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The skirl of the pipes and drums was heard far and wide in Ōtautahi Christchurch as the 2023 New Zealand and South Pacific Pipe Band Championships returned to the South Island of New Zealand for the first time since 2020. ‘The Nationals’ had to be postponed in 2022 due to the pandemic – Auckland was to play host, so it was fitting New Zealand’s second largest city was the destination for the first championship back in two years. 

It is the largest pipe band competition in the Southern Hemisphere, with 50 pipe bands from across New Zealand and Australia competing over two days from Juvenile and Grade 4B through to the Grade 1 competition. Unique to New Zealand, the bands performed in a judged (but not part of the aggregate championship) Street March along some of the picturesque streets of Christchurch.   Judges came from far and wide across Australasia, with Ian Lyons, Harold Gillespie and Andrew Wormersley coming across from Melbourne to assist Greg Wilson, Stuart Easton, Liam Kernaghan, Ross Levy, and Ian Ferguson judging the music events.  

Drawing on the line

Day One saw competition in the Grade 4B, Grade 4A and Grade 3 March, Strathspey and Reel event, the Juvenile event, and the aforementioned Street March. St. Andrew’s College from Christchurch took the event with straight first places from the judges, besting current Australian champions Scotch College Pipe Band from Melbourne. The ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band – the defending Juvenile champions – had to settle for fourth this year. A total of eight bands competed in the Juvenile event, a sign of good things happening at the grassroots level across the South Pacific.  The Street March was the first opportunity to hear the Grade 2 and Grade 1 bands ‘strut their stuff’.

It was evident right from the get-go that all the bands had really raised their game this year. Inspiring stuff for a lot of the younger pipers and drummers who lined the streets to get their first taste of the best in the business. Auckland & District Pipe Band took out the Grade 1 Street March, with Melbourne-based Hawthorn Pipe Band winning the Grade 2 Street March with some dazzling hornpipes.   Day Two was a much busier affair, with the Grade 4B, Grade 4A and Grade 3 bands performing their melodies while the Grade 2 and Grade 1 bands played both their March, Strathspey and Reel and Medley events. In New Zealand, each band plays in both events for the championship, with Grade 2 and Grade 1 bands ‘drawing on the line’ their March, Strathspey and Reel.  

The top guns

Grade 4B was ultimately won by South Canterbury Pipe Band, with a ten point lead ahead of ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band. Grade 4A saw Scotch College Pipe Band from Melbourne edge out Hamilton Caledonian Society Pipe Band by one point, with St. Andrew’s College B Pipe Band finishing third. Grade 3 was taken out by the City of Tauranga Pipe Band with wins in both the March, Strathspey and Reel and Medley events.  Then it was time for the top guns. Grade 2 was five-strong and full of confidence, music and pizzazz. Hawthorn Pipe Band from Melbourne took straight firsts across all eight judges in the two events, with St. Andrew’s College A Pipe Band settling for second.

Hawthorn dazzled the crowds with their Medley in particular, which finished with Mark Saul’s classic The Stonecutter’s Phoenix.  Pushing 30 degrees celsius, Auckland & District Pipe Band began the March, Strathspey and Reel. All five Grade One bands were world-class, and presented a huge challenge for all the music judge to split out into different prizes. Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band took straight firsts from the four piping judges, but it wasn’t to be enough as the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band – hometown favourites – taking all the drumming and ensemble firsts, and winning both events, securing them the overall title. Manawatu was second, with Auckland & District Pipe Band third. All of the judges commented that it was the highest standard of Grade One performance in New Zealand ever. 

The event was livestreamed via Youtube thanks to Brassbanned – the same people who livestream major sporting events like the Australian Open. The livestream is available on Youtube, and Grade One and Two performances are split out for ease. 

For more information see: www.rnzpba.com

The Savannah Scottish Games will return at historic Bethesda Academy on Saturday, May 6^th, 2023. Savannah and the surrounding area are home to a sizeable Celtic population and each year they look forward to the annual event. This year they will welcome back athletes, pipe bands, highland dancers, border collies, historic reenactors, Scottish vendors, Celtic musicians and more to the annual gathering.   The Savannah Scottish Games are a grand celebration of Highland heritage right here in the Southeast. With more than 3,000 people participating in the event each year, Savannah’s Scottish Games is both one of the largest and is the fourth oldest Games in the area as well. 

“My family and I have been a part of the Savannah Scottish Games since my grown sons were little,” said Murray Marshall, Chair of this year’s Games. “To see how much this particular event has grown and is now considered a tradition for so many others in the area is something we are all really proud of. We also have a large attendance from people outside of the area that come to spend this one day every year. And to top it off and be on the historic grounds of Bethesda, you can’t get any better than that.” Murray adds, “Outside of the dancing, athletics, and comradery, people get the chance to learn more about the different Highland clans, their own heritage, and possibly find their own roots.” The Games include something for the entire family to enjoy!

Highland Dancers

Highland dancing was originally an all-male event until the late 19^th century when women started competing in Highland Dance. Savannah is proud to host the ScotDance Southeast Regional Championships, one of six regional competitions held throughout the United States each spring.  Ambitious new dancers called Pre-Premiers, develop self-discipline and confidence as they learn to tackle the physical demands of the dance. The tremendous strength, stamina, and technical precision accomplished dancers exhibit on stage are fascinating. The highest level, the Premier dancers, dances earlier in the morning, so come early to see these impressive dancers compete for a spot at the national competition at the 2023 ScotDance National Championships in Portland, Oregon.

Pipes and Drums

Whether this is your first time at the Games or you’re a seasoned Scotsman, the glorious sounds of the pipes and drums are an inspiration to behold. Stewart Marshall, Murray’s son, has been involved with the Games since childhood. He remembers many years of participating in the Games with his family and has been involved on the committee in some aspect for over ten years. Stewart is tasked with organizing Pipe and Drums at this year’s event. He states, “I encourage everyone to come and listen to the sounds of Scotland — the thrill in the bourdon of the bagpipes and the cadence of the drums from the talented pipers and drummers is something that sticks with you. Music has a way of taking you somewhere new and on this day it will take us to the highlands.” 

Some historians believed that bagpipes (often, just “the pipes”) were played in Scotland as early as 100 AD. By the year 1000, bagpipes were popular throughout Scotland. By 1500 AD, every clan chieftain worthy of the name had a piper in his retinue, the group of noblemen that typically accompanied a leader or King. The great modern pipes were developed in the Scottish Highlands. In addition to the Pipes and Drums,  there will be live Celtic music on the entertainment stage from Lachlann and North of Argyll. The full schedule can be found on the Savannah Scottish Games website.

Athletic Competition

The Scottish Games is historically a worldwide celebration of the legendary strength and endurance of the Highlander. Scottish heavy athletics owe their roots to the Highland warriors who would keep in shape between battles by competing using everyday implements. A stone, a blacksmith’s hammer, and a tree trunk, known as a caber, all became tools for building strength for battle. Athletic events are hosted throughout the day and provide visitors with close access to witness these kilted athletes compete in events such as the caber toss, sheaf toss, open stone put, Scottish hammer throw, and more. Fancy yourself a Highlander? Take your turn at the competition while you’re there. They encourage all beginners (novices) who want to learn “to throw” to be on the field at 7:30 a.m. on game day for a one-hour clinic. Don’t worry, no kilts are required.

Children Activities

There are dozens of athletic activities for children to enjoy throughout the day, including tug-of-war, sheaf toss, caber toss, haggis hurl, stone throw, welly toss, and sack race.  Grab a seat, hear the greatest of Scotland’s stories from Celtic storyteller Linda Bandilier, and dance and play games with the mythical fairy, Zephyr. Face painting, coloring crafts, and other arts activities will also be available.

Medieval European Activities

The Savannah branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a practical history society, recreating the arts and skills of pre-17^th century Europe. They dressed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance clothing and allowed visitors to witness tournaments, royal courts, feasts, and dancing. There’ll also be opportunities to learn and practice ancient arts and skills — calligraphy, cooking, armoring, metalworking, carpentry, and needlework. The SCA will host interactive demonstrations and displays of various medieval European activities throughout the day, including armored combat, dance, juggling, and other arts activities.

Clans and Genealogy

One of the most exciting aspects of this event is the opportunity to gather clues along the day of your Scottish ancestors and then search for their records.  Marshall points out, “The key to your family history is knowing how to find information about your name, immigrant ancestor, Scotland geography and history, available records, and where to find more information. We have plenty of maps and reading materials about researching Scottish, Irish, and more Celtic ancestors if you want to come into the genealogy tent.”  They will also be joined this year by various local genealogical and historical organizations familiar with researching family trees of ancestors born in America.

Border Collie Sheep Herding

The sheep herding is often hailed as one of the Games most beloved events. Windy Knolls Farm is home to Bill Coburn, his Border Collies, and a herd of Katahdin-Dorper sheep, and they will all be on-site to demonstrate their impressive sheep, geese, and duck herding skills. If you’ve yet to witness the talented canines, the Savannah Scottish Games is a perfect time.

And More

The Marketplace of the Savannah Scottish Games is centralized within the festival and provides the opportunity to purchase Scottish goods, cuisine and refreshments, and baked goods. “This year is expected to be our largest yet, even though it will be hard to beat last year,” adds Marshall. “The music, comradery, and commemoration of our Scottish heritage is celebrated through this historic event, and it’s something my family and so many others look forward to year after year.”

For additional information about the Savannah Scottish Games or to purchase your tickets, go to: www.savannahscottishgames.com

By: Jessica Rose

You might not know the tough-as-nails protagonist of MAGGIE, the much-anticipated new musical premiering on stages in three Canadian provinces this year. However, you’ll undoubtedly know women just like her. A fiery, Scottish matriarch, she’s forced to rely on her strength, sense of humour, and grit to raise three boys in the wake of unthinkable loss.

Set between 1954 and 1976, MAGGIE is a true story that opens on a row of tenement houses in the mining town of Lanark. Featuring music by award-winning Scottish Canadian recording artist Johnny Reid, with Matt Murray and Bob Foster, it’s directed by fellow Scot Mary Francis Moore – the artistic director of Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario where the musical will premiere this month.  A working-class mother, the real-life Maggie was Johnny Reid’s granny, but his tribute to her represents so much more. Maggie is an entire generation – not just women, and not just in Scotland – who learned that the promise of opportunity often went hand in hand with saying goodbye.

At the time, when thousands of young people were leaving Scotland to find work in Canada, Australia and beyond, Maggie refused to leave her homeland. “Ach, someone needs tae be here tae put the kettle on,” her character says in the show. “MAGGIE celebrates not only my Gran and her life but also an entire generation of women who fought through some tough times by keeping faith, hope, love, family, friendship and humour close to heart,” says Reid, who was born and raised in Lanark, before immigrating to Canada at the age of 17.

A celebration of friendship, community and the human spirit

MAGGIE is produced in association with Michael Rubinoff, the originating producer of the smash Broadway hit Come from Away. First workshopped as part of Sheridan College’s Canadian Music Theatre Project, which also incubated Come from Away, it has been a six-year labour of love for all involved.

The show features an 18-member cast including Scottish Canadians Sweeney MacArthur, Adam Stevenson and Jay Davis and British expats Lawrence Libor, Nicola Dawn Brook and Jeremy Legat. Dharma Bizier, who plays the lead role of Maggie, recently opened Johnny Reid’s cross-Canada tour performing selections from the musical for fans across the country. Above all, MAGGIE is a celebration of friendship, community and the human spirit set against a powerful, rousing score. It pays tribute to generations of unsung women who made sacrifices to ensure a better future for their own. You can’t help but see your own mam or gran in Maggie’s story of resilience.

MAGGIE’s world premiere will open at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario, on April 19, running until May 6, 2023, before travelling to Prince Edward Island to headline the acclaimed Charlottetown Festival from June 21 to September 2. The show will then head to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia for a limited run at The Savoy Theatre from September 28 to October 8.

Join the celebration of music, laughter, and love at www.maggiethemusical.com and hear the music of MAGGIE now on all digital platforms.

By Captain Ross T McCrindle, Pipe Major, Virginia International Tattoo.

Even as descendants and supporters of Scotland and her traditions and culture, it’s still easy to underestimate the cultural impact a small country of 5 million people has made around the world.  But, in a timely reminder, the international cast of the upcoming 2023 Virginia International Tattoo speaks volumes of the spread of the Celtic arts, not only in traditional terms, but with real time relevance in the modern world.

We often think of the Great Highland Bagpipe as a distinctly Scottish instrument and its primary music is definitely so.  Hailing from Scotland, resplendent in their blue uniforms and representing the United Kingdom, we will see the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Air Force take the floor at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.  

Because of the age of the instrument, there is huge uncertainty over the precise geographical origin of the bagpipes.  Much weight is given to the theory that the MacCrimmon family of hereditary pipers to the Clan MacLeod of Skye, original proponents of bagpipe music in Scotland, were immigrants from the Cremona area of Northern Italy.  Indeed, in the form of paternal surname common in 14^th century Scotland, Mac Crimmon could easily translate to “son of Cremona”, but there are also strong indications that the highland bagpipes existed in Ireland at or around the same time.  Carrying the banner of Irish descendancy in the United States, the Virginia International Tattoo will present the Camden County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums this April. 

Scottish traditions

The Italian link aside, one might struggle to connect the Scottish martial traditions to continental Europe.  Thanks, at least in part, to the “Auld Alliance,” the bagpipes found another home in France and another branch of the music was borne to the Breton piping and drumming scene.  From the Marine Nationale (French Navy), amalgamating the sound of the unique instrument that is the Bombard with their Pipes and Drums, Bagad de Lann-Bihoué bring the sound of Brittany to the naval city of Norfolk.

As Scottish Banner readers will be acutely aware, the spread of Celtic traditions extended not just into Europe, but right around the globe.  Moving south of the equator, the Scots took their industrious and entrepreneurial spirit to the continent of Oceania.  It was in Perth, Western Australia, in 1897 that David Ross, originally of Invergordon, founded the Scotch College and the Virginia International Tattoo is delighted to welcome their students back with their Pipes and Drums for the 2023 tattoo season.

Where there is pipe music, there is also dancing.  Clan soldiers would dance over their swords to motivate themselves for battle, and dance again over the bloodied blades to celebrate their victory.  The tradition of Highland dancing is taught to pipers and drummers of the British Army to this day as a required skill in their basic musical courses, but our cultural journey around the world stays in the southern hemisphere for now.  Delighting audiences young, and less young, in Norfolk this April will be the dancers of The Highland Dance Company of New Zealand. 

The skirl of the pipes

Coming back to the USA, Celtic culture is not only a once-a-year deal in southern Virginia.  Hailing from the Hampton Roads area, Tidewater Pipes and Drums trace their history back to 1975 and have been providing the skirl of the pipes to local audiences ever since.  As our hometown pipe band, we welcome them once again to the 2023 tattoo.  Still in the United States, but slightly further afield, we are delighted to welcome back members of Andy’s tartan Army, all of whom have links to Carnegie Mellon university Pipe Band in the Pittsburgh area, yet another bastion of the Scottish arts!

For those who have experienced the Virginia International Tattoo, it takes no explanation that pride, patriotism, and a celebration of cultures from around the world are just a few of the important factors that lie at its heart.  The Pipes and Drums and the Celtic traditions of their music and dancing aren’t just part of the tattoo, but they are also its heartbeat.  They represent the cohesion of the cast, underlining our alliances and partnerships, and giving life to the notion that the celebration of our cultures is our purest and most valuable gift to each other.  For those who haven’t experienced the Virginia International Tattoo, why not? We’ve been doing this for 26 years!  Join us in Norfolk, Virginia, April 20^th through April 23^rd for a show like no other.  

www.vafest.org/tattoo

#VaTatt

Friday 24 February 2023, marked 100 years since Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous steam locomotive, set off on its first journey from the sheds at Doncaster Works. Now a national treasure, Flying Scotsman 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. In a new poem released, The Making of Flying Scotsman, UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has paid homage to the celebrity engine, a feat of British design and engineering which has inspired a love of rail in generations of families and become synonymous with the golden age of rail travel. Commenting on the inspiration behind his new work, Simon Armitage said: “Flying Scotsman is a poem. I just had to write it down.” The Making of Flying Scotsman is now on display as part of Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices, a new exhibition at the National Railway Museum, which launched in February and showcases the legacy of the locomotive through the lives it has touched.

In its latest excursion, following a new lick of paint, Flying Scotsman to surprised travellers at Edinburgh Waverley station where it made a fleeting appearance. To mark the occasion, Simon Armitage read The Making of Flying Scotsman whilst dancers from the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society performed The Flying Scotsman, devised by Hugh Thurston in 1966. The event was rounded off with a performance from Celtic rock band, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Also announced are a series of new Scottish events, including two main line excursions and a heritage railway visit.

Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive of the newly formed LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) and originally numbered 1472. It was given its name in 1924 after the daily 10.00 London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley rail service. 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. In 2004, a campaign spearheaded by the National Railway Museum to save the locomotive for the nation amassed the support of thousands, confirming its status as a national treasure. The appeal to keep the steam icon in Britain was supported by a £1.8 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the generosity of the public. Its restoration was also completed with the help of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £275,000.

The most famous steam locomotive in the world

Those unable to see the locomotive on its centenary tour have the opportunity to experience Flying Scotsman through exhibitions including Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices, Flying Scotsman VR and with collectible memorabilia available from the Science Museum shop. Highlights include a Flying Scotsman centenary train set, a £2 coin from The Royal Mint, featuring Flying Scotsman in vivid colour—a rarity on £2 coins, with the last coloured £2 coin released over 20 years ago and a new children’s book by bestselling author Michael Morpurgo: Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever, which tells the story of a little girl called Iris who dreams of being a train driver when she grows up.

Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum, said: “Edinburgh Waverley is a fitting location to mark the centenary of the world’s most famous express passenger locomotive. It was here that Flying Scotsman completed its record-breaking, non-stop journey between London and Edinburgh in 1928 and Edinburgh is also the birthplace of Sir Nigel Gresley, Flying Scotsman’s designer. Today, Flying Scotsman is an undoubted star of the National Railway Museum’s collection and is recognised around the world as a triumph of British ingenuity and engineering. Flying Scotsman will now spend the rest of the year travelling across the country to give people the chance to see the engine for themselves and to take part in this special anniversary, from free static displays to rail tours to the Centenary Festival at Locomotion.”

Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway, continued: “Edinburgh Waverley was honoured to host a visit from Flying Scotsman on such a special occasion and our team has pulled out all the stops for this special occasion. The most famous steam locomotive in the world always draws a crowd. Visitors to Princes Street Gardens, just across the road from Waverley, will see a familiar Flying Scotsman theme when the world’s oldest Floral Clock blooms later this year too. Make sure to pop in to see it while on your way to the station.”

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.  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. 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.

To find out more about Flying Scotsman and to hear more about centenary plans as they are announced, visit www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/flying-scotsman.

Main photo: Flying Scotsman at Kings Cross Station, London. Photo: Olgun Kordal/Science Museum Group.

The Maclean Highland Gathering have been able to secure the services of world-renowned piper, Roddy MacLeod MBE as our International Guest Piper for the 118^th Maclean Highland Gathering on Easter Weekend Friday 7 and Saturday 8 April 2023. Chief Peter Smith of the Lower Clarence Scottish Association said, “We are excited to have a piper of such high standing join us for our event. The Lower Clarence Scottish Association is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Scottish culture. Roddy MacLeod is considered one of the most accomplished pipers of his generation and it’s great that we can give our local community and the wider piping community, the opportunity to hear someone of this calibre play and to also adjudicate at our solo and pipe band competitions”.

Highly regarded teacher, recitalist and adjudicator

Roddy MacLeod MBE, Glasgow, Scotland is a highly regarded teacher, recitalist and adjudicator. Uniquely, he is a Grade 1 Championship winning Pipe Major and a five-time Glenfiddich World Solo Piping Champion and in 2012 he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Awards Hall of Fame. He has won the Glenfiddich Piping Championship five times, winning the MSR three times and the piobaireachd event a record ten times, the Silver Chanter seven times, the Northern Meeting Clasp on two occasions, Bi-centenary medal (1988) and Former Winners MSR, the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering twice and the Former Winner MSR twice. At the Scottish Piping Society of London Championship, he has won the Bratach Gorm eight times, the Gillies Cup Open Piobaireachd nine times, the Former Winners London Medallion MSR five times and the Overall Championship eight times. He continues to be a dynamic and exceptionally successful competitor. He is internationally esteemed as a teacher, adjudicator and recitalist and, for more than 20 years, his warm, strong sounding 100 year-old Lawrie pipes have given immense pleasure to audiences around the world.

In addition to his solo piping, he developed his interest in pipe bands from a young age and played with the Red Hackle and British Caledonian Airways Pipe Bands, the last of which became the Scottish Power Pipe Band. In 1995, Roddy MacLeod became its Pipe Major and, over the next decade, led it to over 45 Grade 1 Championship prizes including the Cowal Championships and All Ireland Championships. Roddy will perform a recital on Saturday 8^th April at the Maclean Civic Hall from 8.00 pm. Entry is free.

For more information on the Maclean Highland Gathering see: www.macleanhighlandgathering.com.au

A NYC Tartan Week Mòd will take place for the first time this spring as NYC Tartan Week, the largest annual Scottish cultural gathering in NYC, hosts its first ever Scottish Gaelic song contest in celebration of NYC Tartan Week’s 25^th anniversary of National Tartan Day. The two-day event will be held in association with An Comunn Gàidhealach, who are responsible for the annual Royal National Mòd, and hosted by Mòd Gold Medallist and BBC Alba’s SpeakGaelic presenter, Joy Dunlop. It marks the first time a Mòd has taken place in New York City.

A beautiful way to celebrate our community and our history

Singers from across North America, Scotland, and beyond are being invited to compete in the historic event which will take place at The Tailor Public House on Thursday 13^th April. The competition will see singers ages 16+ perform one of six prescribed Gaelic songs, or their own selected Gaelic song, before a panel of judges. The winner will be crowned NYC Tartan Week Mòd Champion 2023 with a cash prize sponsored by the New York Caledonian Club, and the winner will be invited to perform at the New York Caledonian Club NYC Tartan Week Pre-Parade Ceilidh. Wednesday 12^th April will see the event kick off with a series of workshops in Gaelic language and culture including song, instrumental music, step dancing, and ceilidh dancing. The festivities will be captured by Mac TV for a documentary that will be aired later this year. It will follow Joy as she travels across the Atlantic to share the spirit, excitement and camaraderie of the Mòd and speak to Americans with ties to Scotland about the importance of celebrating the Gaelic language and their heritage.

The Royal National Mòd, which takes place annually in different Scottish locations each October, is the highlight of the Gaelic community calendar and the annual festival is the largest gathering of Scottish Gaelic song, music, and culture in the world. Choirs, groups, quartets, duets, soloists, thespians, and musicians compete at this week-long gathering, with winners of its singing and musical competitions going on to delight audiences around the world. Joy Dunlop said: “The tradition of the Mòd is one we’ve enjoyed in Scotland for over 100 years, and we are so proud to bring this event to NYC for the first time. It’s a beautiful way to celebrate our community and our history and keep this important part of our culture thriving on both sides of the Atlantic.”

A gathering of people

James Graham, Chief Executive Officer of An Comunn Gàidhealach, said: “The Royal National Mòd is the biggest celebration of Gaelic language so it felt only fitting that we partnered up with North America’s largest annual Scottish cultural gathering. It’s wonderful to see NYC Tartan Week bring its own mòd to life across the Atlantic for what will be a fantastic opportunity for Gaelic speakers across the pond to take part in a Gaelic singing competition. This pilot project has so much potential, and we look forward to continue growing this friendship in years to come.”

The Royal National Mòd is organised by An Comunn Gàidhealach (The Highland Association) which was founded in Oban in 1891 and had HM The Queen as its Patron.  The Gaelic word “mòd” means “a gathering of people” and this festival was first held in Oban in 1892, and it has grown to become Scotland’s premier Gaelic festival famous for celebrating our Gaelic linguistic and cultural heritage.  Following Royal assent and now known as The Royal National Mòd, it provides opportunities for people of all ages to perform across a range of competitive disciplines including Gaelic music and song, highland dancing, instrumental, drama, sport and literature.

To find out more, visit www.nyctartanweek.org/mod. This year’s Royal National Mòd will take place in Paisley from 13^th-21^st October 2023. Entries are open now at www.ancomunn.co.uk.

The 22^nd annual Tartan Day on Ellis Island program will celebrate “The Story of Tartan Day” In addition to the new exhibition, Ellis Island will celebrate Tartan Day with a whole host of performers. As part of National Tartan Day, an exhibition tracing the story of Tartan Day, from its inception in Nova Scotia in 1986 to Congressional proclamations, the day recognizes Scots’ manifold contributions in science, industry, sports, politics and the fine arts throughout America’s history.

The event is produced by the Learned Kindred of Currie through their educational foundation, the Clan Currie Society. Research/writer for the exhibition is Matt Potter and design has been led by Melana Currie of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada serves as the exhibition designer. To commemorate National Tartan Day in song and dance, Ellis Island will also play host to a company of pipers, drummers, Highland Dancers, storytellers and more during Tartan Day Weekend, April 5-7. Admission is to the exhibit is free. Visitors will need to purchase ferry tickets to the island from www.statuecruises.com

The largest Tartan Day celebration in the world

Tartan Day on Ellis Island is one of the principal Scottish heritage events in the United States. Playing host to literally thousands of domestic and international visitors each day, it is the largest Tartan Day celebration in the world. Ellis Island is a fitting place to observe Tartan Day. The island and its historic buildings represent America’s “Golden Door.” From 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island. Although many Scots arrived during the colonial period of our history – helping to build the new nation – an additional half-million Scots came through Ellis Island. It has been estimated that 40% of Americans today can trace at least one ancestor’s entry into the United States through Ellis Island. Describing the annual program, noted Scottish journalist and author Roddy Martine reported that of all the Tartan Day events held in the United States, the Ellis Island observance has, “stood out as a beacon of what USA Tartan Day is all about: the emigrant ancestors of ordinary Americans who over three centuries crossed the Atlantic Ocean to create the world’s greatest democracy.”

Tartan Day on Ellis Island is produced by the Clan Currie Society – the non-profit wing of the Learned Kindred of Currie – one of the preeminent Scottish heritage organizations in the United States. The Society began their successful collaboration with the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 2002 in the coordination and sponsorship of their first Tartan Day celebration. As part of the celebrations for Tartan Day 2011, the Clan Currie Society commissioned a specially designed Ellis Island Tartan© to mark the 10^th Anniversary of Tartan Day on Ellis Island. Each color in the tartan reflects upon the American immigrant experience. The blue represents the ocean that had to be crossed to reach the American shores. The copper-green is the color of the Statue of Liberty. The red depicts the bricks of the Ellis Island buildings where 12 million Americans took their first steps towards freedom. The gold is the “golden door” that is the United States of America and the dawn of a new life in America.

Past programs have included “A Celebration of Tartan,” “Scots of New York,” “Captain Kidd and the Hangman’s Noose,” “Scots of the American West,” and “The Jacobites and America.”

Tartan Day on Ellis Island takes place at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, April 6-24, 2023, 10:00am-4:00 pm. For details see: www. facebook.com/TartanDayonEllisIsland

The Scots School Albury Highland Gathering and Pipe Band competition has been moved to September 2024 after the band confirmed a five-week tour to Scotland in July to compete in a host of events, including the World Pipe Band Championships and the Scottish Pipe Band Championships, and to perform at Piping Live in Glasgow. The new date will let the Pipe Band use its Scottish experience to value-add to its traditional Highland Games and Pipe Band Competition by choreographing a slick, high-end Military Tattoo-style event in the evening. The Scots Military Tattoo will showcase the Scots Pipe Band in a format similar to the traditional Royal Edinburgh Military tattoo, including horses, dancers, brass bands and heavy athlete performances.

The Scots Highland Gathering was set to be held in March this year, but as soon as the Pipe Band’s entries were accepted for the prestigious championship events, plans for a much bigger and more spectacular event were hatched. Organisers needed a longer lead time to put all their plans into motion.

A magnificent experience

Pipe Band coordinator Scott Nicolson said it was the perfect opportunity to showcase the Pipe Band and all things Scottish to the Albury Community in a way rarely seen in the Border town. “We want to make it a day to remember so we immediately thought about moving our March date until later this year,” Nicolson said. “But even that was going to be a tight turnaround from our overseas journey in August. So, we decided to wait; plan it with precision and deliver a magnificent experience in September next year.”

The Pipe Band also has confirmed its major performance dates in July, which will be the final preparation before the band leaves for its overseas competitions. The Sounds of Scotland concert will be on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 July at 7.30pm in the Albury Entertainment Centre.

The Scots School Albury Highland Gathering and Pipe Band competition will take place on Saturday 14 September 2024. For details: 02 6022 0000.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has begun a major conservation project to protect Craigievar’s fairytale pink exterior for future generations, the Pink Again fundraising campaign has launched to support the work. A major conservation project to protect and future-proof the famous pink exterior of Craigievar Castle in Aberdeenshire against damage from rain and climate change began this year. This follows a painstaking three-month build of scaffolding that, when laid end to end, stretches three times the length of Edinburgh’s Princes Street. The iconic pink castle, said to have inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle, has also donned a seven-storey pink mesh for the coming months. This will provide protection while the skilled and careful restoration of the stunning pink harling is carried out. Craigievar Castle’s harling was successfully replaced in 2009.

However, the impact of changing weather patterns caused by climate change means that this additional conservation and maintenance work is needed to ensure the building can withstand the increasingly wet and extreme weather. The current programme of conservation work, named the Pink Again project, will reinvigorate the pink tones of Craigievar’s walls with multiple coats of a special recipe of limewash. Also included in the repairs, which are expected to take 12 months to complete, are masonry restoration, roof work, maintenance to interior plasterwork and conservation of the lower enclosing (or ‘barmkin’) wall. Visitors will be treated to a grand reveal in spring 2024, when the new exterior is unveiled. Craigievar’s beautiful grounds will remain open to visitors throughout the work, and there will be signage onsite where people can read more about the project and its impact.

The castle’s famous pink exterior

Iain Hawkins, NTS Regional Director for the North East, said: “Craigievar holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the local community, across Scotland and indeed globally, thanks in no small part to the castle’s famous pink exterior, which was introduced in 1824 by Sir John Forbes. It’s our duty to ensure that this much-loved castle is protected against climate change in a way that is sympathetic to the natural environment and heritage of this magnificent building, and supportive of our Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone strategy. As a conservation charity, we rely on voluntary donations and membership support to care for and share special places like Craigievar Castle, so we have launched the “Pink Again” fundraising campaign to support this vital work. If you want to help us keep this enchanting castle safe from rainwater ingress and ensure that visitors can continue to fall in love with Craigievar for many generations to come, please consider donating to our campaign. We can’t wait to unveil this fairytale castle’s refreshed pink walls in 2024 and can assure our visitors, supporters and members that all the hard work will be very much worth it”.

To donate see: www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/pink-again

Main photo: Craigievar Castle in Aberdeenshire is said to have inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. Photo: NTS.

Most of Scotland’s globally-unique Caledonian pinewoods are on a ‘knife-edge’ and could become the last generation in a line stretching back to the last ice age, says the first major study into their health for over 60 years. A four-year analysis by Trees for Life found that high deer numbers, spread of non-native conifers, lack of long-term management, and emerging impacts of climate breakdown are major threats to the pinewoods’ survival. The woodlands form a rich habitat found nowhere else in the world, and some are thousands of years old. They are home to declining wildlife such as red squirrels, capercaillie and crossbills.

An alarm bell for Scotland’s Caledonian pinewoods

Urgent action needs to include dedicated and easily accessible long-term funding, so private landowners can save and restore their pinewoods and look after them in the future, says Trees for Life. The rewilding charity is also calling for full implementation of proposed national measures to reduce deer numbers, as well as action to allow the pinewoods to expand into cooler areas – such as higher up mountains – in response to climate change. “Our findings are an alarm bell for Scotland’s Caledonian pinewoods, which are such an important part of the country’s culture and environment. The majority of the surviving fragments are now on a knife-edge, and bold action is needed to save them from being lost forever. A landscape-scale approach backed by the Scottish Government is urgently needed to save, expand and connect up these precious woodlands before it is too late” said Steve Micklewright, Trees for Life’s Chief Executive. Only some 42,000 acres of the original pinewoods survive. Over the past four years, Trees for Life assessed the state of 72 of the remaining 84 fragments, which are scattered across the Highlands from Loch Lomond, northwards to near Ullapool, and eastwards to Glen Ferrick near Aberdeen.

In one of the most comprehensive surveys of the pinewoods ever undertaken, the team carried out detailed studies of more than 1,200 half-acre plots in total across the sites. Scotland’s national tree, the Scots pine, was found to be in serious decline at a quarter of the plots. Deer are having serious impacts in around two-thirds of the plots, by eating pine saplings, stripping important vegetation, and causing some pinewoods to be replaced by birch. High impacts from artificially large deer populations are the main barrier to the pinewoods’ recovery. Non-native conifers, originally planted in the 1950s, are still present in a third of the plots. Mainly Sitka spruce, these crowd-out and slowly kill Scots pine – a risk which increases year-on-year, with mature conifers an acute threat to Scots pine and other native trees.

The Caledonian Forest

“In the worst cases, the pinewoods have suffered non-native conifer planting or fire followed by grazing pressure, with the impacts of climate breakdown a growing threat. These pinewoods should be playing a key role in Scotland’s fight-back against the climate and nature emergencies, but right now most are on their last legs. It’s not too late to turn this around, but that means seriously stepping-up restoration and rewilding action,” said Trees for Life’s Senior Ecologist James Rainey, who led the study.

The Caledonian Forest once covered much of the Highlands, but following centuries of deforestation just some 2% of the forest remains. Trees for Life’s Caledonian Pinewood Recovery Project is the first major study of its kind since ‘The Native Pinewoods of Scotland’ by HM Steven and A Carlisle was published in 1959. Work by the then Forestry Commission Scotland in the 1990s mapped the sites in a Caledonian Pinewood Inventory, but this did not comprehensively assess the health of the pinewoods.

The new report, Caledonian Pinewoods: Findings from the Caledonian Pinewood Recovery Project, is available at: www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Set in the stunning Glen Innes Highlands, New South Wales, the Australian Celtic Festival is a Celtic experience like no other. Each May, the township of Glen Innes embraces their Celtic Heritage and joins in the festivities held among the Australian Standing Stones national monument. Glen Innes, located in regional New South Wales, proudly hosts the annual Australian Celtic Festival as one of their premier events on the first weekend in May, drawing visitors from all over Australia and Internationally. Now in its 31^st year, the festival will be highlighting the Year of Scotland with an action-packed program from the 4 May until 7 May 2023.

The Main Event

Enjoy the major attractions at the Australian Standing Stones on Saturday the 6 May and Sunday the 7 May. Catch the live weekend action of jousting tournament or highland games. Keep the kids entertained with loads of activities in the Celtic Kids marquee, browse Celtic inspired market stalls, meet your clan and learn about your Celtic heritage or simply enjoy the broad range of Celtic music, dance or traditional fashions. The festival has an exciting line-up with many crowd favourites returning to the stages and a variety of soft delicate melodies and big Celtic rock sounds. Austral, Mad Kelpie Playdate, Kejafi, Moreton Celtic Fiddle Club, Limerick & Highlander are just some of the talented and award-winning artists performing.

There are also extra evening ticketed events including the Friday Night Ceilidh – Fire and Feasting as well as Saturday Night Celtic Dance Spectacular – Luminescence. This show is a must see along with the many other dance performances throughout the weekend including the Australian Celtic Dance Championships. Those interested in the history of the ancient Celts and Vikings can’t go past the re-enactment village or the An T-Arm Albannach as they re-enact the Jacobite rebellion. The New England Medieval Arts Society (NEMAS) is a social community offering a look at Celtic and Viking culture from over 1000 years ago. Explore the village and find cooking stews, roasting meats, traditional games, arts and crafts and the practise of military drills plus various demonstrations and battles throughout the day. An T-Arm Albannach are a Living History Group which re-enacts the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745-46 and re-enacts a small clan presence amongst the gathering of the Clans in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie as he raised his standard against the Hanovarian Dynasty.

The Jacobite army brought with it not only highlanders and lowlanders, but other nationalities who were loyal to the Stuart cause. An T’Arm Albannach sets itself in the Scottish Highlands as the clans gather to the call of ‘Bonnie’ Prince Charlie.  Nova Hollandia will also be demonstrating live jousting tournaments on horseback with four sessions throughout the weekend. Highland Muscle will be leading the Highland Games with traditional heavy events for both women and men. A huge highlight in 2023 will be the Pipe Band Competitions, visits by Highland cows and ponies. After a full day of adventure kick back at the Boar and Drum Bar and licensed precinct with outdoor screen and listen to the music with old friends and new in the welcoming atmosphere.

Events happening around town

During festival week there is a range of fun events happening around Glen Innes for visitors and the community, catering to all interests and ages. On Thursday the 4 May, the Australian Celtic Festival hosts the official 100,000 Welcomes Concert at the Glen Innes and District Services Club. This is a taster of what’s to come and a popular event for early arrivals. This year there will also be a fun run, events at the Land of the Beardies History House, dinners at the Glen Innes Showgrounds as well as many of the pubs, clubs and restaurants in town with special Celtic fare and entertainment. There will be the Highlands Hub Celtic Symposium, Busking competition, Australian Celtic Cultural Awards with an awards night held at Gawura Gallery as well as an Art Trail.  

It is wonderful to see the return of international travellers to Glen Innes and the Festival are very proud to have acclaimed traditional musician Dr Paul Anderson who is an official honoured guest who will also be performing throughout the weekend and at official ceremonies. We are also proud to have Finlay Wilson – The Kilted Yoga who will be holding workshops and demonstrations at the Standing Stones and offering a special Kilted Yoga Day Retreat at the beautiful Waterloo Station. Tickets are required for these events as spaces are limited.

There are also some fantastic, free, family friendly activities to enjoy like the official opening ceremony which is held in the historic town centre on Friday morning. On Saturday you must not miss the Street parade from 9.30am where the crowds gather to watch the massed pipe bands, clans and societies marching in solidarity. Following the parade check out all the local businesses who have got in the spirit of the event and decorated their windows. There will be free buses throughout the town heading to the Australian Standing Stones with stops at the Glen Innes Visitor Information Centre, Showgrounds and various ACF supported businesses in town. Those who aren’t heading up to the festival can grab a bite from the beautiful local eateries in town or in the main street.

Find a place to stay

Glen Innes has many accommodation options to suit all budgets, from the humble motel to the luxurious and secluded farm stay, there’s also a great range of caravan parks and some free camping areas. There’s also the option of seeing more of the beautiful New England High Country region in its peak Autumnal season by staying in Glen Innes’ surrounding villages and neighbouring towns that are under an hour’s drive to the festival. Tickets for Australian Celtic Festival official events are on sale and available online at www.australiancelticfestival.com where you can also find the full program of events happening around Glen Innes or follow Australian Celtic Festival on Facebook and Instagram.

Main photo: Cape Byron Celtic Dancers. Photo: Steven Earl.

By: David C. Weinczok

Hills are so often described as ‘focal points’ in a landscape. But what happens when the hills are shapeshifters? Such is the way of the Eildon Hills, whose three highest peaks are perhaps the most recognisable and beloved landmarks of the Scottish Borders. Their shadows touch, quite literally, upon the remnants of ages past that altogether shaped the identity of the area. In the low winter sun, the shadow cast from Eildon Hill North breaches the boundaries of the vast, and almost entirely vanished, Roman fort of Trimontium astride the River Tweed. It has also been noted, only quite recently, that the Midwinter shadow of Eildon Mid Hill very nearly touches the high altar of Melrose Abbey.

Most would say that there are three Eildons – Eildon Hill North, Eildon Mid Hill, and Eildon Wester Hill. There is, however, a fourth, aptly called ‘Little Hill’, nestled at the edge of a shallow valley on the western edge of the range between Eildon Mid and Eildon Wester hills. Still, from most perspectives it is the three highest peaks that dominate. Depending on where you stand, even this is subject to change. The tendency of these hills – so sudden and magnetic in their otherwise low-lying and placid surrounds – to become three, two, or even one has bolstered belief in their magical quality. Seen from the west and south, for instance from high ground above Sir Walter Scott’s home of Abbotsford or the Minto Hills, they stand as triplets, with Eildon Wester stretching away from the others. From the north, as at the old monastic site of Gattonside, Eildon North and Mid hills appear as twins, with perspective playing tricks as to which is the highest (Eildon Mid Hill comes out on top, barely, at 422 metres compared with Eildon North’s 404). From the east, the three become one as Eildon Hill North seems to engulf them all.

Hollow hills

In the realm of legend, the Eildons are ‘hollow hills’. Much like Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, they are said to contain a vast, magical realm within, inhabited by fairy folk and the sleeping warriors of Arthur who will one day awake at the sound of a great horn to sweep evil from the land. Also like Arthur’s Seat, the Eildons are the remains of a volcanic range which fundamentally shaped the landscape they loom over today. Their hollows were long ago filled in by powerful geological forces. Much more recently, people have filled them with stories. One such story is of Thomas the Rhymer, one of the Borders’ most enigmatic sons. In lore he has gone down as a man of prophecy and mystery. In life he was a 13^th century multilingual seeker of knowledge steeped in Welsh literary traditions (though he wrote in English) who came to own a small tower house in what is now Earlston. One of his most famous prophecies was that the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea would one day meet in the middle of Scotland. This arguably became true upon the completion of the Caledonian Canal. Another was that only a dead man could take Roxburgh Castle. In 1460 King James II of Scotland was killed besieging Roxburgh Castle when his own cannon burst its barrel, though the castle did indeed fall soon after.

Thomas’ gift of prophecy was given to him by the Queen of the Fairies. While resting beneath a tree at a site now marked by a small monument called the Rhymer’s Stone, Thomas was beckoned by the Queen to join her in her kingdom within the Eildons. Such was the wealth of this hidden kingdom that the teeth of sheep grazing on the Eildons’ slopes were said to turn yellow from gold dust! A series of otherworldly wonders presented themselves on the way, including a red river representing the amount of blood shed on earth in a single day and an orchard filled with apples grown out of all the curses people uttered aloud. The Fairy Queen presented him with one apple which gave him a tongue that could never lie, and so Thomas of Ercildoun became the Rhymer.

The greatest hilltop settlements in Scotland

More tangibly, Eildon Hill North was once among the greatest hilltop settlements in Scotland. Though almost nothing aside from much-reduced earthen ramparts are visible to the naked eye, the broad summit was once entirely enclosed by a wall containing nearly 500 huts borne on wooden platforms. During the Bronze and Iron Ages it could support upwards of 3,000 people, 500 more than the population of modern Melrose. Recent excavations unearthed evidence that Eildon Hill North was fortified well into the Early Medieval Period, with the invading Northumbrians of the 7^th century referring to it as ‘Aeled-Dun’, ‘Fire Hill’.

All this overlooked Trimontium, a sprawling legionary fortress that saw intermittent use by various waves of Roman would-be conquerors for three centuries. Astonishing finds including glittering metal cavalry helmets, hoards of gladius swords and other panoplies of war, and bronze wine jugs have been recovered from the fields of crops which now conceal this remnant of Empire. Like the dot at the bottom of a question mark, Eildon Hill North is punctuated by small dip, all that remains of a Roman watch tower. What was the relationship between this mighty native hilltop haven and the legionaries in its shadow? Many Roman objects have turned up in sites occupied by local tribes and vice versa, so it was not all ‘us versus them’. Still, there are many questions which the Eildons yet hold the answers to.

The best way to know the Eildons is to walk them. Each is formidable in its own way, yet more than worth the effort. The summit of Eildon Mid Hill can seem almost sub-Arctic, scree-scattered and blasted by winds with tiny conifers eking out from the thin soils between stones. Eildon Wester Hill, with its steady path towards the Eildons’ furthest outstretched point, feels like a south-facing pulpit overlooking the fertile lands leading to the Cheviots and England beyond. From atop Eildon Hill North, the architectural wonder of Melrose Abbey far below seems like little more than a doll’s house, putting our earthly and spiritual ambitions into perspective. A strangely still lochan, its waters too murky to reveal their depths and its intrigue enhanced by its absence from the OS map, rests by Little Hill. Set within the amphitheatre of the Eildons, the romantic in me wonders what treasures might have been deposited in its depths long ago by the people of the hills. In every sense of the term, there are many Eildons. Their meaning transforms with each person’s motivations for seeking them, and even their appearance shifts with each new approach. What do the Eildon Hills hide? Nothing less than the stories and histories we scatter across their slopes.

It is with great pleasure that the Bundanoon Highland Gathering announce the following competitors for the events being run by the Kilted Warriors under the direction of Dr. Lance Holland-Keen and Aaron Monks The Brigadoon committee would like to express their deep appreciation and congratulate the Kilted Warriors for their continual support at Bundanoon At 3.10pm, on the oval The Kilted Warriors will be lifting the Bundanoon Stones.  Could this be the best challenge ever?

The weight of the stones are 100kgs 115kgs 125kgs 140kgs and 165kgs.  This should be an outstanding event this year as these are the top athletes in the games at the present time: Strongmen Andrew Fraser, Hank Theunissen, Luke Reynolds and Rongo Keene will all compete in the Lifting of the Bundanoon Stones and the Australian Highland Heavy Weight Championships.

A full day of entertainment

Also on display at Bundanoon will be the Street Parade at 9am, Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Enjoy wonderful displays of Scottish Highland Dancing and the Country Dancing on the main oval during the day. Listen to the twenty-five pipe bands who are scheduled to perform, including an incredible massed bands performance with a moving lone piper display.

The Chieftain of the Day will be The Rt. Honourable the 15^th Earl of Loudoun. Simon Abney-Hastings is an Australian Earl who is the current holder of one of the oldest Scottish noble titles, Earl of Loudoun. Also on display will be Swordplay School of Theatrical Fencing & Stage Combat and Mary Kiani will be performing Scottish classics in the Fiddlers Tent, where you can also tap along to the Sydney Scottish Fiddlers. Kids will have much to enjoy at the Bonnie Bairns Competition and other children’s events. A variety of Scottish Clans and Societies will also be represented, be sure to visit the Clan village to learn about your ancestry and how to become involved in the Scottish community. A huge array of food and stalls will also be dotted around the field to pick up great gifts and experience a taste of Scotland. So, get your kilt on for the Kilted Dash, or just to walk around and soak up the atmosphere of Bundanoon is Brigadoon.

The Bundanoon Highland Gathering takes place April 1^st in Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands. For details and tickets see: www.brigadoon.org.au                   

Did you know?

-Modelled on the MacGlashen Stones from Scotland they consist of a set of five round stones ranging from 90 kg to 165 kg in weight.

-Only five of the stones are used at any one time with the current competition set comprising the 115kgs, 120kgs, 125kgs, 140kgs and 165kgs.

-The stones vary in size from 43 centimetres to a massive 50 centimetres or half metre in a diameter.

-The history of the stones goes back over one thousand years to the highlands of Scotland when a boy was considered to have reached manhood when he could lift two stone in weight from the bare ground onto the top of a stone dyke or fence as we know it.

-Most villages took part in this exercise and the stones varied from village to village.

-In the late 1970’s the lifting of the stones was brought back to life in Scotland with the introduction of the MacGlashsen Stones.

-The five round stones range in weight from 90 kg through to 165 kg. The stones are laid out five metres apart lightest to heaviest with each competitor having to lift all five stones on top of a wooden barrel four feet in height.

-The person who can lift all five stones on top of the barrels in the fastest time is declared the champion of the day.        

By: Judy Vickers

As a sport, its fortunes have often reflected the ups and downs of life in the Highlands where it is played, from Celtic myths, through the Scottish diaspora and the decimation of young men during World War One to the challenges of modern rural life. And those with a passion for shinty – camanachd or iomain in Gaelic – will be hoping that particular tradition continues as the stick and ball sport looks to a future with more young people and women playing, and stronger ties to the Gaelic language, the native tongue in many of the areas where it still flourishes. This month the game’s 2023/24 season gets going, with 53 teams across six men’s divisions and 25 women’s teams playing for glory and the chance to win one of several trophies, the most prestigious of which is the Camanachd Cup with its final played in September.

A community-based game

Thousands across the Highlands, from islands such as Skye, and the west in Argyll up to Badenoch, where the mighty shinty clubs of Kingussie and Newtonmore rule, are involved in the game. Yet the sport takes a back seat compared to football or rugby in terms of headlines, even in Scotland. Camanachd president Steven MacKenzie says that it’s probably down to the fact the sport is still a community-based game. “We are pretty much a village sport, they are generally small communities playing, but it is a big deal within the Highlands.” As it’s an amateur sport, talented players don’t disappear off to the big cities with juicy sporting contracts, so in many ways shinty is still the sport it has been for centuries with community pitted against community for honour and pride.

In fact, shinty’s origins are lost in the mists of time. “We go right back to Celtic mythology,” says Steven, referring to an ancient legend about the game from Ireland. Shinty has common roots with the Irish sport of hurling – the sport was brought over by Irish settlers to Scotland centuries ago and while the sports have developed differently over the years they have enough in common for shinty and hurling teams to play each with adapted rules in international games. And the Irish warrior hero and demi-god Cú Chulainn gained his name thanks to the sport.  According to Irish mythology, he was known as Sétanta until the day Conchobar, the king of Ulster, saw the young boy playing hurling and was so impressed he invited him to a later feast. Unfortunately, by the time Sétanta finished his game and arrived for the feast, the host Culann has loosed his enormous guard dog, which promptly attacked the approaching Sétanta. To save himself, he hit a mighty shot with his hurling stick and drove his hurling ball down the creature’s throat, killing it. As Culann is upset at the loss of his dog, Sétanta promises to stand in as his replacement guard until he can raise a new guard dog. And after that, during all his adventures, he is known as Cú Chulainn, meaning Culann’s hound.

While there probably weren’t many mythological giant hounds to deal with, shinty could be quite a ferocious affair in times gone by, with no strict rules on the number of players – it’s now 12 a side for the men’s game and ten for the women’s. Matches were village against local village, often on a holiday or feast day – New Year was a particular focus. Rules began to be made more uniform once the Camanachd Association, the governing body for the sport, was created in 1893 but a match could still be quite a lively affair, as Dr Isabel Frances Grant, the founder of the Highland Folk Museum in 1935, now located in Newtonmore, reported as she gathered anecdotes about Highland life. “To watch shinty at its liveliest one must see a match between the teams from two neighbouring and rival districts. The speed is terrific. The spectators, all local people, are whipped up to vociferous animosity against the opposing side. Casualties are borne off the field (sometimes including spectators hit when the ball flies wide) but they generally soon rise to re-engage in the conflict. After a cup-match the winning team carries the trophy home in triumph, and it is filled and refilled with whisky by a public-spirited hotel keeper and carried up and down the village street every passer-by being given a sip out of it.”

Helps to bind communities together

But the early 20^th century also brought tragedy. Many Highland and island communities saw their populations of young men wiped out by the First World War and shinty, with its ranks of young fit men, was hit hard.  One battle in particular cut a devastating swathe – the Battle of Festubert in France in May 1915. Among the 16,000 British soldiers killed in ten days of fighting in that battle were the cream of both the 1913 and 1914 Camanachd Cup winning teams. In 1914, the Camanachd Cup was won by Kingussie, still today one of the biggest teams in shinty. Five of the 1914 team failed to come home, including the captain, William MacGillivray. The 1913 winners, Beauly, lost 25 men, including the captain Alastair Paterson and his brother Donald – hit by a sniper during the battle after stopping to tend to two wounded men. But the story of Donald, a 23-year-old lance corporal and noted piper, has a touching aftermath. “Years and years later his niece found his pipes and a tune he had written for Beauly Shinty Club during the war,” says Steven. The bagpipes, still with blood on them, had been retrieved from the battlefield and sent back to Donald’s family along with a tune he had somehow managed to write while in the trenches and stored away. It was a poignant moment when the song was first performed, more than 80 years after it was first written. The pipes are now played by a descendant of Donald.

The game also helped to sustain those sent to war – camans were sent out to troops in the Second World War and it was played by captured prisoners of war, including Stalag IXc (a German prisoner-of-war camp for Allied soldiers in World War II). And the Scottish diaspora helped to spread shinty further afield as Scots brought the game to their new homes – ice hockey is said to have been started by Scottish immigrants to Nova Scotia who started playing the game on skates on frozen lakes.

In the 19^th century it was widely played all across Britain – the English football team Nottingham Forest was founded by shinty players and the Manchester Camanachd Club was formed in 1875 -before football and rugby took over and it returned to its Highland heart. The difficulties of finding jobs and housing in the Highlands in modern times, leading to rural de-population especially of young people, hits shinty as much as any other part of Highland life. But Steven says shinty also helps to bind communities together. “We need to retain families who will have children growing up in the area, we have to hold on to them. Shinty plays a large part in maintaining our rural areas – our youth grow up and represent their communities and people take a great pride in that.”

What is Shinty?

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The game starts with the throw up – the referee throws the ball into the air at the centre of the pitch and two players grapple for it in the air with their sticks. The object is to get the ball into the opposed side’s net by dribbling it, passing it or hitting it through the air – unlike hockey, the stick is allowed above shoulder height and shoulder-to-shoulder tackles are allowed. But bashing your opponent’s stick with your stick is called hacking and is a foul.

Helmets are now mandatory for under-17s and will soon become so for senior players, with many already adopting them. Even so, the game has a reputation for a high injury level compared to other sports which Steven says is somewhat undeserved. “That’s more a media reflection of people who don’t know the sport. It’s very skilful, people learn to protect themselves with the stick as well as learning how to hit the ball.”

The stick is known as a caman, coming from the word cam, Gaelic for crooked, referring to the bend at the end. Once made from whatever wood was available locally, often ash – though reportedly even from kelp on some of the islands – they are now usually laminated hickory made by a small band of specialist makers. “It is a craft industry,” says Steven. “They are usually making sticks for the community they come from.” As they are not factory produced, camans can be slightly different sizes and shapes but since the 1920s, all camans must be able to pass through a two-and-a-half inch diameter ring, which the referee used to carry with him.

All images courtesy of the Camanachd Association.

Scotch whisky could be in for a revamp from a 200-year-old barley crop. Experts from Heriot-Watt’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) are working with Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh to find out whether old species of barley could create distinctive new whiskies.  Over the next six years, they’ll test at least eight heritage barley varieties and provide the scientific evidence needed to classify the flavours and aromas they bring to a dram.  Dr Calum Holmes, International Centre for Brewing and Distilling, Heriot-Watt University said, “There’s hope that using these heritage varieties of barley might allow for recovery of favourable aroma characteristics.”

200-year-old Chevallier is one of the varieties they’ll be distilling. It was the most popular barley in Britain for 100 years but fell out of favour when tax rules changed. They’ll also test Hana, which was originally grown in Czech Moravia and was used to make the first blond Pilsner lager in 1842.  Golden Promise is from the 1960s and grows predominantly on the east coast of Britain, from Angus down to Northumberland. It is best known as the barely behind the iconic Macallan bottlings from the sixties. The team hopes that the research will create new single malts for Holyrood Distillery and increase knowledge and awareness about the positive traits of heritage barleys. 

Dr Calum Holmes from Heriot-Watt’s ICBD said: “New varieties of malting barley are developed regularly to improve processability and agronomic traits, and its not uncommon to find some predominate the industry for a period of time. However, there’s increasing interest within the malting and distilling industries to explore a role for older barley varieties. There’s hope that using these heritage varieties of barley might allow for recovery of favourable aroma characteristics into distillate and some have also displayed potential resilience to stresses that might be expected from a changing climate.”

Incredible drams

Holmes and his team will be exploring the impact of using heritage barley varieties on malt and distillate quality. The work will focus on the interplay between grain production and composition and the impact on distillery processing efficiency and distillate aroma volatile profile.

Marc Watson, head of spirit operations at Holyrood Distillery, said: “We’re a young distillery and that means we have the freedom to experiment and be playful.  We decided to try making some mashes and distillations with Chevallier. It was fascinating. The first thing we noticed was an oilier mouth texture, it had a great mouth feel. We think there are clear sensory differences with using heritage barleys, but we wanted to back it up with science.  Luckily, we have the world-famous Heriot-Watt right here in Edinburgh, and this is the second time we’re working with them.  Understanding what each heritage barley brings to the flavour, mouth feel and aroma of whisky means we can design incredible drams. It’s using innovation to bring back characteristics that have been lost by switching to newer varieties of barley, flavours and aromas that haven’t been present in whisky for decades if not longer.”

For more than half a century The Melbourne Highland Games & Celtic Festival (MHG&CF) has been held annually within the City of Maroondah. Live events were interrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the Games transitioned to a Virtual Highland Games format that was very successful and provided important support to our Games community during that difficult time.

In March 2022 it was the first Highland games to return “live” in Victoria post the pandemic. The Games hosted a very well attended and successful event which was held at Eastfield Park, Croydon for the first time.

The only traditional Highland Games left in metropolitan Melbourne

The great news is that the MHG&CF will be back at Eastfield Park Croydon on Sunday the 26^th of March 2023. As the only traditional Highland games left in metropolitan Melbourne we are anticipating that this year’s event will again be very well attended and should be a spectacular day for everyone involved.

The celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture will include hundreds of pipers and for the first time “Highland Muscle” will be staging the Men’s and Women’s Heavy Events. Many forms of Celtic dancers will comprise of Scottish Country dancers, Scottish Highland dancers as well as Welsh and Irish dancers. The folk tent, hosted by the Victorian Folk Club, will be back again so there will be live music being performed throughout the day.

There will be numerous other exhibits and stalls and the committee are working hard to have plenty of activities for children of all ages as well as adults. Last year, most festivals struggled to find the vendors that are an important part of festivals. There should be plenty of food, beverage, memorabilia, crafts and apparel vendors for attendees to spend their money on. Vendors can book a stall at: www.melbournehighlandgames.org.au/about-the-games/book-a-stall

The Melbourne Highland Games & Celtic Festival takes place at Eastfield Park, Croydon on Sunday March 26^th 2023. For full details please see: www.melbournehighlandgames.org.au

The most international cast ever, with performers from nine different countries – including Ukraine!

The 2023 Virginia International Tattoo will feature the largest international cast to date, April 20 – 23 in Norfolk, Virginia. Nine countries will bring their awe-inspiring performers to Norfolk and be a part of the largest spectacle of music and might in the United States. Performers from Australia, Latvia, New Zealand, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and more will join the cast in what is sure to be an emotional and inspirational Tribute to Military Families.

As the Tattoo’s Producer/Director, J. Scott Jackson said: “Imagine if Hollywood decided to create an old fashioned epic motion picture with a patriotic theme and you had a chance to see it performed live. You would have: A huge cast, stunning costumes, intricate choreography, a dramatic musical soundtrack, moments of sheer spectacle, stirring pride and patriotism, something to make you laugh, something to make you cry, 2 hours that flew by way too fast and a really good villain. Replace the villain with 125 bag pipers and drummers and you have the 2023 Virginia International Tattoo.”

What is the Tattoo?

The centuries-old tradition of Tattoo originated as a signal from drummers instructing Dutch innkeepers near military garrisons to “Doe den Tap-too” or “turn off the tap”. Hearing the call “Tap-too” soldiers would return to their barracks for an evening roll call. The ensuing parade of soldiers evolved into a military marching band performance now known worldwide as “Tattoo.” The Tattoos seen across the world today are ceremonial performances of military music by massed bands. Each Tattoo is influenced by the culture of the country they represent. Fans of these massed spectacles of music and might flock to the world’s great Tattoos: Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, Basel Tattoo in Switzerland, and Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Canada. But the greatest Tattoo in the United States, and rivaling the largest in the world, is the Virginia International Tattoo.

The Virginia International Tattoo is located in the Coastal Virginia city of Norfolk – home to the world’s largest Navy base, NATO’s only North American headquarters, and the largest population of active duty and retired military in the United States. With “home port” in these waters, it is no surprise that the Tattoo is widely known as the most patriotic in the world.

Tickets and Information: www.vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822, or in person at the Virginia Arts Festival Box Office located at 440 Bank Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. Attending the Virginia International Tattoo When: Thursday, April 20, 7:30 pm, Friday, April 21, 7:30 pm, Saturday, April 22, 7:30 pm, Sunday, April 23, 2:30 pm. Where: Scope Arena, 201 E. Brambleton Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia. Stay up to date: Follow the Virginia International Tattoo on social media platforms @VaTatt and subscribe to the Virginia International Tattoo YouTube page for the latest and greatest content, behind-the-scenes, cast takeovers, and more.

One of Geelong’s oldest and most popular major events, The Geelong Highland Gathering, first held in 1857, has come to an end.  The Gathering attracted thousands of people annually and became the second largest such event in Australia, before losing its home of more than 50 years, Queens Park, in 2011.

Since 2011, The Gathering has been held at Fyansford, Geelong Showgrounds, Deakin University at Waurn Ponds, Goldsworthy Reserve, Corio and, in 2019, Osborne Park, North Geelong. It was not held in 2020, 2021 or 2022 because of the Covid pandemic. The event was founded by the Comunn na Feinne Society, which itself was created only a year earlier, in 1856, by Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlander settlers in Geelong. The Comunn na Feinne Hotel – now known as “The Commo” – on the corner of Bellarine and Kilgour streets – is a reminder of the past.

The ageing Gathering committee has been attempting to attract younger members for several years to ensure its future, but without success. At a special meeting following its 2022 AGM, it was decided to bring The Gathering to an end when there were no nominations for office bearers. “For several years we have been trying to attract younger people to take on committee positions to ensure the future of The Gathering, but to no avail”, Geelong Highland Gathering Association’s former Chair and Chieftain, Dr Maurice Marshall, said. He thanked the City of Greater Geelong and its officers who had been very supportive of the event.

A wonderful major event for Geelong

“I am saddened and stressed by the loss, but privileged to have been part of The Gathering and at home in Geelong”, Dr Marshall added. He said all members of the committee shared his sadness at their inability to attract younger members.  The Victorian Pipe Band Championships, South Pacific Highland Games Championships, Highland dancing competitions, Scottish country dancing displays, folk music, clan and heritage groups, 42nd Highland Regiment and Varangian Guard historic re-enactment group, Scottish market and Highland cattle display, were major attractions.

The original Gathering ran from 1857 to 1929 when it became a victim of the Great Depression.  But in 1957, Newtown City Council resurrected The Gathering when it sought a major event for Queens Park. The council ran it until municipal amalgamation in 1993, when the City of Greater Geelong took it over before passing it on to the newly formed Geelong Highland Gathering Association (GHGA) in 1995. The GHGA grew the event considerably. “It has been a wonderful major event for Geelong over so many years, reminding us of the major influence of Scottish migrants, including James Harrison, the inventor of refrigeration and founder of the Geelong Advertiser, the Rev Andrew Love, the region’s first Presbyterian minister and Alexander Thomson, first mayor of Geelong”, Dr Marshall said:  “Sadly The Geelong Highland Gathering has ended.”

Once a month, during most of the summer season, visitors to Auchindrain, Scotland’s last remaining ‘living museum’ township, are in for a real treat when the ladies of Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh (Inverclyde Waulking Group) make a tuneful appearance. Together since 2000, this ten-strong band of sisters has performed their traditional Gaelic waulking music at Auchindrain for 15 years and have travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, as well as further afield, demonstrating their impressive harmonies.

Waulking, the final stage in the long and laborious process of producing homespun tweed woollen cloth, is the perfect rhythmical process for a song according to Frances Dunlop who heads up the group: “The genesis of Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh was way back in 1981, when I first went to a summer school in Stirling University with Anne Lorne Gillies. I had sung in Gaelic choirs for many years, but over several years under Anne’s guidance I came to appreciate traditional Gaelic song – and my life was transformed! Gradually I became more familiar with waulking songs, but it was a long time before I plucked up courage to suggest to Greenock Gaelic Choir that some of us might sing them together and so the group came into being. Our very first performance was in December 2000 when we had a 10 minute spot at the choir’s annual concert. There are currently ten of us in the group, two of whom, besides myself, are founder members. Most of us hail from Greenock, Port Glasgow, Inverkip and Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde but others come from further afield such as Dunoon and Barrhead. We are always on the look-out to welcome new members and have amassed quite a large repertoire of songs over the years.”

Fulling the cloth

Frances continued:  “Waulking or fulling the cloth, was practised widely but we believe that only in Scottish Gaelic culture was it accompanied by singing. It’s a very ancient tradition with some of the songs being centuries old. They’ve been passed on orally and transformed into many differing versions, which adds to the interest but can also be quite frustrating deciding which version we prefer! Most of the songs are loosely structured: in order to make a song last long enough for the work, lines might be imported from another song or perhaps a few lines of improvisation could be thrown in. One woman sings the verse of one or two lines. It seems effortless but takes a lot of skill and practice to get the timing exactly right! The rest join in the chorus, which in the oldest songs are composed of meaningless vocals. Later songs may have some words in the chorus as well. The waulking would begin with a slow song, increasing in speed as the cloth dried, and the women got warmed up. In Uist and Barra, after being waulked the cloth was rolled up, and patted to smooth it out to the accompaniment of a clapping song (oran basaidh) which was a fast, cheerful song, sometimes an improvised ‘pairing off’ song when the names of those present would be linked with local young men.

“Waulking was an important part of female culture, so women wishing to compose a song often adopting the waulking style. The songs come straight from the heart and are full of passion but utterly without sentimentality. Waulking died out a few decades ago but these songs are worth preserving. They need to be ‘worked’ in order to bring them to life. The whole process is very therapeutic. In the songs you can express your every emotion; the hypnotic thumping of the cloth on the table helps to release all your tensions and frustrations and it is very good exercise! In the company of your friends you can have a gossip and talk over problems. It’s great ‘female bonding’ and cheaper than counselling!” added Frances

 Auchindrain Historic Township, situated on the A83 between Inveraray and Lochgilphead in Argyll & Bute, is currently operating in ‘winter mode’ until the end of March 2023. Visitors can explore Scotland’s last township from Monday to Friday (10am to 4pm).

For more information visit www.waulk.org and www.auchindrain.org.uk.

Nicola Sturgeon has announced her intention to resign as First Minister of Scotland. The First Minister said: “Being First Minister of Scotland is, in my opinion, the best job in the world. It is a privilege beyond measure – one that has sustained and inspired me, in good times and through the toughest hours of my toughest days. Since my first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know – almost instinctively – when the time is right to make way for someone else. And when that time comes, to have the courage to do so. In my head and my heart I know that time is now. I am announcing my intention to step down as First Minister and leader of my party. I will remain in office until my successor is in place. I have been First Minister for over eight years, and I was Deputy First Minister for the best part of eight years before that. These jobs are a privilege but they are also – rightly – hard. And, it is only possible to give absolutely everything to a job of this nature for so long. Given the nature and scale of the challenges the country faces, I feel that duty, first and foremost, to our country – to ensure that it does have the energy of leadership it needs, not just today, but through the years that remain of this parliamentary term.

The longest-serving Scottish First Minister ever

“We are at a critical moment. The blocking of a referendum as the accepted, constitutional route to independence is a democratic outrage. But it puts the onus on us to decide how Scottish democracy will be protected and to ensure that the will of the Scottish people prevails. I am firmly of the view that there is now majority support for independence. But that support needs to be solidified – and it needs to grow further if our independent Scotland is to have the best possible foundation. To achieve that we need to reach across the divide in Scottish politics, and my judgement now is that this needs a new leader. It has always been my belief that no one individual should be dominant in any system for too long. But, as a leader, while it’s easy to hold that view in the abstract, it is harder to live by it. I consider this decision to be the right one for me, my party and the country.”

Nicola Sturgeon, who is also the leader of the ruling Scottish Nationalist Party, plans to remain an MSP for Glasgow Southside (a seat she has held since 2011) until the next Holyrood election. Sturgeon has been an MSP since 1999 and is the longest-serving Scottish First Minister ever and the first woman to hold the position.

Photo: The Scottish Government.

There is a new ceilidh sensation taking over the dance floors in Perth – and Australian audiences can’t get enough. Gallus Ceilidh Band is putting a fresh twist on the traditional Scottish shindig, mashing traditional music with rock and dance tunes to create a high-energy vibe with serious appeal for all age groups.

The band is the brainchild of Ali MacKerron, who wanted to develop a ceilidh sound that would appeal to new audiences and help perpetuate Scottish culture and heritage. He’s delighted with what they have achieved.

“It’s such a great feeling to see the look on people’s faces when the concept clicks into place for them. One minute they are doing a Strip The Willow to traditional music and then it segues into Long Way To The Top. It creates a real energy boost for the crowd.”

Gallus is a good Scottish word meaning self-confident, daring, wild or cheeky, all descriptors which suit the band well. Gallus’ seven members make a big noise, with both small and highland pipes, fiddles, whistle, acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard and drums. And throughout the dance sets you will find an eclectic mix of songs – everything from Avicii to The White Stripes, and Franz Ferdinand to AC/DC. The result is a ceilidh that rocks, and the band likes to play hard and fast, leaving audiences out of breath and wanting more.

“We do walk everyone through the dance sets, but it really doesn’t matter if they make mistakes. It’s about joining in and having a go.”

Since their debut at the Duxton Hotel in August 2021, Gallus has been in high demand for weddings, parties, fund raisers and festivals. Their next public event is at Perth Mess Hall in Northbridge on 3^rd of March and tickets are selling out fast.

“Anyone who has been to a ceilidh will understand how space hungry it is. The Mess Hall gives us all the room we need to let everyone kick up their heels. With over 200 attendees expected we think it will be Perth’s biggest ceilidh ever!”

Interested in a Gallus ceilidh experience? Tickets for the Monster Ceilidh at the Mess Hall are available at Megatix.com.au, or follow the band on Facebook and Instagram for future updates.

Gallus Ceilidh Band are:

Ali MacKerron – Small Pipes, Highland Pipes, Dance Caller, Vocals

Fiona Davidson – Fiddle, vocals

Linda Gauld – Fiddle

Graeme Watt – Whistles, Fiddle, Vocals

Joe Mullaney – Keyboards, Vocals

Nathan Borona – Electric Guitar

Marcus Davidson – Drums

Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker is returning to North America for his second book tour to celebrate the release of his second cookbook, My Scottish Island Kitchen. A fresh selection of wholesome, rustic recipes, charming stories and breathtaking photography from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Inspired by family recipes, traditional bakes and Scottish flavours, MacLeod showcases Scotland’s extensive larder and brings us flavourful dishes with a story to tell. The cookbook is filled with dishes for all seasons from Island Scones to Caledonian Cream, Posh Mince & Tatties to a Flying Scotsman, First Footers Martini to Empire Biscuits and a chapter of festive recipes to light up your Christmas table. This book is filled with treats to make every Scot and lover of Scotland flock to their kitchens!

A breath of fresh Scottish island air to your kitchen

The book tour will take Coinneach to Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Fort Collins, CO, Chicago and Toronto with further dates and cities being announced soon. “I’m so excited to be visiting the US again, I have loved sharing my passion for Scotland and the Hebrides across America and can’t wait to meet friends, old and new at my book events. There will be island stories, some Gaelic songs and the chance to meet myself and Peter”, said Coinneach in advance of his trip across the Atlantic.

From his granny’s recipes to bakes from Scandinavia, this book is filled to the brim with dishes to explore, stunning landscapes, and Gaelic words of wisdom to bring a breath of fresh Scottish island air to your kitchen. There is something for every home cook and baker in this lovingly crafted collection of homemade delights. Coinneach MacLeod was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis, the most northerly of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Inspired by traditional family recipes and homegrown produce, he has motivated his worldwide followers to bake, forage, learn Gaelic, enjoy a dram or two of whisky, and to seek a more wholesome, simple life. Along with his partner Peter and their Westie pup Seoras, Coinneach’s aim is to bring the best of the Scottish islands to a worldwide audience.

Tickets can be purchased for the events at https://hebrideanbaker.com/tour

Celebrating an exceptional award-winning 50-year career, Clannad have announced dates on their ‘In a Lifetime’ Farewell World tour which sees the band tour Australia in March 2023, performing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and Canberra. This will be the final Clannad Tour of Australia. The March 2023 tour will mark 10 years since the legendary Celtic folk heroes toured, and it will also the first Australian tour without founder members Pádraig (2016) and Noel, who passed recently. The Grammy and BAFTA award-winning band have sold more than 15 million records worldwide and are responsible for such timeless music as Theme From Harry’s Game, In A Lifetime, I Will Find You and the soundtrack to the Robin Of Sherwood TV series. The multi-award winning Clannad have without doubt done more than any other group to take Irish music and the Irish language to a worldwide audience.

Music carries the listener across oceans

Framed by Moya Brennan’s heavenly voice, their music carries the listener across oceans and aeons to a time when a proud culture was first born.  Fusing elements of Irish folk music with rock, pop, new age, and jazz they have created a beautifully unique and ethereal sound that combines haunting melodies and mesmerising vocals to transcend the sands of time whilst appealing to a worldwide audience of all ages. To coincide with this very special Farewell Tour, BMG Records have released In a Lifetime Anthology, a multi-format, career-spanning compilation containing tracks from their 50-year recording career. The live shows will see Clannad performing songs from the Anthology that will both delight and excite their enormous and loyal fanbase as well as introduce this legendary, influential, and culturally important band to a whole new generation of music fans.

For complete tour, ticket, and VIP information, visit: www.livenation.com.au

Clannad ticket giveaway

Grammy and BAFTA award-winning Clannad will be live across Australia in March. Fusing elements of Celtic folk music with rock, pop, new age, and jazz they have created a beautifully unique and ethereal sound that combines haunting melodies and mesmerising vocals to transcend the sands of time whilst appealing to a worldwide audience of all ages.  Catch them live in Perth March 8^th, Adelaide March 10^th, Canberra March 12^th, Sydney March 16^th, Melbourne March 17^th and Brisbane March 18^th. The Scottish Banner is pleased to offer one double pass for each city.

Courtesy of Live Nation, one reader will win two tickets to the above performances listed. To enter please ensure you note what city you are going into the draw for and simply email: [email protected], enter via our website by clicking Contact Us, or post (sorry no telephone entries) our Sydney office. Please ensure you include your full postal address and email/phone details. Winners will be notified directly, good luck!

Visitors will soon be able to visit the 800-year-old stronghold that sheltered Mary Queen of Scots in 1548. Dumbarton Castle is set to reopen by early spring following the completion of high-level masonry inspections, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced. Access restrictions were put in place at the start of last year, as a safety precaution while HES, who manages the site, introduced new measures to manage the impact of climate change on its heritage assets, an issue which is affecting heritage owners globally.

The High-Level Masonry Programme, which is the result of ongoing risk assessment and sample surveys, assesses the impact of climate change on sites as well as the scale of deterioration caused by a number of other factors, including the materials used in the building’s construction, its age and physical location. Whilst this is not an issue unique to Scotland, HES is believed to be amongst the first heritage managers to approach it in this way, with the results shared with peer organisations. Work is taking place at a number of sites across Scotland as HES has completed detailed, tactile inspections at 25 sites across the country since May, with a further 13 due for completion by Spring 2023.

One of Scotland’s most important strongholds

Work at sites can take over a month, due to the scope of the task and the different characteristics of the buildings, many of which date back several hundred years, and were constructed according to the conventions and materials of the time. The tactile inspection of Dumbarton Castle, which took 20 working days, was completed late last year. Some necessary repairs and checks will now be carried out before the site reopens by March. Once it has reopened, visitors will be able to explore the majority of the 800-year-old site including The Governor’s House, the Guard House and Portcullis Arch, the remains of the White Tower which are on top of the highest point of the site, the French Prison, Wallace Tower, the Magazine and Crane Bastion.

Dumbarton Castle will be the latest site to reopen as part of the prioritised programme of inspections, following sites such as Doune Castle, Burleigh Castle, Dundonald Castle and St Andrews Castle which reopened after their surveys were carried out. More than 30 sites currently have increased access since inspections began in May last year.

Craig Mearns, Director of Operations at HES, said: “I am delighted to announce that we will soon be reopening Dumbarton Castle to visitors. We are working as quickly as we can to reopen our historic sites, and we appreciate the public’s patience while we undertake these necessary inspections and subsequent repairs. Dumbarton Castle is one of Scotland’s most important strongholds and climate change is another part of its long and varied history. We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the iconic site as soon as we have carried out the final checks and implemented any additional safety measures.”

For the first time in at least a century, members of the public will get to see the manuscript of Rob Roy. Written in the hand of Sir Walter Scott, the manuscript will be on display at the Treasures of the National Library of Scotland exhibition from March 2023. The manuscript was among the many literary treasures that were held in a private collection called the Honresfield Library. Formed in the 19^th century by mill owner William Law, the Honresfield Library’s contents were kept hidden from all but a few scholars until now. The items were due to be sold at auction in 2021. Fearing the items would be returned to private hands and possibly overseas, the library’s contents were purchased by a UK-wide consortium of organisations a year ago following an international fundraising campaign, and renamed the Blavatnik Honresfield Library in tribute to its majority donor.

The manuscript of Rob Roy is one of the items that came to the National Library via this UK-wide acquisition of materials. Manuscripts Curator Ralph McLean, who worked with partners in securing this acquisition said: “William Law formed a fairly close relationship with the Scott family, and was able to buy material from them directly. This is how the manuscript Rob Roy came to be in his private collection. The manuscript wasn’t always in the Scott family’s possession however – its ownership tended to depend on how wealthy they were at any given time. When Sir Walter Scott and his business partners encountered financial difficulties after the crash of 1826 a number of his manuscripts were later auctioned off to reduce the debt incurred. Rob Roy was sold, but was eventually bought back by Scott’s son-in-law John Gibson Lockhart, and returned to the Scott family in the mid-19^th century. However once again, the family fell on hard times, and it was purchased by William Law and added to his private library.”

Rob Roy MacGregor

Rob Roy was published in the early 19^th century, the first run making up 10,000 copies which is a huge number for that time. Scott was still publishing anonymously, but the book was marketed as ‘written by the author of the Waverley novels’. As these novels were extremely popular, Rob Roy sold out immediately. One of Scott’s most popular novels, it has never been out of print in the 200 plus years since it was first published. 

Ralph McLean adds: “What’s interesting is that Rob Roy himself isn’t a central character in the novel – he only appears sporadically throughout. It was actually Scott’s publisher who suggested the title. The depiction of Rob Roy MacGregor as a character in the novel undoubtedly added to the myths surrounding this person, as has subsequent depictions since in various media. We expect this will be one of the star attractions at our Treasures exhibition next year.”

Treasures of the National Library of Scotland is on at George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, and open Monday to Saturday. Entry is free.

Duolingo has released new data revealing that 1.5 million people have started learning Scottish Gaelic on the App since the course launched just over 3 years ago on St Andrew’s Day (November 30^th) 2019. The free Duolingo course has seen a 25% increase in daily learners since St Andrew’s Day 2021. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture,  and Duolingo officially joined forces to deliver the popular Scottish Gaelic language course in 2022, which currently has 450,000 active Scottish Gaelic learners. The primary motivation for learning the language is recorded as culture, with many looking to reconnect with their heritage.

An interest in Scotland’s Gaelic language and culture

Màrtainn Mac a’ Bhàillidh, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, said: “There has always been an interest in Scotland’s Gaelic language and culture, especially with such a vast Scottish diaspora, but learning apps like Duolingo and the growth of Gaelic Medium Education in schools have made the language so much more accessible to a larger audience.  Gaelic on Duolingo has played a big part in the expansion of learning resources and opportunities across the board, including the multimedia platform SpeakGaelic. At Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, we have had students come to us via Duolingo, starting with our An Cùrsa Inntrigidh or An Cùrsa Comais immersion courses and going on to study on our degree courses. Long may this growth continue.”

Colin Watkins, Duolingo’s UK Country Manager said: “We’re delighted Scots Gaelic has reached 1.5 million learners on the app, which I challenge to reach 2 million by this time next year. It’s great to see so many people cite culture as their reason to learn, showing the role language plays in all our lives, something we are proud to celebrate. Our mission at Duolingo is to make education accessible, which is why our Scots Gaelic, French, Latin, and other courses in 39 other languages are free to all.”

By: Judy Vickers

When the spire on Linlithgow’s parish church was first erected in 1964, its modern shiny look, contrasting so sharply with the weathered stone of the ancient building, sparked a fierce reaction. Some said it looked like a rocket waiting to take off, others compared it to a wigwam. Certainly many felt the contemporary aluminium “crown of thorns” did not belong on a medieval church just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. But it was the vision of the then minister, the Very Rev Dr David Steel, father of the politician Lord Steel, to create something bold and iconic. “And the way people have reacted over the years, I think he really achieved that,” says Alan Miller, an elder at the church, St Michael’s.

Emblem for the town

Because the spire, representing the crown of thorns forced on Christ’s head before he was crucified, with 12 smaller spikes for the 12 apostles, has become a real emblem for the town, appearing on many local businesses and organisations’ logos, and on images of the former Royal Burgh.  As it approaches its 60^th anniversary, however, the spire is in difficulties – the campaign Alan is referring to, Aspire Linlithgow, is aiming to raise £300,000 to save the crown. The timber structure under the aluminium cladding is badly rotted and needs urgent work if it is to remain in place. If the fundraising campaign is successful, the restoration will see the spire re-clad in a bronze alloy, giving it a pale gold look instead of its current silver – which will actually be a return to its original tone. “The pale gold basically weathered away after a few years. The new cladding will be a bronze alloy and it will stay pale gold. It will look magnificent,” says Alan, who is head of the fundraising campaign.

It will be the latest chapter for the church which has seen centuries of Scottish history, much at first hand. St Michael’s has stood witness to the ravages of the Scottish Wars of Independence and Oliver Cromwell’s invasion, hosted royalty, to the violence of 16^th century protestant reforms, provided a refuge from the plague in the 17^th century and withstood the body-snatchers of the 19^th century.  Its first appearance in history books is in 1138 when it was described as “the great church of Linlithgow” in a charter of King David I, gifting it to the Cathedral of St Andrews, although historians believe it dates back to well before that. Edward I, the King of England and so-called Hammer of the Scots, requisitioned the church as a storehouse in 1301 as the First Scottish War of Independence raged with the English monarch attempted to control his northern neighbour.

Bannockburn brought peace and the chance to repair the church after the destruction of the war, but in 1424 a massive fire badly damaged both the church and the adjacent royal palace. Rebuilding work took 115 years, with money coming from the Stewart kings and fines for chimney fires – Linlithgow Palace was also rebuilt during this period, becoming a holiday retreat for the Stewart kings, who used the church to worship in between jaunts out hunting in the surrounding pleasure park.

In 1513, King James IV was one of those monarchs but when he stepped inside St Michael’s he was confronted by a spirit, an old man in a cloak, who warned him not to go to war with the English – he ignored the spirit’s words of caution and died at the Battle of Flodden. By the 1540s, St Michael’s was restored to glory, with 20 stone carved saints in niches around the outside of the church and a stone “crown”, similar to the one which still stands at Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, topping the square tower. It was ready in time for the baptism of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was born at the palace in December 1542. But Mary’s reign was marked by bitter battles between those of her religion, Roman Catholicism, and the growing Protestantism and St Michael’s did not escape. In 1559, the font used to baptise Mary, along with statues and altars deemed to be too “popish” for the new religion were smashed.

Golden glory

The 17^th century was no kinder – it was briefly used by the University of Edinburgh in 1645 when plague in Edinburgh saw scholars flee the city, then shortly after came perhaps its darkest moment when Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the republican regime in Britain, requisitioned the church and used it to stable his horses and to billet his troops.  Another restoration to repair Cromwell’s damage followed but by the 19^th century the church was in a poor state, with whitewashed walls, and the 16^th century ceiling replaced with a plaster one. A watchman’s hut was erected outside with three men keeping guard at night to prevent body-snatchers digging up and selling recent corpses to the medical schools in Edinburgh – grieving families could also hire a metal cage to be fixed over newly-dug graves. And in 1821, the stone crown was removed after it was discovered it was too heavy for the tower and was in danger of collapse. The tower stayed bare until the 1960s. “I suppose the only option in the 1820s would have been some other stone structure and that wasn’t possible as the tower was in a poor state and had to be stabilised.”

With conflicts on home soil, plague and graverobbers consigned to history, from the end of the 19^th century onwards the church saw happier times, with a major restoration in the 1890s reviving much of its ancient glory. Churches are almost always in need of repair, though, and it was due to a fundraising campaign for essential maintenance in the 1960s that the idea of the spire came about. “David Steel always had the idea that if there was money left he would like to create something on the top of the tower,” says Alan.“Geoffrey Clarke came up and looked at the church, three months later he sent a box containing a small model of the spire. One local architect who saw it said: ‘That’s genius!’” Today as well as welcoming many tourists, St Michael’s is still a vibrant place of worship and continues to evolve – one of its more recent innovations came in 1992 with the installation of a new stained glass window in the St Katherine’s aisle, around the theme of Pentecost, which dapples the church floor with multi-coloured light.

And now the next stage of the church’s evolution is in motion. The Aspire campaign has already had £120,000 pledged and Alan hopes it won’t be long before work can begin on restoring the spire to it golden glory. “The fact that so many people have donated to our campaign shows it is a unique and iconic piece of work that people are proud of,” he says.

For more information on the campaign, visit: www.stewardship.org.uk/pages/aspirelinlithgow

Scotland returns to the Desert Southwest during the weekend of March 3^rd thru 5^th, 2023 with the 58^th annual Phoenix Scottish Games to be held at new Gilbert Regional Park in Gilbert, Arizona.  You don’t need to be Scottish to enjoy the games featuring full highland pageantry with Pipes & Drums, Highland dancers, athletics, Celtic bands, and Gathering of the Clans.  As you move from area to area within the festival, you’ll be treated to a variety of live entertainment, interactive displays, and athletic events. The event hosts championships for Highland dance and pipe bands. In addition to those competitions, you won’t want to miss numerous performers of traditional folk, bluegrass and Rock music their sound rooted in Scotland. Watch in awe as highland athletes make it look easy to throw a log bigger than a telephone pole or toss a hammer farther than you can throw a ball! Events include the Caber Toss, Sheaf Toss, Hammer Throw and “Putting the Stone” with male and female competitors of all ages from across North America.

Scotland underneath the Arizona desert sky

Returning this year will be the twilight tattoo Friday March 3^rd. Those in attendance can enjoy an amphitheater concert showcasing the sights and sounds of Scotland underneath the Arizona desert sky. Performers will include Celtic music, a military band, Scottish dancers, traditional pageantry and of course pipes and drums.

Acts include: Marine SandPiper- Hailing from the greater metropolitan area of Twentynine Palms, CA, MarineSandpiper is the Southern California High Desert’s only Rock & Roll bagpiper.  With over 21 years of bagpipe experience, MarineSandpiper can cover everything from traditional bagpipe music to classic rock and pop music.

Craic in the Stone – They’ve taken the Celtic Folk’n Rock world by storm by bringing traditional songs to the present while pushing the envelope with their traditional yet unique sound and style when covering songs by the Cranberries, Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, U2, Beatles, and even Led Zep. Their unique sound features two talented ladies up front singing the stories, backed by a group of multi-talented musicians that rock the house.

This year’s event is featuring the Isle of Skye Pipe Band, for the first time in Arizona a visiting pipe band from Scotland. Audience members will be treated to a display of Scottish arts spanning the globe with performers from Canada, Scotland, and the United States. The acts above will be joined by The Alma College Kiltie Dancers, Arizona Academy of Highland Dance, The Jason Cartmell Rockstrosity, The Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band, champion flourishing drum majors, color guards, military bands, rifle teams, and more.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of Scotland with this outdoor concert under the stars! The military tattoo tradition evolved from 17^th century Europe when a drummer or bugler would sound a call through the village, signalling the soldiers’ return to barracks. Today, military tattoo’s celebrate with marching, music, dancing, and more.

Scottish heritage

If you are curious about your heritage, join us in the Clan and Genealogy area. Arizona has over 175,000 Scots. You could be one of them! Everywhere you look you can see deep ties between Arizona and Scotland. Douglas, Arizona was named for a Canadian-Scotsman, and the Rose Tree Museum in Tombstone Arizona features a rose tree grown from a cutting shipped to a young Scottish bride from her family in Scotland in 1885.  Even if you don’t have any ties to Scotland, you will enjoy yourself at 58^th annual Phoenix Scottish Games.  All ages will have fun in the Celtic Village, featuring a variety of Celtic merchants with clothing, music instruments, jewelry, baked goods and other traditional culinary delights that you won’t find at any other festival – traditional shortbread cookies, highland beef dishes and more. There will be Scotch Whisky Tasting where you can enjoy a dram and hear about the whisky making process of each expression. Car lovers don’t forget to vote for your favorite vintage vehicle at the British Car Display and show.

As long as you relish good music, food, and fun, you’ll have a great time!  The Phoenix Scottish Games are produced by the Caledonian Society of Arizona, the largest Celtic organization in the state, promoting Scottish culture through art, education and athletics. Funds raised at the event supports scholarships to aspiring and professional Highland athletes, musicians, and dancers and/or other individuals or organizations whose mission, project or program promotes Scottish heritage.

The Phoenix Scottish Games take place on Friday March 3, 2023, from 5pm to 900pm, Saturday March 4, 2023, from 9am to 630pm and Sunday March 5, 2023, from 9 am to 5pm. Single day tickets can be purchased at the gate for $25 or $40 for weekend ticket. Purchase in advance at www.phoenixscottishgames.com. Discounted pricing is available for members of the military and children. See the website for detailed pricing information.  Free parking is available at the park, check the website for parking details.

A new Scottish feature film about a German Jewish refugee who finds herself working in a stately home belonging to aristocratic supporters of fascist leader Oswald Mosely has won an international Best Drama award.  Stella, inspired by Cinderella, took the award at the Melech Tel-Aviv International Film Festival where it had its world premiere.  And it has now been nominated for the Montreal Independent Film Festival – one of the most popular events of its kind. The makers of the film, which features Gary Lewis, Susan Vidler, Richard Hansell and Rufus Wright, are also in negotiation for UK distribution.

Beautiful period drama

Set in 1937 and filmed at Galloway House, it highlights a lesser known and dark moment in Scottish history – when Dumfries and Galloway became one of the main centres of support for Mosley and his British Union of Fascists. It is 1937 and Stella, a 20-year-old student at Oxford, has lost touch with her parents in Germany. She finds herself homeless and penniless but through the help of a school friend, lands a job as the German tutor at the House of Rig in Southwest Scotland.  The Rig Family, Stella quickly learns, supports Oswald Mosley and the fascists and she must subvert her true identity in order to survive. At the same time, she befriends a young poet, Will, who is trespassing on the Rig’s land for the summer, living in a hut near Rig Bay.  They form an immediate, deep romance. Will is determined to marry her, but when the Rig’s host a party to celebrate Oswald Mosley’s arrival, their eldest son returns home for the occasion … it turns out to be Will.

Stella’s true identity is discovered, and she has to choose between her old life or her new one. Gary Lewis, who lives in the region and whose credits include playing Colum MacKenzie in Outlander, said: “It was a joy to be a part of this film – the story is great, the location is stunning and everything else, from the camera work to the music, was excellent. Stella tells the story of a young German woman stranded in Scotland as the Nazis rise to power in Germany. The difficulties she faces echo those of desperate people today; refugees and asylum seekers trying to escape many horrors. Isolated and terrified for the fate of her family, she then encounters supporters of the Nazi’s racist ideology.”

The beautiful period drama, in which Edinburgh actor Oli Fyne plays Stella Deutch and Louis Hall is Will (the young man she falls in love with) is as relevant for today’s world as it is to the 1930s and 1940s.  Oli said: “I was drawn to the character of Stella immediately. It’s still rare to have a strong female protagonist in a period drama, and that really excited me. Stella is strong in the authentic sense of the word, inherently flawed and brave in the face of struggle.  Stella’s struggles with her mental health resonate deeply with me, as well as her fears of coming of age in a world that feels constantly insecure and unstable. I also share her love and passion for music, nature, and family. Embodying Stella and working with Jessica was a dream come true. It’s such fantastic and poignant project and I am thrilled to have been a part of it.”

Cinderella without the glass slippers

Writer and director Jessica Fox, who lives in Wigtown and is the granddaughter of holocaust survivors, said: “To have been named Best Drama at the international film festival where Stella had its world premiere was beyond our wildest dreams. And now we’ve been nominated for Montreal’s Independent Film Festival we hope to bring it to a much wider audience in the near future.”

While Stella is described as an adaptation of Cinderella, the inspiration is from the early versions in which there were no glass slippers or fairy godmother.  Jessica said: “I never liked the story of Cinderella – her fairy godmother, the glass slippers or the fuss of the ball – until I heard the older folk versions. In these stories, Cinderella has no magical transformation. Instead, she flees her kingdom to find safety in another. She takes on a new name and identity. As a grandchild of holocaust survivors, who had to flee their homes, find new identities and keep only what they could carry, this Cinderella resonated. She wasn’t the fairy tale archetype, an epitome of goodness waiting to be rescued; she was a refugee, a survivor, heroic. This Cinderella, her story, was one I wanted to tell and one that is relevant to so many people forced to flee their homes today.”

Originally from the USA where her career included being a storyteller for NASA, Jessica moved to south-west Scotland where she has found success in TV, theatre, film and literature – her book Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets is being developed as a TV series by Endeavor Content.  With Stella she wanted not only to create a compelling film blending historical reality with an ancient folk tale, but to celebrate the wealth of talent that exists in Scotland and Galloway.

Other members of the cast have praised the film and the story it tells.  Susan Vidler, who plays Lady Rig, said: “This is a wonderful new take on the Cinderella story and I’m delighted to have been involved in a project that celebrates a young woman’s resilience and the power of love in the face of the evil that was overwhelming Europe and threatened the world.  We need stories of this kind right now – perhaps more than at any time since the Second World War. It was also a real privilege to be part of the remarkable community which came together to create this film.”

The project was led by an entirely female production team and was also certified as a green production.

No international film release information is yet available. You can follow Stella on Twitter and Instagram @stellathemovie or see, www.stellathemovie.com.

Rare archive material documenting more than 500 years of a Fife town’s fascinating history is being made widely accessible for the first time. People can gain intriguing insights into Kinghorn’s eventful past now that archivists have catalogued two boxfuls of artefacts collected by a local dignitary.

The collection, which belonged to local history enthusiast Jimmie Edmiston, spans from 1478, when a royal decree established a hospital in the town, to the end of the 20^th century. Included in the archive is a copy of a charter, signed by James III in 1611, confirming Kinghorn’s royal burgh status, and a duplicate of the earliest town plan drawn up in 1828.

As well as collecting artefacts, Mr Edmiston, who died in 2017 aged 95, kept pages of handwritten notes, gathered over a lifetime of local history research and giving talks. The former councillor’s collection also features photographs of local people and landmarks – among them one that captures the unveiling of the monument to Alexander III in 1887. Archivists from the cultural charity OnFife have been working with Kinghorn Historical Society chairperson Ginny Reid to preserve the collection and help place its contents in their wider context.

Local history enthusiasts can gain insights into key events such as the coming of the railway, the loss of Kinghorn’s ferries and the fortification of Inchkeith, begun in 1878. There are details too of the town’s vanished industries, including its tannery, bottle works, golf club making factory and, on the eastern fringes of the parish, Invertiel brick works. Major construction projects are recorded as well, with references to the demolition and rebuilding of South Overgate in the 1960s and the arrival of new homes at Pettycur harbour in the 1990s.

Historical curiosities abound

Among the collection is a transcript of hearth taxes imposed on local homes in the 17^th century and valuation rolls from the 1920s, 30s and 60s. The archive mixes business with pleasure. Mundane accounts of drainage, sewage and rights of way contrast with exhilarating glimpses of musical shows, a pro-golf tournament and the Children’s Gala. There are also insights into the formation of the Kinghorn Lifeboat service in 1965 and the creation of one of Scotland’s first caravan sites, which began life as a camping ground in the 1930s.

OnFife Collections archivist Andrew Dowsey says the archive illustrates how diverse the history of small towns can be: “We get a real sense of how towns and burghs such as Kinghorn, although outward looking, were much more the centre of their own worlds than they are today.”

The archive has been donated to OnFife by Ross Brown of Glenrothes, who is a grandson of Mr Edmiston. Also instrumental in transferring the collection to the OnFife archives was Kinghorn resident Roy Mackie. Mr Edmiston, who was born and raised in the town, was awarded an MBE in 1999 for his services to the local community.

The President and Committee of the Bundanoon Highland Gathering are delighted to announce that Fox Sports will be attending on 1^st April. The Matty Johns Show larrikins Hindy (Nathan Hindmarsh) and Fletch (Bryan Fletcher) will be participating in their own style of Strongman Heavy Events.

The producers for this event are Leon Mitchell and Ben Hogarth. The show will be televised later in the year. The duo will be attempting to Toss the Caber, lift a Bundanoon Stone and try their hand at the Stone Put.  Their show starts at 11am just to the right of the stairs and below the announcer’s tent.

There will be available for a short period of time to “meet and greet” members of the public with probably the odd selfie available. Kilts are compulsory and the arena will be fenced off and members of the public are forbidden to enter the arena for their own safety. Children must be under paternal control or that of an adult. Come along and enjoy support this terrific event, it really will be a lot of fun and laughter.

The Bundanoon Highland Gathering takes place on Saturday April 1^st in Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands. For full details and tickets see: www.brigadoon.org.au

The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival is held in America’s Oldest Celtic City with multi-award-winning cultural events to be held on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. Top international and U.S. Celtic bands,  Highland Games, workshops, lectures, Celtic food and artisan crafts, and a St. Patrick Day parade will be featured, plus a special whiskey tasting event on Friday, March 10. The Celtic Music & Heritage Festival and activities will be held at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Dr. in historic downtown St. Augustine. Fla. The events are produced by Romanza-St. Augustine, Inc.

Tickets for the festival on March 11 and March 12 may be purchased online at www.celticstaugustine.com/tickets or at Ann O’Malley’s Irish Pub, 23 Orange Street in St. Augustine, and during the Festival at the gate. The Whiskey Tasting begins at 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. with a variety of offerings and acoustic music by The Steel City Rovers. Whiskey Tasting limited-seating tickets are available online only.

America’s oldest Celtic city

According to Pat Syeles, Festival Director, the events were first produced in 2011 and have increased in significance and attendance with awards for best music festival and best food festival in northeast Florida. The music of the Celtic people of Scotland and Ireland, and the seven Celtic nations will be celebrated in St. Augustine, America’s Oldest Celtic City founded in 1565 by Spanish Celts. St. Augustine’s four centuries of Celtic heritage will also be highlighted during the Festival’s Highland Games on March 11 and March 12 starting at 10 a.m. at Francis Field with athletes demonstrating and testing their strength and endurance, and Celtic clans displaying their ancestral pride.

A special highlight of the festival weekend includes the only St. Patrick Parade in Northeast Florida on Saturday March 11 at 10 a.m. starting at Francis Field. In 1601, St. Augustine’s first Irish vicar, Padre Thomas Hassett led the first historically documented St. Patrick procession recorded in the world. This year’s parade will feature professional bagpipe and drum bands along with local talent and hundreds of parade participants through historic, downtown St. Augustine. The Parade Review Stand is sponsored by Ann O’Malley’s Irish Pub. 

The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival begins at 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Sunday. Top touring bands from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the U.S. will play traditional songs and Celtic rock throughout the two-day festival. An extensive music line-up includes Albannach, Dublin City Ramblers, Seven Nations, Steel City Rovers, La Unica, Syr, Jamison, and Dragonfly. Chad Light is the main stage host and emcee. Additional entertainment, lectures and workshops will be on the second stage with host Robert Burns. 

Tickets include a variety of entertainment options for both days. Vendors will offer Celtic cuisine along with a variety of food and beverage, as well as handmade and imported Celtic crafts.

For more information about the Festival and St. Patrick Parade, visit the website at www.celticstaugustine.com.

On Scotland’s Ayrshire coast lies the Isle of Cumbrae, just a short ferry trip from Largs. A group of five international women have come together to create the islands first gin distillery called Isle of Cumbrae Distillers. Bronwyn Jenkins-Deas from the team spoke to the Scottish Banner on building a new business during the pandemic, how a women led business is contributing to the community and just why visitors to Scotland should be adding Cumbrae to their travel plans.

Think distilling in Scotland and most will think of whisky, however Scotland boasts around 100 gin distilleries and produces 70% of the UK’s gin. What is it about this industry that excites you and what would you say sets Scottish gin apart from others?

The industry in Scotland is very strong, I think the last take was about 106 gin distilleries in Scotland itself. There are benefits to being a gin distiller in Scotland rather than in other markets. For example, if we were distilling in British Columbia, in Canada, you could not operate a distillery unless you were actually fermenting the alcohol and there is a huge complex process that goes on to do that. The Scots look at things more efficiently and the vast majority of gin distillers in Scotland do not make their own alcohol and most use a central hub in England where they ferment alcohol and bring that fermented alcohol to Scotland.

Around 95% of Scottish gin makers are bringing in the fermented alcohol and then using their own botanicals and distilling in Scotland. The gin industry is very creative in Scotland, and we get to concentrate on that specifically. The industry is also quite wonderful in terms of supportiveness. We felt at the beginning we may be laughed off as frauds, but the exact opposite has happened, people have really supported us. People have loved our story and feel it is unique.

The Isle of Cumbrae Distillers is quite unique, being one of the few all-female owed distilleries in Scotland. How do you see women taking on a greater role in what is a male dominated drinks industry? Also do you think a female led business can offer something unique to the industry?

We came into this business as one of the very few women owned distilleries. There are already quite a few women in the industry, but not necessarily owners. We all came in with a bit of age, except for one member of the team, we are all in our 50s and 60s and with no prior experience in the drinks industry. We come from quite diverse backgrounds and with a great deal of life and business experience but none in the gin industry. There are a few exceptional women in the gin industry such as Hendrick’s Gin Master Distiller Lesley Gracie. There is also a group of women in the Isle of Jura, which is certainly much more remote than Cumbrae, and there are three younger women running that distillery.

We also represent the gin drinkers, if you look at the persona of a gin drinker it is mainly women who are 45-65, and we fit perfectly into that. I am not sure if I would say we are trailblazers because we are women in the industry, but we certainly are due to our age. At the end of the day, it does not matter if you are a man or a woman, in this industry you must have an angle to your enterprise in order to be successful. Now we are also looking at a USA expansion and partnering with a US distillery to have our product available to the US market.

The team behind the gin is quite international hailing from the UK, Canada and the USA. Can you tell us how all your roads collided to meet on Cumbrae?

We all met at a bar and began chatting about having a distillery on the island. As the night went on the five of us were all excited about the prospect of the island having its very own distillery. We thought well it can’t be that difficult and we have the time, let’s do it! We then did a business plan, and each invested into the idea and began to move forward. Looking back, it was probably all a bit naïve because had we known what we were getting into we may not have kept pushing ahead.

The idea of launching a gin brand grew from the need of Millport Town Hall being in desperate need of repair. The Isle of Cumbrae Distillers intends to give back to and support the local Millport community. Can you tell us more?

What we are doing for our community is really what drives us. The Isle of Cumbrae may be Scotland’s most accessible island but it is on the depravation list, meaning it is so small that it cannot sustain industry. It relies 100% on tourism as it has so few businesses and having the distillery there has been a boom for the island. The Town Hall in Millport was built in the 1800s but had closed in 2015. It has become derelict and repair costs need £3.2 million to restore. The distillery started as a way to help raise funds to support the campaign to save the historic building.

When we launched Restoration Gin, it was to celebrate the restoration of the Town Hall. A portion of all sales of restoration Gin goes back to supporting the Town Hall. I am hoping we entice other businesses to come to the island and make a go of it and help build the islands economy and community.

You launched your first gin in 2020 while the world was grappling with the pandemic. Was the timing of the launch good or a challenge for the business?

We incorporated the business in October 2019 with all the best of intensions and then of course March 2020 changed the world. What was interesting about that however was it did work out to our benefit. It gave us time to learn the distilling process, how to run a business and learn about a very complex sales and marketing side that comes with the drinks industry. We were able to concentrate on how to start this business up.

We did a great deal of work but also surrounded ourselves with people who could help us get it done. For us, launching the business during the pandemic was not a bad thing. We even did a crowdfunding campaign which was pivotal for us and helped raise £25,000 and had it not been for the pandemic we would have not raised that money.

Running a business on a Scottish island must be so very important for the local economy but also have its own unique set of challenges. Can you tell us what you and the team have had to overcome and learn about in becoming an island-based business?

There are many challenges, but we are most dependant on the weather for the ferries. For example, our spirt can only go on one ferry a week that handles dangerous goods. Couriers can take days to collect something from us. Getting things such as bottles you pay a premium to get it and the logistics can be also quite complicated. If you live on a small Scottish island there will always be 50% for you and 50% against you, and people were hedging bets if we were actually going to be successful.

However, a few days before our launch virtually the entire island got behind us with all the pubs selling our gin. However, at our opening the island ran out of tonic! The island really is now wholly behind us as they can see the value of the distillery. It has brought more visitors to the island and our goal is to help increase tourism. We are in an enviable position as most of us have retired and we are doing things a bit different than if we were just starting out.

We want to create a legacy more than anything and creating employment for young islanders, because most leave as soon as they finish high school. So, we are trying to create new employment and skills opportunities. We want to make a significant contribution to the island, and I think we can do that.

Along with the gin you have launched your very own tartans, what was that
process like and how important is it for your brand to have a tartan?

Of the five of us none of us are Scottish, but our husbands are. When we looked at the brand we did so with outside eyes. We thought what would we want to see, and we immediately felt tartan represented Scotland. We developed a tartan online and worked with an Edinburgh based company to get it print ready. We then reached out to the Scottish Register of Tartans and registered the Nostalgin and Maura tartans and will be registering our other tartans soon.

The Isle of Cumbrae is regarded as Scotland’s most accessible island to visit. Can you tell us what you love about the island and any suggestions for those who have yet to visit?

Millport is a small place, and the entire island has a population of about 1,200 people. It really is Scotland’s most accessible island; it is only 8 minutes by ferry from Largs. You do not even need a car to come here. The island is about 10 miles around so you can walk or cycle it with ease. I can absolutely say for Americans and Canadians it is an easy place to visit as they are used to driving on the other side of the road. You can come here quite easily by public transportation and not need to worry about driving. From Glasgow it is only 45 minutes to Largs so makes for a really easy day trip.

Cumbrae is called the island of a thousand bicycles because the island is so flat, and we have bike hire facilities. It takes around 2 hours to cycle around the island. We have beautiful bays and lovely beaches around the island and on a nice day it offers great views of the Isle of Arran and Bute. We also have the smallest cathedral in the UK, the Cathedral of the Isles is in Millport and was built in the 1800s by the Earl of Glasgow and is absolutely beautiful.

For more information about the Isle of Cumbrae Distillers visit:
www.isleofcumbrae-distillers.com

Artist Hope Blamire

Meet Hope Blamire, the Maura Gin label artist, a celebrated Scottish painter (and self described gin enthusiast!), whose vibrant artwork captures the coastal landscapes and glistening waters of the West Coast of Scotland. Her artwork is featured in galleries and shops across the UK, and in homes throughout the world.

Born in Ayrshire, Hope studied Illustration and Printmaking at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. She lived in France, Canada, Egypt, and Malawi, where she taught art before returning the UK. Hope now lives in Bath with her husband and sons, but her ‘spiritual’ home will always be the West Coast of Scotland. She is a highly regarded and exceptionally talented artist, a passionate campaigner for responsible tourism and a champion fund-raiser for several important causes.

Learn more at: www.hopeblamire.com

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) have worked together with I Hear Dee to produce material in Shaetlan for the first time, at one of Shetland’s most well-known heritage attractions. Guide sheets and children’s quizzes in Shaetlan are now available at Jarlshof prehistoric and Norse settlement after staff at the site, which is run by Historic Environment Scotland, worked with the organisation to translate visitor materials into the language.

Shaetlan is a highly distinct contact language that pre-dates Standard English in Shetland yet has never been officially recognized as a language. I Head Dee aims to document, describe and promote contemporary Shaetlan, working to raise its profile as a fully viable language variety in its own right locally, nationally and internationally.

Prof. Dr. Viveka Velupillai, principle investigator at I Hear Dee and affiliate of the Department of English at the University of Giessen, said: “This is such a symbolically significant step as this is the first time ever that Shetlanders can see their own language represented as an equal among other languages on one of their own historical sites. HES has taken the first step to normalising Shaetlan in this bilingual community and give Shaetlan speakers pride of place in both its tangible and intangible heritage. It’s a truly inclusive step to take and as a linguist engaged in documenting, describing and mapping languages of the world, I thoroughly applaud your hospitable and welcoming stance.”

Champion the use of Shaetlan

The initiative at Jarlshof developed following an informal gathering of groups and organisations interested in Shetland’s heritage at the Shetland Museum and Archives which was hosted by the Shetland Amenity Trust and following this I Hear Dee began working alongside members of the site staff at Jarlshof and wider HES staff including their interpretation team, to translate the site materials.  Roy Mullay, co-investigator at I Hear Dee, said of seeing the materials for the first time: “As a native Shaetlan speaker can I say just how liberating and welcoming it is to see such high-quality public information material written in my mother tongue for the first time. I hope the rest of the Shaetlan-speaking public get the same kick out of it as I am getting now – I’m sure they will!”

Corwen Broch, District Visitor and Community Manager – North Region (Orkney & Shetland) at HES, said: “We’re really pleased to have partnered up with I Hear Dee to help champion the use of Shaetlan, by bringing it into one of the island’s most well-known visitor attractions. Incorporating the language into our interpretation highlights the importance of our intangible heritage with our built environment, both of which are closely related, and we hope that locals and visitors alike enjoy these new materials, which tell the story of the site through the distinctive words and phrases of Shaetlan.”

Melbourne Celtic Festival (MCF) returns in 2023 to harness Melbourne’s love affair with Celtic music and culture from 12.00pm to 11.00pm on St Patrick’s Day, with 100% of ticket sales going to important mental health initiatives and support through Australian Rotary Health and the Australian Rotary Foundation. Special international guest artist, Scottish guitarist Tony McManus will give two intimate performances in Melbourne’s iconic Mission to Seafarers Complex in the heart of the city. 

Called “The best Celtic guitarist in the world.” by UK guitarist John Renbourn and ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, Quebec – along with still further-ranging flavours, such as jazz and eastern European music.

All things Celtic

Festival Founder, Artistic Director and Celtic Musician, Sue Foley, said:  “I recognised a need for a more inclusive alternative to the ‘pub scene’ in Melbourne on St Patrick’s Day.”  She has a long-time passion, nay obsession, for all things Celtic. Having sat on charitable boards including being Chair of Linden Gallery, her current positions include Secretary Murrumbeena Bowls Club, Chair Murrumbeena Village Traders Association, Board of the Animal Re-homing Service and Chair of Fundraising for Rotary District 9800. “St Paddy’s Day is an unofficial public holiday so why not come for the whole day? Bring the kids after school or head straight from work for the evening session.”

The line-up also features winners at the 2022 Australian Folk Music Awards, AUSTRAL, a high-energy, four-piece Australian tunes band combining didgeridoo, Irish pipes, high energy fiddling, journeying songs and energetic foot percussion. Austral will be sure to get MCF going. The festival is also proud to present a host of female performers including Wendy Stapleton’s Australian Women’s Choir, Emma-Kate Tobia, Maria Forde, Claire Patti, Kathryn Clements, Cora Browne, Tracey Roberts, and local favourite female trio Bhan Tre.

Representing Wales are the Victoria Welsh Choir and Platform 9 ¾ alongside acapella group Thursday’s Child, Play it Martha, Comhaltas Melbourne, and Scottish pipers. The Melbourne Celtic Festival is generously supported by Community Bank Murrumbeena, The Mission to Seafarers, FreshPict Creative, Rotary D9800, Oliver-Ramsay Security, Dimattina Coffee, Nachos Cantina Aspendale and a groundswell of community contributions.

The Melbourne Celtic Festival takes place at the Mission to Seafarers, 717 Flinders St, Melbourne on Friday, 17 March, 2023. For more information see: www.melbournecelticfestival.com.au or to book tickets visit: www.trybooking.com/CFETZ

Main photo: The Celtic energy of AUSTRAL.

For the first time in the 9-year history of the World Golf Awards, Scotland has been awarded the ultimate accolade of ‘Best Golf Destination in the World.’  Around 200 guests from golfing destinations across the globe, attended the prestigious annual World Golf Award gala ceremony in Abu Dhabi in November. The World Golf Awards, which is part of The World Travel Awards, serves to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism with winners chosen by tour operators, media and golf fans from across the world. Scotland’s first win of the night came during the Best Golf Destination in Europe category followed by the top recognition of Best Golf Destination in the World – a unique double, and a first in the history of the Awards. Both awards acknowledge and celebrate the quality of Scotland as a golfing destination and, as the industry continues to recover from the pandemic, everything Scotland has to offer to golf fans. Widely regarded as the ‘Home of Golf’, Scotland has over 550 courses to play, including multiple championship venues and resorts, links courses, parkland courses and 9-hole courses.

The award wins follow on the back of a momentous last year for the Scottish golf industry which saw a number of the world’s biggest and most prestigious golf tournaments return home to Scotland to be played over an action packed five consecutive weeks. Headlined by the historic 150^th Open at St Andrews, Scotland also provided the perfect stage for The Genesis Scottish Open, The Senior Open Presented by Rolex, Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, AIG Women’s Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The jam-packed calendar of tournaments attracted over 421,000 spectators who watched 748 world class players tee off.  It is anticipated that the awards will further inspire visitors from around the world to visit Scotland, cementing its position as a world-leader in the sport as sustainability, environmental and community initiatives amongst others, came to the fore throughout the summer period. 

Scotland is a bucket list destination for most golfers around the world

Dermot Synnott, Director of Global Partnerships for the World Golf Awards said: “Scottish golf tourism is thriving, and Scotland is a bucket list destination for most golfers around the world. It offers a vast range of parkland and links options across all its regions, so the travelling golfer really is spoilt for choice. No stranger to hosting landmark events, this award is fitting recognition to a top-quality golf destination that successfully staged The 150^th Open in St. Andrews.”

Pre-covid, the 2020 UK Event Report reported that the UK’s events industry was estimated to be worth a direct spend of £70bn in 2019, and it is estimated that over £6bn (9%) of this can be attributed to Scotland. The golf industry in Scotland is worth more than £1.1 billion with golf tourism accounting for approximately £286 million annually, supporting around 4,400 jobs.  As well as the tourism boost, the health and well-being aspect of golf was brought into sharp focus during the pandemic as one of the first activities to reopen after lockdown providing exercise and social interaction.  Scotland attracts around 220,000 golfing visitors annually, while an estimated 92,000 ‘regular’ visitors to Scotland will also play golf whilst on holiday.

Main photo: Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club 16^th Green. Photo:  John Paul Photography.

While the work on Stirling station roof is now complete, the treasure trove of WW1 postcards that were unearthed from the roof crawl space in 2021 continues to offer insights into the lives of the men who served in local regiments. Network Rail recently shared the post cards publicly and asked for assistance from members of the public in a bid to uncover the stories of the men to whom the postcards were addressed. In the year since, progress has been made in identifying and unearthing the stories behind these postcards.

With the assistance of the Regimental museums, information, and photos, have emerged for three of the soldiers featured. As well as the stories of service and bravery during war time including in the Battle of Loos and at the Somme, the search also uncovered human stories of the men and offered insights into their lives beyond the army and back in civilian life. This included stories of marriage and starting families but also in one case, tales of theft and bigamy!

Appeal for anyone who may have further information

A year on from sharing the initial story of the post cards Network Rail felt it appropriate to share an update and reiterate our appeal for anyone who may have further information to get in touch and help us complete their stories. 

Captain and Quarter Master, Arthur James MacDonald of the 8^th Cameron Highlanders, re-joined the Army as a commissioned officer in 1914 at outbreak of war. He was dispatched to Stirling from Dingwall with his regiment and then went on to fight in the Battle of Loos in September 1915. During this battle, the regiment suffered heavy losses and only 58 of the original 776 men survived the day. Capt. MacDonald survived the battle and was wounded on 28th October 1918, presumably during the final Allied Offensive. Given that this was only several weeks from Armistice, the Regimental Museum believes he likely survived the war and returned home.

Private and Corporal, Walter Reddiford, it is believed was born on 19^th March 1898 in Lancashire, signed up to B Company, 11^th Gordon Highlanders in May 1916. He initially joined as a Private and was promoted to Lance Corporal in June 1916 and then to Corporal in August that same year. Around this time, Corporal Reddiford was sent as part of a draft to the British Expeditionary Force and after arrival in France, he was posted to 2^nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. This battalion suffered many losses during the Battle of the Somme, July – November 1916. It is likely that Corporal Reddiford was posted as part of draft reinforcements to make up for the losses sustained. From 1917 until the end of the war, 2^nd Battalion served in Italy. Corporal Reddiford survived the war and was awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal.    Upon his return home, he married Mary Ann Heywood in 1918 and demobbed in 1919 to live with Mary Ann in Royton. In 1920, it appears that he and Mary Ann moved to Wrexham but later that year sent Mary Ann “home to her parents”. It is believed there were two children within this marriage. The next we hear of Corporal Reddiford is in a newspaper article where charges of theft, forgery and bigamy were brought against him. He was accused of stealing two cheques belonging to Colonel Gregson of Southport and of forging and uttering one of them for £6 5s. 6d. At the time of his arrest, letters were found in his possession which led to a further charge of bigamy and Florence N Stanbrooke gave evidence as to going through a form of marriage with Reddiford in March 1922.

2^nd Lieutenant John Neil Campbell, born in Glasgow in October 1896 and educated at Hutcheson’s Grammar School, Glasgow. He enlisted into the 11^th Gordon Highlanders in November 1915. Lt. Campbell was sent as part of a draft to the British Expedition Force in September 1916. He arrived in France on 10^th  September 1916 and was posted to the 2^nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders with the rank of Temporary Lieutenant. When the war ended, he was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. Lt. Campbell demobbed he moved to 20 Queen Mary Avenue, Glasgow. Through the Hutcheson’s Grammar school archives, we have been able to find out that Lt. Campbell married Ethel May Rodgers in 1934 and was listed as a chartered accountant, living in Cuckfield, Sussex in the England and Wales register of 1939. He died on April 20^th 1968. It is believed he was survived by his three children.

Current efforts from Network Rail and the Black Watch Regimental Museum have drawn a blank with the search for the soldier serving in the 6^th Blackwatch. Names could include George, Rankine, Raukine, Ranking or Rankins.