Discover Scotland Issue 48

Taking the high road to Argyll

Small step for space colonisation

Celebrating Hogmanay traditions

Festive fun on the big screen

Roo Irvine’s Christmas past

Meeting the need for Tweed p1

December 2020

This month’s Discover Scotland multimedia magazine has been brought to you by: Sponsors

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K eepin g t he f la g f ly ing

As Covid-19 continues to seriously impact Scotland’s vital tourism sector this magazine is doing its best to help those businesses hit hardest by a downfall in visitors.

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Index - Inside this issue

inside this issue

14 From

the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond to the heart of Argyll

28 Keeping

alive traditions at Hogmanay

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coastal history

40 Hunting

antiques with...

Roo Irvine

54 Beauty

& Style with...

Alicja Błasińska

66 Finding

romance with Lost at Christmas p7

Index - Inside this issue

48 Preserving

Index - Inside this issue

inside this issue 74 On

the road with Billy Connolly and Frankie Boyle

90 Musical

Discoveries and the story behind the song 86 Never

too late to dream

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wee livener with...

Tom Morton

96 Classic

gin with a stylish twist 122 Top

award for Glasgow author

114 Recreating

whiskies of the past p9

Index - Inside this issue

106 A

Index - Inside this issue

inside this issue

126 Video

gaming history

141 Ideal

132 Mining

in Space

homes

1 Cover

Photo

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Glencoe Lochan near the village of Glencoe p10

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The content of the magazine does not necessarily represent the views of the publishers or imply any endorsement. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior agreement in writing from Discover Scotland Ltd.

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Photo by Guy Phillips

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Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Calm waters on Loch Lomond at Tarbet

Crossing the line into Argyll

by Scott Aitken

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bout 26 miles north west of Glasgow, just below the geological dividing line between highlands and lowlands, the village of Balloch lies on the banks of the River Leven at the head of Loch Lomond.

Since the Middle Ages this small community was a major hub of communications between

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the Highlands of Argyll and the central belt. Only after the advent of the railway, tourism and steam ships on Loch Lomond did the village start to grow to its present size.

Today it is the gateway to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and an ideal starting point for one of the most interesting road trips into Argyll.

of the village Balloch Castle Country Park was once home to the Earls of Lennox, one of Scotland’s most powerful medieval families. They built the first castle on this spot in 1238 but pulled it down and created a new building, surrounded by landscaped gardens and ornamental woodlands, in 1808 as a statement of wealth and influence.

Situated at the eastern end

Across the bay lies Loch Lomond

Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland An Ceann Mor is a new viewing platform on the banks of Loch Lomond with panoramic views of Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps

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Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll

Shores, a popular destination for shoppers and tourists alike attracted by a range of family activities from kayaking to visiting the historic Maid of the Loch at Balloch Pier. As one of the last steam ships of her kind to be built in Britain she was the largest paddle steamer to sail Loch Lomond carrying millions of passengers over the years, including Royalty and countless celebrities.

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Seaplane over Tobermory, Mull

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Numerous vessels offer day trips from Balloch while, a short distance along the adjacent A82 at Cameron House, Loch Lomond Seaplanes, the only commercial seaplane service in the UK, provides one of the best visitor experiences in Scotland.

High Road soap opera it is part of a network of pilgrimage sites around the world.

Just off the main road, on the banks of the loch, is the picturesque village of Luss. Better known as the fictional village of Glendarroch in STV’s Take The

importance as the burial place of St Kessog, Scotland’s ‘first’ Patron Saint. It was to him that Robert the Bruce is supposed to have prayed for guidance on the

More than 750,000 tourists visit each year but many are unaware of the village’s historical

still called Clachan Dubh, the ‘Dark Village’ and controlled by Druids who were responsible for the murder of the Christian missionary.

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Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll

eve of the Battle of Bannockburn.

When Kessog, a nickname meaning Little Spear, arrived in Luss some 50 years before Columba left Ireland for Iona, the village, which derives its name from the latin for light - Lux, was

Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Lauren Johnston -Smith CC BY-SA 4.0 Arrochar Parish Church

Photo by Iain Thompson CC BY-SA 2.0 Looking across Glen Croe to The Cobbler at Ardgartan

From Luss the road heads through the hamlet of Inverbeg at the foot of Glen Douglas to Tarbet where the A82 forks off to the right towards Crianlarich and the A83 heads towards Arrochar.

Tarbet stands on an isthmus at the closest point to neighbouring Loch Long. In 1263 Viking raiders sailed up Loch Long to Arrochar and then dragged their boats two miles overland to Tarbet so they could plunder settlements on the shores of Loch Lomond and attack the many islands located in the centre of the 22-miles long waterway.

For centuries this area was a stronghold of the Clan MacFarlane and sometime in the late 13th century a fierce battle was fought between them and marauding Vikings. An ancient burial ground between Arrochar and Tarbet includes the grave of a Viking leader.

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Photo by Iain Thompson CC BY-SA 2.0 Ardgartan Forest and Loch Long

Just a couple of minutes from Tarbet is Arrochar a picturesque village in the shadow of mountains known as the Arrochar Alps and dominated by the distinctive rocky summit of the

Cobbler.

The road winds along the head of Loch Long, through Glen Crow, past Ardgartan and plantations of Sitka and Norway spruce full of

Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Jim Walton CC BY 3.0 Arrochar

Photo by Graham Lewis CC BY 2.0 Arrochar Alps

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Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Viewpoint at Rest and Be Thankful

red squirrels, roe deer, owls and other wildlife to climb steadily to the Rest and Be Thankful.

Photo by Heikki Immonen CC BY 3.0 Loch Fyne, Cairndow

Photo Š MSeses CC BY-SA 4.0 Cairndow, Argyll

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As the highest point of the A83 and dividing line between Glen Croe and Glen Kinglas the arterial route was initially a military road, completed in 1753 by troops under the command of General Wade to subdue the Highlands in the wake of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745.

The popular beauty stop gets its name because in days gone by, when most journeys were undertaken on foot or by horse, the climb was so steep it was customary for weary travellers to rest and be thankful for having reached the top.

From here it is down hill all the way to Cairndow on the shores of Loch Fyne, past Ardkinglass Woodland Gardens. Dating back to the 1300s, the Ardkinglas estate extends to more than

Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Lauren Johnston-Smith CC BY-SA 4.0 Ardkinglas House

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Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Sean Afnan CC0 1.0 Loch Restil, Cairndow

12,000 acres of rolling hills and landscaped parkland. The house was built by architect Sir Robert Lorimer, in 1907 and is considered a masterpiece of design.

Through Cairndow the road follows the shore of the loch around to Clachan, site of the renowned Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, and follows the contours of the shoreline to Inveraray.

On a sunny day the sudden sight of the white washed buildings of Inveraray contrasting with the still blue waters of the loch is almost breathtaking.

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Kilmorich Church, Cairndow

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Once a Campbell stronghold it is the traditional capital of Argyll and the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll whose stunning

Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by VisitScotland Looking down on Inveraray

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Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Inveraray Castle

grand Georgian home, Inveraray Castle, was built between 1744 and 1784.

The town itself was rebuilt in the

Photo CC Phil Sangwell Inverarary and The Vital Spark

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last 30 years of the 18th century as a model community for estate workers and included a woollen mill and pier to exploit herring fishing. Now considered one of

the best examples of an 18thcentury new town in Scotland it is a fascinating place to visit.

In addition to the Celtic Inveraray

Travel - Crossing the line into Argyll Photo by VisitScotland Inveraray

Cross, Vital Spark Clyde Puffer and Bell Tower dominating the town Inveraray Jail (featured in issue 5) is major visitor attraction.

Anyone from the surrounding area sentenced to prison or transportation would have spent time in the jail where children as young as seven could be detained for minor crimes and subjected to whippings or pointless manual labour.

Just six miles out of Inveraray on the A83 is the Argyll Folk Museum at Auchindrain. Regarded as the well-preserved example of a Scottish Highland farm township it is like walking back in time to see how everyday folk lived and worked. Much of the village has remained unaltered since before the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Next on route is the village of Furnace, once home to a thriving iron furnace, powder-mills and quarry, before the road winds

Photo by VisitScotland Inveraray

its way into Lochgilphead the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute.

Located at the end of Loch Gilp, an offshoot of Loch Fyne, it lies close to the Crinan Canal. A model village built in 1790 it is an ideal spot from which to set up base and explore the surrounding attractions, such as Neolithic remains in the nearby Kilmartin Glen or ancient capital of Dalriada

at Dunadd, Over the years Lochgilphead has appeared in several movies. The main street can be seen in the 1964 war movie 633 Squadron as the Mosquito bombers fly over on their way to strike a target in Norway. The James Bond movie, From Russia with Love, also used several locations in and around Lochgilphead.

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History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Burning of the Clavie

Six Scottish New Year Traditions annual event is major part of the cultural calendar with both the 1st and 2nd of January officially classed as public holidays.

by Tracey Macintosh

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cotland is renowned around the world for its New Year celebrations.

Known as Hogmanay the

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Although things are going to be somewhat different this year, with many of the usual events cancelled due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, there are quite a few distinctly Scottish traditions which will undoubtedly resume once life returns to some normality.

First Footing

Once midnight has struck on 31 December, Scots will traditionally visit friends, relatives and neighbours - the ‘first footers’ of the new year.

Before this, houses are scrubbed and cleaned, clearing away the old year and making way for the new year. Windows are opened to let the ‘Auld year pass’ and traditionally fire places would have been cleaned and swept out and a new fire set ready to light in the new year. Going into the new

History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland First Footing

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History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

year clear of all debts was also a strong tradition although perhaps somewhat aspirational!

Custom dictates that to ensure good luck the person to step through the door first after the midnight bells should be dark haired. This relates to the time when Viking raids were feared and a fair-haired visitor at the door was likely to be an unwelcome Scandic raider.

First footers should also bring along specific items as gifts to bring luck to the household they are visiting in the new year - a piece of coal to ensure fuel to warm the home throughout the year, black bun (a rich fruit cake encased in pastry) or shortbread to ensure food throughout the year, and of course whisky to welcome the new year in with a wee dram.

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Calton Hill fireworks, Edinburgh

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Street Parties Although the traditions of first footing are still alive and well in some form throughout Scotland, a more recent tradition has Scotland at the forefront of New Year celebrations throughout the world.

Edinburgh’s world famous Hogmanay sees an influx of national and international visitors every year to enjoy a street party for thousands of people with a range of bands, DJs and live

entertainment bringing a lively six hour long party to Princes Street and the surrounding areas. At midnight a spectacular firework display from Edinburgh Castle usually marks the turn of the year and live coverage ensures many Scots (and those further afield) not there in person also have a window onto the celebrations.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay grew from an informal street party in the city’s old town. It has been a formally organised event since 1993, peaking in 1996 with over

A number of other Scottish cities and towns host their own street parties with live music, entertainment and firework displays at midnight so if you miss out on a ticket to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay party there are plenty more to try.

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History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

300,000 attendees. It is now a ticketed event and, although cancelled this year, it normally has a limit of 100,000 attendees.

History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

Stonehaven Fireballs Aberdeenshire’s Stonehaven has a truly unique Hogmanay tradition to welcome in the New Year.

The town’s main street hosts an amazing spectacle at midnight when a number of locals accompanied by pipes and drums, march down the street swinging flaming balls of fire around until they reach the harbour when the fireballs are thrown into the sea and a firework display marks the end of the ceremony.

In ‘normal’ years the main street is lined with town people and visitors keen to enjoy the fireball ceremony and with around 10,000 spectators annually there is a great, lively atmosphere and attendees party on well after midnight.

The fireballs are created from combustible material wrapped in

Photo MrPurple at English Wikipedia CC BY 3.0 Stonehaven fireballs

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wire cages set on a wire handle long enough to keep the wielder out of danger. They are created by each individual participant with ‘recipes’ closely guarded but likely to consist of broken rope, torn fishing nets and a mix of detritus from the fishing community.

Written documentation of the ceremony goes back to 1908 however the ceremony is likely to have pre-dated this considerably.

With Viking and pagan roots the ceremony’s origins are thought to be a combination of welcoming back the sun and lengthening days with fire or warding off evil spirits with fire in the midst of winter – a popular tradition among superstitious fishing communities. Fire ceremonies were once a popular way to welcome in the new year however this is one of the few remaining fire ceremonies in the UK that takes place on Hogmanay.

History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

The Burning of the Clavie

Clavie King and his men stop at local houses and a small piece of burning stave is taken into the houses for good luck throughout the year.

In a small fishing town in the North East of Scotland, just a few miles outside Elgin, new year is celebrated twice! The first time Hogmanay is celebrated on 31 December, then 11 days later (New Year according to the Julien calendar that was replaced by the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century) an older ceremony to mark the new year continues to take place, welcoming locals and visitors to the town every year.

Another ceremony involving fire, the Clavie is a barrel filled with burning staves carried through the town’s main streets on the Clavie King’s back. The Clavie is carried to a mound known as Doorie Hill where it is secured then refuelled and allowed to burn out throughout the night.

On the way to Doorie Hill, the

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Burning of the Clavie

There are records of the Burning of the Clavie being referred to as an ancient ceremony in the late 17th century although there is no record of when the ceremony began. With strong Viking and Pictish roots, the ceremony has survived attempts to outlaw it over the years as an overly pagan festival and, with some similarities in meaning to the Stonehaven fireballs, is a tradition to ward off evil and protect the fishing community.

A piece of the Clave, whether handed in on its journey to Doorie Hill, or claimed from the Clavie at some point during the night, was thought to bring the holder good luck over the next year.

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History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions Photo by VisitScotland Up Helly A

Up Helly Aa Continuing the New Year festivities well into the new year, Scotland’s most northerly island Shetland, hosts a number of fire festivals marking the end of the yule festival. The largest of these normally takes place in

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the island’s capital, Lerwick, on the last Tuesday of January, but there are a number of other Up Helly Aa festivals that take place throughout January, February and March.

Lerwick’s festival is a vibrant pageant involving Norse themed

costumed participants and a torch lit procession. A replica Viking longboat complete with Guizer Jarl as ‘captain’ is dragged to the burning site then surrounded by a circle of torchbearers who sing the traditional Up Helly Aa song which recounts the traditions

History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

and values of the sea faring Vikings of the past. At a signal the Jarl jumps from his longship and the torches are thrown in to the ship which is left to burn throughout the night while the guizers (participants in costume or ‘disguise’), party throughout Lerwick with often humorous

performances by the guizers and live music adding to a lively party that runs through the night and is often still in full swing when the morning ferry arrives.

The festival takes its origins from earlier fire festivals but has been refined over the years, finding

its current form celebrating Shetland’s Viking heritage in the late 19th century and growing year on year to the community led event which captures the imagination of locals and visitors alike.

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History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

New Year Day Swim or ‘Loony Dook’ Scotland is known for many wonderful things, but not its kind, temperate climate and particularly not in January. This

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Loony Dook

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last tradition is somewhat surprising but on 1 January a number of brave souls celebrate the first day of the new year by diving into the firth of Forth at South Queensferry, a picturesque coastal town just a few miles west of Edinburgh.

Participants are often in fancy dress and increasing numbers now mean that participants need to register to join the event which is included under the umbrella of the Edinburgh Hogmanay Festival.

1986 locals resurrected this as a ‘tongue in cheek’ suggestion for curing the Hogmanay hangover and it has grown since then.

and there are now a few ‘Loony Dooks’ taking place throughout Scotland on 1 January.

A number of other coastal areas in Scotland have followed suit

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History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

Nowadays the event raises funds for charity. It seems to have originated when a group of soldiers decided to renew themselves following the horrors of WWII by bathing in the firth of Forth on 1 January 1946. In

History - Six Scottish New Year Traditions

Finally, one additional Scottish New Year tradition that has travelled world-wide is the singing of Robert Burns world famous

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‘Auld Lang Syne’.

Burns wrote the lyrics in 1788 and the song’s sentiment of looking back over the past and keeping

old friendships alive along with enjoying the moment is the perfect soundtrack to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new.

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History - Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine

Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine

A 2020 Christmas wish

Victorian Christmas card

by Roo Irvine

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his time last year the magic of a looming Christmas was in the air.

Christmas lights decking every high street, shops full to bursting point, laughter in the

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air,and many a festive sherry consumed over long lazy lunches with friends.

year we will remember the simpler pleasures as the hustle and bustle is taken away.

We’ve become so used to the routine of preparing for Christmas we get bogged down in the finer details and sometimes forget the innocent joy behind it. I think this

Christmas cards are a perfect example of traditional gestures that have fallen by the wayside. I was always the designated writer as a child but in adulthood it

History - Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine The first Christmas card

almost becomes a chore in our all too busy lives. It’s sad, when you think the very first Christmas card was sent almost 180 years ago in 1843, that such a fine tradition is in decline.

The very first paper Christmas greeting was given in 1611 to King James VI of Scotland (James I of England). To be fair it was less of a card and more of an ornamental manuscript, some 84cm long, featuring poems, a song and Christmas greetings.

King James VI was an enthusiastic supporter of Christmas and when a reformist government banned celebrations in 1560 he managed to temporarily restore it in 1617, until it was taken away again around 1637. It didn’t even become a Scottish holiday until 1958! In some ways that’s hard to imagine as we Scots love a good celebration.

Fast-forward to 1843 when Sir Henry Cole - a respected civil servant, inventor, educator, patron of the arts and the first director of

Henry Cole, inventor of the first Christmas card

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History - Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine Victorian Christmas card 1866

the V&A - was a hugely prominent figure in society. Being so popular presented him with an enviable problem - he had far too many friends.

With the recent introduction of the ‘penny post’, allowing people to send post anywhere in the country, his letter tray was overflowing. Cole despaired at the mountain of unanswered letters.

In Victorian times it was impolite not to answer mail but as a very busy man how on earth would he reply to all his wonderful friends?

His solution was to commission an artist friend,J.C Horsley, to create a design that Cole had in mind - a family enjoying Christmas. Although somewhat controversial with the temperance movement as the image depicted children with glasses of wine it was a master stroke of an idea as this simple decorative card could easily be personalised with the sender’s name.

Greetings card 1885

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History - Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine

Prang’s Christmas cards 1886

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History - Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine Victorian Christmas card

Initially, a thousand cards were printed. Unfortunately they were expensive at one shilling each and the venture flopped but, the first commercial Christmas card had been born.

A short time later the arrival of the halfpenny post, and the introduction of German Christmas traditions thanks to Prince Albert, Christmas became increasingly commercialised and ready-made cards were sold in droves.

For collectors of Christmas memorabilia a genuine Cole card from the first print run is a highly desirable find. Unfortunately only 12 are said to survive out of the initial 1,000. One example sold at auction in 2001 for a record £22,500, but then it wasn’t just a Christmas card. It was a piece of history born of human need, sentimentality, the technological revolution and most importantly, the magic of Christmas.

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The iconography used in the cards makes them special and stokes the festive fire in our hearts. Early Victorian cards featured nativity scenes but then progressed to snow scenes and robins. Incidentally, postmen were nicknamed Robin postmen because of their red uniforms so the robin on your Christmas card initially represented your friendly postie.

The Victorians had a dark sense of humour. Some cards featured bloodthirsty snowmen, demonic bats, dancing insects, and even Satan popped up too. The anagram isn’t lost on me there.

There’s even Santa shoving a naughty child into his sack to steal.

There are many modern reprintings of Victorian designs and to find an original is quite rare indeed. They are a thing of beauty, hand painted and

coloured on delicate lacy paper with sumptuous illustrations.

Receiving one of these in the post 150 years ago would have been a joy and I’m sure they ended up preserved in Victorian scrapbooks as opposed to thrown in the bin as we do.

The irony goes full circle when you realise that Christmas cards were created as a timesaving idea and yet today we don’t have the time to send them. E-cards have become our generation’s timesaving invention and now often a text will suffice but they don’t have the magic.

This year let’s bring back the sweet tradition the Victorians gifted to us and put a smile back on the faces of our distant friends and families. Merry Christmas everyone!

History - Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine

Christmas card from Norway circa 1899

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17th April 2021 p46

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Conservation - Saving Scotland’s coastal heritage

HMS Unicorn, the oldest ship built in Britain still afloat

Saving Scotland’s coastal heritage

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cotland’s oldest ship, an A-listed harbour and an iron age dwelling are among a series of projects to get funding from Historic Environment Scotland to promote and protect the country’s coastal or waterway heritage.

A total of 18 community-based causes are to receive a share of £194,349 as part of the Coast and Waters Heritage Fund from HES. Grants of £3,000 to £20,000 have been awarded to the projects

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which deliver benefits to the local community through outreach and educational activities, repairs to stabilise historic or marine structures, developing traditional skills and increasing understanding of Scotland’s heritage.

The Collective Coast project, run by Climavore CIC, has been awarded £13,816 to work with intergenerational and marginalised groups to capture oral histories and develop recordings, a short film, an exhibition, a series of radio

shows and a cookbook while The Papay Development Trust has been awarded £7,950 for their Restore the Shore project to engage the community in coastal protection, restore and create local heritage assets and upskill a new generation of volunteers to ensure that valuable local knowledge is passed on.

Funding has also been awarded to projects which are developing and implementing measures to enhance resilience and adapt to climate change. This includes £20,000 which has been awarded

to Cromarty Harbour Trust to improve the safety and access to the Smeaton Mole which is the

outer pier of the A-listed Cromarty Harbour in the Highlands.

An award of £19,000 has also been made to The Whithorn Trust for a community archaeology

Cromarty Harbour

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Conservation - Saving Scotland’s coastal heritage

Photo by Jonathan Ford Papay Development Trust building defences

Conservation - Saving Scotland’s coastal heritage

Calanais stones

project which will offer training workshops on lidar visualisation as well as analysis and interpretation to enhance understanding of coastal archaeology and help create a valuable resource for the management of sites affected by climate change. There will also be hands-on activities to construct a traditional coracle and canoe and a travelling exhibition will be created to engage a wider audience in coastal and waterrelated heritage.

The Coasts and Waters Heritage Fund is a one-off competitive fund which launched in March to celebrate Scotland’s themed year.

Glasgow Canal project

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“This funding will support a wide range of community outreach activities as well as crucial repairs to historic maritime structures which not only encourages people to engage with our coastal and waterway heritage but helps

Conservation - Saving Scotland’s coastal heritage Scottish Crannog Centre

to ensure it is protected for future generations,” said Amy Eastwood, Head of Grants at HES. “From Dumfries and Galloway

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he Glasgow Canal Coop is to get £13,416 to research and promote the heritage of the canal area and increase community activities.

Cromarty Harbour Trust has been awarded £20,000 to improve the safety and resilience of the access to the Smeaton Mole, the outer pier of the A-listed harbour.

The Unicorn Preservation Society in Dundee gets £19,045 to increase interpretation and understanding of HMS Unicorn, the oldest ship built in Britain still afloat, which is currently at risk. The project forms part of a larger project to see the ship moved

to the Highlands and Islands, these projects cover a wide geographical spread and showcase the fantastic work that goes on within communities across the

country to harness, highlight and help to place a spotlight on Scotland’s diverse coastal heritage.”

to the East Graving Dock in Dundee to create a Maritime Heritage Centre.

access to the site and museum and improve its resilience.

The Papay Development Trust in the Orkney Island has been awarded : £7,950 to engage the local community in coastal protection, restore and create local heritage assets and upskill a new generation of volunteer stone workers to ensure valuable local knowledge is passed on.

Swan Trust, Shetland has been given £5,000 to support the sail replacement of the Swan, which is a fishing vessel built in 1900 and is now primarily used as a community resource through educational events and sail journeys aimed at youth and volunteer groups.

The Scottish Crannog Centre, Perthshire gets £18,723 to to repair the walkway and decking surrounding the Scottish Crannog Centre – a reconstruction of an iron age loch dwelling that sits in Loch Tay – to ensure continued visitor

Urras nan Tursachan, Western Isles gets £19,920 to train local volunteers to survey and record the coastal landscape at Calanais, the intertidal zone and the waters of Loch Roag using geophysics and traditional survey techniques to gain new insights into the site.

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www.house-of-art.uk

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

Stylish fusion of heritage and quality

by Alicja Błasińska

Stephen and Mairi Clayton.

alk into the retail or souvenir shop of any stately home, castle, distillery or leading visitor attraction in Scotland and the chances are it contains a selection of high quality items produced by entrepreneurs

The husband and wife duo are the guiding inspiration behind both the Leather Guild brand and the prestigious Tweedie retail outlet in Helensburgh, Argyll.

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For more than two decades they have been at the forefront

of producing distinctly Scottish fashion accessories renowned for the exceptional quality of their materials and skilled craftsmanship. Their ever evolving collection has in excess of 2,400 items - ranging from handbags, wallets and dog collars to ties, gloves, wool hats and much more. Their inimitable designs

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Alicja Błasińska with the Dee Backpack in Blue Herringbone

Iona Glen Red Tweed handbag

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Applique wallets

and creations blend tradition, heritage and creativity with classic style, individuality and modernity.

Over the years their products have won several accolades in the hotly contested Gift of the Year Awards, organised by the UK’s leading industry trade body The Giftware Association, and are now stocked by High Street boutiques, luxury hotels, top attractions and prestigious retailers throughout Scotland, the rest of the UK and as far a field as North America and mainland Europe.

“There is a lot of interest in high quality Scottish products,” said Stephen. “We get orders from Canada and USA and regularly send products off to customers in the south of England, France, Germany and even New Zealand.”

Scottie wallet red and mouse purse

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Although the couple use a

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Red tweed wallet, loop key and card case

number of different materials, patterns and tweeds in their unique designs their signature material, Islay Tweed, offers a degree of luxury and resilience that other materials lack.

Like its more famous cousin Islay Tweed has a long and distinguished history. They have been weaving wool on the inner Hebridean island continuously since the 1820s, although there is some evidence of a weaving industry dating back to Medieval times, and the classic fabric is ideally suited to making bags and accessories.

First established in 1883 the current Islay Tweed mill has designed and produced plaids for many Hollywood blockbuster movies, including Braveheart starring Mel Gibson, Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks, Rob Roy starring Liam Neeson and Far and Away starring Tom Cruise.

Green purse and key fob

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska The tweed has its own distinctively untamed character with a charm and feel that makes it unique.

“We use Islay Tweed, which is custom made for us, because it is harder wearing than Harris Tweed.

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It is a much stronger material and in many ways it’s like working with leather. It is stronger, tougher and more durable.”

Tree of life design

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska practical for every day use.

The tight strong weave coupled with a Du Pont Teflon coating, applied at the finishing stage to provide enhanced water and stain repellence, makes the products

Every item created

by Leather Guild is designed

by Mairi and made to exacting standards by specialist craftspeople and artisans.

Over the last five years alone it’s

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Islay tweed and leather belts

estimated she has developed more than 5,000 accessories and gifts for men, ladies and even the

Icon range

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Islay tweed ties

family pet.

Much of the collection is available

through the couple’s high street Tweedie store and online while others have been created

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Red tweed selection

specially for clients to sell under their own brands.

It was precisely because their range of products is now so large that Mari and Stephen decided to

open up their first retail store.

“We have so many items in our

Men’s red glove and gifts

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Dee Backpack in Blue Herringbone

collection that no single retailer could possibly stock them all so we set up our own shop,” said Stephen.

“We still work with many of the country’s leading estates, distilleries, hotels and other

Coin and key purses

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clients to create custom products based on their own unique tweeds but now we have a dedicated outlet to showcase all our creations, including items such as gloves, hats, tweed covered journals, phone bags. key fobs, dog collars and so

Tweed caps

much more.”

To check out the full extent of the Leather Guild range at Tweedie visit the online store at https://tweedieshop.com/

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

New Berry tweed collection

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Entertainment - Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

Scene from Lost at Christmas starring Natalie Clark and Kenny Boyle

Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

T

he world’s first Scottishmade romantic comedy movie set in Scotland goes on nationwide release this month.

Lost at Christmas arrives in cinemas from 4th December three days ahead of the film’s digital release on the 7th.

Directed by BAFTA nominee Ryan Hendrick, the film is based on the acclaimed short film Perfect Strangers and is Scotland’s first traditional Christmas movie.

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Featuring an incredible cast, including, Sylvester McCoy (Dr Who / The Hobbit), Natalie Clark (The Last Bus), Kenny Boyle, Sanjeev Kohli (Still Game) & Clare Grogan (Gregory’s Girl) to name a few the film is tipped to bring much needed Christmas cheer to audiences.

Lost At Christmas is set in the remote Scottish town of Fort William, on Christmas Eve, when life is turned upside down for Jen (Natalie Clark) and Rob (Kenny Boyle).

The couple meet up after finding themselves unexpectedly heartbroken, single and stranded so they team up to try and reach home 100 miles away to be with their families.

“Borrowing” Jen’s newly exboyfriend’s classic car the pair hit the road, but it’s not long before the weather turns for the worse forcing them to continue their journey on foot.

Bickering and bonding across the snowy landscape of Glen Coe they eventually arrive at a remote

Entertainment - Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

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Entertainment - Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

Video QR Code

inn where they meet a number of other guests dead set on avoiding the traditional Christmas joy.

However, as Christmas Day draws closer the young couple and their new found companions are forced to review their own feelings.

Makers of the movie claim Lost at Christmas will alleviate any sense of humbug as it brings audiences in from the cold, lightens the hardest hearts and provides the ultimate feel-good Christmas cinema experience.

Director Ryan Hendrick is excited to share his latest project with the world, having spent many years campaigning to get the feature

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Entertainment - Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

length movie made.

“I am beyond thrilled our festive heart warmer is heading out into the world. It was a thrill to make and be surrounded by such a group of talented artists,” he said.

For leading man Kenny Boyle, who hails from the Isle of Lewis, the movie is a dream come true.

He appeared in the short film Perfect Strangers, the precursor to Lost At Christmas, and has felt passionately about the film from the very start.

Having trained at the prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Kenny has an extensive background as a stage actor, performing in theatres across the

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Entertainment - Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

country including Eden Court, The Traverse, and Shakespeare’s Globe to name a few.

Prior to Lost At Christmas he performed with River City’s Leah McCrae and Gary Lamont, Liberty X’s Michelle Heaton, and Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall.

In 2018 Boyle performed a one man Royal reception performance for a small audience including The Prince of Wales, Judi Dench, and Judy Murray. His sell out UK tour of the show Hero Worship received critical acclaim.

Similarly, Natalie Clark is making her big screen debut as a leading lady with Lost at Christmas. The

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Entertainment - Finding fun with Lost at Christmas

Glasgow based actress has many years of experience on stage and screen. She most recently completed a tour of Scotland with Rapture Theatre in The Browning Version.

Natalie has been the face of many television advertisements over the years fronting campaigns for well known brands such as RBS, Aldi and Specsavers.

Her recent TV credits include Still Game and Royal History’s Biggest Fibs for the BBC. Feature film credits include Love Bite with Ed Speleers and Timothy Spall, the latter of whom Natalie will soon be seen opposite in the upcoming Feature Film The Last Bus.

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

Exploring history and culture with laughter

by Scott Aitken

A

s the year draws to a close 2020 will undoubtedly go down in history for many things but laughter is unlikely to be one of them.

This month a couple of new DVDs are set for nationwide release, showcasing two of Scotland’s best known comedians as they take a wry look at the world around them.

Dazzler Media presents both Billy Connolly’s Great American Trail on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital, and

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Billy Connolly’s Great American Trail

Frankie Boyle’s Tour of Scotland on DVD & Digital.

Billy Connolly’s Great American Trail is an epic three part travelogue that sees the comedy

Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

legend going far off the beaten track into the places you’ve heard of but have rarely seen, as he follows the migratory trail of the Scots through America.

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Starting in New York and finishing in the heart of America, Nashville, Tennessee, this is a series bursting at the seams with music, football, gangsters, whales, real life moonshiners and not one

but two, mad, bad and terrible presidents who both had Scottish parents!

It’s a unique and incredible story of the land of the free, as seen

There are almost 30,000 Americans who claim Scottish ancestry, including no less

than 33 Presidents and icons ranging from Elvis Presley to Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon.

In a journey spanning spanning

several centuries and more than 3,000 miles, from Salem, Massachusetts to Nashville, Tennessee, he follows in the footsteps of the thousands of Scots who emigrated to the USA.

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

through the eyes of Scotland’s most famous favourite comedian.

Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

Starting with a trip to the Big Apple the Big Yin takes to the streets of New York as part of the annual Tartan Day Parade celebration of Scottish heritage, and visits the grave of the man who gave rise to ‘Uncle Sam’, a Scots-American whose family originated from Greenock.

While in New York he tours Ellis Island, where so many Scottish immigrants passed through on their way to a new life and

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He visits Salem to trace the history of the famous witch trials and their links to the shameful period of Scottish history when more than 4,000 people, mostly women, were falsely accused of witchcraft.

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

goes to the great state of Massachusetts, site of the first arrivals of Scottish immigrants on the shores of what would later become the USA.

Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

Frankie Boyle and Val McDermid

Also due for release at the same time is Frankie Boyle’s Tour of Scotland, in which the cynical and often controversial comic embarks on an entertaining and revealing journey of his homeland.

The series follows Frankie as he sets out on a stand-up tour of Scotland involving four trips to four gigs during which he meets a heady mix of people and visits places along the way.

Filtering the nation’s past and present through his unique mind, from the cities of the south to the wilds of the North, Frankie takes the viewer on an adventure across Scotland, incorporating such gems as Oban and Mull, site of the infamous 1692 massacre in Glen Coe, Ben Cruachan and Balmoral - favourite retreat of the Royal family.

Along the way he meets up with some interesting personalities, including celebrated crime writer

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

Val McDermid in Edinburgh with whom he discusses the growing popularity of Scottish crime fiction.

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He also has a chat with actress and comedian Elaine C Smith in Ayr and learns about battle tactics from weaponry expert John Lyons during a trip to Bannockburn.

Both DVD’s are available from 7th December - just in time for Christmas.

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Entertainment - Exploring history and culture with laughter

The result is a fresh and surprising look at the story of Scotland and its history alongside contemporary ideas of Scottish identity.

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Sounds of Scotland - Turn back time and follow that dream

Kenny Sunter

Turn back time and follow that dream W

by Scott Aitken

ho says you can never go back? For everyone who ever thought they’d like to turn back time for a second chance at living their dream singer-songwriter Kenny Sunter is something of a hero.

resurrecting his 80s dream of a career in music and, if his latest release ‘These Streets’ is anything to go by, he’s on track for success.

Inspired by going to live gigs at the Glasgow Apollo and an appreciation of Bruce Springsteen he set his sights on a music career.

The Glasgow based musician is recording a debut album more than 30 years after he walked away from the music industry to ‘get a proper job’.

Using the stage name Killing Kenny the 53-year-old is

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Like a lot of people Kenny grew up playing drums in a bedroom band in Helensburgh, near Glasgow with his brother and a group of friends.

Listen here

However, despite recording two EPs, playing with various bands around the UK and performing studio sessions, the big break proved elusive and he was forced to bow to the economic realties of life and find a regular job.

Sounds of Scotland - Turn back time and follow that dream

Video QR Code

While his ambitions may have been curbed his love of music wasn’t and the ‘what if’ question remained in the back of his mind.

Ken continued to write songs, some of which found their way to legendary music producer John McLaughlin who has a track record of working with the likes of Sir Rod Stewart, Busted and Westlife.

The result was the resurrection of a dream with the advent of a new album under the guidance of McLaughlin. These Streets is his first single and shows that his skill for songwriting has only grown stronger over time.

Documenting his return to music in a series of YouTube videos,

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Sounds of Scotland - Turn back time and follow that dream

which have more twists than your average soap opera, Kenny is looking to reach out to others who feared their chance at a life in music had deserted them and show them it is never too late.

“Music and writing has always been part of my life for many, many, many years. Sadly, it took

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a back seat, becoming more of a private hobby and some hardhearted people may even say a self-indulgence,” said Kenny.

“Then in 2019, I started to work on some new material, having spent time being taught the piano, to a level to be able to assist me in writing songs. By

chance, the new songs were played to some old friends in the music business, with the material being well received. It was this encouragement and spark that gave me the confidence to get back to doing what I love and embark on a new era as a singer/ songwriter.”

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Postmortem portrait of the Earl o’ Moray showing his wounds

Story behind the song…

‘The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray ’

by Scott Aitken

S

cotland’s long and bloody history is full of family feuds, territorial disputes and ruthless ambition resulting in murder and misery. But, few such tragedies are immortalised in song as hauntingly as The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray.

Written sometime around the early 17th century the historic ballad is part memorial and part accusation as it tells the tale of the brutal killing of the young and handsome Earl of Moray at the hands of his rival the Earl of Huntly.

For years the families of James Stewart, Earl of Moray and the Gordons of Huntly were bitter opponents as they connived and schemed against each other to gain Royal influence, power and wealth.

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Photo by Gaius Cornelius CC BY-SA 4.0 James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray

King James VI of Scotland

Scotland in the late 16th century was a pretty rough place.

James VI, soon to be James I of England, was on the throne and there were persistent fears of conspiracy and intrigue against the sovereign.

Huntly was convinced the Stewarts of Doune Castle, now best known as the stand-in for Castle Leoch in the Outlander television series, were plotting

Listen here

Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

with Tom Morton

#world #folk #scottish

Music to accompany reading Discover Scotland, the world’s only free online magazine dealing with Scotland all things Scottish. www.discoverscotlandmagazine.com 1) Beluga Lagoon - Misty Munro FM 2) John Martyn - Over the Hill 3) Rutkowski Sisters - Riverman 4) Big Country - Wonderland 5) Karine Polwart - Chance 6) Sam Speirs - That’s What I Believe 7) Unkle Bob - Safety Net 8) Trashcan Sinatras - Ways 9) Teenage Fanclub - Home 10) Five Hand Reel - The Bonnie Earl O’Moray 11) Idlewild - You Held the World in Your Arms 12) Robin Adams - A Friend of Mine 13) Del Amitri - Close Your Eyes and think of England 14) Deacon Blue - Christmas and Glasgow that has become a favourite with numerous performers

with Tom Morton

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Photo by J.Thomas CC BY-SA 2.0 Castle Doune

with the 5th Earl of Bothwell against the monarch. He succeeded in convincing King James of his suspicions and was granted a commission to arrest Moray and bring him to trial.

On the evening of 7 February 1592, during his attempt to apprehend the errant Earl, Huntly tracked Moray down to one of the family homes in Donibristle, Fife and set it on fire. The visiting Sheriff of Moray was killed but the wanted Earl managed to escape the flaming building, break through the cordon of attackers surrounding the house and tried to hide among the rocks on the seashore. Unfortunately the glow of a burning tassle on his helmet gave away his position and he was discovered.

have uttered the words: “Ye hae spilt a better face than yer ain�

(You have spoiled a better face than your own).

During a brief skirmish Huntly succeeded in striking the 27-yearold Moray down by slashing him across the face with his sword. As he lay dying the Earl is reported to

The death of the popular Moray, who was regarded as an exceptionally handsome man, caused uproar. His grieving mother, Margaret Campbell,

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Photo by Rosser1954 CC BY-SA 4.0 Huntly Castle, Aberdeenshire

commissioned a painting of her mutilated son, showing the multiple wounds inflicted on his body, which she intended to put on show at the market cross in Edinburgh for all to see. Her plan was thwarted when the King failed to give permission.

Determined to confront the King

Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Photo Egg Creations CC BY 3.0 Idlewild

Photo by Elliot Clowes CC BY 3.0 John Martyn 2008

Photo by Paul Hayes Del Amitri 2002

and demand Huntly be punished Margaret took her son’s corpse, and that of the Sheriff of Moray, to Edinburgh where she had the Earl’s body displayed in the Church of St Giles. She refused to have him buried until justice had been done and, although she died shortly afterwards, Moray’s decomposing remains stayed on display for five years until the King ordered their removal.

One of Huntly’s followers, a Captain Gordon, who had been wounded in the skirmish at Donibristle and unable to flee to safety was made a scapegoat, taken to Edinburgh and executed.

Huntley himself suffered nothing more than a week of house arrest.

More than 400 years later the murder, immortalised in song, remains one of the most infamous in Scottish history.

In the this month’s episode of Musical Discoveries, presented

Photo by Chris Williams CC BY-SA 3.0 Trashcan Sinatras

by Tom Morton, ‘The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray’ is performed by Five Hand Reel, a Celtic rock band first formed in the 1970s who recorded the song as the lead track on their third album of the same name in 1978.

The latest show also features great performances from Beluga Lagoon, John Martyn, Idlewild, Del Amitri, Big Country, Trashcan Sinatras, the Rutkowski Sisters, Karine Polwart, Sam Speirs,

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Photo by Bryan Ledgard CC BY 2.0 Karine Polwart

Unkle Bob, Teenage Fanclub, Robin Adams and Deacon Blue.

You can listen to this show and all previous episodes on the radio page of DiscoverScotlandmagazine.com

Listen here

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Photo by Michig CC BY-SA 3.0 Teenage Fanclub

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Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

Helen Chalmers, Ben Thompson and Robert Hicks

Deliciously evocative and very moreish

Seven Crofts Gin

Highland Liquor Company Ullapool, Wester Ross 43 per cent ABV Around ÂŁ40 for 70cl bottle

A

lthough relatively new kids on the block the Ullapool-based Highland Liquor Company is fast becoming a leading brand in the ever expanding world of Scottish Gin. Voted Best Newcomer in the recent Scottish Gin Awards the company, formed in 2018 by

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Photo Bewahrerderwerte CC BY-SA 4.0 Ullapool

entrepreneurs Helen Chalmers and Robert Hicks, has been creating quite a stir.

After five years in the planning, 18 months in development and

almost 100 tried and tested recipes to get just the right balance they launched their Seven Crofts Gin in 2019 to widespread acclaim.

Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

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Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish Photo by Rob Mason CC BY-SA 4.0 Ullapool Beachfront

Named after the original seven cottages and steadings that made up Ullapool in 1791, Seven

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Crofts has been carefully crafted to reflect the landscape and heritage of this spectacularly

beautiful and untamed part of Scotland.

Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

Batch distilled in Little Ella, a small copper alembic still, and using a combination of seven

botanicals - consisting of juniper, angelica root, coriander seeds, cubeb pepper, pink peppercorn,

cardamom, fresh lemon peel - Chalmers, Hicks and Head Distiller Ben Thompson have

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Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

succeeded in creating a premium spirit.

Presented in a sleek, forest green, genever-style bottle, for which they scooped the Best New Launch Design accolade at the World Gin Awards - the only Scottish gin to be recognised at the event, the company has created a classic gin with a perfect balance of both substance and style.

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Seven Crofts has also found favour with several famous

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Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

In a short time, and in the face of a global pandemic, the company has managed to secure a place for their award winning gin in a number of five-star hotels, leading retailers and top-end restaurants across the UK, including The Savoy, Harvey Nichols, and Lympstone Manor - the Michelin star restaurant belonging to actor Sir Michael Caine.

Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

international bars such as the Atlas bar in Singapore, Ruby in Copenhagen, FAM bar in London and Nauticus in Edinburgh. And it is no wonder!

Seven Crofts Gin certainly lives up to its promise. It is a smooth, elegant and distinctive spirit imbued with a tinge of earthiness, a whisper of woodland fruits and a taint of citrus. The rich flavour of juniper blends with hint of saltiness followed by a peppery spice which warms the palate and leaves a clean, fresh and very moreish finish.

In short Seven Crofts Gin, which is available from a variety of outlets, or direct from www. highlandliquorcompany.com, is an excellent contender for the ideal tipple or as a worthy gift for any gin lover.

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“To make it to the final stage of the Scottish Gin Awards is a huge achievement so congratulations must go to all these businesses who are operating at the top of their game in Scottish gin,” said Adam Hardie, chair of the 26-strong judging panel charged with assessing 194 entries this year.

“For the consumer, this list is important as it is a comprehensive study for any gin fan looking for high quality Scottish products which taste great.”

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Food & Beverage - Deliciously evocative and very moreish

It’s no surprise that in addition to winning the title of Best Newcomer at the 2020 Scottish Gin Awards it was also shortlisted as a finalist in the categories for London Dry Gin of the year and Excellence in Branding.

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Photo by Sarah McGuire CC BY-SA 2.0 River Findhorn and Tomatin Distillery from Carn a’ Choire Mhòir

Among the Junipers

by Tom Morton

I

n last month’s magazine I extolled the wintry romance of Dalwhinnie, one of my favourite detours (albeit a

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slight one) from the A9, heading to or from Inverness. It is a great dram for this time of year in its straightforward 15-year-old form, but as you head up the A9, before reaching the Queen of the

Highland Fleshpots, as Inverness is sometimes known, you will notice on your left the massive sprawl of warehouses that mark Tomatin.

Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Photo by Nick Forwood CC BY-SA 2.0 Tomatin Distillery

Once the largest malt whisky distillery in Scotland, with 23 stills,a colossal output in the 1970s of 12.5 million litres per year, and a capacity of up to 30 million, Tomatin’s production has reduced considerably, along with the number of stills being operated. It now has just the 10 stills, producing perhaps 2 million litres, and over the past few years, under the ownership of Japanese drinks giant Takara Shuzo, it has consolidated its single malts, improving branding and marketing considerably, as well as tapping into the tourist market with an excellent visitor centre and shop.

Most of its whisky continues to go for blending, though, notably in the form of two associated brands - the Antiquary and Talisman.

Gordon and MacPhail shop

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Like Dalwhinnie, Tomatin has always been an important stopping-off point for travellers

A building known locally as “The Old Laird’s House” still remains on the site of the current distillery and it is thought this may be where the drovers would stop and fill their flasks.

Where there is a distillery, there is always a ghost story, or at least some form of spookiness.

Nothing to do with the effects of the product, of course. At Tomatin, there’s a tale of one distillery worker who, wandering the nearby woods at night, as you

do, became aware of a ghostly animal presence, the so-called Cu Bocan, or beast of Tomatin.

Doubtless somewhat fortified against fear, said worker reached out to the animal and touched its fur, whereupon it disappeared in a puff of whisky fumes. Or magical smoke, depending on the tale.

This legend lies behind the expression of Tomatin called Cu Bocan, which is lightly peated (hence smokey) and only produced for a single week each year, then matured in three different types of wood. Its effect on one’s vision or imagination when wandering in a forest is untested, as far as I know.

One of the timbers not used in maturing Cu Bocan is Juniper (“Tomatin” means “Hill of the Juniper Trees”). In fact the name “Tomatin” is at the root of a

wrangle which has been going on for years between the distillery and a local firm which wants to develop a hotel, farm shop and visitor centre in the village called the Tomatin Trading Company.

The distillery objected to the use of the name “Tomatin” claiming that this “took unfair advantage of our reputation”.

The case rests at the moment with the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

One thing is certainly true: Tomatin (the whisky) has an increasing reputation as a single malt in various cleverlychosen expressions utilising the company’s huge reserves. And this month’s choice is an absolute classic among winter malts.

It’s not cheap, but, as a special Christmas treat? Tomatin is a name to celebrate with.

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

- especially, in the past, cattle drovers - heading for markets in Perth or further south. Where there were drovers there was usually someone with a sma’ still ( illegal household equipment for distilling) willing to sell them some uisge beatha, and it’s thought Tomatin had its origins in just such an operation.

Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Unveiling The Cairn Long-established Elgin family firm Gordon and MacPhail has unveiled the brand for the new distillery it’s building within the Cairngorms National Park.

The distillery is to be named The Cairn, reflecting its location among the spectacular Cairngorm mountains, at the gateway to Speyside. Planning permission for the new distillery was granted last year and work started on site in July.

Unveiling the new brand Ian Chapman, Brands Director said: “We have put the consumer right at the heart of the process of creating the brand, as we have with the design of the distillery itself. We wanted to make sure it was clearly Scottish, but easy for consumers to pronounce and to spell. This will be particularly

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important for our international markets when English is not the first language.

“We also had to be mindful of Benromach, our other distillery.

We wanted the new brand to complement, not compete.”

Benromach is marketed as a traditional, hand crafted brand, so the new whisky will have a more contemporary look. The distillery premises themselves reflect this.

Working with Glasgow based branding agency Good, the company cast its net wide looking for ideas for a name, asking staff and shareholders for suggestions.

More than 300 ideas were eventually whittled down to a shortlist..

As well as the name, the identity needed to have icons and

graphical elements to make it unmistakable for non-English speaking consumers. An icon has been developed to symbolise the brand; the fragmented shape representing the coming together of many pieces to form a cairn, which is a pile of stones traditionally used to waymark routes or landmarks. The typography used for the words “The Cairn” is ultra-modern and premium, yet it is complemented by the use of a Serif font for the word “Distillery” to represent contemporary craft cues that imply heritage and legacy.

Ian Chapman said: “The brand is eye-catching and contemporary and the approach to develop it put the consumer at the centre of our thinking. It is the same approach we have taken to designing The Cairn Distillery itself. The modern building takes advantage of the outstanding views across the River Spey to the Cairngorms and has been designed with the customer at the centre of the experience.”

Scheduled to open in spring 2022, The Cairn Distillery, near Grantown-on-Spey, will include a visitor experience, tasting rooms, retail space and coffee shop.

Tomatin 18-year-Old Sherry Cask 46% alcohol. Around £85 per bottle.

I would argue that £85 for a well-aged, poised and balanced sherry cask Highland malt is pretty good value, actually. Especially when it’s this good.

NOSE: The power and age of this dram fairly leaps out of the glass in its Christmas cake pungency.

It comes at you full of dramatic sweetness and seasonal fruitiness, all raisin, apricots and prunes, but with the comforting overtones of an oak-panelled lounge equipped with a roaring log fire, aged leather seats and the distant whiff of cigars and pipe tobacco. You could simply and happily inhale the fumes all day.

MOUTH: Cinnamon balls marinated in brandy, with some classic Yule “Rumtopf” to follow! Rumtopf is a Christmas tradition in Austria and Germany whereby fruit is marinated for weeks or month before the big day in rum. I’ve tried it and it’s very good with ice cream. More fruit cake and leather sofas, old, well-polished church floors, candlewax and the sound of reindeer whinnying not far away. This is a dram to leave out for Santa, as along as you know him pretty well.

FINISH: Salted caramel, squashed fruitgums, treacle and a long, delicious fade into mild heat and an immediate desire for another sip.

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Tasting Notes

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Food & Beverage - Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies

Holyrood Distillery cask warehouse

Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies H

by Paul Watson

olyrood Distillery, Edinburgh’s first single malt distillery for almost 100 years, is recreating historic single malt whiskies based on those once produced during the city’s rich distilling past.

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By sourcing the ancient ingredients and using the whisky making styles of Edinburgh distilleries popular in the 1800s and early 1900s, Holyrood Distillery will distil and fill just 30 casks – 15 American oak Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads and 15 Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez Sherry Hogsheads.

The casks will then be sold by a leading online whisky auction platform, Whisky Hammer, at a one-off online auction scheduled to run from 7pm on Friday 4 December to 7pm on Sunday 13 December.

This will be the first dedicated auction of its kind for the online Aberdeenshire-based company,

Food & Beverage - Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies

which normally runs monthly online auctions offering a diverse range of rare and collectible whiskies.

The single malts will be created using two ancient barley varieties: Chevallier, originally used from the 1820s to the 1900s by distilleries such as Bonnington, Croftanrigh and Yardheads; and Plumage

Archer used by many Edinburgh distilleries from the early 1900s like Dean and Glen Sciennes.

Holyrood Distillery will also use old-style brewer’s yeasts, distil slowly and fill only sherry casks in the way that the now-closed Edinburgh distilleries would once have done.

The majority of the city’s distilleries closed in the 19th century with the last ones being Dean, closing in 1922 and Glen Sciennes distillery, closing in 1925. Holyrood Distillery resurrected the distilling of single malt with its opening in 2019.

“Edinburgh’s distilling heritage and pedigree is long and

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Food & Beverage - Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies

chequered. It continues to amaze me that we have not seen a working single malt distillery in the city between 1925 and 2019,” said David Robertson, cofounder of Holyrood Distillery.

“This is a rare opportunity to own a single malt whisky which is based on the techniques and ingredients used by Edinburgh’s distilling forefathers. Purchasing one of these rare casks is an invitation to own a piece of history and tread in the footsteps of the people who created the city’s whisky industry.”

David Robertson, co-founder Holyrood Distillery

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It was founded by Canadian couple, Rob and Kelly Carpenter and Scot, David Robertson. Rob co-founded the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society with wife Kelly, while David has 25 years experience in the industry with The Macallan and The Dalmore, as well as cofounding Rare Whisky 101.

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Food & Beverage - Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies

Holyrood Distillery started distilling in September 2019 in Edinburgh’s city centre. Located right in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic distilling district the 180-year-old building has been thoughtfully renovated to produce gin, liqueurs and whisky.

Food & Beverage - Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies

Holyrood Distillery

allowing bidders to select the barley variety, cask type (American or Spanish oak exsherry hogsheads) and cask number of most interest. The casks will be filled with the fledgling spirit in early 2021 and put to rest in the warehouse to become unique single malts.

Whisky casks lined up Holyrood Distillery

“Having seen increasing interest in silent stills and demand for old vintage whisky and cask purchases, this is a golden opportunity for our members to make history and fully participate in crafting a deeply personal and rare spirit,” said Daniel Milne, Managing Director of Whisky Hammer, a family-owned business that hosts auctions once a month dedicated to whisky and other fine spirits.

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“Having followed Holyrood Distillery’s journey with interest, we’re excited and honoured to partner with them to offer 30 unique casks exclusively on Whisky Hammer. This is an offer not to be missed by our members who we know love interesting and unusual whiskies.”

Bidding is expected to start at £3,000 for each numbered sherry hogshead (No 1 to 15 Chevallier and No 1 to 15 Plumage Archer),

Winning bidders will be invited, Coronavirus restrictions allowing, to see their spirit being created at the distillery, cask filled at the warehouse and collect a small duty-paid sample of the spirit.

They will also be invited to visit their cask annually to sample and assess the development of their whisky.

The hammer price paid will include storage for up to 10 years, annual sampling and insurance.

Bottling costs, customised labelling, duty and VAT are not included but illustrated costs can be provided on request.

Food & Beverage - Resurrecting Edinburgh’s historic whiskies

Daniel Milne, Whisky Hammer co-founder

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Arts - Bookmarker

Bookmarker Debut novel destined to be a classic

by Helen Lloyd

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Scottish author whose semi-biographical account of growing up in 1980s Glasgow has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction.

Douglas Stuart is only the second Scottish novelist to win the prestigious ÂŁ50,000 prize in the last 50 years. His debut novel, Shuggie Bain, is based on his own childhood and follows the story of young boy in Thatcherite Britain whose mother is battling addiction.

Margaret Busby, 2020 chair of judges, editor, literary critic and former publisher said the heartwrenching portrait of a tight-knit community and the unconditional love between alcoholic Agnes Bain and her son, so gracefully and powerfully written, was destined to be a classic.

In addition to winning the Booker Prize the novel was recently announced as Waterstones

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Photo by Clive Smith Douglas Stuart

Arts - Bookmarker

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Arts - Bookmarker Scottish Book of the Year 2020.

A firm favourite with Scottish booksellers and already a bestseller, the Booker Prize winning novel is an uncompromising exploration of the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride. It is a blistering and heartbreaking debut, and an exploration of the unsinkable love that only children can have for their damaged parents.

On being selected as Waterstones ‘Scottish Book of the Year’ Douglas Stuart described the honour as a recognition for his city and country as much as himself.

“Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, is one of the most important characters in the book - I don’t think the story could be set anywhere else,” he said.

“I was inspired to write Shuggie Bain because I wanted to show

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a different side of the city and her people, to capture the Bain family in all their gallusness, compassion, resilience and sorrow. If you are a writer who was fortunate enough to grow up in Glasgow, you have such a rich city, bursting with humanity and humour, to draw upon.”

Stuart, 44, was born and raised in Glasgow. His mother died of alcoholism when he was just 16. After graduating from the Royal College of Art he moved to New York for a career in fashion design, working for brands including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Gap, while writing in his spare time.

“Every now and again, a book will come along that just knocks you off your feet and makes you think and see the world in a different way. Shuggie Bain is one of those rare books. Incredibly powerful and written with startling precision and humour, Shuggie Bain is a most magnificent read,”

said Angie Crawford, Waterstones Scottish Buying Manager.

Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year specifically champions books by authors based in Scotland, or titles that have a strong Scottish setting.

Iain McLeod, Bookseller at Waterstones Glasgow Sauchiehall Street described Shuggie Bain as “a book of brutal beauty” full of “heartbreaking, heartbursting stuff.” that continues to have an impact.

“I turned away from the page, shook with rage and shoogled with laughter, cried in desperation with its cast,” he said.

“This is a novel for the ages; it is a Lanark, a Docherty, and strangely it will heal you, hope you up for the days ahead. Shuggie’s plight is depressingly ordinary; the book of his taking flight is extraordinary.”

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Kickstarter - Video game to bring Medieval Aberdeen to life

Aberdeen Burgh records

Video game to bring Medieval Aberdeen to life

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new Kickstarter campaign has been launched to create a video game which will bring people face-to-face with life in the Middle Ages.

The game, called Strange Sickness, is based on Aberdeen’s world-recognised Burgh Records, which offer such a unique insight into the medieval town that they were awarded UNESCO status for

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their historical importance.

Over recent years, historians from the University of Aberdeen have led projects to delve deeper than ever before into the documents, which cover the period 13981511.

This has led to finds such as the earliest reference in Scotland to a still for the production of aquavite, the spirit that became known

as whisky, and created a digital transcription called the Aberdeen Registers Online: 1398–1511.

Medieval life in Europe has long influenced creative media from Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones and the Burgh Records are also uniquely placed to offer insights into how the city’s residents dealt with the threat of the plague.

Kickstarter - Video game to bring Medieval Aberdeen to life

Dr William Hepburn, a Historical Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, who is leading the crowd-funding campaign for Strange Sickness, says understanding the fear our predecessors must have felt is one of the key aspects of the project.

“Video games are an amazing tool to help people imagine the past, and even become historians themselves by using original records,” he said.

“Even in times when there were not outbreaks of the plague in the town, fears about the disease arriving from elsewhere are clear to see in the many steps Aberdeen took to prevent infection “It’s a parallel that we can all understand more readily in today’s climate.

“The game allows players

Examples of work produced by Alana Bell

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Kickstarter - Video game to bring Medieval Aberdeen to life to immerse themselves in Aberdeen’s history, interact with characters from medieval society and make decisions which will shape their own story.�

All profits from sales of Strange Sickness once it is built will support the Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust, which is raising much-needed funds for Aberdeen-based registered

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Kickstarter - Video game to bring Medieval Aberdeen to life

charities to help individuals, families and communities across the city experiencing severe financial hardship as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The game project has benefitted from practical support by Opportunity North East’s (ONE) CodeBase, which provides a range of expert support for digital tech start-ups in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Dr Jackson Armstrong, who leads the Aberdeen Burgh Records Project and who is co-producing the game with Dr Hepburn, says the project will support a number of creative roles and will showcase an important part of

north-east heritage to the wider world.

“We are working with a games designer, Katharine Neil, who has extensive experience in the industry as well as with Alana Bell, an artist who recently graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.

“If we meet our funding target the creative team of William, Katharine and Alana will bring to life the characters and scenes of medieval Aberdeen, which are all found in the Aberdeen City Archive’s treasure trove of the Burgh Records.

“The medieval period is a strong influence in the gaming world, but rarely have professional historians made a game so closely linked to real medieval documents.

“We are really excited to see how this can come together to showcase our own city and hope people will get behind the Kickstarter.” Details of the Kickstarter campaign may be found at https://www. kickstarter.com/projects/ commonprofytgames/strangesickness, where those who wish to support it are able to become a backer of the project.

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Space mine - Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration

Photo by European Space Agency Space Mining

Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration

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series of pioneering mining experiments devised by Scots scientists and conducted in space could pave the way for new technologies to help humans explore and establish settlements on distant worlds.

Tests performed by astronauts on the International Space Station suggest that bacteria can extract useful materials from rocks on Mars and the Moon.

The findings could aid efforts to develop ways of sourcing metals and minerals – such as iron and magnesium – essential for

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Photo NASA Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt during Apollo 17 mission

Space mine - Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration Photo European Space Agency CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO Mars shot by Rosetta

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Space mine - Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration Photo NASA International Space Station

survival in space.

10-year period.

According to researchers bacteria could one day be used to break rocks down into soil for growing crops, or to provide minerals for life support systems that produce air and water.

Eighteen of the devices were transported to the space station – which orbits the Earth at an altitude of around 250 miles – aboard a SpaceX rocket launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US, in July 2019.

Matchbox-sized mining devices – called biomining reactors – were developed by scientists at the UK Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh over a

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Small pieces of basalt – a common rock on the Moon and Mars – were loaded into each device and submerged in

Space mine - Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration

bacterial solution. The threeweek experiment was conducted under space gravity conditions to simulate environments on Mars and the Moon.

The team’s findings suggest bacteria could enhance the removal of rare earth elements from basalt in lunar and Martian landscapes by up to around 400 per cent. Rare earth elements are widely used in high technology industries including mobile

phones, computers and magnets.

Microbes are also routinely used on Earth in the process of so-called biomining to extract economically useful elements such as copper and gold from rocks. The new experiments have also provided new data on how gravity influences the growth of communities of microbes here on Earth, researchers say.

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Space mine - Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration

“Our experiments lend support to the scientific and technical feasibility of biologically enhanced elemental mining across the Solar System. While it is not economically viable to mine these elements in space and bring them to Earth, space biomining could potentially support a self-sustaining human presence in space,” said Professor Charles Cockell, of the University of Edinburgh’s School

Photo NASA Mars Rover

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“For example, our results suggest the construction of robotic and human-tended mines in the Oceanus Procellarum region of the Moon, which has rocks with enriched concentrations of rare earth elements, could be one fruitful direction of human scientific and economic development beyond Earth.�

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Space mine - Breakthrough to aid deep space exploration

of Physics and Astronomy, who led the project.

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

Hurrah for rural life

Oakmount for sale through Galbraith

by Paul Watson

G

rowing demand for rural property in Scotland is being predicted to get higher next year as an increasing number of families look for a change of lifestyle.

According to property consultancy Galbraith there is very strong demand for rural property across the country, especially in Ayrshire, Fife, Moray and Lanarkshire.

“The past three months have seen an exceptional level of activity and demand for rural

homes. There is no question the events of this year have caused many people to re-evaluate their lifestyle and seek a better quality of life in a rural area,” said Bob Cherry, head of residential sales in Ayrshire.

“Since the market reopened in late June the demand for rural property is at a 10-year high. A premium is being paid by buyers competing with each other for the most sought-after properties, with offers well above the guide price.”

Average prices for property sold by Galbraith in Ayrshire

have increased by 4.86 per cent year on year. Most properties marketed in the past 12 weeks secured multiple offers above the guide price.

The agent has a number of properties on the market in Ayrshire, including Oakmount by Ochiltree, Cumnock for offers over £395,000.

This attractive modern threebedroom house offers wellpresented and spacious accommodation with about 2.71 acres of grazing land, stabling and equestrian facilities. There is

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

also a private garden with superb views.

For slightly less, with an asking price over ÂŁ375,000, Caldrongill

by Craigie, South Ayrshire is

Caldrongill

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set in beautiful gardens with far reaching country views. The house has three bedrooms, three reception rooms and a conservatory. Outside there is a useful range of stables and

outbuildings, attractive and wellmaintained gardens, and about 7.1 acres of high-quality grazing land.

Just as Ayrshire has seen a

Galbraith reports intense competition between buyers with the majority of properties attracting multiple offers. One property near St Andrews accepted an offer ÂŁ200,000

in excess of the asking price.

Another substantial property near Cupar attracted 13 competing offers. The shortest time taken for a property to secure an acceptable offer was just three

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

property boom so has the Kingdom of Fife where the rural property market has enjoyed an outstanding quarter since reopening in late June.

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

days.

Historic properties such as 11 High Street West in Anstruther, which dates from the 1600s with stunning sea views, have attracted a lot of interest.

11 High Street West, Anstruther

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

On the market at offers over ÂŁ725,000 the property includes an additional garden house offering further accommodation and garden, two reception rooms and four bedrooms.

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

The slightly larger McDougall House at Beley Bridge, St. Andrews is also for sale, at over ÂŁ850,000. This premium detached house in a rural

McDougall House, Beley Bridge

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location is only four miles from St Andrews and come with three large reception rooms, four / five generous bedrooms, an impressive kitchen and wrap

around, enclosed garden. “Fife offers the perfect balance between a relaxed rural lifestyle and easy access to St Andrews

said Dominic Wedderburn, head of residential agency for Fife. “Since the spring there has been a huge increase in demand for

rural property in almost every part of Scotland as many people relocate from towns and cities.�

Demand for rural property in

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

and Edinburgh. Dundee is also an important centre for business and the arts with the esteemed V & A Dundee and Ninewells Hospital, a major employer in the region,�

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

the Lothians has also reached unprecedented heights forcing prices to rise by 5 per cent. “The key driver for the market

Hawksland Hall

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is the move from urban areas to the countryside. It seems that buyers reassessed their lifestyle during the lockdown and are now prioritising fresh air, open space,

and larger properties,� said Jennifer Jeffrey, who leads the rural sales team in the Lothians. “Among the most important

annexe for family members are even better.�

Also in the central belt properties such as Hawksland Hall near

Lanark offers a superb country lifestyle in a very accessible location for offers over ÂŁ835,000.

Built in 2007, the property offers

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

requirements for buyers of rural properties now are good broadband, a home office and a large garden for pets or chickens.

Properties with land and an

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life Hawksland Hall interior

spacious accommodation, including an open-plan kitchenliving room, formal dining room, entertainment lounge with built-in Bose surround sound system,

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bar, piano room and five to seven bedrooms.

The handcrafted kitchen has superb fittings including a three-

oven gas AGA with a further two-oven electric module Aga and built-in Bean-to-Cup coffee machine.

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

The top floor of the property has an additional kitchenette and seating area plus two bedrooms and bathroom, suitable for use as a teenagers’ den or additional

accommodation for visiting family.

Outside, on land that extends to 11.91 acres, there is an extensive child and pet-proof decking area

with two sitooteries and a garden which is mostly down to lawn with shrubs around the border.

There is an extensive range of

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life Sandwood House

modern agricultural buildings currently used for stabling and storage purposes. There are additional equestrian facilities including a solarium, tack room and a five-horse Monarch horse walker.

Further north, in Moray, sales of rural properties have increased

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by 92 percent.

“Moray offers incredible value for money compared with other parts of the UK and is certainly amongst the more affordable regions of Scotland to purchase property,” said Rod Christie, partner and head of estate agency for Moray.

“With excellent local services and transport infrastructure, we also have beautiful deserted beaches, glorious scenery ideal for a range of outdoor pursuits, first-class golf courses and the jewel in the crown, Speyside, home to Scotch whisky.”

Currently on the market through

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

Galbraith in Moray Sandwood House, Nairn is for sale with a guide price of ÂŁ1,250,000.

spacious and well-appointed accommodation over two and a half storeys.

A very desirable country house full of period features, together with the original gate house and a separate cottage. Sandwood House has four reception rooms and eight bedrooms, offering

The house sits in attractive and well-maintained grounds of about nine acres including mature trees, lawns and an orchard with fruit trees. Two separate properties are also included in the sale –

The Gate House Lodge and The Cottage. Both properties enjoy their own enclosed garden space, have three bedrooms and offer charming accommodation over one storey. Sandwood House is about half a mile from Nairn, a historic coastal town with a wide range of amenities and train station.

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Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

For almost half the price, at offers over ÂŁ715,000, Braelossie House, Sheriffmill Road, Elgin provides an impressive family home of great character in the

Braelossie House

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Scots baronial style.

The extensive accommodation includes a reception hall, magnificent drawing room, music

room, a well-equipped kitchen / dining / living room, study, utility room, boot room, eight bedrooms, three of which have en-suite shower rooms and a

On the second floor there is an office, a playroom, a gym, bathroom and three attic

Living Scotland - Hurrah for rural life

large family bathroom.

bedrooms. The house sits in grounds extending to about 1.9 acres, including an area of mature woodland which provides great privacy.

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