Discover Scotland Issue 51

Global boost for Gaelic Remembering the Alamo Exploring roots of rock and pop p1

Capturing the scents of Scotland Ghostly mystery revisited Spotlight on historic theatre

February 2021

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Photos by Vinny Keenan

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K eepin g t he f la g f ly ing

As Covid-19 continues to seriously impact Scotland’s vital tourism sector this magazine is doing its best to help those businesses hit hardest by a downfall in visitors.

Our monthly, multi-media digital magazine, with readers in more than 120 countries, has always been, and will continue to be, FREE to read and share.

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Our readership has been going up as people stay safe at home and reschedule their plans. If they can’t come to Scotland we take Scotland to them.

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Donate here Photos by Vinny Keenan

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Index - Inside this issue

inside this issue 14 Reviving

28 The

an interest in Gaelic

magic of Loch Eilt 40 Visit

54 Celebrating

Hostelling

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90 years of

Inverness and Loch Ness with...

Jo de Sylva

Index - Inside this issue

64 The

Scots who fought for Texas

74 Caerlaverock

86 Six

96 Restoring

of the best Scottish heroines

a castle built for war

-

the reputation of witches p7

Index - Inside this issue

inside this issue

112 A

wee livener with...

Tom Morton

120

104 Hunting

antiques with...

Roo Irvine

128 New

show for old masterpiece

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Chef in a kilt with...

Gordon Howe

Index - Inside this issue

actor’s life for me with...

Scott Kyle

156 Beauty

132 An

170 Musical

144 Wildly

refreshing

& Style with...

Alicja Błasińska

Discoveries

184 Pride

of the Clyde and thrilling reads p9

Index - Inside this issue

inside this issue 196 Haunting

memory of a persistent poltergeist

204 Scotland’s

stories with…Graeme Johncock

1 Cover 215 Escape

to the country properties for sale

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Photo

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Castle Stalker on Loch Laich

Contacts: General Enquiries: info@discoverscotlandmagazine.com Discover Scotland is an independent magazine published by Discover Scotland Ltd. The monthly digital title provides an international audience of readers with comprehensive coverage of modern day Scotland, its people, achievements, culture, history and customs.

Every issue covers a variety of topics of interest to thousands of people every month, many of them visitors to Scotland or part of the great Scottish diaspora.

The digital edition incorporates audio, video and text in a single platform designed for use on Apple, Android and Windows devices. The magazine is free to subscribe to and download.

For more information on how to get a copy, subscribe or enquire about advertising please contact the relevant departments.

The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any claim made by advertisements in Discover Scotland magazine or on the Discover Scotland website. All information should be checked with the advertisers.

The content of the magazine does not necessarily represent the views of the publishers or imply any endorsement. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior agreement in writing from Discover Scotland Ltd.

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Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic Photo by Renata PD

Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

T

o the list of internationally successful non-English television shows such as the political drama ‘Borgen’ in Danish, ‘The Valhalla Murders’ in Icelandic and the mystery series “Lupin’ in French can now be added another - in Gaelic.

BBC ALBA’s long-running Gaelic drama series Bannan is now being broadcast in the USA, Canada and France - a major boost for one of Scotland’s three indigenous languages.

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The producers, Young Films, and the sales distributors, Videoplugger, have announced that the series has been picked up for a North American launch by streaming service MHz, one of the leading distributors of foreign-language entertainment in North America. The first episodes are being broadcast this month on MHz Choice in the USA and Canada.

The move follows the success of the launch of 18 episodes in France, where a further 10

episodes of the show have now also been sold.

Set in a Scottish island community and shot on the Isle of Skye, the character driven drama brings to life the challenges of rural life in a new and contemporary way.

“Once again we see the power of our Gaelic drama to touch people thousands of miles away with different languages and culture from our own,” said Chris Young, founder of Skye-based Young

Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic Some of the cast of Gaelic drama series Bannan

Silhouetted crew working on the set of Bannan

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Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

Films and producer of Bannan.

“Audiences in the USA, Canada and France can connect with characters like Màiri and Ceitidh and their emotional journeys.

“Whether subtitled in English or French or dubbed in Breton these stories resonate as strongly abroad as they do at home. And with a new American audience we are confident that Bannan

Cast and crew on the set of Bannan series 7

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will travel further around the world and reach an even wider viewership.”

Now in its seventh season in Scotland BBC ALBA’s flagship

Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic Filming gets underway on series 7

drama is about to start filming the eagerly awaited eighth series this autumn.

Proponents of the show believe

the gripping, evocative drama has a truly universal appeal and is a door into the Scottish Gaelic culture for international audiences.

News of the show’s new found international appeal comes as an ambitious new project is launched to support Gaelic learning both in Scotland and internationally.

Rainbow at Duisdale during filming

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Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic New SpeakGaelic logo

Described as the most comprehensive approach to learning the language in a generation ‘SpeakGaelic’ will launch this coming September with a specially created course, a dedicated on-demand learning website and complementary programming across BBC ALBA platforms, including BBC ALBA YouTube to ensure international availability.

Aimed at increasing the uptake and usage of Gaelic the project will offer users the option of face-to-face classes, self-guided online learning, and media

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content through a variety of platforms – or all three at the same time. As well as complete beginners, SpeakGaelic will be aimed at enabling lapsed or insecure speakers to use their Gaelic with confidence.

The initiative has been designed to complement an existing range of options already available, such as the successful LearnGaelic platform and the Scottish Gaelic offering on Duolingo.

“SpeakGaelic will transform the landscape for Gaelic learning,” said Marsaili MacLeod, Vice

Principal & Director of Studies at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture.

“It will support our community of learners and Gaelic speakers, welcoming anyone who has an interest, connection or love of the language to take part.”

SpeakGaelic’s objective is to transform the uptake and usage of the language and is initially being delivered over a three-year period at a cost of £2.4 million.

“We very much welcome this

across Scotland so it is widely recognised as an integral part of Scottish life and as a national cultural and economic asset.

“It will enable new learners and existing users to enhance their skills and to put their Gaelic to use in a practical way.”

Far from being a dying language Scottish Gaelic is undergoing something of a resurgence internationally, spurred on by an increasing interest in Scotland, its history and culture.

The BnG’s vision is that Gaelic is seen and heard on a daily basis

The streaming of the television show and launch of the new adult learning initiative is all great news for the growing international Gaelic community.

Gaelic used to be the vernacular of most of Scotland, as evidenced by the number of place names derived from the language.

Almost all of the country’s mountains have Gaelic names, even though the majority of Scots today can’t pronounce them and don’t know what they mean because they have never been taught.

And, the fact they have never been taught is no mistake. Until fairly recently both Gaelic and Scots have been the victims of a deliberate policy of eradication.

Photo by Lorna M. Campbell CC BY 4.0 Scarp and Traigh Mheilein, Isle of Harris

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Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

collaborative and innovative project which supports the main aim in the National Gaelic Language Plan that Gaelic is used more often, by more people and in more situations,” said Shona MacLennan, Chief Executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the principal body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic development.

Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

As far back as 1616, following the Union of the Crowns when King James VI was keen to unify his kingdoms of England and

Scotland, legislation was brought in to try and stamp out Gaelic because it was seen as a symbol of resistance and rebellion.

Photo by Chris Combe CC BY 2.0 Seilebost, looking over towards Luskentyre and Taransay

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In the wake of Culloden the language was further suppressed, along with a ban on Highland garb, in an attempt to break the

Even as recently as the second half of last century children could

be beaten at school for speaking Gaelic. A similar tactic was used to discourage the Scots tongue.

Both were labelled languages of

the uneducated when, in reality, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

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Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

spirit of the Jacobite clans.

Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

It’s no surprise Gaelic diminished as communities shrank due to the forced migration of Gaels to other parts of the UK and

abroad in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. However, one unseen side effect was the establishment of Gaelic communities in other

Photo by Chris Combe CC BY 2.0 A decline in Gaelic speaking communities has put pressure on the language

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countries such as Canada, where there is still a notable Gaelic presence in Nova Scotia.

language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

In 2005 The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament to support a revival of this valuable

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Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic

Although Scottish Gaelic is not recognised as an official language of the United Kingdom it is classed as an indigenous

Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic Dual signage is a small step towards encouraging Gaelic

part of Scotland’s cultural and historic identity resulting in a number of initiatives, including the appearance of duel language road signs.

Currently it is estimated that just under 59,000 Scots are native Gaelic speakers, and more than half of them live in the island communities of Skye and the

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Western Isles.

However there is reason for optimism as there has been renewed interest in Scottish identity among the younger generation and growing international affection towards Scotland, helped in no small part by the visibility created by the television series Outlander.

When the online teaching platform Duolingo launched a Gaelic app in November 2019 it quickly became the company’s fastest-growing course ever.

There are now more than 600,000 registered users learning the language - more than 10 times the number of native speakers recorded in the last official Government census in 2011.

Culture - Breaking down barriers to Gaelic More than 600,000 people have now signed up to learn Gaelic with Duolingo

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Photo by Guy Phillips

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Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt Photo by VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins Looking over Loch Eilt between Lochailort and Glenfinnan

Under the spell of Loch Eilt S

by Scott Aitken

ituated between the villages of Glenfinnan and Lochailort lies the beautiful and peaceful waters of Loch Eilt.

It is one of many such beauty spots often overlooked by visitors exploring the Highlands in favour of more famous locations such as Loch Ness or Loch Lomond.

Enveloped by steep sided hills that stretch to an average of more than 1,500 feet, with the highest

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peak reaching over 2,000 feet, the loch sits in a natural basin of tranquility, drawing its cold, clear waters from a surrounding area of more than 12 square miles.

A little more than three miles long, less than half a mile wide and with a maximum depth of almost 120 feet, this fresh water haven set amid breathtaking scenery was once considered one of Europe’s finest sea trout lochs with an abundance of salmon.

However, since construction of the West Highland railway line

to Mallaig along the south shore at the turn of the 20th century, the natural order of things has changed. The loch is now mainly a hotspot for brown trout, with only the occasional sea trout being landed by lucky anglers.

Incidentally, a permit is needed for fishing, which is best enjoyed late in the season around August and September.

On the opposite north shore lies the main A830 road which carries thousands of visitors each year from Fort William - past Glenfinnan and the

Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt Photo by Stara Blazkova CC BY-SA 3.0 Waterfall on Loch Eilt

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Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

site of the famous monument commemorating the rise of the 1745 Jacobite rising - to the

fishing port of Mallaig and a ferry to the islands.

Photo by VisitScotland / Ian Rutherford Cyclists heading west on the A830 along the side of Loch Eilt

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small islands familiar to millions of Harry Potter fans. It was here that scenes were filmed for use in

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Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

Too few passersby take the time to stop and enjoy the magic of Loch Eilt with its abundance of

Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Photo by Colin Kinnear CC BY-SA 2.0 Eilean na Moine

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One of the islands, Eilean na Moine, was used as the fictional setting for Dumbledore’s grave, although it was later digitally

The enchanting little island is also where Voldemort stole the

Elder wand in the foreboding final scene of The Deathly Hallows Part 1.

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Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

transported to Loch Arkaig.

Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

Other areas of Loch Eilt were used to film the scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione discover Hagrid skipping stones

Photo by VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins Loch Eilt

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after learning his beloved Buckbeak has been condemned to death in The Prisoner of Azkaban.

share of real life connections to history and mystery.

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Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

Other movies, such as Local Hero, have also been filmed around the loch which, in addition to its fantasy attractions, has its

Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

Located a short distance to the west of the main road there is a

Photo by Stuart Logan CC BY-SA 2.0 Eilean na Moine in Loch Eilt

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cairn of stones built in the shade of a grove of oak trees by the side

of the Loch.

Travel - Under the spell of Loch Eilt

A bronze memorial plaque reveals it is dedicated to the memory of Duncan Cameron, a respected local landowner.

The plaque reads: “This cairn was erected by the friends and servants of Duncan Cameron of Inverailort on the day of his funeral 30th June 1874. They carried his coffin from Inverailort House to this point where his property begins on the north side of Loch Eilt and here it was placed in the hearse which conveyed his mortal remains to their rest in the family burying ground at Kilmallie. The oak trees round the cairn the leaf of which is the Cameron badge were planted on the same melancholy occasion. Raquiescat in pace.”

Now a ruin, Inverailort House lies a couple of miles from Loch Eilt. A former hunting lodge its greatest claim to fame is that it was used by the military in World War Two as a training base for agents of

Photo by Jim Bain CC BY-SA 2.0 Memorial to Cameron of Inverailort

the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to devise many of the skills and tactics later adopted by the USA’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

But the history goes back much further. In previous centuries this area of Lochaber was a stronghold for Clan Cameron stretching back as far as the 15th century when Donald Dubh was the first clan chief.

The Camerons were loyal to the Stuart monarchy and fought for Charles II in the Bishops’ Wars of 1638, and they were quick to turn out for Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite rebellion in 1745.

Photo by John Webber CC BY-SA 2.0 The Jacobite steam train passes by Loch Eilt

Unfortunately, following the Jacobite defeat at Culloden, the Camerons lost their Highland estates and their property was seized or destroyed on the orders of the Hanoverian Government in London.

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

Highland hospitality

with... Jo de Sylva,

Chair of Visit Inverness Loch Ness

Photo by Mhairi Jarvie Photography Culloden

Making memories

by Jo de Sylva

A

fter one of the heaviest snowfalls we’ve seen in years across the Highlands, at last the first signs of spring are upon us.

The snowdrops have shown their

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pretty little heads at sea level, exposing the green shoots of spring that we are all desperately awaiting.

crisp strolls in the countryside when all there is to keep you company is the shadow of your breath in the frosty air.

Spring in the Highlands is a wonderful time to visit. It’s too cold for midges, but perfect for

The days are getting longer, but because we are so far North you don’t have to get up at

Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

Photo: Instagram @nessielass

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

an ungodly hour to take in the sunrises, or stay up way past your bedtime to see the perfect sunset.

Photo by Mhairi Jarvie Photography Bosta Beach, Isle of Lewis

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

Compared to the summer, when we barely get any darkness, if you are a fan of dark skies, beautiful sunsets and sunrises

Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

then spring is the perfect time to visit.

Nothing beats getting up when

Photo: Instagram @nessielass

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

it’s dark, making something warm in a flask, and driving or walking up one of the hills. You can choose the never-ending

Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

vistas of mountains and Munro, or a perfect beach as your chosen viewing platform, either way there is nothing more

Photo: Instagram @nessielass

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We are incredibly lucky to have

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

breathtaking than a sunrise or sunset in the Highlands.

Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

some of the best Dark Skies in the UK. When you look at the milky way from down here on Earth, or gaze at Orion’s Belt with

Photo by Russell Bain Orion’s Belt

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

no light pollution it really puts our life into perspective. It makes us realise how tiny and insignificant our worries really are.

Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

In the words of a very wise friend of mine it’s important to ‘be kind, live, laugh and love each other and always make great memories’, and with the skies of

Photo: Instagram @nessielass

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Travel - Visit Inverness and Loch Ness with…Jo de Sylva

the Highlands taking in the best nature has to offer, those are memories you will take with you forever.

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Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling Torridon

Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

by Paul Watson

A

90th birthday is always something well worth celebrating, especially when it involves millions of friends from all over the world.

Since 1931 Hostelling Scotland, a not-for-profit charity with over 60 youth and affiliate hostels, has been at the forefront of welcoming visitors from around the globe, and providing them with affordable accommodation in some of the best locations across the country.

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It all started when the country’s very first youth hostel, Broadmeadows, opened on 13 February 1931. A converted mansion in the Borders it became the pilot for a network of hostels across the country.

social innovations of the 20th century the mission of the youth hostel movement was, and still is, to make more of the great outdoors accessible to as many people as possible, especially the younger generation.

Then known as the Scottish Youth Hostels Association the organisation was set up at a time when the concept of a holiday in the fresh air with freedom to roam was beyond the reach of most ordinary people.

In keeping with that spirit, and to mark its 90th birthday, Hostelling Scotland is offering all babies born in the month of February 2021 a free lifetime membership, worth £150.

Considered by many to have been one of the most important

“As we reflect on our most challenging year since 1931 and celebrate being 90 years young,

Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

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Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling Broadmeadows of yesteryear

we are determined that 2021 will be a year of positivity and hope, celebrating our hostelling family’s past, present and future,” said Margo Paterson, CEO of Hostelling Scotland.

The idea is to encourage a love for exploration at an early age and provide these new lifetime members an exciting future of travel with friends and family, staying in great value, flexible and welcoming hostel accommodation in some of the best locations throughout Scotland.

Whether in the heart of Scotland’s most vibrant cities or amid the romantic seclusion of an island, mountain or loch-side setting Hostelling Scotland has somewhere to suit almost everyone.

And, you can rest assured the modern hosteling experience is a far cry from the early prewar days of the depression hit 1930s when accommodation was usually basic in the extreme.

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How it used to be

Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

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Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

Today’s hostels are now shining examples of affordable luxury, compete with en-suite facilities, self-catering kitchens and internet access, coupled with a range of room sizes to suit couples,

A modern double room in Edinburgh

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families and smaller groups.

However, just like the young hostellers of the 1930’s, new lifetime members (and their families) will have the freedom

to learn about Scotland visiting places of historic and cultural interest and explore its stunning countryside, environment and natural heritage.

Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling Glen Nevis lounge

Now with ensuite

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Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

They will be able to take advantage of the many additional benefits, from retail and visitor attraction discounts to exclusive member promotions. When the world opens up again, they will

Glen Nevis

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also have access to more than 4,000 hostels in many countries around the world with dual membership of Hostelling International.

hostels and 27 affiliate hostels.

In recent years the network has welcomed up to 380,000 guests annually with a turnover of £9M and an estimated annual contribution to the Scottish visitor

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Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

Hostelling Scotland prides itself on being the largest participant in the youth hostel market in Scotland. As a membership organisation with over 8,000 lifetime members, it has 33 youth

Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

economy of £25M. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit the organisation incredibly hard with an 89 per cent drop in annual operational income, the future for hosteling remains bright.

‘2020 has been the most challenging year in the organisation’s history but we feel confident there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Margo Paterson added: .

Edinburgh interior

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“As we recover from this crisis we look forward to welcoming our guests to our youth hostels once again when the time is right and it is safe to do so.”

2021 on the charity’s website:

Any child born in February 2021 is eligible for a free lifetime membership of Hostelling Scotland, which includes loads of additional member benefits.

To take advantage of the offer parents must sign up their children before the 31 March

Hostelling Scotland Website

Travel - Celebrating 90 years of Hostelling

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History - Remember the Alamo The Fall of the Alamo or “Crockett’s Last Stand“ in the Texas Governor’s Mansion, Austin (PD Art)

Remember the Alamo

by Scott Aitken

A

s dawn broke 185 years ago on 6 March 1836 four young Scotsmen, almost 5,000 miles from home, stood firm in the face of certain death and held their ground alongside 185 other champions of liberty.

Surrounded by an army of up to 6,000 or more enemy troops John McGregor, Richard W Ballantine, Isaac Robinson and David L

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Wilson must have known what fate had in store for them, but they didn’t run.

struggle for the independence of Texas from Mexico - a cause they were prepared to die for.

For 13 days they had been holed up inside a former Spanish mission in the small Texas frontier town of San Antonio de Bexar while a Mexican army, under the command of General Santa Anna, laid siege to the makeshift fortress they called The Alamo.

The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal point in the history of Texas and has gone down in world-wide folklore as a heroic last stand against overwhelming odds by a handful of idealists driven by a dream they called freedom.

Like every other man there the Scots were volunteers in the

Today, The Alamo is a shrine to the men who died and one of the

History - Remember the Alamo Photo by Brenda Aly CC BY-SA 4.0 The Alamo

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History - Remember the Alamo

most popular tourist attractions in the US, attracting around 3million visitors a year. It has inspired numerous books and movies, the most famous being the 1960

Poster for the 1960 movie The Alamo

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movie The Alamo starring John Wayne, another American with Scottish heritage, who played the famous Davy Crockett. A more historically credible adaptation,

starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton, was released in 2004.

History - Remember the Alamo The Alamo was remade in 2004

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History - Remember the Alamo

Today, close to the scene of the battle lies a gift to the people of Texas from Scotland, a monument carved from Caithness stone bearing the inscription: “From the people of Scotland in memory of the four native Scots

Photo by David R. Tribble CC BY-SA 3.0 Alamo Memorial

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and the many other defenders of Scots ancestry, who gave their lives at the Alamo on 6 March 1836.”

the Alamo as an enduring symbol of the “unquenchable thirst for independence” shared by Scotland and the United States.

The plaque lies beneath the Saltire flag near the front door of

It is estimated that in addition to the known native born Scots

History - Remember the Alamo

up to 80 per cent of the Alamo defenders had Scottish heritage, including Jim Bowie, the legendary frontiersman and joint commander of The Alamo, whose ancestors hailed from the Inner Hebrides; and Davy Crockett who was of Ulster-Scots descent.

Texas has a strong connection with Scotland as many of the early settlers were either born in Scotland or had some Scottish ancestry. Scots were instrumental in creating the state’s financial foundation and Scottish stone masons built a large part of the capital city of Austin. Today, almost half of the 254 counties in Texas are named after Scots while towns with Scottish names such as Elgin, Gordon, Livingston, Arbroath and others are dotted all over the map.

The names of all the defenders of the mission are immortalised on The Alamo Cenotaph, also known as The Spirit of Sacrifice,

Portrait of Jim Bowie circa 1831 in Texas State Capitol PD Art

in San Antonio, including the four Scottish immigrants who sought a fresh start in a new country.

The most flamboyant of the native Scots was John McGregor from Aberfeldy. He is believed to have emigrated to the US sometime around 1815 and was aged somewhere between 28 and 34-years-old when the battle took place.

McGregor was an accomplished piper and he regularly took part in musical duels with Davy Crockett during the siege to raise morale.

Crockett would play the violin and McGregor his bagpipes to see who could raise the greatest din. According to local legend McGregor continued to play his pipes to the bitter end to encourage his fellow Texans.

Portrait of Davy Crockett in United States Library of Congress

Not so much is known of the other Scots. Richard Ballentine was born in Scotland in 1814 but exactly when he emigrated

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History - Remember the Alamo

to the US is unclear. There is documentary evidence he traveled to Texas from Alabama

Photo by Lanis J Ross CC BY-SA 4.0 Night at The Alamo

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aboard the Santiago and disembarked on December 9, 1835 to fight for Texas.

He and the other passengers made a signed declaration that: “we have left every endearment at

at the peril of our lives, liberties and fortunes.”

Isaac Robinson was born in Scotland in 1808 and came to Texas from Louisiana. He served

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History - Remember the Alamo

our respective places of abode in the United States of America, to maintain and defend our brethren,

History - Remember the Alamo

in the Alamo garrison as a fourth sergeant in Capt. William R. Carey’s artillery company.

David L. Wilson, the son of James and Susanna, was born in Scotland in 1807. In Texas he lived in Nacogdoches with his wife, Ophelia. He is believed to have been one of the volunteers who accompanied Capt. Philip Dimmittqv to the Alamo in the early months of 1836.

After almost two weeks of skirmishes and frequent artillery barrages from the Mexican cannons Santa Anna launched his final attack at 5.30am on the morning of 6 March 1836.

The defenders put up a brave fight and although vastly

outnumbered they managed to repel two attacks but crumbled under the onslaught of a third.

The Mexicans breached the walls forcing the surviving defenders to retreat to the chapel and associated buildings being used as the barracks.

Unable to reload, due to the weight of the Mexican assault, the Texans, including Davy Crockett, used knives and their muskets as clubs in a hopeless hand-to-hand battle with the advancing troops who were under orders to take no prisoners.

After just 90 minutes the slaughter was over and all 189 defenders of the Alamo lay dead in the blood drenched sand. It has been estimated that the Mexican

casualty numbers might have been as much as 1,400 dead and wounded which means the Alamo men did not sell their lives cheaply.

Although Santa Anna had proclaimed the Alamo a great triumph one of his aides, Colonel Juan Almonte,is supposed to have remarked: “One more such glorious victory and we are finished”.

Indeed, the finish for Santa Anna came just a few weeks later, on April 21, when Texan forces routed the Mexican army to cries of “Remember the Alamo” at the Battle of San Jacinto near Houston.

Scene from the 1915 movie Martyrs of the Alamo or The Birth of Texas

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History - Bloody Caerlaverock Photo by VisitScotland / Damian Shields Caerlaverock Castle

Bloody Caerlaverock

by Paul Watson

A

s Scotland’s only moated triangular castle Caerlaverock is a distinctive part of the landscape with a history embroiled in centuries of political intrigue and bloody violence.

Situated about seven miles south of the ancient town of Dumfries it was first built in the 13th century by the Maxwell family to protect their lands and trade from rival

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clans on both sides of the border with England.

The name of the castle is derived from the Welsh word ‘caer’ meaning fort or defensible structure and the Scots word ‘laverock’ meaning skylark and is the last in a long line of fortifications that have stood on or near the same spot since the 6th century.

According to legend King Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio was killed

near here in 573 at the Battle of Arthuret and his bard, Myrddin Wyllt, was forced to go into hiding in the surrounding forest, giving rise to the story of King Arthur and Merlin.

The name of Caerlaverock first appears in documents dating back to 1160 when the lands were gifted to the monks of Holm Cultram Abbey. They held on to the property until 1220 when King Alexander II of Scotland granted the lands to Sir John Maxwell. It

History - Bloody Caerlaverock Photo by Author Tom Parnell CC BY-SA 2.0

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History - Bloody Caerlaverock

was he who began work on the first stone castle.

The Maxwell family were highly political and changed allegiances several times.

Photo by Orikrin1998 CC BY-SA 3.0

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During the Wars of Independence and beyond the castle was besieged a number of times by English invaders and underwent several reconstructions in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In 1299 soldiers from Caerlaverock attacked an English garrison at Lochmaben Castle sparking a retaliation by King Edward I of England. In July 1300 he marched north with an army

For two days around 60 men under the command of their chief Sir Eustace Maxwell held out

against the invaders, repelling several attempts to storm the castle.

Determined not to be beaten King Edward had several massive

siege engines brought up to within range of the castle and bombarded the walls with giant rocks weighing more than 50kg.

With part of the castle wall

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History - Bloody Caerlaverock

of around 3,000 troops and laid siege to Caerlaverock.

History - Bloody Caerlaverock

demolished the occupants were forced to surrender. Some were immediately hanged on the orders of the King while others were told to go and spread

Photo by VisitScotland / Damian Shields Dusk at Caerlaverock Castle

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the word that resistance to the English was futile.

Unfortunately for Edward it had the opposite affect as most of

the survivors joined forces with Robert Bruce and avenged their fallen comrades at the battles of Loudon Hill and Bannockburn.

in 1544 when it was captured by an English army during Henry VIII’s rough wooing when he ransacked part of Scotland in revenge for the Scots refusing to

betroth the infant Mary, Queen of Scots to his son Edward.

The Maxwells, a Catholic family, supported Mary, Queen of Scots

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History - Bloody Caerlaverock

The castle was laid siege to several more times. In 1356 the Scots surrounded it as the Maxwells were then thought to be too close to the English and again

History - Bloody Caerlaverock

when she eventually came to power and after she was forced to abdicate in 1567. Their loyalty to Mary led to the castle again

Photo by VisitScotland / Damian Shields

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coming under siege from a Protestant English force, under the command of Earl of Sussex, which resulted in it being partly

demolished when gunpowder packed into the gatehouse exploded.

John, 8th Lord Maxwell rebuilt the fortress to defend against attacks from the Johnstones of Annandale. He was eventually

killed during a fight between the two families at Dryfe Sands on 6 December 1593. His successor Sir James, 9th Lord Maxwell

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History - Bloody Caerlaverock

The turn of the 17th century saw the repaired castle play a major role in the ongoing border skirmishes between rival families.

History - Bloody Caerlaverock Photo by Author Tom Parnell CC BY-SA 2.0

was later executed in 1613 for the revenge murder of Sir James Johnstone.

supporter of the Stuart monarchy he was created the 1st Earl of Nithsdale.

In 1613 Robert, the brother of James, became the 10th Lord Maxwell and in 1620 as a loyal

When war broke out between the Royalists and Covenanters in 1639 Nithsdale took the side of

Photo by Author Tom Parnell CC BY-SA 2.0

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the King and in 1640 found his castle besieged once again.

The Earl and his garrison of 200 soldiers held out against Lieutenant-Colonel John Home’s army of Covenanters for 13

History - Bloody Caerlaverock Photo by VisitScotland / Damian Shields

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History - Bloody Caerlaverock

weeks before surrendering.

Although the Earl, his wife and servants were allowed to go free some 40 men with the name of Maxwell were put to the sword in retribution.

Never again would the castle be a thorn in the side of any army. Following the surrender of the Royalist garrison in 1640 the castle was stripped of all its valuable fixtures and partially

Photo by VisitScotland / Damian Shields Centuries later much of the detail in the stone work survives

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demolished.

Today, the castle is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is a popular tourist attraction.

History - Bloody Caerlaverock Photo by Author Tom Parnell CC BY-SA 2.0

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History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T Flora Macdonald memorial in Kilmuir Cemetery

R.E.S.P.E.C.T had to battle discrimination, in addition to other obstacles, which has made their achievements even more deserving of respect.

by Tracey Macintosh

T

he history of Scotland and its people is full of great characters who have influenced the world in so many ways. Among them numerous women who often

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On the 110th anniversary of International Woman’s Day on March 8 Discover Scotland turns the spotlight on six remarkable Scottish women who have made their mark on history.

Flora Macdonald, 1722 - 1790 Immortalised in legend and song, Flora Macdonald is the romantic heroine who helped Prince Charles Edward Stuart, aka Bonnie Prince Charlie, escape

from Scotland following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Born in 1722 in South Uist she was largely brought up by her clan chief, Sir Alexander MacDonald of Sleat, after her father died.

While visiting Benbecula in June 1746 she was approached by a companion of Bonnie Prince Charlie asking for help. The Prince had been in hiding for two months and there was a bounty of £30,000 on his head.

Although the MacDonalds of Sleat had not taken part in the

Jacobite sympathiser, arranged safe lodgings and further transport to the island of Raasay from where Prince Charlie could board a ship back to France.

Flora agreed to disguise the Prince as her female maid, Betty Burke, so they could travel by boat from Benbecula to Skye.

Flora’s role in the escape led to her being imprisoned in the Tower of London but her charm and claims of acting out of pity rather than politics resulted in her release in 1747. She went on to marry Allan MacDonald, a captain

On reaching Skye the Clan Chief’s wife Lady Margaret, a fellow

in the British Army, and in 1774 emigrated to North Carolina.

Following the American War of Independence she returned to Skye in 1780, where she died in 1790 and was laid to rest in a shroud made from a bed sheet used by Prince Charlie. A memorial to her can be found in Kilmuir Cemetery.

Photo NLS Flora Macdonald

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History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

rebellion Flora’s stepfather, Hugh Macdonald, was thought to be sympathetic to the Jacobite cause despite being allied with the Hanoverian army.

History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Mary Sommerville, 1780 - 1872 Born Mary Fairfax in 1780 in the Borders town of Jedburgh, and brought up in the small coastal town of Burntisland in Fife, Mary Sommerville was the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society and author of a number of seminal scientific papers.

Despite little formal schooling she was a voracious reader with a passion for knowledge and keen interest in mathematics.

Mary married Samuel Greig in 1804 but when she was widowed just three year later she resumed her intellectual interests, building up a circle of supportive friends who helped introduce her to key mathematical and astronomical texts of the period.

In 1812 Mary married William Sommerville and with his encouragement went on to study a range of subjects, including French, Greek, geology and botany in addition to mathematics and astronomy.

Her academic works included ‘The Mechanism of the Heavens’, which explained the mathematics behind the workings of the solar system, and other publications exploring connections between the physical sciences. Her ideas laid much of the groundwork for the discovery of Neptune in 1846.

Mary, a strong supporter of female education and votes for women, died in Naples in 1872, aged 91 where her grave in the English Cemetery is marked by a statue.

Sommerville College in Oxford is named after her, as is Sommerville Square in Burntisland, a committee room in the Scottish Parliament., a crater on the moon and an asteroid.

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Photo Scottish National Gallery PD Art Mary Sommerville by Thomas Phillips

Mary Mitchell Slessor was born into a working-class family, the second of seven children, in Aberdeen in 1848. Her father was a shoemaker by trade however struggled with alcoholism, often leaving his wife and children to find work to support the family.

By the time she was 11 the family had moved to Dundee and Mary was employed in one of the city’s many mills as a ‘half timer’ - she spent part of the day working and part of the day at school.

The expansion of the textile, ship building and whaling industries in Dundee saw the population balloon while adequate housing and sanitation lagged behind leaving many people living in overcrowded slum areas. Mary’s early experience of living in poverty doubtless built resilience for her future life’s work.

Mary’s family were devout Christians and her mother read regularly of missions undertaken by the United Presbyterian Church. The local church the Slessors attended was linked to the Calabar region of West Africa which now forms part of Nigeria. Mary applied to work as a missionary having been inspired

by David Livingstone and in 1876 she found herself bound for West Africa.

History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Mary Slessor, 1848 – 1915

On arriving in Calabar Mary set to work teaching local children and found a number of practices she worked hard throughout her life to change. These included human sacrifice, the use of poison to determine innocence or guilt in trials and strong superstition around the birth of twins that led to babies regularly being abandoned in the bush and their mothers driven from their villages.

Mary settled into missionary life but chose to live differently to

Mary Slessor PD

Photo by Ruth AS CC BY 4.0 Mary Slessor’s grave, Calabar, Nigeria

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History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

many of her colleagues. She made an effort to learn the local language, ate local food so she could send more of her earnings home to help her family, abandoned the restrictive Victorian style clothes of the era for more practical garments and cut her red hair short.

Despite suffering from malaria and other tropical diseases, Mary became a unique figure among

missionaries and was trusted by locals to the extent that she was often involved in mediating in disputes.

She rescued hundreds of twins throughout her life and is known to have adopted 9 abandoned twins who became her family in Africa and helped with her work.

Mary died aged 66 from a severe bout of fever and her body was

transported to Duke Town where she was given a state funeral.

A granite cross from Scotland marks her grave and there are numerous statues of her, often with twins, throughout Nigeria.

In Scotland Mary is remembered with a memorial outside The Steeple Church in Dundee and in the Hall of Heroes in the National Wallace Monument.

Scottish Women’s Hospital, Royaumont

Elsie Inglis, 1864 – 1917 Although born in India in 1864, where her father worked for the East India Company, Elsie moved to Edinburgh with her family when she was just two-years-old.

She was fortunate that, contrary to 19th century customs, her parents believed girls should be educated as well as boys and she went on to study medicine under

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Dr Sophia Jex-Blake, a member of the ‘Edinburgh Seven’ who had successfully campaigned for access to University education for women.

Qualifying as a doctor in 1892, Elsie initially worked in London but, deeply unsatisfied with the standard of care offered, she opened a hospital for women and children run by women in Edinburgh in 1894.

When the First World War started in 1914 Elsie tried to offer her medical skills but was turned down by the British War Office.

Undeterred, she founded the Scottish Women’s Hospital Committee (SWH) and sent a medical unit to France while she headed up a second one in Serbia.

While in Serbia she spent a short time as a prisoner of the German

History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T Photo by C.P.Clegg CC BY-SA 4.0 Memorial to Elsie Inglis inside St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

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History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

forces before being repatriated to Scotland. There followed a period of fundraising for the SWH and a trip to Russia as head of a medical unit before ill-health finally took its toll. She died of bowl cancer in 1917.

Prior to her funeral Elsie’s body lay in state in St Giles cathedral and she was buried in Dean Cemetery where a Celtic cross marks her final resting place.

Commemorations include the Elsie Inglis Memorial Maternity

Photo: https-//wellcomeimages.org CC BY 4.0 Elsie Inglis

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Hospital which was operational from 1925 to 1988, along with a number of memorial plaques in Edinburgh and Serbia. She was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Serbian Order of the White Eagle.

Born in to privilege at Megginch Castle, Perthshire Victoria Drummond rose to fame as the first female marine engineer in the UK and was commended for bravery during the Second World War. Named after her godmother, Queen Victoria, she showed an interest in engineering from an early age, entering a garage apprenticeship in Perth when she was 21, then moving on to work in Caledon Ship Works from 1918 – 1922.

From 1922 onwards she continued to study engineering,

determined to become a chief engineer while getting work when she could, on various ships.

result she was awarded an MBE and the Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s jobs were scarce for everyone and Victoria faced even more resistance due to a general unwillingness to accept a female engineer.

Following the war she worked as superintendent in shipyards in Dundee and Burntisland before going back to sea for a number of shipping companies as Chief or Second Engineer.

Unable to find a job on a British ship she looked abroad and in 1940 was taken on by the shipping company Palestine Maritime Lloyd.

Victoria retired in 1962 and died in 1978. She was buried at her family home of Megginch Castle.

During one eventful voyage her cargo ship was attacked and damaged by German aircraft but it was Victoria’s cool headiness that kept the vessel going. As a

In 2018 she was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame and has a room named after her in London’s Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.

Photo: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland CC BY-SA 2.5 Rhexenor, one of two Blue Funnel ships whose completion Drummond supervised at Caledon’s yard in Dundee

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History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Victoria Drummond, 1894 – 1978

History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Maggie Keswick-Jencks, 1941 – 1995 Maggie Keswick-Jencks, cofounder of the famous Maggie’s Centres which provide support for people affected by cancer, was born in Dumfriesshire in 1941.

In 1988 Maggie, a writer, gardener and designer, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought the disease bravely but in 1993 was given a terminal diagnosis with a devastatingly short life expectation.

The experience led Maggie and her husband - the cultural theorist, architect and landscape designer Charles Jencks - to

look into creating and designing a more sympathetic place for people to come to terms with cancer. Their combined experience convinced them that uplifting surroundings would be of comfort and benefit to others so they would “not to lose the joy of living in the fear of dying” when faced with a cancer diagnosis.

Maggie died in 1995 shortly before the first centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996. Her husband and oncology nurse, Laura Lee, continued to work on the project and now there is a network of centres across the UK and abroad.

Each centre has its own character

Photo by Edward McMaihin CC BY-SA 2.0 Maggie Jencks statue at Maggie’s Centre, Edinburgh

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and is design driven, creating an uplifting and beautiful area, usually in the grounds of a hospital that treats cancer. True to Maggie’s vision, each one offers a contemplative, inspiring space as well as providing advice and support.

The last months of Maggie’s life were dedicated to improving the lives of others and her growing legacy has helped countless people navigate a devastating illness.

In 2018 Maggie was chosen by public vote to be one of two Scottish women to be honoured in the Hall of Heroes in the National Wallace Monument.

History - R.E.S.P.E.C.T Photo by James Allan CC BY-SA 2.0 Megginch Castle gatehouse

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History - Healing wounds of the past Photo: Grafschaft Reinstein 1555 (PD)

Healing wounds of the past

by Helen Lloyd

C

enturies after more than 4,000 people in Scotland were falsely charged with witchcraft and, in most cases, horrifically executed new research aims to shed light on those accused.

Experts from Napier University in Edinburgh have been asked by the Royal College of Nursing Foundation to document the stories of nurses and midwives

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accused of witchcraft between the 16th and 18th centuries.

As part of its programme of work to celebrate the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife the Foundation has awarded a Monica Baly Education Grant to the team of researchers to investigate almost 150 witches recorded on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as being folk healers and midwives.

The team from the Nursing and

Midwifery Subject Groups in the School of Health and Social Care, comprising of Dr Nicola Ring, Nessa McHugh and Rachel Davidson-Welch, will investigate the stories of these individual nurses and midwives, documenting who they were, and reflecting on their practices from today’s healthcare perspective.

Scotland’s Witchcraft Act was introduced in 1563 and remained law until 1736. During that time around 4,000 people were alleged

History - Healing wounds of the past The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1651

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History - Healing wounds of the past

to have dabbled in witchcraft.

The accused were imprisoned and brutally tortured until they confessed their guilt – often

Photo by Lila CC BY-SA 4.0 Witches Well, Edinburgh

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naming other ‘witches’ in their confessions. Most of those denounced are thought to have been put to death, usually by

being strangled and then burned at the stake, leaving no body for burial.

However, many of those accused and executed as being ‘witches’ were guilty of nothing more than helping to care for others

during sickness and childbirth – they were early practitioners of midwifery and nursing.

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History - Healing wounds of the past

People were accused of being witches for many reasons - some were mentally ill, some had land and money others wanted.

History - Healing wounds of the past

Dr Nicola Ring said it was quite shocking to see how little ‘evidence’ was needed to get these people accused, tortured and executed and it was exciting

1910 Halloween postcard

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to be able to investigate this overlooked part of nursing history.

“Telling the stories of these Scottish women and men

cruelly and unfairly accused and punished for helping the sick and women in childbirth highlights the injustices these people faced,” she said.

History - Healing wounds of the past

Sinclair Satan’s World 1685

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History - Healing wounds of the past

The new research will support the fight by Claire Mitchell QC and Zoe Venditozzi in their ‘Witches of Scotland’ campaign which seeks posthumous justice - a pardon for those convicted of witchcraft, an apology for all those accused, and a national memorial dedicated to their memory.

“We are very pleased to fund this project as part of our programme of work to mark the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

“This is an important project which will not only document the experiences of these early nurses and midwives and the injustices they faced but provide a fresh look at the early role and perceptions of nursing and midwifery, prior to the accepted Victorian archetype,” said Deepa Korea, Director of the RCN Foundation.

Claire Mitchell QC said: “Zoe Venditozzi and I (Witches of Scotland) are delighted that this

19th century illustration - Punishment of Witches

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work is being done to investigate and record the history of Scottish women and, in particular, those who were caught up in witchcraft allegations.

“We know from our research that some of the women and men were healers – involved in folk medicine and early midwifery – who were prosecuted for witchcraft and paid with their life.

This work shedding a light on this tragic history is important.”

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History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine

Antique hunting with... Roo Irvine

Photo: Auckland Museum Patch box

Beauty, fashion and cover-ups

by Roo Irvine

we take for granted.

e think we know an antique but sometimes we’re not even close to the real story, especially when it comes to the origins of an everyday item

Some antiques showcase functionality and beauty while divulging our social history, human interactions, flaws, insecurities and a need to convey the very best version of ourselves.

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The humble box, for example, has many faces. It can be a container for trinkets, a store for medicines or used for 101 other things. All kinds and varieties can be found in antique emporiums and modern gift shops. They can range in age from three months

History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine

to 300 years or more but while new examples may be shiny and bright much older versions, even the empty ones, can hold secrets of our past.

Let’s go back 300 years to the time of Louis XV when many of these delightful little boxes you find in museums and antique shops were used as ‘Patch Boxes’. The were called such because they held tiny, black patches made of gummed taffeta, silk or velvet if you were wealthy.

If you didn’t have money you made your own from mouse-skin.

The French called them ‘mouches’ or flies because of their appearance as small insects upon milky white skin. Not quite as appealing, but what were they?

Let’s delve further back to ancient Rome where cosmetic luxuries, such as make-up, perfume and jewellery, were every bit

Woman wearing patches by François Boucher

as desirable as they are today.

Women’s faces were primed and prepped with any combination of sheep sweat, animal urine, onions with poultry fat, placenta and even white lead.

The wealthy would bathe in asses milk, followed by a face whitener using crocodile dung. Swan fat treated wrinkles while snail ashes diminished freckles. Finally, soft leather patches were used to disguise blemishes and mimic natural beauty marks. Criminals and former slaves would use them to cover up scars of branding to avoid humiliation.

Portrait of the Countess of Palluau and Frontenac applying a beauty spot

Back in the 17th century these faux beauty marks, shaped like hearts, stars and crescents, covered a multitude of sins, especially if syphilis and smallpox were doing the rounds. Both afflictions scarred the face to the point where these delicate beauty marks, once a sign of wealth,

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History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine

intelligence, and status, rang alarm bells if a woman had too many.

In a youthful woman the patches were the most exquisite accessory, as they were supposed to add to her allure as a captivating creature. The positioning of the patch helped read the face like an open and willing book. Too many beauty marks on an older woman reeked of prostitution and had quite the opposite effect.

In medieval times moles were called witches’ teats and were seen as a mark of ownership by the devil. From blemishes to natural moles, you feel a real sense of understanding as to why women, and men, felt they had to cover up any imperfections, rightly or wrongly. The skincare regime at the time was often poisonous and hazardous and so the cycle was never ending… a real patch-22!

Mary, Queen of Scots

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Photo: MET A harlot’s progress

Every century has it’s own peculiar beauty fads, I shudder to think how we will be perceived in the future. Even Mary, Queen of Scots succumbed to the pressure for beautiful skin. She

was partial to white wine in the bath, not to drink but to bathe in. She contracted smallpox as a child but, luckily, it didn’t mar or scar her features. Unfortunately her cousin, Elizabeth I of England,

who contracted smallpox at the tender age of 29 wasn’t so lucky.

Crestfallen that her beautiful face was scarred she resorted to make-up containing white lead.

Photo Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum English Patch Box 1760 - 1780

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History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine

Queen Elizabeth I of England

History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine Hollywood studio publicity photo of actress Elizabeth Taylor

Her make-up would stay on for a week at a time and even the cleansers contained mercury. Eye drops to add sparkle included belladonna. With this heady mix of toxic ingredients eating away at her skin, making her wear even more of the white make-up she is known for, it was no surprise that lead-poisoning took her life at the age of 69.

Her desire to hold on to her beauty, and therefore her power, ultimately killed her. Perhaps there was an element of jealousy towards the smooth-skinned

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Mary who would have reigned if Elizabeth had not survived her smallpox.

As smallpox was eradicated, the patches were used predominantly for vanity to illuminate and draw attention to pale, creamy skin and, more so, as a fashion statement. After all the goddess Venus is supposed to have had mole on her cheek and her ‘imperfection’ only added to her beauty.

In the 20th century iconic movie starts such as Elizabeth Taylor

and Marilyn Monroe set new fashion trends with their beauty marks which were copied by millions of women the world over.

Understanding a little of the psychology behind the customs of the past can help us appreciate our antiques a little more. These ‘trinket boxes’ of history take on a whole new dimension when we consider the part they played in pandering to impossibly high beauty standards.

When it comes to collecting these little treasures the ones to look for

History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine Publicity photo of Marilyn Monroe circa 1953

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History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine

are enamelled, delicate, handpainted and often adorned in fine materials, such as gold, silver and jewels. French and Austrian boxes have traditional scenes of courtship - the kind of dates we all daydream about, lazing under an oak tree in our frilly fineries.

The English versions tend to be more refined and may feature little rhymes. The Russians used cloisonné and most will feature a mirror and perhaps a brush to help apply these magical patches.

The true character and heritage of these little boxes is something far more delicious than we could envision. They represent centuries of unrealistic beauty standards, social expectation, romantic rejection, elitism, class division and self-identity. Surely, that makes them so much more than just somewhere to store your wedding ring or multivitamins, wouldn’t you say?

Photo: MET 18c silver Dutch patch box

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Photo: MET German porcelain patch box circa 1750

History - Hunting antiques with... Roo Irvine Photo: Cleveland Museum of Art Patch Box

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

An open air drink at a bargain price

by Tom Morton

W

hisky is a drink for the open air, for the hills and moors, the dawn mountaintop

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and the midnight landing after a long cold day at sea. It’s a drink of the remote glen and the isolated cove, both convivial and secret, hidden and joyously shared. It was once made in

small, portable stills where there was running water to condense the none-too-pure spirit and an escape route should the forces of excise and revenue appear.

It works best not in the close,

I think of favourite drams and always, I remember the context in which they were consumed: Cask strength Glenmorangie cut with the water its barley was mashed with out at the Tarlogie Springs near Tain. A Glengoyne from a flask on top of Ben Lomond.

Ardbeg on the pier at the distillery in Islay. A Clynelish in the kirkyard at Croik, drinking perdition to the Duke of Sutherland and

remembering the horror of the Highland Clearances. Not one, not two but several dozen Up Helly Aa viking festivals in Shetland, sipping a variety of whiskies, mostly unidentifiable, in the aroma of burnt paraffin from flaming torches and blazing longships.

Because whisky is about memory, and a dram can be a time machine, capable of transporting you back to a place in your own personal history, just as solely as the perfume of a lost love or the

aroma of a much loved classic car or mud-soaked dog.

In fact there are whiskies that do smell of mud-soaked dog, or in the case of Glen Marnoch Islay Single Malt, a peat soaked mutt, probably a labrador fresh (perhaps the wrong word) from rolling in seaweed.

This is certainly the cheapest whisky I have written or spoken about ever, if not the least expensive drink. I once did a public tasting of Scotsmac (AKA

Tom enjoying an outdoor dram

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

overheated atmosphere of the pub or club, but in the bracing cut and thrust of a northern wind.

Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

Wham’s Dram, or Bam’s Dram if you’re being uncharitable, or accurate), a patent mixture of wine made from bulk South African grape juice and grain

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whisky, bottled in Largs in an old cinema and very popular among sixth years at my Ayrshire school.

It’s fair to say it did not go down well with the aghast audience

at the Wigtown Book Festival, in any sense. Even worse was comparing it to the so-called tonic wine Buckfast, the “electric soup” so popular with Scottish

Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

football supporters which combines cheap fortified wine with large amounts of caffeine. I have had better evenings. There were only a few arrests.

Glen Marnoch is a brand used by the supermarket chain Aldi to cover a variety of single malt bottlings, notably an awardwinning Speyside version. These

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

It’s £16 a 75 cl bottle, available online and in store, and to my mind and palate offers incredible value for money.

Some would disagree, rather snootily dismissing it as “entry level” whisky with only the vague attributes of a classic Islay. But there is also agreement that this particular whisky can vary from batch to batch, and that will depend entirely on when you buy it. All I can tell you is that mine,

bought online and delivered within the UK for free, assuming you spend a certain amount on things like Aldi’s amazing Bekaa Valley Chateau Ksara Lebanese red wine.

It is I think particularly good out of doors. And of course you do have to like the peatiness which comes, in varying degrees, as part of the traditional Islay package. My impressions of the whisky are coming from a reflective few sips next to the seawall on another island. I live in a house which is literally 10 metres from high tide mark, and so I took myself out on a windy day which threatened to head into gale, if not hurricane force later.

I stood by St Magnus Bay, and experienced this: First, on a grey and gusty day, a cormorant feeding offshore, the smell of this dram was a kind of collision between iron

filings and phenol, thinner than an older Islay but still redolent of that island (home of my maternal grandfather). The first sip, though, was uncompromising in its sweet peatiness, coating the palate with smoke and that tang of pleasantly unwashed dog, one that had been at the seaweed and the heather. The finish was warming but not abrasive and long lasting in its fireside Rayburn heat.

And as the wind grew in strength, and curious seals popped their heads out of the water, I leaned against the coarse concrete of the seawall and watched them watching me, thinking to myself, in the midst of lockdown, I have been in much worse bars than this. And drunk much worse whiskies at considerably greater cost.

But as i say, whisky is essentially an outdoor drink. And great drams are all about context.

Tasting Notes Glen Marnoch Islay Single Malt Whisky

Available only at Aldi supermarkets and aldi.co.uk for £16.49 a bottle NOSE:

TASTE:

“A kind of collision between iron filings and phenol, thinner than an older Islay but still redolent of that island “

“uncompromising in its sweet peatiness, coating the palate with smoke and that tang of pleasantly unwashed dog, one that had been at the seaweed and the heather.”

FINISH: “warming but not abrasive and long lasting in its fireside Rayburn heat”

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Food & Beverage - Skailg: A wee livener with... Tom Morton

are always young whiskies, in this case the absolute minimum a spirit can be aged in oak so that it can actually be called whisky, just three years. The distillery of origin is not named - common place in supermarket own-labels, but when it comes to Islay is almost certainly Caol Ila, whence bulk whisky is readily available for this kind of trade. Its dark colouring certainly stems from the addition of E150 caramel, which inevitably adds a tiny touch of sweetness.

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Food & Beverage - A taste of Scotland, Chef in a Kilt with….Gordon Howe

Chef in a kilt

with….Gordon Howe

Photos by Gordon Howe

Flour of Scotland

A

tasty delicacy, combining all the traditions of good old fashioned home baking with the delicate and mouthwatering taste of Scottish langoustines, is enough to tempt the tastebuds of almost anyone.

This recipe for West Coast Langoustine & Highland Heart Cheese Scones makes for a simple but delicious refreshment or afternoon tea with a difference.

There were once numerous

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sites across the country serving generations of Scottish families with the best quality flour in abundance. Sadly, many of the small independent operators have long since closed but there are still a few excellent mills supplying bakers with some of the finest flour available on the market today.

Undoubtedly the exceptional quality of the flour of Scotland has helped create one of the nation’s favourite foods - the good old Scottish scone, now

enjoyed worldwide in various forms. Who doesn’t enjoy an afternoon tea with a scone, butter, cream and jam?

A great way to start a debate in Scotland is ask how to pronounce the name of this High Tea treat.

Some people pronounce it as ‘skon’ (rhymes with ‘on’) while others say skoan (rhymes with ‘phone’). To be honest, either is acceptable.

Historically scones are believed to have originated in Scotland

Food & Beverage - A taste of Scotland, Chef in a Kilt with….Gordon Howe

and are closely related to a griddle-baked flatbread called a Bannock. They were traditionally made with oats, then shaped into a large round, scored into four or six triangles, cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of the stove.

The origin of the name ‘scone’ is unclear. There are those who believe the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned on the Stone of Destiny

in the ancient Perthshire Palace of Scone (pronounced Skoon, just to add further confusion).

Other devotees of the delicacy think the name is derived from the Dutch word (schoonbrot) for fine white bread, while others claim it came from the German word for fine bread (schönes).

In my family we believe, like many others in Scotland do, that it comes from the Scottish Gaelic

‘sgonn,’ meaning a shapeless mass — or large mouthful. My recipe captures this as the scones are cut into rough rustic shapes, but you can use a cutter if you wish.

Scones, need to be baked in a moderate to hot oven so the dough sets quickly, producing a light scone with a golden brown top and bottom with white sides and a light white and soft inner texture.

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Food & Beverage - A taste of Scotland, Chef in a Kilt with….Gordon Howe

To produce 10 West Coast Langoustine & Highland Heart Cheese Scones in 30 minutes follow these simple instructions:

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225g self raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 50g butter, cubed and cold 75g Highland Heart Cheese (Small cubes) 100g langoustine meat (Small pieces) 150ml milk 1 egg yolk

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Food & Beverage - A taste of Scotland, Chef in a Kilt with….Gordon Howe

Ingredients:

Food & Beverage - A taste of Scotland, Chef in a Kilt with….Gordon Howe Method

Slowly add the milk and use a knife to blend together the mixture gently, do not over stir it.

the scone shape. Continue this process until all the dough is used up.

In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder and a good pinch of salt. Add the butter and rub into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle your worktop with flour and pour the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough into a rectangular shape and fold over the edges to meet in the middle, then turn and repeat three times to add the layers.

Place the scones on the baking tray, brush on top with a little egg yolk for a rich golden colour.

Now, add the langoustine meat and grated cheese to the flour mixture.

Roll out the dough until it is around 1.5cm thick and use a fluted cookie cutter to create

Heat the oven to Gas 6 / 200˚C (180 fan) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

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Bake for 10-12 minutes and serve warm or cool on a wire rack.

Serve with fresh langoustines with a lemon and chive infused mayonnaise.

Food & Beverage - A taste of Scotland, Chef in a Kilt with….Gordon Howe

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Arts - Lowry’s Old Street in a new light

Lowry’s

Old Street in a new light I

t was painted more than 80 years ago and depicts an industrial Britain long since vanished … yet it has a strangely up-to-the-minute feel.

its virtual run at St Andrews Museum. It is untypical of Lowry for two reasons – the street’s vertical perspective and the sparseness of its inhabitants.

LS Lowry’s An Old Street, part of a new online show curated by a Fife gallery, features the artist’s trademark smoky skies, drab buildings and matchstick-like figures – each one, apparently, socially distanced.

“Lowry’s industrial landscapes are often filled by people in close contact with one another – be it at sports events, in chip shop queues or heading home after a hard day’s work,” said Lesley Lettice, exhibition curator.

The picture, painted in 1937, features in the Art-tastic exhibition, which has begun

“An Old Street, by contrast, has only 11 figures, who – apart from what looks like two parents with

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their children – appear reluctant to get too close. It all seems very contemporary.”

The painting, part of the collection managed by OnFife (Fife Cultural Trust), is one of only seven works

by Lowry to be held in Scotland’s public collections.

It was originally part of the magnificent collection belonging to Kirkcaldy linen manufacturer J W Blyth. The bulk of the Blyth Collection was bought by Kirkcaldy Town Council in the 1963.

Arts - Lowry’s Old Street in a new light Photo by Angus Blackburn

Other works on show as part of the Art-tastic exhibition include paintings by the eminent 20th century artist Sir William MacTaggart and the leading arts and crafts painter, John Duncan, as well as paintings of local

scenes, such as Kilconquhar loch, Crail harbour, and the Isle of May. Those logging on to view the artworks are being asked to create stories and verse inspired by the paintings.

Link to Artwork

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Photo by Angus Blackburn

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Arts - Lowry’s Old Street in a new light

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

An actor’s life for me with... Scott Kyle

Photo by Rosser1954 CC BY-SA 4.0 Theatre Royal, Dumfries

Treading the boards of history

he curtains may be down and the lights dimmed but Scotland’s internationally renowned theatre scene is ready for an encore and deserving of a standing ovation.

T

100 or more theatres providing a stage for a variety of live performances - ranging from low budget and innovative shows to sophisticated dramas and musical extravaganzas.

Throughout the country there are

When the doors open again I

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can’t wait to visit old favourites and new venues. There is something very special about sitting in the audience or treading the boards of a theatre, especially those steeped in history with living links to icons of the past.

Built between 1790 and 1792 for the then staggering cost of £800, raised through the 18th century equivalent of a crowdfunder, the theatre has undergone many

changes over the years, including a major renovation to make it a top class venue for the 21st century.

Unfortunately it was not big enough to cope with demand and shows were regularly sold out and potential customers turned away.

Sometime in the late 1780s theatrical impresario, entrepreneur, actor and manager George Stephen Sutherland spotted a gap in the market for a theatre in the town of Dumfries.

The idea for a new theatre was met with great enthusiasm by local folk so Sutherland started cultivating potential benefactors.

Subscribers who gave 10 guineas or more were entitled to free admission to the theatre and presented with an engraved silver medallion.

At the time the only place for visiting performers to showcase their talent was in the Assembly Rooms of the old George Hotel.

Photo by Rosser1954 CC BY-SA 4.0 The theatre has been updated for the 21st century

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

Among my favourites is the Theatre Royal, Dumfries - the oldest performance palace in the country, dating back to 1792. I’ve produced a touring show that played there and had the privilege of performing on its historic stage a few times in very successful productions. It is always a magical place to visit.

Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle Image courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin Robert Burns, a good friend and supporter of the theatre

Among Sutherland’s supporters was Robert Burns who was living at Ellisland Farm, a few miles north of Dumfries. Although unable to contribute financially the poet helped promote the project.

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On 2 February 1790 Burns wrote to his friend William Nicol: “A new theatre is to be built by subscription; the first stone is to be laid on Friday first to come.

Three hundred guineas have been raised by thirty subscribers,

and thirty more might have been got if wanted. The manager, Mr Sutherland, was introduced to me by a friend from Ayr; and a worthier or cleverer fellow I have rarely met with.”

No expense was spared. The entrance to the theatre was created in classical style with a pillared portico, the brightly lit auditorium exuded an air of comfort and luxury and some

of the scenery was painted by the renowned artist Alexander Nasmyth, for which he was paid a princely 100 guineas.

Nasmyth was a celebrated portrait and landscape artist of the time. Five years earlier he had created the most famous painting of Robert Burns and the two men had become firm friends.

Unfortunately only two pieces of his theatrical scenery are known to still exist, one of which was commissioned for the Dumfries venue. The National Gallery of Scotland has one of his early sketches described as a “Design for a scene for the Dumfries Theatre, done at the desire of Robert Burns, by Alexander Nasmyth”.

Portrait of Alexander Nasmyth by Andrew Geddes circa 1810

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

Local architect Thomas Boyd was commissioned to design the new building, inspired by the Theatres Royal in Bristol and Edinburgh, with seating for up to 600 people.

Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle Photo of portrait in Scottish National Gallery Robert Burns painted by his friend Alexander Nasmyth

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

house reflected equal honour on the liberality and taste of the proprietors, and design and execution of the artists, and conspired with the abilities of the performers in giving universal satisfaction to a crowded and polite audience.”

Video of Ca Ira

Two years and seven months after the foundation stone was laid the theatre opened its doors for the first time on Saturday, 29 September 1792, under the management of John Brown Williamson who had been poached by Sutherland from the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.

The local newspaper, the Dumfries Weekly Journal, covered the opening night and described the venue as “the handsomest provincial theatre in Scotland”.

Certainly the debut performance appears to have gone down a storm, as the newspaper reported: “The united elegance and accommodation of the

Almost immediately there were shouts from other members of the audience for “Ca Ira”, a popular song of the French Revolutionaries calling for the rich to be hanged.

Political tensions were running high throughout Europe in the wake of the French Revolution of 1789 and there were fears some of the ideas were finding popularity in Scotland.

Scuffles broke out in the auditorium and although supporters of God Save The King are said to have drowned out the revolutionaries it was noted that Robert Burns, controversially, remained seated throughout the singing of the National Anthem.

Throughout the early years of the theatre Burns was a frequent visitor and wrote several pieces for performers, including ‘A Scots Prologue’ as part of a fundraiser for the theatre.

As a wealthy provincial town Dumfries was a popular place for wealthy families to spend the winter and many of them were regular visitors to the theatre.

One of his favourite entertainers was the celebrated actress and singer Louise Fontanelle for whom he wrote ‘The Rights of Women’ and other poems.

On 30 October 1792, after a performance of ‘As You Like It’ attended by the Marquis of Queensberry and his aristocratic friends, there were calls for a rendition of ‘God Save the King’.

Fontanelle was a major star of the day, performing to packed houses in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and numerous provincial theatres throughout England and Scotland.

However, the audience was not always so ‘polite’. Shortly after the theatre opened, on a night that Burns was present, there was a near riot.

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

It was while performing at Dumfries that she caught the eye of Burns, a notorious ladies’ man.

Although she ended up marrying a friend of Burns, theatre manager John Brown Williamson, the poet was clearly captivated by her. In a letter to Miss Fontanelle Burns wrote: “To you, Madam, on our humble Dumfries boards, I have been more indebted for entertainment, than ever I was in prouder Theatres. Your charms as a woman would ensure applause to the most indifferent Actress, and your theatrical talents would secure admiration to the plainest figure.”

Louisa Fontenelle as Moggy McGilpin in The Highland Reel at Covent Garden 1788

Gustavus Vaughan Brooke

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In the 1830s the venue officially became the Theatre Royal Dumfries and, throughout the rest of the century underwent several changes. The audience

capacity was more than doubled and further ornamentation was added to create an even greater atmosphere of glamour and opulence.

Many top names of the 19th century played the theatre, including the celebrated Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean; the child prodigy William Henry West Betty; and Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, who so impressed the good folk of Dumfries that they named a street after him close to the theatre.

Perhaps the most famous name still familiar to audiences is that of Peter Pan playwright JM Barrie. He was a regular visitor to the theatre while a student at Dumfries Academy.

Kean as Sir Giles Overreach in ‘A New Way to Pay Old Debts’

Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

William Henry West Betty by John Opie

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J.M. Barrie

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

In 1959 the theatre was purchased by the Guild of Players as a permanent base.

Formed in 1913, with the aim of “promoting an improvement in the public attitude towards, and taste for, drama”, the Guild built a reputation for great performances and touring productions. One of its most famous alumni was the stage, screen and television actor John Laurie, known to millions of people as Private Frazer in Dad’s Army.

The Theatre Royal Dumfries, just a pleasant 90-minute train journey from Glasgow, is always well worth a visit, either for a behindthe-scenes tour or to attend any of the numerous shows and performances put on every year.

More details on what’s happening at the theatre can be found at www.theatreroyaldumfries.co.uk

By the turn of the 21st century the Georgian theatre was desperately in need of modernisation and, after some hard work and a lot of determination, it was given a new lease of life in 2014.

The early 20th century saw more changes as a succession of owners turned it into a roller-skating rink, cinema and eventually back to a theatre again.

Neighbouring buildings were bought and incorporated into a new design, keeping as much of the historic character as possible, resulting in a modern theatre with all the charm and atmosphere of the past.

Website QR Code

Photo by Grant McIntosh Photography CC BY-SA 4.0 The Theatre Royal at night

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Arts - An actor’s life for me... by Scott Kyle

John Laurie

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Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

Water way to enjoy good health years, the waters ripple gently in the evening sunlight.

With water temperatures of around five or six degrees celsius all year round it’s not somewhere to do much more than dip your toes in the water.

by Jo de Sylva

W

alking along the stunning banks of Loch Ness, looking across a view that hasn’t changed in thousands of

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Through the winter air temperatures hover just above freezing and in the morning you can often catch the haze of steam rising from the water surface, like a scene from a movie.

In the past few years something a bit more unusual has been taking

place in the waters of Loch Ness.

No, it’s not more sightings of the monster, but wooly bobble hats belonging to an intrepid group of people who are in the water swimming no matter what the weather.

Wild swimming, as it has come to be known, has undergone quite a resurgence in the past few years and its enthusiastic participants claim it can be rather addictive.

There is scientific evidence that plunging into cold water boosts the immune system, reduces pain and inflammation, is good for

Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

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Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

mental wellbeing and can boost brain power. Many wild swimmers talk of a euphoria, a sharpening of the mind and point

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to studies that show it can help with depression.

Nicky Marr, writer, event host

and life coach has been wild swimming with her sister for the past few years and says she loves the way it fills her with a childlike

“For me it’s about immersing myself in nature, and lying on my back in a loch gives me a perspective on life that I can’t

get elsewhere, especially when an osprey flies overhead,’ Said Nicky.

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Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

glee. The shock of the water hitting the skin can feel like red hot needles although it’s freezing cold, but it’s an addictive feeling.

Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

“It’s a release, a feeling that I’m part of something bigger and a way to forget about my worries.

Being in cold water helps me to

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be present, to connect with the here and now, and to relax”.

Pennie Latin, Director of

Adventurous Audio Ltd, an Independent Podcast company, came to wild swimming for a very different reason.

the idea of getting into the water.

“It just sort of seemed like it was what my body wanted and

needed as part of my recovery.

So I asked for a very thick wetsuit for my 50th birthday and on a wild, windy and grey day

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Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

Two weeks after major surgery for breast cancer she moved to a house over looking Loch Ness.

More and more she was drawn to

Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health late in May 2020 I had my first post-cancer swim in the Loch,” she said.

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Since then wild swimming has just become part of the fabric of Pennie’s life and her on-going recovery.

“ I feel free, utterly engaged in the environment, you tune in to the landscape around you,” said Pennie, as she explains how she

Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

feels when she’s in the water.

“Sometimes you feel small. I have felt vulnerable and exposed but

that’s rare these days. I also feel amazingly calm and peaceful. I feel simply joyous!

“Recovering from cancer during Covid has been a massive challenge and it feels like the wild swimming has given me a

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Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

doorway into a space where I can just cope with it all that little bit better. It makes me appreciate life. It helps me see how incredibly lucky I am. Every wild swim makes you feel like your glass is half full again – albeit with Scottish loch water!”.

There are of course precautions to take before anyone decides to try it.

“It’s important to be aware of when enough is enough. Know you limitations,” said Nicky.

“I know how to read my body and not to stay in for too long. I also know that ‘too long’ varies from person to person and from day to day. There is no ‘right length’ for a cold water swim – it depends on how you feel, the water and air temperatures, and the wind.

“I know that when i start to feel warm, it’s time to get out, get dried, and get cosy with a hat, a hot water bottle and a mug of hot chocolate.”

Pennie, who lives very close to the Loch, doesn’t get changed until she gets home.

“I leave the water, then, still in my wetsuit, I wrap myself in two towelling ponchos, thick mittens and a scarf then I walk up a steep hill, sipping hot ginger from a flask. I never feel cold. When I get back to the house I walk straight into a hot shower and take off my wetsuit in the warm, it feels like total luxury and a real treat”, And, as for the after effects Pennie says she feels “calm and rested” all day.

“My favourite time to swim is first thing and it just makes the whole day feel smooth and more manageable somehow,” she said.

Anyone looking to try the

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getting into the water to allow the body to acclimatise; never stay in for more than a few minutes to

begin with, and make sure they have a hot drink and a way to keep warm when they come out.

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Active Scotland - Water way to enjoy good health

experience for themselves should always take someone with them to begin with, take their time

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

Scents of history, heritage and nature

by Alicja Błasińska

L

ight a candle from Sassenach Scents, close your eyes and let the delicate essence of wild flowers transport you through time and space to the Highlands of Scotland in all its natural splendour.

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Using only environmentally friendly wax, infused with flowers sustainably foraged from a landscape barely unchanged for hundreds of years, these candles are free from dangerous chemicals and highly perfumed artificial fragrances.

have gone into the creation of the beautiful range of candles and melts hand made by Sassenach Scents, a new company launched last year by Maggie Rose, a native New Yorker who moved to Scotland from Florida in 2018 to fulfil a dream.

Some 20 years of experience

“I visited Scotland for the first

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska Sassenach Scents’ glasses, like these from the Star Chamber Collection, are intended to be reused

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

time in 2008. I had never been out of the US and was looking for somewhere to go on holiday. I love mountains and nature and

when I saw the brochures in the travel agents about Scotland I decided that’s where I wanted to go,” says Maggie.

Tummel Bridge, Perthshire by Joseph Mallord William Turner 1802 (PD-Art)

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“I stayed for just over month and I drove from the borders to Skye, and all over. I absolutely fell in love and swore I would move here

“When you come by Queen’s

View and Tummul Bridge it’s like going into a different world, completely transformative,” said Maggie, who lives and works near

Rannoch, an area of the country familiar to fans of the Outlander books and television series.

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

one day. It took me a good 10 years but it’s wonderful.

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

Indeed, one of Sassenach Scent’s most popular candles, made with heather, broom and sage, was inspired by Claire,

Photo by Paul Hermans CC BY-SA 3.0 Queen’s View

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one of the lead characters in the story.

“Those scents are mentioned

in Book One by Claire,” says Maggie. “As she is driving through Scotland she says she can smell the wild heather,

Maggie has been making candles for about 20 years, having started doing it as a hobby for herself, family and friends who can’t live

with really strong fragrances.

“I get migraines from candles that have a lot of perfume or

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

broom and sage so I created an Outlander inspired scent.

Customers love them.”

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska A hint of Winter

essential oils and I have friends and family in the same boat,” explains Maggie, who began making candles for herself using only natural ingredients free from

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any artificial scents.

She is not alone in having a reaction to strong perfumes and candles. Numerous academic

studies have highlighted a growing epidemic of problems associated with “fragrance sensitivity”.

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

It is estimated that around one third of people experience adverse effects from candles and other heavily scented consumer products. It can lead to a host

of negative effects, ranging from migraine headaches, asthma attacks, neurological complications, breathing and skin problems to loss of memory

or concentration, fatigue, compromised immunity, heart trouble and muscle or joint pains.

“I don’t use any essential oils

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

and absolutely no fragrances.

Everything is naturally scented and very mild. It’s not overpowering like so many essential oils or perfumes. I

don’t use anything but rapeseed coconut wax and locally sourced flowers that I forage for myself,” says Maggie.

Photo by VisitScotland / Kenny Lam Munros and peaks along Rannoch Moor, Glencoe

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“Everything Sassenach Scents does is with the environment and sustainability in mind.

The candle holders are whisky drinking glasses or can be used

“I am blessed to live next to a magnificent woodland and my property has a ton of wildflowers that grows on it. I forage what I need and then naturally dry

the flowers and use them in the candles.”

Even though Maggie launched the business in 2019, about a

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

as vases. It’s all about reusing or repurposing. If customers want to send them back they can get a discount off their next candle.

Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

month before the Coronavirus lockdown, word of mouth, and excellent online reviews from happy customers, has ensured

steady growth for the company.

“Beautiful hand made candles and wax melts with a subtle,

warming scent that is perfect. I find a lot of melts overpowering initially then quickly losing their scent - these last a long time

Photo by VisitScotland / Kenny Lam Lochan na h-Achlaise with a snow-capped Black Mount in the background, Rannoch Moor

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Trustpilot.

Another happy client said: “A beautiful and earth-sensitive

business making high quality, beautifully scented candles.

So many wonderful things to say: vegan, ethical, zero-waste,

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Style - Beauty & Style with... Alicja Błasińska

and so good to know they are sustainably made. Great customer service too,” wrote one customer on the online review site

The scent of Spring

natural, foraged and sustainable.

Aside from all those amazing attributes, the candles themselves are a true work of art and I love the way they smell.”

in France and the United States, with quite a few clients signing up for a monthly subscription which entitles them to a 15 per cent discount on each purchase.

Already Sassenach Scents has a lot of customers across the UK,

Few things are as atmospheric or relaxing as watching the

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gentle glow of a flickering candle casting shadows on a wall. Add to that the subtle scent of one of the last remaining untouched wildernesses in Europe and it’s easy to let the mind wander to another place and time.

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

The roots of Scottish Rock and Pop

T

he story of The Blues Council is perhaps one of the saddest in rock and pop history.

The trailblazing rhythm and blues band was born out of the tenements of Glasgow with a sound every bit as exciting as those coming out of Liverpool, London and the USA in the 1960s.

They were predicted to be major stars but were instead destined to become the victims of Scotland’s first Rock ’n’ Roll tragedy.

Although now almost forgotten,

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except by those of a certain age who can remember the vibrancy and excitement of the Scottish music scene of the period, the group left a legacy out of all proportion to their short lived reign of success.

As the resident band at the popular Scene Club on Glasgow’s West Nile Street they built up a loyal and enthusiastic fanbase which helped attract the attention of talent scouts who lured them to London, and a record deal with Parlophone - the same label as The Beatles.

Listen here

Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

with Tom Morton

#world #folk #scottish

Music to accompany reading Discover Scotland, the world’s only free online magazine dealing with Scotland all things Scottish. www.discoverscotlandmagazine.com 1) The Beatstalkers - Everybody’s Talking About My Baby 2) The Poets - That’s the Way It’s Got to Be 3) Alex Harvey - Agent Double O-Soul 4) Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Sergeant Fury 5) One in a Million - Fredereek Hernando 6) Marmalade - Laughing Man 7) Blues Council - Baby Don’t Look Down 8) Bobby Patrick Big Six - Sweet Talk Me Baby 9) The Mark Five - Baby What’s Wrong with You 10) The Athenians: Louie Louie 11) Studio Six - I Can’t Sleep 12) O’Hara’s Playboys - Ballad of the Soon Departed 13) Johnny and the Copycats - The Pain of Love 14) Cartoone - Ice Cream Dreams 15) The Road Hogs - My Generation

with Tom Morton

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Their first single, ‘Baby Don’t Look Down’, was a foot-stomping classic and the band was booked to make a debut appearance on the highly popular national television show ‘Ready, Steady Go’.

Full of high hopes for a bright future the boys returned to Scotland to quit their jobs and go professional. But, shortly before their scheduled return to London the band was persuaded to attend a party in Edinburgh to celebrate their success. On the way home, on 12 March 1965, their van crashed and both lead singer Fraser Calder (23) and bass player Jimmy Giffen (19) were killed. It was all over before it had started.

At the funerals weeping fans lined the streets of Glasgow and a tribute concert at the Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow was attended by more than 40 bands from all over the country, a

Photo by Finlay McWalter CC BY-SA 3.0

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Their only official release can be heard in this month’s Musical Discoveries show as presenter Tom Morton explores the extraordinary talent of Scotland’s early rock and pop bands.

Included in this month’s lineup is the band often referred to as Scotland’s Beatles, The Beatstalkers.

Formed in 1962 they were, for a time, Scotland’s top group and caused quite a stir when excited fans rioted at an open air concert in Glasgow’s George Square during a concert put on by the local council.

Resulting headlines caught the attention of Decca Records in London who quickly moved to sign the group. Unfortunately, they never managed to achieve the same level of success south

The Beatstalkers https://amzn.to/3q2XB7Q

The Poets https://amzn.to/3rb1XLg

of the border as they had in Scotland and the band eventually split up in 1969, shortly after the van with all their equipment inside was stolen.

Poets - a five piece psychedelic blues band from Glasgow with a sound combining styles of The Kinks, Small Faces and The Searchers.

Also on the bill this month is The

Their appearance - incorporating

velvet jackets, ruffled shirts, tight trousers, leather boots and shag haircuts - was said to draw its inspiration for Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns and has become synonymous with the sixties look.

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

testament to their popularity and influence.

Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton The Sensational Alex Harvey band https://amzn.to/3r8hH1S

A colossus of the music scene of the 1960s was Alex Harvey who appears in a couple of guises, as himself and as part of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

Born in the Kinning Park or Gorbals area of Glasgow, depending on which story you’ve heard, the singer’s roots were steeped in Dixieland jazz and skiffle music.

A major star whose career spanned three decades Alex died far too young from a heart attack the day before his 47th birthday on 4 February 1982.

Perhaps one of the most successful bands to come out of

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Scotland in the sixties was Dean Ford and The Gaylords or, as they were later called, Marmalade.

Between 1968 and 1972 Marmalade had a number of global hits and no less than 10 songs on the UK Singles Chart, the most famous being their cover of the Beatles’ song ObLa-Di, Ob-La-Da” which resulted in them becoming the first-ever Scottish group to reach number one and sell over a million copies worldwide.

Another, often forgotten, Scottish group with Beatles connections was the Bobby Patrick Big Six. As one of the first UK bands to perform in Hamburg during the

Photo The Old Composer CC BY-SA 3.0

early 1960s they helped inspire the Beatles’ unique sound. The Fab Four would often turn up to watch their Scottish rivals performing and both groups became great friends.

Although Glasgow was a major centre for the Scottish music scene of the 1960s there was plenty of talent and ambition elsewhere in the country. The Mark Five, an R&B and Big Beat Band from Edinburgh and Dunfermline, were so determined to get a recording deal that they walked some 400 miles to London. The plan worked. They attracted enough attention and publicity to get signed by the Fontana label.

Fellow East Coast group, The Athenians, didn’t walk anywhere but had more success, playing with the likes of Manfred Mann, The Hollies, The Animals, The

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Marmalade in 1968 Photo The Old Composer CC BY-SA 3.0

Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

Pretty Things and others. Their recording in 1964 of ‘You Tell Me/ Little Queenie’ is credited with being the first 7” Single to be released by a Scottish beat group.

This month’s show also has performances from Port Glasgow rockers The Road Hogs, Studio Six, O’Hara’s Playboys, Cartoone (whose debut album featured Jimmy Page as a guest musician) and One in a Million, whose recording of “Fredereek Hernando” is regraded as one of the most collectable psychedelic singles. Another claim to fame is that their song “No Smokes” was used in an episode of the children’s television series The Clangers.

Of all the pioneering Scottish groups Johnny and the Copycats is probably the longest lasting, as they are still gigging today.

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton Consisting of Banff butcher John Stewart and Buckie boys Iain Lyon on lead guitar, bassist Bill Cameron and Rob Lawson on drums, they were a big deal on the local and national music scene.

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Starting out aged just 16 they were booked to open for an up and coming Liverpool group called The Beatles at Keith’s Longmore Hall in 1962. Although the concert had to be cancelled, when the Beatles got stuck in snow on their way to the gig, The

Copycats went on to play with a number of big names including, Eden Kane, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, the Ronettes, the Hollies and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.

In 1964, when the band had all

Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton Photo by Ian Dick CC BY 2.0 Glasgow today is proud of its rock history

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Sounds of Scotland - Musical Discoveries... with Tom Morton C’mon! C’Mon! https://amzn.to/3bOcOEy

turned 18, they went to play in Germany alongside the Searchers and appeared in the UK on the bill with Herman’s Hermits, Sandi Shaw, and Adam Faith.

In the later half of the sixties, under the name ‘My Dear Watson’, they played with

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the likes of Pink Floyd, Geno Washington and the Small Faces.

Many of the tracks played by Tom in this episode of Musical Discoveries are from the new five CD box set C MON! C MON! The Roots of Scottish Rock and Pop 1963 - 1970 The Rockin

Sounds Of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, The Orkneys and Beyond!! *Discover Scotland multimedia magazine is an Amazon Associate and therefore earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this article.

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Arts - Bookmarker

Curl up with Scotland this

World Book Day and every day

by Helen Lloyd

E

very date on the calendar should involve time for a little reading but as millions of people around the globe celebrate World Book Day this month (March 4) we take a look at some titles worth checking out.

Scotland is known for its literary tradition and for inspiring authors and poets. Whether it’s a modern thriller by Ann Cleeves or Val McDermid; or a timeless classic like ‘Treasure Island’ or ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’, there is a book for everyone to get engrossed in that has been

inspired by Scotland’s lands and characters.

Whether you are looking for a modern page-turner, an exciting crime thriller in the Tartan Noir genre, or some treasured favourites worth reading again and again here’s a few suggestions:

Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan (published in January 2021) This is the third novel from Scottish author Jenni Fagan. In the story, over nine decades, No. 10 Luckenbooth Close in Edinburgh bears witness to a changing world outside its walls.

An infamous madam, a spy, a famous Beat poet, a coal miner who fears daylight, a psychic: these are some of the residents whose lives are plagued by the historic tenement building’s troubled history in disparate, sometimes chilling ways.

Historically, Luckenbooths – from which the book takes its name were a range of tenements which formerly stood immediately to the north of St. Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile.

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A Promise of Ankles: 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith (published in November 2020) Alexander McCall Smith has gained a loyal following with his series of novels 44 Scotland Street. The books cover the comings and goings of a group of residents at the address in the name (which is based upon a real street in Edinburgh) and the stories really bring the city to life.

Scotland Beyond the Bagpipes by Helen Ochyra (published in 2020) Travel writer Helen Ochyra has written this comprehensive, illustrative book about Scotland, covering everywhere from Edinburgh and Fife, to Stirling and the central belt, to the Isle of Arran and the west coast.

Readers can follow in her footsteps as she loops around the country in a solo, three-month journey she took in 2017 in the wake of her mum’s death.

She writes, “Scotland has shown herself to be fascinating. From her energetic, wild communities forging a life surrounded by mountains … to her ridiculously beautiful island landscape....”**

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The Moon’s Our Nearest Neighbour by Ghillie Basan First published in 2001, this is a beautiful and funny account from food and travel writer Ghillie Basan who moved from Edinburgh with her husband to a remote cottage at the foot of the Cairngorms. It describes the picturesque beauty of the Highlands, as well as the ferocious weather and the spectacular starry skies, as well as the tremendous strength of spirit in coming to terms with the hardships and isolation of a new lifestyle.

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves Author Ann Cleeves is famous for her crime novels set in Shetland (which have been adapted into a BBC TV drama), and this is the first book in the series. It follows DI Jimmy Perez on the trail of various grisly goings-on in Shetland. The book was originally intended as a one-off but there have been eight books published in the series, including Wild Fire published in 2018.

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Report for Murder & My Scotland by Val McDermid Another famous literary doyenne of Scottish crime fiction is Val McDermid whose first book Report for Murder was published in 1987. The reader is first introduced to selfproclaimed “cynical socialist lesbian feminist journalist” Lindsay Gordon—McDermid’s pioneering character—as she investigates the vicious murder of the headliner at a fundraising gala. McDermid has since written around 40 novels that have been translated into multiple languages. Her book My Scotland - a look at the author’s personal journey through Scotland and how she has used distinctive settings - was published in June 2019.

The Shadow Man by Helen Fields Author Helen Fields joined a strong company of female authors writing crime fiction with the publication of Perfect Remains, in 2017; the first book in a series covering the trials of DI Luc Callanach, a French police officer investigating murders in Scotland’s capital.

The Shadow Man is a new standalone novel from the same author, also set in and around Edinburgh. This time readers follows FBI profiler Connie Woolwine as she is called upon to help investigate a murder and a series of kidnappings in the city (including some heartstopping moments around the city’s New Town and historic closes off the Royal Mile).

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Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Legend has it that author Stevenson’s 1869 visit to Unst – the UK’s most northerly inhabited isle - inspired this classic tale of adventure. He would have visited the island with his father, the lighthouse engineer Thomas Stevenson, on a visit to Unst and Muckle Flugga to inspect the lighthouse that Thomas and his brother David had started building in 1854 However, there are those who are argue that it was the island of Fidra, based off the East Lothian coast, that provided the inspiration.

The brothers designed more than 30 lighthouses around Scotland’s coasts and the young writer would have seen most if not all of them. Either way it’s difficult not to find some hints of the beauty of Scotland’s coast throughout the prose.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Famous for its association with Scotland’s capital, the book was also made into an Oscar-winning film starring Maggie Smith. Miss Brodie is an eccentric teacher at an elite Edinburgh girls’ school whose progressive views and teaching methods are called into question.

Edinburgh is woven throughout the pages of the novel and various locations in and around the city including Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, Barnbougle Castle and Dalmeny House - were used during the making of the 1969 film. *Discover Scotland multimedia magazine is an Amazon Associate and therefore earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this article.

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Arts - Bookmarker Photo by Keith Goss, courtesy of Ships Monthly Captain Robin L. Hutchison at the controls of MV Jupiter

Riding a wave of nostalgia

by Helen Lloyd

H

ighly engaging, sometimes sad and often amusing the beautifully created memoirs of a sea captain and his life on board 10 top ships of the Clyde is a great read for anyone with a passion for Scotland’s social and nautical history.

Captain Robin L. Hutchison,

aka “Hurricane Hutch”, presents a highly personal and unique account of life as a Master Mariner sailing the waters off the West coast of Scotland during the post-war period.

His vivid recollections of taking passengers ‘doon the water’ for days out on the old Clyde Steamers or transporting goods and vehicles to the islands on modern ferries paints a

picture of an era almost gone and consigned to the realm of nostalgia.

Salt water appears to run through the veins of Captain Robin as he takes the reader on a journey through time, starting with his first foray on to the water aged nine, as a deckhand during the school holidays on small creel boats fishing the Ayrshire coast. It was clear from an early age that he

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was destined for a career in the merchant marine.

an apprenticeship in London in 1949.

At the tender age of 15 Robin attended the James Watt Nautical College before securing

Over the next few years the young sailer learned fast on voyages that took him to

Photo by Bryan Kennedy Caledonian Isles off Brodick

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By the late 1950s Robin, after meeting his wife Ann, was ready to settle down closer to home and in 1962 was offered a job on the Clyde with the Caledonian Steam Packet Company (CSPC).

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Australia, New Zealand, South & Central America, The Middle East, the Mediterranean and even Siberia, as he quickly rose through the ranks.

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It was a fortunate move. In order to take the Clyde job Robin turned down the offer of Mate on a deep sea ship called the Ardgarry which, only a month later, sank in a fierce storm with the loss of all hands.

Photo Glasgow Museums Maid of Argyll

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In the book Robin, who became one of the youngest captains to serve on the Firth of Clyde, details his adventures on his personal favourite Top 10 Ships of the Clyde, including his first command the Maid of Argyll and his last, the Hebridean Princess.

Over the years his career saw him take charge of numerous vessels of differing sizes, uses and personalities and he reveals many of the stories and anecdotes about the ships and the people he encountered along the way.

Arts - Bookmarker Photo by Bryan Kennedy Waverley approaching Ayr Harbour

His story is lovingly illustrated with almost 100 images, many of them highly personal photographs, revealing a snapshot in time of the ships, locations and people which made the Clyde such a unique place to live and work.

Over a career spanning almost half a century he witnessed the transformation of an industry and a society in which iconic paddle and turbine steamers, such as Jeannie Deans, Caledonia, Waverley and Queen Mary, gave way to more functional point to

point car ferries.

Captain Robin’s unique memoirs and personal images make for a delightful read and a great gift idea for anyone with an interest in the golden age of travel on the Firth of Clyde.

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“Hurricane Hutch’s Top 10 Ships of The Clyde”, published by Belle Media, is available in hardcover priced £25 from Amazon *Discover Scotland multimedia magazine is an Amazon Associate and therefore earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this article.

Photo by Bryan Kennedy Hebridean Princess off Castlebay, Isle of Barra

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Amazon Associate QR Code

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Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

Paranormal investigator Malcolm Robinson on This Morning with Amanda Holden, Shaun Ryder and Phillip Schofield

The conjuring up of a poltergeist

by Paul Kelbie

S

ixty years ago this month one of the most puzzling cases in Scottish supernatural history came to an end, almost as suddenly as it had begun.

For at least five months residents of a small Clackmannanshire town found themselves unwilling witnesses to a series of paranormal events every bit as frightening as any Hollywood movie.

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The mysterious case of the Sauchie Poltergeist attracted world-wide attention back in the dark winter days of late 1960 and early 1961. Even now, decades later, it still continues to baffle scientists, academics and investigators unable to come up with a suitable explanation.

According to author Malcolm Robinson, one of the country’s most experienced researchers into the mysteries of the supernatural, it remains one of the world’s least known but best

Malcolm Robinson

Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

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Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

documented cases of a possible poltergeist haunting.

could start a new life together in Scotland.

The researcher, who founded the organisation Strange Phenomena Investigations in 1979, revisits the case in his latest book, ‘The Sauchie Poltergeist (and Other Scottish Ghostly Tales)’.

Virginia was the youngest child in the family. All of her siblings were adults and at the time of the incidents she was staying with her 30-year-old brother Thomas, his wife Isabella and their daughter Margaret, in Sauchie.

Her mother Anne had secured a live-in housekeeping job at a boarding school in the nearby village of Dollar.

Like many classic accounts of the paranormal it begins on a cold, dark, late autumnal night.

Tuesday, 22 November 1961 was just like any other weekday evening until 11-year-old Virginia Campbell and her 9-year-old niece Margaret, began bedding down in the room they shared in Park Crescent, Sauchie.

Virginia had recently arrived in the historic village, the name of which derives from field of willows, with her mother Anne from the small community of Moville, Donegal.

Her father, James, had stayed behind in Ireland to complete the sale of the family farm so they

Although not a large property the family had been rubbing along happily together for a few weeks without any problems until, out of the blue, they found themselves in the twilight world of the unexplained.

The house was quiet and the children were in bed when the girls suddenly began to hear a strange scratching noise. At first they thought it might be a mouse but it was soon followed

Photo by Paul McIlroy CC BY-SA 2.0 Sauchie is an ordinary town like many others in Scotland

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by a loud banging that sent them running from the room, chased by what sounded like an invisible medicine ball bouncing down the stairs after them.

The girls burst into the living room where Thomas and Isabella had been sitting oblivious to the noises. Both girls were clearly upset so the adults took them upstairs and reassured them there was nothing to fear. But, as the children climbed back into bed the noises began again and this time everybody heard it.

Unable to locate the source of the scratching, which grew louder and louder, the girls were split up into separate rooms, but it didn’t help. Only when Virginia had fallen asleep from exhaustion did the noises stop, temporarily.

Over the next few nights the sounds got so bad that the family sought help from the local doctor and church minister.

Throughout the next few weeks no less than three GPs, several church ministers, a school teacher and a number

of neighbours heard and saw a series of events they could not explain.

Among the numerous incidents reported by the witnesses were items of heavy furniture being moved by an unseen force;

Photo by Richard Webb CC BY-SA 2.0 Overlooking Sauchie

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Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

Photo by Richard Webb CC BY-SA 2.0 Shops in Sauchie

Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

doors opening and closing by themselves; the sound of ghostly footsteps walking across the floor; household ornaments floating in mid-air; bedding changing colour or being pulled; pillows rotating; personal items going missing and then suddenly reappearing; and electrical appliances mysteriously turning on and off.

Throughout the ordeal there were also times when both Virginia and Margaret were said to have been hurt by an unseen force pinching them as they lay in bed.

Eventually things got so bad that Virginia was moved to another house in nearby Dollar, but the strange happenings followed her.

“What is so odd about this case was that the poltergeist seemed to have attached itself to Virginia rather than the property. It went wherever she did,” said Malcolm, who tracked down the schoolgirl’s former teacher, Margaret Stewart, who was witness to some of the strangest events.

“According to the teacher Virginia was shy and somewhat withdrawn but a very bright and pleasant girl,” said Malcolm.

“One day Ms Stewart saw Virginia sitting at her desk with her arms pressing down on the lid. When she asked what was wrong Virginia lifted her arms and the lid began flapping up and down by itself, and the neighbouring desk rose about three inches off the ground.

Photo by Ahmose Athena from Pexels

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“However, the most alarming incident was when Virginia approached the teacher’s desk on which a blackboard pointer was lying. The cane started to vibrate and then rose up on its end and began banging on the table.

Then, without anyone touching it, the whole table lifted and slowly spun round 90 degrees while

Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

a bowl of flower bulbs flew off another table and smashed into the wall.

“At that point the entire class, about 30 of them, screamed and ran for the door but it wouldn’t open,” said Malcolm.

“The teacher, who told me she could remember the events like they happened yesterday, didn’t have the strength to pull open the door. It was like there was someone on the other side holding it shut.

“Ms Stewart tried to keep the children calm by saying something about there being a strong wind keeping it closed but suddenly whatever was holding the door let go and it opened easily.”

After December 1960 events in the Campbell household slowly calmed down and by March 1961 normality appeared to have returned.

Despite the widespread media attention the family have always refused to speak about what happened. Virginia eventually moved away and now lives somewhere in England.

However, the story does not end there. According Malcolm other people who have since moved into the Campbell home, and neighbours in the same road, have experienced strange events.

In his book, available from Amazon, the author reveals that several families who have lived in the Park Crescent house have reported paranormal events, as have the inhabitants of properties to the left and right.

One woman who moved into a house next to the former Campbell home in 1970 was plagued by electrical plugs popping out of their sockets and

Photo by Kaitlyn Jade from Pexels

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Supernatural - The conjuring up of a poltergeist

loud scratching or clawing noises coming from the living room.

Her young son also claimed to have seen a spirit lady pulling at his bed covers which he said changed colour, in the same way, unknown to him, that Virginia’s had done a decade earlier.

In a house further down the street

another resident claimed to have been thrown across her bedroom and pushed down stairs by an invisible force. She also reported hearing a baby crying and witnessed a nailed-shut cupboard door spring open.

“I started off investigating the paranormal as a complete sceptic

to prove there was no validity whatsoever to any of it,” said Malcolm. “How wrong was I? “There are some cases that can’t be explained. The Sauchie Poltergeist, with all the credible witnesses and documentation, is certainly one of those.” *Discover Scotland multimedia magazine is an Amazon Associate and therefore earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this article.

Amazon Associate QR Code

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Supernatural Scotland - Creatures from the lochs

Photo by DeFacto CC BY-SA 4.0 The Kelpies, Falkirk

Creatures from the lochs

by Graeme Johncock

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W

ith over 900 islands, 30,000 lochs and almost 10,000km of coastline it’s hardly surprising that a lot of Scotland’s mythology and folklore is connected with water. Rivers and lochs may be part of a beautiful landscape but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous and stories of terrifying creatures might encourage children to be just that little bit warier around them.

Of all the legendary creatures that lurk around Scotland’s shores, the Kelpie is the most iconic and has gathered even more fame since the creation of two gigantic horse head sculptures bearing their name near Falkirk. There is some debate about the differences between Kelpies and WaterHorses but the descriptions are so similar that many now believe they are two names for the same creature.

the victim is stuck fast and unable to break free. The Kelpie then gallops towards its lair in a loch or river and plunges in, drowning their prey before devouring all but the liver which usually washes up

a day or two later. It’s thought that at one point every Scottish loch of any renown had its own Kelpie and you can find similar stories of close encounters across the country.

Photo by Graeme Johncock Loch Laich and Castle Stalker

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Supernatural Scotland - Creatures from the lochs

They are mythical, shapeshifting beasts that often lurk near the water in the form of a beautiful black horse. This is an attempt to lure weary travellers onto their backs and once they’ve mounted,

Supernatural Scotland - Creatures from the lochs

Photo by Pip Rolls CC BY-SA 2.0 Loch Garve from the train

Not every Kelpie story is gruesome or tragic however such as the following tale from the Scottish Highlands: One day a builder who lived not far from the Black Water in the north of Scotland opened his

door to find a beautiful, black horse grazing near his cottage.

When the builder realised there was no owner to be seen, he couldn’t believe his luck! He jumped on the back of the beast but as soon as he swung his leg over, realised his mistake. This

Photo by Anna and Goetz Gerhardt CC BY-SA 2.0 Loch Garve

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was none other than the Kelpie of Loch Garve. The Kelpie galloped off towards its lair and plunged down into the depths with the builder praying for his life rather loudly on its back.

Supernatural Scotland - Creatures from the lochs

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Kelpies

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Supernatural Scotland - Creatures from the lochs

To his surprise, when they reached the bottom of the loch the builder could still breathe and his captor explained that he had brought him here to help with a

Photo by Graeme Johncock Loch Earn

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problem. The Kelpie had taken a wife but she wasn’t immune to the cold like he was and complained that all she had to eat was raw fish. They needed a fire

in the lair so the Kelpie asked the builder to construct a fireplace with an enormous chimney that would reach all the way up near the surface of the loch.

Being trapped underwater with a terrifying Kelpie, the builder could hardly refuse. With the strength of the Kelpie to shift the stone blocks, the builder finished the chimney in hardly any time and with the fire roaring in the hearth, the Kelpie’s wife was happy. The

Kelpie brought the builder back to the surface and was so grateful that he promised to reward him the only way he could. Any time the builder wanted fresh fish, he was to leave an empty basket by the loch and by the morning it would be completely full.

The Kelpie keeps the fire going to this day and even when the surrounding area is covered in thick ice and snow, there is one spot on the loch that never freezes over. Directly above the Kelpies chimney.

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Supernatural Scotland - Creatures from the lochs

Photo by Graeme Johncock Loch Shiel

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

St Ninians, Banff

Looking for a change of lifestyle?

A

n impressive 19th century townhouse overlooking the historic coastal town of Banff with beautiful views of the Moray Firth is on the market for offers over £295,000.

St Ninians in the centre of the Aberdeenshire town occupies an elevated position and, although in need of some renovation, has

many fine period features.

Situated back from the public road and screened by a tall stone wall the B-listed, four-storey house offers the opportunity to create a wonderful home with four reception rooms and six bedrooms

From the enclosed garden to the front, the house is accessed via a

vestibule into a hall with attractive stone columns and a staircase leading to the upper floors.

The house has many of the features expected in a property of this age and character, including tall corniced ceilings, open fires and an impressive staircase with a carved handrails and ornate balusters.

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

Further south Woodlands Stables, an attractive fourbedroom country house on the

Woodlands Stables, Blairgowrie

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edge of the Perthshire town of Blairgowrie, offers an outstanding rural lifestyle together with a high

degree of privacy for offers over £725,000.

a newly planted arboretum and landscaped gardens, in a scenic rural setting, yet close to the

centre of Blairgowrie,” said Scott Holley of selling agents Galbraith.

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

“Woodlands Stables combines 16 acres of land for grazing animals with an excellent riding arena,

Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

“The house provides wellappointed, light-filled accommodation, with excellent space for entertaining and four

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generous bedrooms in one of the most sought-after parts of Perthshire.”

enclosed by a mature hedge, extensive herbaceous border, a collection of fruit trees and a greenhouse.

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

The triple aspect garden room with terracotta tiled floor and vaulted ceiling offers lovely outlooks over the grounds

Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

A terrace, gazebo, French boules court and a bespoke garden seat also feature in the front garden, making it ideal for outdoor entertaining.

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For few thousand pounds more Coalburn Farm, two miles from Beith, North Ayrshire and within easy reach of Glasgow comes with landscaped gardens, 14

acres of grazing land and a range of luxury attractions.

Built in 1840, it has been extended to incorporate an

annexe which could be used as accommodation for additional family members or as a selfcontained apartment.

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

Coalburn Farm, North Ayrshire

Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

For offers over £875,000 the property includes an impressive garden room, a custom built-in wine cellar, a high-end kitchen,

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five bedrooms and a swimming pool complex with Endless Pools Swim Pod, gym, sauna, shower and WC.

“The current owners have extended and upgraded the property to an extremely high standard, creating a home that

“The house provides exceptional

accommodation, with spacious and light-filled reception rooms for entertaining and a wealth of premium features. With the bespoke fitness suite,

accompanying outbuildings, wellmaintained land and quiet setting, this is a property that we expect to attract significant interest.”

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

offers the perfect lifestyle for our times,” said Vivien Wright, selling agent.

Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

Benshie Cottage, Angus

For a slightly lower price, offers over £460,000, a new life is up for grabs at Benshie Cottage in the heart of the idyllic Angus countryside.

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Complete with 1.75 acres of private woodland and gardens the house, offers a superb rural lifestyle and is ideal for home working. There is an office in the

house and also a large timberbuilt home office in the garden.

The cottage is very spacious with a flexible layout to suit a variety of family circumstances.

Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle?

The main accommodation includes a sitting room, dining room, family room, breakfasting kitchen, sun room, utility, home office, store, four bedrooms,

dressing room, en-suite shower room, wet room and main bathroom.

“Benshie Cottage provides

well-proportioned light-filled accommodation with generous reception space for entertaining and family living. The grounds are a delight, offering the

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Living Scotland - Looking for a change of lifestyle? opportunity to grow your own fruit and vegetables in part of the garden and there is a wonderful area of woodland which offers the ultimate space for woodland

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walks, habitat conservation and wildlife watching,” said selling agent Scott Holley.

Despite the tranquil setting

the property is surrounded by beautiful Angus countryside and is just a mile from the A90 with easy links to all of Scotland’s major cities.

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