Hugh Miller was born in 1802, in Cromarty. It is a lovely little town, a former royal burgh, situated at the end of the so-called “Black Isle” which, contrary to what the name suggests and also, on a quite different register, contrary to Herge’s description of the place in his volume of Tintin entitled The Black Isle, is not an … Continue reading →
With 39 different local times in use, it takes 26 hours for the New Year to encompass all time zones 😉 Happy Hogmanay to our Scottish friends! “Each age has deemed the new-born year ‘The fittest time for festal cheer’. ” — Walter Scott Bonne Année à nos amis de la France et du Québec! “Saluons ensemble cette nouvelle année … Continue reading →
Some time ago, our daughter’s best friend was looking for ideas of Scottish fairy tales books for her young daughter and she asked me if I had suggestions. I needed no more to turn to my library for over the years I have collected a number of such books and… guess what… hardly had I opened the first book that … Continue reading →
After a rich life of adventures, from the mundane circles of Hollywood where he spent years writing about the biggest movie stars of the world to the wilderness where he finally chose to retire ‘Between Earth and Paradise’, Mike Tomkies, the unforgettable master of Moobli, died on October 6th 2016. Maybe Moobli and Mike’s friends who crossed the “Rainbow Bridge” … Continue reading →
Bonjour Marie-Agnès, Bonjour Jean-Claude, Bonjour Janice, The other day I came across a letter I received some years ago from Maurice Fleming, then Editor of the Scots Magazine, telling me about an old newspaper report he had been reading. It referred to the imprisonment of the staff of Lerwick Post Office in November 1914. Mr Fleming asked if … Continue reading →
. A snippet from an article on BBC.com about increasing chances of seeing Aurora Borealis in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England Breathtaking pictures! British Geological Survey, Aurorawatch UK and US body Space Weather Prediction Centre have all reported heightened opportunities of spotting the aurora. It is due to recent activity on the surface of the sun. The aurora is … Continue reading →
Had it not been for this magnificent sculpture of a white unicorn, I’ve probably would not have noticed, upon leaving the beautiful town of Cromarty, where we delightfully visited the native house of one of Scotland’s premier palaeontologists, Hugh Miller, this very ancient building, circa 1775, named The Stables. The Stables, an imposing Georgian building was converted in 1995 to … Continue reading →
It was our last day in Islay and we had planned to visit a number of places: Bowmore, Kildalton Church and Cross, Ardveg Distillery, Port Ellen… the Oa peninsula… too many places for a single day! But the weather was nice and we set off early in the morning, leaving Port Charlotte and passing once more in front of Bruichladdich … Continue reading →
On our second day in Islay we had planned to take the little blue ferry at Port Askaig to go to Jura, a wild island which lies only 800m off Islay. After visiting the Isle of Jura distillery, we intended to follow the single track A 846 up to the end of the road in the north of the … Continue reading →
Well worth its nickname of ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, lies in Argyll just south west of Jura at a distance of only 800 m and about 40 kilometres north of the Irish Coast. This lovely island is famous for its landscapes and wildlife, its ancient history and of course for its … Continue reading →
Having travelled many times around Scotland, I noticed that many Scottish towns have a unicorn carved on the pinnacle of its ‘Merkat’ Cross. Why so?… Because the ‘Mercat’ (market) cross was the traditional heart of the burgh and although we now look at the unicorns as a mythical creature, in times past there were a lot who believed in their … Continue reading →
Dundee, one of Scotland’s seven cities, has acquired a few names over the years: ‘Jute, Jam and Journalism’ ‘One City, Many Discoveries’, ‘UNESCO City of Design’. Scotland seven “cities” are Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Perth and Stirling. Dundee, which is the fourth largest one is situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay which … Continue reading →
. A Work for Poets To have carved on the days of our vanity A sun A ship A star A cornstalk Also a few marks From an ancient forgotten time A child may read That not far from the stone A well might open for wayfarers Here is a work for poets- Carve the runes Then be … Continue reading →
THE QUEBEC THISTLE COMMITTEE AULD ALLIANCE AWARDS CEREMONY In just a few days will take place in Montréal, at the Officer’s Mess of the Black Watch (RHR) of Canada, the annual event presented by the Quebec Thistle Committee to winners in several categories including Scottish music, cuisine, culture, athlete of the year, country and highland dancing, piping and “Scotsman / … Continue reading →
