June 14 & 15 with country roots and cowboy boots – now featuring a major country music concert! One of Queensland’s most loved and unique events, which celebrates the Scottish ancestry of the Scenic Rim, the Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular is the richest Clydesdale Show in the Southern Hemisphere and takes rein in Beaudesert on the weekend of June 14 and 15, with a brand-new country music concert galloping into the program on Friday June 13.

Gentle Giants

From pint-sized Shetlands to towering Shires, the event is a full-throttle celebration of the Gentle Giants of the horse world. Over two mighty days, Clydesdale champions are judged, their Scottish heritage is honoured, rare trades are showcased, and their vital place in Australian history is proudly preserved.  And now, in a major new addition, country music becomes the heartbeat of the hooves, with a brand-new Country Concert headlined by Queensland country star Luke Geiger from 5pm Friday June 13. For Luke, it’s a special homecoming. Almost 30 years after playing Rugby League in Beaudesert and earning an NRL scholarship, he returns not in footy boots—but cowboy boots.

“I’m a country singer and a horse guy, and I can’t wait to get around the big horses at the Clydesdale Spectacular—what an experience it’ll be!” Luke said. Known for his powerhouse stage presence and authentic sound inspired by legends like George Strait and Garth Brooks, Luke Geiger is one of Queensland’s most in-demand performers. With his steel guitar player hailing from nearby Tamborine, the Scenic Rim spirit will be front and centre on stage.

Agricultural legacy

The Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular is the ultimate fusion of heritage and heart, with the 2025 program featuring: The World Whip Plaiting Titles (a global first!),  World Billy Boiling Championships, Bush poetry, blacksmithing, working dogs, caber tossing, and lumberjacking, Clydesdale & Clan competitions and the stirring massing of the pipes and drums and traditional haggis burgers, whisky bar, and kilts everywhere.

Event Director Greta Stanfield said the move to the Beaudesert Showgrounds has given the event space to grow, while staying grounded in its Scenic Rim home: “It’s important for us to keep the event in the region that owes so much to the Clydesdale. This breed cleared our paddocks, ploughed our fields and built our agricultural legacy. Thanks to fans, breeders and this incredible community, we’re not only preserving that history—we’re celebrating it.” So saddle up for a weekend where country pride, horsepower, and music collide.

The Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular 2025 takes place Saturday 14^th & Sunday 15^th June 2025 at Beaudesert Showgrounds, Albert Street, Beaudesert, Queensland. More information, accommodation and ticketing detail: http://www.clydesdalespectacular.com.au.

Ten eighteenth-century pistols have returned to their place of origin in an extraordinary homecoming for the historic village of Doune. Once part of a private collection, the pistols are now on permanent public display at the community’s Information and Heritage Centre in Doune.

Forming the centrepiece of new heritage exhibitions, the collection has been gifted to Kilmadock Development Trust (KDT)  by collector Andrew Yool in a remarkable act of generosity.

Scottish ingenuity

Crafted by six different Doune hammermen in the 1700s, these pistols are outstanding examples of the artistry that made the village a renowned centre of gunsmithing. Each piece features elaborate decoration, often Celtic-inspired, applied through fine engraving and silver wire inlay.

“The fact that a representative selection by the most well-known local hammermen has finally found a permanent home on display at the Doune for all to see and admire is undoubtedly an occasion for celebration,” said collector Andrew Yool. “These flintlock firearms are of unique design, construction and decoration, instantly recognised and appreciated worldwide as iconic examples of Scottish ingenuity, craftsmanship and enterprise, as a result of which they have earned international fame for the village of Doune where they were made 300 years ago.”

The roots of Doune’s pistolmaking tradition trace back to 1646, when Thomas Caddell brought the gunsmith trade to the village. With iron scarce, he made use of old horseshoe nails and, through dedication to his craft, developed a level of refinement that defined the Doune style much sought-after around Europe. His legacy passed down through generations of apprentices, establishing Doune as the heart of Scotland’s pistolmaking industry.

Unique part of Doune’s history

After the Jacobite’s defeat at Culloden, Scottish mercenaries fled abroad, taking their arms with them. It is said that the American War of Independence was started by a shot from a Doune-made pistol at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775; later described as being the “shot heard round the world.” Only a few hundred examples of genuine ‘Doune Pistols’ are known to remain in museums and private collections around the world today.

Karen Ross, Chair of KDT says: “We are thrilled that such a unique part of Doune’s history is now on display in the village where they were made, and are grateful to Mr Yool for his generosity. While having a practical function, the pistols really are fine works of art and would have taken countless hours of craftsmanship by candlelight to bring to fruition.”

While relatively small places, Doune and Deanston have a wealth of history to delve into. These are featured in the new heritage exhibitions at the Information and Heritage Centre, which have been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Run by local volunteers, and open throughout the week, visitors are invited to come spend some time and discover the stories of Scotland’s historic crossroads.

For more information on the historic villages of Doune and Deanston visit: www.douneanddeanston.com

The 19th annual Greater Moncton Highland Games & Scottish Festival, scheduled for June 10–14, 2025, is set to make history by hosting five age classes for the Canadian Scottish Athletic Federation (CSAF) Women’s National Championships.

The CSAF has introduced distinct divisions for Youth (ages 13–16), Juniors (ages 17–19), Women (ages 20–39), and two Masters categories: Masters 40–59 and Masters 60+. The decision to debut these expanded championships in Moncton underscores the city’s pivotal role in promoting inclusivity and growth within the sport, particularly evident since hosting the Masters World Championships in 2022 and the inaugural Canadian Junior Championships in 2024.

“Participating in the Greater Moncton Highland Games has played a huge role in opening the door for heavy athletics for me,” says Patty Charlton, one of this year’s Masters competitors. Charlton, originally from Albert County and now living in Nova Scotia, was introduced to the sport through the Games’ Give ’er a Try event in 2023. “I was hooked and came back again to compete in the Women’s Open division the following summer. Since then, I’ve competed around the Maritimes and even travelled to Florida to compete in the Scottish Athletics Masters World Championships. I love that the Moncton Highland Games puts an emphasis on hosting women’s events. It’s inspiring to share the field with women of all ages.”

Rooted in tradition

In addition to the CSAF Championships, the main event day (Saturday, June 14) includes competitions in Highland Dancing, solo piping and drumming, pipe bands, and swordfighting. These are contested alongside displays of blacksmithing, fly casting, textile arts, and more.

“Many people might look at the list of activities and wonder how everything aligns, but it’s all rooted in tradition,” says Event Manager Jenna Morton. “Our 5K Tartan Run is a fundraiser, but stories of Scottish kings holding foot races to find the quickest messenger have been shared for centuries. Clan chieftains would hold feats of strength competitions to celebrate their best warriors. The music of the pipes and drums, as well as the songs and tunes shared on the stage, all blend ancient melodies with modern rhythms.”

The 19^th annual Greater Moncton Highland Games & Scottish Festival runs June 10-14, 2025.

• June 10: Free community concert with Ivan & Vivian Hicks and the Sussex Avenue Fiddlers, Moncton’s Victoria Park, 7pm.
• June 11: Free community concert with Sons of Gael and the Dunnett Highland Dancers, Riverview Gazebo, 7pm.
• June 12: Free community concert with RCMP Pipes & Drums and Sara & James Nelson, Salisbury’s Highland Park, 7pm.
• June 13: Give it a Try heavy events clinic, (please email [email protected] if interested in participating; spectators welcome), Hal Betts Sportsplex, 6pm.
• June 14: Hal Betts Sportsplex (250 Assomption Blvd, Moncton), Gates open at 8am; most public demonstrations begin at 10am, Massed Bands (Closing Ceremonies) at approximately 5:30pm, followed by free concert in the Ceilidh Tent with Dram & A Draw and Morgan Toney.

For a detailed schedule and more information, visit monctonhighlandgames.com/schedule.

 

Dressed to Kilt, the world-famous celebration of Scottish fashion, music, and culture, made a triumphant return to New York City on the evening of Saturday, April 5, 2025, delivering an unforgettable night of glamour, heritage, and heart.

Held at the stunning Church of the Heavenly Rest on Fifth Avenue, this year’s event was themed “Country Couture: From the Scottish Highlands to Fifth Avenue,” transforming the runway into a dynamic showcase of outdoor lifestyle fashion—from rugged countryside looks to elegant eveningwear.

The runway dazzled with a blend of tradition and modernity, featuring spectacular collections from renowned designers such as Red Label Kilts, 21^st Century Kilts, Prophetik, Campbells of Beauly, Totty Rocks, Walker Slater, Molly Kathryn Wade, Dubarry of Ireland, Hannah Macdonald, Aida, and King’s Foundation designer Graeme Bone.

In true Dressed to Kilt style, the show wasn’t without surprises—a majestic falcon even made a dramatic runway appearance, captivating the crowd.

Collaborative energy

Notable personalities took center stage, including viral New York creator Caleb Simpson, Summer House star West Wilson, and both current Miss Scotland Amy Scott and 2023 Miss Scotland Chelsie Allison.

The show was brilliantly hosted by Dressed to Kilt co-founder Geoffrey Scott Carroll and Scottish actor James Robinson, whose charm and wit carried the evening. Other celebrity walkers included Olympian Nicole Yeargin, Oscar-winning screenwriter Lesley Paterson, and acclaimed artist and author Timothy Goodman.

The crowd was treated to unforgettable live performances from powerhouse singer Natalie Dredd, high-energy favorites The Devil’s Brigade, and Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall, whose voice brought the house down. Sunbelt Rentals, the evening’s title sponsor, even sent a representative down the runway, further highlighting the event’s community spirit and collaborative energy.

Guests sipped on fine Ardbeg whisky as they mingled and danced the night away following the show. As always, Dressed to Kilt’s mission extends beyond fashion. Proceeds from the evening will support the Navy SEAL Foundation, a cause that remains close to the hearts of the organizers and audience alike.

For more information on Dressed to Kilt visit: www.dressedtokilt.com

The Scottish District Families Association (SDFA) has proudly unveiled the name of its newly revitalized newsletter—The Caledonian—marking a renewed commitment to celebrating Scottish heritage, traditions, and the deep-rooted connections among Scottish families. The SDFA serves the estimated 70% of Scots who do not belong to a clan because their name is not associated with a recognized clan. Many Scottish families have deep ancestral roots but lack formal ties to specific clans. The SDFA ensures that these individuals still have a place to celebrate their heritage, engage in Scottish traditions, and connect with others who share their cultural background.

The choice of The Caledonian pays homage to Scotland’s ancient identity, drawing inspiration from the land once inhabited by the Caledonii, a Roman Latin name that has long been synonymous with Scottish pride and resilience. With this new name, the SDFA aims to strengthen the sense of unity and cultural pride among its members, ensuring that the vibrant stories, histories, and traditions of Scottish families continue to be shared for generations to come.

Renewing the Legacy of the Caledonia Tartan

Alongside the launch of The Caledonian, the SDFA is also reinforcing the significance of the Ancient Caledonia tartan, a design that embodies the heritage and identity of Scottish families with deep ancestral ties to Scotland. The tartan, with its distinctive weave of blues, greens, and reds, represents the natural beauty of Scotland’s landscapes and the enduring strength of its people.

By bringing renewed attention to this tartan, the SDFA encourages members to embrace their Scottish roots through traditional attire, cultural events, and storytelling. The association hopes to inspire younger generations to take pride in their heritage and keep the traditions alive.

The Mission of the Scottish District Families Association

At the heart of the SDFA’s mission is the preservation and promotion of Scottish culture, genealogy, and community engagement. The association provides resources for individuals to explore their ancestry, learn about Scottish customs, and connect with fellow Scots in a supportive and enriching environment. Through events such as Highland games, educational workshops, and historical lectures, the SDFA fosters a deeper understanding of Scotland’s contributions to history and culture. The organization also works diligently to maintain connections with Scottish communities worldwide, ensuring that no matter where they reside, Scots can always find a home among their kin.

Additionally, the SDFA is revitalizing and updating its website, www.scottishdistricts.com, to make it more useful and informative for its members. The improved website will feature expanded resources on genealogy, Scottish history, upcoming events, and ways to connect with the broader Scottish community.

Looking forward

The launch of The Caledonian and the renewed emphasis on the Caledonia tartan and a renewed website signal a bright future for the SDFA and its members. As the association continues to grow, it remains steadfast in its dedication to preserving the customs and stories that define Scottish identity.

For those interested in joining the Scottish District Families Association, contributing to The Caledonian, or learning more about their Scottish heritage, the SDFA welcomes all who share a passion for Scotland and its enduring legacy. Together, they stand united in celebrating the past, present, and future of Scottish heritage.

Visit the SDFA website for membership information www.scottishdistricts.com or contact Bill Boyd, Membership Secretary, [email protected].  The SDFA is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Main photo: The Ancient Caledonia tartan.

The National Trust for Scotland has launched its annual Footpath Fund appeal to raise funds to support the maintenance and repair of more than 300 miles of paths as 2024 visitor numbers to the charity’s countryside locations increased by 10 percent. The conservation charity’s team of five path makers and specialist contractors ensure the 275 miles of upland footpaths, and a large section of the Trust’s 155 miles of low-level paths, remain accessible and in good condition for the millions of people who visit the countryside properties each year.

This work not only prevents erosion scars and protects the fragile ecosystems where walkers may inadvertently stray from paths, but it also makes visiting these places more accessible for more people.

The ongoing maintenance and repair of the footpaths is vital as they face numerous challenges. Year on year, millions set out to enjoy Scotland’s outdoors. Visitors to the Trust’s countryside properties have increased from 900k in the first half of 2023 to just over 1m in the first six months of this year. Three of the Trust’s most visited countryside places include Ben Lomond, which has grown 27% since 2022 with over 31k visitors; Grey Mare’s Tail, which has increased 34% over the same period to 25k; and St Abb’s Head, which has grown by 86% to 51k visitors – an increase of 24k people.

High footfall naturally wears the paths down and when coupled with the Scottish weather’s swings from sun to snow in a single day, erosion is exacerbated, which risks lasting damage to the countryside and its vulnerable biodiversity. Additional funding is necessary to support these crucial ongoing works.

Delicate ecosystems

Bob Brown, Upland Path Manager for the National Trust for Scotland, said: “Our footpaths lead visitors to Scotland’s nature, heritage, and beauty so it’s crucial we provide our footpath team with the resources they need to maintain them. Their work is vast and wide-ranging, including recent rebuilding work at Grey Mare’s Tail where flash flooding blasted holes into the path. Walkers inadvertently carved new routes through delicate ecosystems as they strayed from the flooded path into the surrounding habitats, endangering native flora and fauna. The footpath team not only repaired the damaged sections, but they also helped protect it in future by improving drainage systems to mitigate increased flooding. This is often made especially challenging due to many of the sites we work on having important geological and botanical attributes and Special Scientific Interest categorisation. Rather than use existing but protected materials on site, all rebuilding materials are acquired elsewhere and airlifted in. By maintaining and repairing footpaths that blend seamlessly into the landscape, they ensure everyone can enjoy the unique beauty of our hills and mountains, both today and for those that follow in our footsteps.”

Donations to the Footpath Fund help the Trust to progress its ambitious mountain path restoration plan to tackle damaged sites at Ben Lawers, Ben Lomond, Glencoe, Goatfell, Torridon, and Kintail. They also support pre-emptive work to counter the effects of increased visitor numbers and climate change on natural habitats and footpaths; conduct audits on the state of lowland paths and develop a plan of work to ensure they’re maintained to the highest standards; and trial new repair techniques to ensure work continues to be as effective and sustainable as possible.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit: www.nts.org.uk/footpath

Main photo: The NTS footpath team.

 

A beloved former Holy Loch watering hole of American forces and their families stationed in and around Dunoon has recently been acquired by the local community following two years of closure. The new owners, the Oakbank Community Inn Sandbank (OCIS), are now looking to hear from ex US Navy personnel about their memories of the pub that sits just yards from the loch shoreline.

An ongoing share scheme, combined with a significant grant from the Scottish Land Fund, has recently seen the 150-year-old inn transferred into community ownership with OCIS planning to open it up to the public by early summer following urgently needed renovations.

Long lasting friendships

Sue McKillop of OCIS commented: “We know this pub was very popular with US servicemen and women for over 30 years and have heard many happy memories being recounted by local people about how the inn helped to build long lasting friendships between local residents and the US military. We are always on the look out for more recollections of this significant time for the town and surrounding settlements. There are bound to still be more folks who can recall good times spent at the inn and it will all go towards us building up a history of the pub from 1960 to 1990 which we will share as part of a pub heritage programme. We would also welcome any US veterans interested in becoming shareholders for what promises to be a fantastic new chapter for a pub that is now owned by the community of Sandbank. We have a rich shared history with our American friends and we want this fine inn, sitting at the gateway to the southern Scottish Highlands, to build on that.”

For more information please visit www.oakbank.pub or email Sue direct [email protected].

Steamship Sir Walter Scott, one of Scotland’s most famous maritime heritage icons, has sailed on Loch Katrine since 1900 and has begun her 125^th season and is gearing up to carry thousands of passengers on scenic loch cruises in the heart of the National Park.

Named after the renowned Scottish author whose works helped shape the nation, this milestone marks the Steamship’s remarkable history and role sailing on one of Scotland’s most beautiful lochs.

The Lady of the Lake

Loch Katrine’s rich heritage and dramatic landscapes have captivated visitors for centuries. Immortalised in Sir Walter Scott’s celebrated poem The Lady of the Lake which has resulted in the loch being credited as the ‘Birthplace of Scottish tourism’. Loch Katrine’s combination of outstanding natural beauty and unrivalled cultural significance is home for the vessel that has become a national treasure. Steamship Sir Walter Scott was built in 1899 by shipbuilders William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton on the River Clyde. Commissioned to replace the ageing Rob Roy II, it embodied the elegance of the Edwardian era with sleek lines and a powerful engine. However, getting the vessel to the landlocked Loch Katrine presented a unique engineering challenge, and Denny’s lost money on the project due to the high cost of transporting her to Loch Katrine.

Once constructed and tested, she had to be broken and transported to the land-locked loch in sections by barge along the River Leven and up Loch Lomond to Inversnaid. From there, the pieces were hauled overland to Stronachlachar by horse-drawn wagons, navigating rugged and steep terrain. Once reassembled by the loch, the Steamship was launched in 1900, a massive moment in the 180-year history of Steamships at Loch Katrine.

“Little did the Steamship’s builders at the end of the 1800s think that she would still be in service in 2025,” said James Fraser, CEO of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust.

“What they couldn’t have foreseen was just how special this Steamer would become and that, ultimately, she would be owned by a charitable trust set up to protect her unique heritage for the nation.  She is cruising during this special anniversary year thanks to the generous donations from the public and grant funding support for the recent 2023 restoration appeal. We are delighted to welcome visitors from all over the world to Loch Katrine, and their support is vital, as all income generated is reinvested to preserve this national maritime treasure for the enjoyment of the public. There are daily cruises at Loch Katrine year-round, and from June 6^th-8^th we will be hosting a Steamboat Festival, a weekend packed with activities to celebrate the 125^th anniversary of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott. There will also be a series of Steamship Live music events and in early October we will be hosting some bands on the steamship as part of Callander’s annual Jazz and Blues Festival.”

Role in shaping Scottish tourism

Passengers aboard the Steamship enjoy live commentary telling the captivating story of the vessel’s construction, history, and role in shaping Scottish tourism, as well as the nature and wonders of this unique loch. They can also view the engine room during a voyage.  At the pier, where passengers depart for a cruise, there is an immersive exhibition showcasing the history of Loch Katrine’s steamships.

The exhibition includes the human stories of the captains, crew and key people over the 125 years, whose dedication contributed to the Steamship’s success and ensured her safety through two World Wars before the challenges of ownership around her 100^th anniversary, thankfully resulting in the transfer to a dedicated and independent charitable trust in 2007.

The latest addition to the popular Trossachs attraction is a newly opened tower overlooking the pier. This spectacular vantage point, which inspired Sir Walter Scott during his visit to Loch Katrine in 1809 to write The Lady of the Lake, offers panoramic views of the loch’s dramatic glens, mountains and tranquil waters, with iconic landmarks like Ellen’s Isle, all described so vividly in his romantic story. Published in 1810 to great acclaim, visitors flocked to see the landscapes for themselves, and tourists have been coming ever since to admire these unspoilt views, now part of Scotland’s first National Park and a Natural Nature Reserve the size of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city.

The Steamship Sir Walter Scott is fully accessible to wheelchair users, ensuring passengers with reduced mobility can experience Loch Katrine’s dramatic mountain skyline whilst cruising into the Scottish Highlands. Many passengers opt to combine a cruise with walking and cycling routes, allowing them to explore the area’s natural beauty in an environmentally conscious way.

Did you know?

-According to Sir Walter Scott’s biographer Edgar Johnson, Loch Katrine was visited by fifty or sixty carriages a year before The Lady of the Lake was published in 1810; within the first six months after publication, the number rose to 297, and it became more fashionable to see the Trossachs than to make the Grand Tour of Europe.

–Hail to the Chief was initially titled Boat Song and was a part of Sir Walter Scott’s long narrative poem The Lady of the Lake. Boat Song was put to music by James Sanderson in 1812 and became a part of American culture in 1815 when it was played to honour George Washington (Hail to the Chief) and has subsequently been used to introduce all US Presidents.

-Rowing boats accommodated the early visitors before being replaced by steamships in 1843. In 1900, the recently restored Steamship Sir Walter Scott began service and is still in operation today.

-The Steamship is the iconic symbol of Loch Katrine, which in 1859 became the water supply to much of West and Central Scotland. Through ingenious Victorian engineering, 23.5 miles of aqueducts and tunnels carried clean water for the first time to Glasgow, transforming the health of its vast population.

Habitat restoration is creating an upwards trend in black grouse numbers in the Highlands – offering hope for the endangered birds and for wider biodiversity, a study has found. The first year of a new citizen science study in the Affric Highlands rewilding landscape near Inverness has found black grouse populations are recovering well at sites carrying out large-scale nature recovery, including restoration of native woods, peatlands and wetlands.

Black grouse are an important indicator species for ecosystem health, and use a wide variety of habitats for feeding, shelter, nesting, lekking and rearing chicks.

Restoring a mosaic of habitats

But the spectacular birds have suffered long-term UK-wide decline, due to threats such as habitat loss and intensive land management. They are now locally extinct in many regions, with surviving populations often badly fragmented.  A new community-focused programme of black grouse surveys has been launched this year by the Affric Highlands initiative and RSPB Scotland, working together with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and local landowners. The project builds on previous surveys by RSPB Scotland in the area since 2007, and includes a team of volunteers for the first time.

“Our initial findings are a cause for optimism. Restoring a mosaic of habitats to health appears to be offering much-needed hope for black grouse numbers – and so for nature more broadly,” said Nicola Williamson, Field Officer for Affric Highlands. “The project has been a constant source of inspiration – including the positive engagement of the local community and landowners, the nature recovery action underway at several estates, and the amazing team of volunteers who have made the study possible.”

One of the UK’s most rapidly declining bird species

Black grouse populations are measured by counting numbers of males attending mating display sites called leks. Between April and May 2024, 14 sites in the Beauly area were assessed, with trained volunteers studying five square kilometre plots. The study recorded 405 lekking males – a slight increase since the last survey in 2021, and the highest recorded over the past 17 years. In 2007, 250 lekking males were counted. With black grouse numbers fluctuating over time, and data lacking for some past years, the project aims to confirm through future surveys whether the overall rise is steady. The team also found that numbers of lekking black grouse males have risen or declined – sometimes significantly – at different individual sites due to changes in available habitat.

Nature restoration appears to be the key factor at sites where numbers are up. Excluding herbivores such as deer to reduce overgrazing and over-browsing, for example, is allowing habitats to bounce back through the growth of healthy shrub layers and young trees.  The black grouse is one of the UK’s most rapidly declining bird species, and on the ‘Red’ list of conservation concern. It needs a mosaic of habitats including woodlands and moorlands. A fresh UK-wide survey of black grouse is long overdue. The last, in 2005, estimated the UK population to be 5,100 males – with 3,400 in Scotland, 1,500 in England and 200 in Wales. Affric Highlands is the UK’s largest rewilding landscape, led by Trees for Life and Rewilding Europe. The 30-year community-focused initiative aims to restore habitats over half a million acres from Loch Ness to the west coast – tackling the nature and climate emergencies, and supporting re-peopling and nature-based economic opportunities.

The annual Aberdeen Highland Games are on again this year on the 1^st Saturday in July each year that on this occasion will be the weekend of the 5^th. The day will begin with a parade of pipe bands, clan representatives and others that leads into the Massed Band Salute and Chieftain’s Address that officially opens the day.

The pipe bands are what make a Scottish event so special. The unique sounds of the massed pipes and drums fills the air as bands converge from all around New South Wales at the Aberdeen Highland Games. The Chieftain this year will be Charles Cooke, OAM a past President who was instrumental in establishing the event in 2000.

The very essence of Scotland

Nothing encompasses such enthusiasm and colour as Highland Dancing and what better sight and sound can there be that encapsulates the very essence of Scotland than the bagpipes accompanying a kilted dancer, swaying and pirouetting to traditional airs! There will be novelty events for the children including the three-legged race and the famed Kilted Dash. Everyone is encouraged to dress up in their best Scottish attire with prizes awarded to the best dressed laddie, lassie, bairn and pet. The Kilted Warriors are a great part of the event with and not to be missed in the traditional Celtic strongman competition. There is tremendous strength and determination on display when the athletes compete in three the Lifting of the Stones of Destiny, the Sheaf Toss and the Caber Toss.

Further the Games anticipate that the ADF Federation Guard Drill Team will be attending again this year, and they are a great spectacle. A multitude of stores and stands will surround the area selling all manner of Scottish heirlooms and souvenirs, clothing and garb, and food and drink to complete your day. There will be a good roll up of Clan Societies that will be of great help to those chasing family circles. In the evening, the NSW Pipe Band Association have organised a Pipe Band Quintet competition at the Aberdeen RSL Club and hosted by the Tamworth Pipe Band. Get your tickets now.

The Aberdeen Highland Games take place on 5^th July, 2025 in Aberdeen, NSW in the Upper Hunter Valley. For details go to the web site www.aberdeenhighlandgames.com or visit the Facebook page. All bookings are online via this web site. For further detail go to [email protected]. 

Main photo: City of Newcastle Pipe Band at the Aberdeen Highand Games.

Imagine in your mind’s eye a quintessential rural Scottish landscape. What do you see? I’d wager that high, craggy peaks loom over it, and perhaps a cascading burn runs along the dappled floor of a glen. Heather colours the foreground, and on upon a distant hillside the outline of a kilted figure tends his flock – that flock, of course, being sheep.

So engrained are sheep in the classic imagery of Scotland that it is hard to imagine the place without them. Yet, it wasn’t always so. This is the story of how sheep conquered Scotland. The very first sheep to graze on Scottish grass arrived in the Neolithic, roughly 4,100-2,500BC. They came with a new type of people – farmers – who also brought new styles of pottery and created permanent settlements. Their sheep were much smaller than those of today, often described as ‘dog-like’ and with dark brown-black wool and large horns. A living relic of these Neolithic sheep survives in the Soay breed still found in St Kilda. In fact, when the Norse arrived in St Kilda they called Hirta, the largest island in the archipelago, Saudaey, meaning ‘Island of the Sheep’.

The very first large-scale sheep farms in Scotland emerged in the late thirteenth century AD from what at first may seem an unlikely source – monks and their abbeys.  The enterprising monks of Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders acquired parcels of land throughout the south of Scotland and used much of them as pasture. In the 1280s their flock was 13,000 strong, the largest in the country by far. The monks’ logic was that by accumulating wealth they could better serve God’s will – a slippery slope if ever there was one.

While the monks may have increased their numbers, sheep remained very marginal to the Highland economy until well into modernity. The quantities of wool and mutton each provided was very modest. Far more important were black cattle, which stood at the centre of rural life, economy, and food production. There was no sheep equivalent in scale to the trysts, where tens of thousands of cattle were guided south from the Highlands to the bustling market towns of Crieff and Falkirk.

Evermore sheep

The levees broke with the introduction of the Blackface breed in the eighteenth century. Their yields were far higher than the native sheep, and their hardiness helped them endure life in the marginal uplands. Landowners soon realised that they could profit far more from flocks of Blackface sheep than they could from rent-paying tenants. This profit motive, along with the violent de-peopling of the Highlands in the wake of the Battle of Culloden, gave rise to the countryside we see throughout much of Scotland today – relatively few people where once there were many, a handful of large farms where once there were dozens of smallholdings, and sheep galore where once there were black cattle.

From the 1790s onwards the Blackface sheep were, in turn, usurped by the kings of modern pastures – the Cheviot breed. Both breeds were known to the Gaels as Na Caoraich Mora, ‘the big sheep’. It was not just their size that was big, but their appetites and demands for land. Their need for access to low-lying ground during winter pushed out the black cattle which once vastly outnumbered them. Cheviot sheep especially require far more ground for grazing than their predecessors, leading to an economy of scale: large landowners reared large flocks, while small and middling landowners were squeezed out. Immense amounts of capital were required for large-scale sheep farming, and the industry remains heavily subsidised to this day.

It is no exaggeration to say that Cheviot sheep changed both the landscapes and culture of Scotland. For example, from the 1770s the Marquis of Breadalbane in Perthshire, one of the largest and wealthiest landowners in Scotland, mass-converted his deer forests into sheep farms. Not only were the new, southern breeds of sheep introduced, but so too were new, southern farmhands, many of them coming from Scots and English-speaking areas like the Lothians into an area which was otherwise almost universally Gaelic-speaking.

A linguistic gulf emerged between those tending to the laird’s sheep and the majority of people living on their estates. When clearances were enacted, these Lowland managers had little sympathy for the Gaels they evicted to make way for evermore sheep. This was also the case on the lands of the 1^st Duke of Sutherland, whose clearances were notoriously brutal.

Year of the Sheep

The Gaels fought back as best they could. 1792 was Bliadhna Nan Caorach, the ‘Year of the Sheep’. Skyrocketing wool prices, partially driven by demand for clothing for the millions of enslaved people in the Caribbean labouring and dying under Scottish whips, accelerated landowners’ clearance efforts. Armed insurrections emerged across the Highlands and Islands, notably in Easter Ross, Skye, and the Outer Hebrides. On several occasions, impoverished tenant farmers fought bodily against squads of police sent to quash them.

One of the best and latest examples of resistance was in Barra and Vatersay. In 1835 all the people living in Vatersay and the Bishop’s Isles to the south were evicted on the order of General Gordon of Cluny explicitly to make way for sheep farms. Lady Gordon Cathcart, Barra and Vatersay’s callous and absentee landlord, consolidated all of Vatersay into a single sheep farm. This spurred on the ‘Vatersay Raiders’, who landed in Vatersay from Barra to resettle cleared settlements and establish new ones. Their court case, heard in Edinburgh, was ultimately victorious, though many in the Tory press fomented hostility towards them.

The reality is that the landscape you see in much of Scotland today, of sprawling fields surrounding a single farmhouse and hundreds of sheep grazing all throughout, has only existed for a little over two centuries. Before, the countryside was far more populous and patchwork, with smoke from farmtouns and homesteads rising up at every turn and the land itself absent of many of the hedges and enclosures that now parcel it out. Far more than any conquering army or ambitious king, sheep transformed the very face and character of Scotland.

Two starkly opposed quotes speak to how sheep are viewed, and by whom. Inside the inn in Kenmore on the Marquis of Breadalbane’s estate, Robert Burns scribbled a poem waxing lyrical about the romance of the countryside:

“Admiring Nature I her wildest grace,

These northern scenes with weary feet I trace;

O’er many a winding dale and painful step,

Th’ abodes of covey’d grouse and timid sheep”

To Burns, sheep were synonymous with the land and ranked among the prize possessions of the aristocracy alongside grouse. For Ian MacCodrum, a Gaelic-speaking Highlander who watched his people be drained away, sheep had a very different legacy. In his poem Òran do na Fògarraich (A Song to the Exiles), he lamented:

“It’s sad to reflect

How the land’s being enslaved –

Our people suddenly went

And sheep came in their place”

Text and photos: David C. Weinczok

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo visited Washington DC and New York City to celebrate Scottish heritage during Tartan Week and performed for the first time at the Washington Tattoo. Thirty performers from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo including Pipers, Drummers, Fiddle players and Highland Dancers have accompanied the Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, on his visit to the United States. They kicked off with a performance at Washington’s iconic Capitol building to mark the beginning of Tartan Week.

Tattoo Pipers, Drummers, Dancers, and Fiddle players made their Washington D.C. debut, joining the cast for this year’s Washington Tattoo. The Washington Tattoo celebrates international music and dance, presented in the traditional style of military Tattoo’s around the world.  Mark Reilly, President and CEO of The Washington Tattoo, said: “We are honoured to partner with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for this landmark performance. This event will highlight the cultural and musical bonds between our nations while celebrating the artistry and service of military musicians worldwide.”

Showcasing the rich Scottish heritage

In the 75^th anniversary year, the Tattoo is playing a key role in promoting the rich culture of Scotland in America and on an international stage. Jason Barrett, Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “In our 75^th year, we are absolutely thrilled to be taking the Tattoo state side for some small-scale performances and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders within the US. Working with The Washington Tattoo and organisers of New York Tartan Week, our performers are excited to perform alongside some of those US performers we’ve welcomed to Edinburgh over the years. In partnership with VisitScotland and Brand Scotland, we’re honoured to be able to represent Scotland. It’s so important for us to highlight Scottish and military tradition around the globe and encourage those across the pond to come and see the Tattoo in Edinburgh for themselves.”

Alan Lane, Creative Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, added: “We’ve travelled with thirty of our Tattoo Performers to take their talent on tour to Washington and New York. The opportunity for our performers to collaborate with such a variety of musicians in America, whilst showcasing the rich Scottish heritage, is one we’re all really excited about. It’s great to spread the word of the Tattoo across the globe in our 75^th year, and the brilliant performance company on this trip is but a fraction of the power of the full-scale Tattoo production people can see this August on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.”

Following the Tattoo’s successful performance at Hoolie in the Hydro in Glasgow last December, the team also joined the Hoolie cast Stateside for Scotland’s Hoolie in New York. Hosted by Alan Cumming, the Hoolie was staged at the iconic Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday 5 April. The Tattoo team performed alongside talented Scottish musicians, Julie Fowlis, Dougie Maclean, Mànran, and the Oban High School Pipe Band.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will run from 1-23 August 2025. For details see: www.edintattoo.co.uk

All images courtesy of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

 

The first known letter written by King James VI of Scotland, penned when he was no more than seven years old, has gone on show in Edinburgh as part of a new exhibition. This rare document held by National Records of Scotland (NRS) joins other treasures on display to mark 400 years since the king’s death. The World of King James VI & I is now on at the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait until September 14^th.

The exhibition brings together precious documents with artworks, clothing and jewels to create an immersive experience. The display offers a special look into the life of the king who became the first to unite the crowns in 1603. Among the papers going on show is a childhood thank you letter. In it, young James expresses gratitude to his guardian’s wife, the Countess of Mar, for sending him fruit.

The oldest known letter in his own hand still in existence.

Other documents to be displayed include papers about the coronation of Queen, Anne, and letters between James and Anne’s brother Christian, King of Denmark. Dr Alan Borthwick, Head of Medieval and Early Modern Records at National Records of Scotland, said: “These records are rarely seen in public. They help us understand James’s remarkable story, from becoming king of Scots as a baby, his mother’s exile, his childhood and going on to become the first monarch to rule Scotland, England and Ireland.”

The young James became king when he was just 13 months old, after his mother Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate. These documents help tell his story from those early days through to his time ruling his much wider kingdom. King James VI of Scotland wrote this letter when he was six or seven years old. It is the oldest known letter in his own hand still in existence. King James VI & I died in England on 27 March 1625.

The World of King James VI & I is now open at National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, Queen Street, Edinburgh. For further details see: www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/world-king-james-vi-and-i

Main photo: Letter to Lady Minny. Photo courtesy NRS.

As part of their tour of the United States, the Atholl Highlanders, the UK’s only private Army, raised and commanded by the Dukes of Atholl, and based at their ancestral home of Blair Castle in Highland Perthshire, have paraded at the British Embassy in Washington.

In what is the fourth tour of the States undertaken by the Atholl Highlanders in its long and proud history, and having last toured there as a regiment in 2012, the 62 strong contingent of Atholl Highlanders, including its Pipe Band and support staff, visited Washington, Boston, and the Massachusetts town of Athol, which claims a historical connection to the Atholl Highlanders, along with New York City.

Having performed parade marches many times in the States as part of other US tours, the Atholl Highlanders also marched for the very first time in the New York Tartan Day Parade. Their packed itinerary saw them go on to the Massachusetts town of Athol, with whom they enjoy close links. Along with attending a Black Rose Dinner, and enjoying a Legion Spaghetti Supper, they took part in a local River Race whilst staying with host families.

Commenting on the march at the British Embassy in Washington, Abigail Wise, Protocol Visits and Events Officer, said: “We issue a huge thank you to the Atholl Highlanders from everyone here at the British Embassy Washington. The performance was wonderful, and we all enjoyed the National Capital Tartan Day Association luncheon. We wish the Highlanders well with the rest of their US tour.”

 

A new online exhibition has been launched featuring forty historic photographs of the Midlothian village of Roslin.  The photographs, part of The Bryce Collection, include archive images of Rosslyn Chapel, Rosslyn Castle and the village, and can now be seen in the first online exhibition on Rosslyn Chapel’s website.

The Bryce Collection

From around 1880 to the 1940s, two generations of the Bryce family lived and worked in a draper’s shop and post office on Roslin Main Street. One of the family married a keen amateur photographer, Thomas Ritchie and, in the early years of the twentieth century, Ritchie took many photographs in and around the village, some of which were made into postcards and sold in the post office.

By the 1940s, Meg Campbell (nee Bryce), the great niece of George Bryce, moved from Glasgow and took over the family business in Roslin. The collection of photographs had been stored away and largely forgotten but, in 1993, Mrs Campbell donated the collection to Midlothian Local Studies and stipulated that it should be known as ‘The Bryce Collection’. Subsequently, members of the Roslin Heritage Society researched and identified many of the locations.

The Bryce Collection images are used with permission from Midlothian Council Libraries and Archives and forty photographs are now on display in the online exhibition. Ian Gardner, Director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said: “We are delighted to launch this fascinating exhibition on our website and, very appropriately, to feature these historic photographs of the Chapel, Castle, Glen and village from The Bryce Collection. This is the first exhibition on our online gallery, which has been funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by Midlothian Council, and we look forward to adding more exhibitions there in the months ahead.”

All images courtesy of the Midlothian Council Libraries and Archives. The exhibition can be viewed free of charge at www.rosslynchapel.com

Main photo: Rosslyn Chapel as shown in The Bryce Collection.

 

The Robert Burns Celtic Festival is a winter festival celebrating Scotland’s National Poet and the Celtic culture in poetry, song, music and dance, in and around the historic buildings of Camperdown, South West Victoria. Festival Chair, Dr John Menzies OAM, is delighted to announce that The Melbourne Welsh Male Choir is returning to Camperdown to perform at the Finale.

Headline acts will also include Luke Plumb & Peter Daffy, The Raglins, MacCrimmin, Fiona Ross, The Corby Family, Elonera, Harpistry, The Reformers (who will present a contemporary show; “In the hope of Something Better”, celebrating Australian Poet Henry Lawson) and Kym Dillon.

Festival favourites

The History Talks, Choirs in Concert, and Festival Finale are just some of the highlights of an exciting weekend that is full of entertainment. The popular Gala Dinner takes place on Friday night. Guests will enjoy a three course dinner, a festival showcase of performances along with the traditional Address tae the Haggis, fine food, good company, Scottish country dancing, a Burns poem and more.

Returning musicians and dancers will delight; Peter Daffy’s Celtic Band, Merran and Peter Moir, The Twa Bards. Along with Tuniversal Music Group, The Camperdown Lakes and Craters Band, The Australian Irish Dance Company, The Geelong Scottish Dance Group, Hugh and Janet Gordon, and the Warrnambool Pipes and Drums.

Market stalls, and music along the beautiful elm lined avenue will delight. The Schools Arts Project will be on display, there will be a shortbread competition, wee stories, and children’s games. A family fun ceilidh and concert will take place on Saturday night.

The James Blair Memorial Solo Piping Competition, organised by the Victorian Pipers Association, will be held, and The Robert Burns Golf Ambrose Cup also returns to the scenic Camperdown Lakes course, with a nip of whisky on the ninth. There will be a gathering at the Robert Burns Statue on Sunday morning where festival favourites, The Twa Bards, will present Burns, songs and poetry.

History talks

It’s worth coming just for the history talks. Our five guest speakers are both eminent and entertaining. Here’s a quick look at the program (full details are on the website):

• 10.30am–11.30am Honorary Associate Professor, John Sherwood: ‘Camperdown’s Explosive Past’
• 11.30am–12.30pm Emeritus Professor Richard Broome: ‘”Who’ll Take a Glove”: Aboriginal Tent Fighters’
• 1.30pm–2.45pm Dr Ruth Pullin and Dr Thomas A. Darragh: ‘Camperdown and Kangatong: von Guérard’s Berlin Letters and What They Reveal’
• 2.45pm–3.45pm Robert McLaren: ‘The Rev. Kay: Front Row Seat to a Changing World from 1850 to 1880′ This story in time, unearths a naval hero, links to the British Royal Family, a life in rural Scotland, scandals, the birth of Italy, a messy Victorian court case and a legacy that continues today.

Tickets are now on sale for the Robert Burns Celtic Festival, 27-29 June 2025.  Full details at: https://camperdownburnsfestival.com.au or www.trybooking.com/CXRJT

*Weekend Tickets from 1st May – 14th June *$120.00 *Weekend Tickets from 15 June – 27th June *$180.00 *Excludes Gala Dinner. Gala Dinner $85.00 per person, bookings are essential.