Issue #4 2023
The Wittance Focusing on Scotland, the Scots and all things Scottish.
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Hello & Welcome to this new edition of The Wittance a gateway through a variety of platforms bringing an opportunity to explore Scotland, its people, history and culture . We have some fantastic stories from the past, photos and images from today, book reviews, videos, audio & radio shows and all our social media. From the Inverness cheese war and it’s extraordinary outcomes, Gaelic and a refreshing look at why we should give it a go to a 1940’s Ukrainian church and it’s uses today we have a a wide range of stories. Alice has more videos on Scots words we have book reviews, games and gathering dates and news from around the world. Dive in and explore all we have on offer, you will find the platform and format that suits you.
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& Intro We are always looking for new sources. If you have an event, family history story from your part of the world please, get in touch.
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Bruce Patterson, editor, contributor & compiler
Kate MacRitchie,, author, feature writer & contributor.
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What’s
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Give Gaelic a Go. Why becoming a polyglot is good for you.
Chagas Disease & Sleeping Sickness A breakthrough from Glasgow University
Braw Scots Words Alice explains some more Scots words for us.
A Fairy Field Trip pt.II Kate takes us on another tour to find our otherworldly friends.
Ukrainian Church in Hallmuir A link to the past & a place of worship today
The Inverness Cheese War Be careful at the local market.
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Local & Family History A glimpse of what canbe found i our local archives
Killiecrankie & Leather Guns A famous battle and the curious weapons
Pushing The Boundaries Inventions by Scots and why they happened.
Logierait A small village with a big story and famous [people
Alexander MacKenzie, Canadian Prime Minister Adam Ferguson, the father of sociology Books, Music & Podcasts Book reviews, gig guides, new music, videos and festibval line ups
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A Fairy Field Guide: Part Two By Kate MacRitchie
Due to the popularity of our recent article on fairies, we decided to pen part two! Last time we Scotland’s numerous encountered selkies, ‘fairy hills’, travellers kelpies, and a shy ghillie encounter fairies from dhu. This month we’re time to time by quiet shedding light on five woodland waterfalls or more fairies to be wary of upon the desolate moors. while exploring the Scottish countryside. As we learned last time, Scottish fairies or the ‘guid folk’ are notoriously fickle and best avoided. Often tall and human-like, Scottish fairies bear little Fond of music, it’s not resemblance to unusual to hear the skirl Tinkerbell. of bagpipes coming from a fairy mound. Believed to live underground within
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One of the earliest mentions of fairies is the traditional folk ballad of Thomas the Rhymer. Thomas the Rhymer, otherwise known as Sir Thomas of Ercildoun (c. 1220 - c. 1298) or Tam Lin was a Scottish laird and prophet. His gift of prophecy was said to be a gift from the Fairy Queen, who kidnapped him from the Eildon Hills and
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spirited him away to the fairy kingdom. He returned with prophetic powers and the inability to tell a lie, earning him another nickname: True Thomas. If you want to tempt True Thomas’ fate, twilight is the best time to see fairies. They haunt liminal places like dusk, river crossings and boundaries. Not that we