Monthly Archives: August 2018

Banging Their Own Drum-

Set the Place Alight

Well those of you who read this blog regularly will know that i have a definite thing for the skirl of the bagpipes and I’m always therefore a keen follower of what’s on at the Edinburgh Tattoo which features many, many fine pipers. But this year it was drumming that caught fire in my imagination and that was because the drummers drummed with drumsticks...

Special Delivery Brings Poisonous Spider –

Peter Parker Alerted

Now to answer the kids I’m writing a story about a female spider called George who lives in the wing mirror of a Ford Focus and all the fun and games that a spider can have when it’s home its mobile and yet highly accessible. In fact I’ve gone so far as to buy some books on the beasties, one especially good one which is called ‘The Private...

River Find of Pictish Stone –

Lost People: Found Carving

Noty a lot is known about the Picts who lived in what is now eastern and northern Scotland during the Late Iron Age and Early Medieval periods. But what we do know is they left large carved stones which we assume had religious significance. They lived to the north of the rivers Forth and Clyde, and a Pictish language lost in the mist of time...

New Jokes for Old –

Holiday Returns and Rainy Days

I don’t like the new pound coin, but then again I never could stand change. That’s an old Edinburgh Fringe joke and this year’s new one is about the Job Centre. So what time of year is it, it’s the ‘Silly Season’ when everyone has gone on holiday and all that’s left is reheated jokes and if you’ve just returned from warmer climate you’ve got peeling...

Aged Whisky Set to Break Records –

60 Years in the Cask

Do you have any old whisky hanging round at the back of the drinks cabinet or lurking in the larder? Well you would do well to wish it were so. As a bottle of the most expensive 60 year old whisky made  the 1920s in the world is to go under the hammer at auction in Edinburgh.The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926  is a 60-year-old  and will be...

Parking Levy Mooted –

Campaign to Drive Cars off the Road

I went into the capital yesterday and I was struck by the pollution and of course the noise, little country mouse that I have become. My nose immediately became stuffed up and breathing through your mouth is never very pleasant so I wasn’t  very shocked when I read that anti car measures in Edinburgh are about to be kicked up a notch. It seems...

Pictish Blacksmith Makes His Mark-

Dark Ages Not So Dark

We call them the dark ages because the people’s who lived in the time after the Roman invasion didn’t  write much and record much so we often imagine that they were dark ignorant days , but in reality the period was one of fine craftsmen and fabulous craft. And now on the island of Rousay, Orkney archaeologists have found some fascinating remnants...

Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb –

What  is 7 Feet Tall and Destroys Other Plant Life?

I’ve talked about invasive species before in these posts and this time it not about the grey squirrel or lesser tree rat as my missus calls it, but giant rhubarb which was brought to the isles from Chile as an ornamental species in the 1840s but has since gone feral. It has leaves up to 4 feet across and as the headline...

Sniper Finds Gold in’ Them Thar Hills ‘–

It’s a Whopping Great Nugget

Now I’ve written before about Scottish gold, because finding it is extremely rare and definitely very hard work, particularly with the process known as ‘sniping.’ If you want to ‘snipe’ you need a skin diving suit, face goggles and snorkel, a resistance to cold and enormous reserves of patience. And now the biggest ever nugget found...

Dangerous Animal Scares –

Scotland Likes Ferocious Beasties

I like a good animal scare story and after I’ve written recently about the huge number of posties getting bitten I can say it could be worse. It sees that there are just about 500 dangerous animals being kept as pets in Scotland. We know because they have to be registered. A recent survey shows that 4,798 dangerous wild animals are being privately...