Scotland correspondent issue 19

Antique hunting with Roo Irvine Celebrating Australia’s early Scots Camping on the bright side

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Remembering forgotten history Probing the paranormal

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inside this issue 8 Timeless

treasures

TV celebrity Roo Irvine talks about her love for antiques.

12 Musical

storytellers

Ken Campbell and Linsey Aitken reveal the inspiration behind their music.

28 Mixing

it up 66 Showing off on Speyside the talent of Showcasing the Mackintosh amazing tastes and Rare find goes on talents of Speyside and display at National Moray.

Museum.

36 Silver

luxury

city

Living it up at one of Aberdeen’s top boutique hotels.

70 Camping

up in style the Some of the best mind of a poet places to enjoy a 54 Inside

Study reveals possible camping holiday in mental health struggles Scotland. of Robert Burns.

to 60 Hunting basics Antiques with almost 18 Scots G’day Roo Irvine Environmentally Celebrating the early Scottish settlers who set down roots in Australia. p4

it

80 Back

On the trail of forgotten friendly camp site gives or overlooked travellers a chance to treasures. follow literary greats.

84 The

truth is out there - in Glasgow Looking for answers at the Scottish UFO and Paranormal Conference.

112 Return

the wild

to

University honour for forgotten heroes of WWI.

98 New

Scots champion

New national ‘writer in residence’ to promote the use of Scots language.

116 Peat

performance

Review

Putting the thrill into thriller with new book from Jane Robson.

108 Avoiding

catastrophe

a

148 Meeting

minds

of

Scotland’s delicate peatland.

Cross Atlantic partnership between iconic institutions.

122 Spotlight

150

on shame

Researchers cast new light on shameful period of history.

130 Glamour

Glamis

at

Live like Royalty in a house fit for a Queen.

104 Book

for adventure

New project aims to The Edinburgh change attitudes to the company opening up wild.

Scotland to adventure.

92 Remembering The battle to save

the fallen

140 Time

136 Digging

clues

It’s a date

What, where and when revealed in our monthly diary of events.

Cover Photo

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Wild Camping in Glencoe by the River Coupall and Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor).

for

Looking for lost evidence of the Battle of Killiecrankie.

Birth of wildcat kitten raises hope for future of the species. p5

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Passion for the past

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itting inside her little shop in the Victorian village of Kilcreggan, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, antiques expert Arusha Irvine couldn’t be happier.

Fresh from racing around the countryside filming another series of the highly popular Antiques Road Trip for the BBC it’s a chance to decompress and contemplate the whirlwind of the last couple of years.

Surrounded by shelves brimming with aged trinkets and old curiosities, each with a secret or story to fuel the imagination, the vivacious Scot admits to being pleasantly surprised at the turn her life has taken.

Roo, as she is known to friends and fans of the popular TV shows ‘Antiques Road Trip’, ‘Celebrity Antiques Road Trip’ and ‘Flipping Profit’, never set out to be a television presenter.

A little more than five years ago she and her husband Mark were busy marketing professionals and owners of a call centre business on the Isle of Man. However, all that changed almost over night when both lost their fathers within weeks of each other, prompting a decision to walk away from the corporate life and spend more time with their families.

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The couple moved to Kilcreggan on the Rosneath peninsula in Argyll, about 45 miles west of Glasgow, and set up an antiques business.

However, life really changed after makers of Antiques Road Trip made a surprise stop at Roo’s little emporium.

“I’ve always had a love for history and antiques,” said Roo.”We wanted to do something that was enriching for the soul so we started a little antique shop and the next thing we knew it was a great success.”

“They visited the shop and invited me to take part as an expert and the rest, as they say, is history,” said Roo who says she still has to pinch herself occasionally to make sure she’s not dreaming.

Roo Irvine

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Since then Roo has appeared in several programmes for the BBC, been asked to give talks, make personal appearances, undertake media interviews and even find time to write a magazine column.

There is clearly something about antiques that lights a fire in Roo’s heart. Her eyes light up and she becomes very animated while talking about even the most mundane of objects and the possible stories behind them.

“All the knowledge I have has been gained on the job, handling items and research. You can read all the books in the world but until you are actually holding something in front of you you can’t apply that knowledge.

You need to know exactly what you are looking for.”

For anyone looking to take up antique hunting Roo has some wise words of wisdom.

“Buy with your heart. Trends and fashions come and go, something that is trendy now might not be in 10 years time,” advises Roo. “Collect what you like not what you think will be an investment.

“Local auctions and car boot sales are brilliant places for picking up things at really good prices. Go small and go off the beaten path, that’s where you find the hidden treasures.

I always start at the deepest, darkest corner of any shop I find and work my way forward. Always look in the small cabinets to try and find things others have missed.

“Scotland is a brilliant place for antique collecting. We’ve got such a rich heritage. You can walk past buildings that are 600, 700, 800 years old and not even blink an eye.

Imagine all the fine art and antiques nestled within our historic castles and stately homes, it really is rich pickings.”

Roo’s personal passion is for glass, especially from the Georgian and Jacobean periods.

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“Anything from 1700 to 1830 I think is miraculous as it has survived over 300 years. Georgian glasses were works of art. Now, when you look at supermarket glasses it’s all about function but 300 years ago it was about style and elegance,” said Roo. “Every time I handle a piece I get goosebumps. I don’t think of the

age or what it was used for but how many lips have touched it. I wonder what was going through the minds of those who drank from it.

Were they drowning their sorrows, celebrating new found love or toasting a success? It’s almost as if their emotions are trapped within that glass. That’s the fascination for me.”

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Striking a chord with Scots everywhere Ken Campbell and Linsey Aitken

T

here is no other ‘traditional’ music duo as fresh and exciting as Ken Campbell and Linsey Aitken.

Renowned throughout Scotland and further afield by lovers of celtic music they have a well established pedigree and a substantial international following.

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As the creators of one of the best song books in contemporary Scots acoustic music their unique sound incorporates an unusual combination of vocal harmony and instruments including the cello, guitar, Northumbrian pipes, laud, piano and harmonium.

Their music is totally Scottish.

Original compositions of their own are mixed with traditional songs and tunes to create a totally fresh sound and repertoire which has delighted audiences across throughout the UK, North America, Europe and Russia.

They are excellent musical story tellers. Their rich repertoire of contemporary and historic tunes

feature everything from Saint Columba to Dundee Whaling songs, the experiences of Scot’s abroad and world events as seen through Scottish eyes.

In 2016 the duo sold out their concert at Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland and returned to the USA for their third tour playing 10 concerts from San Francisco through California.

Among the many great performances they played the ‘Freight & Salvage’ in Berkeley, alongside the fabulous San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers, and a concert in San Francisco Bay on board the Scottish built ‘Balclutha’ square rigger. Ken wrote a song specially for the vessel, called”The Bonny Ship Balclutha”, which has gone on to become a big hit for the couple.

Their first CD, ‘Kith & Kin, was recorded at Watercolour Studios in Scotland and produced by Scottish Gaelic singer Mary Ann Kennedy and Nick Turner to great reviews. It reached number 2 in the Irish/Celtic music chart in Japan of all places.

The couple, whose latest and much anticipated album Shore to Shore is launched this month, recently returned from another highly successful tour of California - their fourth.

Both experienced musicians with an interest in a variety of influences they each play a number of instruments to blend traditional and contemporary works in all that is best about Scottish music and song.

Before they got together Linsey was a highly regarded cellist, pianist, composer and vocalist with a rare talent to cross over between the genres of classical and traditional By using her cello very much up front, unusually as a lead instrument, gives their music a deeply lyrical and sensual tone. Her distinct warm vocals also bring a round balance that compliments Ken’s own distinctive voice.

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Ken is a well known singer/ songwriter and instrumentalist with five albums to date. He started over 30 years ago with Glasgow band ‘Molendiner’, then a much commended duo with Chris Miller. He then established the highly successful ‘Ideal Band’ and subsequently toured as a solo artist with Cauld Wind Piper Hamish Moore, cellist and singer Wendy Weatherby, Stevie Lawrence of Rallion and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, and Blair Cowan of Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, before re-forming the Ideal Band in 2009.

In 2010 Linsey joined The Ideal Band, and subsequently she and Ken commenced touring as a duo in Europe, Russia, and US. “We are about music, people and stories,” said Ken.“On our new album Shore to Shore there’s a song called

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‘Orkney Isles to Hudson Bay’. It’s about the Orcadians taken to Canada to work as fur trappers.

“On the Kith and Kin album there’s a song called ‘Island of Hope’.

We went to Ellis Island, which is a treasure trove for folk like us, where there is an audio visual with all the supposed voices of the immigrants.

We found a book where immigrants had been interviewed 30 years after they had passed through Ellis Island about what it had been like.

“Linsey and I wrote the music together and then we took a selection of the immigrants’ own words and put them to the music.”

Another of the duo’s story telling songs on the first CD is called“Redlegs” and is about the Scots sent out against their will

by Oliver Cromwell supposedly as indentured servants to work the plantations of Barbados and the Caribbean islands.

“I visited Barbados some years ago

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and while driving around part of the island rarely seen by tourists I came across a place called St Andrew’s Parish where there were lots of Scottish names. I found out they were called Scotland’s Sugar Slaves and they were treated worse than any of the other workers.”

The new album is full of great tunes and lyrics, many of a personal nature like Miss Mackie Frae Perth, written

for Linsey’s grandmother.

Perhaps the first song on the CD does the most to sum up the ethos of a Campbell and Aitken performance and Scots as a whole.

“Come on in” was, say the duo, written by them as an anthem for Scotland: “a small country with a big heart, and its welcome to people of all nationalities.”

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Celebrating the Scots in Australia

Photos by John Lauder Massed bands at Bonnie Wingham

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W

hen the first Scottish settlers arrived in Wingham, New South Wales almost two centuries ago it must have been quite a culture shock to say the least.

Situated on the banks of the River Manning in a valley overrun by almost impenetrable jungle their new home was a far cry from the Highlands and islands of Mull or Skye.

Forced at the point of a sword or through economic necessity to

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Parading through Wingham

leave their homeland and travel more than 10,300 miles many arrived in a strange new world unable to speak anything but Gaelic and facing an uncertain future.

There were only a handful of reasons why most Scots went to Australia.

They made up about 3 per cent of the country’s convict population, those that had been transported against their will, while quite a few others were sent out to guard the the prisoners.

Others were free settlers who arrived just barely of their own free will.

Many had been put out of Scotland by the clearances and had their fares ‘sponsored’ which meant they were duty bound to work for free on arrival until they had cleared their debt, which was about £10 and a lot of money in the 1840s and 1850s.

Many of the first Scottish settlers to arrive in the Manning Valley had it hard.

Clan of Honour - Clan MacLennan

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Reviewing the clans

“In those days the Manning valley was pretty much just brush or jungle,” said Wade King, Chairman of the Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival organising committee

Quintet competition

“They were just put off the ships and told to go and make a go of it so they did what Scots do. They moved out in the valley, cleared the bush, made farms and turned it into the agricultural place it is today - a very productive valley.”

Now, more than 150 years later, their descendants gather every year to commemorate those early settlers and celebrate their achievements in what has become one of the largest Scottish festivals in Australia.

The Bonnie Wingham festival was started in 2004 for all the families in the valley to celebrate their Scottish heritage. Since then the five day event has grown to regularly attract crowds of more than 6,000 people, half of which are locals and the rest from outside the area.

Proceedings start on the Sunday before the main events with a Scottish Concert at one of the local churches. That’s followed on the Thursday with a Genealogical Fair where people are encouraged to learn more about how the Scots arrived in Australia and try and trace their family history.

The following day begins with a Braveheart Breakfast and poetry recital followed by a bus tour to nearby locations linked with the Scottish history of the Manning Valley and a trip to the cemetery to pay respects to the early settlers.

The Friday ends with a Scottish

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Mounted police on parade

Fun Night - an evening reception to honour the Guest of Honour, or Chieftain of the Festival, who this year was Bruce A. McLennan

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-followed by a night of piping, highland dancing and games.

“Saturday is the main day when we

start with a street parade through the town,” said Wade. “We usually have six or seven pipe bands, about 15 clans plus the mounted police, local

Opening ceremony

cadets and others who march to the show ground.”

Tug-o-War Champions

Before the Highland Games are officially opened by the Chief the crowd sings the national anthem, ‘Advance Australia Fair’, written

by Glasgow born school teacher Peter Dodd McCormick, followed by ‘Flower of Scotland’.

This year the day was filled with piping and dancing displays, cabber tossing, tug-o-war competitions, obstacle races, haggis hurling and even a portrayal of the Battle of Bannockburn by group of reenactors. They also put on a display of the Battle of Largs between Vikings and the Scots much to the delight of the crowd, especially the youngsters.

“On Sunday morning we gather at the river for a service, sing a few hymns and a talk about the early settlers coming ashore. The river is still surrounded by brush so it’s easy to imagine how daunting it was for the first Scots to arrive,” said Wade.

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Hastings Pipes & Drums

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“The main event on the Sunday is a ceilidh where everyone sings Scottish songs, gets quite nostalgic and drinks plenty of whisky before going home to get ready for next year.

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United Miners Pipe band

“There are 95 million Scots in the world and only 5 million of them live in Scotland. The perverse thing is the further you get from Scotland the

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more sentimentally Scottish in your brain you are.�

In 2019 the 15th Bonnie Wingham

Festival will be held between 30 May and 2 June. at which The Clan of Honour will be Clan Lindsay.

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The Spirit of Speyside: Distilled - pure and simple

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A

mouth-watering, thirstquenching taster to one of Scotland’s greatest food and drink producing regions is being served up to audiences for a third year running.

The one-stop gathering, in the heartland of Scotland’s famed whisky producing region, showcases an amazing array of food and drink all made in Moray-Speyside, and demonstrates just how the thriving sector is making its mark through innovation, diversity and quality.

These fine flavours come together under one roof at Elgin Town Hall on August 31 and September 1,

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when the special mix sees some of the biggest brands in the Scotch whisky industry served up to visitors alongside local gins, award-winning craft beers, and delicious food bites.

Distilled comes from the organisers of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, a hugely successful and long established five-day extravaganza which sees over 550 events take place at multiple venues across the region each Spring.

“We are proud of Speyside’s reputation as one of the best whisky producing regions in the world, but the region has more than its fair share of innovative food and drink producers,” said James Campbell, chairman of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

“From iconic whisky brands, gin producers, amazing local craft beers, seafood specialists and artisan chocolate makers, Distilled celebrates this ever-evolving culture and is a yard stick to all that’s happening on the Speyside food and drink scene.

“We are delighted that we have been able to condense all of this into four sessions over two days.

Early demand for tickets is very encouraging - Distilled is the place to be.”

As in previous years there will be a wide range of different drinks to sample, served up in all manner of ways, from classic drams to contemporary cocktails.

Participants can expect interesting pairings alongside tasty treats from specialist artisan producers and some brand new local gins to sample.

All aboard for Spirit of Speyside

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It’s all conveniently contained within one central venue – Elgin Town Hall – which, split over two floors, provides plenty of space to meet the makers, mingle, and savour the flavours on offer.

There will be opportunities to learn more about the samples by

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signing up to a range of tutorials or ‘masterclasses’ staged by whisky and gin experts including the chance to try rare and cask strength whiskies, drink very special gins and cocktails and learn about food and drink pairing.

Distilled draws visitors locally, from

all over Scotland, and other parts of the UK, and the level of international visitors has been growing over the past two years, many coming to the event and staying on to explore the Moray-Speyside region.

Distilled features four different sessions. The opening session on

the afternoon of Friday, August 31 is from 2-5 pm with tickets priced at just ÂŁ15. Friday and Saturday evening sessions will run from 6-10pm while the Saturday afternoon session is from 1-5pm and tickets for these sessions are ÂŁ20.

The ticket includes entry, six

vouchers for tasting samples of gin, whisky or beer, a lanyard and a Glencairn crystal nosing and a Glencairn tasting glass.

Expert-led masterclasses cost an additional ÂŁ15 per person, with full details of the range and times to be announced.

All whisky, gin, beer and food on offer will have a Speyside provenance and there will be the chance to purchase products from stand holders. There will also be festival merchandise available to buy.

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Luxury living and sterling service in the silver city The Chester Hotel, Aberdeen

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S

ituated in the fashionable west end of the granite city of Aberdeen the Chester Hotel has all the charm of an exclusive retreat with the convenience of city centre living.

Through the week it is hugely popular with business travellers visiting Europe’s oil and gas capital but by Friday evening it is transformed into an oasis of opulence and relaxation.

Guests from all over the UK and beyond can switch off from work and enjoy a special ‘Living for the Weekend’ deal which involves a

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two-night dinner, bed and breakfast package at a special rate.

Patrons arriving at the stylish four silver star boutique hotel, which comprises three chic granite villas linked together, can enjoy an a la carte dinner in the IX Restaurant on their Friday night arrival and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

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The offer includes accommodation in one of hotel’s elegant Classic rooms, which are perfect for couples who want to cocoon themselves in a little lavish comfort. These rooms offer all the facilities that are a hallmark of luxury, including designer toiletries,

300-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, state-of-the-art technology and Nespresso coffee machines.

The Chester Hotel has 48 rooms, in addition to the Classic there are Grand and Club levels, which are

all designed in the same signature contemporary style. There are also two suites, Rothesay and Chester, offering simply ridiculous levels of sumptuousness. “Guests have quite often been

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rendered speechless by the Chester Suite, initially by the sheer scale of the rooms. But once they start moving through the rooms they see all the unusual features, like the champagne bar in the living room, huge free-standing bath and the television that rises from the foot of the bed,� said Stephen Gow, General

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Manager of the hotel. “Spending the weekend in this suite is for people who want to really get away from it all, quite possibly spending most of their time there, but the Living for the Weekend package has been incredibly popular because it offers affordable luxury.

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“Classic rooms are absolutely gorgeous, and guests love every second of being there, but they still want to make the most of other parts of the hotel. We have a vibrant bar scene and our restaurant is helping to cement Aberdeen’s reputation as an excellent foodie destination.”

The IX Restaurant has been awarded two AA Rosettes, along with lots of other plaudits and praise. The kitchen team focuses on using locally sourced produce to create simple yet elegant dishes which are cooked to perfection.

This is modern cuisine at its best, but despite the fine dining tag, guests enjoy a relaxed atmosphere in surroundings that are far from stuffy.

One of the most striking features of the restaurant is the theatre kitchen, where guests can watch the chefs at work.

Although guests staying with the ‘Living for the Weekend’ package are supposed to check out on a Sunday

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Kevin Dalgleish

morning many extend their visit until lunchtime. In another nod to making the most of leisure time, the hotel has advocated a return to the institution of Sunday lunch.

“We can all remember a time when Sundays meant sitting around the kitchen table with the family but for many working parents, that tradition is dying out,” said Stephen. “It’s a sad fact, but who can blame people for not wanting to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen at the end of a long working week?”

The idea to encourage a return to the tradition of lingering over a good-old fashioned Sunday lunch with the family is that of award-winning chef Kevin Dalgleish.

“These days everyone is busy and trying to balance work with family time,” said Kevin. “I noticed it was difficult to get my family to sit down around the table at home for any length of time, especially on a Sunday. My son would want to be

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off playing football and my daughter would want to go out with her friends.

“Yet when we went out for a family meal, we were all happy to sit for a couple of hours – much longer than we would sit at a table in the house.

It’s really important to get back to that tradition of having a family time, and that’s where the focus on Sunday lunch comes from.”

Now aged 45 Kevin has had a glittering career as a chef. He started off working in a hotel in Hawick where his natural talent was spotted by chef Ian Cunningham who helped the then 19-year-old get his big break at The Savoy in London.

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“I was in London for three years, but it felt like I did six years of work,” said Kevin who was lured home to Scotland with a promoted post at a hotel in Troon before heading up the team at Ackergill Tower in the Highlands where he stayed for 10 years catering for VIP guests from US presidents to chairmen of multibillion dollar corporations.

“When I was working in London I saw that much of the raw ingredients – everything from meat to seafood – was coming down from Scotland and I got to learn that it was because the product was the best quality possible.

“I’ve always worked with Scottish

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produce and it is at the heart of my menus, including the Sunday lunch.

I’ll spend a great deal of time with local butchers to get just the right cut of beef for roasting: we use sirloin

because there is a good amount of fat in it and that gives the best possible flavour. “During the week the restaurant is

very busy with diners, but many of them want to be in and out. Sundays have a completely different vibe.

Guests want to come in and linger and are often at their table for over

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two hours, just enjoying each other’s company. That’s what a traditional Sunday lunch should be about.”

According to hotel manager Stephen more and more people want to reclaim their leisure time.

“They no longer want to be sitting at

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home on the sofa with one eye on the television and the other on their smartphone checking in on work emails,” said Stephen.

“Our guests tell us that when they do have the time off they want to make it count and to make it memorable.”

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Photo by Guy Phillips

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Scotland’s most famous poet may have been bipolar A

new study of more than 800 letters and journals written by Robert Burns has revealed that Scotland’s national bard and internationally renowned poet may have been bipolar.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow analysed the papers in an attempt to understand the poet’s mental state and establish if he had a psychiatric disorder.

Now, three years into a four year project, academics believe they have uncovered evidence to explain Burns mood swings between depression and hypomania characterised by the writer’s periods of intense creativity, temperamental personality and unstable love life.

The research looked at blocks of letters across four separate time frames over nine years from 1786 to 1795, testing the use of the poet’s letters as a source of evidence relating to his mental health.

The first block of letters covered a three-month period centred on December 1793, specifically chosen as it was a known period of melancholia or depression identified

by Burns in his writing.

At this time Burns’s letters show him

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Photo by VisitScotland Robert Burns’ House, Dumfries

feeling “altogether Novemberish, a damn’d melange of fretfulness and melancholy...my soul flouncing & fluttering”.

This sample acted as a base to show symptoms of lowered mood, mild depression and melancholia with two of the letters meeting the criteria for clinical depression.

There were also gaps, over two weeks between the 3-15 December 1793, where the poet appeared to have written no letters which could indicate some social withdrawal.

The other three blocks of letters

acted as further pilot tests of the methodology – with an individual not connected to the study randomly selecting three different starting points for each of the samples. This blind sample had a total of 104 letters assessed.

Further analysis will be carried out by the project which will allow the construction of a “life mood map” to chart the variations of Burns’s mood over his lifetime offering a fuller understanding of Scotland’s national bard.

The authors of the report are Moira Hansen, Lord Kelvin Adam Smith

Robert Burns

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Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Burns’ cottage

PhD student based at the University’s College of Arts; Professor Daniel Smith, Professor of Psychiatry at the University’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and Professor Gerard Carruthers, Co-Director of the University’s Centre for Robert Burns Studies.

Moira Hansen, the principal researcher on the project, said: “Blue devilism was the term Burns used to describe periods of depression which he suffered, periods which affected his life and his work – not something you would automatically expect of someone with a worldwide reputation for knowing how to enjoy himself – and something that our project is properly studying for the first time.

“During his lifetime and since his death, Burns has often been viewed as a tortured poetic genius which helped to explain his reputation as a lover of life, women and drink. But it is only in the last two decades that it has been mooted he may have suffered from a mood disorder.”

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The project is using modern day methods to track and categorise the bard’s moods and work patterns through his letters in place of the face-to-face interviews a psychiatrist would normally have.

The project called Melancholy and low spirits are half my disease: Physical and mental health in the life and works of Robert Burns, officially started in October 2015 and is due to be completed in 2019.

“We have pinpointed evidence which showed bouts of increased energy and hyperactivity, and periods of depression and a withdrawal from day-to-day life.

It considers three main sections. The first examines the personal writing of Burns – his letters, journals and notebooks – looking at the evidence which relates to his physical and mental health, as well as taking account of testimony from those who knew him in life.

“Further work to take account of the conventions of letter writing in the 18th century, who Burns was addressing his letters to and the different activities he was involved in at the various stages of his life is still being carried out. But, we now believe Burns may have had what we would recognised today as bipolar disorder. We will carry out further indepth analysis to create a mood map of his life to chart these highs and lows linking it to what was happening both in his private and public life to judge how it impacted on his writing,” said Ms Hansen.

Armed with this better understanding of Burns’s mental health, the second section will explore the impact on Burns’s wider life – key decisions about his employment, his relationships with women, and with alcohol.

The third section will go on to analyse some of his poems and songs, looking for evidence of his mental health affecting what he was

writing, whether it was the subject matter, the quantity, the quality or the language he used.

In gaining a better understanding of the man behind the myth, the project will help create a more accurate representation of the real Robert Burns.

Professor Daniel Smith, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Glasgow, said: “Today there is greater awareness of the importance of mental health issues and we hope our project can be part of this debate.

“Carefully assessing the mood and behaviour of one of Scotland’s iconic figures, using both medical and literary expertise, is a new approach that helps to paint a picture of his mental health and how it affected both his life and writing.

“Obviously it hasn’t been an easy task given our subject has been dead for more than 200 years.

We hope that the possibility that Scotland’s national bard, a global icon, may have had bipolar disorder will contribute to discussions on the links between mental illness and creativity. This work might also help to destigmatise psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression.”

In carrying out the research the academics studied four blocks of letters from different periods in the poet’s life.

Letter Block 1 was from 29 October 1793 to 12 January 1794. It covers a period of mild depression identified

by Burns himself in his writing and used as a test for the suitability of letters as a source of evidence.

Letter Block 2 was from 29 November 1786 to 5 February 1787.

He had recently arrived in Edinburgh and the Kilmarnock edition of his Poems had been published in July 1786. Although there is evidence of exaggeration and grandiosity which may point to hypomania, there is stronger evidence of an episode of

Robert Burns Mausoleum, Dumfries

depression which included anxiety about being exposed to the public.

Letter Block 3 covered a period 28 May 1790 to 17 January 1791 – a period of great physical and creative activity for Burns. At this time in the poet’s life, assuming full-term deliveries, both his wife Jean Armour and Anna Park, a local barmaid, fell pregnant in late June or early July by Burns.

Letter Block 4 covered 22 September 1794 to 8 March 1795 – when Burns was living in Dumfries with Jean Armour and their five children, working as an excise officer and heavily involved in writing, collecting and editing songs for Edinburgh publisher George Thomson. This was a period with sporadic days indicative of hypomania but overall no conclusive evidence of any prolonged periods of hypomania.

Professor Gerard Carruthers, CoDirector of the University’s Centre

for Robert Burns Studies, said: “Robert Burns was a complicated man, with an amazing catalogue of work produced in a short lifetime before he died at 37. Today he holds a fascination not just for Scots but a worldwide audience.

“The fact that Scotland’s national bard may have had bipolar disorder is part of the telling and understanding of all aspects of the bard’s story to reveal a more accurate picture of the real Robert Burns.

“I am delighted to be involved in such important cross-disciplinary research which I hope will help to inform today’s debate on mental health illness.”

The findings – Mood disorder in the personal correspondence of Robert Burns: Testing a novel interdisciplinary approach - are published in The Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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Preserving the legacy of Mackintosh Photo by cc Jörg Bittner Unna Glasgow School of Art as it was

by Roo Irvine

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here has been a lot of mixed emotions running through the veins of Scotland’s Art Lovers recently. One moment we were celebrating Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s 150th Birthday and

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the next we were mourning the loss of one of his greatest creations as it was devoured by a raging inferno.

For those that studied at the internationally renowned Glasgow School of Art, for those that loved the work of the architect-designer-

artist, and for Scotland and the world as a whole, the loss of the Mackintosh Building is a disaster of epic proportions.

Born in Glasgow in 1868 Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a gifted artist and a fascinating architect. ‘Toshie’,

Photo by cc Rosswatt1979 Charles Rennie Mackintosh

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Photo by cc Ad Meskens School of Art

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Photo by cc Remi Mathis Hill House, Helensburgh

as he was lovingly known, straddled Art Nouveau and Art Deco - two very different styles he managed to merge together with unique flair all his own. His style was a pre-cursor to Art Deco and a testament to his visionary creativity.

Having visited Northampton’s 78 Derngate museum on my Roadtrip travels it’s easy to see why so many people marvel at his incredible foresight. Mackintosh’s final major commission, and the only house in England designed by him, was way ahead of its time when he created it in 1916.

Photo by cc Remi Mathis Inside Hill House, Helensburgh

Years before the Art Deco style officially burst onto the scene and became hugely popular his visual smorgasbord of bumblebee yellow and strong geometric black details is breathtaking in its charm.

in with all manner of ‘Mockintosh’ from mugs to coasters to glass vases. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but it was as if they had almost diluted the raw talent behind the man.

I get the same feeling when I visit the the newly restored Mackintosh Club in Helensburgh, lovingly brought to life by two of the most charming Toshies I know, Nicola and Bruce Jamieson.

As an Art Student in my younger days Mackintosh was never a big love of mine. Over the years Scotland’s tourist shops had cashed

However, experiencing 78 Derngate made me see him through different eyes and left me with a new found love and respect for Mackintosh.

The club, which sits less than a mile from the world renowned Mackintosh creation of Hill House, has helped confirm the Clydeside town of Helensburgh near Glasgow as a top

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House for an Art Lover interior

destination for lovers of the man and his talents.

The biggest charm of Mackintosh was that his presence is all encompassing. He not only designed buildings like Hill House but also the furniture to go in them, the decoration to adore the walls, floors, windows and ceilings and even the teaspoons in the case of the Willow Tearooms in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street.

While the devastating Art School fire and the loss of valuable furniture, fittings, archives and materials is a huge loss it hopefully means more effort will be put into finding and preserving what is left.

I remember one particular auction a few years ago at which I placed a ‘cheeky’ bid on a charming music cabinet, hoping to snap it up for £100. In such a small provincial auction house that was entirely possible.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay

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and watch the bidding so was somewhat surprised to find out later that the piece had sold for £36,000.

It turned out to be a genuine Mackintosh piece and the successful buyer had recognised it, from a drawing in the Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow, as a one-off commission for a Mrs Pickering of Lanark.

Mackintosh was a man ahead of his time. He never got the recognition he deserved in life even though his style is now synonymous with one of the most loved periods of the 20th century. Each item of genuine Mackintosh that disappears puts the history of that era further from our grasp.

The lucky new owner then sold it for £250,000! This true tale is a dream come true for many Mackintosh lovers and gives the rest of us hope that other undiscovered pieces are still waiting to be found.

The tragic loss of the Glasgow School of Art is a catastrophe but it should also serve to encourage antique hunters everywhere to keep their eyes open for those forgotten pieces which can help preserve the Mackintosh legacy.

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Rare Mackintosh wash stand goes on display

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ational Museums Scotland has acquired a rare and important wash stand by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The highly significant example of Scottish 20th century design will go on permanent display to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Mackintosh’s birth, on 7 June 1868.

Dating from 1917, the wash stand is a rare example of Mackintosh’s later work and was made by skilled ‘enemy intern’ cabinet makers at the Knockaloe Internment Camp on the Isle of Man. The acquisition has been made possible with generous support from Art Fund and the NMS Charitable Trust. The wash stand is now on display in the Design for Living gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.

Forming part of a bedroom set, the piece is made from mahogany and inlaid with mother of pearl. It is based on a similar wash stand designed in 1917 for the guest bedroom of the Northampton home of Mackintosh’s patron WJ Bassett-Lowke.

The Knockaloe camp into which ‘enemy aliens’ were interned during

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Photos by National Libraries Scotland Dr Sally-Anne Huxtable, Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland, with the rare wash stand.

the First World War was set up in November 1917. Many of those interned were craftspeople who had worked as designers and makers in Britain before the outbreak of war. Due to the skilled work of the interned artisans who made them, the objects which make up these late bedroom sets are of superb quality.

“This exceptional piece of furniture is a major work by, arguably, the most significant Scottish designer of the Modern period,” said Dr SallyAnne Huxtable, Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland.

“Mackintosh’s designs from 1916-17 are markedly different from his earlier

work in that they are beautifully made and celebrate the qualities of the materials used, rather than just focusing on form and colour.

This is an important addition to our internationally significant collections of European art and design, and we are grateful to Art Fund and the Lindsay Endowment Fund for their support.”

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Summer time and the camping is easy

Photo by VisitScotland Airborne Lens Adventure seekers pitch their tent at the Alvie Estate, The Cairngorms

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s Scotland basks in the hottest summer weather for at least 20 years sales of tents and campsite bookings have soared.

There can be no better way to unwind than escaping to the most beautiful country in the world for a night or two under canvas surrounded by breath-taking landscapes, beautiful beaches and wild woodlands.

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Photo by Paul Tomkins/VisitScotland Loch Cluanie, Highlands

There are plenty of options and varying degrees of comfort to suit everyone, from experienced backpackers and rugged adventurers to luxury loving glampers and family campers.

Whether you want to set up camp on

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the coast or bed down for the night in the depths of a forest there are lots of campsites from the Scottish Borders to Orkney all with their own unique character.

There are few things more romantic that sleeping out under a starry

sky and Scotland has some of the darkest skies in Europe making it the perfect place for stargazing.

Head to the Isle of Harris for a stay at the Horgabost Campsite, a remote haven with spectacular views over the water to Taransay Island. It’s a

great place to set up a camera and shoot the stars and maybe even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

On the west coast of Scotland lightpollution is practically non-existent making sites like Invercaimbe

Caravan and Campsite in Arisaig a stargazers’ paradise.

Caribbean and waves perfect for surfing.

If beaches are your thing Scotland has more than its fair share. Many of them have stunning coastal views, long stretches of white sands that look as if they could be in the

At the far-westerly tip of the Isle of Mull, Fidden Farm Campsite backs right onto the beach meaning campers are in prime position to capture an Instagram-worthy shot or

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two of the crystal-clear waters and rocky outcrops.

Back on the mainland, Sands Caravan and Camping Park in Gairloch not only offers spectacular views of a golden sand beach but the panoramic vistas from atop the mounds are not to be missed.

Photo by Paul Tomkins/VisitScotland Sands Caravan and Camping Park near Gairloch, Highlands of Scotland

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Photo by Paul Tomkins/VisitScotland Gairloch with the Gairloch Holiday Park visible and the mountains of Torridon beyond

If you prefer something a little different head to the recently opened Catchpenny Safari Lodges in Fife for a different camping experience.

The canvas lodges are located overlooking the beach in Elie and are completely off grid.

Campers wake up with the best views of the sea and can enjoy the simple things from rock pooling and seal spotting to strolling along the Fife Coastal Path.

Inland from the sea there are vast areas of beautiful forests and wild woodlands offering a perfect antidote to city life.

Campsites such asThe Lazy Duck, nestled at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, provide the perfect place to get lost among the trees – day or night, spring, summer or winter. Winter is particularly picturesque with the snow-capped pines and scrubs.

Further south in the rolling green hills

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of the Scottish Borders, Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping has a fairytale charm with woodland walks and dense patches of forest. Located in the Teviot Valley’s Special Landscape area, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the campsite’s 500 acres and get close to nature.

Alternatively you can always head for the hills or maybe the moutains, glens and lochs that are so synonymous with Scotland.

Lomond Woods Holiday Park on the southern tip of Loch Lomond provides the perfect combination of mountain slopes, gentle waters, forests and moorland.

If desired campers can leave the modern world behind and go off grid at Kilvrecht Campsite. Located in the Tay Forest Park and close to the southern shores of Loch Rannoch with the rare conical peak of Schiehallion towering over the waters below, this campsite offers a peaceful pitch where the sound of

birds singing is the morning wakeup call.

Getting close to nature is what camping is all about. Rise with the sun on the island of Islay at the Port Mòr campsite and watch the first rays of the day illuminating the ridges on the other side of the water, before casting a vivid shadow across the gentle waves below.

Equally the east-orientated shoreline Ardnamurchan Campsite in Argyll makes a great spot for taking in the sunrise. Each morning the sun climbs above the distant tips of the northern Highlands with the Sound of Mull below helping the early light beam and illuminate any lingering clouds.

At the end of a long day exploring the great outdoors, there is nothing better than sitting back and watching the sunset bring the day of adventure to a close.

Wheems Organic Farm in Orkney offers spectacular skyward views

Photo by Kenny Lam/VisitScotland Wild camping by The Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye

which are at their best in early summer, when the island’s greenery is in full bloom.

Further south, Tantallon Caravan and

Camping Park in East Lothian offers up views spanning across the Firth of Forth and is perfectly placed for capturing a show-stopping sunset.

With great views of the Bass Rock

and the world’s largest colony of gannets nearby, there are plenty of extra touches that’ll really bring those sunset views to life.

Photo by Paul Tomkins/VisitScotland The coast at Ge˜dha Mhˆrtainn, near Horgabost, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

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Glamping in the footsteps of literary giants Loch Katerine

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t the turn of the 19th century literary giants such as Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge ventured north to explore the Highlands and raw beauty of Scotland’s spectacular scenery.

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During their epic journeys they sought shelter by the side of Loch Katrine in rudimentary huts with bracken roofs provided by Lady Drummond of Perth, the local landowner.

Now more than a century later, next to the spot where these huts stood, a new cluster of holiday homes have been built to accommodate visitors to the area. However, unlike their predecessors these temporary shelters are much more luxurious

As part of the official ceremony near Trossachs Pier, Lady Drummond of Perth was in attendance in period costume outside a replica of one of the 230 year old ‘rudimentary huts’ situated alongside the new eco lodges

Bruce Crawford MSP, Lady Drummond of Perth and Dr Michael Cantlay, Chair of Scottish Natural Heritage viewing two of the new Eco Lodges at Loch Katrine

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than those enjoyed by 18th century tourists.

A total of eight timber lodges have been built on a small camp ground in the shadow of Ben Venue on the lochside, which is part of the Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve, in the heart of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

The new eco camp consists of four en-suite and four standard lodges alone with an extra eight camping pitches, a shower and toilet block.

There are also several stands for camper vans to hook up to electricity, water and wifi.

Each of the eco lodges are fully insulated and are available on a yearround basis. Four of them are fitted with en suite facilities, underfloor heating, TVs and wifi and one is suitable for disabled visitors.

The whole site has designed with strong environmentally friendly credentials given its location in an environmentally sensitive site so close to a major reservoir supplying over 150 million gallons of water daily to households in Glasgow and Central Scotland.

Dr Michael Cantlay, Chair of Scottish Natural Heritage welcomed the creation of the much needed high quality glamping facilities in the stunning environmental setting where Scottish tourism began.

“This development demonstrates that contemporary tourist facilities can be developed on an environmentally sensitive site in a sympathetic way while providing great opportunities for people to enjoy Scotland’s outdoors and rich natural heritage,’’ he said.

The project has been created by the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, which has responsibility for control of the visitor facilities at Loch Katrine, to help support the continued operation of the historic steamship.

The Sir Walter Scott has provided pleasure cruises on Loch Katrine for

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more than a century and is the only surviving screw steamer in regular passenger service in Scotland.

Around 300,000 visitors come to Loch Katrine each year, and over 85,000 passengers annually enjoy cruises on the Trust’s Steamship Sir Walter Scott or the Lady of the Lake passenger boat.

Gordon Watson, Chief Executive of

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, said: ‘’Camping is a fantastic way to enjoy the National Park and we are delighted to welcome the addition of the new camping and motorhome pitches as well as the eco lodges at Loch Katrine, alongside the historic Sir Walter Scott steamship, which is one of the area’s most popular tourist attractions.’’

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Interested in the paranormal?

You are not alone

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hen it comes to investigating the unknown Scotland, with its bloody history, superstitions, tales of witches, ghosts, mysterious creatures, alien sightings and other anomalous phenomena, is a good place to start.

This month hundreds of believers, skeptics and the downright curious from across the globe will gather

in Glasgow for the Scottish UFO Paranormal Conference in an attempt to shed a little light on the shadows of the unexplained.

The event at Glasgow University’s Queen Margaret Union on 28 July promises to take participants on an “exploration of the worlds beyond” as it considers new theories which suggest the universe is far stranger than anyone could possibly imagine.

This year attendees will be treated to lectures on ET Contacts, UFOs, Possession and Exorcism, Spiritual Astrology, Astral Projection, Mediumship and Orbs.

“It covers a wide variety of topics.

There’s something there for everyone,” said Alyson Dunlop, coorganiser of the event which is now in its fourth year and attracting ever

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bigger audiences each time.

So far the organisers have had ticket requests from people in England, the North of Scotland, Germany and as far away as New Zealand.

“There is a growing interest in all things paranormal and what we want to do is create a place where people can gather and share their ideas and experiences,” said Alyson, a demonologist and angelologist with a classics degree from the University of Glasgow, whose talk, “What an Excellent Day for an Exorcism!”, looks at the subject of possession.

“The conference aims to educate people about the paranormal and the strange world we live in. There will be some in the audience who have never spoken about such things before but once they are in a safe environment they’ll find it easier to open up.

“Last year my talk was on angels and afterwards an elderly gentleman in

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his 70s came up and told me about an incident when he was a 10-yearold boy. He had fallen off his bike into a river and thought he was going to drown until he heard a woman’s voice telling him how to get out. He managed to scramble to safety but when he looked for his rescuer there was nobody there. He had never told anyone before. It sent shivers up my spine and clearly meant a lot to him that he could at last talk about it.”

last five years, Alyson has a lot of experience in exploring the unexplained.

Scotland has more than 2,000 castles and almost every one has a tale of ghostly hauntings, demonic visits, second sight, curses or strange happenings. And, that’s before you even consider the stories connected to all the hotels, ancient inns, country houses, battlefield sites, visitor attractions, mysterious lochs, spooky glens and haunted highways that dot the country.

On 9 November 1979 the forestry worker from Livingston claimed to have had a close encounter with aliens while carrying out a routine inspection of woodland at Dechmont Law near Livingston.

As presenter of the popular paranormal radio show ADX-Files, and head of Strange Phenomena Investigations Scotland for the

SPI Scotland is one of the country’s oldest paranormal research groups. It was originally started almost 40 years ago by Malcolm Robertson when he began investigating the strange case of Bob Taylor, the only UFO encounter in the UK to be the subject of an ongoing police investigation.

Taylor told police he was attacked and left unconscious by two mechanical mine-like objects which had emerged from a grounded spaceship he described as being of a dark gray metallic appearance, circular in shape and about 20 feet (6 metres) across and 12 feet (3.65metres) high.

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Unable to escape he was allegedly dragged back to the craft. He described an unpleasant acrid smell and a hissing noise but passed out before seeing anything else.

When he regained consciousness Taylor found he was alone but his clothes had been torn, there were scratches on his leg and he was unable to stand or talk for some time.

Eventually he managed to crawl and walk more than a mile to his home and for the next few days suffered from a raging thirst and headaches along with pain in his chin.

Police found unusual tracks belonging to a heavy object at the scene and Taylor’s injuries were consistent with his story but they couldn’t explain it. The case was logged as a criminal assault and remains open to this day.

“People who spoke to Bob were convinced he was a reliable witness even those who were skeptical.

There was no denying something happened,” said Ron Halliday, coorganiser and one of the speakers at

this year’s conference.

“Bob died in 2007 aged 88. He never changed his story and he never tried to make money or seek fame.

It remains Scotland’s most famous UFO sighting.”

This year Ron, the author of several books on strange phenomena including, ‘UFO Scotland’, ‘Scotland’s X- Files’, ‘Paranormal Scotland’, ‘Evil Scotland’, and ‘Famous Scots and the Supernatural’, will be talking about “Mysteries of the Scottish Landscape”.

He will be joined on stage by writer Duncan Lunan who has long been interested in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and particularly the possibility of past contact.

Over the years Duncan has published nine books and contributed to over 30 more, in addition to numerous short stories and articles. As Manager of the Glasgow Parks Astronomy Project in the late 1970s he designed and built the first

astronomically aligned stone circle in Britain for over 3000 years. His talk is ‘Have We Been Visited? Three Possible, Circumstantial Indications’.

Another speaker with an interest in extraterrestrial phenomena is Darren Cooper, who along with Chris McGailey witnessed a v-shaped UFO above their work and subsequently reported a period of missing time.

Known as The Burlington House Incident it remains one of the most astonishing and bizarre UFO incidents on record.

Other phenomena on the agenda this year include the ‘Spiritual Dimension of Astrology’ by Gary Kidgell, a professional esoteric astrologer and a teacher and lecturer in metaphysics; and ‘Lucid Dreaming & Astral Projection’ by Stewart Bell who has drawn on years of experiences involving lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis and astral projection.

Ian Shanes, a psychic medium for almost 40 years, will also be talking about his travels, the orbs he’s seen on film and finishing with a demonstration of mediumship.

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Forgotten heroes added to Roll of Honour

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he names of 19 forgotten heroes are to be added to the Roll of Honour at the University of Glasgow more than a century after they died serving in the First World War.

within 10 yards of the enemy trench at Gully Ravine, Gallipoli in 1913.

He was remembered by his friend, Commander J A Henry of the Royal Navy, as “a good man to play with or against.”

One was a successful rugby player capped for Scotland, one a respected doctor and family man, another a grocer’s son who cut short his studies to join the war effort while a mother was a secondary school teacher. Ordinary men from ordinary families whose names will now live forever among the fallen of the First World War.

His body was never found but he is remembered on the Scottish National War Memorial, Kelvinside Academy War Memorial, Glasgow Academy War Memorial, Scottish Rugby Union Memorial and the Wellington Church War Memorial.

Researchers at the University identified the 19 additional names by using digital resources and confirmed their connection to the University using student records held by the University of Glasgow Archives.

Now, 100 years after the end of the war, their names will be carved in stone alongside those of the men and women already remembered in the University Memorial Chapel, and their families invited to memorial services on Remembrance Sunday, on November 11, 2018.

One of those being honoured is a rugby player who was capped

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Captain William Turner set up his Captain William Campbell Church

for Scotland. Captain William Campbell Church played for Glasgow Academicals between 1904 and 1907, was on the winning team for the Scottish Club Championship 1904/5, and played for his country against Wales in 1906. He matriculated in 1905, taking a class in mercantile law and playing for the University rugby team.

A stockbroker who lived in Partick, Glasgow, he enlisted with the 8th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). Captain Church was 32 when he was killed by machine gun fire

Captain William Turner

Photo by Imperial War Museum 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders marching to the trenches

medical practice in Saltcoats, Ayrshire after gaining a First Class certificate for Surgery at the University. When war broke out, the father-of-three joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, serving first in the East before seeing service on the Western Front. He returned home to fight the acute pneumonia he had contracted on active service, and died on April 6, 1918 at the age of 43. His name was not recorded originally because he died in hospital in England rather than being killed in action – the regulations have since been changed to include men and women who died as a result of their military service, regardless of where and when they died.

Private Archibald James Shanks Morrison from Whithorn, Wigtonshire, was the son of a grocer who matriculated in 1916 aged 17.

He studied for one year of a BSc

Cemetery in Thiennes, in Northern France.

Corporal James Crawford Robertson, of Beith, Ayrshire, graduated with an MA (Hons) in Classics in 1913 and

Archibald Morrison

programme but cut short his studies to serve in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers as a Private. He was killed in action on 23 May 1918 and his memorial is in Tannay, British

James Crawford Robertson

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Photo by Imperial War Museum Troops of the Gordon Highlanders resting outside Tilloy-les-Mofflaines

went on to train as a teacher at the Glasgow Provincial Training College, now the University of Strathclyde.

He was appointed a teacher at Shawlands Academy in Glasgow on 3 September 1914. He served with the 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry and was killed in action on 14 July 1916, four days before his 23rd birthday.

Katie McDonald, Researcher with the College of Arts, University of Glasgow, said: “We are still piecing together the stories behind the names of the fallen and ask anyone who has any information about them and any pictures of them to get in touch.

“In 1929, when the University originally called for names to be inscribed in the Memorial Chapel, the University widely advertised in newspapers, asking families to come forward with names of the fallen.

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Horrors of war

Carrying wounded through the mud

Some people may not have seen the advertisements, or they could have assumed their son or brother or father’s name was already on record. Also, many families found it terribly hard to talk about their losses and may have found it too painful to come forward.

Scottish War Memorial Project and the Inverclyde Great War Project, and national initiatives such as the Imperial War Museum’s ‘Lives of the First World War’ project, we have been able to add more names to the Memorial Chapel.”

“Where students studied at more than one institution, some have been remembered in one and not the other. Perhaps an assumption was made by those providing the information that it would be shared, or perhaps it was too hard to relay the news repeatedly.

University Chaplain, Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie said: “It’s right to honour all of our fallen with their names engraved on an additional stone panel in the Memorial Chapel, which was built to remember the great sacrifice made by the University’s students, staff and alumni during the First World War.

“Now, thanks to digital resources, online research, and collaborations with both local projects, such as the

“We invite all the families, schools, and communities related to the fallen to join us for the memorial services

on November 11.”

John Briggs, Clerk of Senate & Vice-Principal of the University of Glasgow, said: “The stories that have been uncovered about our fallen are both inspiring and profoundly moving. We are humbled and deeply honoured to be able to commemorate their lives in this way, one hundred years after the First World War. “Over the course of the war, the University of Glasgow lost 780 members of its community. I am honoured to be involved in our Great War Project, which tells the stories of those from the University who served in the Great War.”

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We will remember them

Archibald Campbell Brown, from Tarbert was killed in action on 20 April 1918, aged 32. He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallant and distinguished service in the field (London Gazette, 16 September 1918).

David Buchan was born in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. His father, also David, was a printer and publisher for the Alloa Advertiser. David Junior died 22 March 1918, aged 25, at Roisel, Somme, France. Two of his brothers also died in the First World War.

John Hunter Chalmers, from Port Glasgow, died from his wounds in France on 25 March 1918, aged 29.

William Campbell Church, from Glasgow, died on 28 June 1915, aged around 32, during an offensive at Gully Ravine, Gallipoli, by machine gun fire within ten yards of the enemy trench.

Arthur Hamilton Collyer was born in Dollar, Clackmannanshire. He died of his wounds on the 23rd April 1917, aged 25, at Arras, France

Campbell Greenhill was born in Garelochhead, Argyll. He was killed at Zillebeke during the Battle of Passchendaele on the 10 August 1917, aged 31.

Alexander Fraser McIntosh, the son of a joiner from Glasgow, drowned in an accident while on leave in Boston, Lincolnshire, on 4 March 1918, aged 26.

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Robert Scott MacDonald was a teacher’s son born in Bellshill and brought up in the Schoolhouse at Chapelhall. His family was informed on 23 September 1918 that he had been reported missing after a battle at Bullecort, presumed to be a prisoner of war. When he did not return after the Armistice, however, he was presumed dead – a fact later confirmed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as having happened on 12 December 1918. He was 21 years old.

James Mackie was a cabinet maker’s son from Glasgow. On 7 April 1917, James was hit by a shell during the Second Battle of Gaza and died aged 27.

James Matheson, from Golspie, died on 26 March 1916 at the age of 21 during an assault on German trenches called Birdcage in Belgium.

Alexander James Bolton Milne

was a minister’s son, born in Lerwick, Shetland and raised in Cambuslang.

He died on the 22 August 1917 as he led his men into battle near Ypres, where he was wounded severely. He died of his injuries on the same day, aged 30.

Arthur Moore was killed at the Battle of Arras on the 28 April 1917, aged 23.

Archibald Morrison was born in Whithorn, Wigtownshire and was killed in action on 23 May 1918, aged around 20.

John Noble , from Dumfries, died aged 30 on 28 September 1918 and is buried in Ypres Town Cemetery Extension, Belgium.

George Nelson, of Dowanhill, Glasgow, died on 24 January 1917, aged 23.

William George MacFarlane Orr was a Coatbridge lad, born in the town where his father was a banker and solicitor. He died on 31 May, 1918 in France.

James Crawford Robertson, from Beith, Ayrshire, was a teacher at Shawlands Academy before going to war. He was killed in action on 14 July 1916, four days before his 25th birthday.

William Turner, originally from Glasgow and lived in Saltcoats, Ayrshire. The father of three set up as a GP working in Saltcoats. He saw service on the Western Front but was returned to the UK to fight the acute pneumonia he had contracted on active service. He died on 6 April 1918, aged 43.

Alex Young, of Partick, Glasgow, was a part of the University Officer Training Corp He was killed in action on 21 May 1918. He was aged 35.

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New champion for Scots language

Photos by National Library of Scotland Dr Michael Dempster

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he ancient language of Scots has a new champion with the appointment of prominent linguist Dr Michael Dempster as the Scots Scriever with a two-year residency at the National Library of Scotland.

Growing up speaking Scots at home, Dr Dempster has made the Scots language a prominent feature of his academic and artistic work. He has written librettos and graphic novels in Scots, explored the use of Scots with sufferers of dementia within the NHS, and worked with schools and community groups to tackle stigma and prejudice surrounding the Scots language.

A prominent linguist, Dr Dempster undertook a Psychology PhD at Glasgow University, researching the processing of rhythmical signals critical to language and music.

He has coached film industry professionals in use of the language, produced award-winning podcasts,

written comedy sketches performed across the Edinburgh Fringe and TV pilots for the BBC and Comedy Unit and delivered the first ever TED talk in Scots.

Upcoming works include a ScotsEmoji dictionary and Mind yer Language – a comprehensive guide to Scots.

“A’m that delichtit tae get appyntit Scots Scriever. Whit an honour!,” said Dr Dempster.

“Oor Scots language, an wir Scots speakin communitie, is that important tae baith wirsels an tae the warld thit fir me tae hae this opportunitie tae expand ma wirk wi the support o the National Library of Scotland, Creative Scotland an the Scottish Buik Trust is a dream come true.

“A’v that monie writin projects A’m luikkin forret tae gettin oot there an A luik forret tae reachin oot tae Scots speakers tae help them engage wi their ain language an the Scots

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collections we hae fae aw ower the kintra. Scrievin Scots? Hou no gie it a wee shot yersel?”

Scots is a distinct language with links to Danish, French, Gaelic and Latin and has been spoken throughout the lowlands of Scotland for hundreds of years. It is recognised as a language by the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the European Union.

Like any language it has a number of different dialects, including Glaswegian, Doric, Ayrshire, Edinburgh Scots, Dundonian, Borders, Fife, Shetland, Orcadian and others.

It is the language of Kings and Queens, as it was spoken by Mary Queen of Scots and James VI, and has been used some of the country’s leading literary figures, including Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, Hugh MacDiarmid,

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Edwin Morgan, Liz Lochhead and Irvine Welsh.

Scally, National Librarian.

Dr Michael Dempster’s appointment will run from July 2018–2020, which spans the UN Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019.

According to the latest census more than 1.5 million people in Scotland identify as Scots speakers and development projects to promote the language development continues to gain traction around the country.

A joint initiative between the National Library and Creative Scotland, the Scriever role is designed to produce original creative work in Scots, its variants and dialects, across any artform, as well as raising awareness, appreciation and use of Scots across the country and among all parts of the population.

“Michael Dempster clearly has a passion for the Scots language. He has a strong artistic track record across a range of mediums, an academic background in linguistics, and he already promotes the language in everything he does. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with in this residency,” said Dr John

“We are delighted to be able to appoint a new Scots Scriever during what is an exciting time for Scots,” said Jenny Niven, Head of Literature, Languages and Publishing at Creative Scotland.

“The appointment of Michael Dempster to the role I believe will give us the best possible chance of taking advantage of these unique circumstances. He has a vision for Scots which stretches across different parts of society, is contemporary and dynamic and is rooted in his own artistic and academic practice.”

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An emotional stroll to the dark side that will keep you guessing

by Nicole Kelbie

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Am The Walker by J.M. Robson is the author’s second novel to be published since her debut with the horror Three Little Words last year.

However, don’t be fooled by her small resume, as Robson brilliantly and expertly delves into the twisted story of a deeply disturbed individual that is sure to have your hairs stand on end.

In Robson’s new thriller the lush, green Scottish countryside runs red as 20-year-old Billy, an awkward loner living in the peaceful Highland town of Fort William, is abused by his family and peers motivating him to seek revenge on those who have wronged him.

In order to briefly escape his life, destitute of love and acceptance, Billy discovers his fervour for walking and joy of the outdoors. As our anti-hero ventures through a land of beauty the reader is taken on a journey of their own. Whether you chuckle at scenes displaying Billy’s charming naivety or are horrified by the gruesome murders, which in the most part had me coiling in horror, there is no shortage of emotions that Robson can provide.

Robson wickedly leads the reader into a false sense of security by submerging you into a world of rolling hills, captivating peaks and enchanting highland springs, before

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introducing dark themes of murder and revenge. Next time you trek up Ben Nevis or stroll through Glencoe, good luck stopping yourself from looking over your shoulder.

References to Scotland’s bloody history, such as the Glencoe Massacre, create a perfectly sinister backdrop and allow the reader into the psyche of a cold-blooded killer.

This tactic is so effective I only wish there was more of it.

Transforming the idyllic Scottish countryside into a treacherous murder scene, Robson highlights the idea that everything – or everyone - may not be as they seem. All of this builds up to a dramatic twist so cunning that, just like Billy’s victims, you wont see it coming.

A quick read that will have you on tenterhooks. I Am The Walker is definitely not one to miss.

JM Robson

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Kittens offer hope for wildcats

Photos by RZSS

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wo rare Scottish wildcats born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo may help provide a lifeline for the iconic species.

The kittens will join a conservation breeding programme which it is hoped will save the species from extinction in the wild through future reintroductions David Barclay, RZSS cat conservation project officer, said, “Scottish wildcats are facing severe threats due to cross-breeding with domestic and feral cats, disease transfer and accidental persecution.

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“Wildcat populations have suffered a sharp decline in Scotland in recent decades with studies suggesting there may be as few as 115 Scottish wildcats left in the wild, making them one of the UK’s most endangered mammals.

“Our conservation breeding programme and work with partners in Scottish Wildcat Action, the national conservation project, is therefore vital.

“Every birth is a potential lifeline and improves the chances of a genetically healthy population that can act as a source for future wildcat release.”

Born in April, the kittens have recently started to emerge from their den and explore their habitat.

Although some similarities with domestic tabby cats exist, the two are not to be confused. The Scottish wildcat is the same species of wildcat found in continental Europe

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but has been separate since the end of the last ice age, around 9,000 years ago.

With their big, bushy, black-ringed tail and tenacious behaviour it is no surprise the animal was used historically in many Highland clan crests.

It remains one of the rarest cat species in the world and is critically endangered in the wild.

Despite surviving human persecution for more than 1,500 years diminishing habitats mean there are very few genuine Wild Cats left in the wild.

RZSS is a key partner in Scottish Wildcat Action, the first national project to save the highly threatened species from extinction. Scottish Wildcat Action brings together more than 20 other organisations in the conservation, scientific and land management communities.

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Photos by scotlandbigpicture.com Red squirrel

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Saving Scotland’s wildlife G

olden eagles, beavers, ospreys and pine martens will take centre stage in a landmark new conservation book aiming to inspire a sea change in attitudes towards a wilder Scotland.

‘Scotland: A Rewilding Journey’ will lay out a vision of how rewilding could transform Scotland and benefit its people and wildlife. It is being supported by a crowdfunding appeal launched by conservation charity Trees for Life.

The book, to be published this autumn, is written and edited by some of Scotland’s most prominent conservationists – including John Lister-Kaye and Duncan Halley – with stunning images from many of the country’s top nature photographers, who have spent three years capturing the beauty and drama of Scotland’s wild landscapes and wildlife.

Steve Micklewright, Trees for Life’s

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European beaver

Chief Executive, said: “Despite its raw beauty, the Scottish landscape is today an ecological shadow of its former self. It wasn’t so long ago that vibrant, wild forest stretched across much of Scotland, with beavers and cranes at home in extensive wetlands, salmon and trout filling rivers, and lynx and wild boar roaming in woodlands.

“Yet now our large carnivores are extinct, our woodlands reduced to small fragments, and a degraded

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landscape supporting little life stretches across millions of acres.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

This book will be a major rallying call for rewilding – helping to make Scotland a place where nature works, wildlife flourishes and people prosper.”

The book will be published by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture a nonprofit social enterprise that includes many leading nature photographers and film-makers, and which promotes the benefits of a wilder Scotland for people and wildlife through stunning visual media.

Trees for Life is the main sponsor of the book, which is also being supported by Reforesting Scotland, Rewilding Britain, The Borders Forest Trust, and Woodland Trust Scotland.

Trees for Life’s crowdfunding campaign runs until 23 July, and offers people the opportunity to support publication of the book and its urgent conservation message by

helping to raise £20,000. A range of rewards for supporters include a stay in a wilderness cabin, wildlife photography workshops, fine art posters and signed editions of the publication.

“Scotland: A Rewilding Journey will lay out a powerful vision for a future Scotland, where eagles soar, red squirrels forage and beavers engineer new wetlands,” said Peter Cairns, co-editor of the book.

“It is being published at a tipping point in the history of Scotland’s landscapes, with a growing understanding of the benefits of a wilder environment for people and nature. We want the book to ignite fresh conversations and forge new relationships with the people who shape Scotland’s landscapes – including key landowners, policy makers and rural interest groups.”

He added: “Worldwide, short-term economics are wrecking nature –

sometimes irreversibly. Our climate is changing, species are being lost forever, and vital natural resources such as clean air and water are under threat. Everyone who supports Scotland: A Rewilding Journey will be helping to make the case for a new approach, in which Scotland is a world leader in environmental repair and restoration.”

The crowdfunding campaign can be found at crowdfunder.co.uk/ rewilding.

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wo major peatland restoration projects have been launched to help the environment, improve wildlife habitats and restore severely eroded hillsides amid some of Scotland’s most wild and beautiful landscapes.

Peatlands play a key role in helping to mitigate the effects of climate change by storing carbon. Across Scotland it’s estimated they keep 1.6 billion tons of the stuff from escaping into the atmosphere.

Peatland restoration project at Invercauld Estate

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The new projects, one covering 3,700 acres of land in the Monadhliath - a range of ‘grey mountains’ between Strathspey and Loch Ness - and the other involving over 1,200 acres in the Cairngorms National Park, aim to mitigate further carbon loss and help with government targets to reduce greenhouse emissions by 80 per cent by 2032 and restore 40 per cent of Scotland’s peatland (618,000 acres) by 2030.

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A number of sporting estates have agreed to take part in the projects.

They include Garrogie, Alvie, Pitmain, Farr and Glenmazeran in the Monadhliath and Invercauld, Candacraig, Mar and Glenfeshie in the Cairngorms.

“As well as carbon storage, this innovative partnership project will provide a wealth of benefits to both people and animals. The work will help to enhance the precious home

of rare birds, mammals and plants.

Bare peat re-vegetation, blocking eroded gullies and reprofiling hags on the moors will help to slow the flow of water when it rains; reducing the threat of flooding in local communities,” said Philip MacKenzie of Farr Estate “Estates in the Monadhliath have a proven track-record of undertaking moorland conservation projects. My family have been at Farr for over 130

years and therefore want to keep the moorland in the best possible condition. We work together to help care for these stunning wild spaces that mean so much to so many people; and to ensure that they are protected for generations to come.”

In Scotland, upland peatlands are relatively commonplace, but in Europe these habitats are very rare.

At Invercauld coir mats, made from

coconut husk, are being used to protect areas of bare peat, known as peat hags, from further erosion while encouraging the regeneration of fresh heather and mosses.

It’s estimated the projects will take at least seven years for the peatland to be fully regenerated.

“These crucial projects will help to restore and conserve these uplands so that future generations

can enjoy our amazing peatland and blanket bogs,” said Jenny McCallum of Tomatin Moorland Group, which represents many of the estates undertaking the work in the Monadhliath.

“A significant part of our work, year on year, is to create the right habitat for grouse, other ground-nesting bird species and the mammals, plants and other birds which thrive on our iconic Scottish moorland.”

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Archived adverts reveal shame of slavery

Actor Clive Russell in a scene from the movie 1745

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n important project to record and preserve evidence of a sad and shameful period of British history has been launched by Scottish academics.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow have unveiled a new digital database documenting details of 18th century UK newspaper adverts appealing for the return of runaway slaves.

More than 800 advertisements from 18th century newspapers were placed by masters and owners offering rewards to anyone who captured and returned the runaways.

They represent a far larger number of enslaved and bound people, as many masters did not place newspaper advertisements, and a great many slaves and bound servants do not appear to have tried to escape.

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Real-life sisters Morayo and Moyo AkandĂŠ playing runaways in award winning movie 1745

Most runaways were of African descent, though a small number were from the Indian sub-continent and a very few were Indigenous Americans.

The advertisements paint a fascinating picture of the men, women and children who ran away in an attempt to be free of servitude providing a rich source of information about the enslaved and slavery in 18th century mainland Britain.

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The written notices described the mannerisms, clothes, hairstyles, skin markings, and skills of people who otherwise would have been completely absent from the official historical records of the time.

The advertisements also include information about the work of the enslaved, their homes and situations, and the lives, businesses and homes of their masters and mistresses.

Some of the runaway slaves were

employed as sailors and dock workers, as well as, craftsmen, labourers and washerwomen.

The large majority were domestic servants and workers in the households of elite and mercantile families who had spent time in or had connections with the British Empire’s colonies.

An advert from the Edinburgh Evening Courant dated 13 February

1727, from The Mitchell Library, Glasgow, stated: “Run away on the 7th instant from Dr Gustavus Brown’s Lodgings in Glasgow, a Negro Woman, named Ann, being about 18 Years of Age, with a green Gown and a Brass Collar about her Neck, on which are engraved these words [“Gustavus Brown in Dalkieth his Negro, 1726.”] Whoever apprehends her, so as she may be recovered, shall have two Guineas Reward, and necessary Charges allowed by

Laurence Dinwiddie Junior Merchant in Glasgow, or by James Mitchelson Jeweller in Edinburgh.”

The principal sources for the project are English and Scottish newspapers published between 1700 and 1780.

The database, which is a result of the Runaway Slaves in Britain project, reveals hundreds of stories of enslaved and bound people who had escaped their captivity and covers all regions of England and mainland

Scotland.

Professor Simon Newman, Professor of History at the University’s College of Arts, said: “We do not have the words or sometimes even the names of bound or enslaved people who were brought to 18th century Britain.

In many cases all that remains are the short newspaper advertisements written by masters who were eager to reclaim their valuable human property.

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Photo © The British Library Board and British Newspaper Archives

“These advertisements are important because they remind us that slavery was routine and unremarkable in Britain during the first three-quarters of the 18th century. This is made very clear by the placement of these newspaper notices offering enslaved people for sale or seeking the recapture and return of enslaved runaways. These advertisements appeared next to the mundane and every day news items and

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announcements that filled the pages of the burgeoning newspaper press.

“Slavery was not an institution restricted to the Caribbean, America or South Asia, and these short newspaper notices bring to life the enslaved individuals who lived, worked, and who attempted to escape into British society.

“This is an important resource for

the understanding of slavery and telling the stories of the enslaved and slavery in Britain.”

Research from the project has already helped inspire a graphic novel, entitled ‘Freedom Bound’ which is due to be published later this year, the award-winning short film ‘1745’.

Directed by Gordon Napier and

Photo © Special Collections/ The Mitchell Library/Museums and Collections/Glasgow Life

Photo © The British Library Board and British Newspaper Archives

written by Morayo Akandé it tells the story of two sisters, Emma and Rebecca Atkin, played by Morayo and her real-life sister Moyo, who were taken as slaves from Nigeria to the West Indies in the early 18th century before being brought to Scotland by their abusive ‘owner’ played by Clive Russell.

The emotionally charged, thought provoking short film has been highly acclaimed and provides a stark reminder of Scotland’s shameful involvement in the slave trade.

Between 1717 and 1766 at least 31 slave ships sailed from Scottish ports and almost 30 per cent of slave

owners in Jamaica were Scots.

In 1745, the period in which the film is set, there were some 100 slaves in Scotland brought back by merchants who grew rich from sugar, tobacco and cotton plantations.

slaves wore collars or other manacles, sometimes with owner’s name engraved on them, as was the case with an 18-year-old fugitive called Ann who escaped from a house in Glasgow.”

“This project shows that it wasn’t an unusual thing to have slaves walking around the streets of villages, towns and cities the length and breadth of Britain,” said Nelson Mundell, a research assistant on the project.

Even today the legacy of the slave trade can be found in Glasgow.

Several streets and popular landmarks are named after Scottish merchants, such as Andrew Buchanan, John Glassford, Archibald Ingram and James Dunlop, who became rich on the backs of slaves working plantations in the colonies of Virginia, Jamaica, Tobago and Antigua.

“The adverts make for sobering reading as they describe scars and markings from whips or brands.

“It also shows that on occasion

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Live like royalty at Glamis House Glamis House

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ny visit to Scotland is truly majestic so why not go the whole nine yards and stay in house fit for a King and Queen with real historic royal connections.

Built in 1798, Glamis House is a stunning, traditional home with an impressive history. It is situated in the grounds of Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Her Majesty the Queen Mother and birthplace of Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret,

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Drawing room

the late sister to the reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth.

Newly refurbished, the grand interiors are the work of Iona Drummond Moray of Perth-based Iona Designs.

Original furniture and fine antiques from the famous castle have been beautifully restored and now furnish the house, alongside a range of beautiful paintings that adorn the walls, including some of the late Queen Mother, to make guests feel even more like royalty.

The private grounds are accessed through electric gates and offer a lovely area for guests to enjoy, including a walled garden which makes for a perfect location to celebrate a wedding.

Inside the house the indoor therapy pool adds a modern touch, perfect

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Dining room

to relax in after a long day exploring the area.

The property, which sleeps up to 13 people, is located in a stunningly beautiful part of the country boasting superb beaches, great walking trails and renowned golf courses close by, including Carnoustie.

The nearby picturesque village of Glamis has its own little shop and pub while the historic towns of Forfar, Kirriemuir, Arbroath and Montrose are within easy traveling distance.

The city of Dundee, recently named one of the best places to visit in Europe, is less than 30 minutes away while St Andrews and Perth are both 45 minutes and the major cities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow can be reached in around 90 minutes, give or take a little.

“Glamis House represents Scotland at its best. This is an exceptionally lovely house and a perfect match for anyone interested in history or royalty. If you have ever wanted to come to Scotland, Glamis House will enable you to feel connected with the Royal Family, in a luxurious, historic setting,” said Sue Bourne, managing director of letting agents Cottages & Castles.

“The property has been refurbished so guests can also enjoy the benefits of a contemporary kitchen and a therapy pool for the ultimate destress experience.”

Although available on a self-catering basis there are also options for those who would prefer to be pampered during their stay. Guests are offered a Gala Dinner at Glamis Castle on one evening where one can truly dine like

Pool

a king! Luxury catering services and a full butler or maid service are also available on request.

Glamis House is currently available to rent from £3,700 per week.

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Race to uncover secrets of Killiecrankie

Soldiers of Killiecrankie replay the battle

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rchaeologists looking for fragments of history from one of Scotland’s most famous and important battlefields have launched a new series of surveys of Killiecrankie.

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Photo British Library The charge of the Cameron Jacobite forces at the Battle of Killiecrankie

The Battle of Killiecrankie was fought on the 27 July 1689 between a Jacobite army under the command of John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount of Dundee aka ‘Bonnie Dundee’, and a Government army commanded by General Hugh Mackay.

The armies came face to face at Killiecrankie as both were attempting to reach Blair Atholl to use it as a base for future operations.

The Jacobites had taken up position on the higher ground on the southern slopes of Creag Eallaich and the government forces deployed beneath them at the base of the hill.

For several hours the armies sniped on and skirmished with each other for most of the afternoon and into the evening until around 8pm when the Jacobites charged downhill and

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broke the government lines.

During the charge Dundee was killed and during the ensuing rout of the Government forces that Donald MacBane claims to have made his “Soldier’s Leap” across the River Garry. The Jacobites are thought to have lost 800 men, with around 2,000 casualties among the Government troops.

The battle is important for a number of reasons, including the first use of grenades in the UK and the first use of platoon firing in Britain.

But now part of the site, which is maintained by Historic Environment Scotland, is in the path of new road works being carried out to improve the main A9 route between Killiecrankie and Glen Garry.

“We have been progressing our plans

to dual the A9, including the section between Killiecrankie and Glen Garry which includes the site of the famous battle of Killiecrankie,” said Jo Blewett Transport Scotland’s A9 Dualling Programme Manager.

“We are well aware of the sensitivities around what is an important inventory battlefield and we have been engaging extensively with the local community and key stakeholders since 2012. As the existing A9 already runs through the site of the battlefield, any of the dual carriageway widening options, on the northbound or southbound side, would have some impact on the battlefield.”

It is hoped the new surveys will further improve existing knowledge of the battle between the Jacobite army and Government forces.

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Holidays with an adventurous twist

Photos by Rat Race Adventure Sports

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at Race Adventure Sports, the UK’s favourite challenge event organiser, has ripped up the travel rulebook with the introduction of a new series of thrilling activity holidays.

This new initiative, aimed at the outdoor market, fuses small group adventure trips with the audacious multi-sport endurance challenges Rat Race is renowned for.

Project: Explore raises the bar for travellers with a truly adventurous spirit as it introduces an anthology of monthly, small group, guided and supported trips with exploration at their heart. Each tour group will be

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challenged with a mix of mountain biking, road cycling, running, trekking and kayaking, all combined with overnight stays in remote hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, bothies, tents and mountain caves.

Each of the five star experiences has a clearly defined challenge objective, an incomparable itinerary and their own activity skills and endurance ratings, all specially tailored to their iconic locations and the season.

From a radical mountain bike ride over Ben Lomond; a complete multi-sport traverse of the entire island chain of the Outer Hebrides and a point-to-point crossing of the legendary wild sub-arctic Cairngorm plateau these ‘super charged’ micro adventures will be delivered with classic Rat Race flare, audacity, finish and professionalism.

Jim Mee, Managing Director of Rat Race Adventure Sports, said: “The concepts of adventure travel, micro-adventures and a love of the

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outdoors are not new. Indeed, the growth in these areas can be seen all over the country as folk take to the hills, wild places and outdoor spaces of the UK in ever increasing numbers. Rat Race’s heritage is firmly entrenched in the belief that you can find adventure anywhere and our fresh new take on adventure travel combines our own love of the outdoors with our skill set in putting audacious and genuinely unique concepts on the ground in an expert manner.

“The key to Project: Explore trips is that they are all very tangible challenges, which are either objective led, or provide a real sense of journey. We believe firmly that this adds to the ‘reason’ to get outside and means that with a Rat Race weekend away, this really isn’t your normal weekend outdoors in the hills.”

Rat Race Adventure Sports are even offering the same bespoke adventures at a time to suit groups of

friends, work colleagues and families who are unable to make the monthly scheduled departures.

Five of the 12 Project: Explore packages will be staged in Scotland, focusing on the huge potential the country offers for small group exploration and adventure challenge travel opportunities; with Rat Race Adventure Sports bringing accessibility to the more inaccessible locations, while fully immersing adventure travellers into the textures of its great outdoors.

The first event, undertaken last month, involved an epic, point-topoint, 2.5 day, guided mountain bike crossing of the deserted Knoydart Peninsula, Britain’s last true wilderness, a hidden gem in the truest sense.

The aim is to follow that this month with Project: Tour of 10 Malts.

Participants will undertake a grand distillery tour of the serene Inner Hebridean Isles of Islay and Jura

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with a cycle sportive on quiet roads blended with some short trekking stages and sea kayaking.

In September Project: Hebrides Tip-to-Toes will offer complete multisport traverse, north to south, of the entire island chain of the Outer Hebrides – Lewis, North and South Uist, Harris and Barra.

This special journey includes miles of road cycling through remote villages, between mountains, past ancient standing stones and broch forts, beside vast fjord-like sea lochs and shimmering white sandy beaches.

The biking will be interspersed with trail running and trekking together with some of the most stunning sea kayaking in the UK. The trip is finished with a swim or kayak to a castle in the middle of the sea.

Earl next year, in January, Project: Bike Mountain - Ben Lomond will set off from the shores of Loch Lomond, within easy reach of Glasgow, in the deep freeze of the Scottish winter.

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Participants will mountain bike over Ben Lomond, the most southerly Munro, with an overnight wild camp near the summit and few treats from the guiding team to make the overnight experience memorable and comfortable.

The following month, in February, Project: Cairngorm Traverse will involved a point-to-point crossing of the legendary wild sub-arctic Cairngorm plateau in winter with an overnight bivvy at the other-worldly Shelter Stone.

A big traverse in this famous National Park is high on many mountainlover’s bucket list and a winter traverse is the Holy Grail and a seriously committing objective.

Rat Race Adventure Sports is Scotland’s largest and most

established supplier of adventure sports events ever since staging their first competition, The Edinburgh Rat Race, in 2004. The contest brought adventure racing into an urban environment and gave spectators a fantastic and thrilling event to watch and spawned a host of other similar fixtures in the UK and Ireland.

In 2017 Rat Race brought a traditionally wilderness discipline, the ultra run, into an urban environment, making it truly accessible to both runners and spectators.

These epic journeys and unbeatable adventures, full of camaraderie, fun and good humour, utilise the rugged and varied terrain of the country’s stunning landscapes and historic, iconic and evocative landmarks; urban and wilderness playgrounds of the highest quality.

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Photo by cc Geiserich77 Smithsonian Building

Academic partnership forged between Scotland and USA T wo of the world’s greatest academic institutions have agreed to enter into a major cross Atlantic partnership.

academics, who are also crossing the Atlantic in both directions to purse major research collaborations.

The University of Glasgow in Scotland and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. have signed an agreement which will forge a new relationship between the two prominent research and teaching establishments.

The agreement covers everything from antiquities to astrophysics, and from preservation of natural ecosystems to the protection of culture heritage including both institutions’ Whistler collections and worldwide research in traditional Pacific barkcloth.

The new strategic partnership continues the unparalleled access to historic collections in Scotland and the USA taught by leading

The Smithsonian, founded in 1846, is the largest museum, education and research organisation in the world, with 19 museums, nine research

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centres, 154 million objects and an annual budget of some $1.5bn.

The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland’s four ancient universities.

The institutions signed the agreement at a special ceremony being held in Washington DC. The Strategic Partnership agreement builds upon a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two institutions in 2016.

Photo by cc Mike Peel University of Glasgow

The new agreement also extends staff research collaborations and exchanges as well as student internships and work placements.

The signatories were Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow and Smithsonian Provost Dr. John Davis, who is also Under Secretary for Museums, Education, and Research at the Institution.

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli said: “The University of Glasgow is proud of our reputation as a leading place of learning, teaching and research in Scotland. But at the same time we have always had an international outlook.

“This agreement will significantly develop and enhance our close working partnership with colleagues at the Smithsonian Institution as well as strengthening our bonds of friendship.”

Smithsonian Provost Dr.John Davis said: “This strategic partnership between the Smithsonian and the University of Glasgow builds on the strong bonds these two great institutions already share. We look forward to many more years of collaborating and exchanging ideas on the important issues facing our world today.”

The Smithsonian and the University of Glasgow first began collaborating in 1993 on their world renowned collections of work by American-born artist James McNeill Whistler.

But this relationship goes back to the founder of the Smithsonian – James Smithson who visited the University of Glasgow as a young man and this informed his idea to establish a cultural institution in America to the “increase and diffusion of knowledge”.

Professor Nick Pearce is currently working on an Asian Art Provenance

project with experts at the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Galleries and his students in Collecting and Provenance are benefitting from work placements in Washington.

Professor Pearce, the Richmond Chair of Fine Arts (History of Art) at the University of Glasgow and a Smithsonian Research Associate, said: “We are already engaged in exciting joint research projects and the Smithsonian is an important international partner for us in so many areas. Glasgow students are also benefitting from work placements and knowledge exchange which is wonderful for our community of learners, teachers and researchers.

“Our agreement to create a strategic partnership between our two institutions is recognition of our existing and potential areas of collaboration and research.”

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Date 4 ur diary

Scotland

1 July Scottish Traditional Boat Festival Portsoy Packed with brilliant moments, the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival engages the local region, bringing together boats, music, crafts, food and drink to celebrate the region’s rich cultural heritage. https://stbfportsoy.org

If you have a future event you would like included in our diary please email details to news@scotlandcorrespondent.com 3 July - 24 August The Skye Festival - ‘Fèis an Eilein’ Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Sleat, Isle of Skye The Skye Festival or ‘Fèis an Eilein’ is a celebration of island culture and performing arts with a strong focus on Scottish traditional music, all spiced up with Jazz, Theatre, and lots, lots more. http://www.seall.co.uk/feis-an-eilein-skye-festival/

1 July Scottish Game Fair Scone Palace Perth Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Scottish Game Fair Celebrating conservation and the countryside with a great day out for people of all ages, all cultures and from all countries. http://www.scottishfair.com

4 July Kenmore Highland Games Kenmore, Aberfeldy, Perthshire Kenmore Games are known locally as the ‘friendly’ games as it welcomes everyone who cares to join in with this small community in their annual games. Events include, highland dancing, pipe band, heavy weight events (tossing the caber, throwing the hammer, putting the shot), children’s & adult races, the challenging Kenmore Hill race, trade stands, food & bar stands plus lots lots more. http://www.kenmorehighlandgames.com

1 July East Neuk Festival Anstruther A festival of music featuring artists from around the world - including Sean Shibe, Belcea Quartet, Julian Bliss, Malcolm Martineau, Castalian Quartet and others - performing around East Neuk in churches and beautiful gardens. http://www.eastneukfestival.com

5-8 July Stonehaven Folk Festival Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire This year is the 30th anniversary of the festival with some of the best traditional and contemporary folk music. A weekend of concerts, ceildh sessions, singarounds and workshops along with the famous aqua ceilidh and World Paper’n’Comb Championships. http://www.stonehavenfolkfestival.co.uk

1 July TRNSMT Glasgow Green, Glasgow Last day of three day music festival in the heart of Glasgow. https://trnsmtfest.com

6-7 July ScotFest Edinburgh One of Scotland’s largest music festivals. Driven by a passion for good music and a love for the entertainment industry, the team at ScotFest ensure you an experience you will never forget. http://scotfestuk.com

1 July Fraserburgh Gala Fraserburgh, AB43 9BB Last day of a two day community celebration providing fun and enjoyment for residents and visitors of all ages. https://www.facebook.com/fraserburgh.gala 1 July - 31 August Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway A uniquely varied programme of events, festivals and experiences culminating in a spectacular Floodlit Tattoo and firework display. http://www.kirkcudbright.town/kirkcudbright-summerfestivities/

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6-8 July TRNSMT Festival Glasgow Green, Glasgow A weekend of big live music from the team behind T in the Park https://trnsmtfest.com 6-9 July Highland Hike Challenge Lochbroom, Ullapool, Highlands A series of spectacular hikes over distances of 100km, 50km and 30 km to raise money for military Charities. http://www.outpostcharity.org/highland-hike

7 July Corrieyairack Challenge Aviemore Scotland’s toughest Mountain Duathlon demanding respect and a special place in your heart. Follow in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie over Scotland’s highest mountain road. https://www.badaguish.org/corrieyairack-challenge/ 7 July Doune and Dunblane Agricultural Society Annual Show Dunblane https://www.douneanddunblaneshow.co.uk 7 July Fettercairn Show Fettercairn Come and help to perpetuate an event that was first held in 1826 providing a great, fun day out for all the family. http://www.fettercairnshow.com 7 July Luss Highland Games Luss The first Luss Highland Gathering was held in 1875 by the side of Loch Lomond and has been held annually since, except for a break during the two World Wars. Over the years it has become a symbol of local sporting endeavour and community spirit. It has also become the focus of the annual gathering of the Clan Colquhoun, bringing with it an influx of visitors from distant lands seeking their heritage. http://www.lusshighlandgames.co.uk 7 July Thornton Highland Gathering Thornton, Fife Traditional Highland gathering consisting of traditional track and field events, highland dancing, stalls, exhibitions by local groups and pipe bands. https://www.facebook.com/thorntonhighlandgames 7 July Forres Highland Games Victoria Road, Forres, Moray Forres Highland Games take place in the magnificent setting of Grant Park, Forres. Games day commences with a Massed Pipe Band procession up Forres High Street before the Games flag is raised over the arena. There follows a spectacular show of Scottish tradition, sport and culture with Highland Dancing, Track and Field, Heavy Events, Tug ‘o’ War, Solo Piping and may more disciplines on display. http://www.forreshighlandgames.com 7 July Glengarry Highland Games Invergarry, Inverness-shire A traditional Highland Games with all the usual track and

field events, interspersed with children’s races. Heavy events include the Hammer, Weight for Distance, Shot Putt, Caber, Weight over the Bar, the Farmers Walk and the team event, the Tug of War. http://www.glengarrylife.com/page15.html 11-15 July Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open West Links Road, Gullane, East Lothian.

One of the most keenly contested championships on the European Tour calendar. http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/ season=2018/tournamentid=2018058/index.html 11-15 July The North Atlantic Fiddle Convention Aberdeen A world-class event unlike any other bringing together some of the world’s top musicians, dancers and academics to perform and discuss the rich fiddle and dance styles that have developed around the North Atlantic seaboard. http://www.northatlanticfiddle.com 13-22 July Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival Edinburgh A celebration of modern and traditional jazz. http://www.edinburghjazzfestival.com 14 July Kirriemuir Show Kirriemuir, Angus A traditional agricultural show that’s been providing a family fun day out to locals and visitors alike since 1877. http://www.kirriemuir-show.co.uk 14-21 July St Ronan’s Border Games Week and Cleikum Ceremonies Innerleithen Instituted in 1827, The Games are the oldest organised sports meeting in Scotland and are now part of a ten day festival that incorporates many events for every age group. Central to the festivities are the Cleikum Ceremonies when the town’s association with its Patron Saint, St. Ronan, is celebrated. http://stronansgames.org 14 July Dalkeith Agricultural Society Annual Show Dalkeith, Lothians Dalkeith Show has been run annually in Midothian since 1805 bringing together the farming and non-farming communities for a welcoming, friendly and fun-packed family day out. http://www.dalkeithshow.co.uk

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14 July Loch Lomond Highland Games Balloch, Loch Lomond A traditional Scottish Highland Games situated in the village of Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond.

The games are now one of the top three Highland Games in Scotland hosting the Scottish Highland Games Association World Heavyweight Championship and the 80 metre Scotttish Sprint Championship. http://www.llhgb.com 14 July Jedburgh Border Games Jedburgh, Scottish Borders The blue riband athletics event in the Scottish Borders. https://www.facebook.com/Jedburgh-BorderGames-1379098852410098/ 14 July Tain Highland Gathering Tain, Ross-shire A traditional Highland Gathering with all the usual events - Highland Dancing, Piping, Track & Field Events, Cycling, and, of course, the Heavies - see the Heavies compete in a special Caber event where they attempt to turn one of the longest and heaviest Cabers in the Games circuit! http://www.tainhighlandgathering.com 14 July Braemar Junior Highland Games Braemar, Aberdeenshire The Junior Highland Games has been organised to allow children between the ages of 5 and 18 the opportunity to participate in games events normally reserved for adults and hopefully create interest for the future generations.

The emphasis is on fun and is intended to provide educational experiences in an informal and participative way. The event will be held in the Braemar Games Field and has backing of The Braemar Highland Society. http://www.braemarjuniorgames.com 14 July Alva Highland Games Alva, Stirling The famous Alva Games are the last surviving sports and games to be run in Clackmannanshire and are the highlight of the summer’s events in the county.

The games feature the full range of traditional events including athletics, cycling, highland dancing, heavy weight events and the four hill races run over Torry. http://alva.ukctest.co.uk 15 July The Scottish Car Show Ingliston, Edinburgh Celebrating it’s 15th year, Scotland’s Biggest motoring event promises over 2,000 exhibitor cars on display along with a host of live attractions including Stunts, Supercar laps, and the legendary drift taxis, as well as the usual host of family attractions. http://www.scottishcarshow.com

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15 July Stonehaven Highland Games Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire Highland Dancing, Running and Heavy events like Tossing the Caber, Hammer Throwing etc and Pipe Band Competition. http://stonehavenhighlandgames.com 15 July Kinlochard Gathering Kinlochard, Stirling A great family day out in the spectacular setting of the Trossachs. http://www.kinlochard.org 15 July The Rosneath Peninsula Highland Gathering Howie Park, Rosneath, Argyll https://www.rosneathgames.co.uk 15 July - 7 August Aboyne and Deeside Festival Aboyne An annual arts festival in Royal Deeside with a broad range of events covering classical, folk, jazz and contemporary music, thought, drama, literature and workshops. https://www.aboyneanddeesidefestival.org.uk 16 July Burntisland Highland Games Burntisland, Fife Founded in 1652, these are the second-oldest highland games in the world and feature highland dancing, running, cycling and heavy events. http://www.burntislandhighlandgames.co.uk 17 July The Scottish Horse Show Ingliston, Edinburgh Almost 100 Classes with many Horse of The Year Show Qualifiers. This show attracts exhibitors from all over the UK. Many of the top names in the equestrian judging world will be on duty at the Scottish Horse Show. http://www.scottishhorseshow.com 17 July Inveraray Highland Games Winterton Park, Inveraray, Argyll The games start with a pipe band parade at 10.45am from Inveraray Town Centre to the grounds of Inveraray Castle, the venue of the Inveraray Highland Games. The Games celebrate our rich culture and heritage with field and track events, piping, highland dancing competitions and heavy events including the world championships for tossing the caber. You will also find a good selection of local Scottish food and drink stands as well many trade and charity stalls. http://www.inveraray-games.co.uk

18-21 July Hebridean Celtic Festival Stornoway, Isle of Lewis A variety of music from around the world performed in the grounds of Lews Castle – overlooking Stornoway harbour, making it one of the best family-friendly festivals in the UK. https://www.hebceltfest.com/index.php 19-22 July Open Golf Championship Links Parade, Carnoustie.

The world’s greatest golfers compete in the the 147th Open Championship for the famous Claret Jug at Carnoustie Golf Links. https://www.theopen.com 19 July Mull Highland Games Tobermory, Isle of Mull Few Highland Games can compete in terms of setting with those set in Mull. With a perfect site overlooking The Sound of Mull, Morvern and Ardnamurchan, the games have a picture postcard backdrop that adds scenic beauty to the drama enacted on the games field. With traditionally kilted strongmen picking up, walking with and then tossing the caber, others swirling round and throwing the hammer, and teams of determined men struggling to gain ground in the tug o’ war its an exciting, invigorating spectacle. http://www.tobermory.co.uk/events-diary-2/events/ highland-games/ 19 July A Celtic Summer at The Scottish Crannog Centre Loch Tay, By Aberfeldy, Perthshire.

Discover what life was like 2,500 years ago at the Scottish Crannog Centre, a unique reconstruction of an ancient loch dwelling in the heart of beautiful Perthshire.

Fun, exciting, inspirational and informative, this award winning centre has something for everyone, from the youngest explorer to the serious knowledge seeker! http://www.crannog.co.uk

traditional style are welcomed to Tarbert Harbour. http://www.tarberttraditionalboatsfestival.org.uk 20 July - 4 November GAME PLAN: Board Games Rediscovered New Lanark World Heritage Site Lanark celebrate the joy, excitement and occasional frustration of playing board games. This exhibition will include some of the most iconic, enthralling and visually striking games from the V&A’s outstanding national collection of board games. Visitors can enjoy hands-on interactives and see more than 100 objects, featuring games from around the world, exploring the important role of design. http://www.newlanark.org/visitorcentre/game-plan.shtml 20-22 July 80’s Rewind Festival Scone Palace, Perth.

Expect a weekend of iconic performance from musical legends, themed venues, pop-up performers and an unrivalled festival atmosphere. https://scotland.rewindfestival.com 21 July Sutherland Show Dornoch Links, Dornoch, Sutherland The Sutherland Agricultural Show began in 1951 to showcase the vitality and productivity of the largest county in the United Kingdom. Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea, from the far north coast to the Dornoch Firth, Sutherland encompasses a wide diversity of landscapes and climactic conditions, and its industries and agriculture reflect this. https://sutherlandshow.com 21-22 July MCN Scottish Festival Ingliston, Edinburgh The two day event will bring together the best of biking plus a whole host of live entertainment and tribute bands to rock you through the weekend. http://mcnscottishfestival.co.uk

20-21 July Caithness Agricultural Society Annual Show Wick This event promotes, for the benefit of the public, agriculturure and rural industries in Caithness. This is done by showcasing the best of the livestock produced in the county, trade stands and also the Northern Quality Produce Marquee, which promotes foods, drink and crafts from within the north of Scotland. https://www.caithnessshow.co.uk

21 July Biggar Show Biggar, Lanarkshire It’s all going on at the Biggar Show on the 21st of July as the show field will be bursting with Livestock, Poultry and Equine Classes, Ladies Industrial Section, Craft Marquee, Highland Dancing, Dog Show, Food Fair, Trade Stands, Fun Fair, Children’s Entertainment and main ring attractions! https://biggarfarmersclub.org.uk

20-22 July Tarbert Traditional Boat Festival - Loch Fyne Viking Festival Garval Road, Tarbert, Argyll An annual event where traditional boats and boats of

21 July Blast From The Past Inverurie, Aberdeenshire A Car Show for all with a display of classic, rare, modified, restored and unique vehicles.

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Live action with an Auto Test competition against the clock. Parade laps of the interesting vehicles on display.

Family Fun and Kids Zone with rides, bouncy castles, live music and competitions.

Food & Drink available on site - Gallery Cafe Porterhouse Steakhouse & Coffee Bar - Picnic Area. http://www.nes-blastfromthepast.co.uk 21 July Inverness Highland Games Inverness The Inverness Highland Games is one of the most spectacular traditional gatherings staged in Scotland and is one of the highlights of any visit to the Highland capital city of Inverness. http://www.invernesshighlandgames.com 21 July Tomintoul Highland Games Tomintoul, Moray Visit one of Scotland’s longest running Highland Games, showcasing traditional heavy and light events, highland dancing, piping competitions and lesser known entertainments like tilt the bucket and barrel racing. http://www.tomintoulhighlandgames.co.uk 21 July Lochcarron Highland Games Attadale Estate, Lochcarron, Strathcarron, Wester Ross Lochcarron Highland Games, “The Friendly Games”, is held in beautiful Wester Ross in the North West Highlands of Scotland and feature the traditional mixture of heavy events, track and field plus highland dancing and piping displays. https://www.lochcarrongames.org.uk 21 July Taynuilt Highland Games Taynuilt, Argyll The Taynuilt highland games is a day not to be missed.

Experience the fun and culture that has kept the Games so popular for over 150 years, from the wonderful and haunting music of pipe bands to the supreme expertise and skill of highland dancers, the prowess and strength of heavy event athletes and so much more. http://www.taynuilthighlandgames.com 21 July Balquhidder,Lochearnhead and Strathyre Highland Games Lochearnhead, Stirling Experience a traditional Highland Games, which has run for more that 200 years, in the heartland of Clans MacLaren, MacGregor, Stewarts of Ardvorlich and Macnab. http://lochearnheadhighlandgames.co.uk 22 July Ayrshire Vintage Rally Agri-Centre, Ayr

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A display of vintage vehicles including tractors, cars and commercial vehicles etc. Ring entertainment includes dog agility and the ever popular Childrens’ Straw Scramble much more. A great fund fay out for all the family. https://www.steamheritage.co.uk/steam-rallies-andevents/event/ayrshire_vintage_rally 22-27 July The Royal Deeside Golf Classic Banchory, Kincardineshire.

Picture a corner of Scotland with delightful warmth of welcome, together with breathtaking scenery and four interesting but challenging golf courses and you’ve discovered Royal Deeside. http://www.royaldeesidegolfclassic.co.uk 25 July Stranraer Show Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway The Stranraer Show is one of Dumfries and Galloways most popular annual events showcasing the best of local livestock, agricultural products and rural crafts. http://www.stranraershow.co.uk 25-29 July Edinburgh Food Festival Edinburgh The free Festival welcomes visitors of all ages to George Square Gardens, with stallholders offering everything from Alandas Gelato and Fish & Chips (East Lothian) to Jarvis Pickle pies (Berwickshire) and Chick & Pea street food (Edinburgh). Quenching thirsts throughout the five days are a selection popular drinks brands, including Fyne Ales from Argyll. With quality Scottish food at the heart of it, the festival is a fantastic introduction for visitors to see just a soupçon of what Scotland’s larder has to offer. http://www.edfoodfest.com 26-29 July Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open West Links Road, Gullane The co-sanctioned Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open is one of the premier events on The Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour. In 2018 the championship moves to Gullane Golf Club where South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee will defend the title she won at Dundonald Links in 2017. https://ladiesscottishopen.com 26 July - 26 August Edinburgh Art Festival Edinburgh Edinburgh Art Festival is the platform for the visual arts at the heart of Edinburgh’s August festivals, bringing together the capital’s leading galleries, museums and artist-run spaces in a city-wide celebration of the very best in visual art. https://www.edinburghartfestival.com

26-29 July Southern Fried Festival Perth Concert Hall, Perth. http://www.horsecross.co.uk/festivals/southern-friedfestival/ 27-28 July Border Union Show Kelso, Scottish Borders Agriculture show held in Springwood Park, 46 acres of parkland on the outskirts of Kelso. The Showground is adjacent to the world famous Junction Pool of the rivers Tweed and Teviot with a magnificent view of the Abbey and the unique five arch bridge built in 1802 as a model for the old Waterloo bridge in London. http://www.buas.org/show/ 27 July Durness Highland Gathering Durness, Sutherland http://www.durnesshighlandgathering.co.uk 27-29 July ButeFest Rothesay, Argyll & Bute Bute’s newest weekend festival of live music, food, craft beers and ciders, family fun and entertainment. https://www.facebook.com/butefest/ 27-28 July Eilean Dorcha Festival Isle of Benbecula Benbecula’s annual family music festival. https://www.edf.scot 27 July Langholm Common Riding Langholm, Scottish Borders https://returntotheridings.co.uk/langholm-commonriding/ 27 July Aberdeen International Youth Festival Aberdeen A multi- arts event which takes place annually in Aberdeen and the North East region of Scotland. Running since 1973, the festival began as an orchestral event, and has diversified in recent years to become a performing arts festival which includes a wide range of art-forms including dance, theatre, opera and contemporary, jazz, classical and traditional music. http://www.aiyf.org 27-29 July Speyfest Fochabers, Moray Three days of the best in traditional and contemporary Celtic music. http://www.speyfest.com

28 July Braco Show Braco, Auchterarder, Perth & Kinross http://www.bracoshow.co.uk 28 July Banchory Show Banchory, Aberdeenshire A fun day for all the family set in the heart of Aberdeenshire. http://www.banchoryshow.co.uk 28 July Airth Highland Games Airth, Falkirk Come to Airth Highland Games and experience one of Scotland’s oldest, most traditional highland games! Thousands of visitors come each year to experience the unique friendly atmosphere of the Games whilst being surrounded by the picturesque setting of the River Forth and Ochil Hills. http://www.airthgames.co.uk 28 July Nairn Show Auldearn, By Nairn http://www.nairnshow.org.uk 28 July Scottish Pipe Band Championship Levengrove Park, Woodyard Road, Dumbarton https://www.rspba.org/index.php 28 July - 5 August Shetland Nature Festival Lerwick, Shetland https://www.shetlandamenity.org/shetland-nature-festival 28-29 July Anstruther Harbour Festival Anstruther A celebration of maritime heritage. http://www.anstrutherharbourfestival.co.uk 28 July Dufftown Highland Games Dufftown, Moray A taste of something Scottish for everybody. A full programme of Light and Heavy Events, Massed Pipe Bands, Highland Dancing, Hill Races, fun for the entire family and much more. http://dufftownhighlandgames.com 28 July Stirling Comic Con Stirling Over 60 traders selling comics, graphic novels, crafts, art, Funko Pop figures and much more. https://www.facebook.com/events/532489113588455/

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28 July Halkirk Highland Games Thurso, Caithness The Halkirk Highland Games, a traditional and spectacular Scottish sporting event established in 1886, is held in Caithness in the far North of Scotland, near to Thurso and the famous end of the road landmark of John O’Groats. http://www.halkirkgames.co.uk

7 July International Tartan Day Ball Fremantle The Scottish Masonic Charitable Foundation of WA Inc holds the International Tartan Day Ball the first Saturday of July every year. The Ball is a night where people of the community can come together as one and enjoy some Scottish Traditions. www.smcfwa.com.au

29 July St Andrews Highland Games St. Andrews, Fife St Andrews Highland games are relative newcomers to the highland games scene as this year will be only the 34th time they will have been held. From humble beginings in 1984 the were first held on a Thursday afternoon in a field on the outskirts of St Andrews courtesey of Mrs Cheape of Strathtrum Estate. The are now firmly established as one of the top highland games in Fife if not in Scotland. http://www.standrewshighlandgames.co.uk

14 July Mackay Bluewater Fling 2018 Mackay, Queensland The Bluewater Fling at the Bluewater Quay on the banks of the Pioneer River, in the Mackay city centre is an evening of non-stop Celtic music featuring local band Hullabaloo, highland dancers, visiting pipe bands, and the Mackay & District Pipe Band. https://mackaypipeband.com.au

Australia

2 July Scottish Heritage Centre of Western Australia Fremantle, WA Annual ‘Kirking of the Tartan’ Church Service in the Scots Church, Fremantle. All Scottish Societies are welcome to attend the church service and an afternoon tea. https://www.scottishheritagewa.com 6 July City of Hobart Highland Pipe Band Winter Gathering.

Hobart, Tasmania Fund raising event organised by CoHHPB includes a whisky tasting, a cheese and wine matching, The Tasmanian Kitchen Piper Cup and some great music and dancing.

7 July Aberdeen Highland Games Aberdeen, New South Wales Held at Aberdeen in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia, the Aberdeen Highland Games draws hundreds of people to the township every year to enjoy the festivities. The Games begin with a parade of bands, clan representatives and others that leads into the Massed Band Salute and Chieftain’s Address that officially opens the day. There will be fun for all the family - including Highland and Country Dancing, Pipe Band displays, Strong Man events with the Tartan Warriors to enjoy as well as tug-of-war, three-legged races, and the famed Kilted Dash. A multitude of stores and stands will surround the area selling all manner of Scottish heirlooms and souvenirs, clothing and garb, and food and drink. www.aberdeenhighlandgames.com

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19 July - 22 July Melbourne Tartan Festival Melbourne, Victoria https://www.melbournetartanfestival.com.au 21 July International Tartan Day Brisbane, Queensland ” Scotch on the Rocks” “Kathleen Moore D.Ua, Celtic Singer” Highland Dancers, the Pipe Bands, the Scottish Country Dancers, the Celtic Choir, the Small Pipes, the Fiddle Orchestra & the Scottie Dog Mascots. We will have Family History and Genealogy and Clan information and much much more. www.aussie-scots.org.au

CANADA

1 July Embro Highland Games Woodstock, Ontario 744906 Oxford Road 17, northwest of Woodstock Ontario Heavy Events Championships, tug of war, massed pipe bands, a Highland dance competition, Scottish dogs on parade and live Celtic music. www.embrohighlandgames.ca 6-8 July Kincardine Scottish Festival & Highland Games Kincardine, Ontario For almost 20 years, our award-winning festival has welcomed thousands of visitors from all over North America to the beautiful lakeside town of Kincardine to join us in celebrating all things Scottish. Our festival aims to preserve, enhance, and celebrate Kincardine’s Scottish roots. Enjoy three days and nights of lively music, exciting competitions, cultural workshops, and friendly small town hospitality. Cheer on your favourite, Highland athletes and dancers, trace out your ancestry,

march with the historic Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band down Queen Street, and enjoy the sights and sounds of over 30 Scottish pipe bands from across Canada and the United States. www.kincardinescottishfestival.ca

every aspect of the festival. http://uxbridgescottishfestival.com

6-8 July Celtfest Almonte, Ontario Celtfest is a fun weekend of Ottawa Valley and Celtic entertainment, in the natural amphitheater of Gemmill Park in the heart of Almonte. It also presents a select group of artisans and vendors of goods with a Celtic flair. www.almonteceltfest.com

7 July Fort Knox Scottish Tattoo Prospect, Maine An evening filled with the music of the Great Highland Bagpipes and the shrill call of the Fife & Drum. https://www.facebook.com/FortKnoxScottishTattoo/

6-8 July Antigonish Highland Games Antigonish, Nova Scotia Athletic competitions such as the Elite Mile, Scottish Heavy Events, and a group Tug-Of-War, as well as competitions in Piping, Drumming, Pipe Bands and Highland Dance. Entertainment from Canadian Icons The Mudmen, an afternoon Ceilidh featuring The Chaissons, Concerts, and much more. The Antigonish Highland Games is this summer’s can’t miss event! www.antigonishhighlandgames.ca 7 July Penticton Scottish Festival and Highland Games Penticton, British Columbia This one day event will celebrate Celtic culture with Bagpiping, Drumming, Highland Dancing and Heavy Events competitions along with other activities that will include: Celtic entertainment, children’s activities, Clan information, clothing and equipment booths, food vendors, whisky tastings, beverage garden, and fun for the whole family. www.pentictonscottishfestival.ca 20-22 July Orillia Scottish Festival Orillia, Ontario Celebrate Scottish heritage in the heart of Orillia. www.scottishfestival.ca 27-29 July New Brunswick Highland Games Fredericton, New Brunswick Be a Scot for the weekend and come celebrate Scottish/Celtic culture with workshops, entertainment, competitions at one of the top events of its kind in North America. www.highlandgames.ca 28 July Uxbridge Scottish Festival Uxbridge, Ontario A celebration of all things Scottish this one-day event will be held at Elgin Park, a beautiful venue located in the heart of Uxbridge with lots of room to roam and enjoy

USA

12-15 July 63rd Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Linville, North Carolina The annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans aims to foster and restore interest in traditional dancing, piping, drumming, athletic achievement, music and Gaelic culture. www.gmhg.org 13-14 July Payson Scottish Festival Payson Utah The excitement begins Friday night with food and entertainment at the park. Prepare for fun on Saturday with Highland Dance, Highland Athletic, and bagpipe competitions. Listen to Celtic music and enjoy entertaining Scottish dances ranging from a sword dance to an Irish jig. Don’t miss the Friday night story telling and strongman competitions. Join us for Opening Ceremonies and Massed Bands Saturday at noon. Experience traditional ethnic food, vendors, and clans. Come and enjoy the fun family atmosphere of the Scottish Festival. www.paysonscottishfestival.org 14 July 9th Annual Dundee Scottish Festival Dundee, New York Family friendly fun day celebrating all things Scottish. www.dundeescottishfestival.com 14 July Jersey Shore Piping & Drumming Classic Toms River, New Jersey http://www.jerseyshorecelticfestival.com 14-15 July The 24th Annual Skagit Valley Highland Games Mount Vernon, Washington Come celebrate Scotland and Scottish culture at a finpacked family friendly event. www.celticarts.org 20-22 July Maine Celtic Celebration Belfast, Maine www.mainecelticcelebration.com

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21 July Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival Florence, Massachusetts Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival is the Largest Scottish Festival in Massachusetts, and the second largest one in New England and we are proud to have been bringing world class Scottish Arts to the Pioneer Valley for 25 years. www.glasgowlands.org

27-29 July Dayton Celtic Festival Dayton, Ohio Saturate your senses in the sights, sounds, and tastes of our Celtic heritage. Discover the magic that keeps people returning to Dayton’s Celtic Festival year after year. Come and experience the rich traditions that we Celtic folk hold dear to our hearts. www.daytoncelticfestival.com

21 July Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games Eagan, Minnesota Encourage your family, friends and others who may be interested in the culture of Scotland to join us – Scot or not, everyone loves to hear the bagpipes, see strong men in kilts compete in athletic events unique to Scotland, hear traditional & modern Celtic music and more! www.mnscottishfair.org

28-29 July 72nd Annual Pacific Northwest Highland Games and Clan Gathering Enumclaw, Washington Bringing Scotland to the Pacific Northwest for over 70 years through the skirl o’ the Pipes and Drums, the beauty of Highland Dancing, the brawn of Scottish athletics, and the sharing of clan history. www2.sshga.org

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