During this festive season, it is definitely a time to be jolly, and to let adults become kids again but more importantly, it is a time to show our appreciation to the people around us, and share our blessings with the less fortunate. May the bells of Happiness ring merrily for you at Christmas and throughout the coming year! We … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! What a surprise when I read your most recent post A Writing Day For Walter Scott in Company of His Favourite Dogs and noticed on one of your photographs the pattern of his study’s carpet ! It’s the Black & White tartan designed by Sir Walter Scott in 1822. 🙂 When you think that I visited twice his … Continue reading →
We’ll begin the new year, on Scotiana, with our reading of Walter Scott’s Rob Roy, one of the most famous Waverley novels. The French and English audio files will be available for download as well. That’ll take some doing but Janice and I are very enthusiastic about sharing with you our reading of this great Scottish author! But first, and … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! Upon reading your last post Rob Roy, one of Walter Scott’s Most Popular Novels, which I found so informative, 🙂 it reminded me that I had purchased last summer a biography of Rob Roy MacGregor, His Life and Times written in 1982 by W.H. Murray, edited by Richard Drew Publishing, of Glasgow. In this book, the author shows … Continue reading →
As morning slowly lightened above the flow of the river Tweed, running broad and luminous over its pearl-white pebbles, Walter Scott, arrayed in a rough shooting-jacket, might have been seen lightning his library fire and seating himself at his desk. Never later than six a.m. he was well at work, – his papers neatly arranged before him, his books of … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! I just can’t wait to start creating the audios for the Rob Roy novel but before I get to that, I thought I would write this post in which I will introduce you to Edmund J Sullivan, the man behind the beautiful illustrations contained in Thomas Carlyle’s Sartor Resartus. Born in London in 1869, he studied art with … Continue reading →
Hi Janice ! How interesting your post about Carlyle! You know, I remember pretty well the quiet village of Ecclefechan, near the town of Moffat, having gone there in 2004 and 2006. We found Carlyle’s grave, with its two enigmatic dragon heads carved on the stone and also his statue dominating the area, a lonely figure forever sitting on its … Continue reading →
Mairiuna, I finally found the picture of Thomas Carlyle’s statue that we took while crossing the little village of Ecclefechan, in the southern region of Dumfries & Galloway, close to the English border. 🙂 The artist, Joseph Edgar Boehm, has depicted the philosopher of Chelsea seated in an arm-chair, in deep study. More statues of Thomas Carlyle can be found, … Continue reading →
We can’t help returning to Abbotsford each time we go to Scotland to pay homage to the great writer. Sir Walter Scott’s presence can still be felt in each room of the vast house and along the quiet alleys of the beautiful park surrounding it. In some corner of the garden you may happen to fall upon the statue of … Continue reading →
A short 30-minute journey from Edinburgh’s Bathgate railway station brings you to the small Scottish village of Blackburn, where resides Susan Boyle, who became, only six months ago, following her performance at “Britain’s Got Talent” TV show in London, a worldwide acclaimed star. It’s been a while now that folks at the local Happy Valley Hotel Pub have seen Susan sitting at her favorite … Continue reading →
Day after day, in our quest of Scotland, we go deeper and deeper into that fascinating country and like hungry pilgrims on a never ending path we discover new horizons at each turn. So, let us walk on, listening on the road to what people say and write there… If you could see my library, you couldn’t believe it. Since … Continue reading →
You know, Mairiuna, how much I love going out to book sale events and I am very happy to let you know that my most recent outing to research Scottish author’s books was a rewarding one. Maybe not as much in quantity as the McGill University Annual Book Fair but still, the quality of books found was definitely worth the … Continue reading →
Once more, history, legend and landscape happen to be intricately mixed in our discovery of Scotland, each element contributing in its own way to enhance our sense of place there. We’ve made several incursions into the Trossachs during our different tours in the country and in 2007 we drove along Loch Katrine up to its end, discovering on our way … Continue reading →
November 11-1918 at 11:00 am, a day to remember… John McCrae, a canadian physician, grandson of Scottish immigrants, appointed as a field surgeon in the Canadian Artillery during WWI is the author behind the most memorable war poem of his time. Even though he practised medicine for several years and served in the South African war, Dr John McCrae could … Continue reading →
In our previous posts we’ve invited you to follow us on the mysterious path of Reverend Kirk by giving you a selection of books containing not only his story about the incredible experience he claims to have had in the fairies realm and his pages about second-sight, but also some very interesting commentaries about it all by Andrew Lang, Marina … Continue reading →
