Scotland Correspondent Issue 23

Celebrating one man’s fight for freedom

Traditional dish with a Swedish twist

Sea of sanctuary for wildlife

Searching for shadows on the ghost trail

Inside the club built for heroes

Turn back time with Roo Irvine

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inside this issue 10

Remembering a champion of freedom New exhibition on the life of Frederick Douglass opens in Edinburgh.

18 Home

sea

in the

Scottish waters identified as marine hotspot for marine wildlife.

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32

Remembering the fallen

Edinburgh’s Royal Scots Club - a living memorial to those who served.

46 Oats

simple

so

Scandinavian chefs take top prize at Porridge Championships.

52 No

need for a flux capacitor

Roo Irvine travelling through history without a time machine.

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62 Back

nature

to

The experts calling for the rewinding of Scotland.

72 Dram

rare

Johnnie Walker releases a ‘new’ 50-year-old whisky.

78 What’s

name?

in a

University of Glasgow names new building after first AfricanAmerican doctor.

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84 Turning

to the dark side

A brief guide to searching out some of the spookiest spots in supernatural Scotland.

108 Behind the

wire

Artefacts of life as a WWI prisoner of war go on display.

Date 4 Your Diary

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114 Clan Column Lightning damage to MacKinnon stronghold is repaired with help of the clan.

120 Opportunity

knocks

Debut album from The Firrenes looks set to be a hit. p7

What’s on in Scotland and elsewhere this November.

Cover Photo

by Paul Tomkins/ VisitScotland Inveraray Castle

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Life and work of American human rights advocate celebrated in Scotland P ersonal items relating to the life and work of one of the world’s most famous and influential anti-slavery and human rights advocates have gone on show for the first time in Edinburgh.

Never before seen items from the Frederick Douglass family collection are on public display at the National Library of Scotland in a special exhibition titled ‘Strike for Freedom: Slavery, Civil War and the Frederick Douglass Family’.

Letters, speeches and photographs from the Walter O. and Linda Evans Collection, are on loan to the National Library for a display to mark the 200th anniversary of the antislavery campaigner’s birth.

Walter O. Evans is a collector and conservator of African American art, history and culture. He personally delivered the material to the Library in August, and returned to Edinburgh for the launch of the new exhibition.

“Douglass loved Scotland and I can think of no better place or time to exhibit this material than in Edinburgh on the 200-year anniversary of his birth,” said Dr Evans.

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Walter O. Evans

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Charles Remond, Joseph Henry and Lewis Douglass in 1895

Frederick Douglass by Mathew B. Brady c.1877

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Frederick Douglass started life as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey when he was born into chattel slavery in Maryland in 1818. In freedom, he chose his new surname after drawing inspiration from a swashbuckling character depicted in Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake.

A man of great intellect and a talented orator Douglass wrote several autobiographies in which he described his life as a slave in Maryland and his neverending fight for freedom and better rights for all, regardless of race or gender. He was even the first African American to be nominated for Vice President of the United States.

In 1846 Douglass visited Scotland as part of an international tour to promote the abolitionist message and fell in love with the country and its people.

For the first time in his life Douglass said he had found a city where he was treated equally. In a letter to his friend William White, which is held in the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University, he described Scotland’s capital as one of he most beautiful cities in the world.

“I never saw one with which for beauty elegance and grandeur to compare it,” he wrote.

“The Monument to Sir Walter Scott, on Princes Street is just one conglomeration of architectural beauties.

“The Calton Hill, Salisbury Craggs and Arthur Seat give the city advantages over any city I have ever visited…”

Douglass also revealed how he felt accepted as an equal by the people of Scotland

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Photo by Daniel Penfield CC BY-SA 4.0 Gravestone of Frederick Douglass located in Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York

“I enjoy every thing here which may be enjoyed by those of a paler hue— no distinction here. I have found myself in the society of the Combes, the Crowes and the Chambers, the first people of this city and no one seemed alarmed by my presence.”

During his tour of Scotland Douglass visited Ayr, where he went to see the birthplace of the poet Robert Burns, whose work he greatly admired, as well as trips to Arbroath, Paisley, Perth, Kelso, Glasgow and Dundee where tickets had to be sold for his speeches as they so were popular.

“For the first time, Strike for Freedom tells the story of the revolutionary activism not only of Frederick Douglass – world-famous freedom-fighter, liberator and human rights campaigner – but of his family members,” said CelesteMarie Bernier, The University of Edinburgh’s Professor of Black Studies and Personal Chair in English

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Literature.

“Douglass’s wife, Anna Murray, daughters, Rosetta and Annie, and sons, Lewis Henry, Frederick Jr., and Charles Remond all sacrificed everything they had in working towards a ‘new dawn of freedom’.”

While the many public lives of Frederick Douglass as the representative ‘fugitive slave’, author, orator, philosopher, abolitionist and reformer continue to be told worldwide, this display tells the story of Douglass as a private individual and family man. It features manuscripts, letters, speeches and photographs of Frederick Douglass and his sons, Lewis Henry, Frederick Jr., and Charles Remond.

The display also shows that Frederick Douglass was not alone in his journey to Scotland, and his work with Scottish antislavery societies. He was joined by a number

of African American freedomfighters who travelled to Scotland in their campaigns to abolish slavery, segregation, and lynch-law, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Amanda Smith, Josiah Henson, Moses Roper, and Ellen and William Craft.

“We are very pleased to host this world-first display of material related to Frederick Douglass, alongside material from our collections. The exhibition sheds new light on Douglass’s time here in Scotland in the mid-19th century, as well as providing insight into the work of the wider Douglass family as they campaigned for social justice in the US,” said Dr John Scally, National Librarian.

The free exhibition, ‘Strike for Freedom: Slavery, Civil War and the Frederick Douglass Family’, runs until Saturday 16 February 2019 at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.

Celeste-Marie Bernier, Dr John Scally and Walter O. Evans

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Waters of life T

he attractions of Scotland are well documented for the millions of people who come every year but it appears humans aren’t the only ones inspired to pay a visit.

A 15-year long pioneering study of Scotland’s west coast seas has recorded more than 30,000 sightings of 23 different species, quarter of the world’s known species, including mike whales, dolphins and basking sharks.

A minke whale and the Silurian between Coll and Barra

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Marine conservationists from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust have produced a new atlas capturing key discoveries made over the past two decades which demonstrate just how globally important the area is as a hotspot for cetaceans.

The first Hebridean Marine Mammal Atlas showcases findings by the charity’s scientists and citizen science volunteers during annual research expeditions on its specialised yacht Silurian.

A vast area of the ocean, stretching from beyond Cape Wrath, south to Kintyre and as far out as St Kilda has been extensively surveyed and the results have highlighted the region’s extraordinary biodiversity and shed new light on the habits of its whales, dolphins and porpoise and basking sharks.

“This pioneering research is transforming our understanding of the Hebrides’ remarkable cetaceans, while offering new insights about

Photo © HWDT Common dolphin

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Photo by M. Brook HWDT Bottlenose Dolphin

Volunteer Cal Hawes on board Silurian

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Photo © HWDT Silurian

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trends and changes in the marine environment,” said Dr Lauren HartnyMills, Science and Policy Manager at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

The atlas also celebrates the contribution of over 700 paying volunteers who have joined one of 200 research expeditions on Silurian, making the surveys possible year after year.

“It is increasingly clear that the Hebrides is a truly special place

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for cetaceans and basking sharks, and that we need to do far more to protect them and their environment,” said television presenter Liz Bonnin, patron of the trust.

So far, 23 cetacean species – a quarter of all known globally – have been recorded in the Hebrides.

Since 2002, Silurian has travelled more than 100,000 kilometres – the equivalent of sailing two and a half times around the world – and 30,000 animals have been recorded.

Discoveries include the Hebrides being a vital feeding ground for minke whales and basking sharks, and that the region is one of the most important areas for harbour porpoise in Europe. The trust’s evidence was used to identify the boundary of Scotland’s first protected area for harbour porpoise, approved by the Scottish Government in 2016.

Photo Š HWDT Minke whale in the Hebrides

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The research has also established that the Hebrides supports the UK’s only resident population of killer whales or orca – a group of eight individuals called the West Coast Community, which is likely to go extinct within a generation as no calves have ever been seen.

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The trust’s researchers were also the first to suggest that bottlenose dolphins live year round off Scotland’s west coast.

Human impacts on the marine environment – including entanglement, marine litter, and underwater noise – are also monitored on the surveys. The scale of such threats is often still unclear.

With sea temperatures rising in the Hebrides, climate change may be a cause of a 20-fold increase in common dolphin sightings, as this species is generally found in warmer seas. Ongoing research is vital for monitoring such trends.

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Photo by Kerry Froud, HWDT Biodiversity Officer

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Photo by M. Brook HWDT

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The trust’s unique citizen science programme always uses the same rigorous methods, with annual variations in survey effort accounted for – ensuring findings are comparable between years.

This provides long-term data on species’ distributions, populations,

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and behaviours, which is crucial for identifying important areas, and trends and changes in the marine environment.

A long, complex coastline, strong ocean currents, variety of habitats and the influence of the Gulf Stream

all boost the area’s biological richness. West of the Outer Hebrides a deep-water basin called Rockall Trough is a ‘migration highway’ for large whales like blue whales, and deep-diving species such as sperm and northern-bottlenose whales.

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Photo by Guy Phillips

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Country house charm in the heart of the city

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S

ituated in the centre of Edinburgh, among the historic terraced houses of one of the capital’s most graceful Georgian crescents, the Royal Scots Club is a living memorial to the memory of the fallen of the First World War.

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Now a popular place for visitors seeking a comfortable and convenient place to stay in the middle of the city’s celebrated New Town the club has a proud and distinguished history.

As the dark days of the conflict that was supposed to be the war to end all wars drew to a close an officer with the Royal Scots had an idea.

Colonel Lord Henry Scott, the younger son of the sixth Duke of Buccleuch, had experienced enough of the camaraderie of the battlefield to realise a noble birth was not necessary for a man to be a gentleman.

In 1919, while other regiments considered building monuments to remember their dead, Lord Henry proposed the founding of a club in the centre of Edinburgh for all ranks which would serve as a tribute to the regiment’s fallen comrades, all 11,162 of them.

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Lord Henry’s idea received a huge amount of support and the Royal Scots War Memorial Fund was formed, trustees appointed and a Public Appeal launched which quickly raised over £2,000 in the first week. Eventually the fund increased to over £17,000, equivalent to about £5million today.

Within two years the fund had enough money to purchase numbers 30 and 32 of Abercromby Place, and The Royal Scots Club was born. Initially used exclusively for regimental alumni the club has reinvented itself several times over the years until, in the early 1990s, it eventually became what it is today a private members club open to the public.

The club still has a thriving cohort of some 1,750 members but the facilities are now available for use by visitors to Edinburgh seeking accommodation, as a conference and special events venue or as somewhere to enjoy

lunch or afternoon tea in genteel surroundings.

It is superbly located to enjoy the city. Just a brief stroll from Abercromby Place lies George Street with its mix of chic boutiques offering a range of fashionable shopping.

The nearby cosmopolitan Broughton Street has a variety of bars and restaurants and it’s a only a short walk to the city’s famous Princes Street.

The club’s 25 bedrooms are individually designed and traditionally furnished with modern facilities and many have magnificent views over the rooftops of Edinburgh towards Fife.

The main hub of life at the club is The Cocktail Bar & Lounge. A perfect spot to relax it is open six days a week to members, non-members and families of all ages for a light lunch, coffee or maybe something a little stronger.

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For a more formal gastronomic experience The Abercromby Dining Room on the first floor, with the magnificent view overlooking Queen Street Gardens, provides a perfect setting to enjoy the some of Scotland’s finest cuisine surrounded

by Georgian splendour.

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With its carved staircases, marble fireplaces, fringed pelmets, rolltop baths and king size or four poster beds the hotel has all the opulence and comfort of an exclusive country club.

However, despite the mix of traditional and modern trappings the club remains a memorial to those who have served. Today, the names of those lost, but not forgotten, in

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WWI are immortalised in a handwritten book in the Memorial Cabinet in the Club’s Entrance Hall. A second volume, listing the names of those 1,231 members of the regiment who made the supreme sacrifice in the Second World War lies next to it.

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This year, to mark the centenary of the end of The Great War, the club is selling 10 inch Perspex Tommies to raise money for the war veteran charity “There But Not There” campaign.

These symbols of remembrance, made by veterans, are part of a nationwide initiative to raise £15 million to help heal those suffering with concealed wounds of posttraumatic stress disorder and other lasting legacies of combat.

“To have our Tommies on sale at The Royal Scots Club is a huge honour for “There But Not There,” said Henry Cochrane, Fundraising director of the inspirational campaign.

“In buying the Tommies, people are not only commemorating the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers, they are also supporting the veterans of today, with all profits going to charities supporting the armed forces community’

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Photo by Fergus Thom Calle and Per, winners of the 2018 championship

Swedes win World Porridge Making Championships

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or the first time in its 25 year history The World Porridge Making Championships awarded the coveted Golden Spurtle trophy to two competitors, Calle Myrsell and Per Carlsson.

The joint victors, both from Sweden, were awarded the prestigious award

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at the annual event in picturesque village of Carrbridge in Badenoch and Strathspey.

The coveted title is awarded to the contestant deemed to have made the best traditional porridge using just three ingredients – oatmeal, water and salt.

Per, who won the speciality porridge award last year and Calle a first time entrant both travelled to Scotland to take part in the competition and believe the secret to their joint success is their Swedish oats. They both use organic oats which have been produced by SaltĂĽ Kvarn in Sweden since 1964.

Photo by Fergus Thom Per Carlsson

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“After I won the speciality porridge category last year I have thought about winning the Golden Spurtle every day, so I am absolutely delighted. Great porridge needs three key things; love, patience and great ingredients,” said Per Carlsson, who also hosts the Swedish Porridge Making Championships in Steninge.

For novice entrant Calle, who was also visiting Scotland for the first time it was a big experience.

“Everyone here at the competition has been so friendly and welcoming.

I am totally surprised to win on my first time. I came here on my own but everyone back home is thrilled for me, I have never had so many Facebook comments! For the perfect porridge I like to cook for a long time, nearly 25 minutes and only adding the salt in at the end. I like a smooth consistency so it doesn’t stick to the spoon or spurtle.”

In front of an audience of hundreds, 30 competitors from around the world took part in the event in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park including those from UK, Finland, Canada, Germany, USA, Estonia, Russia, Australia and beyond.

For the first time, there was also a junior heat to celebrate the Year of Young People with contestants as young as 11 taking part. This year also saw the organisers of the event receive such a high volume of entries that a shortlist had to be created to whittle down the number of entrants for the first time in the competition’s 25-year history.

The World Porridge Making Championships is organised by Carrbridge Community Council, and is sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland, the Banffshire-based producer of Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal and Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats.

“Hamlyns of Scotland is proud to have sponsored the World Porridge Making Championships since the very beginning, and it’s fantastic to

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Photo by Fergus Thom Calle Myrsell

see how the event has grown over 25 years to become a real highlight of Scotland’s food and drink calendar,” said Alan Meikle, Hamlyns Managing Director.

fair, whisky tastings and cookery demonstrations. A new recipe book, Spurtle Specialities, was also created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the championships.

Regarded as one of the most popular events in Scotland’s culinary calendar, the competition takes place annually in the Highland village of Carrbridge, situated below the Monadhliath Mountains. The area is part of the scenic Cairngorms National Park and famous for its 18th century packhorse bridge over the river Dulnain as it snakes its way through village before emptying into the River Spey.

In addition the traditional porridge competition, there was also a speciality category for oatmeal combined with any other ingredients, leading to a wide variety of sweet and savoury entries.

This year’s event included an opening pipe band procession, a food

This year’s winner in this category was Chris Young from Perthshire. He won with his sensational oat inspired tapas featuring eight individual elements all prepared in the allotted half hour which included mussels stuffed with skirlie, Mexican green rice, made with pinhead oats, and

steak with an oat gremolata.

Other entries for speciality porridge this year included a porridge ice cream; 6 Spice Chocolate Chili Porridge; Oat and Brandy Pancake topped with Creamy Mushroom & Spinach; Savoury Porridge Muffins; Spiced Bramble Porridge; Corn & Blueberry Salad with Feta & oats and an Oat & Barley Broth with Honey Soy Salmon.

The winner of the first ever junior heat was 26-year-old Lynn Munro who prepared the traditional porridge as well as her speciality entry, “Forage for your porridge”, which featured Heather honey, hazelnuts, blueberries, brambles, oatmeal, water, wood sorrel, plums, apples, quince, rosehip and hawthorn.

“This year’s championships were spectacular and a fitting way to mark our celebration of this wonderful but humble dish,” said Michelle Green, organiser of the event.

“It is the first time we have had joint winners as the judges just couldn’t pick one over the other. Both Per and Calle can feel very proud to have succeeded in the face of stern competition from across the world. I hope that the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships will continue to inspire people worldwide to enjoy porridge.”

Photo by Fergus Thom Chris Young and Lynn Munro

Winning dish in the speciality category

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Antique hunting with Roo Irvine

Time travel without a Tardis

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he past may be another country where they do things differently but it sure does make for an exciting destination for anyone with an imagination.

Having gone from running a small antiques shop to becoming a regular expert on the BBC Antiques Road Trip I have been privileged to meet people, visit places and experience a particular form of time-travel that even Dr Who would appreciate.

All too often people regard antiques, such as brass candlesticks, Chinese bowls and the like, as little more than unwanted ‘stuff’ that has seen better times. And, in a manner of speaking, they are right - but not in the way they think.

We need to encourage a new understanding of the word ‘Antique’.

It is not just a bland description of an aged object but a portal to the past through which we can experience how our ancestors lived in a world

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Photo by MET Candlesticks

Photo cc Giovanni Dall’Orto

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so different from the one we know today. An antique is a relic frozen in time - one that we can touch, see and smell.

Traveling across the country visiting all shapes and sizes of antique emporiums I am often amazed at just how much of our past is still out there. I have seen an enormous range of items, from pre-historic

Photo Rakko Takasaka CC BY-SA 3.0 Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima

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fossils to 16th century bronze thimbles, and almost all have served to pique my curiosity even higher.

However, there is one item I shall never forget. In a remote ramshackle barn, encased in a small protective glass box, I found a wristwatch that had stopped at 8.16am on the 6th of August, 1945 - the exact moment the Japanese city of Hiroshima was

destroyed by the first nuclear bomb used in anger.

If ever an item has given me goosebumps and a sharp sense of perspective this was it. It may have been a simple timepiece, not particularly valuable in monetary terms, but its connection with that instant in history when the world changed for ever is priceless.

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Photo IWM Hiroshima after the atomic bomb blast in 1945

Unfortunately the details of who the owner was, how his story ended and why the watch now lies in a remote barn is unknown and unlikely to ever be revealed. We can only wonder and imagine, but then that’s what makes antique hunting so emotionally satisfying.

Queen Mary’s Bedroom, Holyrood Palace

Every artefact should be seen as more than just an inanimate object.

It may not have pages to turn like a book but it still can tell a story and, in some instance, items that have ben passed down through the centuries and generations have more than one tale. They are libraries of history, emotion and imagination.

Antiques are a tangible link to people, places and events of the past. Ever picked up an antique sword and wondered who made it and what for? Was it ever brandished in battle

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and did the owner win or lose? Even a simple drinking glass can provoke thoughts and emotions. Whose lips touched it? Was it used to toast happiness or drown sorrows?

There is nothing that separates us from those that have gone before but time. We can touch the very bed that Mary Queen of Scots slept in at Holyrood or stand and admire the

Declaration of Arbroath

Declaration of Arbroath in the same way William Wallace must have done.

Often an Antique is valued by its material worth, for its age or rarity and sometimes for its provenance.

Napoleon’s gold-encrusted sword recently sold for a record-breaking £3.3million. It was bought by his

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descendants and the sword’s value was reflective of their personal desire to take it ‘home’.

they provide us with a first-hand view of history - it’s the nearest thing any of us will ever get to time-travel.

Antiques are so much more than commodities to be coldly bought and sold for their material worth. They represent the drama and romance of ages past. Read them properly and

The next time you are browsing in a a charity shop, boot-sale or backstreet market and spot a pair of dull-coloured brass candlesticks take time to stop and look a little closer.

Lehmann mechanical toy double-decker bus

Photo by Joe Haupt CC BY-SA 2.0 A vintage midget tiny mite crystal radio

Could they have provided light to a Waterloo widow in her darkest days after the battle of 1815?. What secrets were revealed or dramas unfolded in the glow of the candles that sat upon it?

hold a sea shell to their ear to hear the ocean waves I enjoy picking up an object, closing my eyes and imagining the sound of whispers from the past. This, to me, is the very essence of antiques.

Just as children are encouraged to

In recent years television has done

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much to help popularise the world of antiques, and I am truly blessed to be a part of that, but it comes with a responsibility to show that irrespective of monetary value every item provides a link to history and should be treasured as such.

Photo by Sima Shimony CC BY-SA 4.0 A wicker and wood wheelchair

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Scotland needs new era of rewilding

Photo Š scotlandbigpicture.com

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sticking plaster approach to conservation is failing Scotland’s wildlife and a new era of massive rewilding is needed if species such as red squirrel, wild cat and capercaillie are to survive, claims a new book.

Scotland has the space and opportunity to take a fresh approach, with people working with nature, not against it, and allowing ecosystems to restore themselves on a large-scale, say the authors of Scotland: A Rewilding Journey. Â

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“Right now, nature is in steep decline – but Scotland is perfectly placed to become a rewilding world-leader.

Our wild places can flourish if we allow nature to work in its own way on a big scale, with a helping hand in places. There would be huge benefits for people – from our health and wellbeing to creating sustainable jobs in rural areas,” said Steve Micklewright, Chief Executive of Trees for Life.

Illustrated by world-class images captured by top nature photographers over three years, Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com

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and with essays from leading commentators, the book lays out an inspiring vision of how rewilding forests, peatlands, rivers, moorlands and the ocean could transform Scotland for the better.

Deforestation, deer and sheep grazing, burning moors for grouse hunting, exotic conifers and denuded seas have left Scotland as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, its landscapes supporting fewer people than previously as a result. Climate change now poses a major threat.

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Returns or rebounds of species like beavers, sea eagles and pine martens happen slowly. Birds of prey like hen harriers are persecuted.

Wolf, crane, wild boar, elk and lynx were all made extinct long ago.

“For decades we’ve been trying to save nature piecemeal – a rare bird or insect here, a fragment of woodland there. But climate change and biodiversity loss now present critical threats to our survival, and saving bits and pieces of nature isn’t enough. As a wealthy country with plenty of space, we can do so much better,” said the book’s co-author Peter Cairns, Director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture.

Despite superb nature reserves, amazing patches of Caledonian pinewood and new Marine Protected Areas, nature is now hugely fragmented and diminished across Scotland. Its awe-inspiring landscapes are often ecological deserts, stripped of woodlands. Only 1.5 per cent of its land is national

Photos © scotlandbigpicture.com Feeding Gannets

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Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com

nature reserves, while a quarter is ecologically impoverished grouse moors or deer forests.

Scotland’s seas are in trouble too – with wild salmon stocks declining, heavy dredging raking the sea floor, and gannets feeding their chicks plastic waste.

The book’s publication aims to be a watershed moment in the rapidly growing movement for rewilding, and a catalyst for change by shifting attitudes and perceptions, and sparking debate and discussion.

Momentum for rewilding has been highlighted by widespread calls for the return of the lynx, reintroduction

Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com Old Man of Storr

of beavers, and initiatives such as Cairngorms Connect – a land manager partnership that is enhancing habitats across a vast stretch of Cairngorms National Park.

There has also been huge public support for Scotland: A Rewilding Journey’s publication. The book was funded by a successful crowdfunding appeal run by Trees for Life, and is supported by an alliance of organisations including Reforesting Scotland, Rewilding Britain, Rewilding Europe, The Borders Forest Trust, The European Nature Trust, and Woodland Trust Scotland.

Bringing back trees would be a good start for major rewilding. Only 4 per cent of Scotland is native woodland.

Rewilded woodlands like Glen Affric could be enjoyed across the country by expanding pinewoods into a grand nationwide network. This would help red squirrels, crested tits and capercaillie, which can’t cross large areas of open ground and are now imprisoned in isolated islands of woodland.

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Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com

Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com Abhainn a Ghlinne Mhoir - Alladale Wilderness Reserve

The book aims to encourage conversations and cooperation between different audiences and groups. Rewilding can co-exist well with farming, forestry and recreational activities.

It encourages conservationists and landowners to work together with mutual respect. Cooperation between deer managers and conservationists could help resolve over-grazing in the Highlands – which prevents woodlands from regenerating – with sporting traditions enjoyed in more natural settings.

Soaring deer numbers could also

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Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com Mountain dawn

Photo © scotlandbigpicture.com Love hearts

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be managed by allowing the return of apex predators such as wolf and lynx, when the time is right and when public opinion is prepared to welcome them back.

Restoring large areas of wild places could provide employment, especially in the Highlands and Islands. Otters, deer, puffins and sea eagles all support a growing nature tourism economy.

Nature’s benefits also include beavers preventing flooding, trees providing food, and peatlands soaking up carbon dioxide. Studies show how nature boosts people’s health, and is good for children.

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Johnnie Walker releases first 50-year-old Scotch

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he John Walker Masters’ Edition is an elegant and triple-matured Scotch whisky that has been crafted from six exceptionally rare whiskies, each aged for a minimum of 50 years.

The whiskies in the The John Walker Masters’ Edition have been drawn from ancient distilleries that existed during the lifetime of founder John Walker (1805-1857).

Five of the six distilleries whose irreplaceable whiskies feature in The John Walker Masters’ Edition now lie silent and only 100 bottles of the luxury blend have been created.

This exclusive Scotch whisky takes its name from the masterly expertise in whisky as well as presentation.

A special release of The John Walker, it is presented in a bespoke, individually numbered, rare doublecased black crystal Baccarat decanter and comes housed in a cabinet made by N.E.J. Stevenson, Cabinet Makers by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.

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“Fifty year old whiskies are very rare,” said John Williams, Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director.

“Whiskies of this age have incredible character but it takes great skill to reveal their flavour and then balance them so people can appreciate the end result. That’s where our Master Blender Jim Beveridge - one of only six in the history of Johnnie Walker

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- and his small team of exceptional whisky-makers come into their own as masters of their craft.”

The John Walker Masters’ Edition features single malt whiskies drawn from some of the oldest available stocks from the Glen Albyn and Glenury Royal distilleries - which are now closed - and the muchcelebrated Blair Athol distillery, which stands at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands.

The three grain whiskies used in its crafting are drawn from the ghost distilleries of Caledonian, Cambus and Port Dundas.

“Each drop of this whisky has been hand-selected from some of the most valuable and precious casks of malt and grain whiskies to be found in our reserves,” said Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender.

“About 20 years ago, Johnnie Walker blenders recognised that these individual whiskies were very special and the decision was made to put them aside for special use, allowing each of them to continue to mature in their casks, knowing that, in time, something even more remarkable would emerge. Our goal was to pay tribute to the whisky masters who worked with these whiskies such a long time ago and, with the creation of The Masters’ Edition, I believe we’ve done that.”

The John Walker Masters’ Edition is a triple-matured Scotch whisky.

Finished in small batches in a bespoke marrying cask made of 100 year oak staves, its layers of flavour are revealed slowly on the palate, where luscious blackcurrants and citrus give way to rich, creamy dark chocolate and a long, gentle and warming finish with cooling menthol and a subtle smokiness.

The John Walker Masters’ Edition has a natural cask strength ABV of 43.3% and a recommended retail price of $25,000 (USD). It is available in limited, selected markets and one bottle will be auctioned at Bonhams, Hong Kong in 2019.

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First African American doctor honoured by Glasgow University

How the new building will look

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new £90 million learning and teaching facility at the University of Glasgow has been named after American abolitionist and medic James McCune Smith.

McCune Smith was the first African American to receive a medical degree, graduating from the

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University of Glasgow with an MD in 1837.

The James McCune Smith Learning Hub will open in the next academic year, 2019/20, and is the first new building being delivered through the University’s £1 billion Campus Development programme.

The new facility will provide learning and teaching space for over 2,500 students and will include flexible learning spaces and technologyenabled teaching resources.

The announcement the publication of a comprehensive report detailing

Photo by Mike Peel University of Glasgow

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the University of Glasgow’s historical links with racial slavery, which includes a programme of reparative justice, as revealed in Scotland Correspondent magazine. (https:// issuu.com/scotlandcorrespondent/ docs/scotland_correspondent_ issue_22/80?ff=true)

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James McCune Smith was born into slavery in 1813, however was freed

by New York State’s Emancipation Act on July 4, 1827.

Recognised as being intellectually gifted, McCune Smith attended the African Free School in Manhattan

where his academic achievements led him to apply to several American universities.

After being denied entry to all due to his race, McCune Smith applied for – and was accepted by – the University of Glasgow’s medical school.

McCune Smith went on to gain three qualifications from the University of Glasgow - a bachelor’s degree in 1835, a master’s degree in 1836, and his medical doctorate in 1837.

Upon returning to New York McCune Smith set up medical practice in lower Manhattan and grew to be recognised as a prominent figure in the New York black community and a leading intellectual.

On Monday 8 October the University of Glasgow laid down a foundation stone at the site of the James McCune Smith Learning Hub to mark the 150th anniversary of the foundation stone which was laid at the Gilbert Scott Building, when the University first relocated to Gilmorehill.

“James McCune Smith was truly a pioneer, not only becoming the first African American to gain a medical degree, but also one of the leading intellectuals of his time,” said Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.

“The University of Glasgow is proud of our association with his legacy and it is fitting that we honour it in the naming of this building. The new James McCune Smith Learning Hub will revolutionise how we deliver learning and teaching support and provide a world-class facility for generations of future students from around the world.

“This is also consistent with actions agreed in our recent report, to provide reparative justice due to the University’s historical links with racial slavery, and emphasises our commitment to that programme.

“It is particularly pleasing that we can announce the naming of the James McCune Smith Learning Hub and mark the start of the development of the new western campus on the 150th anniversary of the original foundation stone being laid at our Gilmorehill campus.”

University of Glasgow Gilbert Scott Building

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Ghost Map

Photo by VisitScotland Sandwood Bay With A View Beyond To The Sea-Stack Of Am Buachaille

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alloween may be over but the long, dark winter nights are here to stay - for a while at least. So, if you’re looking for a few chills unrelated to the weather here’s a few suggestions for anyone brave enough to go on a ghost hunt.

come up with a special guide to frighten visitors.

From spooky graveyards to creepy castles there are plenty of places spirits may lurk in the shadows and now the country’s tourism body has

Ghostly soldiers, sailors, pipers, dogs and even trains are among the spectres awaiting unsuspecting travellers this winter.

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Myth, legend, landscape and history are all combined to create a route map of horror which takes in landmarks and lesser-known spots throughout the country.

“Scotland’s history and heritage provides plenty of stories that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and we know that visitors love hearing about the darker side,” said Mark Bishop, Director of Customer & Cause at the National Trust for Scotland.

Among the top paranormal haunts for visitors to experience a spine tingling thrill are:

Stirling Castle The impressive fortress has a very famous ghostly resident. The Green Lady is thought to have been a serving girl to none other than Mary Queen of Scots. The story goes that the girl was watching over her mistress one night when a fire caught hold in the queen’s room. The girl managed to save her queen but lost her own life to the flames. Her ghost is said to have haunted the castle ever since.

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Stirling Castle

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Ubby of Skaill House, Orkney Built on an ancient Norse burial ground it’s no wonder Skaill House is described as a supernatural hotbed.

The mansion’s most famous ghostly resident is Ubby, believed to have once been the man who built the small island in the nearby loch.

Photo by Wojsyl CC BY-SA 2.5 Skaill House, Orkney

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The Ghosts of Culloden, near Inverness The bloody Battle of Culloden – the final conflict of the Jacobite Risings – was one of the most harrowing battles ever fought on British soil.

On 16 April 1746, 1,500 Jacobite soldiers were slain in less than an hour. On the anniversary of the battle some of the Ghosts of Culloden are said to reappear, including a tartanclad soldier lying wounded on the ground. .

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Culloden

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The Headless Drummer, Edinburgh As night settles or dawn draws in the ghostly sound of drumming has been heard reverberating around the stone fortress of Edinburgh Castle. Legend has it that the sound is made by the Headless Drummer and if his ghost ever appears in plain sight it foretells disaster for the castle. The first time he appeared was in 1650 – the fateful year that Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland and captured the castle, following a three-month siege.

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Edinburgh Castle

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Photo by Kim Traynor Mackenzie mausoleum, Greyfriars

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Photo by VisitScotland Culzean Castle

The Ghost Piper of Culzean Castle, Ayrshire On the eve of a Kennedy clan wedding, and on particularly stormy nights, the ghostly piper of Culzean Castle is said to make his presence known by playing his pipes from deep underground. The story goes that the piper and his dog were sent into the caves below the castle to prove that they weren’t haunted. As he made his way through the caves his piping suddenly stopped and the piper and his dog were never found or seen again.

The Mackenzie Poltergeist, Edinburgh Looming at the back of Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Black Mausoleum is one of the most feared structures in Edinburgh – many say with good reason. The tomb is said to be haunted by a particularly nasty poltergeist – thought to be the spirit of Sir George Mackenzie, the man who condemned many Covenanters

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to death in the 1600s. Visitors to the mausoleum have reportedly collapsed, been grabbed by an unknown presence, had unexplained bruises appear on their bodies and many more dark occurrences.

The Ghost Dog of Rosslyn, Midlothian In a tale that spans centuries, Rosslyn’s phantom ghost dog is said to have been a war hound that was slain at the Battle of Roslin in 1303. After the battle the ghostly apparition of the huge dog was seen by the resident soldiers and the man who killed the dog’s owner died of terror within days. Nowadays, people sometimes speak of hearing a ghostly howling echoing from the woods that surround Rosslyn Castle’s ruins.

The Phantom Piper, Dumfries & Galloway Echoing out of a dark cave, on the jagged coastline at Clanyard Bay

near Stranraer, the faint sound of the bagpipes has often reached the ears of nearby sailors. The source is said to be the Phantom Piper. In life, the piper is said to have invoked the fury of the cave’s resident fairies by entering with his loyal dog and playing his pipes in their domain.

After the sound of his pipes had faded away only his dog came tearing out alive, but without any of its hair.

The Grey Train of Dunphail, Moray Speyside Travelling along the now long-gone Dava Railway line people have reportedly seen a fearsome ghost train charging along, blazing with light and hovering two feet above the tracks. Spotted in the 1920s and 1960s there’s little explanation for the apparition, except for one story – 30 years earlier a train filled with cattle caught fire at Dava station killing the animals on board.

The Green Lady of Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire Step inside the Green Lady’s room at Crathes Castle and feel the chill run down your spine. Said to be the ghost of a servant who fell pregnant out of wedlock the Green Lady has been seen pacing back and forth from the fireplace, sometimes cradling an infant in her arms. A grisly discovery in the 1800s adds a sinister twist – the remains of a woman and child were uncovered beneath the hearthstone of the very same fireplace.

Photo by VisitScotland Crathes Castle

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Photo by Kevin Lelland Sandwood Bay

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The Dead Sailors of Sandwood Bay, Sutherland Although it’s one of Scotland’s most beautiful beaches the waters off the coast of Sandwood Bay are treacherous and the area is known as a shipwreck graveyard. Before the lighthouse at Cape Wrath was built in 1828 many poor souls lost their lives here – perhaps explaining the stories of people seeing ghostly sailors on the beach and nearby.

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Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Glen Coe

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The Ghosts of Clan Macdonald, Glen Coe

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On the 13 February 1692 one of the most harrowing incidents in Scottish history took place. In the early hours of the morning government soldiers – who were posing as friendly visitors – killed 38 men, women and children from the Macdonald of Glen Coe clan. Many others died from exposure after fleeing into the bitter cold. In recent times people have reported hearing screams in Glen Coe or seeing re-enactments of the massacre, particularly around the anniversary.

Photo by VisitScotland St Andrews’ Cathedral

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The White Lady of St Andrews Cathedral, Fife Dating from 1160 St Andrews Cathedral has more than a few stories to tell. One ghostly apparition is the White Lady who glides along the cathedral walls before vanishing into a tower. The tower has its own curious history, the story goes that in the 1800s stonemasons were repairing the cathedral and discovered a sealed chamber in the tower. Inside were several coffins, including one containing the body of a young woman who was wearing white gloves.

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The Phantom Harpist of Inveraray Castle, Argyll If you hear the beautiful notes of a harp ringing out at in Inveraray Castle it could be the castle’s ghostly harpist. Believed to have been the harpist of a former Duke of Argyll the story goes that the young man was murdered by the Duke of Montrose when his men invaded old

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Inveraray Castle

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Inveraray Castle in 1644. Rooms he’s particularly associated with are the library and the MacArthur Room.

“With our atmospheric landscape, creepy castles, haunted historic houses, superstitions and bloody history this time of year brings a huge tourism potential,” said Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive

“Ghosts are not just for Halloween – spirits are said to haunt these locations year-round so it is important for us to extend these festivities from one night only and capitalise on the public’s fascination with things that go bump in the night.”

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Forgotten stories of prisoners P of war

reviously untold stories of Scottish soldiers captured during World War I and imprisoned in Germany are revealed in a new exhibition by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

POW Allied officers playing ice hockey at Burg bei Magdeburg camp 1917

On display until 23 November, “For You The War is Over” features soldiers’ personal letters and photographs telling their stories from “behind the wire” in their own words, including one soldier’s darkly amusing war diary.

Scottish Prisoners of War clashed with their captors and resisted their authority, to make running prison camps as difficult as possible.

Documents and audio recordings of prisoners’ testimony take visitors onto the battlefield where they were captured and inside the camps to discover how they continued the struggle against their captors while incarcerated with courage, resilience and humour.

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POW Lt Ian Hamilton with French and Russian prisoners at Burg-Bei-Magdeb

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Letters and other documents describe ambitious escape plans, hidden tunnels and a long trip home in a famous general’s personal motor car; while items sent from Scotland show how worried families helped maintain the men’s morale, health and sanity.

Presented in a unique partnership with private archives the exhibition at National Records of Scotland on Princes Street, Edinburgh uncovers these inspiring and tragic events to explore the experiences of those who returned home to their families after Armistice Day and those who sadly did not.

“Our archivists have created a fascinating snapshot of life in the prison camps of World War One,” said Anne Slater, Chief Executive of NRS. “Combining specially chosen items from private archives and selected documents from our records, this exhibition shows how the cultural and historical treasures that National Records of Scotland holds and supports can bring Scotland’s past to life.”

The display includes items from several private archives which tell the stories of four Scottish soldiers, including that of Lt Ian Hamilton, Gordon Highlanders, who kept a fascinating and amusing diary of his captivity from August 1914 until 1918, along with some unique photographs.

Also on view is the testimony of Lt Colin Campbell, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who was a keen escaper who engineered a tunnel for a mass break-out from his fortress-prison.

POW 1489 Map of Dutch-German border for planned escape by Campbell

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The words of Private Andrew Clingan, Royal Scots, are preserved in a diary recording the eventful months of captivity in 1918, and the unusual transport he took on his journey home.

And, there is the account of life in detention by Lt Arthur Gallie, a Glasgow Yeomanry officer, whose personal album offers a unique perspective on his experiences as a POW during 1918.

“For You The War Is Over is a great chance to find out about this under appreciated aspect of the First World War, as we mark the centenary of the Armistice,” said Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s Culture Secretary.

“The exhibition sheds new light upon the experiences of those who fought and sacrificed so much in this terrible conflict, both on the battlefield and in captivity, one hundred years after their release.”

POW Andrew Clingan

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Clan Column Mackinnon stronghold made safe

Photo by Wojsyl CC BY-SA 2.5 Caisteal Maol

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he ruined remains of 600-year-old stronghold of the Clan MacKinnon has been saved from further destruction by experts.

Castle Moil, also known as Caisteal Maol, at Kyleakin on Skye was hit by lightning in February of this year during a wild storm and the ruins left unsafe.

Highland Council, which owns the castle, commissioned experts to cary out urgent stabilisation work and

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protect it against further lightning strikes.

Almost 30 tonnes of scaffolding had to be erected around the famous castle which can be seen from the Skye Bridge and attracts visitors from around the world.

It took specialists almost four months to make the ruins safe again at a cost of more than ÂŁ100,000, some of which was met by donations from the Clan MacKinnon Society.

The stabilisation work involved painstakingly photographing each step before it was taken to ensure that every stone that needed to be removed was put back in exactly the same place.

The inner core of the wall was capped using a rough racking technique in lime mortar. Samples of the original mortar were analysed and new mortar was mixed to match the original.

The work also included the

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Photo by Bryan MacKinnon PD A probable recreation of the exterior of Caisteal Maol in its early 16th century form

installation of a lightning protection system which has been designed to protect the whole of the ruin from any future strikes and damage.

Local councillor John Finlayson said everyone on the council was delighted a plan was put in place to

stabilise the castle and ensure it will be open for the public to visit in the future “Caisteal Maol’s historic, cultural and tourism significance is important to everyone who lives in Kyleakin,” he said.

New strategy to promote Gaelic to tourists

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new tourism strategy has ben launched aimed at increasing promotion and access to Gaelic as part of the visitor experience to Scotland.

Gaelic is part of daily life in Scotland and has been for generations. As a unique aspect of Scottish culture and heritage. Research by the national tourism organisation, VisitScotland, found 34 per cent of respondents felt Gaelic, as a national language of Scotland, enhanced their visit and they would like to find out more about it.

Julie Trevisan-Hunter, Marketing Director, The Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, welcomed the initiative which encourages

boosting awareness and the use of the language within the tourism industry “Our visitors learn that Bunnahabhain means “mouth of the river”, Caol Ila, deriving from Caol Ìle, “sound of Islay” and so on. By the time you have learned the meaning of the Islay distilleries you have a perfect description of the island itself… the Gaelic names describing the Scottish landscape creates a memory of the sense of place that would otherwise be missed,” she said.

“If our guests only learn the name without discovering its Gaelic meaning the visual sense and legacy are lost. We hope that what they have seen and learnt with us will

Shona NicIllinnein, Bòrd na Gàidhlig Chief Executive, Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Culture and External Affairs and Lord Thurso, VisitScotland Chairman launching the Gaelic Tourism initiative

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Photo by Bryan MacKinnon PD A large window of Caisteal Maol

encourage them to travel further afield having realised that there is so much more to discover.”

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Debut album for The Firrenes p120

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dinburgh band The Firrenes (rhymes with ‘beans’) have announced the release of their first album, entitled Door Too Wide, after a stand-out track on the record.

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Photo by Stephen Salvona The Firrenes

The album was recorded over two weeks in April and June 2018, by Graeme Young at Chamber Studio in Edinburgh’s Granton district and is to go on sale on 9 November with a special launch concert in Edinburgh on Saturday 10 November.

The Firrenes were formed in 2016 by Edinburgh singer-songwriter Jules Reed, who is perhaps better known as the classical and opera composer Julian Wagstaff.

Julian’s opera The Turing Test was a sell- out hit on the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and his follow-up opera Breathe Freely was released in 2015 on the prestigious Linn Records label.

The band’s lineup features Jules Reed on lead guitar and vocals, Walt Cumming on bass guitar and vocals, Tony Greenwood on drums and John Richard on keyboard.

Walt is a seasoned player originally from Lanarkshire; Tony played professionally as a studio drummer in London for many years, while John is a classically trained pianist, originally from Germany and formerly based in Vienna. The band are joined on this recording, as at many live shows, by Edinburgh-based singer and composer Luci Holland, best known for her work with Tinderbox Orchestra.

“When a lull in classical and theatre commissions arose a few years ago, I jumped at the chance to put together the band I’d been dreaming of for a decade or more. I have always instinctively known that the frontiers between ‘popular’ and ‘serious’ music are essentially fluid,” said Jules.

“I think this is clearest when you listen to the crowning achievements of popular music such as the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper and David Bowie’s finest works. I have had the privilege to work in the classical field with many of Scotland’s finest players, and it was wonderful to be able to invite some of them to play on The Firrenes’ album Door Too

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Photo by Stephen Salvona

Photo by Martin Stavars The Firrenes - ‘Door too wide”

Wide, along with my old pal Ricky White who I’ve known since my school days in Leith. Ricky joined us on pedal steel via the Internet from Indiana, USA.”

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The album draws on a broad range of influences, encompassing 70s rock, R&B, burlesque, art rock, blues and classical. The songs are all original compositions, seven by Jules, three

by Walt Cumming and one by Greg

Sanderson, formerly of Edinburgh band Five Day Hemingway. The subject matter ranges from the deeply personal to the highly political, but is always prescient, immediate, considered and aware.

The band enjoyed a busy year in 2017, releasing their first single ‘Time and Place’ / ‘Destitution Row’, and playing to a packed house in Berlin, Germany. The band were astonished when Michael Eavis, founder of the Glastonbury Festival, turned up out of the blue at the Edinburgh launch gig for the single. It turned out Eavis was on holiday in Scotland at the time, and the gig had caught his eye.

Photo by Stephen Salvona

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Date 4 ur diary

Scotland

Until 3 November Sound Festival Aberdeen, Scotland, UK sound is a music incubator based in north-east Scotland encouraging new music creation and discovery. We run the annual sound festival to give composers the opportunity to experiment, develop and create new works, and to have these works performed and heard.

We encourage audiences of all ages and backgrounds to experience all kinds of new music and cross-art form experimentation. https://sound-scotland.co.uk Until 4 November The Enchanted Forest

By Pitlochry, Scotland Set amid the stunning Autumn woodland of Forestry Commission Scotland’s Faskally Wood in Highland Perthshire, The Enchanted Forest is Scotland’s premier sound and light event delivering a feast for your senses.

Come experience the outdoors at night with spectacular imagery. https://www.enchantedforest.org.uk Until 4 November Edinburgh Oktoberfest Murrayfield Stadium, Roseburn St, Edinburgh EH12 5PJ Edinburgh Oktoberfest is about much more than German beer!

Over one long weekend you can experience everything that makes a real Oktoberfest. We’ll have live music, full Oktoberfest decoration. Setting up a giant tent for 1,800 people, we will bring you the feeling of being in an authentic Oktoberfest Tent in the middle of Edinburgh. http://edinburgh-oktoberfest.co.uk Until 10 November Edinburgh Short Film Festival 2018 Edinburgh Devoted to screening short film from Edinburgh, Scotland and around the world, The ESFF evolved from the Leith Short Film Festival in 2011 and has shown everything – from the first film made in Somalia in 20 years, to Oscar nominated shorts from Australia, the USA and Ireland, as well as short films smuggled out of China and Iran – and hosted visiting film-makers from China, Russia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland and all over the UK. http://www.edinburghshortfilmfestival.com 2-3 November Stirling Gin Festival

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If you have a future event you would like included in our diary please email details to news@scotlandcorrespondent.com Stirling Highland Hotel, 29 Spittal Street, Stirling FK8 1DU Among the gins appearing at this year’s festival (which have been features in Scotland Correspondent) are Granite North Gin, Lilliards Gin, Arbirkie and Gin Bothy. http://www.stirlingspiritcompany.scot/StirlingGinFestival. aspx 2 November Aden-een, the Shell Fireworks Parade Station Road, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, AB42 5FQ Join a celebration of culture and community in the beautiful surrounds of Aden Country Park as young people bursting with energy and enthusiasm create an extravaganza of delight. This year’s event celebrates the celebrates the 250th anniversary of the creation of circus.

In 1768 Philip and Patty Astley established the first permanent circular arena on the banks of the Thames, presenting trick riding and acrobatics – creating what we now consider the first modern circus. https://www.facebook.com/ events/250541932177653/?active_tab=about 2-4 November The Perthshire Amber Festival Various venues, Perthshire This is the return of our festival after a year’s break and promises once again to be full of wonderful musicians performing to the most appreciative audiences ever... gathered in Perthshire in the heart of Scotland from all over the world! Our venues are as special as ever … ranging from the prestigious Perth Concert Hall to the atmospheric Murthly Castle Chapel, from the Garden Room at Dunkeld House on the banks of the Tay to the various historic Dunkeld pubs where music sessions will abound! www.perthshireamber.com 3 November Edinburgh Festival of Wine The Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ An unmissable day for the capital’s wine lovers. There will be over 300 brilliant wines on tasting – included in your ticket price – fantastic discounts if you choose to buy, and a superb programme of masterclass tastings with some of the world’s greatest wines. http://festival-of-wine.com/edinburgh-wine-festival/ 5 November City of Inverness Civic Bonfire and Fireworks Display Burgh Park, Inverness This year’s show will feature a Giant Bonfire and a spectacular 20 minute musical fireworks display. Hot Food Stalls and Hornes Fun Fair will also be there on the night. http://www.invernessfestivals.com/winter08/events_ directory.php?target=november

9 November Concert of Remembrance Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland in partnership with City of Edinburgh, The Concert of Remembrance will say thank you through music and song, to those who served, sacrificed and changed our world during the First World War. http://www.usherhall.co.uk/whats-on/concertremembrance-0 9-11 November Galloway Antiques Fair at Scone Palace Scone, Perth, PH2 6BD Nationally known antiques and fine art dealers will be displaying items for sale including furniture, porcelain glass, silver, jewellery, mirrors, sculpture, oriental rugs and carpets and much more from early Georgian through to the 1930’s. https://scone-palace.co.uk/whats-on/galloway-antiquesfair-0 10 November Glasgow Whisky Festival Hampden Park, Glasgow, G42 9BA This event puts Glasgow on the whisky map with an emphasis on Glasgow’s closest distilleries and the independent bottlers that belong to this great city. But it’s not just about Glasgow, as we’ll be celebrating whisky from all of Scotland and the rest of the world. http://glasgowswhiskyfestival.com 14-18 November Dundee Jazz Festival Various venues, Dundee Dundee Jazz Festival has been listed as one of Scotland’s best Autumn/Winter Festivals! http://www.jazzdundee.co.uk/programme.html 15-17 November Chrysalis Festival Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh The Chrysalis festival is a platform for ambitious performance by young theatre-makers. It showcases emerging talent, sparks critical debate and challenges perceptions of youth theatre. https://www.ytas.org.uk/chrysalis/ 16 November - 5 January Edinburgh’s Christmas Edinburgh Edinburgh’s Christmas is a spectacular, six-week season of festive entertainment in the heart of the city providing lots of fun for all the family. http://www.edinburghschristmas.com/#stq=&stp=1 16-18 November Scots Fiddle Festival The Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ The Scots Fiddle Festival, which is now in its 22nd year,

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has been described as “one of the most prestigious and nourishing events on the fiddle music calendar”. https://www.scotsfiddlefestival.com 18 November - 2 January Stirling Winter Festival Stirling.

Stirling, the perfect place to visit during the festive season, bring some sparkle to your season in Stirling.

Join us for an outstanding programme of events for the whole family to enjoy, including Carol Concerts, Christmas shopping, and a fantastic range of bars and restaurants to visit, all set against a sparkling festive backdrop.There really is no better place to enjoy at this special time of year. http://www.stirlingwinterfestival.com 18 November Inverness Christmas Lights Switch On High Street, Inverness Hundreds of families will gathere outside of the Town House to enjoy the celebration to mark the switching on of the Highland Capital’s Christmas Lights. http://www.invernessfestivals.com/winter08/blog/static. php?page=static090824-123804 19-25 November Book Week Scotland Various venues During Book Week, people of all ages and walks of life will come together in libraries, schools, community venues and workplaces to share and enjoy books and reading. They will be joined in this celebration by Scotland’s authors, poets, playwrights, storytellers and illustrators to bring a packed programme of events and projects to life. http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading/book-weekscotland/about 23-24 November Dundee Mountain Film Festival Bonar Hall. Park Place DD1 4HN The Dundee Mountain Film Festival is the UK’s longest continuous running mountain film festival. It showcases an international programme of speakers, as well as award winning films and exhibitions, mainly held in the Bonar Hall, Dundee. http://dmff.co.uk 24-25 November Traquair’s Free Christmas Opening Innerleithen, Peeblesshire EH44 6PW With the house decorated in a Victorian Christmas style and craft stalls throughout the house this is a weekend for all ages. Local choirs and the Silver band will perform in the courtyard and chapel. Santa’s luxurious grotto in the house. Puppet shows, Mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and home cooked lunches and teas in the Garden Cafe. https://www.traquair.co.uk

24 November Spirit of North Hop Dundee City Quay Suite and Marquee at Apex City Quay Hotel, Dundee North Hop has always been known for the ‘discovery’ aspect of it’s festivals and events so where better to relaunch the brand than in Dundee, The City of Discovery!?

Join us at Spirit of North Hop Dundee for an amazing selection of spirits and much more from across Scotland and beyond. It’s guaranteed to be a great day and/or evening out and is the perfect opportunity to pick up some goodies in time for Christmas. https://northhop.co.uk/festivals/spiritofnorthhop

Australia

4 November Central Coast Scottish Spectacular The Entertainment Grounds, Gosford, NSW Australia T he second annual Central Coast Scottish Spectacular will feature the NSW Pipe Band Championships, and the Central Coast Scottish National Dancing Titles. Come along and join in the fun. Pipe Bands, Drum Majors, the Tossing of the Caber, Tug O’War, Scottish Stalls, Food, and much more. It is a great day out for the whole family. www.scottishspectacular.com 9-11 November Beechworth Celtic Festival Beechworth, VIC Once again the Beechworth Celtic Festival is set to attract the crowds of Celtic lovers to Beechworth with the Beechworth Old Gaol Tattoo again featuring on the Saturday Night. The theme of the Tattoo is the celebration of Armistice Day in World War 1 – music and selected stories from the era re-enacted through the eyes of a family between 1914 and 1918. It’s the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day on the Sunday. www.beechworthcelticfestival.com.au 30 November Community Ceilidh Red Hill Community Sports Club, 22 Fulcher Rd, Red Hill, QLD. Celebrate St Andrews Day with the Ceilidh Clan, southeast Queensland’s outstanding Scottish dance band. We specialise in running Ceilidh dances with live Scottish music that are entertaining, fun and suitable for all ages.

Info: www.facebook.com/CeilidhClan 30 November St Andrews Scottish Evening Fox & Hounds Country Inn, 7 Elevation Drive Wongawallan, QLD Celebrate St Andrews Day with pipers, drummers, dancers and singers from Brisbane who will not only welcome you to the hotel but will be performing during the evening. www.foxandhounds.net.au

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30 November Saint Andrew Society of Western Australia 2018 St Andrew’s Day Ball Grand River Ballroom, Pan Pacific Hotel, 207 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, WA This year’s ball, as well as celebrating St Andrew’s Day, celebrates the 80th anniversary of the St Andrew Society of Western Australia, which was formed with the express purpose of celebrating St Andrew’s Day back in 1938. www.saintandrew.org.au 30 November Society of St. Andrew of Scotland (Qld) 71st Annual Men’s Dinner Pullman Hotel, King George Square, Brisbane, QLD The Society of St Andrew of Scotland (Qld) Limited is Queensland’s Scottish society that welcomes all Scots, those with Scottish ancestry those who enjoy Scottish culture, music, dancing and having fun. www.standrewsociety.com

Canada

18 November 2018 Annual Church Parade Glenview Presbyterian Church, Toronto, ON Established in 1836 to assist immigrants from Scotland, the St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto remains a vital part of the city’s cultural and charitable community. www.standrews-society.ca 24 November St Andrews Society of Toronto Charity Ball Toronto, ON Fairmont Royal York Hotel 100 Front Street West, Toronto, ON Our Charity Ball is a highlight of the annual calendar and a tremendous opportunity to experience Scottish hospitality and revel in Scotland’s rich history and traditions. The Ball is co-hosted by the St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto and the 48th Highlanders of Canada in support of the charitable activities they both serve; raising funds for the St. Andrew’s Society Foundation that helps support some of our newest and most vulnerable neighbours in this great city. www.standrews-society.ca 24 November 135th Annual St Andrew’s Ball Polish-Canadian Club, Calgary, AB Canada 135 years and going strong! Join us for our annual ball featuring the music of Scot Band and Bill Ewan from Scotland! www.standrewcaledonian.ca 29 November The St. Andrew’s Luncheon Hotel Le Cantlie, 1110 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC

Join the St Andrew’s Society of Montreal, listen to bagpipes, eat haggis and have a great meal. www.standrews.qc.ca 30 November St. Andrew’s Ball The Marriott Château Champlain Hotel, 1 Place du Canada, Montreal QC Join us for an evening of dining, dancing and pageantry celebrating one hundred and eightythree years of Scottish heritage in Montreal. http://www.standrewsball.com

New Zealand

10 November 8th Annual Hororata Highland Games Hororata, New Zealand A brilliant day out for all the family to enjoy the very best of Scotland’s culture, heritage and traditions - and you don’t even have to be Scottish to attend. www.hororatahighlandgames.org.nz 17 November Auckland Highland Games & Gathering Ellerslie Event Centre, 80 Ascot Ave, Remuera, Auckland A kaleidoscope of activities are on display – Highland and Country dancing, singing and music, the skirl of the pipes in the Pipe Band and Solo Piping competitions. The field events, including caber tossing, sheaf and haggis tossing, tug of war, a Strong Man Events Team, a Junior Highland Games concept, historical fighting, as well as games for the children to take part in. The Clan Avenue is full of keen historians and cultural specialists sharing their knowledge with their tents full of colourful displays and information. www.aucklandhighlandgames.wordpress.com

USA

9 November Wallace Award Dinner for Heritage, Arts & Culture University Club, New York City, NY The Wallace Award® recognises the contribution of Scots, those of Scottish descent and Americans and Canadians, for outstanding achievement or significant contribution in their field of endeavour and for their contribution to these countries. www.americanscottishfoundation.com 10 November 69th Annual Tartan Ball Willard Hotel, Washington, MO Come experience all the Scottish pageantry and tradition of this grand ball! In over 68 years, the Tartan Ball has grown from a small country dance into a major highlight of the Washington social season. www.tartanball.org

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10-11 November Celtic Music Festival and Scottish Highland Games 2018 Harrison County Fairgrounds, Gulfport, MS A two day celebration of Celtic Music & Scottish Highland Games. www.mshighlandsandislands.org 16 November Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York 262nd Annual Banquet The University Club, One West 54th St, New York, NY USA Founded in 1756, Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York is the oldest charitable organisation in New York State. www.standrewsny.org 17 November Dunedin Celtic Music & Craft Beer Festival Highlander Park, Dunedin Community Center complex at the corner of Michigan Blvd. and Pinehurst Rd, Dunedin, FL An annual event centered around Traditional and Contemporary Celtic music and both local and national craft beer. The 2018 festival will feature music by MacGilliossa, Off Kilter, Seven Nations, City of Dunedin Pipe Band, The Screaming Orphans, and The Glengarry Bhoys! www.dunedincelticmusicfestival.com 18 November St. Andrew’s Society of Central Florida St. Andrew’s Dinner University Club of Winter Park, 841 N Park Ave, Winter Springs, FL Helping to advance Scottish American culture through out Central Florida since 1975 www.standrewscfl.com 18 November St. Andrew’s Day Dinner Spumante Restaurant, 11049 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood CA An evening of Scottish celebration with the Saint Andrew’s Society Los Angeles which has been advancing charitable and cultural causes within the ambience of Scottish heritage since 1930. www.saintandrewsla.org 25 November St. Andrew’s Day Celebration Harvey’s Pub, 14 Phila St, Saratoga Springs, NY In honor of the feast day of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, SASA will have a luncheon at Harvey’s in Saratoga where there will be toasts to St. Andrew and Scotland. www.adkscot.org

30 November St. Andrew’s Dinner Kingshighway Racquet Club, St. Louis, MO The evening will feature a social cocktail hour from 6:30 to 7:30, buffet dinner, cash bar, Scottish musical entertainment, raffles, and speeches on Scottish heritage and culture in the 21st century. www.stlstandrews.com

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30 November - 1 December 48th Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend & Parade Alexandria, VA The Campagna Center presents the 48th Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend & Parade. Thousands will join us for a full lineup of festivities that will celebrate the rich Scottish heritage of Old Town Alexandria. www.campagnacenter.org/scottishwalkweekend

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