Rampant Scotland Newsletter
The Glenallan
free every week. It is ideal for expatriate Scots. Just like getting the
Sunday Post. Ask your kids to print it off for you and read it in bed on a
Sunday morning.....just the way you did at home. Eh. :-)
You can even take it in to work on Monday for your mates.
Ther's a bunch of people at Caterpiller in Peoria, Illinois who can't do
anything
if they haven't read Rampant Scotland Newsletter.
Football scores too. Can't be bad.
Why not sign up for it. I get it around 10.30 pm Saturday night.
Cheers
The Glenallan
-------------------
ps The Web version (link below) is brilliant.
Rampant Scotland Newsletter - Issue Number 154, dated 25 March 2000.
Your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from
the Scottish media - plus some elements of Scottish culture.
A Web version of this Newsletter, with some graphics and newspaper-style
layout is available at http://www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
If you have been passed a copy of this Newsletter by someone else, but
would like to receive your own copy direct from Scotland, just send an
email to sco...@cqm.co.uk with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
*************************
CURRENT AFFAIRS
*************************
Highlands Air Tax Scrapped
The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his budget for the UK to the
Westminster Parliament this week. Amongst all the increases in decreases in
taxation, the most significant item which affected just Scotland was the
scrapping of the ten pound levy on all flights from the Highlands and
Islands. The tax was introduced six years ago and was met with a storm of
protest from outlying areas who rely on air travel to reach the mainland.
Also of significance to Scotland in particular, was that the tax on spirits
such as whisky was unchanged.
Scottish Parliament to Survey Youngsters - by E-mail
A survey of the views of 11-18-year-olds is to be conducted by the Scottish
Parliament later this year and the Internet is to be the main channel of
communication. The plan is to have a 3/4 week period when teenagers will be
asked to submit their views and become involved in an Internet discussion
forum. It will be organised through schools and community centres and is
designed to try to interest young people in politics - a subject which is
usually a big turn-off for this age group.
"Scotland Reclaimed"
Biographies are usually written at the end of someone's life but the
Scottish Parliament is hardly a year old and already a book has been
written about it. The author is Murray Ritchie, a respected political
editor on the Herald newspaper. The book, entitled "Scotland Reclaimed" was
launched in the committee chambers of the new Parliament in Edinburgh and
tells the "inside story" of the setting up of the new organisation. It is
being published by the Saltire Society and will be on sale in bookshops
including the gift shop at the Scottish Parliament.
"For Sale" Sign on Mountains of Skye
John MacLeod of MacLeod, the 29th Chief of the Clan MacLeod announced this
week that he was having to sell the Black Cuillins mountain range on Skye.
He says it was the most difficult decision of his life but it was necessary
as money is needed to repair the ancient Dunvegan Castle. There are times,
he says, when he has to sleep with an umbrella above his bed due to leaking
roofs. The Cuillins have been in the ownership of the MacLeods for over 800
years. The 35 square miles of the hump-backed hills are a paradise for
climbers, botanists and geologists. They have been immortalised in many
romantic songs such as "The Road to the Isles" and are an important symbol
of Skye. The estate includes 11 Munros (mountains over 3,000ft) and 14
miles of coastline. The name "Cuillins" probably derived from the Norse for
"upturned boat" and Bonnie Prince Charlie sailed there with Flora MacDonald
while escaping after Culloden. Anyone who buys the Cuillins will have to
meet stringent conditions about continued public access to this important
part of the island.
"Tartan Day" Organisers Angry
The organisers of this year's Tartan Day events in Washington are angry at
the way in which the involvement of the British Embassy has resulted in
attempts to make the event more Unionist in tone. The Embassy tried to
influence the guest list of those invited to the lunch in the US Senate and
there are suspicions that invitations were deliberately sent out late -
with a prominent Union Jack flag emblazoned on it. The organising committee
were also over-ruled when the invitations were also issued via Donald
Dewar, the First Minister rather than Sir David Steel, the Presiding
Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
Advertise YOUR Tartan Day Events Here
The Tartan Day event in Washington on 6 April is certainly not the only one
in North America - or in other parts of the world. Tartan Day was approved
by the US Senate in 1998 in recognition of the "monumental achievements and
invaluable contributions" made by Scottish Americans. April 6th was chosen
as it is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath.
Canada had instituted a Tartan Day some years earlier.
The more people who become aware of these events across the world, the more
Scots who will be able to celebrate their roots. So if YOU know of any
Tartan Day event in your area, please drop me a note at sco...@cqm.co.uk
and I will list them in this Newsletter next week. I know that a number of
Clan societies and members of St Andrew's Societies subscribe to this
Newsletter. So if they, or anyone else, is aware of a Scottish event around
6th April let me know!! With a known circulation for this Newsletter of
over 6,000 (plus many more copies passed on) we should be able to inform
lots of Scots who otherwise would not have been aware of the event.
It's Official - Scotland's Hotels are Warm and Friendly
An international guide to the hospitality business which used over 35,000
visits by "mystery guests" to grade hotels in the UK has confirmed that
the welcome and service received by guests in Scottish establishments is
much warmer and friendlier than in similar hotels in England. In
particular, the Scottish staff were more likely to provide extra touches
without being asked. However, the report said that English hotels were more
efficient and had better infrastructure such as booking services and more
rapid checking in and out. It is thought that the results are due to more
hotels in Scotland being privately owned, rather than being parts of large
chains.
Fast Lane for the Glasgow Tour
A company which operates open-top sightseeing tours in Sydney, Canberra and
Seville has joined with a local company to offer the same high quality
experience in Glasgow. City Sightseeing use specially converted
double-decker buses and employ highly trained tour guides who provide a
stream of facts about the city along the way.The new service will operate
seven days a week between March and October.
Glasgow's "Eiffel Tower" Starts to Rise
A wing-shaped tower is starting to rise on the banks of the river Clyde in
Glasgow. When completed next year it will be 140 metres tall and will
provide views not just of Glasgow but as far as Arran in the west and
Kincardine Bridge, over the river Forth, in the east. It will be the focal
point of a new Glasgow Science Centre costing 75 million pounds (US$120
million). Part of the complex, an IMAX 360 degree film theatre as well as a
3D and conventional cinemas, is scheduled to open later this year. The
tall, steel tower is shaped like a wing and is capable of rotating 360
degrees so that it always presents the least wind resistance. The complex,
which also incorporates a planetarium, is on an area of former docks. It
will be surrounded on three sides by water.
What's the Big Idea?
A war of words and threats of litigation have erupted between Glasgow City
Council and the promoters of the Ayrshire town of Irvine where a new
exhibition named "The Big Idea" opens next month. The centre of the battle
is an advert - in the centre of Glasgow - to publicise the new attraction
which illustrates the inventiveness of Scots over the centuries. The
Council claim that the massive billboard beside a motorway does not have
planning permission. The director of the "Big Idea" in Irvine says that
Glasgow Council had just taken down an even larger poster on an adjacent
site for its Glasgow City of Architecture programme and that other adverts
have adorned the same space. The Irvine exhibition is refusing to remove
their advert.
Holyrood Park Nature Reserve?
The Scottish Wildlife Trust has launched a campaign to make Holyrood Park
in Edinburgh the UK's first Urban National Nature Reserve. The park, which
includes Arthur's Seat and Duddingston Loch already has two Sites of
Special Scientific Interest. It has the dual advantage of not only being in
the centre of the city but it also overlooks the future home of the
Scottish Parliament.
Merger of St Andrews and Dundee Universities?
There were newspaper reports this week of talks between the universities of
St Andrews and Dundee about a possible merger. Both universities have a
high reputation. St Andrews attracts a lot of English and foreign students
while Dundee is regarded as highly progressive. Dundee broke away from St
Andrews 30 years ago but there is a belief that smaller institutions could
become marginalised. The two towns are only ten miles apart. Later in the
week, however, the two Universities issued a joint statement saying that
although they were discussing "mutually beneficial collaboration" there
were no plans to go as far as a merger.
Royal Deeside Trainline to Re-open
The sounds of steam trains chuffing along the line which used to run from
Aberdeen to Ballater may be heard again. The line closed 34 years ago, but
a project has started which it is hoped will ultimately see the complete
line re-opening. A steam train, named the "Bon Accord" (the motto of
Aberdeen) will initially take enthusiasts for a run of only a few hundred
yards but this will be extended to a few miles shortly thereafter. In the
longer term, it is hoped that steam trains on the full 43 miles will become
a popular tourist attraction. Most of the track has been removed, which
will make it more expensive to revive the line. The route was originally
opened in 1853 to Banchory and later to Aboyne and Ballater. Plans to
extend it further to Braemar were vetoed by Queen Victoria - who did not
want her tranquility at Balmoral disturbed.
Increased Prices for Exported Whisky?
Many years ago the European Union (EU) introduced a financial subsidy to
food and drink manufacturers who were forced to buy EU-grown cereals which
cost more than those available on the world market. European grain is twice
that of world market costs. The finance was only available where goods were
being exported from the EU but helped to make prices more competitive
against foreign producers able to use cheaper raw materials. Now the EU is
trying to reduce its overall budget and the subsidy is one of the targets.
It could cost the Scottish whisky industry up to 14 million pounds - which
will mean either reduced profit margins or increased prices.
Fight for Buchanan Street Development
A year after the successful Buchanan Galleries shopping development opened
in the heart of Glasgow, a battle is emerging over who will develop the
site on the other side of the street. Two companies, Bass Developments and
Atlas Investments Ltd, are putting forward competing plans. Bass and Atlas
have lodged proposals for a futuristic shopping development, in both cases
designed by Glasgow architects. Glasgow City Council are seeking to use
compulsory powers to force the present owners of the property to sell at
realistic prices. In some parts of the existing, ramshackle building, parts
of which are derelict, it has been impossible to track down owners. The
Council are understood to have reached an agreement with Atlas about the
development but this is being challenged by Bass. Meanwhile, small traders
who have continued to run their businesses in the old buildings are
challenging the attempt to drive them away.
RAF Told to Avoid "Nessie"
Low flying Royal Air Force jets have been told to avoid Loch Ness over the
weekend so as not to disturb "Nessie" the monster which is reputed to
inhabit the 24-mile long loch. The request for a quiet weekend came not
from Nessie herself but from a Scandinavian expedition which is trying to
track her down using sophisticated sound equipment, 70 metres below the
surface. The roar of the jets 200 feet above the surface interrupted a
trial run on Wednesday and the leader of the expedition put in a call to
the RAF base at Lossiemouth. The researchers were convinced that a
sensitive creature such as Nessie would lie low with all that racket and
the RAF were polite and co-operative. One jet heading for the loch the next
day was seen to veer away and an RAF spokesman said "We wish the chaps out
on the loch good luck,"
Erskine Bridge Closes as Fire Engine Overturns
A fire tender, on its way to what turned out to be a false alarm,
overturned on the approach road to the Erskine Bridge over the river Clyde
on Friday, injuring some of the firemen on board and closing the bridge in
both directions. The accident happened on a tight bend, 100 yards short of
the bridge. The vehicle skidded, hit a crash barrier and overturned. Apart
from one fireman who broke a leg, none of the injuries were serious. The
bridge reopened some hours after the accident.
Clocks Go Forward
All the clocks in the UK (and indeed in the whole of the European Union) go
forward by one hour this weekend. It used to be called rather inaccurately
"British Summer Time" and was first introduced during the First World War.
Many other countries also have daylight saving time arrangements but there
is no co-ordination and each country changes at their own date.
Weather in Scotland This Week
There is often a difference in the weather on the east and west side of
Scotland - even though the distances involved are not great. This was
particularly the case this week when the east of the country experienced
considerably more sunshine than the west. Edinburgh, for example, recorded
over 32 hours of sunshine compared to Glasgow's 18 and there was more rain
in the west too. Aberdeen had the highest temperature of the week, 17C/63F
on Monday with nearly 10 hours of sunshine that day. Later in the week the
temperature across Scotland fell sharply as the wind direction changed to
the north. On Thursday, the temperature did not rise above 4C/39F in
Lerwick in the Orkney Islands.
***********************************************************************
HISTORICAL AFFAIRS - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
***********************************************************************
Cromwell's Forgotten Wreck
A BBC documentary is being televised next week about the wreck of a sailing
ship which sank near Duart Castle, Isle of Mull, in 1653. The Swan had been
sent north with five other ships by Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War to
subdue a number of Royalist sympathisers, including Maclean of Duart. While
the ship was attacking Duart Castle it sank in a storm. The wreck was
re-discovered in 1979 and since 1992 St Andrews University have been
investigating the site. They have recovered a cannon, navigation aids and
recently they uncovered the skeleton of one of the seamen who had drowned
when the ship sank. The skeleton showed that although he suffered from
rickets (caused by a poor diet when he was young) he was heavily built with
strong shoulders, arms and wrists. It is hoped that some of the artefacts
found will be displayed at the Museum of Scotland - and at Duart Castle.
Award for Holmwood House
Holmwood House, designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson in 1859, has won a
prize in the Civic Trust awards for 2000 made this week. The National Trust
for Scotland have recently restored the building to its former glory and
the Civic Trust described it as a "memorable building once again."
Lady of the Loch's 100th Birthday
It is perhaps not polite to draw attention to a lady's increasing age, but
the steam ship Sir Walter Scott which takes sightseers sailing on Loch
Katrine, will be exactly 100 years old this weekend. Originally built on
the river Clyde, the ship was then dismantled and carried by horse and cart
to the Loch. Much of Glasgow's water supply comes from Loch Katrine and so
a diesel replacement would not be allowed. And of course thousands of
tourists enjoy the experience of sailing on the last screw-driven steamer
in Scotland. The centenary was marked by a special sailing on the loch in
which descendants of the original voyage participated.
Latest Historic Listed Building - A Dry Stone Wall
Historic Scotland have declared that the dry stone wall which surrounds the
island of North Ronaldsay, the most northerly of the Orkney islands, should
be classified as a "Category A" Listed Building, on a par with many other
more famous monuments. It is the only wall of its kind in Britain and may
be the largest drystone construction in the world. The wall was built in
1832, to keep the island's rare breed of sheep on the shoreline, where they
have evolved on a diet of seaweed. The wall is 13 miles long and 6 feet
high. Being classified in this way will help to ensure its preservation -
the population of the island has fallen from 500 to 70 and there are no
longer the local resources available to keep the wall properly repaired.
Castle Grant Sold
Castle Grant, the seat of the Clan Grant for over 600 years has been sold
to travel group based in the USA which has a range of holiday rental
accommodation in Europe and North America. The castle, near
Grantown-on-Spey, has 365 rooms but additions made in the 19th century
caused Queen Victoria to describe it as a "factory."
First Video Recordings
Images of an early BBC television broadcast, using the 30-line system
developed by John Logie Baird, have been uncovered for the first time.
Dating from 1933, they are thought to be the first ever "video recordings".
They were recorded on aluminium discs along with the sound but it required
special software to extract the signals and convert them to images. Baird
had been experimenting with video recordings but his system had been a
failure at the time. The newly uncovered images of a BBC production
"Looking in" predates the development of modern video by over 30 years.
***********************
ENTERTAINMENT
***********************
Sean Knighted in Scotland?
It is thought possible that Sean Connery will be officially knighted at a
ceremony in Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse. This would clearly suit
Sean's nationalist views. Fans may also be able to see the actual ceremony
in the majestic art gallery of the palace as it was recently decided that
videos of such ceremonies would be made and passed to the media.
Hey, is that Sean Connery on the Platform?
Tourists and commuters arriving at the London Underground station of Baker
Street this week were most surprised to find Sean Connery, with a gin and
tonic in his hand, talking to Kylie Minogue on the platform. On closer
inspection, it turned out to be waxwork models - advertising the nearby
waxworks museum of Madame Tussaud's.
*********
SPORT
*********
Sunday and Mid-week Results
Aberdeen 0 Celtic 2 (CIS Insurance League Cup Final)
Hibernian 1 Dundee 2
Hearts 3 Aberdeen 0
Scottish Premier League Results - 25 March
Dundee United 1 Aberdeen 1
Hearts 0 Motherwell 0
Kilmarnock 1 Hibernian 0
St Johnstone 2 Dundee 1
Rangers play Celtic on Sunday
Scottish League Division One Results - 25 March
Clydebank 0 St Mirren 0
Falkirk 1 Dunfermline 1
Inverness 1 Greenock 0
Raith Rovers 2 Airdrie 0
League Tables
Rangers have 62 points from 25 games with Celtic in second place with 50
points. Hearts are currently lying third with 40 points from 27 games.
Aberdeen are again at the foot of the Premier Division with 23 points from
26 games with Kilmarnock above them with 25 points from 27 games.
In the First Division, St Mirren have 61 points from 30 games followed by
Falkirk with 57 points and Dunfermline with 56 points.
Rugby Results - 25 March
Glasgow Hawks 43 Currie 24
Hawick 31 Kelso 27
Heriot's FP 77 Gala 29
Jed-Forest 36 West of Scotland 18
Melrose 37 Watsonians 13
Full Sports Results
A full results and news service for Scottish football is available at
http://www.scottishfootball.com/
A full results service for shinty is available at
http://shinty.com/result.htm
Rugby Internationalist "Not a Scot"
After 41appearances for the Scotland international rugby side,
investigations into the "pedigree" of David Hilton has revealed that his
grandfather was not, as previously thought, born in Edinburgh. The rules
for who can and cannot represent a country at international level are
complicated but after recent embarrassing revelations about two Welsh rugby
players, checks are being carried out on many players who have earned the
right to play for a country as a result of more remote antecedents or
residency qualifications. However, in a twist to the story the Scottish
Rugby Union are arguing that Hilton should be allowed to continue to play
for Scotland as he had already played an international game for the country
before the more stringent rules came into force.
A Combined Scottish and English League Cup?
The chief executive of the Scottish Premier League has suggested that the
football (soccer) League Cups in Scotland and England should be combined
into one competition. The CIS Insurance Cup in Scotland and the Worthington
Cup in England are not appealing to sponsors and it may be that merging the
two competitions at the quarter-final stage would assist in reviving them.
Kenny Dalglish Press Conference - In a Bar
Talk about the advantage of a home game? The Celtic manager Kenny Dalglish
this week held a press conference in Baird's Bar, in Gallowgate, within a
stone's throw of Paradise (Celtic's football stadium) and surrounded by
pictures of all the Celtic greats - including Kenny himself as a younger
man. The purpose of the media briefing was to tell the gentlemen of the
press that some of them were not fairly representing Celtic. Suitably
contrite, the sports reporters departed - to write critical articles about
the way they felt they had been treated by Kenny.
********************************
SCOTTISH QUOTATIONS
********************************
"Having Little else to cultivate, they cultivated the intellect. The export
of brains came to be their chief item of commerce."
Writer Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) writing about the Scots.
****************************
CLAN/FAMILY NAMES
****************************
The clans and family histories which have appeared in this section over the
last few months have been assembled onto a separate Website which now
covers over 50 different names. The URL is
http://scottishculture.About.com/library/weekly/aa070199.htm
Brown/Broun
Brown is the second most common name in Scotland and is also found
frequently in England and the USA as well as other parts of the world. It
might be thought that a name such as this, which was spread so widely,
would not have a specifically Scottish pedigree. But the Broun family has a
crest recognised by the Lord Lyon King at Arms and is included in the list
of clans and families maintained by the Standing Council of Scottish
Chiefs. They also have a recognised tartan.
The French "Le Brun" appeared early in England (around 970) but did not
arise in Scotland until the 12th century. Walterus Brown was involved with
the church in Glasgow in 1116 and Richard de Broun and others with the same
surname signed the Ragman Roll in 1296 when all the nobles and landowners
were forced to swear allegiance to Edward I of England.
A long line of Browns, which can be traced for 850 years, is the Brouns of
Colstoun in East Lothian. The first of the line may have been Sir David le
Brun who gave the land and witnessed the charter founding the Abbey of
Holyroodhouse in 1128. These Brouns claimed that they were originally
descended from the royal house of France - their arms bore the three gold
lilies of France. The Broun arms registered with the Lord Lyon has a lion
rampant holding a French "fleur de lis".
Sir John Brune was High Sheriff of Aberdeenshire in 1368. Patrick Broun of
Colstoun was created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1686. The 12th Baronet,
Sir Lionel Broun, lives in New South Wales, Australia.
Robert Brown, who was born in Montrose in 1773 was a botanist who worked in
Australia. His experiments on powder suspended in water resulted in a
phenomenon known as the "Brownian Motion".
Agnes Broun was the mother of the poet Robert Burns and the name occurs
frequently in Ayrshire. James Brown of Lochton was the provost (roughly the
mayor) of Dundee in 1844-47.
George Brown of Edinburgh emigrated to Canada in 1843 and was influential
in the purchase of the Northwest Territories by Canada.
The name Brown was adopted by a fair number of Highland clansmen when they
wanted to get rid of their cumbersome (or at times politically incorrect)
Gaelic names. John Brown, Queen Victoria's famous gillie may have been in
this category. Additionally, it has been suggested by some researchers that
at least some of Celtic origins may have been named after local judges who
were called "brehons".
*********************
FAMOUS SCOTS
*********************
The notes on the famous Scots who have featured in this section of the
Newsletter over the last few months have now been gathered together on a
Web page at http://scottishculture.About.com/library/weekly/aa111599.htm
Sir Robert Watson-Watt (1892-1973)
Born in Brechin as Watson Watt, a direct descendant of the inventor James
Watt, he studied at Dundee, at that time an off-shoot of St Andrew's
University. He developed an early interest in radio waves and after World
War I he began to look into how aircraft could be detected by the
distortion of radio signals. The basic principles of radio-wave reflection
and electromagnetic waves had been established by another Scot, James Clerk
Maxwell.
In 1935 he persuaded the government to set up a network of radar stations
to provide early warning of aircraft attacking over the English Channel.
"Radar" was short for "radio detecting and ranging." It was due to radar
that the over-sterched resources of the RAF were able to be in the right
place at the right time as Luftwaffe aircraft streamed over during the
Battle of Britain from August to October 1940. The Germans could not
understand why the defending aircraft were so often there to meet them. In
1942, after the Battle of Britain was over, Watson-Watt (he had hyphenated
his name by this time) was granted a knighthood. He died in Inverness in
1973.
***************************
SCOTTISH HUMOUR
***************************
The jokes which have appeared in this section over the last few months have
been assembled onto a separate Scottish Humour Web Page at
http://www.RampantScotland.com/SCM/humour.htm
The jokes below appeared this week in the Glasgow-based Herald. While not
classic Glaswegiana, they do illustrate the pawky humor of the place.
Seen on an emergency exit of a store in Glasgow, beside the sign which
warned "Door Alarmed" a humourist had added "Window frightened."
A local builder got a call for 45,000 bricks to build a barbecue. He
suggested that was perhaps too many but was told "It's not if you live on
the nineteenth floor." These gardening programmes on TV have a lot to
answer for.
One Saturday night, in the days when buses still had conductors and dancing
was a popular Saturday night's entertainment, a Glaswegian asked "Does this
bus go tae the dancin'?" to which he received the reply "Naw, this bus
cannae dance."
A Glasgow sage (there were/are a lot of them) once remarked "You sholdnae
ever try and impress a woman on a bus - if you're on a bus you're not
impressive."
***************************************
SCOTTISH POETRY and SONG
***************************************
Following on from the news item above that the Cuillin Mountains are to be
sold, here is the marching song "The Road to the Isles" which tells of the
pull of these mountains.
The far Cuillins are pullin' me away,
As take I wi' my crummack to the road.
The far Cuillins are puttin' love on me,
As step I wi' the sunlight for my load.
Chorus:
Sure by Tummel and Loch Rannoch and Lochaber I will go
By heather tracks wi' heaven in their wiles.
If it's thinkin' in your inner heart, the braggart's in my step,
You've never smelled the tangle o' the Isles.
Oh the far Cuillins are puttin' love on me,
As step I wi' my crummack to the Isles.
It's by Shiel water the track is to the west,
By Aillort and by Morar to the sea.
The cool cresses I am thinkin' of for pluck,
And bracken for a wink on Mother's knee.
Chorus:
The blue islands are pullin' me away,
Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame;
The blue islands from the Skerries to the Lews,
Wi' heather honey taste upon each name.
Chorus:
****************************************************************************
*******************
BEST OF THE RECENT ADDITIONS TO RAMPANT SCOTLAND DIRECTORY
****************************************************************************
*******************
Note that many of the sites which have been highlighted here each week for
the last few years have been gathered together into a "Sites in the
Spotlight" Web Page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/hot.htm
Anthony Dyer's Mountain Diary
http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~anthonyd/scotland/index.shtml
Anthony's description of hill walking and climbing in the Highlands of
Scotland is illustrated by over 400 superb pictures of the Highlands of
Scotland. Despite some of the graphics being quite large, they downloaded
quickly - which is just as well as you will want to access more and more of
these great views. Seeing pictures like these makes you realise why
mountain climbing in Scotland is so popular!
"How To"
http://scottishculture.About.com/library/blhowto.htm
A small collection (so far) of "How To's" such as "How to phone to and from
Scotland" and "How to obtain a Scottish pen-pal" plus "How to get tickets
for Edinburgh's New Year Party" and a number of others.
**************************************
PLACES TO VISIT in SCOTLAND
**************************************
Note that the places to visit which have been highlighted here each week
have been gathered together into a "Places to Visit" Web Page at
http://scottishculture.About.com/library/weekly/aa081599.htm
Clyde Maritime Centre, Glasgow
This is a new attraction in Glasgow as it opened to the public for the
first time in 1999.The centre-piece is the sailing vessel "Glenlee" which
was originally launched on the Clyde in 1896. The ship was used around the
world as a cargo vessel, carrying tea, cocoa, cinnamon and spices from the
Far East. For a spell, the ship, with its 21 sails reaching 300 feet high,
was part of the Spanish navy as the "Galatea" and was used as a national
training ship. Latterly the ship was rotting away but was bought by the
Clyde Maritime Trust and brought to Glasgow where it has been lovingly
restored over a period of six years.
Berthed at Yorkhill Quay, near the Scottish Exhibition and Conference
Centre, the Glenlee is an impressive sight, even without the sails
unfurled. The figurehead on the Glenlee's bow is actually a replica - when
the ship was being sold the Spaniards said that they would hand over the
original only when Gibraltar was handed back to Spain! Inside, the massive
cargo holds are also amazing and some of the accommodation can be used as a
function suite.
The ship is a popular attraction for school visits and interactive displays
are being installed at various points. There are always helpful "crew"
around to answer questions too. There is a visitor centre on the dockside
with a small museum display. This is in a "Pumphouse" which was built in
1877 to provide hydraulic power for the Queen's Dock in the days when ships
from every corner of the world called in at Glasgow's riverside. There is a
cafe as well, with fine views down the river. When the new Glasgow Science
Centre is completed on the other side of the river it will be a wonderful
contrast.
**************************
SCOTTISH RECIPES
**************************
Clapshot
This is a simple traditional dish which originated in the Orkneys.
Variations on this recipe are sold, ready made and microwaveable in
supermarkets in Scotland these days. It is often served with haggis,
instead of separate "tatties and neeps."
Ingredients:
1 pound boiled potatoes
1 pound boiled turnip
1 or 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and pepper
2 ounces butter or margarine
Beat the two vegetables together while still hot and mix in the butter,
chives and seasoning. If necessary, continue to beat in a pot until it is
piping hot before serving.
**************************
PARLIAMO GLESCA
**************************
A collection of the words which have appeared in this section have been set
up on a web page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/SCM/glesca.htm
This week, at the risk of being morbid, here are some Scots words
associated with death and burials!
"Be a gone corbie" - to be done for, breathing your last. A "corbie" is a
crow or a raven.
"Far through" - at death's door.
"Mourning letter" - the invitation to a funeral, edged in black (in the
days before funeral notices were placed in local newspapers).
"Wake" - the traditional watch over the corpse before it is buried,
supposedly to ensure that evil spirits did not steal it.
"Pay your respects" - attend a funeral.
"Beadle" - a grave digger.
"Mort kist" - a coffin. The "mort bell" was the ringing of the church bell
at a funeral.
"Burial silver" - the money put aside for the funeral.
"Cord" - the rope held by close friends and relatives by which the coffin
was lowered into the grave. Nowadays the cord is symbolic and does not
actually carry the weight of the coffin.
"Lair" - a burial space reserved for a number of members of a family in a
graveyard.
"Giant's grave" - the name used to describe the large Neolithic chambered
cairns found in various parts of Scotland.
Scottie
*******************************************************************
Rampant Scotland - the largest directory of Scottish links!
http://www.RampantScotland.com
About.com - a selection of the BEST Scottish links!
http://scottishculture.About.com
********************************************************************