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It’s a case of mistaken identity. For 35 years, thought he was as Irish as they come. Inspired by his enthusiastic grandfather, he spent his life studying Irish history, reading Irish stories and, just generally, embracing his Irish heritage. The whole family celebrated it almost exclusively. And then he took a DNA test and it came back 63% Scottish. “It came as a surprise. I knew I had some Scottish heritage, of course, but I could never have guessed it’d be that much,” says Eamon. “I can’t walk around acting like the second coming of Liam Neeson.”

After getting over the initial shock and surprise of his new-found heritage, he began to wonder what he could do to understand and celebrate his Scottish side. He checked out books about Scotland, listened to podcasts and began to develop an interest in whisky. It was a start, but he wanted more. “You can find out what Scotland is like, but it’s harder to find out what it’s like to be Scottish. I realized that I needed to talk to real, live Scottish people,” he says.

What it means to be Scottish

Podcasts – free online radio programs, essentially – provide the opportunity to discuss topics at length and can be created by anyone with a little technical know-how. An experienced podcaster with an existing show about music, Eamon was familiar with the medium and its potential for informing and entertaining. Not only could it provide him with a unique window into what it means to be Scottish, but he’d be able to share this experience with others, too. “I have a podcast and I work in communications, so I’m comfortable with this sort of thing. I also have degrees in history and political science that give me some confidence in terms of discussing things like Culloden or Independence,” says Eamon. “But I also have a level of ignorance – having not studied Scotland – that positions me well to ask questions that most non-Scots might like to have answered.”

The new podcast, called “63 Percent Scottish,” launched on August 22. The earliest episodes tackled subjects like William Wallace, the Isle of Lewis and whisky. Future episodes will discuss Scottish football, independence, women in Scottish history and more. The interviewees include award-winning journalists like The Scotsman’s Rosalind Erskine, best-selling authors like Coinneach MacLeod and prominent podcasters like Owen Innes. “I can’t believe the calibre of guest we’ve attracted to the show – and they’re all absolutely lovely people” says Eamon. “We also have incredible partners in sharing it with the world. The Scottish Banner has been very supportive, of course. St. Andrew’s Societies and Scottish Societies all around the world – Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Los Angeles and Singapore – are sharing episodes with their memberships. The sense of community just from creating this show is simply overwhelming.”

63 Percent Scottish is free on the Scottish Banner website scottishbanner.com and at 63percentscottish.com. It’s also available on all major platforms – Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music. New episodes are available each week.

Listen now

EP1 “Where to begin?” with Kevin James

63 Percent Scottish: A Scotland Appreciation Podcast, EP 1: “Where to begin?” with Dr. Kevin James from the University of Guelph.

“https://www.buzzsprout.com/2218810/13402991-ep-1-where-to-begin-with-dr-kevin-james-from-the-university-of-guelph?client_source=small_player&iframe=true” 

EP2 “Why William Wallace?” with Owen Innes

63 Percent Scottish: A Scotland Appreciation Podcast, EP 2: “Why William Wallace?” with Owen Innes from the Scottish History Podcast.

“https://www.buzzsprout.com/2218810/13403016-ep-2-why-william-wallace-with-owen-innes-from-the-scottish-history-podcast?client_source=small_player&iframe=true” 

The spectacular finale of The World Pipe Band Championships saw Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band crowned the winners of the renowned international contest. It is the long-established Scottish pipe band’s first-ever World Champions title. Based in Bathgate, West Lothian, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia fought off stiff competition from runners-up, and 2022 champions, Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band of Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

Last year’s runners up, Inveraray and District Pipe Band, finished in third place.This year’s ‘ultimate battle of the bands’, which took place on Glasgow Green yesterday and today, attracted around 35,000 spectators. The highly anticipated championships represent the pinnacle of the competitive pipe band calendar.  The event always attracts thousands of pipers and drummers to Scotland, reflecting the level of worldwide interest in our national instrument.  Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, first hosted the World Pipe Band Championships 75 years ago in 1948, and has hosted the event every year since 1986.

Incredible display of talent and skill

The 2023 championships saw 15 countries represented. With 190 bands taking part in this year’s Worlds, just under 9,000 pipers and drummers took to the field to play over the two days. The nations featuring in this year’s line-up of contenders included Australia, Canada, USA, England, Northern Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, and Zimbabwe.  The largest contingent of bands, a total of 116,  came from Scotland.

Glasgow’s Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren, Chieftain of The World Pipe Band Championships, said: “It has been wonderful for the city to host the Worlds once again, bringing together the planet’s finest and most talented pipers and drummers. It’s a contest of huge importance to the global pipe band community and a firm cultural favourite here. Our thanks go to all the musicians and, of course, congratulations to Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band on bringing the World Champions title back home to Scotland.”

Kevin Reilly, Chairman of The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, added: “All of the pipers and drummers who gathered in Glasgow for this year’s championships did their bands and their countries proud. They treated our audiences to an incredible display of talent and skill, making the event a huge success and unforgettable experience. Huge congratulations go to our 2023 World Champions Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band – they are very deserving winners.”

The planet’s flagship pipe band contest

As the planet’s flagship pipe band contest, the annual event brings together thousands of pipers and drummers from all over the world for the ultimate ‘battle of the bands’. It attracts thousands of supporters and spectators to experience the contest live. Around 35,000 spectators descended on Glasgow Green to watch 190 bands compete for the world champions title in August. The event – which is filmed by BBC Scotland and streamed over the internet – also attracts huge virtual international audiences, reflecting the level of global interest in Scotland’s national music. Competition for the 2023 Worlds were more fiercely contested than last year as the number of bands and nations taking part increased.

 

2023 World Pipe Band Championships results

 

Grade 1

1st Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland)

2nd Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)

3rd Inveraray & District (Scotland)

4th Simon Fraser University (Canada)

5th Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland)

6th St. Laurence O’Toole (Republic of Ireland)

7th Police Scotland Fife (Scotland)

8th ScottishPower (Scotland)

9th Manawatu (New Zealand)

10th Canterbury Caledonian Society (New Zealand)

11th Johnstone (Scotland)

12th Police Scotland & Federation (Scotland)

13th 78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada)

14th St. Thomas Alumni (USA)

15th Auckland & District (New Zealand)

16th Closkelt (Northern Ireland)

Drumming: Simon Fraser University (Canada)

 

Grade 2

1st Royal Burgh of Annan (Scotland)

2nd Buchan Peterson (Scotland)

3rd Manorcunningham (Republic of Ireland)

4th Portlethen & District (Scotland)

5th Ravara (Northern Ireland)

6th Uddingston (Scotland)

7th North Stratton (Canada)

8th City of Edinburgh (Scotland)

9th Peel Regional Police (Canada)

10th Ulster Scottish (USA)

11th Glasgow Skye Association (Scotland)

12th St. Joseph’s (Republic of Ireland)

13th Brieg (Brittany)

14th MacMillan (USA)

15th Los Angeles Scots (USA)

16th Kilchoman Distillery Isle of Islay (Scotland)

17th Highland Granite (Scotland)

18th Oban (Scotland)

19th Worcester Kiltie (USA)

20th City of Discovery (Scotland)

 

Grade 3A

1st Tullylagan (Northern Ireland)

2nd Robert Malcolm Memorial (Canada)

3rd Vale of Atholl (Scotland)

4th Coalburn IOR (Scotland)

5th McNeillstown (Northern Ireland)

6th Clogher & District (Northern Ireland)

7th Major Sinclair Memorial (Northern Ireland)

8th Deeside Caledonia (Scotland)

9th Kildoag (Northern Ireland)

10th City of Newcastle (England)

11th College of Piping (Canada)

12th City of London (England)

 

Grade 3B

1st Haileybury (Australia)

2nd Cullybackey (Northern Ireland)

3rd Macanta (England)

4th Ross & Cromarty (Scotland)

5th Methil & District (Scotland)

6th Lower Clyde (Scotland)

7th Aven & District (France)

8th Ayr Society (Scotland)

9th Mid-Argyll (Scotland)

10th Arbroath (Scotland)

11th Niagara Regional Police (Canada)

12th Belgian Blend (Belgium)

13th Tweedvale (Scotland)

14th Scottish Borders (Scotland)

 

Grade 4A

1st Burntisland & District (Scotland)

2nd Syerla & District (Northern Ireland)

3rd Cape Breton Island (Canada)

4th Cloughfin (Northern Ireland)

5th Gransha (Northern Ireland)

6th Rothesay & District (Scotland)

7th Raphoe Ulster Scots (Republic of Ireland)

8th Kintyre Schools (Scotland)

9th Sri Dasmesh (Malaysia)

10th Ballyboley (Northern Ireland)

11th Kilbarchan (Scotland)

12th Uddingston Strathclyde (Scotland)

 

Grade 4B

1st Scots School Albury (Australia)

2nd Royal Army of Oman (Oman)

3rd Letterkenny & District (Ireland)

4th Govan Community (Scotland)

5th City of Aberdeen (Scotland)

6th City of Discovery (Scotland)

7th Altnaveigh Memorial (Northern Ireland)

8th Irvine Memorial (Scotland)

9th Bready Ulster Scots (Northern Ireland)

10th Barrhead & District (Scotland)

11th Dunoon Argyll (Scotland)

12th Fraserburgh Royal British Legion (Scotland)

 

2023 World Pipe Band Championships facts:

• 190 bands, representing 15 countries, taking part. The A to Z line-up of nations competing, from Australia to Zimbabwe, features: Australia (5 bands), Belgium (2 bands), Canada (12 bands), Eire (8 bands), England (6 bands), France (2 bands), Israel (1 band), Malaysia (1 band), Netherlands (1 band), New Zealand (4 bands), Northern Ireland (21 bands), Oman (2 bands), Scotland (116 bands), USA (8 bands) Zimbabwe (1 band).
• Around 8,850 pipers and drummers amassing on Glasgow Green (based on average number of band members) – all resplendent in their band uniforms of kilts in a variety of vibrant tartans, worn with sporrans and Glengarry bonnets
• Just under 40,000 metres/40 km/25 miles of tartan kilt fabric. (Based on premium, traditional length. The length of material used in a kilt can vary from between 5 metres to around 7.5 metres)
• Competitors ranging from juveniles and novice juveniles to experienced seniors.  Around 40% of the competitors are under 21; the youngest are in their early teens and the oldest are in their 70s.
• Bands playing a wealth of traditional Scottish musical pieces. Playing requirements differ according to the band’s grade, from march time signatures at lower levels to MSRs (a set of tunes consisting of a march, a strathspey and a reel; three different simple time metres) or musical medleys of varying durations, at higher levels. Grade 1 bands play MSRs and a medley.
• 103 trophies awarded across the 9 contest grades – plus the ultimate World Champions title.

 

All images courtesy Alan Harvey/SNS Group and Glasgow Life.

The vast majority of the world’s population are aware that it was the brainchild of Scots engineer and inventor James Watt (1736-1819), while watching the action of steam from a boiling kettle of water, that eventually led to the steam engine which would, in turn, spark the Industrial Revolution. But to his aunt, the young James Watt appeared like similar idle teenagers wasting his time as he silently stared at her kettle and toyed with the condensed water drops. Although, as she continually reprimanded him for what to her was a wasteful habit, little did she realise her nephew was paving the way for his invention of the steam engine. And just to verify the foundation of his genius a first-hand account of the kettle incident of 1751 came to light in a letter from the inventor’s cousin Marion Campbell, who had witnessed her mother, Jane Muirhead, lecturing the fifteen-year-old Watt.

In her historical report Mrs Campbell relates how she and her mother sat at the tea table in their home in Greenock observing a young Watt seemingly wasting his time gazing at the actions of a boiling kettle. She relates how her mother remarked, “Jamie Watt, I never saw such an idle boy, take a book or employ yourself usefully. For the last hour you haven’t spoken one word, but taken the lid off that kettle and put it on again, holding now a cup, and now a silver spoon over the steam watching how it rises from the spout and catching and counting the drops of hot water it falls into.” She added, “It appears that when thus blamed for idleness, his mind was employed in investigating the properties of steam.” The letters eventually went to auction in 2022 following the passing of Watt’s great-great-great-grandson Lord Gibson-Watt.

Scots mastermind

James Watt was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, in 1736, the son of a ship’s chandler and town councillor. In 1754 he moved to Glasgow to learn the skills of a mathematical-instrument maker and after moving to London he set up business. What many people don’t realise is that he was employed on surveys for the Forth and Clyde Canal as well as the Caledonian and other prominent canals. He was also accountable in the upgrading of many harbours and in the deepening of the Forth, the Clyde and several other rivers. But his main fascination was always his desire to put steam to use as a motive force and, in 1763/4 a working model of the Newcomen engine was sent to him for hopeful inspection and repair. He restored it to perfection and, utilising the imperfections of the machine, he hit upon the probabilities of the separate condenser. Soon to follow were revolutionary advancements to the air pump, the cylinder and the double-acting engine. After settling in Birmingham in 1774 he soon superseded Newcomen’s machine and went on to create the expansion principle, the double engine, the parallel motion, the smokeless furnace and the governor.

The watt, a unit of power, was named after him, while the term horsepower, another unit, was first used by him. Watt was key in also developing the rotary engine which mechanised weaving, spinning and transport. James Watt passed away in Birmingham in 1819 at aged 83 and during 1899 his belongings, including his library and papers, were moved to Doldowlod House in Radnorshire, the Welsh estate of his descendant Lord Gibson-Watt.

When the Scots mastermind’s papers went on sale a spokesperson for the London auction house maintained that people associate Newton with the apple, Bruce with the spider, and Watt with the kettle. He nominated Watt’s discovery as the most illustrious and, but for him, and his visions, the Industrial Revolution might never have taken place. James Watt was not only the most prolific innovator imaginable, but he also possessed one of the greatest minds of his time.

As a matter of interest, Watt’s marine-engineer son, also named James (1769-1848), fitted the engine to the first English steamer to leave port in 1817 — its name was the Caledonia.

Main photo: A statue of James Watt at Glasgow Green. Photo: dun_deagh/Wikimedia cc-by-sa-2.0.

We call our ships by many names: ‘snakes of the seas’, ‘surf dragons’ and ‘fjiord elkes’.  The seas they sail upon we call ‘the whale’s road’, ‘eel home’, fish’s bath’ and ‘Njord’s hall’.  Many things may befall you upon the whale’s road so take care.  Make offerings to the sea lord Njord before leaving land.  Carve runes of protection upon your oars and your mast.  Ask Thor for fair weather.  Be wary of monsters for many dwell in the murk of deep sea halls. Serpents and sea trolls sink many ships so muster the power of some mighty runes before setting sail.

Seafarer’s Lore from ‘How to be a Viking’ by Art Berk.

In 1262 AD, the King of Scotland, Alexander III when scarcely more than a boy, launched a desperate bid to recover the Western and Northern Isles of Scotland from the King of Norway, Haakon IV.  The Scots kings were no longer prepared to tolerate Norse occupation of any part of their kingdom.  In 1196 Alexander’s grandfather, King William the Lion, had thrown the Vikings out of northern Scotland.  Alexander III was one of Scotland’s better kings, said to be good and wise.  He stirred up various Highland nobles such as the Earl of Ross to make war upon the island chiefs on behalf of their King.  The chiefs turned to King Haakon for his military assistance to combat the Earl of Ross’s incursions in to what they considered were their lands.  Haakon decided to retaliate against the Scottish king.  The subsequent invasion and vicious raids by Haakon upon Loch Long and Loch Lomond were almost certainly his response to Alexander’s bold initiative to take territory back from him and his Norwegian Empire.  Having sailed up Loch Long Haakon was able to take the local populace of Loch Lomond by surprise by rolling his longships over the narrow strip of land between the sea loch and the land-locked Loch Lomond, at what to us is now called Tarbert.  There was much slaughter there as a consequence.

Largs

At Largs my extended family often took their evening walks along the esplanade toward the Googie Burn and the Pencil Monument, called that simply because of its shape and built to commemorate the Battle of Largs, fought near there in 1263.  My father talked of a great battle having taken place.  He spoke of King Alexander III, high on the Renfrewshire hills behind Largs, watching Haakon’s fleet of 120 or so longships beating a passage from the Mull of Kintyre and Lorne, toward the Isle of Bute to finally anchor off the coast of Arran.  Eventually the fleet lay off the Cumbraes readying to land at Largs.  He continued with the conventional story that Alexander and his army strategically lay in wait with his hidden forces at a place that came to be called Camphill lying in those hills.   And went on to say that when Haakon launched his dragon ships upon the coast his Viking crews were met head on and repulsed by Alexander’s cavalry and foot soldiers in a bloody and victorious battle.

That was my father’s version of events; however some historians describe it very differently.  They talk of an aging and tired King Haakon bringing his large fleet of longships in an attempt to halt what he saw as Scottish imperialism against his Western Isles Kingdom and his loyal island chiefs.  He had bargained on the support of Angus, the chief of the powerful Clan Donald.  But Haakon was outsmarted because Alexander held Angus’s son hostage and so Angus was unable to help.  Unfortunately for Haakon, he had already delayed too long in making his way through the Western Isles towards Largs.  Alexander now wasted another month of Haakon’s time in ‘negotiation’ while Haakon’s unruly men became bored, and discipline became slack. They took to raiding the Ayrshire coast for something to do to fill in their time.  Some historians even suggest that Alexander, rather sneakily, delayed Haakon’s progress by sending friars to pretend to negotiate a treaty but in reality meaning to prolong him further toward the season of autumn gales.  How they got aboard his ships without getting a battleaxe though their heads is not mentioned.  Nevertheless, these gales are said to have played havoc with Haakon’s fleet as it lay in the Firth of Clyde and the autumn storms are said to have wrecked many of his ships before they ever got on to the coast at Largs.  Haakon had dithered too long and on the fateful night of the 1^st  of October 1262 a great storm came in from the west and pushed his longboats toward the coast whether they liked it or not.  Haakon was forced to order a difficult landing.  With much of his invasion fleet already scattered some longboats got smashed on the shore and many of his men were drowned.

Significant effect upon Scottish history

Some historians would have us further believe that Haakon and his bedraggled Viking warriors, those who had survived this disaster, stumbled ashore at Largs, completely exhausted, to have to face King Alexander and his army including 1,500 armoured cavalry, charging toward them along the shoreline.  In the course of a rather confused engagement Haakon’s men were defeated on both the land and the sea to ave to withdraw in disorder.  The Scot’s army, then supposedly, politely withdrew to allow the weary Norwegian Vikings, short of food and supplies, never mind fighting spirit, to fall back, retreat and sail away, back by the way they had come.  What is known for sure is that Haakon, no matter whether defeated soundly in battle or not, or simply a poor wee king in distress, no longer had the heart and stomach for a future confrontation.  Completely disheartened by this turn of events he apparently sailed back to Norway with what remained of his fleet, stopping off on the way in Kirkwall, in the Orkneys, only to take ill, sccumb to fever and die there.

No matter what the truth is about the Battle of Largs. It had a long-term and very significant effect upon Scottish history.  Within three years by the Treaty of Perth, made with Magnus, Haakon’s successor the Western Isles and the Isle of Man passed back by sale to the Scots, whilst the Northern Isles, the Orkney and Shetland Islands remained in Norwegian hands as part of the Viking empire.  In 1283 King Eric of Norway, was married to King Alexander’s daughter, Margaret to put a seal on the peace treaty of twenty years before.  Then tragically within a short time the popular King Alexander died at Kinghorn in Fife when riding up a cliff path in fog to join his young wife.  He was found dead at the foot of a precipice. His wife, his daughter and his other children were all dead, one after another within a short time.  His surviving three-year-old grand-daughter, Margaret, the Maid of Norway, became heir to the Scottish throne as her infant queen.  In turn this child’s untimely death in Orkney led to a dynastic crisis which de-stabilised Scotland, destroyed the relative peace between England and Scotland and began Scotland’s exploitation by England’s Edward I and ultimately to the Wars of Independence.  The Battle of Largs was therefore a very significant turning point in Scotland’s history whether it followed the battle script of my father, spoken to me on those delightful evening walks to the Pencil Monument or that based upon the research of more qualified historians regarding that fatal day in 1253.    

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.

Main photo: The Pencil Monument, Largs. Photo: VisitScotland.

Orkney Islands Council has voted in favour of considering other forms of governance, such as looking at the possibility of becoming a British overseas territory (such as the Falkland Islands) or even looking to its historic link to Norway or Denmark and becoming part of those Nordic nations. Another option being considered is Crown Dependencies like that of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing dependencies of the Crown. Councillors feel both the UK and Scottish Government’s short change Orkney in funding support, claiming Orkney receives less funding per head from Government than other island authorities such as Shetland and the Western Isles.

Nordic connections

The motion read: “Due to historical and contemporary challenges in relation to equitable capital and revenue funding, and policy support across our island communities, Orkney Islands Council should now explore options for alternative models of governance that provide greater fiscal security and economic opportunity for the islands of Orkney. Those investigations to include Nordic connections, crown dependencies and other options for greater subsidiarity and autonomy to be presented to the community for consideration.”

The UK Government has rejected the notion and a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: “First and foremost there is no mechanism for the conferral of Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory status on any part of the UK. We have no plans to change the devolution settlement we are supporting Orkney with £50m to grow the economic prosperity of the Scottish islands, through the islands deal. But the government’s position is that the UK is stronger united.”

Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when it became part of Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmark’s wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland.

Main photo: The flag of Orkney which symbolises the islands’ Scottish and Norwegian heritage.

By: David C. Weinczok

Previously, I shared five of my favourite Scottish medieval castles and five of my favourite ancient sites. Now, it’s time to pick five from the somewhat awkward middle child, the Early Historic period. You may be more familiar with the term ‘Dark Ages’, though that’s now parlance of the past as more and more is being illuminated by archaeologists and historians.

The parameters of this period are somewhat subjective, with no firm start or end date to anchor it to. In broad strokes, I think of it as encompassing the Roman invasions of Scotland in the first century AD through to the height of the Viking Age in the tenth century. In that time, some things changed drastically when compared with earlier periods, while many of the fundamental rhythms of daily life remained very similar to those in the Iron Age. It may be one of the more ‘obscure’ and less well-understood periods of our history, but it gave Scotland its essential shape – both literally and figuratively – and there are plenty of remnants of it to explore.

Rough Castle, Falkirk

Don’t let the name deceive you – Rough ‘Castle’ is more than twice as old as any actual castle in Scotland. It is the name of the Roman fort constructed along the Antonine Wall to the west of what is now Falkirk. The Antonine Wall ran for 40 miles from Carriden in the east to Old Kilpatrick in the west, cutting Scotland horizontally in two along the Forth-Clyde line. Its defences were made of earth and timber upon a stone foundation, hence why it has not survived as well as sections of Hadrian’s Wall.

The lands between the two Roman walls was populated by Brittonic tribes who responded to the arrival of Rome with varying degrees of hostility and diplomacy. While the legions marched and built forts much further north than this – possibly as far as the Moray Firth – it is thrilling to stand on the steep-sloped embankments of Rough Castle knowing that this is where, as far as Rome was concerned, civilisation ended and the unfathomable wilds began. The scale of the wall’s ditch at Rough Castle is vivid thanks to the open ground around it. In one section, a staggered set of oval-shaped pits are still perfectly visible.

These lilia were fitted with wooden spikes to slow down any attack on the wall itself. Rough Castle also boasted stone buildings including a bath house, granary, and officer’s quarters. All that effort was for nought, however – the Antonine Wall was occupied for a mere 20 years, between 140 – 160 AD, before it was abandoned for a surer, more southerly frontier.

Midhowe Broch, Rousay

As with my choices for my favourite prehistoric sites, Orkney could have monopolised this list. Even choosing just one Orcadian broch is a challenge – the Broch of Gurness is the best-known and obvious pick, or maybe the Broch of Borwick spectacularly sited on the high cliffs of Yesnaby. Yet there’s just something about Midhowe Broch, along the Wesness shore in Rousay, that can’t be beat. Perhaps it’s the sheer gauntlet of history around it that adds to the appeal. Within a ten-minute walk of Midhowe is a Viking-age cemetery, a medieval church, the multi-period site of Swandro, and the gigantic, Neolithic chambered cairn which shares the name of Midhowe, as well as natural stone arches and breathtaking views across the Eynhallow Sound. Or maybe it’s the broch’s construction itself.

One of at least eleven brochs which once lined the shores of the Sound, Midhowe Broch is built between two geos, narrow clefts in the coastal rocks. Razor-like upright stones line its exterior, and a sea wall built with a distinctive technique called cassying makes the whole site appear incredibly powerful in the face of the lashing sea. A community thrived here for several centuries on either side of the BC/AD divide.  Though the exact nature of their lives will likely never be known, whenever I visit Midhowe I always take time to sit at the edge of the central hearth, stare through the tall, narrow passageway framing the sea, and feel a moment of unity with them.

The Scottish Crannog Centre, Loch Tay

Crannogs, or at least crannog sites, are instantly recognisable on countless lochs and brackish shores around Scotland. If you see a small, circular islet in a loch, usually with a few trees growing on it, and no other islands immediately around it, there’s a good chance it once hosted a crannog. The Scottish Crannog Centre is on the northeast shore of Loch Tay, which had one of the densest concentrations of crannogs known anywhere. The debate continues to rage about what crannogs were meant for. They emerge in the Early Bronze Age, and some were inhabited well into the Middle Ages. The timber stilts on which their foundations rested imply a measure of defence, yet crannogs were not otherwise fortified.

Theories range from population pressures on the land to crannogs functioning as community strengthening exercises, given that it took hundreds of huge timbers and tens of thousands of hours of labour to build one. The result is a little like the overwater bungalows you see in glossy travel ads set in Polynesia – not the first thing you expect to see on a Highland loch! The Scottish Crannog Centre has a museum dedicated to the material culture of crannogs, as well as a miniature crafts village where visitors can work a lathe, taste a 2,000 year-old recipe for garlic bread, and experience many other hands-on approaches to learning history.

Tragically, the replica crannog itself was destroyed in an accidental fire in June 2021. However, with renewed purpose the Crannog Centre has already begun constructing not one, but three replica crannogs on the opposite side of the loch. Once complete, Loch Tay will have a veritable Early Historic makeover.

Dunino Den, East Fife

Some places have a certain air about them – a pinch of mystery, a bit of playfulness, a hint of foreboding. Few places exude it quite as potently as Dunino Den, a few miles south of St Andrews. A ritual centre for well over 2,000 years, it can be dead still on a gusty day and brooding dark on a sunny one. And, just when you think you’ve settled in, you see the stone face watching you. Tucked in a gully alongside Dunino Parish Church, Dunino Den is now used as a clootie well where people tie strips of cloth to tree branches and leave personal mementos, often in memory to those who departed this world too soon, in its soils.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I even found a face mask strung to a small stump – truly, a symbolic merger of modernity and antiquity if ever there was one. Atop a pulpit-like stone projection which overlooks the gully is a deep, water-logged hole, the bottom of which I’ve never been able to reach even with a very long branch. A narrow stone stair carved into the pulpit descends into the Den itself, with numerous Early Christian crosses carved into the smooth stone wall beside you. More often than not, Christianity did not so much erase the old pagan gods as they co-opted them – a healing well previously dedicated to a pagan deity would just be swapped for a similar saint, for instance.

The most striking carving in the den is a small but incredibly stern and ominous face, its heavy-set eyes and long beard guarding the Den like an elemental sentinel. Fans of Game of Thrones will instantly relate it to the faces carved in the sacred Weirwood trees in northern strongholds like Winterfell. And yet, this is no ancient visage but a strikingly modern one. Locals insist that the carving only appeared in the last thirty or forty years, which goes to show that not all at Dunino Den is what it first seems.

Dumbarton Rock, West Dunbartonshire

Along the otherwise placid banks of the River Clyde, the twin crags of Dumbarton Rock stick out of the landscape like a double-exclamation. Quite possibly the oldest continually fortified site anywhere in Britain, this was once the capital of the Strathclyde Britons, the children of the Rock. A history of Dumbarton Rock reads like an abridged history of Scotland. Its inhabitants watched with trepidation as the Romans built the westernmost outpost of the Antonine Wall just a few miles upstream. In the last few decades of the fourth century, they would have participated in overrunning that grand symbol of empire in what Roman historians called the ‘Barbarian Conspiracy’.

In 870 a vast Viking fleet led by Ivar the Boneless besieged Dumbarton Rock – then called Dùn Breatann – for months until its water supplies ran dry. The Britons were enslaved and sold in Dublin markets, though some fled and made their way to their kindred in Wales. Another indignity seized Dumbarton when its governor, Sir John de Menteith, captured William Wallace and held him within the castle before sending him to London to be tried and executed. It was also from Dumbarton that a six year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, set sail for France to marry the dauphin. Much nearer our own time, gun emplacements were set atop the rock to shoot down Nazi bombers aiming for the industrial and shipbuilding heartland of the Clyde.

All of this makes a deep well of imagination and contemplation to draw from while resting at its top. My favourite place to sit is on the smoothened stones on The Beak, the taller of the two crags. I imagine Ivar the Boneless triumphantly placing one foot upon the highest stone; Wallace shouting traitor! to his captor; a young Mary determined not to cry as her feet left Scottish soil. And here you can be, in the footsteps of them all.  How lucky we are to have such places to instil wonder in the past, and inspire us into the future.

Main photo: The Scottish Crannog Centre.

The fabled Wallace Sword, one of Scotland’s greatest treasures, is back where it belongs in Stirling. The 13^th century blade, believed to have been used by William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, was returned to the National Wallace Monument. It was removed from the popular tourist attraction in March after an alleged attack on the display case in which the two-handed blade, which is 1.68m long and weighs around 3kg, was housed. Thankfully, the sword was not damaged, but specialist designers from manufacturers Click Netherfield in Livingston had to construct a new showcase at a cost of £10,000.

Iconic showpiece

The new showcase includes anti-reflective, almost-invisible glass which provides an unrestricted view of the legendary sword and its intricate surface to visitors. Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Chris Kane, said: “The Wallace Sword is the iconic showpiece of the National Wallace Monument, celebrated by visitors from every corner of the globe. The Monument attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year and we were extremely disappointed the sword had to be moved to safe storage as a result of actions outwith our control. For many visitors, viewing the sword in such revered and spectacular surroundings is the highlight of their visit. Stirling is a major tourist destination, recognised internationally for its heritage, historic and vibrant city and fabulous scenery. We’re delighted, as we head into the main tourist season, to once again display the sword in all its glory in its natural home.”

Wallace’s victory

The National Wallace Monument was completed in 1869, and it was opened to visitors for the first time on 11th September, the anniversary of Wallace’s victory at The Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. At the time of its completion, the total amount which had been spent on the construction of the Monument was £13,401.  The Sword was moved to the Monument in 1888, 19 years after the Monument first opened in 1869. Charles Rodgers, a principle fundraiser for the Monument, had been trying to move the Sword to the Monument since its completion, but his request was refused by the Colonel of the Royal Artillery at Dumbarton Castle in 1875 and it wasn’t until 1888 that the War Office agreed to transfer the Sword, a decision met by protests in the town of Dumbarton.

Newly released 3D digital models of the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State will allow users to explore and examine the intricate detail of the Honours like never before. As well as offering a unique perspective on the Honours, the models will also be used to aid future conservation work. The Honours were digitally captured through a process of photogrammetry, where hundreds of overlapping high-resolution photographs are taken around the objects and then analysed by software to work out their relative position. These aligned photographs are then used to create accurate photorealistic models of the objects.

On 5 July, the Honours were formally presented to King Charles III at the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication which took place at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. The blade of the Sword of State is in a very fragile condition, having been broken and repaired in the past, likely around the time the Honours were hidden from Cromwell. In order to protect this historic object, it has been retired from use some years ago with consent of the monarch. The Lord Lyon has commissioned a new sword, The Elizabeth Sword, to be made for ceremonial purposes and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) have agreed to care for this new commission.

Immense significance

The Honours of Scotland are objects of immense significance and have been present at many of the major royal ceremonial events over the past five centuries. Their centrepiece is the Crown of Scotland, crafted of gold and silver and laden with 94 pearls and 43 gemstones including diamonds, garnets and amethysts. James V had the Crown made in 1540, likely in part from the earlier Scottish Crown which had been damaged, and first wore it at the coronation of Mary of Guise that same year.

The Sceptre is thought to have been a gift to James IV from Pope Alexander VI in 1494. This ceremonial staff is an example of High Renaissance Italian craftsmanship, with the finial formed from a globe of polished rock crystal and held up by stylised dolphins and three figures depicting St Andrew, St James and the Virgin Mary. On top of the crystal globe sits a gold orb, capped with a single large pearl.

The Sword of State was gifted to James IV by Pope Julius II in 1507 and represents an exceptionally high quality of decoration. The arms of Pope Julius were used as the theme for the Sword handle design, with oak trees and acorns symbolising the risen Christ and dolphins signifying Christ’s Church. The blade of the Sword is in a very fragile condition and was retired from use some years ago with consent of the monarch.

Kathy Richmond, Head of Collections and Applied Conservation at HES, said: “Using digital technology in this way can help enhance how we enjoy, understand and protect the precious objects of our past.”

Turbulent history

The Honours of Scotland have had a turbulent history. Edward I had removed the former Honours of Scotland along with the Stone of Destiny in 1296, with only the Stone surviving. The Honours seen today were pursued by Cromwellian forces, who destroyed the English Crown Jewels.   In 1650 they were removed for safekeeping ahead of Oliver Cromwell’s siege of Edinburgh Castle. Unable to be returned to Edinburgh Castle following the Scottish coronation of King Charles II in 1651, the Honours were taken to Dunnottar Castle before being smuggled out during a siege and hidden at Kinneff Kirk. Only with the restoration of King Charles II to the throne could they return to Edinburgh Castle and be used for ceremonial openings of Parliament until 1707.  

With the Parliamentary Union of 1707, the Honours were locked away in the Crown Room at the Castle, as they were no longer needed for ceremonial events. They remained there until 1818 when Walter Scott and others, with a royal warrant from the Prince Regent (who would become George IV), broke into the Crown Room, opened the Crown Chest and there rediscovered the Honours.  

The digital models of the Honours of Scotland are available to view on Sketchfab: https://sketchfab.com/HistoricEnvironmentScotland/collections/honours-of-scotland

Did you know?

The Elizabeth Sword

-Is a new sword of state was used in Coronation service.

-Named after the late Queen Elizabeth II, the ceremonial sword was presented to the King along with the Crown and Sceptre which are part of the Honours of Scotland – Scotland’s Crown Jewels – during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles Cathedral on Wednesday 5 July.

-Following the service, the sword and Honours were returned to the care of Historic Environment Scotland.

-Designed by former Ormond Pursuivant of Arms Mark Dennis and worked on by a number of expert Scottish craftspeople, the sword features a pommel of Lewisian gneiss, and a scabbard wrought from Perthshire oak.

-The sword will be used on ceremonial occasions in place of the current sword, gifted to James IV by Pope Julius in 1507, which can no longer be used due to its fragile condition.

The Honours of Scotland

-The Honours of Scotland, comprising the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre, and the Sword of State, are the oldest Crown jewels in Britain.

-The Honours of Scotland are owned by the Crown, i.e. King Charles III, and are on loan from the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia, who are appointed by Royal Warrant. HES acts on their behalf to care for the Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. 

-The Honours were formally presented to Queen Elizabeth at the last National Service of Thanksgiving which took place in 1953 at the High Kirk of St Giles’ in Edinburgh, before being returned to their custodians. The National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication on 5 July 2023 will repeat this tradition.

-The Honours of Scotland will be escorted from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles’ Cathedral by The King’s Body Guard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers and a Guard of Honour formed by contingents of the Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. The Stone of Destiny will be placed in St Giles’ in advance of the Service in a non-public move.

Following the service, the Honours returned to display alongside the Stone of Destiny in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle.

Main photo: The Honours of Scotland – the oldest Crown jewels in Britain and among the oldest in Europe – have been digitised by HES.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland, where the people’s story of Scotland begins, has a new royal story to tell after Their Majesties The King and Queen visited the centre in the Scottish Borders. During the royal engagement, The Queen added the final stitch to a new panel commemorating the historic occasion. Their Majesties’ visit to view one of the world’s largest community arts projects in the town of Galashiels, coincided with the 10^th anniversary of the Great Tapestry of Scotland’s unveiling. The new panel is the first royal story to be added to the Tapestry since that time.

The King and Queen were welcomed by Mike Gray as Chair of the Tapestry Advisory Board and Centre Director Sandy Maxwell-Forbes, who introduced them to some of the thousand stitchers and wider team responsible for the creation of the Tapestry, including author Alexander McCall Smith who conceived the idea, artist Andrew Crummy (who was presented with an MBE), stitcher coordinator Dorie Wilkie, fundraiser and tour manager Jan Rutherford and historian and author Alistair Moffat, alongside representatives for architects Page/Park who designed the centre’s award-winning building.

One of the world’s longest tapestries

Speaking after the visit, Sandy said: “It was the greatest honour to introduce The King and Queen to individuals who were instrumental in creating this compelling account of Scotland’s history, heritage and culture and one of the nation’s top-rated visitor experiences right here in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. This marks a significant moment in the Tapestry’s extraordinary success story. Their Majesties appeared to be moved by the Tapestry’s compelling artwork. Indeed, The Queen described it as ‘Absolutely Wonderful’, she said she wished she had more time to take it all in. In keeping with the Tapestry’s original ethos of allowing people to tell their own story in their own way, we were also thrilled that The King and Queen signed our commemorative certificate and Her Majesty added a stitch to our new panel. We specially designed the panel to reflect the significance of this royal visit and The Queen’s own appreciation of embroidery, which was so evident in her stunning Couture Coronation gown, hand embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. In keeping with the design of the dress and indeed The Great Tapestry of Scotland, there are some beautiful intricate hidden details stitched into the new panel which reflected The King and Queen’s greatest interests in life including nature, wildflowers, The King’s own book, The Old Man Lochnagar and The Queen’s Jack Russells Bess and Bluebell.”

Now in its permanent home in the once thriving textile region of the Scottish Borders, The Great Tapestry of Scotland’s 160 panels tell a visually compelling account of the people’s story of Scotland from millions of years BC to present day. This includes key moments in royal history such as the stories of King Macbeth, St Margaret of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI of Scotland and I of England, Queen Victoria and her particular love of Scotland, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation.  The purpose-built Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre, with two galleries, café, workshop space and shop, opened in August 2021. One of the world’s longest tapestries, hand stitched by a team of 1,000 stitchers led by Dorie Wilkie, The Great Tapestry of Scotland tells the visual story of Scotland’s history, heritage and culture from its formation to present day.

For more information on The Great Tapestry of Scotland visit: www.greattapestryofscotland.com

All images courtesy of Phil Wilkinson.

This month, set against the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will welcome local and international audiences to their new show, Stories. Staged between 4-26 August, the show will be a celebration of sagas, myths, and legends, transporting audiences on a journey of ideas – from the earliest campfire stories through to the world stage. Building on last year’s successful return show, Voices, the 2023 performance will showcase performers from around the globe, telling tales that connect us through our unique and shared military and cultural heritages.

Bringing together stories through music, dance, poetry, spoken word and imagery, a cast of over 800 UK and international performers will present Stories through a vivid and eclectic range of expression. From the musical prowess of the Massed Pipes & Drums, the physical storytelling of dance and precision drill, and stunning imagery captured through light and projection, audiences will be transported and enthralled.

Tattoo performers

This year The Tattoo Arena will host performers from Norway, The United States, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Switzerland, alongside homegrown acts from across the UK and Ireland. As ever, the military will play a prominent role in the show, with the Royal Air Force the lead Service.  Audiences will also be treated to the wild skirl of the Massed Pipes and Drums supported by the Tattoo Dancers and Fiddlers.

Making their Tattoo debut on the Castle Esplanade, The United States Air Force Band will wow the crowds with a freestyle musical performance depicting America’s great songbook, while the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra will bring a vibrant burst of colour and the excitement of their traditional art forms, including the limbo and fire dance. Precision drill from the King’s Colour Squadron will feature familiar soundscapes from the world of gaming. Exploring the legends and traditions of Switzerland, The Swiss Armed Forces Central Band will also present an exhilarating drum corps talent, which is sure to send sparks flying.

His Majesty the King’s Guard Band and Drill Team of Norway will also be back to stun crowds. Their appearance this August will tell their story as a Regiment, reprising their history and heritage to present day. After their exuberant debut last year, Electro Pipes will return to the stage, where once again Tattoo performers will combine the traditional and new through EDM, electric instruments, lighting, and projection.

The full line-up for 2023 includes:  The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland, The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment, The Royal Air Force Salon Orchestra, Royal Air Force Bands, 1st Battalion The Irish Guards Drums and Pipes, The Pipes and Drums of The Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Pipes and Drums of 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Combined Scottish Universities Officers’ Training Corps Pipes and Drums, Royal Air Force Pipes and Drums, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes and Drums, The Scots College Sydney Pipes and Drums, The Scots College Sydney Old Boys Pipes and Drums, The Scots School Albury Pipe Band, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Dancers, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Fiddlers, King’s Colour Squadron Royal Air Force, The Swiss Armed Forces Central Band, His Majesty the King’s Guard Band and Drill Team of Norway, The United States Air Force Band and Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra.

Embraces military tradition

2023 marks the second year of the Tattoo’s bold new brand proposition, Performance in a New Light, which embraces military tradition and combines it with exciting new innovations and contemporary touches.  Buster Howes, the Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “The Tattoo is distinctive, iconic, and gleeful. It has mass, momentum and energy, and Stories will have all these qualities as well as being whimsical, exhilarating, and surprising. Our lives, loves, triumphs, and disasters are captivated and documented in stories. We grow up with fairy tales and folklore, with Winnie the Pooh and The Gruffalo, and progress to Wuthering Heights and Moby Dick. We are, as children, inspired by accounts of resilience, adventure and heroism; universal themes reinterpreted the world over. Edinburgh Castle is surely a perfect backdrop for all such narratives – come and see for yourselves.”

Have you attended the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, share your story with us! This year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place from 4^th to 26^th August, to find out more information and buy tickets see: www.edintattoo.co.uk

All images courtesy of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

The world-renowned Piping Live! festival makes its highly anticipated return to Glasgow for its 20th edition this week, celebrating two decades at the heart of Scotland’s cultural calendar.

Running from Saturday 12 – Sunday 20 August, the milestone event promises to fill the streets of Glasgow with the sounds of piping for eight days, embracing tradition, innovation and cultural exchange while showcasing a diverse lineup of concerts, recitals, workshops, showcases and competitions.

Organisers at the National Piping Centre are all set for what will be a busy festival, with a number of events already sold out and anticipated attendances of around 30,000. 

With free events making up around half of the Piping Live! programme, there are a huge number of opportunities for people to see some of the world’s best pipe music on Glasgow’s streets and in venues across the city. Tickets are still available to buy for a number of events, as the festival gears up to welcome pipers and piping fans from across the globe.

The magic of Scotland’s national instrument

Finlay MacDonald, Artistic Director for Piping Live!, said: “The team at the National Piping Centre has been working incredibly hard to ensure the 20th edition of Piping Live! is a resounding success. Despite the financial challenges within the sector, I am extremely proud of how we have come together to programme what is promising to be an incredible eight-day event packed with music, fun, culture and community.

“We would all like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has bought tickets and shown their support so far, and offer a warm welcome to piping enthusiasts and music lovers from across the globe who are making their way to the city this week. It’s not too late to get involved and embrace the magic of Scotland’s national instrument this summer.”

Piping Live! aims to create an inclusive and immersive experience for all attendees. From free events such as Gig in the Gallery, a series of daily recitals featuring international styles of bagpipes at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, to enchanting avant guard shows such as Ceol Nua, which will see Fraser Fifield, Graeme Stephen, and Estonian piper Caatlin Magi present new music that pushes the boundaries of traditional sounds, the festival offers something for everyone, promoting a sense of community and camaraderie that resonates with the spirit of Glasgow.

Also on this year’s bill is Canntaireachd, an exciting new collaboration between multi-award winning singers and pipers Kim Carnie (vocals), Kathleen MacInnes (vocals), Brìghde Chaimbeul (small pipes and bagpipes) and Ailis Sutherland (small pipes and bagpipes). The group are joining forces with the formidable collective Staran to celebrate and explore the relationship between piping and Gaelic song, breathing new life into centuries old songs, tunes and stories with new material woven throughout.

Exceptional musical performances

The festival’s flagship event, the Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge, will take place at the Strathclyde Suite of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Five exceptional solo pipers, including Angus MacColl, Stuart Liddell, Sarah Muir, Callum Beaumont, and reigning 2022 champion Matt MacIsaac, will take the stage, and perform 25-minute medleys of their favourite tunes. This renowned competition is an annual sell-out success, and promises an unforgettable evening of exceptional musical performances.

The final day of Piping Live! will pay homage to the legendary Gordon Duncan through the internationally acclaimed Gordon Duncan Memorial Competition. Celebrating Gordon’s ties to Scotland, Ireland, and Brittany, this iconic event will feature one piper from each region performing sets of Scottish, Irish, and Breton music. The ultimate winner will be the piper who excels in all three musical styles, highlighting the diversity and richness of the Celtic piping heritage.

The festival’s sold out Closing Concert will round off the 20th edition with performances by some festival favourites, including the hugely talented multi-instrumentalists Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton, who have been involved with Piping Live! since its earliest days. The duo will perform a double header show with Uilleann piper Jarlath Henderson, who performed at the first Piping Live! festival, and guitarist Innes Watson. People can still catch the sell out show online via the Online Festival Pass, which includes around 30 hours of quality musical programming across the week.

Piping LIve!’s Street Café will be open to everyone from 10.15am on the festival’s Monday to Friday, with this year’s gatherings promising an exciting array of entertainment, from book signings with celebrated artist Malin Makes Music on Monday, to performances from emerging talent Tarran on Wednesday and multi-instrumentalists Kenneth I MacKenzie and Will Marshall on Friday.

The Learn@Live! workshop series will also return this year with three days dedicated to different piping traditions. Held at The National Piping Centre, and running from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 August, these sessions will provide attendees with valuable insights into various piping techniques and styles, enriching their overall understanding of various ancient art forms.

Tickets and more information on where and when each performance is happening are available at www.pipinglive.co.uk.

Piping Live! is a charity, donations to support its world-class programming into the future can be made at https://pipinglive.co.uk/pages/support-us.

Edinburgh has honoured the life of its second most famous canine with a special event.  Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal terrier known for guarding his master’s grave for 14 years after his death, is an iconic story in the Scottish capital and the Disney adaptation of his story in 1961 made a star of the acting pooch who portrayed the local hero – also called Bobby. The remains of the Skye Terrier who starred in the film have been donated to The City of Edinburgh Council and now form part of its archaeology collections. They have been loaned to Greyfriars Kirk for a special exhibition commemorating the legacy near the real-life grave of Scotland’s most loyal companion. At a ceremony in Greyfriars Kirkyard, Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron was joined by David Hunter who led the campaign to commemorate the occasion as well as members of the church and friends of the graveyard.

Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron, said: “Greyfriars Bobby’s memorial reads ‘Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all’. Countless visitors continue to see Bobby’s grave, his statue, and the many mementos of his life displayed in our Museum of Edinburgh. I’m delighted this further part of the iconic and timeless story of a little dog who would not leave his master’s grave, is going to be on display for visitors to discover. Bobby’s is a story held in enormous respect and affection by people around the world, as is the famous film it inspired. Bobby truly is a world-famous pet, holding a special place in people’s hearts and it’s lovely to be part of this special commemoration.”

Rev Richard Frazer, minister of Greyfriars Kirk, said: “The story of Greyfriars Bobby goes on touching people’s hearts. We are glad to remember this ‘Bobby’ who starred in Walt Disney’s film. The search for his remains is a story in itself, but David’s tenacity and persistence has paid off and now we have an additional item in our museum for people to visit, with a casket made in our Grassmarket Community Project workshop holding the ashes of the wee dog.”

Greyfriars Kirk

The film pooch, a Skye Terrier and also called Bobby, was gifted to former Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police, William Merrilees, by Mr Walt Disney after the film was released. Following the film’s release, Mr Walt Disney gave Bobby to his friend Chief Constable William Merrilees OBE. Mr Merrilees felt that it would be better if Bobby lived with a family, so he gave him to one of his senior officers – Chief Inspector John Turner. Bobby lived happily for the rest of his days with the Turner family in Morningside, Edinburgh. David Hunter, a relative of the Turner family, led a community campaign to find out what happened to Bobby and have his ashes interred at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.

Over the years the site of his grave had been lost. However, after hearing the site was to be developed for housing, with the permission of the developer, Mr Hunter and a team of volunteers undertook an 18-month search for his remains. As in all good stories his remains were finally found in the final days, in January 2023. A specially commissioned casket has been crafted from the wood of an old cherry tree that once stood in the Kirkyard. Designed and made by craftsmen from The Grassmarket Community Project. The casket and ashes were donated to The City of Edinburgh Council in 2023 and now form part of its archaeology collections and have been loaned to Greyfriars Kirk for display.

John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Council Archaeologist, said: “It’s not often as an archaeologist that you work on such a unique project to preserve the remains of 1960’s film star. It has been fantastic to work with David, the Kirk and Grassmarket Community and my colleagues in Bereavement Services on this project and to see the enthusiasm and care that everyone has shown in finding a fitting home for his remains.”

The casket will be on display inside the Church together with information about the film and Bobby’s charity work in the city and his life after the film.

American friends of Scotland’s largest conservation charity have enabled the acquisition of the Treshnish Isles, an archipelago of eight uninhabited islands located in the Inner Hebrides, securing the future of this distinctive seascape. The Treshnish Isles are internationally significant as a nesting site for many seabird species, including puffins, guillemots, and kittiwakes. Twenty percent of the entire British population of storm petrels nest on the islands. The waters surrounding the isles are home to Atlantic seals, basking sharks, and minke whales.

Now uninhabited, the Treshnish Isles have a long human history that dates from the Iron Age. They were in the possession of King Haakon of Norway until 1249. The islands feature the ruins of two medieval castles and have strong historical links with the Scottish clans MacDougal, MacDonald, and Maclean.  The National Trust for Scotland assumed care of the Treshnish Isles in July. The Trust is responsible for the protection of some of Scotland’s most special places, including the Hebridean islands of Staffa, Iona, and Canna, as well as Fair Isle and the dual world heritage site of St Kilda. In America, The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTSUSA) raises visibility and financial support for the Trust’s conservation priorities. There has been a strong tradition of American support for conservation in the Hebrides. The islands of Staffa, Pabbay, Berneray, and Mingulay were all gifted to the Trust through bequests from the US, and NTSUSA recently has made significant contributions to preservation initiatives on Canna and Iona.

Protect Scotland’s heritage and natural beauty

Kirstin Bridier, executive director of NTSUSA, noted, “We are delighted to fund the acquisition of the Treshnish Isles. With more than 20 million Americans claiming Scottish ancestry, NTSUSA is committed to garnering international support to protect Scotland’s heritage and natural beauty now and for future generations.” The acquisition of the Treshnish Isles comes as the National Trust for Scotland is investing significantly in the region. With more than 50,000 visitors per year expected on the Treshnish Isles, the Trust will work with local boat operators to ensure that rats and mice cannot reach the island and feed upon vulnerable seabird chicks.

The Trust also will have a ranger on-site to help monitor and educate visitors about the islands’ wildlife. An archaeological survey will ensure all data from historical ruins is captured and will inform development of a preservation plan. The acquisition caps a year in which NTSUSA granted more than $530,000 in funding for projects at nearly twenty National Trust for Scotland properties. This included $208,000 to support the digitization of 18^th century manuscripts in poet Robert Burns’s hand held in the collection of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire. The result will be a website accessible to Burns scholars and fans across the globe.

The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTSUSA) is an independent non-profit organization that exists to support the work of the National Trust for Scotland’s most urgent conservation priorities. Donations to NTSUSA, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. To learn more about NTSUSA or to become a member, please visit: www.ntsusa.org

Main photo: View from Lunga toward Bac Mòr (or Dutchman’s Cap).

The Southern Downs will play host to not one, but three national championships during CelticFest Warwick 2023, on the September long weekend (Sep 30-Oct 1). The Australian Highland Games Championships will be held at the main ticketed event at the Warwick Showgrounds. Meanwhile, as part of the CelticFest Fringe (separately organised and ticketed events, where applicable), SCOTS PGC College will host the inaugural Australian Juvenile Pipe Band Championships on Saturday 30 September, alongside the Australian Solo Piping and Drumming Championships on Friday 29 September.

Feats of strength

A field of 20 professional strongmen will battle it out for the Australian Highland Games Championships open men’s title at the Warwick Showgrounds on the afternoon of Saturday 29 September and all-day Sunday 1 October. The strongman crowned Australia’s national highland games champion will represent Australia at the World Amateur Highland Games Championships in Norway in March 2024. Previously the Australian Highland Games Championships had been held at The Gathering in Ipswich, but with that event taking a break for 2023, the search was on for another venue.

Championship organizer, Highland Muscle’s Rob Mitchell, said that the decision to hold the event during CelticFest was due to the timing of the event, and the ability for CelticFest to hold a ‘decent crowd’. The latter is based on the outstanding reception for the highland games heavy events during CelticFest 2022 when the Portley Grandstand and surrounding area were packed with onlookers, reveling in the feats of strength from strongmen and women in events such as putting the stone, hammer throw, weight for height, and everyone’s favourite, the caber toss.

By CelticFest, athletes will have competed in four qualifying events: The Hayland Gathering, Melbourne Highland Games and Celtic Festival, NSW Central Coast Highland Challenge, and the Australian Celtic Festival in Glen Innes. Each competitor placing top 3 in their division in these events automatically qualifies for the Australian Highland Games Championships.

There will be four divisions: Open Men’s, Open Women’s, Masters’ Men’s, and Men’s under 90kg. Mitchell said all current champions will compete in Warwick – Terry Sparks (Open Men’s), Fran Fitzpatrick (Open Women’s), Stephen Henry (Master’s Men’s), and Morgan Westmoreland (Men’s Under 90kg) – with around 25 athletes in total.

Other athletes to watch out for are Sian Cooper, Kalina Vikilani, and last year’s Open Men’s winner at CelticFest, Macauley Tinker. Mitchell himself is aiming for the Men’s Master’s crown after coming back from injury late last year.

Australian Juvenile Pipe Band Championships

The SCOTS PGC-hosted inaugural Australian Juvenile Pipe Band Championships will see some 15 school-based bands travel from around Australia to participate, including from as far afield as Perth. Confirmed participants include Presbyterian Ladies College Perth, Scotch College Melbourne and The Scots School Albury Pipe Band, which will join SCOTS PGC Pipes and Drums and Brisbane Boys College, among others.

SCOTS PGC is also planning recitals and workshops over the weekend with another expected highlight being the participation of Alisdair McLaren. McLaren is the current Pipe Major of the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the West Australia Police Pipe Band; he has also performed as the REMT’S Lone Piper, as well as for King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth. In addition, SCOTS PGC College will host the Australian Solo Piping and Drumming Championships on Friday 29 September, showcasing some of the country’s best pipers and drummers.

Excitingly, senior and junior pipe band players will join the Warwick Thistle Pipe Band as it celebrates its centenary year in a stirring spectacle of a street parade on the morning of Saturday 30 September. Coincidentally, SCOTS PGC will also celebrate 75 years of their kilted pipe band and is welcoming past students to march in this special event. The street parade is expected to attract around 300 performers. Meanwhile, tickets are now available for CelticFest, to be held at the Warwick Showgrounds on the evening of Saturday 30 September and all-day Sunday 1 October.

For more information about CelticFest and to purchase CelticFest tickets, go to www.celticfestqld.com.au or search for CelticFest Warwick on Eventbrite. Further details about CelticFest Fringe will also be available on the CelticFest website, Facebook page and Instagram account.

Photos Jessica Mead Photography.

Piping Live! will once again have a great programme of online events as part of festival for 2023. With around 30 hours of content, you can watch the best solo piping, traditional music, Gaelic song and so much more, all from the comfort of your own home.

The event has a new online viewing software for 2023, through The National Piping Centre channel. Here you can subscribe and watch all the events taking place online.
This year, the events will be a mix of livestream and premiered events which will be recorded as live and broadcast after the event.

The events this year are:
Livestream
 The Masters Solo Piping Competition on Monday 14th August – both events
 The Pipe Idol Grand Final on Thursday 17th August
 The Gordon Duncan Memorial Competition on Sunday 20th August

Premiering Concerts
 Lunchtime Recital Tuesday – The Pipes of John MacColl – premiering at 6pm on Wednesday 16th August
 Canntaireachd with Kim Carnie, Ailis Sutherland, Kathleen MacInnes and Brighde Chaimbeul – premiering at 7.30pm on Wednesday 16th August
 Lunchtime Recital Wednesday – The Pipes of Hugh McCallum – premiering at 6.00pm on Thursday 17th August
 The LBPS presents inB – premiering at 7.30pm on Thursday 17th August
 Lunchtime Recital Thursday – The Pipes of Gordon Duncan – premiering at 6.00pm on Friday 18th August
 Friday Night Folk featuring Project SMOK and The Eryn Rae Band – premiering at 7.30pm on Tuesday 22nd August
 The Closing Concert with The Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton Band and Jarlath Henderson and Innes Watson – premiering on Monday 21st August at 7.30pm

You can buy a Piping Live! Online Festival Pass for £55, which lets you watch all live and premiering events across the week, or each concert is individually available to purchase. You can rewatch all these events until 12noon on Monday 28th August. All times stated are in BST UK time.

Register now at our website: https://thenationalpipingcentre.vhx.tv

Work has finished to complete this year’s design on the world’s oldest Floral Clock in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens. For 2023, the hugely popular landmark will celebrate 100 years of Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous steam locomotive. A team of three gardeners took just four weeks to plant over 50,000 flowers and plants used to create the clock, which will be in bloom until October. There are 20 different plants included in this year’s design such as antennaria, crassula, echevaria, sedum, saxifrage and annuals such as pyrethrum, begonias and geraniums.

The dedication of the clock coincided with a visit to the Capital from the iconic locomotive. The Lord Provost Robert Aldridge was joined by floral clock gardeners Gillian and David to welcome Flying Scotsman at Edinburgh Waverley.  Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “I am delighted to once again see the city’s beautiful floral clock completed, and blooming in time for the special visit from Flying Scotsman. Each year the iconic clock marks special occasions and events in the heart of the Capital and this year it is a unique tribute coinciding with celebrations taking place around the country to celebrate 100 years of Flying Scotsman.  My thanks and congratulations to the dedicated and creative parks team who have put together the design that I’m sure will be enjoyed by everyone who passes by it this summer.”

The oldest of its kind in the world

Edinburgh born Andrew McLean, National Railway Museum Assistant Director and Head Curator, said: “I first saw the clock when I was a boy and my grandfather was involved in helping maintain it as part of his job as the Clerk of Works for the City of Edinburgh Council from the late 1940s until the early 1980s. It is an important part of Edinburgh’s history and was always a source of great pride so bringing the clock and Flying Scotsman together is a great joy for me.”

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.

Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous steam locomotive, turned 100 in February 2023. Synonymous with the golden age of rail travel, the locomotive is renowned as a feat of design and engineering. It is a star attraction in the collection of the National Railway Museum (part of the Science Museum Group) in York, where it is a working museum exhibit

Did you know?

Floral Clock

-The clock was created in 1903 and is the oldest floral clock in the world.

-It is housed in the plinth of the Allan Ramsay Monument at the north-east corner of West Princes Street Gardens.

-Planting begins in May each year.

-Up to 50,000 plants are used in the design each year (compared to 13,000 in the 1930s; 25,000 in the 1950s).

-In 1946 the clock began celebrating a different event or anniversary each year.

-In 1952 a cuckoo clock was added and still chimes every 15 minutes.

– In 1973 was when the clock began being operated electrically.

-In 2003 the clock won a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

-Clock circumference: 36 ft. Clock width: 11 ft 10 ins. Weight of large hand (when filled with plants): 80lbs. Weight of small hand (when filled with plants): 50lbs.

Floral clocks are now distributed worldwide and many were made in Edinburgh, where the idea originated. They can be found in India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, United States of America, Canada and many other European countries.

Flying Scotsman

-Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster in February 1923, as an A1 class locomotive for the newly formed LNER and converted to an A3 class in 1947 costing £7,944.

-It was the first locomotive of the newly formed LNER (London and North Eastern Railway). Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and numbered 1472, the locomotive was not named Flying Scotsman until the following year when it was picked to attend the British Empire Exhibition in London and renumbered 4472.

-The locomotive went on to operate in service until 1963 and later in preservation, which included tours of the USA, Canada and Australia, where it captured the hearts of millions.

-The Flying Scotsman is officially the first steam locomotive to reach 100mph, and the first to circumnavigate the globe.

-It holds the world record for a non-stop run in a steam locomotive, set in 1989 with a 422-mile trip.

-Today the locomotive is owned by the National Railway Museum in York and is operated and maintained by Riley & Son (E) Ltd, based in Heywood, Greater Manchester.

Main photo: The 2023 Floral Clock. Photo: Steve Morgan/Science Museum Group.

Wemyss Bay Station was presented with the Best Loved Station award by broadcaster and historian Tim Dunn. The station, which serves the village of Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde, emerged victorious in the highly anticipated World Cup of Stations 2023 as champion, surpassing 47 other stations to claim the title.   Pictured with Tim Dunn, broadcaster and presenter, Tracy Stevenson, Community Relations for Scotrail, Ronnie Cowan, Scottish National Party MP for Inverclyde and Stuart McMillan Scottish National Party, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Friends of Wemyss bay station.

The World Cup of Stations

The World Cup of Stations, supported by the Rail Delivery Group and Community Rail Network, captivated station staff, volunteers, train operators, and customers across England, Scotland, and Wales through a week-long competition with over 70,000 votes cast across 11 regions and nations of Great Britain.  The ScotRail managed station won the award through its remarkable achievements Including: its outstanding volunteer work, the development of a vibrant and colourful community garden and the establishment of the station bookshop which resonated with voters, earning them widespread admiration and support. 

The epitome of railway excellence

As part of Community Rail Week, the competition highlighted the remarkable diversity of stations and the imaginative ways in which they are utilised, often with the invaluable assistance of Community Rail volunteers who tirelessly work towards improving local stations for residents, the environment, and the local economy.  The plaque symbolises the station’s exceptional standing and recognition as the epitome of railway excellence in Great Britain. The station’s triumph highlights its historic significance, awe-inspiring architecture, and dedication to community engagement. The Friends of Wemyss Bay, in collaboration others have transformed the station into a vibrant community rail destination, capturing the hearts of locals and visitors alike.   In receiving this award, Wemyss Bay Station joins the ranks of the country’s most beloved and cherished stations, cementing its status as a beacon of excellence in the railway industry. 

The South of Scotland Destination Alliance has created bespoke themed routes following in the footsteps of Robert Burns and inspired by the Great Tapestry of Scotland Two new driving trails have been formally launched by the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) and partners, designed to immerse visitors in the story-filled landscape of the south of Scotland as they follow in the footsteps of Robert Burns and experience the parts of the region immortalised in the magnificent Great Tapestry of Scotland. Created using new digital functionality funded through VisitScotland’s Destination and Sector Marketing Fund, the Great Tapestry Trail and the Burns Trail on the SSDA’s Scotland Starts Here website have been painstakingly curated to guide visitors around key landmarks in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, highlighting great places to stay, eat and discover along both themed journeys.

Story heritage

“The south of Scotland is absolutely jam-packed with fascinating stories and heritage just waiting to be discovered. In developing these two new driving trails, we’ve worked hard with our partners to showcase the stand-out highlights of our region’s connections with both Burns and the Great Tapestry, while weaving in lots of useful recommendations for fantastic places to stay, eat, drink and visit along the way, said Sarah Macdonald,  SSDA Project Lead – Stories Experience Collection, who co-designed both trails for Scotland Starts Here. “It’s especially exciting to be unveiling these new trails in 2023, which promises to be such a momentous year for the whole of the south of Scotland – not only were we named among the 30 best places in the world to visit this year by Lonely Planet but we’re champing at the bit to launch our epic new 250-mile Coast to Coast cycle route from Stranraer to Eyemouth this summer.”

“The South of Scotland is steeped in history and these itineraries will help bring to life the region’s fascinating past, encouraging visitors to uncover the  hidden gems, attractions and diverse places to eat and drink. By encouraging visitors to stay longer, visit all year round and explore more widely, they can in turn contribute to the sustainable quality of life of the communities they encounter. Tourism is a force for good. It creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy,” said Annique Armstrong, VisitScotland Destination Development Director for the South of Scotland.

Burns Trail

The 187 mile-long Burns Trail takes visitors on a six-day tour from Berwickshire to Dumfries, following in the footsteps of Scotland’s national bard. The journey takes inspiration from the tour of the Borders the then 28-year-old Burns took in May 1787 with his friend Robert Ainslie, beginning in the coastal town of Eyemouth, where the pair were made Royal Arch Masons of St Ebb’s Lodge – to this day, the cutlery Burns used at his repast are still treasured by the Eyemouth Lodge. The Burns Trail then progresses westwards, passing the ruined abbeys of Kelso, Jedburgh and Melrose, the Border towns of Selkirk and Galashiels and into Dumfries and Galloway, visiting Moffat and Ellisland Farm where Burns and his family lived for three years in the late 1700s and where he wrote Auld Lang Syne before culminating in Dumfries, the place of his death in 1796 at the young age of 37.

“Ellisland is the only home built by Burns and definitely the best preserved and most authentic and romantic. Some of Burns’ most creative years were spent in Dumfriesshire and of course he was greatly inspired by the Borders, so bringing the two together in both these fantastic new trails makes perfect sense, ” said Joan McAlpine, Business Development Manager at Burns’ former home Ellisland Museum & Farm, which features in both trails.

Great Tapestry of Scotland Trail

The Great Tapestry of Scotland is the result of a Scotland-wide community art project involving 1,000 stitchers aged four to 94 to tell the colourful history of Scotland from pre-history to the modern day, featuring battles, Romans, religion, Vikings, innovation, sport, kings and queens and much more. The 143m-long tapestry, first exhibited in 2013 at the Scottish Parliament and now housed in a new, purpose-built exhibition space in Galashiels, is made up of 160 beautifully embroidered linen panels made over 50,000 hours with 300 miles of wool thread. Visitors spending seven days travelling along the 283-mile Great Tapestry Trail start at the Tapestry Centre itself before wending their way to the Berwickshire coast and then west again to the Border towns and Abbotsford, home of great historical novelist Sir Walter Scott. The trail then weaves in Roman history with a stop at Trimontium Museum, Melrose where in AD80 the Romans established a major fort and which is one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites from that period.

Taking in the fascinatingly-named Devil’s Porridge Museum just outside Gretna next, which pays tribute to the world’s largest WW1 munitions factory, trail-followers will then catch up with Robert Burns in and around Dumfries before heading to Wigtown, Scotland’s national book town and the location for cult film The Wicker Man, which celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2023. Stopping to see the ruins of Glenluce Abbey where Mary, Queen of Scots once dined and slept while on a pilgrimage to Whithorn, the trail ends at the dramatic clifftop lighthouse in the Mull of Galloway – Scotland’s most southernmost point, at the end of the Rhins of Galloway.

“We are delighted to be have been part of this fantastic project with SSDA. Many of the 160 panels in the Great Tapestry of Scotland feature the compelling and rich history of the people and landscape of the south of Scotland. The Tapestry trail vividly brings stories to life of history, heritage, battles and culture across the entire region. It is such a compelling journey travelling to locations which feature in the tapestry, everyone will find something to explore and intrigue them,” said Sandy Mawell-Forbes, Centre Director The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Two Scottish researchers are trying to piece together part of Scotland’s religious past by combining hi-tech science with historical knowledge. A combination of scientific and historical research is shedding light on the physical and chemical properties of medieval stained glass, as well as its wider religious meaning. The researchers, Dr Craig Kennedy from Heriot-Watt University’s Institute for Sustainable Building Design, and Dr Michael Penman, a historian from the University of Stirling, hope they can bring the past to life with the project, and fill in the knowledge gaps created by the Reformation.

They’ve been supported by two research associates. Helen Spencer, Heriot-Watt, carried out the analysis of glass from Elgin Cathedral, while Tom Turpie, Stirling, contributed research on cults and popular religion in the pre-Reformation era.

Reformation’s destruction wiped out church windows 

During the Protestant Reformation of 1560, most of Scotland’s Catholic churches faced widespread destruction. Items considered idolatrous were targeted and destroyed.  Significantly, stained glass windows were smashed and buried on-site, or otherwise left to decay, and were replaced by austere, plain glass. In England and across Europe, church windows survived and still bathe visitors in their colourful light. In Scotland, visitors and historians have had to use their imaginations. That’s what Dr Kennedy and Dr Penman want to change with their research.

Dr Michael Penman said: “If you visit the great medieval churches at Canterbury, Westminster or York, the stained glass windows are the main attraction for visitors, alongside the paintings on the walls. In medieval times, most of the congregation would have been illiterate, so stained glass and paintings would have been the best way to address them.  Nowhere else would they have seen anything so colourful and lavish. They were positioned and designed based on when the light would move round the church and shine through to best effect. You can step inside these cathedrals and get a real sense of what congregants would have experienced, sitting for worship several times a day, basked in colour. In Scotland, the Reformation was much more destructive, and absolutely nothing remains in place. We want to try and recreate this experience and learn more about medieval daily life by combining historical research with scientific findings.”

Recreating church windows from just 16 shards

The team has focused on two churches: Elgin Cathedral and Dunfermline Abbey.  Dr Craig Kennedy previously worked on a project that tested 30 shards of glass from Elgin Cathedral. They were tested using the university’s state-of-the-art electron microscopy facility and x-ray fluorescence to identify the elements present, which in turn revealed the colour of the glass, and where it came from. Dr Kennedy said:  “Over the last few decades, we’ve been able to recover shards of medieval church glass during excavations.  We can narrow down the age of the glass to part of a century, and from there we can use scientific techniques to determine where it was produced. We can work out when it was produced from some decorative patterns.   We know the colours but so much more. The presence of certain glass tells us where Scotland had trade routes, and who sponsored or supported churches here.”

Combining scientific information and historical studies has led to an educated guess on how the chapel windows may have looked at Elgin Cathedral.  “The glass recovered from Elgin was red, brown, blue, green and clear, and many of the clear sections were decorated in the French grisaille style. Elgin Cathedral’s windows may have had grisaille borders and abstract top lights highlighting saintly figures. As to who those figures were, we have a number of candidates. The Virgin, Thomas Becket, St Columba of Iona and a few others are known to have regional dedications in the northeast of Scotland.”

Trying to accurately imagine the stained glass windows of Dunfermline Abbey is proving difficult: only 16 shards of glass have been found.  Dr Kennedy continued : “It is fascinating that a site of such national importance as Dunfermline Abbey has yielded so few glass shards to date. This site, Scotland’s national mausoleum, yielded red, white and blue glass samples. This site had a highly spiritual connection with St Margaret and we can assume that high-quality narrative glass was at some time installed in the Abbey.”

Next steps: A modern day medieval church window

Kennedy and Penman hope that they will win funding to support two researchers, one historical and one scientific, so that they can try to answer a simple question: what did the glass look like? Using scientific techniques to trace the origins of the physical glass and historical studies to understand the religious stories that were conveyed, an attempt to recreate these lost windows can be made. Further, through engaging with local communities near these sites, they aim to shed a light on a previously unknown part of Scotland’s religious history. They’d like to commission an expert glass artist to create medieval glass to tour Scotland and give people a window to the past. Penman said: “All the stained glass currently in Scottish churches of a medieval origin is modern, from the 19^th and 20^th century and often for Protestant congregations. If our research can identify a distinctive Scottish palette and styles for stained and painted medieval church glass, either figurative or decorative, then an artist might be able to recreate the imagery and thus the spiritual and huge emotional effect of such windows on Scottish worshippers before the Reformation.”

Main photo: Elgin Cathedral.

By: David C. Weinczok

In the May 2023 edition I reflected on five of my favourite Scottish castles following twelve years of non-stop exploration. Let’s now turn the clock back, way back, into the mists of prehistory. Scotland has tens of thousands of prehistoric sites, from intangible yet significant Mesolithic settlements hinting at the first people to walk the post-glacial landscape to massive monuments like standing stones and chambered cairns. Even if you live in central Edinburgh or Glasgow, you’re never far from something dating back 5,000 years or more. Some of the prehistoric sites chosen as my favourites, such the rock art of Kilmartin Glen and the many tales surrounding the Eildon Hills, have been covered in-depth in previous editions of the Scottish Banner. All the more reason to revisit the back catalogue!

The Dwarfie Stane, Orkney

Orkney could easily have monopolised this list, and the temptation to let it was strong. The Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe, Taversöe Tuick, Skara Brae, the Broch of Gurness – need I go on? Yet, monuments similar enough to all of the above can be found elsewhere in Scotland. There is nothing anywhere quite like the Dwarfie Stane. At the head of Trowie Glen in Hoy, Orkney, is a solitary mass of rock. When the glaciers retreated some 12,000 years ago, they dropped this monumental erratic in their wake. Five thousand years ago, people wielding nothing but bone and stone tools hollowed it out and carved a stone bed, complete with a pillow-like ledge, inside. A block, now a few feet in front of the entrance, can plug it like a cork in a bottle of wine. Naturally, a place as strange as this became an epicentre for folklore.

One story tells of its creation by feuding giants. Another, no less than Walter Scott’s The Pirate, makes it the home of a Norse dwarf name Trolld. The Trowie Glen was home to the last of the fairy or ‘peedie’ (an Orkney Scots word meaning ‘small’) folk in Hoy, and many a local over the centuries was lured into their subterranean dwellings for what seemed like a few hours only to emerge years or decades later. The Dwarfie Stane has long been a draw for eccentrics, hence the texted carved in its side in Persian and reverse Latin by Major William Mounsey which reads, “I have sat two nights and so learnt patience”. It still is, hence my own visit, and hopefully one day your visit, too. 

The Fortingall Yew, Perthshire

There is one very special thing about the Fortingall Yew which separates it from all other prehistoric sites in Scotland. It’s alive. At around 3,000 years old, the Fortingall Yew is one of the oldest living organisms in the world. Set within church grounds, it would have been a place of veneration for people for dozens of generations before the first whispers of Christianity were heard. Beltane fires were often lit at its base, which eventually caused the great yew to split. A report from 1769 says that it was then possible to drive a horse and carriage through the gap. Yew trees like the Fortingall specimen are revered as embodiments of the cycle of life and death. When their branches grow so long as to graze the ground, they can foster new offshoots. This may be one of the reasons why they are so often found in churchyards, given the central belief in resurrection.

More recently, the Fortingall Yew has undergone another jump across a dichotomy. In 2015 one of its branches was observed to have three berries. This is extraordinary because the Fortingall Yew is male, and yet, male yews don’t have berries. It is possible for whole yews, or at least individual branches, to change sex, and that is precisely what appears to be happening. However, the Fortingall Yew’s future could be cut short. On my most recent visit, I observed a New Age-type group praying at the tree only to then break branches from it to take as keepsakes. This type of vandalism is killing the yew, and if it is not stopped the tree will be dead as soon as 2050. I hope that it has not endured 3,000 years just to be undone by those who claim to revere it.   

Achnabreck, Kilmartin Glen

Given my previous coverage of the rock art of Kilmartin Glen in the July 2022 edition of the Scottish Banner, I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Achnabreck is just one of dozens of rock art sites situated within Kilmartin Glen, an area which boast over 800 sites of archaeological significance within just a few square miles. Other standout rock art sites include Ormaig, Kilmichael Glassary, and Cairnbaan, each with their own distinctive patterns and atmospheres.

Yet it is at Achnabreck that the grandest display of rock art is on show. Carved between 6,000 to 3,500 years ago, the patterns on several sloping escarpments include rings several feet wide, deep cup marks which cradle the morning dew, and teardrop-like ‘tails’. Many are integrated into the natural features of the rock, incorporating cracks and divots into the motifs. They are best viewed at sunrise or sunset, especially in winter when the sun’s angle is low and catches every groove. No one knows what they mean, but that only deepens the wonder of being here. A lifetime could be spent trying to observe and understand the carvings in Kilmartin Glen alone (indeed several have). Some things will forever elude us, and Achnabreck teaches us that there is a certain magic in not knowing. 

Kingarth Standing Stones, Bute

This is one category which could easily have been cornered by an example from Orkney, but in lieu of the many possibilities from further north, my mind kept circling – pardon the pun – back to a much less-well known example from the Isle of Bute. At Kingarth in the south of the island you will find three very unusual standing stones which I like to call the Three Weird Sisters. They were once part of a much larger stone circle, but only these three remain. They are composed of conglomerate, with one of the stones – distinctly red in hue – almost looking as though it was an arts and crafts project consisting of compressed quartz and gravel. White quartz is prominent on these stones and was used in funerary and megalithic monuments throughout the shores of the Firth of Clyde due to its shimmering nature.

While they may not be the most dramatic standing stones in Scotland, or even in Argyll and Bute, they provide fascinating insights into why such places were created and how their changing environments can alter our perception of them. For instance, most of Bute’s standing stones are positioned at valley terminals, almost like ‘gateways’. Furthermore, a book from 1893 shows the stones being enclosed by tall trees. This was the case when I visited them in 2016, lending them an air of secrecy and seclusion. Yet, these trees were far from ancient – they were a plantation, and when I returned in 2022 the stones stood instead in an open, stump-filled field visible from afar. This entirely changed the experience of visiting them, as it became possible to see what other sites they are intervisible with today and likely would have been when they were raised. It’s little insights like this which make some places stand out despite their superficial shortcomings.

The Eildon Hills, Scottish Borders

At first, the choice of the Eildon Hills may seem a strange one. After all, there is very little upon them made by people from any era which is still tangible. The reason why the Eildons resonate is due partly to their innate beauty, and to their role as a centre of gravity for countless other historic sites and stories in their literal and metaphorical shadow. One of few exceptions to the lack of tangible remains are the outlines of earthen ramparts atop the summit of Eildon Hill North, which was once the site of the largest hillfort in Scotland.

The summit was used as a gathering place since at least the Bronze Age, with room enough for up to 3,000 people to assemble – more than the modern population of Melrose. The relationship between this great hillfort and the huge Roman fort of Trimontium, which is swallowed by the shadow of Eildon Hill North as the sun sets, remains up for debate. Like Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, the Eildons are said to be ‘hollow hills’ containing unimaginable wealth and the hidden realm of the fairy folk. Thomas the Rhymer, the renowned prophet of the Borders, gained his gift of prophecy through a seven year-long visit to this hidden kingdom. Another Borderer shrouded in mystery, Michael Scott, is said to have created them during an escapade with a demon. Of course, Walter Scott merits a second mention here as the Eildons were a beloved part of his life in and stories from the Borders. Looking out to them from the majestic lookout point of Scott’s View, it is easy to understand why.

Main photo: The Eildon Hills.

By: Eric Bryan

The Cairngorm funicular railway in the Cairngorms National Park has the double distinction of being the only funicular railway in Scotland, and the highest railway in the United Kingdom. Positioned on the north side of Cairn Gorm, the railway serves the Cairngorm Mountain alpine ski area that was developed in 1960.  The railway replaced the White Lady Chairlift, which opened in December 1961. The chairlift eventually proved to be too susceptible to the sometimes enormously strong mountain winds, while a funicular railway was deemed to be much more resistant to such weather hazards. Construction began on the railway in 1999, laying a 2000mm broad gauge track from the base station in the Coire Cas area 2km up the mountainside to Ptarmigan, more than 1097m above sea level. The steepest gradient the rails traverse is 23 degrees, or a 40 per cent inclination.

Sheiling

The railway has a middle station at Sheiling, situated at about 765m above sea level, and a passing loop above this where the single rail line splits into two, so that the two carriages can pass each other – one going up, the other on its way down. During the skiing season the carriages run at up to 36km/h, and in the off season the top speed is 18km/h. Not counting middle station stops, the trip to the top can take about 4-5 minutes in winter and 9 minutes in summer, or generally 5-8 minutes depending on season, weather and middle station stops. During summer the train does not make stops at the middle station.

Depending on various weather factors, the trains can operate safely in winds of 100-120km/h. In the approach to the top station the carriage enters a 230m long tunnel, and then arrives at the top platform which is concealed in the mountainside. Each carriage has a capacity of 120 standing passengers, and is wheelchair accessible. The stations at the base and at Ptarmigan are equipped with lift access to each level. Two 500kW motors mounted in series power the railway by pulling up one carriage as the other descends. Typically, the railway is operated from a control room at the Ptarmigan Station, but there are also operational controls at the base station and inside each carriage. Control, communication and safety systems plus backup systems are part of the railway network. The latter include standby generators and manually operated emergency systems for moving the carriages in case of power failure.

Reinstatement of the railway

At the Top Station are the Ptarmigan Restaurant, Shop at the Top gift shop, Cairngorm Gin Bar, Cairngorm Learning Zone, and of course panoramic views which can be accessed from the restaurant through floor to ceiling windows and via the viewing terrace. Due to mountain conservation efforts in cooperation with Scottish National Heritage, climbers and hillwalkers are forbidden to use the railway for uphill travel during the ski season. Further, during the summer, rail passengers are not allowed to explore the mountain from Ptarmigan Station, but hillwalkers who reach the upper station on their own may buy a downhill ticket to return to the lower terminus. The base station houses a Disability Sport UK office, hire shop, restaurant, ranger’s post and ticket office. Near the middle station is a Scottish Ski Club building.

In October 2018 the railway closed due to concerns over structural weaknesses, and engineers undertook investigations of the system. The economic viability of continuing to operate the railway was also in question. But in October 2020 the Scottish Government announced a £20m funding package for work on the Cairngorm ski resort, £16m of which was slated for the repair, upgrade and reinstatement of the railway. The engineering works project, which included reinforcement of the viaduct and the installation of a new control system, started in November 2020 and finished in late 2022. The railway reopened on 26 January 2023. Trains depart regularly from the lower terminus from 10am to 3:30pm. The last train leaves the upper terminus at 4:30pm, though this schedule is weather dependant. Return railway tickets for adults are £22 standard, or £17 off peak. Juniors ride for £12.50 standard or £9.50 off peak. There are discounts for seniors and families, while children under five ride for free. Off peak prices apply to the 10am, 10:30am and 3:30pm trains, Monday thru Friday. Friends of Cairngorm Mountain season passes for 2023 are £45 for adults and £25 for juniors.

Cairngorms National Park

With an area of 4528 square kilometres, Cairngorms National Park is the largest national park in the UK. The park encompasses the Cairngorms mountain range and surrounding hills. Established by the Scottish Parliament in 2003, the park is visited by millions of tourists annually. Within the park is the largest stretch of Caledonian forest left in Scotland, and a number of castles are on park grounds. These include Loch an Eilein, Braemar, Ruthven Barracks, Corgarff, Glenbuchat, Blairfindy, Drumin, Blair, and Castle Roy. There are several nature reserves inside the park where visitors may see red squirrels, ospreys, crossbills, crested tit, lapwings, curlews, redshanks, greylag geese and whopper swans (the latter two during wintertime). In the Cairngorms are snow bunting, red grouse, golden eagle, ptarmigan and ring ouzel. Mountain hare, red deer, and the only semi-domesticated herd of reindeer in the British Isles – introduced from Sweden in 1952 – roam the slopes and plateaus. Wildlife can be seen from the more than 100 walking paths and trails in the park.

Cairn Gorm

Classed as a Munro, Cairn Gorm at 1244.8m high is the sixth tallest mountain in the British Isles. Cairn Gorm’s summit overlooks Strathspey, and the obscure Loch Avon is visible from the mount’s southern slopes. Despite its being named after the Cairngorm range, Ben Macdui is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Cairngorms. Automated weather stations on the summit of Cairn Gorm provide wind speed, temperature and frost data. The mountain’s average of 194.4 frost days per year make these the UK’s coldest weather stations. Daytime temperatures which stay below 0 degrees Celsius have been recorded on Cairn Gorm during every month of the year. The coldest known temperature here is -26.9 degrees C, and the warmest is 25.5 degrees C. Cairn Gorm is the site of the highest recorded UK wind speed on land, with a 278km/h gust occurring in March 1986. An unofficial 312km/h gust was reported in December 2008, but was unconfirmed by the Met office.

Main photo: Image courtesy of Cairngorm Mountain.

The Fife town of Glenrothes was ‘born’ on 30^th June 1948. It was Scotland’s second new town and became the first in Scotland to appoint its own artist to specially create public art. Today the town houses tens of thousands of people, has a strong connection to the electronics industry, as well as a much loved African animal, as Judy Vickers explains.

In 1950, the population stood at just 1,000 people, living in a couple of hamlets and farm steadings scattered across the area. By 1960, the population of the new town of Glenrothes had shot up to 12,500 and was growing rapidly – latest figures show there are almost 40,000 people living there today. This year the Fife town celebrates its 75^th anniversary and to mark the occasion, an exhibition charting its history is being held at the Kingdom Centre in the town and a new sculpture – of a hippo, which has become the unlikely symbol of the town – is being unveiled.

Coal mining

The town was founded in June 1948 as the second of Scotland’s new towns under the New Towns Act of 1946 – the first was East Kilbride. Unlike East Kilbride and several other new towns which were created during this period, Glenrothes was not designed to home the overspill population from Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city. Instead the idea was to construct homes for the workers at the new nearby Rothes Colliery, planned to be one of the country’s new “superpits”, producing 5,000 tons of coal a day and lasting for 100 years.  Coal mining in the area dates back to the 13^th century but it was only in the post-Second World War era, with the drive for security of energy, that mass production was planned.

Shafts had already been sunk by the time Glenrothes was founded but the mine suffered flooding and geological problems. Plans for the town specified that one in eight of its inhabitants should be miners and although the colliery was opened with great fanfare by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1958, a year after it finally began producing coal, it only lasted another four years, before closing in 1962 as one of the National Coal Board’s most spectacular failures. The town that was built for it, however, proved far more long-lasting and successful. Located between the villages of Leslie, Thornton and Markinch, it was named after the Earl of Rothes who owned most of the land which the town was built on – Glen was added to avoid confusion with Rothes, a town on the banks of the river Spey in Moray near Elgin. The town was almost called Westwood, after Joe Westwood, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, who proposed the location.

Silicon Glen

The area has long been occupied by mankind – the earliest known civilization in Glenrothes is the early Neolithic settlement of Balfarg.  Ancient pottery and other artefacts dating back 4000 years BC were found here. The 3000-year-old Balfarg Henge and stone circle at Balbirnie show that the new town has some fairly ancient foundations. While the loss of mining meant the original purpose for the town was lost, it did not spell its end though, as a new industry had sprung up even before the closure of the pit.  In 1958 US based Beckman Instruments choose Glenrothes over English locations for its UK plant – Glenrothes having been promoted as being perfect for electronics due to its clean air. Others followed including Hughes Microelectronics (now Raytheon), Canon, Brand-Rex (now Leviton) and Apricot Computers, making Glenrothes a key player in Scotland’s “Silicon Glen”. Many electronics firms have since relocated to places such as China but some have stayed and are still key employers in the area.

Hippos

New towns were often seen as rather soulless places with no cultural history. To combat that, Glenrothes became one of the first to appoint a town artist. It was an inspired move; not only has it made Glenrothes a centre for public art – there are more than 140 pieces in the town today produced by the official town artists and visiting creatives – but it also gave the town its curious link with hippos. The first artist was David Harding in 1968. He was employed as part of the planning department and he moved to the town with his family to better immerse himself in the place and created pieces such as Henge (1970) drawing on the town’s prehistoric links. But it was his assistant Stan Bonnar – father of TV actor Mark Bonnar – who created the first hippo sculpture, made out of concrete. It was such a hit that Harding and Bonnar made several more, positioning them around Glenrothes. The next town artist was Malcolm Robertson who added landmark pieces such as The Birds (1980) and Giant Irises, the town’s contribution to the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival.

But it was the hippos which captured the town’s imagination which is why the African animal is the subject of a new sculpture for the town. The sculpture has again been created by Stan Bonnar who was persuaded out of retirement by Leviton, formerly Brand-Rex, which was marking 50 years in the town. The Disappearing Hippo follows the theme of the older hippos but highlights the plight of the creatures in the wild due to global warming and the reduction of their habitat. The frame is formed by 685 triangles cut and shaped by Stan from old tin cans.

The recycled materials and the “disappearing” theme obviously reflect 21^st century concerns – instead of the original environmentally unfriendly concrete Stan has used a greener, modern alternative geopolymer concrete – with hippo dung as the binding agent. And along with the history of the town, the exhibition features the work of The Turgwe Trust, the hippo conservation charity which sent Stan the dung.

Ian Wilkie, the managing director of Leviton Network Solutions who is part of the event’s steering committee, said: “As a piece of art to commemorate the 75^th birthday of Glenrothes, there could be no more fitting tribute.  The fact that it has been created by the original Mr Hippo – Stan Bonnar in the year when he too turns 75 makes this even more special. But as you gaze at this hippo’s beauty here in Glenrothes, spare a thought for the plight of real hippos in the wild.”

The Glenrothes 75 Years exhibition will run at the Kingdom Centre throughout July, August and September.

Main photo: The Dream by Malcolm Robertson, 1989.

A project to transform a disused dairy farm in southwest Scotland is attracting wildlife to the area and inspiring change across the country.

By: Sarah Burnett

Located in the heart of Dumfries & Galloway, the Threave Landscape Restoration Project has seen 81 hectares of land transformed from a disused dairy farm to a haven that features wildflower meadows, rich wetlands, and growing native woodlands that are buzzing with insect and bird life, including species rarely before seen in the area.

The project has inspired other places we care for, with teams at Culloden, Burg, Iona and Ben Lawers all looking to adapt their conservation grazing approach to utilise new GPS software in use at Threave. Holistic planned grazing, such as that done by the 14 Belted Galloway cattle on site, increases biodiversity by creating vegetation at different heights, which encourages a range of wildlife and allows wildflowers to grow. The project uses pioneering GPS technology, located in the collars of the cows, to allow remote tracking of activity via smartphone to reduce the chance of over-grazing.

A cohesive, open space

Not only is the project inspiring large-scale changes at key historic sites across Scotland, it’s also generating change locally. Following a visit from Gelston Primary School to Threave, pupils have worked with Engagement Ranger Mary Smith to create their own wildlife garden in the grounds of the school. Since the project – supported by HSBC UK and the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme and using funds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund – began in 2021, we have been giving nature a helping hand to encourage wildlife and biodiversity across the site. An innovative project from the beginning, it captures a new way of caring for the land which moves away from the more traditional prescriptive measures, to one which lets nature and the land itself lead the way.

Taking what was once a segregated landscape, our team at Threave has created a cohesive, open space on which natural heritage can flourish across wetland, woodland, wild meadows and grass-scapes. 210 meters of new boardwalks have been introduced to allow visitors to cross the re-created 7.3 hectare wetland area and discover species new to the site, including the shoveler duck. A different approach to woodland management, which saw a shift from commercial forestry plantation woodlands to replanting methods and native woodland generation, has seen 2,000 native trees planted between November 2022 and March 2023 alone. By the end of the project, the land will be home to 16,000 trees. Backing our commitment to increasing accessibility at all of our places as part of our vision of nature, beauty and heritage for everyone, we also upgraded the core paths around the land in partnership with the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme. The wider pathways not only connect to the local town but will also allow wheelchairs and prams easier access. Currently the area receives between 800–900 visitors each week, with people of all ages keen to spot the range of wildlife now living on the land, including ospreys, wild fowl, greylag geese and sand martins.

Nature will flourish

Although the restoration at Threave is a long-term project spanning 100 years, the difference in the land approach is already reaping rewards: this month alone a pair of wheatear birds were seen using the reserve; curlew have been spotted on the wetlands; all 19 ponds and scrapes were occupied all winter with wild fowl; and three shoveler ducks took up home on the ‘great scrape’. Skylark have also been displaying on the site over the last month in a direct result from the change in land use, as a species which searches for long grass for nesting.

Gareth Clingan, Operations Manager for Dumfries & Galloway, said, “The Threave Landscape Restoration Project is a really different way of thinking about looking after land, one that lets nature recover and monitors the changes over a 100-year period, with a bit of a helping hand from the National Trust for Scotland. We hope our approach will inspire others to think about how they can make changes that mean nature will flourish. This is so important in this time of climate and biodiversity crises. Another great thing about our work here at Threave is how easy it is for people to see it firsthand. We’re just off the A75 and only five minutes away from the heart of Castle Douglas, so everyone can come along and see the difference our conservation charity’s work here has made, and enjoy the nature, beauty and heritage of this lovely part of Scotland. Not only have we created flourishing eco-systems, teeming with flora and fauna, but we’ve also created local job opportunities with the recruitment of two new rangers, alongside several volunteers who are making a big contribution to the project. If this is what we can see after just two years, imagine the transformation in 2121.”

Head Ranger David Thompson added, “This project has really put our charity and our conservation credentials on the map. We’ve been talking to folk from all over the world, and especially pupils and students, which is essential if we are to grow the next generation of conservationists. It’s been really rewarding sharing our specialist skills and knowledge. As a team, we’ve also learned a lot and have a much deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, this special place.”

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

The Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games is ecstatic to announce that Glass Tiger will be the music headliner at the Tattoo’d in Tradition ceremony this year! They will be performing on the Friday night, August 11^th following the Tattoo and are included as part of the purchase of a Friday night ticket or weekend pass.

“We are truly thrilled to have Glass Tiger at the Festival this year” noted Festival Executive Director Elizabeth Bender.  “It is especially meaningful, as Glass Tiger was going to be part of our 2020 Festival and 75^th Anniversary celebrations which were unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic. It is fabulous that we are able to welcome them this year.” 

“It will be great to finally have Glass Tiger up on stage” added Festival President Matthew Bennett-Monty.  “The Festival team has put together an amazing lineup of entertainment this year that compliments all our other programming including the World Heavy Event competition and Outlander stars. This is a Festival year not to be missed,” Bennett-Monty stated. In addition to Glass Tiger, the Festival will also welcome a lineup that is a wonderful combination of fan favourites and new music and entertainment including Albannach, Waking Finnegan, Glengarry Bhoys, The Snake Charmer, Elora Festival Singers, The Rogersons, Gillebride MacMillan, David Leask, Bob Maclean, and Chambless & Muse.

Richard Rankin

The Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games is also thrilled to announce the Featured Guest for 2023 will be Richard Rankin. Known as Roger MacKenzie on the hit TV series Outlander based on the best-selling books by Diana Gabaldon. Rankin is the third Outlander star the Festival has welcomed and will be on the grounds Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 11 – 13, 2023.

The Festival team has curated an awesome combination of unique VIP experiences, including brunch, autograph/photo opportunities, whisky tastings, and free panel discussions.  There will be multiple opportunities to meet Rankin up close, and in addition to scheduled featured events, he will also be participating in activities through the Festival grounds.

Stay on top of Festival announcements and updates via social media channels. For more detailed information about the musical entertainment and all Festival activities and to purchase tickets, visit: www.fergusscottishfestival.com.

One of Scotland’s best-loved ceilidh nights is promising to bring Scottish country dancing to an even greater audience after teaming up with a global tartan-wear brand and announcing a raft of prizes for the best dancers.  The tartan tie-up will see Bonnie & Wild’s famous White Heather Club ceilidh nights offering prizes for participants and encouraging Edinburgh residents, tourists, and Scotland fans all over the world to take part in Scottish country dancing.  Organisers Bonnie & Wild said the collaboration with global kilt-maker ScotlandShop will see its staff decked out in a Bonnie & Wild tartan as they showcase ceilidh culture through the popular White Heather Club dances.

The White Heather Club was an iconic TV show in the 1960s and 1970s that beamed ceilidh dancing into people’s homes across the UK, and was largely credited with the revival in popularity of Scottish country dancing. Last year, Bonnie & Wild, the Scottish Food Hall in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter where the monthly dances are held, reprised the ceilidh night, attracting hundreds of dancers every month to the free ceilidhs.  Ryan Barrie, Managing Director of Bonnie & Wild, said: “Our ceilidh nights have been a phenomenal success since we revived them last year, with thousands of residents, tourists and curious passers-by coming along to Bonnie & Wild and enjoying these evenings of music, dance and good cheer. The White Heather Club is already one of Edinburgh’s biggest and best nights out, and we know there’s potential for more. Teaming up with ScotlandShop, we’ll be showcasing ceilidhs to a wider audience, while also offering new rounds of prizes to participants, and honouring some of the bonnie dancers who come to our White Heather Club. And there’ll also be a few surprises on the way.”

Celebrating Scottish culture

Bonnie & Wild’s White Heather Club has already proved to be a hugely popular night in Edinburgh’s events calendar, with thousands of Scots and city visitors having taken part in the regular ceilidhs, which are held on the last Thursday of every month and are free.  Mr Barrie added: “With ScotlandShop’s partnership, we’ll see a lot more tartan on the night, made in Scotland of course. The White Heather Club is a celebration of Scottish culture, something that all of us at Bonnie & Wild are passionate about, whether it’s the food and drink we offer, the chefs and business we work with, and our love of the land through our sponsorship of the Scottish Landscape Photographer Awards.”

Anna White, Founder of ScotlandShop, said: “Like Bonnie & Wild, we are passionate about celebrating Scottish culture, including of course the many tailored tartan garments and fabulous fabrics woven here in Scotland. But we also embrace Scotland’s wider culture, its food, drink, music and of course our country dancing. We know these are very important to our customers who I’m sure will be excited by the White Heather Club and our involvement in it.” Taking the floor on the night, the White Heather Club is led by the Charlie Kirkpatrick Band, one of Scotland’s best ceilidh bands and a regular at ceilidhs across the country as well as on radio.

The White Heather Club takes place on the last Thursday of every month at Bonnie & Wild, St James Quarter, Edinburgh. Starting at 8pm, tickets are free and can be reserved online: www.bonnieandwildmarket.com

We are a new pipe band to Queensland and we would like to provide Veterans and Families of Townsville and Emergency Services the opportunity of playing the Highland Bagpipes and Highland Snare Drum, through weekly lessons and practice conducted at the Oasis Centre Townsville, North Queensland. This will include music theory on both instruments and lessons to enable the band member to achieve a competent level of playing the bagpipes and drums to competition level.  

Come along, have a bit of fun learning the great Highland Bagpipes and Highland Snare drum. Give yourself a challenge. This is a hobby that has ultimate results, stretching to all corners of the world, participate in things such as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow Scotland as well as domestic competitions here in Australia.

Pipe Major John Ferguson

The Pipe Major John Ferguson started his career in the Scots Guards in 1977. John has been an Infantry Soldier serving in nearly all parts of the world, starting his piping career in the City of Bradford pipe band in West Yorkshire England.  John has played (to name one or two) his bagpipes for HM Queen Elizabeth, His RH King Charles, the Duke of Edinburgh. HM the Queen Mother also a few other well know celebrities, John Denver, His holiness Pope John Paul II, the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher plus many more.

Whilst John was serving in the Scots Guards, he was part of the winning band that won the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow Scotland. John served for 11 Years in the Scots Guards then in 1987 moved to Australia to join the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) where he still serves in the 3^rd Btn RAR to this day. No matter where your family history stems from or your age, you only need the will and drive to succeed at a very challenging hobby. Enjoy meeting new friends that you have not yet met from all parts the world.  

The Veterans and Families Pipeband meets at The Oasis Centre, 20 Darter Street, Oonoonba, Townsville., Queensland. 18:30 for learners and 19:30 for more advanced players. For more information contact: Pipe Major John Ferguson 0449 116 651.

By: Marilyn Meikle, Communications Coordinator, Montreal Highland Games

“Dare to be honest and fear no labour.” – Robbie Burns

Scotland’s famous poet sums up the history of the Montreal Highland Games. While not the biggest games in Canada, they began with the hard work of a group of Scots when the Caledonian Games were established in Montreal in 1855. Over the past 168 years, there have been various incarnations of the Games, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of hours of hard labour, and dedication to maintaining some iteration of Scottish competitions. Men and women daring to invest their time and money to preserve Scottish culture in Montreal. How fortunate the city is that they did. Today’s Montreal Highland Games are a tribute to that hard work.

“We couldn’t hold the Games without the dedication of our committee, our volunteers, and our partners. We are grateful to have CN Canada along with the St. Andrew’s Society as co-presenting sponsors”, Scott Mackenzie, President of the Games, says.

Canadian Scottish Athletic Federation’s Men and Women’s National Championships

This year, the Games are thrilled to host the Canadian Scottish Athletic Federation’s Men and Women’s National Championships. These competitors from across Canada clearly demonstrate they have no fear of hard labour. They are disciplined athletes who work to maintain their strength and strive to improve each caber toss or stone put. Lorne Colthart, ON and Susie Lajoie, NS will be defending their 2022 titles. Hard work and commitment are seen throughout many events and attractions at the Games; from the families who participate in the 5km Caledonian Run that kicks off the day; to the competitive Highland dancers who range from primary to premier; pipe bands who compete under the judge’s trained ear; to musicians who gather in the Fiddlers Tent along the Celtic Mile, and Mariner’s Curse and The Hellions who will be performing at their best in the Ceilidh Tent. Everyone involved in the day dares to be their best whether they are a volunteer in the Children’s Village, or a member of the clean-up crew. Honesty and hard work are integral to making the Games a success.

The result of the energy put into the Games is a family-friendly event for all Montrealers to experience Scottish culture and enjoy a fun-filled day. There is no labour involved to attend the Games! Hop on the free shuttle bus from the Angrignon métro station and join in the celebration at the Douglas Hospital Grounds, Verdun on Sunday, August 6. Tickets can be purchased on the website.

The Montreal Highland Games takes place on Sunday August 6, for more information see: www.montrealhighlandgames.com. Or keep up to date on Facebook: @montrealhighlandgamesor Instagram: @mtlhighlandgames.

All images courtesy of Peter Matulina.

Tourists to the West Highland Line can now benefit from a guided tour as they travel by rail through the scenic route, thanks to a partnership between ScotRail, Geotourist, and the University of Dundee. The collaboration aims to enhance the travel experience by offering an engaging and informative audible tour that highlights the history, culture, and natural beauty of the West Highlands.

Breath-taking landscapes and iconic destinations

With its breath-taking landscapes and iconic destinations such as Fort William, Ben Nevis, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the West Highland Line is one of Scotland’s most beloved railway journeys, and it’s easy to see why many of the stops along the way have featured in high profile movies such as Local Hero, Trainspotting and Harry Potter. Recognising the importance of providing tourists, both foreign and domestic, with a rich and immersive experience, ScotRail has joined more than 20 other organisations, and teamed up with Geotourist to develop a captivating audio tour that will enhance customers’ understanding and enjoyment of the route. The audible tour, which is accessible on the ScotRail website and through Geotourist’s user-friendly mobile app, provides passengers with a unique narrative as they travel through the West Highland Line.

Scotland you can only see from the train

The content has been carefully crafted to offer historical insights, local stories, and interesting facts about the landmarks and attractions along the way. Whether customers are history enthusiasts, nature lovers, or simply seeking to learn more about the area, the audio tour will cater to their interests and enrich their journey. Alasdair Smart, ScotRail Tourism Manager, said: “We’re delighted that customers travelling on the West Highland Line can now benefit from a more immersive experience thanks to the new audio tour. From the hustle and bustle of Glasgow to peaceful and picturesque Mallaig at the end of the line, it’s a side of Scotland you can only see from the train, and a magical tour of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.”

Since 1948, the Glengarry Highland Games has welcomed over one million visitors to one of North America’s premier Celtic festivals. Home of the North American Pipe Band Championships™ and host of a spectacular Tattoo and Concert, the Games has welcomed some of the world’s finest Celtic entertainers to its stage. The moving massed pipe band performance at the end of the Games sees over 1000 pipers and drummers playing together on a field ringed with an awestruck audience. Along with the traditional Games events of heavyweights, highland dancing and Scottish fiddling, the Games has introduced several new attractions with the Highland Regiment Tug of War, a Kilt Run, a Harp Workshop, Scotch Tasting, a Wee Bairns Area and more. Each year, over 20,000 visitors flock to Maxville, Ontario to celebrate this Celtic tradition and participate in everything Scottish.

One of the world’s best Highland Games

Last year the Games made a triumphant return after a two-year covid hiatus and to its surprise had one of its record attendance years. Also, this past winter the Games was nominated by the Pipes and Drums magazine as one of the world’s best Highland Games and just recently was named as one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals and Events in the same category as Ottawa’s Bluesfest and the Stratford Festival.

This summer at the 2023 Glengarry Highland Games there might be as many hockey jerseys as kilts in the audience when the Games welcomes as Guest of Honour hometown boy John Wensink, an NHL hero most noted for his time as enforcer with the Boston Bruins. Wensink joins an illustrious group of Canadian celebrities who have filled the role of Guest including Prime Ministers, a Governor General, an astronaut and other noted Canadian figures.

Celtic music

The award-winning Celtic rock sensation The Derina Harvey Band (dHb) will be this year’s Friday night Tattoo headliner with traditional songs as well as their own brand of original tunes. Lead singer and band leader Derina Harvey’s vibrant personality takes center stage with humour, storytelling, and, of course, her world class vocals. dHb has been likened to a “rockier” version of Canada’s Great Big Sea if fronted by Adele, and has earned a reputation as a high-energy show that leaves many an audience out-of-breath and hollering for more. What is it about Celtic music that when its solid rhythms, upbeat tempos and catchy melodies start up, that people are compelled to clap their hands and tap their feet and start dancing. The Celtic bands of Glengarry are well known across North America and they all make sure they are home to play at the entertainment venues at the Games. From Gaelic singing to Scottish fiddle to favourite Scottish and Irish tunes, they will all be there with perennial favourites the Brigadoons, Hadrian’s Wall, Brandy and Port, the 2 Paddys and the County Lads along with Maritime talent Anna Ludlow and East Coast Experience.

There aren’t many Canadians who don’t immediately recognize the distinctive red uniforms of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and at this year’s Games there will be loads of opportunities to meet them up close as the Games salutes the 150^th Anniversary of the RCMP. From the Tartan Ball decorated with RCMP regalia to a special performance of the RCMP Pipes, Drums and Dancers at the Friday Night Tattoo, Games visitors will be able to say thank you to one of Canada’s historic policing forces.

Another colourful highlight of Friday night’s Tattoo will be the performance of Canada’s Band of the Ceremonial Guard with their scarlet tunics and bearskin caps, a symbol of Canada’s relationship to the monarchy and one of Ottawa’s most treasured icons. Daily during the summer, the Guard performs the Changing of the Guard on the lawns of Parliament Hill, one of the most recognized military traditions in Canada. As well, members of the Ceremonial Guard perform daily sentry duties at Rideau Hall, the official residence and workplace of the Governor General of Canada.

1,000 pipers and drummers

For many people, the Games is all about the pipes and anyone coming to the Games will not be disappointed.  Some of the best in North America piping descend on Maxville to compete for the prestigious Piobaireached Society Gold Medal(Canada), the many piping and drumming awards and of course, the North American Pipe Band Championship™. After two days of wall-to-wall competitions and entertainment, the Games wraps up with its culminating event, the famous Glengarry Highland Games massed bands where over 1,000 pipers and drummers take to the infield and perform in unison. It’s a moving moment when the last strains of Amazing Grace fade away on the wind and the crowd surrounding the infield is hushed and in awe. Whether you’re nine or ninety, there is something for you at the Games. The grounds are fully accessible and there are many indoor events in air-conditioned spaces while outdoors there is an abundance of shaded areas where you can gather to watch the piping, the heavyweights or cheer on the tug of war.

Check out the website, www.glengarryhighlandgames.com, our Facebook page or Instagram to find out more about the Games and to plan your visit. As they say, during the long weekend on August 4 and 5, all roads lead to Maxville.

By:Oscar Peterson, Joshua Holborn and Ryan Shine

Scotch College Pipe Band from Perth, Western Australia recently crossed the globe to take part in this year’s Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk, Virginia. Some of the students shared with the Scottish Banner on the incredible experience and the thrill of performing for US audiences.

On Sunday 9^th April 2023, 43 boys from the Scotch College Pipe Band assembled in Perth airport. Pipes in hand, drums in cases, the boys were ready for the trip of a lifetime, the Virginia International Tattoo. Months of preparation had led up to the tour. Auditions, early wake ups, lunchtime practices, but to say it was worth it would be an understatement. with no current member of the band ever having been on tour due to covid, the boys were ecstatic to see what it was all about.

New York City

Our tour started in the buzzing and vibrant streets of New York City, quite a culture shock for the boys coming from relaxed, costal Perth. We were treated to the full New York experience crammed into a few short but memorable days. Ice hockey, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Times Square to name a few. The last day gave the boys the freedom to use the day however they wanted, in which some interesting, rather chaotic stories were produced with a recurring theme of subway confusion and accent barriers making for some great tales. But in a flash our time in NYC was over, and it was time to head down to the capital, Washington DC. Whilst traveling to Washington DC, we made a short stop over at the Kitchen Kettle Village located in the rural areas of Pennsylvania in which we played a few of our favourite tunes for the village. 

Washington, DC

Our arrival in Washington saw us immersed in a broad range of popular destinations and tourist attractions, with the patriotic environment being a unique aspect of our journey. We visited the war monument in Arlington which featured the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Washington monument which included the famous Lincoln Memorial and then for one of the evenings, we attended a baseball game which further broadened our scope of American culture and tradition. The overall experience of Washington gave the group a key piece of memorabilia that entails lots of positive, humorous, and fascinating memories. Our next stop, Norfolk Virginia, where we will take part in the annual International Tattoo.

Norfolk, Virginia

For the next week, Pipes and Drums became our life. We were involved in countless hours of rehearsals for the Tattoo, led by Pipe Major Ross McCrindle, and Drum Major Rab McCutcheon. Our band was the largest that attended the 2023 Tattoo, pressuring us to play at our highest standard with which was made possible due to the thorough preparation by the Scotch staff in Australia. During our time in Norfolk, we performed at four schools as part of the outreach program, an Irish pub, the Pipe Bands competition day, a drumming battle against the Ukrainian Drummers on battleship Wisconsin, and several hullabaloos.

The group was kept very busy throughout the Tattoo week, with many of the boys balancing sightseeing, practicing, performing and study for the emerging exams in Australia. The Tattoo performance nights were exhilarating. The outstanding production and performers worked in harmony to produce a powerful atmosphere that is unforgettable to all of us. However, after one of the most memorable experiences of our lives, it was time to say goodbye to the friends we made from all around the world, and return to the other side of the globe. 

Scotland will mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla during Royal Week in Edinburgh on Wednesday 5 July.  The King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral following processions on the Royal Mile. Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay will also attend events. The Honours will be collected from Edinburgh Castle by a People’s Procession, involving around 100 people representing aspects of Scottish life.  It will be escorted by The Royal Regiment of Scotland , Shetland pony mascot Corporal Cruachan IV and supported by  cadet musicians from the Combined Cadet Force Pipes and Drums, 51 Brigade Cadet Military Band.

Historic occasion

The Royal Procession will travel from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the Cathedral. There will be opportunities for the public to view the People’s Procession and the Royal Procession along the Royal Mile. A 21-Gun Salute will fire from Edinburgh Castle at the end of the St Giles’ Service, before the Royal Procession travels back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Scotland will welcome the new King and Queen in July with a series of events to mark the Coronation. A People’s Procession, a Royal Procession, a National Service of Thanksgiving and a Gun Salute will take place in Edinburgh. Representatives from many different communities and organisations in Scotland will take part in these historic events. People who wish to mark this historic occasion can get involved by watching broadcast coverage or viewing events in person.”

The Stone of Destiny will be in St Giles’ Cathedral for the service. There will also be a fly past by the Red Arrows following the event.

Main photo: Palace of Holyroodhouse. Photo: VisitScotland.

A 40-year-old family recipe never before trialled in competition has secured the first ever Haggis World Championship for North Lanarkshire butcher Coopers of Bellshill. Owner Laura Black admitted she entered the inaugural world title-chasing bid “in hope rather than expectation” as she lifted the coveted trophy at the Scottish Craft Butchers Trade Fair in Perth. And she couldn’t have been more delighted as she dedicated the win to her hard-working team who helped tweak and perfect the family recipe into a modern winner.

Near perfection

“It’s the highlight of my career,” she thrilled. “I’m absolutely delighted. The world title is coming to North Lanarkshire, coming to Bellshill and coming to Coopers.” Laura’s family favourite fought off stiff competition from nearly 70 other Scottish hopefuls bidding to become the first Haggis World Champion and head judge John Wilkin, senior lecturer in food science at Abertay University, Dundee, described it as “near perfection”. “If there`s better haggis out there somewhere in the world then I want to taste it,” he said. “Laura’s haggis is worthy of the World Championship title – it’s absolutely superb.” Judges praised the standard of entry in this first championship, sponsored by Hamlyn of Scotland, describing it as a delicious celebration of the country’s best haggis. But it was Laura’s family staple that proved the ultimate winner in the fiercely contested showdown.

First ever world championship

George Jarron, President of Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB) which hosted the new competition, said the event had proved a showcase for the best in the business. “We have been running a Scottish Haggis Championship for the past 30 years, but this is the first ever world championship,” he said. “We decided that haggis was such an iconic dish the world over that it was deserving of a global championship title to let the world know we had recognised and rewarded the very best. And it was only fitting that the first world title for a product so quintessentially Scottish should be staged in Scotland. There are few producers of our national dish that wouldn’t want to have a World Championship to their name, and we congratulate Laura and the team at Coopers of Bellshill for securing the first place on the international roll of honour.”

By: Eric Bryan

The Glasgow tractor changed Scottish farming life in the early 20^th century and was the only tractor designed and built in Scotland. Production of this special tractor lasted just five years but still to this date remains Scotland’s only indigenous tractor, built for Scottish conditions, as Eric Bryan explains.

In the early 20^th century, imported mass-produced American-made farm tractors dominated the market in Britain. But these tractors were designed mainly to work the vast flatlands of the American Midwest, and weren’t ideally suited to operating on hilly and muddy Scottish farmlands. With an eye toward creating a tractor fitted for working in such British conditions, W Guthrie, in conjunction with John Wallace & Sons Farm Implements and the DL Motor Manufacturing Co of Motherwell, designed the Glasgow Tractor.

Drawn up specifically to be compatible with Scotland’s challenging terrain, the Glasgow was not only an all-wheel drive tractor, but was in a three-wheeled configuration – not as you’d expect with two wheels in the back and one in front as with a crop-row tractor, but with two in the front and one in the back. This layout, combined with its weight distribution and low centre of gravity made the tractor resistant to overturning. The three-wheeled AWD system offered more stability than did a four-wheeled configuration, as it was less likely that one of the wheels would lift clear of the ground on steep or awkward landscapes. As a Glasgow advertisement stated, ‘The secret of the “Glasgow’s” splendid work on steep gradients is its three-wheel drive.’

Improved traction

Each of the Glasgow’s wheels could be fitted with spuds for improved traction, while the machine’s even weight distribution reduced bogging. The tractor’s AWD, with all wheels powered and turning cooperatively, meant that if one wheel slipped in a rut or got stuck against an obstacle, the other wheels kept turning and helped to free the slipping or trapped wheel. More Glasgow advertising somewhat sensationally claimed, ‘The “Glasgow” will climb and pull a plough anywhere. It cannot turn over. It will not dig in, tip up, slip or skid – points of superiority, due to all its three wheels being driven.’

The Glasgow’s steering system, rather than turning the rear or front wheels, slowed one of the front wheels while the other wheels kept rotating at a consistent speed, causing the vehicle to pivot on the slowed wheel and so turn the tractor. The driver’s iron basket seat was positioned all the way at the back of the machine, behind the rear wheel. From this perch, the operator had a full view of the front wheels as well as of the hitching and lift mechanisms which were positioned below the seat.

The Scottish tractor

Debuting at the 1919 Lincoln Tractor Trials, the Glasgow made a strong and favourable impression. At this gathering, W Guthrie drove the tractor up a 1 in 7 grade and pulling four 12 x 10 inch ploughs which usually required four horses to drag, ploughed one acre per hour. The Commercial Motor reported that the Glasgow attracted much interest at the trials, and pulled impressively. ‘It was noted that in the case of the “Glasgow” Tractor that owing to its three-wheel drive no slip whatever occurred. This will tend to show that, especially in the case of small and light tractors, the all-wheel drive has certain advantages if properly designed, so that the effect of the skidding of one wheel will not take all the power from the others.’

The Scottish tractor had an American Waukesha four-cylinder 27 horsepower engine, two forward and one reverse gear powered via nickel steel reduction gears, a Zephyr carburettor, and weighed 1636kg unladen. Its dimensions were 3.4m long, 1.7m wide and 1.9m high. Despite its promising start, the Glasgow Tractor was to face some daunting challenges. While the 1922 price tag for the Glasgow stood at £375 (and would swell to £450), the Fordson Tractor then available cost only £120. The Glasgow was also overwhelmingly noisy for the operator, and its motor proved to be a high maintenance unit. This combination of factors led to the demise of the Glasgow, then Scotland’s sole home-grown tractor, in 1924.

The National Museum of Rural Life

A surviving example of the Glasgow Tractor is on display at the National Museum of Rural Life, near East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire. Operated by National Museums Scotland, the Museum of Rural Life is sited at Wester Kittochside Farm and opened in 2001. The museum carries on and expands upon the collections and work done by the former Scottish Agricultural Museum, which was established in 1949 and based at Ingliston. The museum comprises the main building and visitor centre, Georgian farm buildings, and surrounding agricultural fields and hedgerows.

Scotland’s largest collection of combine harvesters, tractors and other agricultural machinery are housed at the museum. Indoor and outdoor exhibits present tractors from most decades of the 20^th century. Besides the Glasgow, other tractors in the collection are Fordsons, a Ferguson Brown, Ford Ferguson, David Brown, Field Marshall, and a Ferguson ‘Little Grey Fergie’. A modern Deutz tractor pulls the Farm Explorer which carries visitors to the farm. Wester Kittochside Farm is a working farm, and resident animals include Clydesdale horses; Tamworth pigs; Aberdeen Angus, Ayrshire and Highland cattle; sheep, hens and farm cats. Farm buildings visitors can explore are the Georgian farmhouse, bothy, small byre, stables, gig shed, threshing barn, dairy, milking byre, hay shed, Dutch barn, hen house, sheep pens, pig sty, and pig run.

Main photo: Glasgow Tractor on display at the National Museum of Rural Life, East Kilbride. Photo: Magnus Hagdorn, CC BY-SA 2.0.

By: Judy Vickers

She is the last of her kind in the world. In her heyday she carried British royalty and a US First Lady and in her hour of need she has attracted support from a princess, celebrities and a mysterious millionaire benefactor. This year the iconic Clyde steamer TS Queen Mary celebrates her 90^th birthday, having been constructed in 1933 by shipbuilders William Denny in Dumbarton.

And like any 90-year-old, she has seen ups and downs in her life, from the highs of carrying 13,000 passengers each week as “Britain’s finest pleasure steamer” to the lows of lying rusting in the English port of Tilbury and threatened with scrappage. Her next decade looks set to be bright though as a multi-million pound restoration aims to have her cruising again, for the first time since 1977, in 2025. Her anniversary year has started well with a £1 million donation from a mystery benefactor in April, taking campaign funds to almost half their £10m target.

The Glasgow boat

The charity which rescued the ship from Tilbury in 2015, Friends of TS Queen Mary, said at the time the “astonishing gift” would “turbo-charge” their efforts to ensure the much-loved vessel will sail again, added to a revival of a once-popular tradition – that of sailing “doon the watter”. From the early 19^th century, steamers carried thousands of city folk out and away from the factories and the industrial urban landscape of their Glasgow home for day trips to the scenic parts of Ayrshire, particularly during Glasgow Fair Week in July.

Sailing “doon the watter” – the “watter” in question being the Clyde – was a familiar part of holiday life for many until the latter part of the 20^th century when cheap airfares and package holidays abroad killed the trade. TS Queen Mary was the tenth (and final) turbine pleasure steamer built for Clyde service.  She was the largest and most luxurious in the fleet and is now the last in existence. She was known as “the Glasgow boat” and sailed “doon the watter” from Glasgow to destinations such as Dunoon, Rothesay, Millport and Arran.

From the beginning her history was full of quirks – in the spring of 1935, at the request of Cunard White Star Line, TS Queen Mary was renamed Queen Mary II, so as to release the name Queen Mary for the liner then under construction at John Brown’s shipyard in Clydebank. She regained her original name in 1976 as the liner Queen Mary had retired from sailing.  She hadn’t been in cruising service for long before war interrupted – she was called into service providing a lifeline mail and passenger service to the Scottish islands. Her wartime passengers included King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), the future Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and former US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.  She returned to cruising duty after the war but the 1960s and 70s saw a decline in Clyde steaming’s popularity and her final sailing was in September 1977 before she was moored up in Greenock.

Then comes her most traumatic years. She was sold to Glasgow District Council in 1978 with the idea of converting her into a museum but funds weren’t available and she was sold on again several times before she was towed to London in 1981. In 1987 she underwent a £2.5m refurbishment and was moored at Victoria Embankment in London as a floating restaurant. In 2009, she had been sold yet again and was taken to Tilbury in Essex near London, from where she was due be taken to begin a new life in France as a floating restaurant and fitness centre. Lack of funds scuppered those plans and she was left to rot – by 2015 she had prohibition notices slapped on her, barring her from leaving the port until hundreds of thousands of pounds in essential repairs were carried out. Scrappage loomed – but help was at hand.

An iconic part of Scottish history

Friends of TS Queen Mary had been formed in 2012 by a group of enthusiasts alarmed by developments and keen to save such an iconic part of Scottish history. When the Port of Tilbury put the vessel up for sale, the Friends’ bid, funded by businessman Jim McColl, one of Scotland’s richest men, was accepted.

And this wasn’t the only time the Queen Mary was able to rely on friends in high places. Once in the hands of the charity, a campaign to have her repaired was launched in December 2015, headed by Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane. The Rutherglen-born star was a huge supporter of the TS Queen Mary until his death last year.  “Robbie used to sail on the ship as a boy,” explains a spokesman for the Friends. “He had a very deep affection for the vessel.  What many people don’t know is that Robbie was a massive fan of Clyde steamers, as well as classic ocean liners – not just the vintage cars, which most people associate him with. Robbie came on board as patron before the ship was brought back to Glasgow. He was very good friends with Sam Neill (a fellow actor who was born in Northern Ireland before moving to New Zealand as a boy).  Sam also has an interest in ships and was delighted to become our Commonwealth patron, when Robbie approached him.”

Funds flooded in and the Queen Mary was towed back home to the Clyde in an epic voyage along the west coast of the UK. Repairs began in 2016 with the idea of turning her into a static heritage centre at Pacific Quay. But in April last year, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, who has been royal patron of the ship for four years, revealed plans to allow the ship to sail once again. The £1m anonymous donation will be used to construct new steel decks to ensure the ship complies with modern maritime safety requirements – one of the biggest structural undertakings of the ongoing work. Iain Sim, chairman of Friends of TS Queen Mary, said: “Our work continues to restore an iconic British ship whose proud history serving the Clyde rekindles many memories for tens of thousands of Scots and others across the world.”

Main photo: TS Queen Mary. Photo: David Millar.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has discovered the buried remains of a Roman fortlet that once stood next to the Antonine Wall in West Dunbartonshire. The fortlet was built next to the Antonine Wall, the frontier that the Romans constructed across central Scotland, and was thought lost in the mists of time. However, geophysical survey in an unassuming field near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire revealed details lost for hundreds of years. The announcement of the discovery comes on World Heritage Day (18 April), the international celebration of cultural heritage. The Antonine Wall is one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Previous excavations to find the fortlet were unsuccessful, but new technology has allowed HES’s archaeological survey team to find the buried remains. The fortlet was referenced in 1707 by antiquarian Robert Sibbald, who wrote that he had seen a fortlet in the area around Carleith Farm. Excavation teams looked for it in the 1970s and 1980s, but the exact location remained unknown. The survey team have now employed gradiometry, a geophysical surveying technique, to look under the soil without the need for excavation. Gradiometry measures small changes in the earth’s magnetic field to detect archaeological features otherwise invisible from the ground surface. This technique was able to identify the stone base of the fortlet, which remains buried underground. On top of this base, turf would have been laid to build a rampart about 2 metres high.

Important Roman monument

This newly discovered fortlet would have been part of several fortlets along the Antonine Wall. It would have been occupied by 10 to 12 Roman soldiers who were stationed at a larger fort nearby, likely to be Duntocher, and manned the fort for a week at a time before being replaced by another detachment. The fortlet would have been made up of two small wooden buildings to house the soldiers staying there and will have been used for the 20 years (142 CE – 162 CE) that the Antonine Wall was defended as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire. Commenting on the discovery, Riona McMorrow, Deputy Head of World Heritage at HES, said: “It is great to see how our knowledge of history is growing as new methods give us fresh insights in the past. Archaeology is often partly detective work, and the discovery at Carleith is a nice example of how an observation made 300 years ago and new technology can come together to add to our understanding.”

This discovery has led to HES reviewing the site’s designation to ensure the fortlet is recognised and protected as part of the Antonine Wall. The geophysical survey will help to better understand and protect the Antonine Wall. While up to 41 fortlets may have lined the Wall when it was built, only nine have previously been found. This discovery marks the tenth known fortlet and shows that there is still more to be discovered about this important Roman monument and its functions even after centuries of enquiry.

Main photo: A digital reconstruction. Photo: Historic Environment Scotland.

Crawick Multiverse, the spectacular artland and visitor attraction inspired by the science and mysteries of the cosmos, will host a week of family-friendly summer solstice celebrations.  This year the Multiverse, near Sanquhar on the Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire border, is partnering with The Open University (OU) in Scotland for a series of inspirational, educational and entertaining events and activities between 18-24 June.  On the longest day itself, Wednesday 21 June, the beautiful 55-acre site will open at 4am for visitors to gather in a truly breath-taking setting and welcome the dawn.

A Sunrise Ceremony will be led by Open University professor of religious studies, Graham Harvey and professional storyteller, Gordon MacLellan.   Gordon said: “Our Solstice Sunrise Ceremony will draw upon midsummer traditions from around the northern hemisphere, bringing together ancient British poetry with Scandinavian stories and more. Spiritual without being religious, this event will encourage visitors to pause and reflect upon their relationship with the world around them and appreciate this morning, this sunrise, one of the turning points of the year.”

The longest day

The longest day culminates with a Tilt Ceremony to mark the moment, at 3.57pm, when the sun reaches its highest point of the year in the sky.  Visitors will also be able to enjoy music, performers, sensory tours, guided tours, yoga sessions and Tai Chi demonstrations and more.  That evening will see the launch of Solstice Seminars; talks from leading specialists in space science from The Open University, including professors Monica Grady CBE, Stephen Peake and Mahesh Anand, in Sanquhar Town Hall.  The week will come to a close on the Saturday with a Midsummer’s Day Family Picnic complete with more entertainment and a pop-up exhibition.   

The solstice celebrations offer a superb chance to explore Crawick Multiverse (designed by the late Charles Jencks) with its giant conical grass mounds representing colliding galaxies, long avenue of standing stones and other spectacular features inspired by the sun, stars, and other wonders of the cosmos.  Cathy Agnew, Trustee, The Crawick Multiverse Trust said: “We’re thrilled to be inviting visitors and locals to mark the Summer Solstice in such spectacular surroundings. And it’s a huge pleasure to be working in partnership with The Open University in Scotland to offer a programme of events that will be fun and informative.”

Crawick Multiverse is a spectacular land art installation created by the late Charles Jencks and inspired by his thinking about space, astronomy and cosmology. Around 2,000 boulders were used to create Crawick Multiverse. The Sun Amphitheatre is at the heart of the Multiverse and can hold approximately 3,500 spectators.

For further information about Crawick Multiverse visit: www.crawickmultiverse.co.uk

Photos: Mike Bolam.

The new Aberdeenshire County flag was revealed at a special dedication ceremony held at The National Trust for Scotland’s Castle Fraser, Sauchen, Aberdeenshire, with invited guests and a large crowd gathered to witness the historic occasion. The chosen flag was based on the original designs of pupils from Newtonhill School, Stonehaven, and Elrick School, Westhill.

An important part in local identity

Accompanied by the Drums & Pipes of The Gordon Highlanders Association and an honour guard of Lonach Highlanders, the children presented the flag to The Lord-Lieutenant, Sandy Manson, at the castle doors. Following a dedication, the new Aberdeenshire flag was taken to the top of the castle tower and raised by the Lord-Lieutenant. Lone Piper, David Fraser, from The Gordon Highlanders Association Pipe Band played the famous march, Back o’ Bennachie and the assembled crowd gave a resounding ‘Three Cheers’. 

Mr Sandy Manson, The Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, said: “It is wonderful to see this splendid County flag now unveiled for all to see. For the children from two different local schools to produce such similar designs that were then brought together in the flag you see today, was remarkable. It’s clear to see why their design triumphed over hundreds of others from all ages and corners of the world: a bold flag that heralds our past and signals a confident future. Judging over 800 global entries by the panel was certainly not easy. The five designs chosen for the shortlist went to a public vote, encompassing the many traditions and characteristics we associate with our beautiful and historic county.  My congratulations to all the pupils involved in so creatively designing the winning flag. I hope all of Aberdeenshire will be very proud as our new flag flies over the county, playing an important part in our local identity.”

Scotland’s castle country

The pupils described their winning design, “Aberdeenshire is Scotland’s ‘castle country’ but also the strong royal association referenced by the crown. A quarter of Scotland’s arable land is in Aberdeenshire, with the gold representing the barley and the whisky that it makes, and the purple symbolises the heather of our mountains.” The project was initiated in March 2022, when the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Sandy Manson, discovered through dialogue with the Lord Lyon’s office that while Aberdeenshire had a long-standing coat of arms, it did not have a county flag as was the case with most counties in Scotland.

Two Deputy Lieutenants, Mrs Jean Haslam and the late Mrs Miranda McHardy took this historic project forward, running an open competition to design a flag for Aberdeenshire. Workshops were run by Philip Tibbetts (Lyon Court Vexillologist for Scotland) during the first week in September 2022 in schools across the county. With the help of the Lord Lyon and Mr Tibbetts, a judging panel examined over 820 entries submitted in October, the largest ever response to a flag competition in Scotland. A short-list of five designs was selected that went to a public vote, with 4,208 votes cast.