Monthly Archives: August 2016

Highlands Contributed Lots to North American History –

Emigrants Took a Bit of Home to the New World

 Way back when I was growing up the 7:84 Theatre Company was performing The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil about the history of the Highlands of Scotland. It was a kind of musical drama and dramatised the economic change in the Scottish Highlands, from the Highland Clearances in the early...

 Forget the Garden Gnomes Go for Garden Eels –

Pirie rain of Gifts  – Fishy Rain in Banff

If you go down to the shed today you may be in for a small surprise, as was Kevin in Banff in Aberdeenshire this August. Our Kev found that it had rained eels, some 75 of them in his garden and they turned out to be sand eels. He lives some 550 metres from the local beach and a water spout or some other weather...

King Penguin Gets Royal Honour –

He Was Already in Tails- So No Need to Dress up! Blog 200

Now my knowledge of Norway is largely influenced by Oliver Postgate’s terrific animation series Noggin the Nog and so you could have knocked me down with a penguin feather when I found out that a penguin can have a hereditary name, in this case Nils Olov; and that they are also the mascots of the Norwegian King’s...

Side by Side in Speyside -

Spirit of Speyside - Distilled Festival in Early September

A festival of food and drink is to take place in Elgin Town hall between the 9 and the 11 of September. Local producers of both the water of life and craft gins will showcase their wares along with the best of Scottish produce. The festival is inspired by whisky from Speyside, which is just what I am drinking myself...

Beam Me up Scotty -

Much Loved Star Trekker Gets Right Royal Showing

I don’t know what it is about Scottish characters in Star trek films, but the first rule seems to be, make sure they aren’t Scottish. James Doohan had at least the sense to be a Celt, although he was born in Canada to Irish parents. Simon Pegg the latest incarnation as the young Scotty is from deepest Gloucestershire, he was born...

The Council Strikes Back –

Return of the Zimmer

Ah I can see it now Yoda is teaching young Luke how to walk after a bout in hospital.

“Young Luke, learn to walk again you can.”

While Luke, who isn’t so young anymore tries valiantly to walk with the aid of Falkirk council’s action aid called the May the Force be with You Zimmer frame.

“Stroke last month you had.” Luke grits his dentures and fires up...

It’s a Whodunnit on the Moors –

Golden Eagles Bumped Off by...

Golden eagles are one of the enduring symbols of the Scottish Highlands and they make a fine sight wheeling overhead through your binoculars. You won’t get much closer than that. Although last year we diverted to Rocamadour in the Lot Department in France because we had heard it was spectacular and there was a place called Rocher des Aigles...

Naval Base Provides Safe Haven for Harassed Birds –

Hen Harriers Protected by Naval Might

The Victorian game keepers hated them and they were almost hunted to extinction, but now chicks born at HM Naval Base Clyde’s on the nuclear high security Coulport site will be safe from human predators. There are four chicks born the local breeding couple and they have all been tagged. But not for ASBO purposes...

Piping Live Glasgow –

A Week of Pipes and Drums

The good folks of the Alloa Bowmar Pipe Band set the week off to a grand start with stirring tunes from the steps of the Royal Concert Hall. And over the week some 50,000 people will enjoy the skirl of the pipes and the swish of the tartan in this the world’s large piping convention.

From All Over the Globe

Pipers from across the globe have made the pilgrimage...

Tartan Stretches back Two Millennia –

From Asterix to Spode Bargains

If you have kids they might have discovered the joys of Asterix the Gaul. This pint size strong man owes his strength to a magic potion and the shock is it isn’t whisky. But you might have also noticed that Tartan often features in Gallo Roman times.  The history isn’t always very accurate, but the adventures are great fun.  I...