. Bonjour, Marie-Agnès, Jean-Claude et Janice! Ca va? – How are you today? 🙂 . I wonder whether our readers have guessed that, as well as sending these occasional Letters from Scotland, Margaret and I correspond regularly with you by email? We write in English, Marie-Agnès and Jean-Claude in French, and Janice often alternates between the two languages. I enjoy … Continue reading →
One of George Mackay Brown’s favourite words was marvellous. He used it about the weather, his friends, music, the Dounby Show, the landscape, and about his penn’orth of sweeties and The Hotspur comic for boys. He thought it an intense word, shorthand for the kind of state described by poets such as Dylan Thomas, Muir and Wordsworth. So here we … Continue reading →
Bonjour! Hello again Janice, Marie-Agnès and Jean-Claude! 🙂 Our tenth “Letter from Scotland” already! We often look again at the series of articles you posted last year on the Auld Alliance, especially the description of your visit to the magical Stuart castle, the Château de la Verrerie. (Close to Aubigny-sur-Nère, an Enchanted Stuart Castle : ‘Le Château de la Verrerie’). … Continue reading →
 . Bonjour Marie-Agnès, Jean-Claude et Janice! Hello again, how are you? 🙂 . Thank you for all your help in finding illustrations for our last Letter from Scotland (‘Daft Pate’ Macmillan of Courthill Smithy, Pioneer of the Pedal-Driven Bicycle). . We’re very pleased that “Kevin 76’s” (presumably a cycling enthusiast) should make available his excellent photographs from Keir Mill by posting them at flickr. It all helps to … Continue reading →
Bonjour Marie-Agnès, Janice et Jean-Claude! Ca va? – How are you? 🙂 We’d like to tell the story today of the quiet, diffident Scotsman who is generally accepted as the inventor of the bicycle; but first, please let us say how thrilled we were to see the excellent photos you’d taken at Gretna, in the course of three separate visits. … Continue reading →
“How far, how far to Gretna? ‘Tis years and years away, And chaise and four will nevermore fling dust across the day; But as I ride the Carlisle road, where life and love have been, I hear again the beating hooves go through to Gretna Green.” Anon. Bonjour Jean-Claude, Janice et Marie-Agnès! Hello again from Scotland! 🙂 Isn’t this an … Continue reading →
Bonjour! Hello again from Scotland, Janice, Marie-Agnès and Jean-Claude! Margaret and I would like to begin this first ‘Letter’ of 2011 by sending you all our very best wishes for the New Year. Janice, we send particular greetings and our kindest thoughts to your dear Papa, Jean-Paul, who’s been quite unwell recently. It’s pleasing to hear, Janice, that our Oscar … Continue reading →
Bonjour Marie-Agnes, Janice et Jean-Claude! Hello again from Scotland! Please let me begin today, Marie-Agnes et Jean-Claude, by recalling that joyful, sunny day in late summer when Margaret and I met you for the first time, at Biarritz on the Atlantic coast. 🙂 From the deserted street on a quiet Sunday morning, you appeared as if by magic at the … Continue reading →
Blackford, near Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland Source: Spooky67 Flickr Hello again from Scotland, Janice, Marie-Agnes et Jean-Claude! With summer almost upon us, the first Highland games of 2010 has already taken place; next on the calendar is the gathering at Blackford (near Auchterarder, Perthshire) – the 141st Blackford Highland Games, scheduled for Saturday, 29th May. (Update: A complete list of Highlands … Continue reading →
We’ve just received from our Scottish friends, Iain and Margaret, a very moving tribute to one of the most lovely voices of Scotland, Kenneth McKellar, who passed away a couple of days ago and we are eager to share it with you… Hello again, Janice, Marie-Agnes and Jean-Claude! I’d like to write a word or two today about the world-famous … Continue reading →
We are delighted to publish this second Letter from Scotland received from our dear friends Iain and Margaret. A very moving story… Hello again from Scotland, Marie-Agnes, Jean-Claude and Janice! I wonder whether you remember driving that time from Wanlockhead (home to the Lead-Mining Museum) all the way to Wigtown, to explore the many bookshops? The journey would have taken you through … Continue reading →
We are very pleased today to introduce on Scotiana our dear Scottish friends, Iain and Margaret 😉 In this Letter from Scotland, Iain will guide us to the St-Valentine relics that remain in Glasgow, a very timely and interesting subject to read on the eve of worldwide celebration of St-Valentine’s day. We could not have found a better guide so, … Continue reading →
