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By: Nick Drainey

In a summer which has seen many of the Highland Games across Scotland ruled out because of Covid restrictions, Tom Stoltman has kept the profile of traditional “heavy” events high. With iconic meetings such as the Braemar Gathering cancelled, Tom took the top honour in the World’s Strongest Man competition in Sacramento, California. The 6ft 8in, 397lb athlete from Invergordon went one better than his runner-up spot last year. He told the Scottish Banner: “I put the second-place trophy straight into my dad’s house – I didn’t want to be happy with it. If you go into a sport saying you don’t want to be the best, you are lying.”

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The Celtic vibe comes alive in 2021. Think River Dance, Scottish kilts and pipes, Irish whistles and fiddles, tender love lilts … not to  mention all those moving reminiscences on windswept moors and craggy hills across the great Celtic musical landscape. Watch Musical Director Patrick Pickett (a true ‘Lord of The Dance’!) swirl his baton as he works the rich seam of Celtic classics in one of the Queensland Pops’ most requested series concerts. Hear the legends, the fables, the humour, the melancholy and the euphoria all come to life with some of Australia’s best-loved singers and traditional instrumentalists and dancers. A warm welcome back to special guest stars Gregory Moore and Sarah Calderwood, who will combine the very best elements of Celtic music into one unforgettable package.

Top Celtic performers

Gregory Moore has donned many a kilt since his first Scotland The Brave in 1998. His stage credits are numerous and colourful: an original member of the Ten Tenors, world tours of the acclaimed Australian production Scotland The Brave, a Musical Events Producer for the Brisbane City Council, and a regular star on international cruise ships. Sarah is an ARIA-nominated performer, uniting classic and contemporary folk music as a singer, storyteller, composer, and flute and tin whistle player. Her silvery voice is organically pure yet laced with steel – and she has been described as passionate, enigmatic, lyrically brilliant and richly musical. Returning to showcase his traditional Irish music talents is Kevin Higgins, who plays the concert wooden flute and is a master of the Uilleann Pipes, both of which he plays extensively as soloist and in bands throughout Australia and overseas. Savour the spectacular precision of the all-star line-up of dancers, who will be the crowning glory of this Celtic spectacular: the Watkins Academy of Irish Dance, the OzScot Highland Dancers and the glorious strains of the BBC Pipes & Drums, all of which promise to awaken the ancient spirits and leave you spellbound.

Celtic Spectacular takes place on Saturday 9, October 2:30 & 7:30pm, Concert Hall QPAC. Tickets on sale now: www.qpac.com.au/event/qpops_celtic_spectacular_21/  or phone 136 246.

The Scottish Banner spoke to the Middle Tennessee Highland Games & Celtic Festival committee on this year’s event, taking place next month.

SB: Tell us about Middle Tennessee Highland Games and Celtic Festival, what are this year’s dates, where are you located, event times, etc?

MTHG: Date is Sept 11, 2021, at Percy Warner Park, in the Belle Meade neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee.  Festival times are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

SB: What is the history behind your event, how long has it been going on?

MTHG: This will be our 6^th year in Nashville Tennessee.  We had to cancel in 2020 because of Covid and so we are very hopeful for our return in 2021.  We have scaled down this year’s event to one day, but the enthusiasm shown by everyone to return to highland games leads us to believe that we will have a great crowd and a successful return.

SB: Who is performing at this year’s event? How many stages?

MTHG: We will have two stages of music and one stage for dancers and young people’s music. The music this year consists of three local Nashville Celtic bands: Doon the Brae, NoseyFlynn and The Secret Commonwealth. Two national touring bands: Seven Nations and Tuatha Dea, and the Scottish Bard from Glasgow Colin Grant Adams. An intimate acoustic stage and a rocking beer garden stage – chose your style or enjoy both. Irish step dancers and Highland dancers perform near the children’s zone and have many performances planned along with the Kid’s Ceilidh Band. Our three pipe and drum bands from Nashville and Knoxville will perform while roving through the festival grounds.

SB: What Games will be at this year’s event?

MTHG: We will have amateur heavy Scottish athletics for men and women in Classes, A, B, and masters.  Events will include weight throws, hammer throw, weight over bar, sheaf toss, and of course caber toss. We have 40 athletes registered to compete.

SB: What is different this year than from years past?

MTHG: We have had to closely watch the pandemic’s progress in our community and had to try to plan accordingly.  Fortunately, we have a great team that has been able to pull together all the pieces of a multi-faceted festival.  We are now looking forward to a Highland Games and Festival will all the ceremony and fun we all enjoy. Our tag line for 2021 is “The Year of Recovery”.

SB: What can one expect when attending your event?

MTHG: We think of it as a three-ring circus of Celtic Culture.  The anchor to the event is the Heavy Scottish Athletic competition.  It is supported by a Scottish Clan village of over 45 Scottish clans and societies. We have over 40 vendors of Celtic products, and yummy foods, plus 2 tents of soft and alcoholic beverages, We have a large Kids Zone, and demonstrations in Highland and Irish dance, tartan weaving, and Birds of Prey.  And of course, we will have numerous bagpipe and drum teams and a solo bagpipe competition.  At noon we will have a special Opening Ceremony and Tartan Parade to honor 911.  It should be a very full and fun day for the entire family.

SB: What is your favorite aspect of Scottish culture?

MTHG: The goosebumps we get when hearing the pipe and drums come across the field, the cheers when the caber fly’s through the air, the love, and pride we see when a grandfather in a kilt shares a story of the ‘old country’ with a child and the warmth of a dram of good whisky.

SB: What are you most looking forward to about this year’s Games and Festival?

MTHG:  Thousands of people having a great and safe time getting back together, celebrating a great culture.

The Middle Tennessee Highland Games & Celtic Festival takes place on Saturday, September 11^th, 2021 at Nashville’s Percy Warner Park. For further details see: www.midtenngames.com

By: Dr Callum Watson

James Douglas – The Black Douglas – was Robert the Bruce’s right hand man. Follow the fates and fortunes of his family as we explore the castles of the Black Douglases with Dr Callum Watson.

The Black Douglases were one of the most powerful and dangerous noble families in Scotland. They rose to prominence through service to the Scottish crown during a series of conflicts with England in the fourteenth-century. Unfortunately for the Douglases, fundamental changes in the make-up of Scottish aristocratic society in the fifteenth-century led to their downfall. At the height of their power, the family controlled a string of castles all over the kingdom. This article will look at six sites now under the care of Historic Environment Scotland that help us chart the rise and fall of this tremendously important noble dynasty.

Rising Stars – Melrose Abbey

The Black Douglases owed their rise to power to the activities of ‘the Good’ Sir James Douglas. He was a vigorous and successful war leader and a counsellor of Robert the Bruce. When Bruce died in 1329 Douglas was chosen to take the king’s heart on crusade to Spain. When Douglas was killed carrying it into battle the heart was brought back to Scotland for burial at Melrose Abbey. This began a long association between Melrose and the Douglases, who sought to present themselves as the ‘special protectors’ of the abbey. The Douglases even adopted the ‘bludy hart’ of Bruce on their coat of arms, which can be seen around many of the sites mentioned below.

Top of the Tree – Bothwell Castle

The Black Douglases may have risen to prominence with ‘the Good’ Sir James, but his son Archibald ‘the Grim’ cemented that power. Archibald was technically illegitimate and so was initially a minor figure in the Douglas family. However, in the 1360s King David II began to promote Archibald’s interests. In part, this was done to destabilise the influence of Archibald’s cousin William, 1^st Earl of Douglas. In 1362 David arranged for Archibald to marry Joanna Murray. Murray was a wealthy heiress who owned a number of castles around Scotland. Of all of these, Bothwell Castle seems to have been Archibald’s favourite. It became his primary residence for the rest of his life. Archibald refortified Bothwell for use as a base from which to bring the fractious kindreds of Galloway under royal control. King David rewarded him for this service by making him Lord of Galloway in 1369.

It was at Bothwell in 1399 that Archibald’s daughter Mary married King Robert III’s son David, Duke of Rothesay. The marriage cemented Archibald’s position as one of the most important people in the kingdom and provoked his local rival the Earl of March to leave Scotland altogether! Archibald died, probably at Bothwell, around Christmas 1400 but the castle remained one of the most important Black Douglas residences. Archibald’s son – Archibald, 4^th Earl of Douglas – was an influential figure both within Scotland and abroad, and he turned Bothwell into a palatial dwelling in keeping with his ambitions.

Trendsetters – Lincluden Collegiate Church

Archibald the Grim was quite a trendsetter. In 1389 he petitioned the pope to allow him to turn the nunnery at Lincluden into a collegiate church. He claimed that the nuns were living in sin with ‘very evil men’. The pope approved Archibald’s petition and Archibald removed the nuns by force.

Collegiate churches became very popular among the Scottish nobility in the years afterwards, with thirteen – including one beside Crichton Castle – being established in the fifteenth-century. Many of the early adopters of this trend – such as the Crichtons, the Hamiltons and the Douglases of Dalkeith – were kinsmen or allies of the Black Douglases. The rise in popularity of collegiate churches after 1400 may partly reflect a desire to emulate the family’s power and prestige.

Troublemakers – Lochleven Castle

The Black Douglases owed their prominence to the faithful service of ‘the Good’ Sir James and Archibald the Grim to King Robert I and King David II. However, at the beginning of the fifteenth-century Scottish society was changing. King James I of Scotland was distrustful of the ability of great magnates like the Black Douglases to maintain huge regional followings using the wealth generated by their enormous landholdings. Instead, James encouraged lesser noblemen to look directly to the crown for patronage and leadership. This gave him greater control in the localities.

In 1430 James briefly had his nephew Archibald, 5th earl of Douglas, imprisoned at Lochleven Castle. This was in an effort to prevent the earl from interfering in the local politics of Carrick in south-west Scotland.

The Black Sheep – Balvenie Castle

Family drama also weakened the Black Douglases in the early fifteenth-century. Archibald the Grim had two legitimate sons, Archibald (who succeeded him as the fourth earl) and James ‘the Gross’ (so called because he was so overweight in later life). The fourth earl granted Balvenie Castle to his brother – James the Gross – in 1408. Balvenie was one of the castles that came to the family through Archibald the Grim’s marriage to Joanna Murray. He had hoped giving his son this northern castle would keep James out of the his business in the south. However, James continued to pursue a successful career as a royal courtier.

In 1440, James’s great-nephews William, 6^th Earl of Douglas, and David Douglas were arrested at Edinburgh Castle, tried on flimsy treason charges, and executed. This gruesome event, known as the ‘Black Dinner’, was also certainly orchestrated with James’s knowledge, and perhaps even his assistance. As a result of the Black Dinner James became the seventh earl of Douglas. James’s sons used Balvenie Castle as a base from which to expand Black Douglas influence in north-east Scotland. To facilitate this, his son William, 8th earl of Douglas, made a deal of some kind with the other powerful magnates in that region – the earl of Ross and the earl of Crawford. This would ultimately sour relations between the Black Douglases and the Crown.

King James II was deeply suspicious of Ross and Crawford. When William refused to break the deal in 1452, King James personally stabbed the earl to death at Stirling Castle! This began three years of intermittent conflict that ended with the Black Douglases being driven from Scotland altogether.

The Harder They Fall – Threave Castle

Threave Castle had been built by Archibald the Grim to cement his position as Lord of Galloway after 1369.b The tower-house design was unusual in Scotland at the time but started a fashion among Scottish castle builders that continued well into the sixteen-century. Galloway was crucial to maintaining Black Douglas power. In the fifteenth-century it played a significant role in the efforts of the Scottish crown to limit the family’s influence.

In 1426 James I granted Galloway to his sister Margaret Stewart (Archibald the Grim’s daughter-in-law) for life. This was partly to undermine her son the fifth earl (King James’s nephew). From 1426 until around 1447 Margaret administered Galloway from Threave and did her best to do right by both her Douglas and Stewart relatives, despite the efforts of her Douglas kinsmen to wrestle the lordship back from her. When she died she was buried at her father-in-law’s foundation, Lincluden Collegiate Church.

William, 8^th Earl of Douglas, eventually managed to recover Galloway and he or his brother the ninth earl undertook serious building work at Threave. Impressive and high-tech artillery fortifications were added at the base of their grandfather’s tower-house. This was likely intended to display Black Douglas power and prestige. However, it may also have been in anticipation of future conflict between the crown and the Black Douglases. When that final confrontation occurred in 1455, Threave held out longer than any other Black Douglas stronghold. However, the typically conservative Scottish political community had by now come to support the king over the Black Douglases. The garrison at Threave surrendered to save their own lives.

Digging into the Douglas story

Between 1974 and 1978, Historic Scotland conducted archaeological work at Threave. It identified a series of out-buildings that were once clustered around the tower-house. The dig also revealed some wooden platters and bowls, each marked with the ‘bludy hart’. The prominence of the heart on these objects is a reminder that during a period when Scottish noble families generally wanted to emphasise how ancient their lineage was, the Douglases were eager to emphasise the fact that they owed their prominence to vigorous and faithful service to the Scottish crown in war. Their links to Robert the Bruce could not protect them from the changes happening in Scottish society in the fifteenth-century. However, it did ensure the family left an indelible mark on our perception of aristocratic life in medieval Scotland.

The Black Douglas was a firm favourite among fans of the film Outlaw King. Check out the Historic Scotland Robert the Bruce Trail to go behind the scenes and visit the filming locations of Outlaw King and discover the real story of Robert the Bruce.

Historic Environment Scotland is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. For more details see: www.historicenvironment.scot

Traditional heavyweight competitions, a pipe band and cookery demonstrations are among the online events showcased at Stirling Highland Games this month.

Organisers have unveiled an exciting programme of virtual activities to entertain families, food-lovers, history buffs and Highland Games competition fans from home and abroad on Saturday August 21.

Spectators can watch competitors take part in hammer throwing, shot put and tossing the caber via a dedicated video channel.

They can also tune into the gruelling Bruce Challenge, unique to the Stirling Games, which sees strongmen carrying two boulders weighing over 164kg as far as they can.

The Games also includes a new adaptive competition, featuring the Wounded Highlanders, and an online food and drink experience headlined by celebrity chef Tony Singh.

The popular annual gathering was originally due to take place in-person at Stirling Games Village but was replaced with a virtual programme because of Covid safety concerns.

It is one of just a handful of Scottish Highland Games going ahead in any format this year and President Matt McGrandles hopes spectators will support Stirling’s event by spending £5 on tickets to view the action through an on-demand Vimeo channel.

He said: “We really wanted our gathering to happen in-person this year but in the interests of safety we had to adapt our plans and have instead produced a cracking line up of events for people to enjoy.

“The committee worked hard to come up with something special and we’re proud to be one of just a handful of Scottish Highland Games events taking place during 2021.

“What we need now is for the people of Stirling – and the thousands of overseas visitors who usually travel to see us – to support us virtually by tuning in to a day of fun and competition.

“More than 140,000 viewers watched last year’s virtual event and we have even more to offer our fans this year.

“We’re looking forward to a fantastic day while the online ticket sales will boost our plans to come back bigger and better when we return to our traditional live event in August 2022.”

Tickets can be pre-ordered now – via www.vimeo.com/ondemand/stirlinghighlandgames21 – and the Games can be watched anytime from 12 noon on August 21.

The packed programme begins with the heavyweight competition which sees five invited athletes competing against each other in hammer tossing, weight over the bar and other demanding events before taking on the Bruce Challenge.

One of the competitors is Falkirk strongman Kyle Randalls who found fame in Netflix series `Home Game’ featuring unusual sports from around the world.

He said: “I usually compete in around 35-40 Highland Games every year but they are few and far between just now so it’s great that Stirling has gone ahead with a virtual event and given us the chance to compete again.

“Stirling Highland Games is very close to my heart and I hope everyone will support the 2021 virtual show as we look forward to getting back to live events next year.”

The heavyweight contest is followed by an adaptive event with six competitors – all injured military veterans.

The five men and one woman demonstrate their strength in a series of challenges – smashing seven world records in the process.

There is music from the Balaklava Pipes and Drums, the band of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association, before the focus switches to the food and drink show beginning with a cookery demonstration by Tony Singh.

Stirling Highland Games has become famous for its food and drink offering which Mr McGrandles has built up and expanded since the social enterprise he founded, Ceangail CIC, took ownership of the Games in 2013.

This year’s event captures award-winning food and drink producers from across Scotland on film and showcases them in an episode which also includes clips from a variety of Scottish restaurants and a feature on where to enjoy the best burgers in Stirling.

The final section is a creative event which presents a talk on Stirling’s Heroes and Villains from well-known historian Dr Murray Cook and a performance from Stirling Gaelic Choir.

The 2021 Highland Games has been sponsored and grant-funded by various organisations including Active Stirling, EventScotland, Scotland Food and Drink and Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Long-term supporters Specsavers Stirling sponsor the Heavyweight and Bruce Challenge events and Retail Director Susanne Akil is looking forward to the day.

She said: “We’ve a longstanding relationship with Stirling Highland Games and as part of Stirling’s community, we are keen to support important local events.

“The Games is a great day which brings people into Stirling and is very much a part of the city’s heritage and I look forward to watching it online this year.”

For more details on the Games, visit www.stirlinghighlandgames.com

Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn travelled to AG Barr’s factory in Cumbernauld where Her Majesty officially opened their new process facility. Established over 140 years ago in Scotland, AG Barr has since created a portfolio of successful drinks including the iconic IRN-BRU drink, which launched in 1901. IRN-BRU is a carbonated soft drink made to an original secret recipe, which contains 32 flavours. Other popular drinks manufactured by AG Barr include Rubicon fruit and juice drinks and Strathmore Still Spring Water.

Royal Week

During the visit, Her Majesty and The Earl of Strathearn were given an overview of the history of the company before meeting employees to learn about the company’s place in local community life. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness also viewed products created at the factory before signing their visitor’s book.

The Queen was in Scotland for Royal Week where she will be undertaking a range of engagements celebrating community, innovation and history. The Queen also visited businesses, charities and cultural institutions that highlight the pioneering work taking place to further community engagement, education, technology and efforts to combat climate change.

The Adelaide Scottish community celebrated Tartan Day with events which celebrated Scottish heritage and culture in July. A Tartan Day anniversary concert was held in the Burnside Council ballroom and was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Burnside, Mrs Anne Monceaux. Due to Covid rules a traditional haggis was not allowed to be used and shared for the Address to the Haggis was not permitted, instead a painted rubber balloon was used to mimic a haggis and was deflated by Sam Mathers who used his dirk to cut the ‘haggis’ at the appropriate moment.

The Kirkin’ of the Tartan church service took place at the Wesley Uniting Church, Kent Town and this service was attended by the South Australian Governor, His Excellency, the Hon Hieu Van Le AC and his wife Mrs Lan Le. The service included Clan bearers, Scottish dancers from the Garrick School of Highland Dancing and pipes and drums.

The planned Tartan Day Anniversary March of massed pipe bands which was to be held on the afternoon of 4^th July through the city of Adelaide was cancelled due to the Covid situation in South Australia.

The UK’s only community run castle, the 17^th century fairytale concoction has played witness to 400 years of turbulent Scottish history, now Braemar Castle launches world record attempt calling for over 1500 people to dance their socks off for the Castle’s future.

It was the place where James VIII was declared King of Scotland and James III of England as part of a failed Jacobite rising, it was torched by the Black Colonel in 1689, and used as a garrison for Hanoverian soldiers after the rebel Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden, but now Braemar Castle is set to play a positive role at the heart of the future sustainability of its local community in and around Braemar. An iconic landmark in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, the Earl of Mar’s castle is a fairytale concoction of battlemented towers and turrets, a star shaped curtain wall and a bottle necked dungeon, the future of which rests with the small community of Braemar, a village of just 500 residents.  The only castle in Scotland/UK under community management, for the last 14 years the village has been preparing it to be a 5 star visitor attraction, while also creating a new community programme so that the Castle contributes to the future welfare of the whole region by providing opportunities for charities, schools and individuals to grow through creative and communal activities.

World record attempt

As it works towards an ambitious re-imagining of its role, setting out to realise its social and educational potential and make a transformative impact locally and in communities throughout the north-east of Scotland, Braemar Community Limited announces a series of summer events which celebrate traditional aspects of the local culture, educate and preserve fading craft skills, and seek to reach those far and wide interested in supporting the Castle’s future. Catriona Skene, events coordinator at Braemar Castle is hoping to break a world record attempt for most people performing a choreographed dance online, using the accessibility of Zoom to bring those with ancestral links to the area, and those who enjoy Scottish heritage together with a band and dance callers online to perform a Military Two Step. Whether based in LA or Tokyo dancers can join in the fun and support the community’s ambitions for the Castle by paying £5 per person to take part. The previous record is 500, but the record for the world’s largest Scottish country dance is 1,453 and the hope is to exceed both of these targets and go down in history with 2,000.

Raising the Standard

Drystane Dyking is a dying art, so familiar across the Scottish countryside, intrinsic to many a famous photo of its landscape but only five craftspeople now have the skills required to maintain and build these beautiful features of our countryside. A small number of people will get the opportunity to try their hands and develop their skills on weekends through to September in the Castle grounds. This summer Alan Breck’s Jacobite and Redcoat armies undertake their training at Braemar Castle. This year Breck’s a highly anticipated book, by local historian, Maureen Kelly of the Braemar Local History group, on the Jacobites of Upper Deeside will be launched alongside the annual spectacle. Other events over the summer include the Braemar Castle Scramble golf tournament, and an ongoing series of coffee talks on the history of the Castle, Clan Farquharson, the Jacobites and the war among other fascinating topics.

Any money made through these activities will be put towards the community charity’s campaign Raising the Standard, which will fund the £1.6m conservation and re-development project planned for completion in 2023.  It has already received generous support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Castle team is well advanced in raising £600,000 in gifts from individuals, trusts and companies.  Raising the Standard will re-define the role that Braemar Castle plays in the wider community. Having always drawn in visitors and worked with schools and community groups on site, it has now developed a vastly more ambitious vision for community engagement and learning. In future, the Castle team will welcome greater numbers to Braemar for a more diverse programme of activities. It will also look outwards and engage more broadly with communities and groups in Aberdeenshire.

Find out more about Braemar Castle, the Castle Community Trust and its plans see: www.raisingthestandard.org.uk

This Labour Day long weekend, Canmore Highland Games (CHG) will roll out its 30^th annual festival.  They are committed to creating a safe, fun environment for all to enjoy Celtic Culture at its finest. After a great deal of anticipation, CHG are excited to announce the 2021 program of events. Saturday evening, the Taste of the Highlands Food and Drink Festival will feature regional wine, beer, and scotch whisky vendors in The Wild Rose Festival Tent.  On Sunday, there will be no Highland Dance competition, however, there will be dance demonstrations throughout the day and a Massed Fling on the center field in the afternoon. Regional Pipes and Drums Bands will perform exhibition-style throughout the day. New for this year, we will be offering a Drum Major Workshop, and a couple of select participants will have the honour of joining the bands for the closing ceremonies. Heavy Sports will be competition as usual, with regional athletes battling for the top spot.

The Games will see a British Car and Motorcycle Show and Sheep Dog Demonstrations, and a Tug o’ War contest. Guests will shop at the Celtic Market, meet Clan representatives, and sample a wide array of delicious food from local vendors. Celtic bands Fraid Knot and Cabot’s Crossing will grace the stage through the day punctuated by the ever-popular Scotch Tasting presented by The Famous Grouse.  On Sunday evening, CHG throw a Ceilidh for the record books with Canadian Celtic rock band The Arcana Kings. The Canmore Highland Games welcomes everyone to join us in a celebration this September.  After a long period of collective struggle and sacrifice, it is time to raise a toast to our freedom. 

The 30^th Annual Canmore Highland Games will take place September 4-5, in Canmore, Alberta. For details see: www.canmorehighlandgames.ca

The future of this national historic maritime treasure is under threat.

The charitable trust that looks after the 121-year-old Sir Walter Scott Steamship has launched an urgent appeal to preserve the iconic steamship and get her back sailing on Loch Katrine. The SOS appeal to ‘Save our Steamship’ seeks to raise £500,000 to restore the historic steamer, which requires a new boiler and other significant repairs. These funds will have to be secured by the end of this year to allow work to begin in time to allow her to resume sailing during summer 2022 and to avoid further deterioration. She has not sailed since the annual inspection in January 2020 which revealed hairline cracks in the boiler which led to it being condemned.

Launched away back in 1900, Sir Walter Scott Steamship is named after the novelist and poet, born exactly 250 years ago, whose Lady of the Lake poem, published in 1810 put Loch Katrine and the Trossachs on the map, resulting in it becoming the ‘Birthplace of Scottish Tourism’. Crowds have continued to flock to Loch Katrine to sail on the Steamship and enjoy this special part of Scotland in the heart of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park which is also the source of Glasgow’s main water supply.

National maritime heritage treasure

James Fraser, Trustee and CEO of the Steamship Trust, said: ‘’Our efforts to restore the Steamship have been severely hampered by the impact of Covid 19 lockdowns which meant we have not been able to generate enough trading income to repair and restore the steamship to full sailing. Sadly, as a result of the prolonged cessation of sailings the Steamship has rapidly deteriorated and this is a situation we are anxious to reverse quickly as there is a real danger of us losing the boat permanently. Many generations of visitors have had enormous pleasure sailing on the historic Sir Water Scott Steamship. We have to act now to make sure that current and future generations will be able to enjoy cruises on this national maritime heritage treasure.’’

The Steamship plays an important role in supporting the fragile Trossachs rural economy and is a significant local employer, with many additional indirect jobs dependent on the Steamship being in operation.  As well as providing much needed transport links on the loch for sightseers, cyclists and walkers, the vessel can carry 220 passengers and is accessible for all levels of mobility and sensory needs. When restored the Steamship will also be a leading example of an eco-friendly water transport visitor experience in Scotland with low carbon emissions due to a ground-breaking hydrogen-based fuel mix that it is planned to use.

Financial support for help to save this important national maritime heritage asset which brings so much pleasure to so many people can be made on site at Loch Katrine or via the SOS appeal website: www.saveoursteamship.com

Sir Walter Scott Steamship-Did you know?

-Sir Walter Scott was launched in 1900. She was Loch Katrine’s fourth steamer. The first being Gypsy, introduced in 1843, providing competition to ‘Water Witch’, an eight-oared wooden galley. Gypsy was to sink under mysterious circumstances just a week later, allegedly by the ferrymen who thought the steamer’s arrival threatened their jobs. Rob Roy and then Rob Roy II steamers followed until 1900, when Sir Walter Scott was introduced.

-Sir Walter Scott was commissioned to replace the ‘Rob Roy II’, which was reaching its end life. She was built at Denny’s Yard in Dumbarton on the River Clyde. After completing her trials on the Clyde, she was dismantled for transportation to Loch Katrine.

-Nearly half of the £4,269 purchase price was the delivery charge. This is understandable considering that she was transported in sections by barge up the River Leven and Loch Lomond to Inversnaid. From there, teams of horses lugged the steamship up the steep hills to Stronachlachar; there she was reconstructed and launched for the first time into Loch Katrine in 1900.

-In 1900 the newly launched Sir Walter Scott shared sailings in her first year with Rob Roy II. The first master of the steamship was Captain John McKinnon.

-The original steam plant remains intact, with a pump that draws feedwater from the loch for the boiler. In 2007 the operation and ownership of the steamship moved to an independent charitable trust.

-In 2008 she moved from coal power to biodiesel and was soon joined by another cruiser ‘The Lady of the Lake, named after Sir Walter Scott’s famous poem and this year by ‘Rob Roy III’.

-2020 was set to be a high-profile year for the Sir Walter Scott Steamship, marking the 120th year of sailing on Loch Katrine. Sadly, the double blow of Covid-19 restrictions and boiler issues meant that not only was she unable to sail in her celebration year, but her long-term future is under serious threat.

-The Steamship has kept with the times, adapting over the years to use more environmentally friendly fuels. Green biofuel will be used when the Steamship is back sailing, which will substantially reduce carbon emissions.

-The Steamship sails through Great Trossachs Forest, the second largest National Nature Reserve in Britain, with a new forest of 2.5 million native trees.

-In 1859 23.5 miles of new aqueducts and tunnels opened linking Loch Katrine and Glasgow. Opened by Queen Victoria, this feat of Victorian engineering provided clean water to the city of Glasgow for the first time. Its arrival transformed the health of a vast population and is still in operation today. Up to 120 million gallons per day can be extracted from the loch via the gravity operated network of tunnels and aqueducts. The famous Tennant’s lager is brewed with water from the loch.

The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (GMHG) was held July 8 to July 11, 2021 at MacRae Meadows in Linville, North Carolina.  The crowds were tremendous each day, and the prevailing sentiment was “We are so happy to be here!”.  Games organanizers held the event minus any of the usual indoor activities as part of Covid management, and were pleased with the response to the many pleas made for attendees to get vaccinated.  GMHG President Stephen Quillin said “I think we proved we are back, and that we are back in a safe way.  I am very proud of how everyone pulled together to make it happen.  Given the difficulties of the past year and a half, our 65^th anniversary Games may well have been our best effort.”

The Games featured a fantastic display of Clans, entertainment, heavy events and athletics, Scottish dance, a Torch Light Ceremony and more.

Clan Morrison

Even the weather cooperated, beginning with the rainbow ahead of the Thursday Torchlight Ceremony to the rain shower that held off till Sunday’s closing.   The GMHG owes a great debt to Alasdair Morrison, Chief of Clan Morrison, and Andrew Morrison, Viscount Dunrossil.  Alasdair and Andrew gladly came running to help when the Chieftain of the Games, Alexander Matheson of Matheson was unable to obtain entry to the US.  The Clan Matheson turned out in great numbers and held a strong and enthusiastic Gathering, of which Alexander would have been very proud.

The Clan Morrison Society of North America held its Annual Meeting at the Grandfather Mountain Games. It will be the first official appearance of the new chief, Alasdair Morrison, Morrison of Ruchdi, following the untimely death of his father, Dr. J. Ruairaidh Morrison last November. Alasdair is the youngest chief eligible to serve on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.

Congratulations to all involved.  Grandfather Mountain is looking forward to a normal 2022 and the 66^th anniversary.

For more information on the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games see: www.gmhg.org

Dumfries and Galloway is celebrating the success of its drive to highlight all that’s best about Scotland’s south west at the Royal Highland Showcase. Each year the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) invites a different region to act as “host”, allowing it to celebrate the best of its rural economy. This year it was the turn of Dumfries and Galloway which prides itself on its thriving creative community. The Royal Highland Showcase in partnership with Royal Bank of Scotland, ran during June, and replaced the annual Royal Highland Show which could not take place due to COVID-19 restrictions. While many of the classes were still the same, and featured the best of Scottish agriculture and rural life, it all took place behind closed doors, but was livestreamed for free worldwide.

The spirit of the Galloway hills

Dumfries and Galloway took full advantage of these opportunities with a series of arts and cultural initiatives. The artworks projects were led by Cathy Agnew on behalf of Fiona Armstrong, honorary president of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), and her President’s Initiative.

The bull was made by willow artist and sculptor Trevor Leat, whose figures are familiar from Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, the Wickerman music festivals and a variety of National Trust for Scotland properties. Trevor, who is based in a small village workshop in Auchencairn, said: “This was a wonderful project to take part in. What I wanted to capture was the character of these truly iconic cattle – the strength, muscle, power and energy of the bull – but also something of the spirit of the Galloway hills where they are bred and which are their homes.”

Fiona Armstrong, honorary RHASS president and Scottish Banner columnist, said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to play our part in helping to put Dumfries and Galloway further on the map. There might not have been the usual crowds at Ingliston, but the virtual Royal Highland Showcase sent the show worldwide. It went global – and we were part of that. Trevor Leat’s spectacular giant Beltie was the star – but so many others – our farmers, the Stewartry Young Farmers, the Dumfries Veterans’ Garden, Dumfries College, our graphic designers and filmmakers – even our Beltie cake makers! They’ve all played their part in showing what our region has to offer. Food, farming, coast, countryside, tourism and culture. In a rural area like ours, they’re all linked. Thanks to the Royal Highland Showcase, we’ve been able to tell the world that we are Dumfries and Galloway and we are Growing Together.”

For further information about The Royal Highland Show see: www.royalhighlandshow.org

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum at Stirling Castle has reopened its doors to the public, after being officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen. The museum embarked on a lengthy transformation and renovation project in September 2018 to ensure its historic military legacy was preserved for future generations. Now, for the first time in almost three years, staff have opened the doors allowing a stunning look at the new-look museum.

To mark the completion of the redevelopment project, Her Majesty The Queen formally opened the new-look Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum at Stirling Castle. The Queen, who was granted Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment on her 21^st birthday in 1947, was welcomed by nearly 100 veterans of the Highlanders, who travelled from across Scotland and England and was presented with the keys to Stirling Castle. The Queen also unveiled a plaque to commemorate the museum and taken on a tour to see just some of the military artefacts and documents.

A wealth of military treasures and artefacts

Home to a wealth of military treasures and artefacts, the museum brings the rich culture and heritage of one of Scotland’s great Highland regiments to life. The museum weaves a rich tapestry, connecting the Regiment to the local communities around Scotland from where its soldiers and their families came from.

Through its thematic approach, the museum aims to engage with audiences of all ages and knowledge, offering something for everyone. With over 5,000 objects in the Museum’s collection, many of the artefacts and displays cover the fascinating history of the Regiment. From its involvement in numerous global conflicts and insight into what life was like as a serving soldier and its impact on family life, to incredible personal items donated to the museum – some with astonishing and poignant stories. All renovation work has been carried out with meticulous care to protect, conserve and compliment the archaeology of the King’s Old Building which dates from the late 14^th century and is believed to be one of the oldest structures still standing at Stirling Castle.

Work has included opening up the original vaults on the ground floor, creating a new floor to house museum displays and improved access via a new central stairway. The galleries have been created with engaging storyboards and displays to show off the nationally recognised collection of artefacts, silver and original artwork, together with fascinating audio-visual displays. Conservation standard display cases and eco-friendly lighting have been installed to meet modern museum standards.

Scotland’s proud military and cultural heritage

Colonel A K Miller, Project Director, said: “This project has taken nine years to plan and deliver. With the loss of Scotland’s historic regiments, it is important to ensure this unique element of our history is not lost. Throughout their tour, visitors will find themselves immersed in Scotland’s proud military and cultural heritage.”

The Museum operates as part of a partnership agreement with Historic Environment Scotland, who run Stirling Castle and have supported the refurbishment through grant funding and conservation work to help upgrade the site and visitor offer, as well as providing additional support in areas such as educational activities and on-site interpretation. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum is located in Stirling Castle which was the Argylls’ depot from 1873 to 1964 and remains the Regiment’s spiritual home. The Museum exists to preserve, display and interpret for all time the historical records and material culture of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in order to perpetuate the memory of the deeds and men of the Regiment.

Richard Hickson, CEO of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum, said: “We approach an incredibly important achievement as we prepare to reopen our doors after almost three years of hard work. Setting itself against the broader history of Scotland, our museum tells a fascinating story covering significant periods in Scottish history. From the Highland Clearances and the industrialisation of West-Central Scotland to shipbuilding and engineering on Clydeside, we have brought to life the activities of the Regiment’s soldiers and their families, both in Scotland and across the globe.”

For more information on The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum see: www.argylls.co.uk

The Virginia International Tattoo (VIT) became the only major Tattoo scheduled to take place in the world in 2021 when the Edinburgh Tattoo announced that it was not holding its annual event.  With this year’s theme—A Salute to the Greatest Generation—the VIT had WWII veterans present and honored at every performance, as well as WWII aircraft from the Military Aviation Museum for flyovers each night. Aircraft included the most famous fighter plane from the war, the British Supermarine “Spitfire,” which performed brilliantly during the Battle of Britain from July to October 1940 while matched in countless dogfights with German Messerschmitts.

A Salute to the Greatest Generation

This year’s VIT A Salute to the Greatest Generation honored WWII veterans. Even as we celebrated all WWII veterans, it was a special treat to welcome 11 veterans who attended in person.  Honorees in attendance were:  1LT Helen Kowalczyk Blassingham, US Army Nurse Corps; LCDR Jack Cassell, US Navy; SSG Robert DeHaven, US Army Air Corps; LCDR Leo Dormon, US Navy; COL Walter Graves, US Army; Chief Quartermaster Felix Maurizio, US Navy; MG Charles McGinnis, US Army Corps of Engineers; SGT Harry Quinton, US Army Air Corps; LTC Butler Redd Jr., US Army; BM Julius Shoulars, US Navy and SGT Andrew Valero, US Army. “We honored the Greatest Generation,” said J. Scott Jackson, producer and director of the Virginia International Tattoo. “We refused to give up, and we made a statement about who we are and where we come from. That is why we Tattoo.”

The world’s only Tattoo in 2021

A few other notable highlights from this year’s VIT include:

-Our final performance on Sunday, June 6, included a flyover from two WWII era planes from the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and a Grumman FM-2 Wildcat.

-Before the pandemic, there were 12 major Tattoo events held worldwide annually.

-The 2021 VIT was the largest event held in Norfolk since March, 2020. 

J. Scott Jackson  added: “The days after the Virginia International Tattoo ends are the hardest days of the year. When I wake up, I won’t be tying my tie twice because I want to look squared away when I greet members of the Greatest Generation joining us for the show. I won’t be heading to rehearsals and performances to work with the greatest Tattoo performers and team in the world, and I won’t feel the electricity that accompanies all live performance. But every day, when it’s time to cheer myself up, I will remember: We put on the world’s only Tattoo in 2021!” 

The Virginia International Tattoo, a signature event of the Virginia Arts Festival, has brought a spirit of patriotism, pride, and friendship to Hampton Roads for more than two decades. 

The Virginia International Tattoo will return to its original location in the SCOPE Arena, April 28 – May 1, 2022. Next year will be the Tattoo’s Silver 25^th Anniversary Celebration. Tickets are on sale now at https://secure.vafest.org/1362 or by phone through the Virginia Arts Festival Ticket Office at 757-282-2822.

Royal Mail have announced the launch of a new set of stamps celebrating 70 years of the British comic character Dennis. Six stamps look back at Dennis through the ages; from his first ever black-and-white comic strip in 1951, to important events in his life, including meeting his baby sister, Bea, adopting Gnasher, and even finding out that his dad is a grown-up version of Dennis from the 1980s. These stamps are based on original strips from Beano comics of the time.

A further four stamps, exclusively illustrated by the current Dennis artist, Nigel Parkinson, show the culmination of an exclusive comic strip. The strip, written especially for Royal Mail is featured in the Presentation Pack. The story focuses on Dennis’s birthday celebrations and includes a brief ‘history of Menaces’. The light-hearted episodes end with a birthday surprise, with the final comic strip frame revealing the four new stamps.

Dennis spirit

Natasha Ayivor, Royal Mail said: ”For seven decades Dennis has been entertaining children by getting into all manner of mischief and mayhem. Generations have experienced the excitement and anticipation of reading about Dennis’s latest prank. Royal Mail is delighted to be honouring Dennis and Gnasher with a set of stamps as the ultimate birthday present.”

Royal Mail collaborated with Beano Studios on selecting all the stamps and associated imagery featured in the issue. Mike Stirling, Editorial Director of Beano Studios said: “Dennis has stamped his personality across first class laughs and mischief for generations of children. We believe everyone has a little bit of the Dennis spirit within them, so can’t wait for fans big and small to take delivery of this amazing piece of Dennis history. This incredible stamp collection really pushes the envelope of philately flattery for our hero.”

The stamps and range of collectible products are available from: www.royalmail.com/dennisandgnasher. 

The full suite of programmed activity for Glasgow’s Piping Live! festival has been unveiled, with a number of exciting in-person shows confirmed to go ahead as part of the nine-day event.

The world’s biggest piping festival will take a hybrid approach for 2021, combining performances at The National Piping Centre alongside a rich programme of online concerts.

Now in its 18th year and taking place from 7th – 15th August 2021, Piping Live! will be a celebration of piping, packed full of world-class performances, music sessions, recitals, competitions, book launches and workshops.

With thanks to Glasgow Life and EventScotland for their continued support, Piping Live! offers its unique mix of Scottish and international performances. Tickets for both online and in-person shows start at £5, up to £17.50, while online festival passes are now available for £65.

The ticketed concerts will be seated and socially distanced. The venue will undergo extensive cleaning and ongoing COVID safety checks, with enhanced hygiene measures in place in strict adherence to government guidelines.

In-person concerts include the majority of evening shows including the iconic 55th Annual Silver Chanter Event on Saturday 7th August. The Silver Chanter will see six top players – Stuart Liddell (2020 Silver Chanter Winner), Iain Speirs, Finlay Johnston, Glenn Brown, Callum Beaumont and Angus MacColl – perform MacCrimmon Piobaireachd for this black tie concert.

The popular Lunchtime Recital Series returns with performances from Angus Nicolson, Dr Angus MacDonald, James MacKenzie and Fred Morrison, while sessions from emerging talent will take place on four afternoons involving Bradley Parker, Dougal McKiggan, Alastair MacLean and Malin Lewis, in collaboration with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Piobaireachd of the Day recitals, sponsored by the Piobaireachd Society, will welcome Dr Jack Taylor, Robert Wallace, Capt Stuart Samson and William Geddes to perform and discuss interpretation and delivery of this great music.

Evening performances from the Lowland & Borders Pipers’ Society on Sunday 8th August, and the multi-instrumental duo of Mairearad Green & Anna Massie and Scottish supergroup Mànran on Monday 9th August, will be available to watch in person for a lucky limited number.

A Scottish Pipe Band Showcase, featuring a combination of quartets and pipe and drum duos from five Grade 1 pipe bands, will take place on Tuesday 10th August. While the Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Piping Competition, will see five top soloists perform a medley of their favourite tunes in a 25-minute set on Thursday 12th August.

The Masters Solo Piping Competition will take place throughout the day on Wednesday 11th August in front of audiences in Glasgow and streamed globally. This prestigious competition is a qualifying event for the Glenfiddich Piping Championship which will take place in October this year.

Folkie Friday, supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund, will see the TRYST pipers premiere five brand-new pieces of music from top composers Donald Shaw, Martin Green, Patsy Reid, Rachel Newton and Mike Vass. Kinnaris Quintet, who draw on an array of Irish, Scottish and bluegrass influences, will join TRYST for Friday’s festivities. Finishing the nine-day festival in style on Sunday 15th August will be traditional music trio Hecla and neo-trad trio Project Smok.

There are also a raft of exclusive, online only content through the week. On Sunday 8th August there will be a showcase from piping students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Programmed and produced by the outgoing fourth year students, it will feature sets from each year group, with an emphasis on music sourced from different era’s in the history of piping.

On Monday 9th August learners will have the opportunity to play along at home with a Come & Try Pipes online session, while four piping book launches will also be available to watch online.

Sessions will be back on the menu thanks to Karafolkie. Curated by Jenn Butterworth, these lively pre-recorded sessions will give people the chance to play along with some of the best musicians on the Scottish music scene. Ross Ainslie and Adam Sutherland will kick off on Monday, followed up by a session from Bradley Parker and Brianna Wilson on Tuesday. Thursday will be one to remember from Finlay MacDonald and Marie Fielding.

Piping Live! prides itself on being at the centre of the international piping community and year on year it extends a hand of musical friendship to artists and audiences across the world. The line-up for this year’s international showcases will include exclusive performances from Breton multi-instrumentalist Enora Morice, acclaimed Canadian piper Matt MacIsaac, the inimitable Irish trio of Mick O’Brien, Emer Mayock and Aoife Ní Bhriain and Estonia’s Torupilli Jussi Trio.

On Saturday 15th August The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland’s pre-recorded event will demonstrate the exciting and novel ways in which this young group has adapted their practice over the past year.

While the festival will close in spectacular style with the internationally renowned Gordon Duncan Memorial Competition on Sunday 15th August. This unique event continues to celebrate the late-great Gordon’s links to Scotland, Ireland and Brittany and for the first time this year will be extended to a piper from the rest of the world.

Ross Ainslie, Scotland, Scott Wallace,Northern Ireland, Xavier Boderiou.Brittany and Lincoln Hilton, Australia, will each play sets of Scottish, Irish and Breton music. They will be judged by an international panel, with the overall winner named the best player of all three musical styles.

The festival’s Street Café will move inside for 2021, giving people the chance to sample some great Scottish food and drink including Brew Dog beer, while an outdoor bar will allow people to drop in for a drink.

The educational element of the festival, Learn @ Live! will host a series of workshops and masterclasses through the week, with sessions from top names such as Roddy MacLeod, Colin MacLellan, John Mulhearn and Andrea Gobbi, Donald MacPhee and many more.

Finlay MacDonald, Artistic Director for Piping Live!, said: “This year we’ve adapted and innovated, responding to the world around us to ensure we can continue to provide a platform for the world’s best pipers and other traditional artists. We will also welcome audiences at home and around the globe online to enjoy this year’s Piping Live!.

“We have a fantastic mix performances, competitions, sessions, book launches, learning opportunities and international collaborations on offer over the nine days and it will be a joy to bring this to life safely. Thanks to everyone who continues to support Piping Live! – our supporters, the musicians we work with and our loyal audiences – we can’t wait to see you all either in person or online this August.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “For many people, starved of watching music performances in person for so long, the programme for Piping Live offers them the chance to get back to enjoying something they love. The opportunity to hear live performances in Glasgow or experience the events virtually offers piping fans the best of both worlds. The quality of the festival programme is a strong reminder of why Glasgow is the place to enjoy piping in August and I expect will be hugely appreciated and enjoyed in the venues and online.”

Annually welcoming over 30,000 attendees to Glasgow, organisers of Piping Live! hope the festival’s hybrid offering will appeal to the international audience they would usually see attending the festival will giving some people closer to open the chance to experience live piping music again. Online shows will be available to view for one week after they are first streamed.

Piping Live! will run from Saturday 7th – Sunday 15th August 2021. View the full programme now at www.pipinglive.co.uk.

The Montreal Highland Games 2021 virtual event will host a Guinness World Record attempt at the most caber tosses, while raising funds to support the Building Hope movement at the Douglas Hospital Foundation.

On August 1, 2021, the Montreal Highland Games are counting on history happening. Montreal-born Jason Baines will attempt to smash the world record for the most caber tosses in 60 minutes. The current record stands at 122 tosses by fellow Canadian Kevin Fast. To qualify as a successful toss, the caber must be thrown up in the air at such an angle that the top end hits the ground, allowing the caber to flip end over end. A caber must be a minimum of 14 feet 7 inches in length and weigh at least 55 pounds.

Brian MacKenzie, President of the Montreal Highland Games, says, “Our theme this year is ‘See US in 2021—see YOU in 2022!’ Given the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, we sadly cannot host a live event this year. Instead, we will be broadcasting Montreal’s very own Jason Baines’s attempt to beat the current Guinness World Record for tossing the most cabers in one hour!” The event will also include an online demonstration from some of our local Highland dancers, a limited competition for three levels of bagpipe contestants to be judged by Bob Worrall, a traditional Address to the Haggis, and more. Kelly Alexander of Virgin Radio’s The Kelly Alexander Show will be emceeing the event. Montreal Highland Games are partnering with the Burgundy Lion pub, located in Montreal’s Little Burgundy, to provide Scottish-themed dinners for purchase and pickup.

Join for an hour of Scottish fun LIVE on August 1, 2021 at 6 p.m. This event is FREE and will be streamed live on the Montreal Highland Games YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hBGLUj9skRyRNpHqVIdWQ).

After a long break between events the Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival returned in June to Wingham, New South Wales. Thousands of people came out to enjoy a full day of entertainment and activities for the whole family. This year’s honoured Clan was Clan MacPherson and the Chieftain, was Col. John Macpherson. This years event was a great success with crowds coming from across NSW to enjoy this free community event and again connect with the Scottish community at a day of pipe bands, musicians, Clans, re-enactors, stalls and more.

Wingham is a small township 20min drive west of Taree on the beautiful mid-north coast of New South Wales. It is situated on the banks of the Manning River and represents the furthest navigational point of the river. Wingham has had a long history of Scottish influence, beginning with the settling of Scottish immigrants in the early 1800s.

The next Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival will take place in June, 2022. For details see: www.bwsf.zyrosite.com

Participants in a community archaeology project have made discoveries that tell a story of people living on what is now the Threave Estate near Castle Douglas, 10,000 years ago in the Mesolithic period, a time when hunter-gatherers roamed and Scotland’s flora and fauna were flourishing again following the last Ice Age. The Galloway Glens community archaeology project Can You Dig It carried out a ten-day dig on the National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Garden and Estate in the summer of 2019. They unearthed many finds at the time, including a lead shot from the 16^th to 18^th century and some flints from the late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age.

Mesolithic period

However, since then, some of the carbonised material recovered has been sent away for radiocarbon dating at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), and the dates they have revealed are fascinating.  It has long been known that Little Wood Hill on the National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Estate is the location of a significant archaeological site, with the remains of a D-shaped enclosure on top of the hill first recognised on aerial photographs taken in the late 1940s.

It wasn’t until work carried out under Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeology for the National Trust for Scotland, on a Thistle Camp in 2014 that the enclosure was revealed to date back to the Iron Age. The Can You Dig It excavation sought to build on this work, while at the same time transferring key technical skills to volunteers.  A sample recovered by the volunteers from the end of the ditch, where it marked the eastern side of an entranceway, has now been dated to between AD 75 to 214 – firmly within the Iron Age. This confirms the date recovered by the Thistle Camp, which has been recalibrated using the most recent program (IntCal20) to between 41 BC and AD 125.

What our Iron Age ancestors would have used the enclosure for is still a mystery – it may have been a small farmstead, a livestock enclosure or a defensive position within the landscape. Whatever the site’s purpose, its expansive views over the flatlands of the Threave Estate, and its links to the outer world guaranteed by the passing river, makes the site of Little Wood Hill an excellent choice for any Iron Age settler. However, the Can You Dig It volunteers also unearthed a tiny burnt hazelnut shell. This has been dated to between 8,547 and 8,312 BC – evidence of human activity on the Threave Estate from the Mesolithic period.

Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeology for the National Trust for Scotland, said: “Over the years we have gradually built up an understanding of past human activity at Threave throughout prehistory and history. This radiocarbon date for Mesolithic activity is really exciting, as it is the first evidence we have from this time and is the earliest date recovered at Threave so far. It’s great that the Thistle Camp and Can You Dig It volunteers have been able to be part of this process of delivery too.”

Loch Lomond Stadial

Discovered on prehistoric sites across the country, hazelnuts have long been established as a favourite snack of the Mesolithic people. The people of Galloway at that time would have lived nomadically, moving between water and food sources as they became available.

Traces of human habitation within Scotland go back to around 12,000 BC, within the Upper Palaeolithic, but a period known as the ‘Loch Lomond Stadial’ saw a dramatic climatic downturn in Scotland around 10,900 BC. This abrupt return to severe cold conditions, which caused the regrowth of glaciers and likely caused a complete depopulation of Scotland during this time.  By around 9,700 BC, however, the glaciers and ice-sheets had receded and human life began to return to Scotland.  It is possible that the people who burnt this nutshell at Threave could have been amongst the first to re-populate the country.

Claire Williamson of Rathmell Archaeology, who is delivering Can You Dig It for the Galloway Glens said: “The results from these two dates continue to add to the surprises that have already come from this little-known site. Having the Iron Age date of the enclosure confirmed was what we were hoping for, but to also have this small indication of Mesolithic life on the estate is amazing. This could not have been possible without the hard work of the volunteers, who’s enthusiasm for the archaeology never faltered, even in high winds! It’s great to see how, even at this stage, the results of their hard work continue to add to our archaeological knowledge of the area.”

Can You Dig It is managed by Helen Keron, the Galloway Glens Education & Community Engagement Officer. Helen added: “Even as a non-archaeologist, the importance of these finds is clear to me. They show the unbroken line from our modern society right back to the very beginnings of human residence in Galloway. Even the tiniest traces give us an insight into how life was for our ancestors, and that’s a big part of what Can You Dig It is all about.”

Dr Samuel Gallacher, Operations Manager for the National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Garden and Estate, said: “We love to surprise our many visitors with unexpected discoveries and stories at Threave and finding out about this new evidence of our very ancient history will no doubt fascinate many.  We always want to inspire people with the thought of what is still out there to be discovered, and with such great partnerships as we have with the Galloway Glens Scheme’s Can You Dig It initiative, who knows what we’ll unearth next!”

A former RAF Caledonian Sector Operations Centre at Barnton Quarry has been awarded Category-A listed building status by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The site was nominated by The Barnton Quarry Restoration Project, a community group involved in restoring the building as a unique piece of cold war history in the heart of Edinburgh. Category-A listed building status is awarded to buildings of special architectural or historical interest which are outstanding examples of a particular period, style or building type.

The buildings are a well-preserved physical reminder of two significant global periods of conflict that helped define the 20^th century (World War II and the Cold War), and in both cases many of their contemporary related structures have been either heavily altered or demolished, further adding to the significance of these surviving examples. The site was highly fortified by design with 10ft (3m) thick concrete walls and roof to provide protection for the occupants against Soviet fighter-bomber attack.

Philp Robertson, Deputy Head of Designations at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said: “We are delighted to list the Cold War Rotor Radar System bunker in Barnton after the nomination by The Barnton Quarry Restoration Project, the local community group restoring the building. Listing at Category A recognises the special architectural and historic interest of this building. As one of only four purpose-built radar system headquarters of its type in the UK, the Barnton building is a very rare survival from the Cold War.”

The Eden Project has signed a memorandum of understanding with the owners of its preferred site for Eden Project Dundee and released the first image of how it might look. The agreement between Eden, National Grid and SGN will kick off a period in which the partners will explore the practicalities of converting the former Dundee Gasworks on East Dock Street into the Eden Project’s home in Scotland.

The site is set back from the Dundee waterfront on the bank of the River Tay. It has good public transport links, the potential for a new pedestrian connection to the city centre and is less than a mile away from V&A Dundee and the train station.

The existing tall brick walls on the site suggested to the Eden team the potential to create walled gardens, making for a striking contrast to the industrial heritage of the Gasworks. Eden envisages this as a powerful symbol of regeneration, echoing the project’s home in Cornwall which is located in a former clay quarry. Building Eden Project Dundee in this location would also provide an eastern anchor for the Dundee Waterfront regeneration project. Eden Project Dundee will draw on the history of the city’s Nine Incorporated Trades and is themed around nine new “Guilds” – of Healers, Growers, Navigators, Myth-Makers, Noticers, Alchemists, Celebrators, Menders and “Re-Sourcerors”.

Scottish home

David Harland, Eden Project International Chief Executive, said: “This is a really exciting moment for the Eden Project and the City of Dundee. The former Dundee Gasworks site is by far the best location for our Scottish home and we’re delighted to have a formal agreement in place to start working on a detailed plan. The feasibility study was like nothing we’ve ever worked on before, coming as it did during lockdown. Against all the odds, the hard work and dedication of our partners in Dundee shone through – even when we could only talk to them through a computer screen, their passion for the project, their city and country was palpable. Alongside the generous engagement of local businesses and community groups, this has come together, such that we now have a project with genuine air under its wings.”

Eden Project Dundee is one of a sisterhood of UK projects Eden Project International is developing, with plans well advanced for Morecambe (Eden Project North), and others proposed in Derry/Londonderry and Portland. Eden’s global portfolio of projects includes developments in China, Australia, New Zealand and Costa Rica.

Like every Eden Project around the world, Eden Project Dundee will be transformational and regenerative with an overarching theme of humanity’s connection to the natural world. Eden predicts that the project will create 200 jobs (with an additional 300 indirectly created) and contribute £27m per year to the regional economy.

By: David McVey

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) owns and preserves many tracts of Scottish countryside, both large and small. Some of these properties are spectacular mountain landscapes – in Glencoe, Kintail or Galloway, say – while others are smaller parcels of land close to, or even in, our great cities. One of these is Greenbank Garden in Glasgow’s Southside, near the district of Clarkston.

Now a cherished green space for the city, Greenbank’s surroundings were once entirely rural. Greenbank House was built in the 1760s by Robert Allason, a merchant from a local farming dynasty. Records show that the 16-room house was complete by 1772, the walled garden to the south dates from the same time. It’s now the feature of the site for visitors but was originally intended purely for fruit trees. A wider estate of farms and woodland enfolded Greenbank deeply in the countryside.

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Prehistoric animal carvings, thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000-years-old, have been discovered for the first time in Scotland hidden inside Dunchraigaig Cairn in Kilmartin Glen, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced. The carvings, thought to date to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, include depictions of two male red deer, which are considered to have been the largest deer species in Scotland during this time. Full-grown antlers can be seen on both animals, while anatomical detail including a short tail can be seen on one. Three other quadrupeds are also visible, two of which are thought to be juvenile deer. Valuable as sources of meat, hides, and with bones and antlers used for a variety of tools, deer would have been very important to local communities during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. These are the earliest known animal carvings in Scotland, and the first clear examples of deer carvings from the Neolithic to Early Bronze Age in the whole of the UK.

Neolithic and Bronze Age remains

The carvings were discovered by chance by Hamish Fenton, who has a background in archaeology, while visiting Kilmartin Glen. The carvings are located inside Dunchraigaig Cairn on the capstone of an Early Bronze Age burial cist. Kilmartin Glen has one of the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland, including some of the finest cup and ring markings in the country. This is the first time that animal carvings of this date have been discovered in an area with cup and ring markings in the UK. There are over 3,000 prehistoric carved rocks in Scotland. The vast majority are cup and ring markings which are abstract motifs created by striking the rock surface with a stone tool, such as a large river-washed pebble. Most commonly, cup and ring markings are composed of a central cup mark surrounded by pecked concentric circles. While many of these mysterious carvings can still be seen in the open landscape today, we know little about how they were used, or what purpose they served.

Dr Tertia Barnett, Principal Investigator for Scotland’s Rock Art Project at HES, said: “It was previously thought that prehistoric animal carvings of this date didn’t exist in Scotland, although they are known in parts of Europe, so it is very exciting that they have now been discovered here for the first time in the historic Kilmartin Glen. This extremely rare discovery completely changes the assumption that prehistoric rock art in Britain was mainly geometric and non-figurative. While there are a few prehistoric carvings of deer in the UK, the only other ones created in the Early Bronze Age are very schematic. It is remarkable that these carvings in Dunchraigaig Cairn show such great anatomical detail and there is no doubt about which animal species they represent. This also tells us that the local communities were carving animals as well as cup and ring motifs which is in keeping with what we know of other Neolithic and Bronze Age societies, particularly in Scandinavia and Iberia. Until now, we did not know of any area in Britain with both types of carvings, which poses questions about the relationship between them and their significance to the people that created them.”

Following Hamish’s discovery, experts from Scotland’s Rock Art Project examined the carvings to confirm their authenticity. This included utilizing innovative technology in their analysis. A structured light scan was carried out by HES digital documentation experts to create an accurate and detailed 3D model with photographic texture, and various visualisation techniques were then applied to the model in order to reveal more details of the carvings than would have been visible to the naked eye.

Helping to reshape our understanding of the past

Dr Barnett added: “Digital techniques are being used more and more frequently to create precise 3D models of rock art and reveal details that were previously unknown to us, or that we only suspected. This also means that we are able to make rock art in Scotland more accessible than ever before. As part of Scotland’s Rock Art Project, we have created over 1,000 3D models of prehistoric rock art which are now available online for people to explore. Digital technology is becoming increasingly important for archaeology, and particularly for rock art, and is a key to unlocking the hidden secrets of our past. This incredible discovery in Dunchraigaig Cairn makes us wonder if other animal carvings previously unknown to the UK are hidden in unexpected places in our ancient landscapes, waiting to be uncovered in the future.”

The Cairn, which is a Property in Care of HES, is 30m wide and contained three stone burial chambers, or cists. The third cist, where the carvings are located, was dug directly into the ground, lined with drystone cobbled walls and capped with an unusually large stone over 3.5m long. The remains of up to 10 individuals, some cremated, were also discovered here when the site was initially excavated in the 1860s, as well as artefacts including a whetstone, a greenstone axe and a flint knife.

On discovering the carvings, Hamish Fenton said: “I was passing Dunchraigaig Cairn at dusk when I noticed the burial chamber in the side of the cairn and decided to slide inside with my torch. As I shone the torch around, I noticed a pattern on the underside of the roof slab which didn’t appear to be natural markings in the rock. As I shone the light around further, I could see that I was looking at a deer stag upside down, and as I continued looking around, more animals appeared on the rock. This was a completely amazing and unexpected find and, to me, discoveries like this are the real treasure of archaeology, helping to reshape our understanding of the past.”

The cairn is currently closed while HES carries out further evaluation and puts measures in place to protect the extremely rare, and delicate, ancient carvings. Visitors are encouraged to explore the carvings via 3D models which have been created.

You can explore 3D models of the cairn and its carvings at: https://sketchfab.com/HistoricEnvironmentScotland

By: David C. Weinczok

Blameless is the person who, in 2021, has become prone to cynicism. The relentlessness of ill news, personal loss, and events beyond any individual’s control or comprehension have so far defined the third decade of the third millennium. Yet within this barrage there are glimmers of hope and good; roots which, if fostered and encouraged to grow, hold the promise of making our world a better place in ways large and small. It is a small sample of these glimmers, as seen in Scotland, that I invite you draw some much needed optimism from.

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Standing on the cliffs of the island of Canna, watching hundreds of seabirds swirl and freewheel through the skies, is an assault on the senses. “It’s an incredible thing to watch”, agrees Jeff Waddell, the National Trust for Scotland’s Senior Natural Heritage Advisor.,“The birds are nesting on these beautiful, inaccessible cliffs, with waves crashing in at the bottom. It feels so wild and you’re just surrounded by nature, in every sense.”

Site of Special Scientific Interest

And then there are the birds themselves: the puffin with its iconic multi­coloured bill and the beautiful snowy-feathered kittiwake. Here, too, you’ll find guillemots, shearwaters and more. Together with neighbouring Sanday, this island – gifted by John Lorne Campbell and his wife Margaret Fay Shaw to the Trust in 1981 – is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and has Special Protection Area status. These craggy coastlines support some 11,000 seabirds, who build their nests and raise their young on the cliffs, sea caves and offshore stacks. Their numbers have declined hugely in the last two decades – it’s estimated that there were 21,000 birds here in the late 1990s, for instance. Without the efforts of the Trust, however, things could have been a lot worse.

In fact, some of the seabird populations here are in relatively fine fettle. Since a programme to eradicate rats from the island was successfully completed in 2008 (an operation that cost half a million pounds and saw more than 4,200 traps laid), the colony of shags has doubled from its low point in 2011 to 444 pairs in 2019. But, as is happening across the globe, many seabird populations are facing difficult times as the climate and biodiversity crisis bites. “Most of our seabirds are declining. The vast majority are in serious trouble due to the effects of climate change”, says Jeff.

As the oceans warm, the sandeels that many seabirds feed on move north to colder waters. This forces the birds to change to different prey, which is often less ideal for them. They also often have to use more energy foraging, reducing their body mass and breeding condition. Chicks are less well fed and fewer make it to fledging.

“Seabirds are like a barometer for the health of our seas. Some of the seabird species are potentially threatened with local extinction and, if warming continues, extinction on a wider scale”, Jeff explains.  That means monitoring seabird numbers is more crucial than ever.

50 years of counting seabirds

Bob Swann, a volunteer who leads a surveying team from the Highland Ringing Group, agrees. Bob first got involved in 1971 and has been on hand to record the highs and lows of the bird populations here ever since. The work is complex and demands experience, as he explains: “We check all the sites on the island every year and literally count how many there are. Some, such as the puffins, are quite tricky, and for those we have study plots where we can just count the number in a particular area. We also have plots where we try to see how many chicks the birds are producing in a year. And we ring a lot of birds. Initially, this was just to work out where they were going when they left Canna, but increasingly it’s being used to try to work out their survival rates, how long they’re living for. Last year we caught a guillemot that was 41 years old – a UK record. We collect information about what the birds are eating and increasingly we’re attaching high-tech loggers such as geolocators.” From this data the team are able to understand some more surprising trends. Kittiwakes have seen massive declines in Shetland and Orkney but are doing well on Canna, with the highest numbers on record counted in 2019.

“I think in the North Sea they are very much hooked on sandeels’, notes Bob. ‘But in the west coast they’ll take a wider range of fish – young sprats or whiting, say. Here they switch and as a result they do better. We’ve been taking samples from them every year, so we know what they’re feeding on. We have also reached record puffin numbers, but that is almost certainly down to getting rid of the rats. Before, the puffins were very much confined to the offshore stacks where the rats couldn’t get at them. But now the puffin numbers on the north side of the island are just going up and up – they have probably doubled.”

He admits that he fears for the future of many of these birds though, remembering years of sharp decline between 2005 and 2010, when a series of mild winters led to warming seas and low fish stocks.  Bob said:  “I’ll never forget going down the north side on one occasion during that period and thinking: ‘There’s something really strange here.’ I couldn’t work out what it was until I got to the lip of the cliff and I realised it was silent. When I looked over, there were no birds – they had all failed. It was very emotional. Canna is a key monitoring site but it means if something is bad on Canna, the whole of the west coast of Scotland and beyond is affected. When something like that happens, you worry that it’s going to be the end of these great seabird concentrations.”

Numbers are up but haven’t fully recovered. “I don’t think we’ll ever get back to the peak numbers we once had. But it would be good if things could just be stable at the level we’ve reached, so these birds will be around for future generations to marvel at.”, says Bob.

Looking after Canna

Committed to doing all they can to ensure this happens are the Trust’s senior rangers, Michael Butler and Gillian Gibson. They believe Canna is a ‘magical’ place, not just to see seabirds but also to experience its rich biodiversity: you’ll find everything here from frog orchids and butterflies to seals, minke whales and eagles, both golden and white-tailed. For Michael, a visit to the puffin stack is the real highlight of any visit to the island. He said: “They do a murmuration like starlings do, which is incredible to see. There are hundreds of puffins swirling around the stack.” Below the puffins on a basalt shelf are fulmars, razorbills, guillemots and shags, with kittiwakes also on nearby cliffs.  Michael continued: “It’s amazing to see so much life on one rock’, he adds. ‘Visitors watch open-mouthed.”

In normal times, helping people to connect with that magic is a key part of the ranger’s work. The aim is to help visitors to understand the importance of conserving our coasts by falling in love with these seabirds. “We came here because we really wanted to be part of connecting visitors to the wildlife. Canna truly is a hidden gem. Considering it’s so small, it has an awful lot to give. It shows there is always something bigger than us humans – that we are just a part of it. And that rather than fighting nature, we should be working with it, for everyone’s sake” Michael says.

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

** Please note this event has been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

An opportunity for a catch up with friends, relatives and performers will, hopefully, without COVID shutdowns, take place at Boondooma Homestead in August, 2021.  An extremely popular Celtic, in particular Scottish, event which attracts patrons from all parts of Australia. This event celebrates the establishment of the 958 square miles Boondooma Station by 3 Scotsmen, Robert and Alexander Lawson and Robert Alexander in 1846. This event celebrates the beginnings of the pastoral industry which has endured to the present day. On the third weekend in August (19 to 22 August) the skirl of the pipes and the beat of the drums will be heard for many kilometres around the Boondooma and Durong areas.  It is expected that at least 400 caravans will converge on Boondooma Homestead for a great Celtic celebration.

Celebrations will actually begin on the Wednesday evening with a sausage sizzle, sound check and performances by walk up artists.  Proceeds from the sausage sizzle will be donated to charity. The walk-up sessions provide a great opportunity for people to share their heritage through song, music, and dance. 

The main program will begin at 1.30 pm on Thursday afternoon and the very popular Scottish ceilidh will take place on Thursday evening.  This is a great opportunity for people to join in the singing and dancing. 

Celtic heritage

Four pipe bands will entertain this year and they are, Noosa and District Pipes and Drums, Dalby Thistle Pipe Band, Murrumba Pipes and Drums and Amberley Pipes and Drums. These bands will join together with individual pipers and drummers to participate in combined band entertainment as well as individual band performances.  There will be great opportunities for pipers and drummers from all over to participate. Ceilidh bands, Celtic Psychosis, Celtic Crossover, Ishka, Thistle Do, Mouldy Haggis and Velcro will provide toe tapping entertainment throughout the weekend.  The Rum City Dancers will once again entertain with the old and the new highland dancers. Amy Bromham from Burdekin Celtic Dancers will delight the crowd with some Irish dancing. The popular Moreton Celtic Fiddle Club together with Limerick will be highlights.

South Burnett’s own Scotsman, Jervase Fullerton will address the Haggis before the evening meal on Friday.  Jervase will thrill the crowd with his dramatic address followed by his favourite Scottish songs. Scottish food will be available throughout the weekend and enjoy a meal of Haggis, tatties, and neeps.  Dundee stew and rumbledethumps and potato damper will be available on Friday evening. Enjoy shortbread, Dundee cake and scotch pancakes for morning and or afternoon tea. Many Clans will set up clan tents and this will give our patrons a great opportunity to check out their Celtic heritage. Come in Highland dress for the Clan and Tartan Parade on Saturday.  Scots in the Bush will be an exciting weekend, with lots of tartans, entertainment and beautiful food on offer.

Due to the Queensland Governments framework for Events, Scots in the Bush 2021 will be a ticketed event.  For bookings and information see: www.boondoomahomestead.org.au 

The corner of Fife known as the East Neuk has some of the most picturesque towns and villages to be found anywhere in Scotland. Situated along the east coast, close to St Andrews, it is an area steeped in history and renowned for its range of attractions which draw tourists from all over the world. It is extremely popular as a holiday resort partly because of its sandy beaches, rugged coastline and stunning sea views, and also because it offers a variety of quality accommodation at all levels

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By: Nick Drainey

The great industrial achievements of the River Clyde in steam propulsion, engineering and shipbuilding are widely known not just in the UK but around the world. Despite this, there is no single location on the River where this world-class story can be told. The time has come to acknowledge the vision of those who established these industries, of the innovation central to their success and to the individual contribution made by hundreds of thousands of men and women over many decades who toiled through good times and bad to manufacture remarkable products and make the name Clydebuilt synonymous with excellence. The Ship Yard Trust has been formed to focus attention on these achievements and engage with all parties to formulate a strategy that permanently acknowledges this outstanding industrial heritage as Nick Drainey explains.

Once the river was so shallow that, in a few parts, people could wade across it. Ships had to dock at Greenock, and goods unloaded and transferred to small boats in order to travel up the Clyde to reach Glasgow. As Cromwell’s man Thomas Tucker said in the middle of the 17^th century: “Glasgow was checked and kept under by the shallowness of her river, every day more and more filling up”. But thanks to the innovative brilliance of engineers and the toil of thousands of ordinary folk, the river that didn’t even need a boat to cross it became famous around the world for its shipbuilding.

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By: Rule Anderson,  National Trust for Scotland Ranger at Kintail, West Affric and Falls of Glomach

We all hate midges … don’t we? Here, Kintail ranger Rule Anderson gives us a few good reasons to buck the trend, for the sake of our wildlife.

Summer is nature’s time for the young. Bats are getting ready to give birth in their nursery roosts in our towns and cities; young hedgehogs may already be in your garden; and field voles should be onto their second or even third litters in grassy corners of the countryside. What’s more, we’re approaching peak season for what is arguably Scotland’s most spectacular wildlife wonder: the vast colonies of nesting seabirds that find their way to internationally important sites in the National Trust for Scotland’s care such as St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, Mingulay and St Kilda.

Here at my base in Kintail, red deer are beginning to calve on undisturbed stretches of hillside. The calls of the young animals to their mothers have been mistaken for distress calls from hillwalkers, on one occasion even spurring a futile all-night mountain rescue search.

The weather can make or break my summer plans; if it’s bad, the worst that happens is that I’ll have to cancel a guided walk or redirect volunteers to a work site that’s not too far from the bunkhouse. For some of our wildlife, however, a bad summer is a matter of life and death.

People’s pet hate

Midges are many people’s pet hate when exploring Scotland’s countryside, but they’re a crucial food supply for many birds, bats and even some plants (the fascinating insectivorous sundew and butterwort have sticky glands or leaves that trap the insect). Midges won’t fly during heavy rain or in a strong breeze, so a prolonged spell of bad weather can be disastrous for those species that rely on them.

Reptiles, such as common lizards, and invertebrates including Scotch argus butterflies and golden-ringed dragonflies can be even more affected by the weather. A sunny summer is good for them, with its reward of vibrant wildflower displays when species such as tormentil and heath spotted-orchid carpet Kintail. Without that sun, there are fewer flowers, meaning fewer sources of food for our creatures. Come August, I’ll be looking out for heather in full bloom on our hillsides. I’m as wary of the dreaded midge as the next person – but for the sake of our wildlife, I’ll have my midge hood to hand, in the hope that this summer is a buzzing one.

Have you had a Scottish midge experience? Share your story with us by email, post, social media or at: www.scottishbanner.com/contact-us

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

Isla overtakes Olivia as the top name for baby girls for the first time, with Olivia taking the second spot and Emily now being the third most popular name, according to the full lists of 2020 baby names published by National Records of Scotland (NRS). Jack remains the most popular boy’s name, holding on to the top spot for the 13^th consecutive year. Noah is now the second most popular boy’s name, having jumped from 7^th place last year, and meanwhile James stays in 3^rd place. The girl’s name Maeve made a massive leap of 130 places from last year, up to 86^th place, and Ayda, the second highest climber in the girls’ top 100 list, rose 63 places to the 91^st spot. The biggest increases in the top 100  boys’ list were Roman, which jumped up 68 places to 33^rd,  and Finley, which rose 48 places to 88^th. 2020 saw the highest ever level of different names, a trend that has continued for some time now.

Of the 23,968 girls registered in Scotland last year, there were 4,347 different names, whilst more boys shared the same name. Of the 22,387 boys registered, there were only 3,375 different names. Children nowadays are much less likely to share a name with classmates than their grandparents were.

Different generations of parents have different preferences

Julie Ramsay, Vital Events Statistician, said:  “We can see from the 2020 names lists that different generations of parents have different preferences for naming their babies. Isla, the most popular name for girls in 2020, was the most popular name with mothers aged 35 and over, but it only ranked 7^th with mothers aged under 25. However, Olivia, the most popular girls name of 2019, was ranked 1^st by younger mothers and 6^th by older mothers. Jack, the most popular name for boys in 2020, was the 2^nd most popular name with mothers aged 35 and above, and only 17^th with mothers aged under 25. James was the most popular name for boys with older mothers while Noah was ranked 1^st for younger mothers. Popular culture often affects how people name their babies. The name Billie rose in popularity by 79% in the past two years with 34 baby girls being given this name in 2020. In the same time, Google searches in the UK for “Billie” and “Billie Eilish” spiked, with the singer having her first number one single in the UK in early 2020. Tommy, a name occurring in the popular TV shows Peaky Blinders and Love Island, has doubled in popularity in the last two years, with 148 boys being given this name. Our data shows it is more popular with younger mothers than with older mothers.”

Piping Live! is back for 2021 with a nine-day festival packed full of world-class performances, music sessions, recitals, competitions, book launches, workshops and so much more.  Taking place between the 7^th and 15^th August 2021, the annual festival has confirmed they will present their programme online, in response to current government guidelines. However, if restrictions allow the team will do all they can to introduce a live audience element to the festival if this proves possible under renewed guidelines closer to the event.  The Piping Live! team, with thanks to their funding supporters Glasgow Life and EventScotland, have put together an eclectic and varied programme that ensures the event stays true to its reputation as the world’s biggest piping festival.

Now in its 18^th year, the 2021 festival will undoubtedly look a little different to previous editions, however the abundance of top-class performances over the nine days will be accessible to enjoy from across the world. For almost two decades, Piping Live! has brought the world to Scotland, but this year it will take Scotland to the world and showcase the internationally renowned pipers and musicians who are synonymous with this globally recognised festival. Despite the challenges of Covid, this year’s event will continue to extend its reach by providing a platform for pipers and musicians to do what they do best and perform for audiences both at home and abroad.

The world’s biggest week of piping

The world’s biggest week of piping will launch on Saturday 7^th August with the 55^th Annual Silver Chanter Event. The Silver Chanter will showcase 6 top players performing MacCrimmon Piobaireachd. This year’s performers are Iain Speirs (2020 Silver Chanter Winner), Stuart Liddell, Finlay Johnstone, Glenn Brown, Callum Beaumont and Angus MacColl.

On Sunday 8^th August the Lowland & Borders Pipers Society will programme an evening concert that celebrates the music of the Bellows Bagpipes. Entitled More Power to Your Elbow, this concert will include tributes to departed friends and key players who have been pivotal in the bellows pipes revival, with a particular focus on Iain MacDonald and Nigel Richard. The concert will also be a musical exploration of the music and ballads of the Scottish Borders to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott. More Power to Your Elbow will feature guest musicians including Fraser Fifield, Annie Grace, Stuart Letford, Dougie Pincock, Finlay MacDonald, Anna Massie and Gary West.

Monday 9^th August will see multi award-winning Scottish supergroup Mànran take to The National Piping Centre stage – one of the only bands on the Scottish folk scene whose sound carries a pairing of the Uilleann pipes and the Highland Bagpipes. Alongside Mànran, the multi-instrumental duo of Mairearad Green & Anna Massie will perform, showcasing Mairearad’s lyrical accordion playing and masterful piping with Anna’s versatility on guitar, fiddle and banjo.

The International Quartet Competition will take place on Tuesday 10^th August and, if guidelines allow for group practice, this event will feature seven of the top Grade I pipe band quartets in the world – Field Marshal Montgomery, Scottish Power, Inveraray and District, People’s Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia, Glasgow Police, Johnstone and Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Bands. 

The Masters Solo Piping Competition will take place throughout the day on Wednesday 11^th August. This prestigious competition is the qualifying event for the Glenfiddich piping competition and will see the top soloists in the world compete.

The Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Piping Competition, Piping Live!’s flagship evening of solo piping, will return on Thursday 12^th August. The competition format will see five leading pipers Stuart Liddell, Angus MacColl, Callum Beaumont, Finlay Johnston and Sarah Muir perform a recital of their favourite tunes which must include a piobaireachd ground and an MSR.

Folkie Friday this year is supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund, who have sponsored the TRYST pipers to commission 5 brand-new pieces of music which will be premiered at this year’s festival. Whilst drawing on the tradition of ceol mor, the classical music of the bagpipes, TRYST continue to push boundaries with their unique and innovative compositional style. Joining TRYST on the night will be the powerhouse that is Kinnaris Quintet, who will draw on an array of Irish, Scottish and Bluegrass influences.

On Saturday 15^th August The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland’s pre-recorded event will demonstrate the exciting and novel ways in which this young group has adapted their practice over the past year. Taking the downtime that Covid-19 has afforded them, the young pipers have embarked on a year of learning – writing new pieces of music and working with other musicians out with their genre. They have adapted their practice due to restrictions but have continued to collaborate and create remotely. These pipers will showcase their pioneering new works in some iconic locations across Glasgow as part of this special online concert.

The internationally renowned Gordon Duncan Memorial Competition will take place on Sunday 15^th August. This unique event continues to celebrate the late-great Gordon’s links to Scotland, Ireland and Brittany. One Scottish, Irish and Breton piper will each play sets of Scottish, Irish and Breton music and the overall winner will be the best player of all three musical styles.

Finishing the 9-day festival in style will be traditional music trio Hecla, whose musicianship includes piper Ailis Sutherland – a former World Pipe Band Champion. Joining Hecla will be neo-trad trio Project Smok, whose line-up includes BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year piping and whistle extraordinaire Ali Levack.

Learn @ Live!

Day time events, which will primarily take place at the festival’s iconic Street Café (restrictions allowing), will include emerging talent and music sessions where learners can play along at home as well as listening to the performance. There will also be book launches throughout the festival. The educational element of the festival, Learn @ Live! will host a series of workshops across the 9-days which will be a mix of pre-recorded and live events. More details of these will be announced in the coming weeks and tickets will be sold separately.

Piping Live! prides itself on being at the centre of the international piping community and year on year it extends a hand of musical friendship to artists and audiences across the world. Organisers have ensured that this is recognised this year with a number of international showcases being premiered at the festival, including performances from Ireland, Brittany and Canada, with more to be announced.

Finlay MacDonald, Artistic Director for Piping Live!, said: “It’s been a tough year for all of us but we’re so excited to be bringing audiences at home and abroad as close to our normal offering of entertainment as we possibly can for this year’s festival. We’ve programmed 9 days of top-class performances, competitions, sessions and so much more and we’re just delighted we’ll have the opportunity to showcase some of the world’s top pipers doing what they do best this summer. If restrictions allow, we’ll be inviting live audiences to be part of the festival this year too. We’ll do all we can to try and make this possible, whilst ensuring we are adhering to all government guidelines.” Annually welcoming over 30,000 attendees to Glasgow, organisers of Piping Live! hope the festival’s online offering will appeal to the international audience they would usually see attending the festival. With the event’s global audiences in mind, they have allowed for all shows to be available for one week after they are first streamed to avoid any issues with different time zones enjoying the nine-day event.

Piping Live! will run from Saturday 7^th– Sunday 15^th August 2021. More information and tickets available at: www.pipinglive.co.uk

Images: Elaine Livingstone

The International Association of Clan MacInnes (IACM) is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this summer (a year late due to the pandemic) and the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games has chosen Clan MacInnes as one its featured Clans for its 2021 Games taking place July 9-11 at MacRae Meadows in Linville, North Carolina.

In 1970, seven MacInnes’ from the south-eastern states gathered at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and decided to create the Clan MacInnes Society to preserve MacInnes heritage and to promote Scottish culture and history. Today the Society has evolved into IACM, an international organization with hundreds of members spread across the world. Clan MacInnes has hosted a tent at GMHG every year since 1971.

One of the oldest Scottish clans

One of the oldest Scottish clans, Clan MacInnes dates to 501 AD. Its origin story tells that three sons of an Irish ruler left Northern Ireland and settled on Scotland’s west Argyll coast to form the Kingdom of Dalriada. For centuries, MacInneses were farmers, fierce warriors and archers settled in the Western Highlands, primarily Morvern, where Clan MacInnes was known as the Keeper of Kinlochaline Castle. The MacInnes Chief and his five sons were murdered in their sleep circa 1358, its lands lost, and the MacInnes Chieftainship has been dormant since. Kinlochaline Castle was abandoned in 1690, sat empty 400 years, was restored in 2000 and is now a private residence.

The Scottish Banner congratulates the Clan MacInnes on its 50^th anniversary and for their great work in the Scottish community.

For more information on Clan MacInnes see: www.macinnes.org

For more information on the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games see: www.gmhg.com

An epic 66-mile circular route has opened in Kintyre and spans 66 miles, across six stunning regions, coastlines, white sandy beaches and breathtaking views – and has been designed to encourage visitors to slow down and enjoy the ride. Scotland’s answer to Route 66 has now launched– and it’s only a few hours from Glasgow and Edinburgh. The new Kintyre 66, or K66, is a 66-mile circular loop around one of Scotland’s most scenic regions, taking in both the west and east coast of the unspoilt peninsula in Argyll, from the top at Kennacraig to the bottom at Campbeltown.  Covering the region made famous by Sir Paul McCartney’s 1978 Christmas Number One Mull of Kintyre, the route has been developed to showcase the incredible location on the west coast of Scotland – which is swept by the warmth of the Gulf Stream and enjoys views across to Northern Ireland on a clear day.

Inspired by Route 66 in the US, the K66 journey can be taken by bike, foot or car, with the aim of encouraging tourists to slow down following a stressful year, explore the area at their leisure and enjoy an unforgettable staycation on Scottish soil.  Covering six key regions of West Kintyre, Gigha, Machrihanish & Southend, Campbeltown, East Kintyre and Tarbert & Skipness, a new map will provide options to start from any part of the route, whilst also pinpointing trails, places to explore, natural heritage sites, wildlife watching spots and local food and drink to enjoy along the way.

Hidden gem on the west coast

Niall Macalister Hall, Chair of the Kintyre and Gigha Marketing Group, said: “Kintyre is a hidden gem on the west coast, with beaches that would rival the Caribbean on a good day, a pristine marine environment helped by the warmth of the Gulf Stream, and so many unspoiled places to discover.  With a record staycation summer expected this year, K66 has been developed to encourage visitors to explore the whole of Kintyre – slowly and at their leisure – with plenty of open spaces and places of interest branching off the main route. There’s also the option of taking a short Calmac ferry to the beautiful islands of Gigha, Islay and Jura to the west and Arran to the east and turning the trip into a longer break. After a long and stressful 12-months for everyone, it’s a good feeling to be able to launch the route, and we look forward to welcoming travellers to our friendly community in the months to come.”

Only three hours from Glasgow and four from Edinburgh, highlights on the route include Ballochroy Standing Stones, Saddell Castles, Keil Caves, no fewer than SIX golf courses, beautiful harbours, Beinn An Tuirc Distillery and inviting beaches including Westport – famed for its Atlantic waves that attract world-class surfers from across the globe. Six spur roads offer a deeper venture to Tarbert, Claonaig, Carradale, Southend and Machrihanish with the Isle of Gigha just a short ferry ride from the core route.

The K66 map and downloadable visitors guide is available at: www.explorekintyre.co.uk

All photos: Raymond Hosie.

By: Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming

Free to summer 2021 students – 3-month access to Balmoral summer classes.

Attend our piping and drumming camp, July 18-23, and you can study all the lessons and enjoy all the recitals of the 2021 Balmoral summer session at your leisure. Here at Balmoral, we understand not every student has time to devote all their waking hours, throughout an entire week, to attend an online piping camp. That’s why we’re offering three months of online access to recordings of our summer piping and drumming classes to each of our summer students. Even if you’re with us every day of the weeklong program, you may want to audit classes you weren’t able to schedule. For example, you chose to attend the Personal Repertoire class with Andrew Carlisle, rather than a Piobaireachd class? Later, you can take Advanced Piobaireachd with Bruce Gandy, in your own home, at your chosen time.

World-renowned instructors

Beginning pipers can work through the basics during the summer program then view the videos of intermediate and advanced classes later, with the option to replay classes as often as they’d like. A drummer could audit a piping class with Robert Mathieson or Roddy MacLeod. Pipers could take drumming classes with Jim Kilpatrick or Ed Best.

This summer, the Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming will offer a greater number of world class guest instructors teaching a wider variety of classes, and many more sessions of one-on-one tutoring. After the session, class videos may be viewed as many times as the student wants during the 3-month access period. The fee for the weeklong session is $375.00 USD. Refer new students and you’ll receive $50 off the price of the workshop for each new student who attends. Bring at least four members of you pipe band, and each member will receive $50 off the price of the school. There is simply no other piping school that can best our line-up of world-renowned instructors. Why not try Balmoral this summer?

For details see: www.balmoralschoolofpiping.org

One of Highland Scotland’s most iconic Castles has been put on the market, providing a world-class residential or commercial development opportunity. Carbisdale Castle is an impressive and imposing large mansion house built in the Scottish Baronial style on a precipitous site above the inner Kyle of Sutherland with outstanding views in all directions and has 64 rooms (including 19 bedrooms and bathrooms). Carbisdale Castle was built between 1905 and 1917 for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, the second wife of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3^rd Duke of Sutherland, whom she married in 1889. Colonel Theodore Salvesen, a wealthy Scottish businessman of Norwegian extraction, bought the castle in 1933. He provided the castle as a safe refuge for King Haakon VII of Norway and Crown Prince Olav, who would become King Olav V, during the Nazi occupation of Norway in World War II.

During that time, the castle was also used to hold important strategic meetings. King Haakon VII made an agreement at the Carbisdale Conference on 22 June 1941 that the Russian forces, should they enter Norwegian territory, would not stay there after the war. Three years later, on 25 October 1944, the Red Army entered Norway and captured 30 towns, but later withdrew according to the terms of the agreement. In 1945 the castle was gifted to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA). The castle remained in the ownership of the SYHA until the costs of owning and maintaining the buildings and its contents became untenable and the castle was offered for sale.  The six floor castle is also said to be haunted and is on the market for offers over £1,500,000.

Throughout the grandeur of the Perthshire countryside there is an enormous assortment of wildlife living and growing freely, and catching the eye of all who pass with its raw beauty. Perhaps, then, if it weren’t for the environment of his native Scone, David Douglas might not have gone on to become the most distinguished of all Scots explorer-botanists.

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Never would anyone have thought that again this year, the Glengarry Highland Games would be cancelled. Faced once more with that unhappy situation, the Games are developing a variety of events to stay connected with everyone as we eagerly anticipate the 2022 Games when we will once again gather in Maxville, Ontario. As with last year, the Games social media will present a series of online entertainment to give everyone a little taste of the Games. In addition, if conditions allow this summer, the Games will be exploring the possibility of hosting a few small live events extending beyond the traditional dates of the Games. Stay tuned to our social media for more information.

In the meantime, there is one exciting event to share that relates to the Games online entertainment line-up. The Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario (PPBSO) is presenting six online contests for solo piping and drumming open to all its members. Drum majors will also have their own section in the competitions. A separate contest will be held for each of Ontario’s Highland Games with the Glengarry Games registration and submission closing on July 17^th. Highland dress isn’t necessary to compete but an overall “best dressed” prize will be awarded for best Highland attire. The final results for the Glengarry Highland Games competition will be streamed live at the traditional time of the closing massed bands on Saturday, July 31. This will be a special treat for those fans who are missing the sound of the pipes and drums.

To find out more about the competition, go to the PPBSO webpage: www.ppbso.org/2021-online-contest-series, or the Games website: www.glengarryhighlandgames.com

By: The Melbourne Tartan Festival organising committee

After a difficult year for all, the Melbourne Tartan Festival is back!  The skirl of pipes will be echoing through Melbourne from 10-24^th of July during the Melbourne Tartan Festival.    Pop up performances will surprise and entertain city shoppers during the Festival. You never know where one of our performances will be!  Although we’re reliably informed that Saturday 10^th July will be a good day to be in the City if you want to see pipers, dancers & all things Scottish. Throughout the Festival there will be a range of virtual and live events including a City CBD Scottish inspired walking tour, genealogy talks, virtual and live Scottish history & arts lectures, whisky tastings and whisky dinner, music recitals, concerts and music gigs. 

Visit the Old Treasury Building during one of our Melbourne Tartan Festival group private guided tours & ‘Melbourne: Foundations of a City’ exhibition on the 13^thJuly, and our private guided tour & exhibition Yarra: Stories of Melbourne’s River on the 22^nd July.  Join Kenneth Park, lecturer, curator, tour leader and presenter, as he takes you on a walking tour of Melbourne’s CBD where he’ll highlight Scottish settlers’ significant contribution to the development of early Melbourne. The Scots’ Church in Melbourne will hold the Kirkin ‘O The Tartan service on Sunday 11^th July, when Clans and Associations will be piped in procession carrying their clan tartans, with a reading in Scottish Gaelic and psalms sung by the Scottish Gaelic Choir of Victoria. 

Scottish music

Following the success of their 2019 Taking Flight concert, Hawthorn Pipe Band returns for a night of piping & drumming.  Legacy is a special musical tribute to the band’s long serving Drum Major and WW2 veteran, Bob Semple and features of mix of new and traditional pipe band music with folk inspirations.  Hawthorn is one of Australia’s top pipe bands and the Legacy concert will see the band at its’ best.  Special guests will include Ballarat Grammar and Scotch College.

The music keeps coming, with Judy Turner and Neil Adam, following wide acclaim from their successful 2019 Edinburgh fringe performances, will present Robert Louis Stevenson – Sing Me a Song at Kew Courthouse Theatre on Sunday 18^th July at 2.30pm.

Don’t miss internationally acclaimed traditional Scottish singer Fiona Ross, accompanied by guitar maestro Shane O’Mara, at Kew Courthouse on Thursday 15^th July. Fiona & Shane will be performing a concert of Scots song, including songs from their recent album Sunwise Turn – winner of Best Folk Album in Music Victoria’s 2020 awards.

Tradition

The Caledonian Castaways is a group of ex-pat Scots from Melbourne’s blues/roots scene singing amusing and heart-warming songs about Scots in Australia and back hame.  They wowed a packed National Celtic Festival with their set of original songs and cheeky renditions of some traditional Scottish tunes – ska, rocksteady, funk, blues, country grooves.  They’ve put lockdown to good use in the studio, recording new songs to bring you at Transit, Fed Square on 17^th July.  The Westin Whisky Dinner experience is back in 2021 with a five-course menu created by the Westin Melbourne’s Executive chef, Michael Greenlaw, matched to five premium Single Malt Whiskies from some of the world’s finest distilleries, hosted by Whisky Ambassador Andrew Buntine, who will guide you through this exquisite whisky journey. Gather a group of friends and head down to Bell’s Hotel, South Melbourne for a fun Whisky Tasting night on 22^nd July with whisky ambassador Andy Bethune, Spirits Platform. 

The Melbourne Tartan Festival Gala Dinner and Concert at Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday 24^th July will close out the Festival.  Although we’ve had to make a few Covid-safe tweaks, you’ll experience a night that has become a yearly tradition for some families.  You’ll be piped up the red carpeted staircase of the iconic Melbourne Town Hall for a grand black tie/kilted evening.  Be greeted with drinks and canapes on arrival, a traditional Address to A Haggis, a 3-course gourmet meal and drinks with outstanding traditional and contemporary concert style entertainment. Close the night out with internationally acclaimed Celtic rock band Claymore.

Throughout the Festival try a Highland Hustle introduction workout class, Gaelic language or sit back and relax in your own home while you immerse yourself in one of our Zoom Scottish Arts or History lectures or author talks.  Details of additional events will be released over the coming weeks as we work our way through Covid safe event protocols. Your safety is our priority and we thank you for your patience and support.

The Melbourne Tartan Festival takes place 10-24th July, 2021. For full details and to book event tickets go to www.melbournetartanfestival.com.au