The Wittance Issue #4

Issue #4 2023

The Wittance Focusing on Scotland, the Scots and all things Scottish.

Read, watch & listen

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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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Inside

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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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Give Gaelic A Go: Why Learn the Highland’s Native Language?

By Kate MacRitchie Gaelic’s visibility has surged in recent years.

The Scottish Parliament’s Gaelic Language Act. a new Scottish Gaelic course on language learning app Dulingo, and perhaps the popularity of a certain TV series called Outlander have all contributed to boosting Gaelic’s status.

Last year, Duolingo’s Scottish Gaelic course reached 1.12 million learners. In a bid to move away from a volunteer based app, Duolingo is now working with Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye, in order to optimise the course for learners.

According to Duolingo, Scottish Gaelic learners

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are among the most dedicated, completing more lessons than other language learners and boasting the longest ‘daily streaks’.

There’s also a World Gaelic Week — Seachdain na Gàidhlig — designed to raise the profile of Gaelic.

It’s the first language week of its kind in Scotland. Next year’s Gaelic Week takes place between from the 19th 25th of February, which leaves plenty time to practise your Gaelic pronunciation!

In 2005 the Scottish Parliament passed The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 to help secure Gaelic’s status as an official language of Scotland, on equal footing with English.

Part of the Act is the delivery of a National Gaelic Language Plan. The

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Plan proposes how to boost the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland, encouraging the use of Gaelic, and enabling wider access to the language and its associated culture.

14 out of 32 Scottish local authorities now offer Gaelic Medium Education (GME) to children, contributing to an increase in young Gaelic

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speakers recorded in the 2011 census. Recently, the Scottish Government conducted a report to further support the development of the Scottish Languages, which identified parents being granted a legal right to GME.

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had their own unique forms of Gaelic, creating a rich tapestry of language that connects speakers to the country they inhabit.

You might still wonder, “What’s the point? Why bother learning Gaelic in 2023?” but there are plenty reasons to pick up the language.

Gaelic is a language of beauty, depth, and vibrancy. In the 11th century Gaelic was Scotland’s dominant language, therefore it’s a tongue that’s inextricably woven through Scotland’s landscape, culture, and history. Did you know that there are over 50 dialects of Gaelic? Perthshire, Argyll, and the Islands all

Studies show clear benefits to multilingualism. Children who speak two or more languages perform better in school and experience improved cognitive abilities. They also enjoy better job prospects.

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Gaelic in particular can expand career horizons in fields as diverse as teaching, agriculture, literature, and broadcasting.

Interestingly, polyglots have been shown to be more empathetic than their monolingual counterparts, as understanding unfamiliar perspectives is part of language learning.

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Bilingualism increases understanding and one’s ability to communicate effectively by virtue of having the perspective of two languages.

Bilingualism is normal in most countries, with 66% of the world population identifying as multilingual or bilingual.

Gaelic is a vibrant, challenging, and fun language. New Gaelic

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words like ‘glasadhsluaigh’ for lockdown and ‘cruinneag liath’, meaning grey, neat, young girl for the azure damselfly that’s spreading northwards, show that far from a ‘dead language’, Gaelic is adaptable to the modern world. So, if you’re ready to embrace a part of your heritage or simply wish to give your brain a workout, why not give Gaelic a go?

It’s likely that you already have more Gaelic than you think! Cast your eye

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over these evocative and inspiring Gaelic words, there’s bound to be a few you’re familiar with.

Our journey begins fittingly in the Highlands on the Isle of Skye (though its poetic Gaelic nickname ‘Eilean a’ Cheo’, ‘The Misty Isle’ might be more fitting). Most tourists will have stopped to snap a picture of the ominous Black Cuillins from Sligachan Bridge, but did

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you know that the place name ‘Sligachan’ comes from ‘sligeach’, a Gaelic word meaning ‘shelly’, suggesting that the waters around Glen Sligachan supports shellfish.

Meanwhile Port Rìgh (Portree) is the Harbour of Kings and the worldfamous Storr is known affectionately as ‘Am Bodach’ or ‘The Old Man of Storr’. Gaelic names reveal the richness of Scotland’s landscape; it’s a treasure trove of meaning waiting to be explored.

Take the prefix ‘dun’ for example, evident in Scottish place names like Dunkeld. ‘Dùn’ is Gaelic for ‘fort’. Dunkeld in Gaelic is Dùn Chailleann, ‘the fort of the Caledonians’.

Edinburgh is Dùn Èidean.

‘Inver’ — the mouth or confluence of a river — is present in many place names across Scotland.

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Inverness, Invergarry, and Inveraray spring to mind.

Killin (near Wittance’s stomping ground of Pitlochry) derives from the Gaelic ‘Cill Fhinn’, meaning ‘White Chapel’ (‘cill’ can also mean a hermit’s cell).

‘Loch’ is another common Gaelic word, meaning lake.

Unsurprising given its rainy climate, lochs and lochans (wee lochs) pepper Scotland’s landscape. Keen hill walkers will also recognise ‘cnoc’, the name for a small hill, and ‘beinn’ is a big hill. Use caution when scaling a sgurr - often found on the West Coast and among the Black Cullins of Skye, these steep, pointed, peaks can be dangerous. The name Sgurr na Strì (Peak of Stife) attests how challenging these mountains are to climb.

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Meanwhile, deep in the pinewoods of northern Scotland, the dapper capercaillie struts his stuff.

You might be more familiar with the band than the giant grouse, as they are notoriously elusive. Yet the capercaillie isn’t known by its Gaelic moniker the ‘horse of the woods’ for nothing. During a lek these huge birds perform elaborate and noisy mating rituals, creating a cacophony similar to the stamping of hooves.

Learning Gaelic can help ‘decode’ Scotland’s landscape, revealing all the history and richness lurking below our feet.

But Gaelic words have a place in the home, too.

Two common words used in modern Scotland — ceilidh and whisky — come directly from Gaelic, and perhaps show the party-spirit of the Gaels. A ceilidh is often taken to

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mean a gathering or party, replete with raucous dancing and music.

However, in the Gaelic world, ‘ceilidh’ simply means to visit. The word whisky derives from ‘uisge-bheatha’, and whisky aficionados might agree with its poetic meaning: the water of life.

The Scots phrase ‘doch an doris’ meaning a nightcap, is also Gaelic: ‘deoch an doras’ literally means the ‘drink at the door’. ‘Galore’ is another anglicisation that comes in handy when drinking; it comes from the Gaelic ‘gu leòr’, meaning plentiful!

‘Sgian-dubh’, an essential part of Highland regalia and still a fixture of modern Scottish groom’s wedding attire, translates to a ‘black’ or hidden knife, so-called due to the Highland custom of removing weaponry when entering someone’s home

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as a guest. The slim and secretive sgian-dubh, however, could be concealed in the wearer’s clothes, traditionally tucked in a sock.

There’s also the word ‘clan’ which English borrows from the Gaelic ‘clann’ meaning ‘children’, an echo of the ancient clan chiefs of Scotland who had a duty of care to their clan members.

Finally, your very name might bear traces of Gaelic. ‘Mac’ or ‘Mc’ surnames come from the Gaelic ‘mac’ meaning ‘son’. In Scottish surnames ‘Mac’ is a prefix that means ‘son of’. The female version ‘Nic’, meaning

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‘daughter of’ has been mostly abandoned except in Gaelic-speaking strongholds. Some Gaelic surnames relate to professions. The name McIntyre (Mac an t-Saoir) means ‘son of the carpenter’, for example.

The origins of the surname Campbell are less flattering, deriving from ‘cam beul’ for crooked mouth!

Hopefully these Gaelic words inspire you to take a class or install Duolingo on your phone. With a wealth of free apps and online classes, there’s no better time to give Gaelic a go.

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University of Glasgow

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Major breakthrough in Sleeping Sickness and Chagas Disease cures.

Scentists and researchers at Glasgow University have had a major breakthrough in the fight against two life threatening diseases; Sleeping Sickness and Chagas Disease. Their work has uncovered compounds that show potential for the development of medicines for these conditions.

shot with Chagas Disease being brought under control with a five day treatment. The research shows how the compound, cyanotriazoles (CT’s) kill the parasites carrying the diseases without adversely affecting the host. The CT’s bind to the parasite enzymes eventually breaking the chain in its DNA. This is lethal to the parasite.

Initial studies have shown they can control and cure Sleeping Sickness with a single

African trypanosomiasis (or sleeping sickness) is a major killer disease which puts around 70 million

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people at risk in subSaharan African countries and is invariably fatal if untreated or inadequately treated. Meanwhile, around seven million people are currently infected by Chagas disease, which can cause irreversible damage to the heart and digestive tract.

There are currently no drugs available that

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effectively cure Chagas disease; while for sleeping sickness, there have been some steps forward toward new therapies in recent years.

This research work from Glasgow University, working with Novartis Global Health, will hopefully bring relief to millions of people around the world.

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Braw Sco Wie A

Scots is one of three native languages s two being English and Scottish Gaelic.

Scots is the collective name for Scottish and Scotch or by more local names suc Shetland.

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ots Words Alice

spoken in Scotland today, the other

h dialects known also as Doric, Lallans ch as Buchan, Dundonian, Glesca or

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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

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recommend actively looking for any of these fearsome fay — that’s how the last Editor went missing!

Brownie Brownies, or ‘broonies’ in Scots, are helpful fairies who help with domestic labour. When home owners are asleep brownies sweep the floor, fold clothes, and perform other household chores.

Some even help with heavy farmwork. In the old days offerings of milk or cream would be left out for the hard-working brownie.

Brownies always perform their work in secret in the dead of night and are tenaciously loyal to their chosen family, staying with them for generations. Somewhat of a martyr, however,

brownies have been known to take great offence if offered increased wages or, God forbid, clothing! They see such payment as an insult and promptly abandon their masters forever.

These proud but helpful Scottish fairies inspired J.K. Rowling’s house elves and the modern-day Brownies, a section of the Girl Guides.

Urisk Climb through the Birks of Aberfeldy to admire the tumbling waterfalls and you could find yourself face to face with Peallaidh of the Spout. A gentle fairy, Peallaidh has stood guard over Aberfeldy’s waterfalls for centuries and even gave his name to the Highland town (in Gaelic ‘Aberfeldy’ is ‘Obair Pheallaidh’, meaning ‘the

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work of Peallaidh’).

Peallaidh is a type of fairy known as an urisk.

Shaggy-legged and cloven hoofed, with horns protruding from his forehead, you could be forgiven for thinking Peallaidh demonic. In truth he’s a benign spirit, if a little mischievous — watch out for disappearing oatcakes from your picnic!

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Bean-nighe No fairy is more terrifying to encounter than the bean-nighe.

Known as ‘the washer at the ford’ she is an omen of death. She’s often encountered at pools or burns within lonely glens washing the gore from the clothes of those about to die. A type of banshee, folk on the Isle of Skye believed you could

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discover your fate by catching the bean-nighe.

Others believed that bean-nighean weren’t fairies at all, but the spirits of women who died prematurely in childbirth, doomed to wash their bloody garments until the hour when their life would have naturally ended.

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Fideal The fideal is the haunter of lonely lochs. Bindweed knots her hair, her watery eyes are deep and black as the loch itself, and her kiss is cold. The fideal lures men to the water’s edge with her seductive song, then pulls them into the black icy waters.

Once their bones litter the bottom of the loch the

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Fideal takes up her mournful song again, her desire for a lover always outmatched by the thirst for blood.

Loch na Fideil, near Gairloch, was once her home until a man named Ewen took it upon himself to slay the dangerous water fairy. His heroism wasn’t without sacrifice.

Kathrine Briggs notes in A Dictionary of Fairies (1976) that “Ewen killed the Fideal and the Fideal killed Ewen”.

midnight night sky, catching defenceless mortals foolish enough to be outside when she rides by. In the gloaming she might appear coldly beautiful, but it’s only an illusion, for the Queen of Elphame’s realm is death.

She rules dusk and shadow, secrets and decay. Yet perhaps it’s only a mortal’s fear of the unknown that makes Nicnevin so terrifying?

Death is part of life’s cycle and Nicnevin the keeper of its mysteries.

Nicnevin

Fascinated by fairies?

Contributor Kate is the author of two short story collections inspired by Scotland’s fairy lore.

Selkies and baobhan-sith haunt the pages of Fireside Fairy Tales while Nicnevin’s dark influence presides over the stories in Fireside Magic.

We lied. The most terrifying fairy has to be Nicnevin, the Queen of Elphame. Also known as Queen of Hags in Scotland, Nicnevin leads her savage band of witches and unseelie fairies across winter’s

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Hallmuir Ukrainian Church Two time POW camp church, still in use today.

This remarkable chapel stands in what was the Hallmuir Prison Camp which had been built in 1942 to hold 450 German and Italian prisoners of war. The building that was to become the Ukrainian Chapel had originally been used as a place of worship by the Italians but lay empty and abandoned after their repatriation until the Ukranians arrived in 1947.

These men were not prisoners of war but classed as “surrendered enemy personnel”. They had been part of the 14th

Division of the Galician Waffen-SS fighting for the Germans during WWII. The Ukrainians choice had been to fight with Germany against Russia, it was felt, at the time, that the long standing struggle for Ukranian independence would be more likely gained from

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the Nazis than the Soviets.

In 1945 the 14th Division were trying to hold off advancing Soviet forces at Graz in Austria but were overcome, eventually surrendered to British and American forces and were interred at Rimini on the Italian coast. In 1946 the YALTA agreements came into place which put the Ukrainians in great danger

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of being transported to Russia to either a firing squad or a forced camp.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church appealed to Pope Pius XII who commented the prisoners were “good Catholics and fervent anti-communists”.

Those words changed their fate and status to “surrendered enemy personnel” taking them away from Russian reach.

As a result they were offered resettlement in either the UK or Canada

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resulting with 1,500 men landing in Glasgow in May 1947. Of those men 450 arrived at Hallmuir, Lockerbie most of whom found work on local farms and forestry with many settling into the local community.

The church created by the Italians was converted

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into a Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the new inhabitants and was used continually during their stay. After the camp fell into disuse, permission was given by the landowner for it to continue as a place of worship for the Ukrainians and remains in use to this day.

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Kicking Up A Stink: The Inverness Cheese War of 1666

By Kate MacRitchie

Picture the scene: you pop into the deli on a Friday afternoon for some cheese and nibbles. It’s the weekend after all, and you deserve a treat. After dithering over which cheese (creamy Manchego or sweet, tangy Roquefort?) you finally decide. The deli owner cuts you a generous wedge. She weighs it, states the price. You try not to choke. How much?

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For a wedge of cheese? It’s enough to make you march out of the shop. It’s an outrage!

But would you go to war over it?

That’s exactly what happened in Inverness, many years ago, when someone more principled than you felt cheesed off by the market day rates.

The year was 1666. The place a lively market in celebration of St Mary, held south of Inverness Castle on Castle Hill. It was a mellow summer’s day, the festivities putting punters in a good mood.

Perhaps that’s what

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prompted Finlay Dubh (Dark Finlay) of clan MacDonald, to treat himself to a kebbock of cheese. A group of women gathered on the brae, plying homemade goods, and the scent of freshly baked bread and sweet, tangy cheese wafted over the stalls in an irresistible cloud.

Finlay weighed the kebbock (Scots for a

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homemade wheel of cheese) in his palm and inquired about the price.

He either suffered a bout of cluminess or her reply deeply shocked him (to this day, we don’t know the quoted price); Finlay dropped the cheese. The rounded kebbock rolled neatly down the hill and into the River Ness.

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The woman demanded reimbursement for the lost cheese. But Finlay Dubh was a proud, young MacDonald. All the woman got in compensation were a few choice words from the hot tempered gentleman. He claimed dropping the cheese an accident and refused to pay for the cheese. A bystander stepped in, grabbing Finlay and seizing his fine bonnet, which he gave to the woman as recompense until Finlay

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put his hand in his pocket and paid the woman her due.

MacDonalds swarmed the market that day. Once the Lords of the Isles, the MacDonald’s still fiercely guarded their territories and right to act independently of the Scottish king. Therefore it wasn’t long before a relative of Finlay’s entered the fray. The MacDonald claimed that the bystander poked his nose in where it wasn’t wanted.

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“I am concerned as a witness, to see just things,” the bystander was overheard claiming. Not the wisest of words to a clan who viewed themselves as independent rulers. Hard words turned to physical blows. The market hill became a riot of confusion. Frightened townsfolk raised the alarm with the Provost who called upon the guards.

Joe Reid, Captain of the militia, attempted to separate the brawling townsfolk and MacDonalds. The fighting intensified as weapons, and blood, were drawn. It appeared that the MacDonalds dispensed their own justice, turning on and fighting the guards. The fracas ended in gunfire, with two MacDonald men killed

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and ten wounded. Some of the MacDonalds were imprisoned for brawling with the guards.

The MacDonald’s demanded justice for their slain kinsmen, but the Provost declared they had disturbed the peace.

Decorum demanded that the townsfolk and MacDonalds put the incident behind them, and a strained hush descended over the market as the MacDonalds stalked away.

The Market Hill battle might be over, but the Cheese War had barely begun. The truce with the townsfolk had been grudging and the MacDonalds plotted revenge; two of their kin were corpses and their relatives languished in jail.

Clan MacDonald issued an audacious statement to

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the town: they wanted £66,000 and the land of Dalneigh — tax-free. But that wasn’t all. The town must support Clan MacDonald in war time, and pay for the privilege out of their own pocket.

What did the MacDonalds grant the folk of Inverness in return? A promise not to burn the town to the ground in retaliation for the injury caused to their kinsmen. Frightened by the MacDonalds bullying tactics, the townsfolk petitioned King Charles II. The MacDonalds were let off lightly by the magistrate, who perhaps knew that the proud clansmen would make good on their claim. The town was ordered to release the prisoners and pay £4,800 to Clan MacDonald. Though the fee had been heftily

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reduced, it’s an eyewatering sum for one wheel of cheese!

Today you can still visit Castle Hill, Inverness, the site of the Cheese War. The original castle has long since disappeared, the current castle being built in the 1800s, but the surrounding town is still as lively as ever.

Just don’t ask about the price of cheese unless you’re prepared to go to war over it.

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Archives, Local & Family History Perth and Kinross Archive and the Local and Family History Department at the AK Bell Library hold vast numbers of images in the collections.

The Archives and Local and Family History team have selected some images for readers accompanied with a little history or notes of interest and some links to further resources. You can find out more about the team by visiting the website or make any enquires by email to

localstudies@culturepk. org.uk Culture Perth and Kinross is a charitable organisation that seeks to inspire citizens and visitors through culture, art and learning. For more information and details on how to support the work we do, visit our website.

When we help people to start searching for their ancestors there is often quite a bit of expectation!

We never really know what we might uncover, which is a lot of the fun,

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and we might be forgiven for hoping that they were law-abiding, model citizens conducting honest lives within their communities. Many ancestors tend to have had lives that were every bit as diverse as our own today! While we usually start doing family history by searching statutory records such as birth, marriages and deaths or finding relatives in census

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returns there are other record sets to keep in mind. Searching in poor house records or finding our ancestors called up before the Kirk Session for any misdemeanours or unseemly behaviour are quite common ways to find links to our family’s past. Here we see a record taken from our collection of police records in the Perth and Kinross Archive.

This young lad was part of

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a large family and seemed to go a little astray in his teenage years. Searching for him in later census returns shows he still lived in the area but worked for his living making an honest wage and not resorting to theft. He was liberated in 1877.

1877 was a notable year for Aberfeldy. Prince Leopold was visiting Taymouth at the invitation of Breadalbane and the town erected not one but five triumphal arches to provide a Highland welcome to this distinguished royal visitor.

Newspaper reports from the Perthshire Advertiser of September 1877 give details on the visit, the committee in the town who organised the events and then describes the arches built and decorated by locals. This

image is the fourth arch, spanning the street between “Messrs Ritchie and Son, Cabinetmakers by whom it had been erected, to the premises of Mr Harrower, jeweller”.

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The report stated that locals were continuing to enhance the arches with “evergreens, flags, devices and mottoes” and the overall effect would be one of Aberfeldy covered in “flowers and foliage”.

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The newspaper also reported that the prince’s plans and arrival times were changing by the hour but that the “people of Aberfeldy maintained their good humour and nothing could dampen

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their enthusiasm”. You can read Leopold’s full biography on our library online resources Oxford Dictionary of Biography.

It is not difficult to find many fine depictions, images, photographs and postcards of Killiecrankie.

The famous battle of 1689 dominates the history of this place and it is magical to walk in the pass and enjoy the woods and the river, as atmospheric of battle scenes as your imagination can transport you. However, Urrard House and estate are also

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central to this story and its location and importance are highlighted by the events, lectures and videos created by the Soldiers of Killiecrankie.

This house was dated to 1681 but was added to in 1831 and some of the older parts were lost around 1860. A Pictish standing stone in the Haugh of Urrard is known as the Claverhouse Stone after Bonnie Dundee and this area was visited by Robert Burns on his visit to Niel Gow and the Murray of Atholl family in 1787.

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Battle of Killiecrankie & Leather Guns It was 1689 after all

At the time of The Battle of Killiecrankie on 27th July 1689 England and Scotland were two entirely separate countries each with their own parliament but since the death of Elizabeth 1st in 1603, a shared monarch.

In 1685, the second surviving son of Charles 1st became King James 2nd of England and Ireland and King James 7th King of Scotland, the last Catholic Monarch of the three countries.

When the wife of James 7th produced a Catholic male heir a number of senior English Protestants invited Protestant William of Orange and his wife Mary to come from the Netherlands to rescue England from the Catholic King. In February 1689 William and Mary were installed as joint monarchs.

So in the battle Scottish Government forces of Protestant King William 3rd and Mary under the command of General High Mackay, opposed the

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Jacobite forces supporting Catholic King James 7th King of Scotland under the command of John Graham of Claverhouse, Bonnie Dundee. The two sides were each fighting for their own King of the same country.

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The battle itself is associated with several military innovations: The Highland Charge, which was used successfully in the Jacobite wars; the first use of grenades; the first use of platoon firing and the introduction of the socketed bayonet to replace plug bayonets.

But there’s one other ‘first’; it’s possibly the only occasion in military history when anyone hit by artillery fire survived uninjured and lived to tell the tale. In this instance it was a Jacobite soldier who was struck by a cannonball from one of the Government army’s ‘leather guns’.

The so-called 'leather guns' of the 17th century originated in the 1620’s.

The idea of light, mobile artillery came from Sweden to England in 1629. Until this time most guns had been so

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battle, advancing or retreating with the infantry.

unwieldy that, once placed in position on the battlefield, they had to be left in the same place throughout the battle, proving virtually useless except in the opening salvos. A series of experiments were initiated aimed at producing a gun which was effective in giving protection against enemy infantry and cavalry and which could be moved quickly enough to keep up with the fortunes of

On arrival from Sweden in 1629 witnesses of the guns said “These pieces are of very great use, and very easy and light of carriage. One horse may draw a piece and does execution very farre”.

The basic design of a leather gun incorporates a relatively thin iron barrel strengthened by thick, wrought iron rings, wound round under tension with rope.

Finally a thick covering of wet leather was sewn around it; this cover shrank tight when dry.

While the weapon was light, requiring only a twoman crew to position and operate it, the reinforcing material prevented heat from dissipating fast enough so after a short time the gun would be too hot to use, the barrel

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could deform and might even burst!

in the Burntisland/ Wemyss area of Fife.

And if extra gunpowder was added to extend the range of fire, there was a tendency for the guns to explode! However, one point in their favour, leather guns over time did highlight the usefulness of mobile fire support.

Compared to the continental guns, the shorter Scottish guns did mean range and accuracy were sacrificed but these disadvantages may have been compensated for by their mobility and greater destructive effect at close range.

Leather guns were first constructed in England during the Civil Wars, 1642-46 by James Wemyss, a Scots veteran of the Continental Wars. In 1648 Wemyss was appointed General of Artillery in Scotland where he was given an exclusive right to manufacture leather guns.

The Government forces at the Battle of Killiecrankie were under the command of General Hugh Mackay. Three leather guns made up Mackay’s artillery traditionally supported by Fusiliers, infantrymen assigned to protect the gunners.

Most Scottish leather guns are attributed James Wemyss and were quite probably made and tested

In the lead up to the battle, the Jacobite army travelling from the north under the command of John Graham of Claverhouse also known

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as ‘Bonnie Dundee’ and the Government forces travelling from the south under the command of General Hugh Mackay were in a race to Blair Castle.

The aim was to take advantage of the castle’s enviable strategic position controlling the main routes from the north to south and east to west of the country.

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Not only had ‘Bonnie Dundee’ won the race to the Castle, he went on to secure the superior high ground above what was to be the battle site.

McKay’s leather guns would have been transported to the battlefield in parts on horseback then assembled ready for

Mackay’s intention was to use his lightweight leather guns as siege weapons at the castle rather than conventional cannons, which were too cumbersome to drag across highland terrain and along narrow tracks.

But while his forces struggled to negotiate the narrow, steep sided Pass of Killiecrankie, the Jacobite army was first to arrive at Blair Castle.

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action and positioned close to the centre of the Government lines.

As Mackay could not risk starting the battle by advancing up the hill or even attempt to retreat down the hill across the River Garry, he resolved to remain in his position until Dundee and the Jacobite forces either attacked or retired.

To provoke the Highlanders, and to induce them to engage, he ordered the leather guns to be discharged, but they were of little use; the carriages were much too high and broke after the third firing.

Mackay’s leather guns did indeed fail miserably.

Only one opposition ‘casualty’ was reported, a Jacobite named Grant serving in Glengarry’s battalion. After being

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struck by a cannonball he fell to the ground but jumped to his feet again recording the ‘first’ and possibly the only the occasion in military history when a soldier, hit by artillery fire was unscathed and lived to tell the tale!

The failure of the leather guns might have contributed in a small way to the defeat the Government forces at the Battle of Killiecrankie.

After all, under normal circumstances artillery should be a potent weapon.

Both sides suffered considerable losses, including Bonnie Dundee, John Graham of Claverhouse the inspirational leader of the Jacobites who fell in the final minutes of what turned out to be a very brief military encounter.

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He is buried at St Brides Kirk in Old Blair.

Little more was seen of leather guns after the Battle of Killiecrankie, replaced as they were by new more reliable cannon with greater firepower, and improved manoeuvrability.

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The three guns displayed in the entrance hall at Blair Castle may well have been Mackay’s artillery from the Battle of Killiecrankie.

More historic information associated with the local area is available on the ‘Soldiers Of Killiecrankie’ Facebook page.

St Brides, Old Blair.

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Visit our YouTube Channel.

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Logierait.

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A small village with a big part in Scottish history.

Not only does Logierait have a wealth of Scottish history it has produced two notable sons. One was the first Liberal Prime Minister of Canada, the other is the father of what we now call sociology.

The small village of Logierait (little hollow by the castle) sits close to where the River Tay is joined by the River Tummel and was an important ferry crossing before any bridges were built. Today, the village has around 20 dwellings.

These ferries were rope hauled to carry goods and horses. Foot passengers travelled by rowing boat.

Both rivers were prone to flooding and could rise great heights in very short periods resulting in many accidents and drownings.

The Logierait Inn remains today. Next door, until the 19thC, was the largest hall in the area where trials were held and the guilty imprisoned. Rob Rog MacGregor was held for a time here, until he escaped.

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The castle referenced in the village name began life as an Iron Age fort eventually being used by Stewart kings in the 14thC as a hunting lodge eventually it became the execution mound to serve the court proceedings held in the big hall. The last man hanged was a sheep stealer, in those days the courts were severe - they also strung up a partner in crime, his collie dog!

After this last execution a Celtic Cross was erected in 1866 in memory of the 6th Duke of Atholl.

The village church was built around 1805 and like many others is probably built on the site of earlier places of worship. It is widely thought that the first was here due to the visit of St Cedd around 650. This was likely to

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have been while travelling to Lindisfarne from Iona.

Typical of Scottish gravestones of the time emblems showing the trade of the interned are carved prominently on one side of the stone with personal details and dates on the other.

There are a number of mortsafes in the

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graveyard dating from the early 1800s. These are iron constructions to deter bodysnatchers or graverobbers. Around that time fresh corpses were highly valued for use in experimental surgery and the early days of medical science. Burke and Hare are two well-known prime examples of the practice at the time.

The graveyard and the church also have two

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carved Pictish stones on view possibly from around 700 near to the time of St Cedds’ visit.

The Logierait Bridge was opened in 1865 to carry trains on the Ballinluig to Aberfeldy line, which branched off the Highland Line from Perth to Inverness. In 1964, and after almost 100 years of use, the branch line was

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closed – a victim of the infamous Beeching cuts.

The bridge is one of the few open lattice girder viaducts left in Scotland and is formally listed as a structure of national historic and architectural significance. It is also the only community-owned ex-railway bridge in the country and is an A-listed architectural structure of great importance.

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Of equal importance is the daily use for local residents. The bridge shortens journeys significantly for many saving an estimated £100,000+ every year for residents and businesses as well as reducing the carbon footprint.

The annual running costs are significant but you can help, visit the bridge web site here.

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Alexander MacKenzie

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Stone Mason & Canadian Prime Minister Alexander MacKenzie (1822-92) was born in Logierait, Perthshire and lived near Tomnacroiche, the Gallows Knowe. The family home is said to have been at Weeping Hollow, where families said goodbye to relatives sentenced to hang.

One of 10 children, he left school at the age of 13 to train as a stone mason after his father died. His trade meant he had to travel around the country for work and he met his wife in Irvine in central Scotland. Once

married he changed his faith from a Presbyterian to Baptist a move which was to shape his future life as a politician in Canada after emigrating there in 1842.

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ublishing.com He and his wife settled in Kingston.

Ontario and worked at his trade until an accident crushed one of his legs.

He was able to continue working as a foreman and contractor on a number of significant projects. Around 1850 he and his wife moved to Sarnia, Ontario and was joined by his

brothers and mother who travelled over from Scotland.

He continued to work as a contractor building gaining the reputation of being hardworking and honest with a pragmatic and down to earth attitude to fiscal matters.

Throughout his time in Canada he had fought for equality and was a strong opponent of religious and political entitlement as well as governmental corruption becoming secretary of the Reform Party in 1851.

In 1867 he was elected to the Canadian House of

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Commons as a member of the Liberal Party. In 1874 the Liberals won a clear majority installing MacKenzie as Prime Minister.

The electorate liked his humble background and his visible democratic views which allowed him to continue administering the newly acquired western territories. He introduced a number of governmental legislative reforms, the secret ballot, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Royal Military College and the formation of the Auditor General office.

The work on the transcontinental railways was a project that MacKenzie could not progress and in 1878 elections the Liberals lost heavily. He remained in politics serving as a

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member of parliament until his death in 1892.

At a time when public office was the domain of the privileged not the working class, it is remarkable that MacKenzie achieved the rank of Prime Minister. He

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refused the offer of a knighthood three times and declined his appointment to the Privy Council thereby foregoing the title of Right Honorable.

Along with the achievements in office he is remembered for his honesty and integrity.

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Adam Ferguson And The Birth Of Sociology Adam Ferguson was a well know 18 th Century Scottish Historian and Philosopher. He was one of the central figures in Scottish Enlightenment.

In Scotland, the Enlightenment was characterised by a thorough going empiricism and practicality where the chief values were improvement, virtue, and practical benefit for the individual and society as a whole.

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Ferguson is chiefly remembered for the Essay on The History of Civil Society. This was an intellectual history that traced humanity’s progression from Barbarism to social and political refinement. In

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Ferguson's philosophical works, he emphasises that the study of human nature is essentially the study of human beings.

In addition to this, Ferguson's work also has a historical dimension.

This is, that the study of morality is cast within a socio-historical framework in which a process of perfection can be found at work. As a consequence, Ferguson has been referred to as ‘The Father of Modern Sociology.”

Ferguson was born on July 1st, 1723, in Logierait, Perthshire. Ferguson was the son of a minister in the Church of Scotland. He was educated at Perth Grammar school and then at the University of St Andrews. After graduating he attended Edinburgh

University to study divinity.

Whilst in Edinburgh, Ferguson became acquainted with some of the leading figures of the Scottish enlightenment, notably William Robertson, Alexander Carlyle, and Hugh Blair.

In 1745, when the Jacobite rebellion broke out, Ferguson had only completed three of the required six years of theological study. Despite this, because of his knowledge of Gaelic, he

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was granted a licence to serve as a Minister.

He was appointed Deputy Chaplain to Scotland’s Black Watch Regiment and engaged in combat in Flanders. In 1746, he was promoted to the Principal Chaplain and remained with the regiment until 1754.

Ferguson left the regiment to devote himself to literary pursuits.

These pursuits led him to Germany. Ferguson lived there for a short period but later returned

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to Edinburgh in 1757. He then succeeded his friend David Hume as keeper of the Advocates’ Library.

However, he soon renounced this to become a tutor to the family of the Earl of Bute.

In 1759, Ferguson became a Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, and five years later, in 1764, he transferred to the Chair of Pneumatics (philosophy of the mind) and Moral Philosophy.

In 1757, Ferguson published his first work, ‘The morality of stage plays seriously considered’. Ten years later, in 1767, Ferguson published his most wellknown, famous, and important work: ‘Essay on the History of Civil Society’.

It was very well received and was translated into several European

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languages. In 1776 he published his anonymous pamphlet on the American Revolution in which he argued against Dr. Richard Price’s ‘Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty’ in which he sympathised with the views of the British Legislature.

In 1778 Ferguson was appointed Secretary to the Carlisle Peace Commission. He travelled

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to Philadelphia to negotiate peace with the American Revolutionaries.

Despite his best efforts, there was no success.

Adam Ferguson married in 1756 and had nine children with his partner, two of whom died in infancy. He spent many of his later years in life travelling around Europe.

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From 1795, Ferguson resided near Peebles and once he retired, he moved back to St Andrew's.

Ferguson passed away on February 22nd, 1816, at the age of 93. He is buried in the churchyard of St Andrews Cathedral, against the east wall. He has a large mural monument that includes a carved profile portrait in marble.

Some of Ferguson's other popular works

include, ‘The history of the progress and termination of the roman republic, 3 vol’, and ‘Principles of Moral and Political science, vol 2’.

Ferguson also wrote the article on history for the second edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, which included the first timeline presented in the encyclopaedia. However, his Essay on the History of Civil Society remains his most renowned work.

The Messages.

The word message has a whole variety of meanings, many of which are internet communication based. However if you hear someone in Scotland say; “Ah’m just away the messages.”

They will be going to the shop to buy some groceries.

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Books, Music & Podcasts

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This month we have a new book from Whittles Publishing looking at the border between Scotland and England and how those that live there have viewed both countries.

We have listed a number of upcoming events from piping to jazz to eclectic festivals around the country. We also have a videos from a couple f performers attending these events.

If you would like to tell us about an event near you or one that you have experienced recently, let us know and we would be delighted to tell tell world on your behalf.

Send your words, pictures, images or videos to editor@wittance.scot

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Crucible of Conflict John Sadler

Reviewed by Graham Huggins This is a well written and researched account of the events that occurred during the three hundred years of the manoeuvring for power on the borders between England and Scotland and its reverberations in their Courts.

It is not surprising when one realises that the writer is a well- respected author of the history of the area having already written several successful books on the subject.

It is essential reading for all those interested in the history of the area

whether from a purely academic interest or those who are actively promoting Scottish Independence today.

The structure of the book is not arranged in the usual manner of books on history, ie in a chronological order, but rather examines the history of the area from a human viewpoint addressing the interplay between various individuals and families that influenced the opportunistic power plays that were available due to the constant battles for

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control by the monarchies of England and Scotland.

The author’s claim is that this has resulted in the people who inhabit the area having a certain distinctive character that has been honed by three centuries of rejection of authority and aggressive assertion of their parochial interests.

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Of course, in those days physical violence was the means by which one’s interests were pursued whereas today those interests are pursued through economic measures. Thus, should Scotland obtain its independence and a real border is once again established, what would the reaction of the residents on the border be?

If history is going to play a meaningful role, then this suggests that the population on both sides of the border will act in a way that suits them irrespective of the dictats emanating for either Edinburgh or London.

Since the union of 1707 there has been no meaningful border,

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although Scotland did retain its own law and customs, the political power was now based in London as the Scottish Parliament was dissolved for some three hundred years (December 1999) when a Scottish Parliament with some devolved powers was established.

However, the powers retained by London meant that there was still no real border so there could be no meaningful conflict of interests at the border.

During the debate and referendum on Scottish Independence the

practicalities of establishing a protocol for the border was just one of the key issues not properly addressed. This book clearly poses the position that neglect of this issue could have serious consequences for both Scotland and England should independence be established.

Finally, I found it a compelling read in its own right and as history has shown us on many an occasion, a lack of understanding of it can lead to serious unforeseen problems.

Contact Whittles Publishing for this book and many more.

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The Nearly Man

By Mark Bridgeman

reviewed by Graham Higgins This is the highly readable tale of a Scottish Rogue, born towards the end of the Nineteenth Century but created during the period before the First World War.

full gamut of human emotions from admiration to sympathy to incredulity to utter disgust. I will not elaborate any further but let you the reader decide for yourself your reaction to his exploits.

The choices he made using the considerable charm he possessed sometimes created a highly desirable situation and sometimes a disastrous one.

There is no doubt he led a charmed life surviving the first World War, several incarcerations, and many narrow escapes.

As one reads through the tale of his life you find yourself going through the

The incredible thing is that this is not totally fiction but the true story of an individual who took

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full advantage of the customs and social mores of the period.

occurring in Europe but ending up on the West Coast of Canada.

The first half of the twentieth century was one of huge political and social turmoil and Francis Metcalf took a full, if not always admirable but often heroic, part in many of the events

This is another well researched and fascinating tale from the pen of Mark Bridgeman who has earned a great reputation for tales of Scottish Characters.

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August 12th - 20th

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Piping Live! is part of the work of The National Piping Centre, the world’s centre for excellence in bagpipes.

The festival was originally set up as a wholly owned subsidiary company of The National Piping Centre with its own charitable status and accounting process. In 2023, the festival was merged into The NPC’s main charity.

Piping Live! is funded through public sector support together with financial contributions secured from commercial sponsors and partners, Glasgow International Piping Festival – Piping Live! is one of Glasgow and Scotland’s biggest annual summer events.

If you have an event you think we should hear about, tell us! editor@bruhupublishing.com

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Bute Fest is an eclectic wee festival attracting a wide range of performers; punk, ska, Scots traditional, rock, blues and everything in between.

The audience age is wide ranging from young to old and the festival provides sometjing for them all.

We were there for the 3 days and brought back a memory card full of great images. You can see a selection and get a feel for the event on the next page.

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The Wittance Bute Fest 2023

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Scots, P The Bou

Cold In Scotland?

Aye, But Maybe No Enough.

The Fridge

William Cullen (1710-90) was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire. He studied medicine and served as a surgeon aboard merchant vessels trading with the West Indies. He returned home to Shotts in 1732 setting up a medical practice while continuing to study at Glasgow University. He continued to study and then teach at the University becoming more interested in chemistry eventually becoming the first independent professor of the science in Britain.

In 1756, by which time he was a professor at Edinburgh University, he gave the first practical demonstration of artificial refrigeration. At this time the process was neither practical nor commercial and he did not pursue the invention any further.

Despite his reticence in pursing a commercial development every experiment, idea and procedural development evolving from his demonstration of the process took us to the everyday object we now know as The Fridge.

Pushing undaries.

How Many Copies?

James Watt was born in Greenock in 1736 and is famous for his invention and work with steam engines. However, the tedium of having to produce multiple copies of his work and documents drove him and his partners to develop a copying machine which was patented in 1780.

By the end of that year they had sold over 150 machines and within the first year of business over 650 had been sold.

Ever pushing boundaries there was a new portable machine developed by his son, James Watt Jnr, which was produced in 1795 this was such an important invention that it lasted as the blue print for copiers for most of the 19th C.

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Scottish High Gatherings and August 4th

August 11th & 12th

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hland Games, d Celebrations.

Aboyne Highland Games

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August 5th

August 12th

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August 19th August 26th

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August 20th

August 28 - 30

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To read any of ou explore ou

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ur previous titles ur website.

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