Scotland Correspondent Issue 32

‘Virtual reality’ in Victorian Scotland Highland hospitality and indian cuisine Wooing Chinese visitors

New clues to the birth of whisky Inclusive club for global Scots Searching for truth in Bonnybridge

Outlander actor writes for Scotland Correspondent

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inside this issue 10 Virtual

reality

Victorian pioneers of 21st century technology.

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18 Highland

haven with a touch of spice

Rokeby Manor mixing Scottish history with Indian cuisine.

30 An

Actor’s life for me…

Outlander’s Scott Kyle writes for Scotland Correspondent.

44 Cooking

a storm

54 Space

38 Around

about

and

Scotland

up

Top chefs show off their signature dishes.

Discovering places linked to the space race.

News from Scotland and elsewhere.

68 China

ready?

Rolling out the welcome for Chinese visitors.

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80 Generation

games

In the footsteps of ancestors at the Aboyne Games.

88 Thistle

nicely

do

Launch of new online club for global Scots.

96 Gintelligence

Indian Summer for our gin columnist Fiona Holland.

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100 Spirited

Whisky island’s first legal spirit is gin.

106 Edinburgh

112 Enlightenment

More of the Fringe part two of what’s on.

Scots scientists at the forefront of research.

resurgence

entertains

2.0

116 Roo

Irvine

Antique hunting with Roo Irvine.

134 Supernatural 164 Destination

Scotland

What’s happening in the skies over Bonnybridge?

138 Paths

glory

of

Explore the beauty of Argyll on a bike.

120 Journey

146 Whale

spectacle

of a

Plenty of thrills for wildlife watchers on the west coast.

126 The

whisky

birth of

City archives reveal first ever mention of a whisky still.

Looking for a place to stay? Here’s a few suggestions that have appeared in Scotland Correspondent.

Anniversary Vaults 170

What’s worth celebrating and commemorating this August.

Date 4 Your Diary 176

from the Edge

Photographer Gavin Macqueen’s new solo exhibition.

Scotland

What’s on in Scotland and abroad this month.

Cover Photo

Lady & The Last Train by Gavin Macqueen

154 Making

amends

University honours women doctors 150 years late.

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Virtual Reality Victorian style Photo from Peter Blair Collection Edinburgh Castle from Grassmarket, c. 1865

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irtual Reality - the buzz phrase of the millennium conjuring up perceptions of being the latest in 21st century technology. But, the technological ability to fix a screen to your eyes and immersive yourself in another world isn’t quite as new as you think.

And, as is often the case the Scots were well ahead of the game.

It is true that among the pantheon of Scottish inventions, virtual reality is not often mentioned. However, 170 years ago Sir David Brewster, the Principal of St Andrews University and a world expert in optics, came up with a device to view photographs in 3D.

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His lenticular stereoscope was a compact hand-held instrument which used twin lenses to view two photographs mounted side-by-side on a card. Today’s virtual reality headsets are identical in design and concept!

Imagine if Dr Who was to whisk a Victorian gentleman forward through time to the present day. There would be many technological marvels which would astound and bemuse him.

Virtual Reality headsets would not be among them. “Ah yes, a Brewster stereoscope!”, the Victorian would exclaim, “and with all the advances in technology you have managed to make the 3D images move. Such a shame that the picture quality is so much poorer than back 150 years ago!”

Brewster stereoscope

It was in December 1848 that Brewster first demonstrated his stereoscope to his friends. In truth, it was not the first stereoscope.

That honour goes to Sir Charles Wheatstone, who in the 1830s proposed a theory of how our

Photo from Peter Blair collection Sir David Brewster with his stereoscope

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Photo from Peter Blair collection 190 Princes Street Edinburgh looking towards the Calton Hill 1859

two eyes allow us to perceive our environment three-dimensionally. He created a large table-top instrument, christened the stereoscope, which used mirrors to demonstrate that two flat pictures drawn from a slightly different perspective could be recombined by the brain to form a 3D image.

The invention of photography, announced in 1839, transformed the potential of the stereoscope.

Brewster had previously invented

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the immensely popular kaleidoscope and he recognised that there was a ready market for optical amusements and phenomena. His portable stereoscope was to become even more popular than the kaleidoscope!

By 1860, literally every middle class home had a stereoscope to look at images in 3D. It had become an essential parlour entertainment, almost the equivalent of television today.

Displayed to the public for the first time at the London Great Exhibition of 1851, legend relates that Queen Victoria was enthralled by the stereoscope’s 3D effect and a craze swept the country.

At a time when travel was slow and expensive, the stereoscope allowed the Victorians to instantaneously traverse the world in the comfort of their armchair. Stereoviews for a while became the best-selling format of photograph. In addition to travel

Photo from Peter Blair collection Shamrock III built for Sir Thomas Lipton in the Firth of Clyde 1903

views, there were a wide range of other themes; current affairs, famous people, humour, political satire, art, architecture, even erotica!

Author and 3D collector, Dr Peter Blair, explained how it works: “A stereo-camera has two lenses spaced about the same distance apart as our eyes. Two photographs are taken simultaneously and then pasted onto a card slightly larger than a postcard. This card or stereoview is placed in the

stereoscope, which has two lenses ensuring that your right eye only sees the right image and your left eye only sees the left image. Your brain then recombines the two flat photographs into a 3D image.

you ever settle for a flat one?”

“The effect is quite amazing, it allows you to enter into the photo, almost with a sense of being there. You see far more detail than in a normal flat photo. It astounds me that stereoscopy fell out of fashion – once you have seen a 3D photo why would

Not only was the 3D technology developed in Scotland, but several Scottish photographers emerged as leaders in the field.

It is difficult to perceive the small differences between the twin images, but when you oscillate between them it becomes readily apparent.

George Washington Wilson of Aberdeen was the favourite

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photographer of Queen Victoria, ever since recording the construction of Balmoral in the 1850s. She used his photographs in the form of etchings to illustrate her best-selling book “Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands”. He published over 2,000 stereoviews from all over the UK which were widely acclaimed.

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He not only had an artist’s eye, but was innovative in his technique and a skilled practitioner. He was famous not only for his instantaneous photographs, at a time when exposures were generally several minutes, but also for his interiors, with very long exposures of maybe 30 minutes or more. There were

no light meters back then and so exposure was merely estimated from experience. He also dared to take photos directly into the sun; a heretical concept, which he used to stunning effect.

James Valentine of Dundee was probably the second most prolific

Photo from Peter Blair collection Queen Victoria’s Piper 1856

Photo from Peter Blair collection At the Peats, Glen Finlas

photographer of Scotland. Unkind critics claimed he sought out the imprint of Wilson’s tripod to take similar views, but his views of mundane everyday life in the Highlands are true gems of the stereoscopic art.

Every large town had its resident photographer and the vast majority would have produced stereoviews of the local area. Over 200 photographers are known

to have produced stereoviews of Scotland, including Archibald Burns of Edinburgh, Thomas Rodger of St Andrews and Alexander Crowe of Stirling.

Today there is talk of a tourist boom at Scottish castles and locations used in filming Outlander and Game of Thrones. This is not a new phenomenon! Sir Walter Scott was the global best-selling author of his day and locations he mentioned,

such as the Border abbeys, Loch Katrine and the Trossachs, became entrenched in the Victorian tourist circuit. People also wanted to travel in the footsteps of Queen Victoria to Edinburgh, Balmoral, the Highlands and Islands.

All these places were duly recorded by the stereo-photographers. 3D photographs became essential souvenirs, sold in a multitude of outlets a bit like postcards, which

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were only introduced 40 years later. It is easy to understand their popularity; they were affordable, compact and lightweight and allowed the tourist to revisit in depth their favourite spots.

photograph as you explore its 3D space. There are even some modern 3D images, for example Andy Murray playing tennis, and a description of how to take your own 3D snapshots,” said Dr Blair.

A new book “Scotland in 3D – A Victorian Virtual Reality Tour” brings this forgotten technology back to life. Featuring over 200 antique 3D images from Peter Blair’s collection, it comes complete with a fold-out stereoscope to view the images in 3D. Dr Blair educates us on the development of stereoscopy, introduces us to talented, but sadly uncelebrated, photographers and entertains us with a 3D tour of Scotland.

The book’s wide-ranging text is fascinating, complete with a list of Scottish inventions and quotations from Pope Pius II who visited Scotland in 1453.

“Many of the images are quite remarkable, providing an intimate sense of participation in the

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“Scotland in 3D – A Victorian Virtual Reality Tour” is a unique visual record of Scotland through time.

The accompanying text provides pertinent insights linked to the photos, with overviews of key events and people in Scottish history, such as Bruce and the Wars of Independence, the Reformation, Mary Queen of Scots, Robert Burns, the Highland Clearances, Sir Walter

Photo from Peter Blair collection Abbey Craig from Stirling Castle

Scott, Queen Victoria and Andrew Carnegie.

Further information on stereoscopy in Scotland can be found on the website www.scotlan3d.com or on the “Scotland in 3D” Facebook page.

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Highland haven with a touch of spice

Rokeby Manor Hotel Photos by Black Sheep Hotel Group

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by Scott Aitken

S

ituated on the edge of the Highland Village of Invergarry Rokeby Manor is the epitome of a late Georgianearly Victorian country house.

Built with local materials and handmade techniques it retains all the character, charm and craftsmanship of its time but with all the modern conveniences of the 21st century.

Each of the rooms reflect the romanticism of a bygone age, decorated with quaint floral wallpaper and antique furniture, china, paintings and silverware.

Surrounded by landscaped gardens and natural woodland it proves an ideal antidote to the stress and strains of everyday life.

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Cuisine with an Indian twist

This former country house has been turned into a romantic retreat following an investment of £12 million and is one of three properties acquired by Indian businessman Sanjay Narang and brought together as the Black Sheep Hotel Group.

Rokeby Manor is the first to open its doors to the public. The Cluanie Inn at Glenmoristan and The Whispering Pine Lodge at Spean Bridge are due to follow soon.

Mr Narang and his sister Rachna fell in love with the area last year after

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visiting the Highlands for a hiking holiday. They liked it so much they decided to establish the Black Sheep Hotel group and Mr Narang relocated from India to Glengarry.

Formerly called Craigard Guest House, Rokeby Manor was built in 1840 as part of a faming estate and retains many of its original features.

The 13-ensuite bedroom property has been completely transformed and the hotel includes the restaurant ‘Emily’s Byre’, which serves authentic Indian cuisine, alongside traditional Scottish fare, with the aim of allowing

travellers to experience affordable luxury in the Highlands.

The Scots have long been lovers of Indian cuisine and spices. Curry is often regarded as Scotland’s other national dish and there is evidence it was being eaten here as early as the 18th century.

In 1798 Edinburgh grocer John Caird announced to his customers in the Evening Courant newspaper that he had “just received a parcel of ‘real India curry powder in the original package” an was selling it

Photo NLS Scotland’s love for Indian spices goes back hundreds of years

at 2/6d [two shillings and sixpence] a canister, or about £40 at today’s prices.

Under the ownership of Mars Enterprise and Hospitality, Black Sheep Hotels is the company’s first venture in Scotland, taking their

expertise in hospitality from their hotels and restaurants in Mumbai.

Mars Group has grown substantially

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over the last 10 years and at its peak owned and operated 37 restaurants, 52 cake shops, five hotels, five air catering units and the uber luxury Waterstones Club in Mumbai.  “We are delighted to be opening the first of our Black Sheep Hotels at Rokeby Manor, bringing together our considerable experience and expertise in the hospitality sector in order to provide a distinctive and authentic experience for our guests,� said Mr Narang.

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Sanjay Narang

“We fell in love with the Highlands on our first visit and decided to make this considerable investment, ensuring that other visitors can be as impressed as we are with the beauty of the area.�

Not far from the hotel lies the ruins of Invergarry Castle. It was once s stronghold of Clan McDonnell of Glengarry, a powerful branch of Clan Donald.

Overlooking Loch Oich it was

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strategically placed to protect the Great Glen and withstood numerous battles over the years.

A Jacobite fort during both the 1715 and 1745 uprisings it played host more than once to Bonnie Prince Charlie. He is reported to have stayed at the castle shortly after raising the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan and again during his

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escape in the aftermath of Culloden.

In an act of reprisal the Duke of Cumberland’s troops sacked the castle leaving only ruined walls behind. Today it is a scheduled monument managed by the National Trust for Scotland.

There is a lot to do in the area all year round, from leisurely walks and kayaking to hill climbing and mountain biking, and Rokeby Manor Hotel is situated in a prime location to enjoy it all.

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An actor’s life for me…by Scott Kyle

Royal command Time for a selfie before the party starts

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t may not have been the Royal Variety Performance but an invitation from Her Majesty to attend a lavish garden party at one of her palaces is not to be sneezed at.

Any chance to dress up in a kilt and see my wife Karen get her posh frock and hat out has got to be good so, with more than a little excitement, we went to have tea with the Queen.

Even though we didn’t actually get a chance to meet any of the Royal family one-to-one our day at the palace was an unforgettable experience.

For anybody who has never been to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, it is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. It is open to visitors throughout the year and is full of history, having been associated with some of Scotland’s most famous figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots

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and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Just walking in their footsteps is exciting.

On the day of the party we got picked up in one of the Highlander Fling cars and made sure we arrived at the palace early as security was very tight. Everyone on the guest list had to bring at least two forms

of photo identification and all bags were searched as we passed through the gates under the watchful eye of armed guards on the roof of the building.

There were thousands of people, all of them invited in recognition of things they have done to help the

Her Majesty meeting guests Arriving at Holyrood in style

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community in some way or another.

It was a very humbling experience to meet such great folk from all walks of life - each of them with a great story to tell about working for charities, developing arts projects or serving in the military. I had a fascinating chat with some of the team organising the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

The best part of the day for me was seeing the smile on Karen’s face. She looked amazing and it was great to see her enjoying it. She’s had to put up with quite a lot over the years, staying up late waiting for me to get home from a theatre play or my disappearing for weeks on end to make a movie.

It was a day neither of us will ever forget, and not just because of all the pomp and ceremony. It was a real privilege to meet lots of ordinary, hard working people who do so much for others and see them get some sort of official recognition for their efforts.

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Meeting other guests - the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon

Back in time

rom one stage to another - just days after the surreal experience of mixing with royalty and high society I was back in the trenches preparing for a new role in a play being staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

‘A War of Two Halves’ is the true story of the Heart of Midlothian players who volunteered for the First World War - and it’s a highly emotional play.

Superbly written by Paul Beeson and Tim Barrow it is directed by Bruce Strachan and follows the fortunes of the team as they swapped the pitch at Tynecastle for the trenches of France. As part of the 16th Royal Scots, raised by Edinburgh businessman Sir George McCrae in less than a week to answer the call

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Photo by Stephen W. Dunn Trench scene from A War of Two Halves

Photo by Stephen W. Dunn Football scene from A War of Two Halves

for volunteers, they were one of the early ‘pals battalions’.

The Hearts players were some of the first professional sportsmen to join up and they were followed by hundreds of the club’s supporters.

Many of the men were killed on the first day of the Somme in 1916. One survivor of the battle reported “the lads fell like corn before the scythe.”

Among those lost were Hearts footballers Harry Wattie, Duncan Currie and Ernie Ellis. A fourth, Jimmy Boyd, was killed in action days later. Other team members, Teddy McGuire, Jimmy Hawthorn, and Jimmy Hazeldean were wounded.

I play Annan Ness. He had been a professional soldier before playing full back for Hearts and it’s clear from letters sent home that he was something of a leader for the boys in the trenches.

The play is very cleverly performed in the Tynecastle stadium and takes

Photo by Stephen W. Dunn

the audience from the bar, through the turnstiles with the ghosts of the old team playing on the pitch, to the dressing room and then to the trenches of France.

It’s an incredible experience for both the actors and the audience.

Opening night is on August 7.

Details and tickets are available here

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I

Fancy a fling?

finish up with the play on 22 August and then it’s off to Kingston, Ontario for the Canadian Highlander Fling which takes place 24-25 August.

Margie Hutchinson and Deb Singer have been a great help in organising this year’s event which will involve a few surprises, including the appearance of a mystery guest who will be revealed on the night.

It’s the second year we have done the event which helps to fund a drama workshop we’re doing for youngsters at the Royal Military College in Canada and promises to be a really fun evening with plenty of Highland food, drinks, ceilidh music and dancing - a celebration of Scottishness!

The Flings help fund workshops for kids

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Familiar faces at a previous Fling

There’s always dancing at a Fling

Almost as soon as I get back it will be time to get stuck into final preparations for the even bigger Highlander Fling in Glasgow on 14 September. Already more than 200 people have bought tickets for the party where there will be a chance to meet members of the cast and crew of Outlander and other projects I’ve worked on.

Like the Canadian event money raised goes towards funding workshops I do for youngsters in this country and abroad as we don’t charge the kids anything.

The idea for the Fling started because people kept asking me if they could meet up for a coffee if they came to Scotland. If I met everyone I wouldn’t do anything else so I came up with the idea of getting everyone who wanted to meet together at once - and it’s proved to be a big success.

A new element this year is a doubledecker bus trip for up to 60 people

A bit of light entertainment…

visiting places I would want to see - like the new Clydeside distillery, the Transport Museum, Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, Bannockburn and The Kelpies.

Dubbed the Hangover Tour it’s guaranteed to help anyone recovering from the party the night before and give them a new lease of life.

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Near death experience T alking of a new lease of life.

Outlander season 3 has just started showing on More 4 here in Scotland. Although I’m not in it I can at least rejoice in the fact my character is still alive.

The first episode started with the aftermath of Culloden and all my friends who were in the last series end up being killed, except for Sam Heughan’s character Jamie Fraser, and I would have been among them if it hadn’t been for Diana Gabaldon.

In the initial draft of the TV script my character Ross was supposed to suffer the same fate as the other Jacobites until Diana pointed out Jamie had promised to see Ross safe home to Lallybroch. Jamie is a man of his word so Ross couldn’t be killed off - a close escape indeed!

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Me as Ross

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News from around Scotland

Declaration of Arbroath

Declaration of Arbroath

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he Declaration of Arbroath is to be displayed at the National Museum of Scotland next year to mark 700 years since its creation.

Arguably the most important document in Scottish history, it has not been seen in public for 15 years,

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when it was last displayed at the Scottish Parliament. The iconic and fragile 700 year old document, which is cared for and preserved for future generations by National Records of Scotland, can only be occasionally displayed in order to ensure its longterm preservation.

The Declaration is a letter dated 6 April 1320, written by the barons and freeholders of Scotland on behalf of the Kingdom of Scotland, to Pope John XXII asking him to recognise Scotland’s independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country’s lawful king.

The Declaration was probably drawn up in the scriptorium of Arbroath Abbey. Written in Latin, it was sealed by eight earls and about forty barons.

It was authenticated by seals, as documents at that time were not signed. Only 19 seals now remain.

The Declaration was written during the long Wars of Independence with England when, despite the Scots’ success at the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert I had not been recognised as king by either

Edward II or by the Pope, and had been excommunicated by the latter.

At this time, the Pope desired peace between England and Scotland, so both could help in a crusade to the Holy Land. The Declaration sought to influence him by offering the possibility of support from the Scots for his long-desired crusade if they no longer had to fear English invasion.

After receiving the Declaration the Pope urged reconciliation between

the warring sides and a truce was agreed in 1323. A peace treaty was signed between England and Scotland in March 1328 and the following year the Pope issued a papal bull permitting the anointing and crowning of a King of Scots.

The document will be displayed within the Scotland galleries of the National Museum of Scotland from 27 March to 26 April 2020.

Restoring land and seas

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gainst a backdrop of global diversity crashes and climate breakdown a major conference in Stirling this September will examine how Scotland can reverse its widespread depletion of nature, and become a world leader in restoring its land and seas to good health so wildlife and communities can flourish.

Photo © www.scotlandbigpicture.com Red deer in the Highlands

The Big Picture Conference will explore the potential for rewilding large parts of Scotland’s forests, peatlands, rivers, moorlands and seas, and the benefits this could bring for declining wildlife such as red squirrel, wildcat and capercaillie, as well as for people’s health, wellbeing and employment.

The conference – the only event

of its kind in Scotland – will focus on solutions rather than reinforcing problems. There will be inspirational presentations and examples from around the world, delivered by leading rewilding practitioners, policy makers and storytellers.

“Scotland is blessed with aweinspiring landscapes, but huge areas have become ecologically

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depleted. Woodlands, wetlands and peatlands across the country are all shadows of what they could be.

But with different thinking, Scotland could become a world-leader in restoring its ecosystems to good health, for both wildlife and people,” said Peter Cairns, Director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, hosts of the conference at the University of Stirling’s Macrobert Arts Centre on 21 September

Scotland’s biggest habitat restoration project – Cairngorms Connect, a land manager partnership that is enhancing habitats across a vast area of Cairngorms National Park – will feature at the event, as will Lynbreck Croft, whose owners are farming with nature.

The keynote presentation will be from the inspiring American Prairie Reserve, where three million acres of public and private lands across Montana, USA are being reconnected to benefit nature and people.

Photo © www.scotlandbigpicture.com Glenfeshie is at the heart of Cairngorms Connect

Supporters of rewilding claim it could provide employment, especially in the Highlands and Islands, where otters, deer, puffins and sea eagles already support a growing nature tourism economy. Nature’s benefits

also include beavers reducing flooding, trees providing food, and peatlands soaking up carbon.

Increasingly, studies show how nature boosts people’s health, and is good for children.

Rare chance to view Victorian art

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tunning examples of unseen Victorian-era art will go on display at the University of Dundee this summer.

The works of several Scottish artists are being exhibited publicly for the first time as part of the exhibition ‘Scottish Art 1800-1900’ in the University’s Tower Foyer Gallery which runs until 28 September.

Featuring pieces from members of the celebrated Glasgow Boys and influential artists such as Robert Scott Lauder, David Wilkie and William Quiller Orcharson, the free exhibition features a small selection from the institution’s extensive collection and showcases a golden era of Scottish creative talent.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for fans of Scottish art to capture a rare look at some of the hidden gems

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Photo University of Dundee Kincardine Castle

from our collection,” said Matthew Jarron, the University’s Museum Curator.

“Although we only have space to show a small selection from our collection, we have tried to show a wide range of styles from across the century. As well as paintings we are also displaying drawings, prints and

sculpture, so there’s a real variety of material.

“Charlotte Nasmyth, one of the relatively few female professional painters of the era, is also featured, while George Henry’s figure study La Japonaise is a glorious piece that really demands attention.”

Saving links to Darwin’s mentor

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n appeal has been launched to save the notebooks of an influential scientist admired

by Charles Darwin has been launched.

Charles Lyell

The University of Edinburgh and more than 800 of its supporters have pledged in excess of £600,000 to help purchase a collection of notebooks by the Scottish geologist Sir Charles Lyell. A further £336,000 is now needed to save them for the nation.

The works, which are currently in private ownership, were subject to a government export bar until 15 July in a bid to keep them in the UK. The strength of the University’s campaign means the bar has been extended until 15 October.

Lyell, who died in 1875 aged 77, mentored Darwin after the latter returned from his five-year voyage on the Beagle in 1836.

He influenced generations of scientists through his popular books and lectures and is credited with providing the framework that helped Darwin develop his evolutionary theories.

Charles Darwin

The 294 notebooks contain copies of correspondence between the two scientists.

Darwin wrote: “The science of geology is enormously indebted to Lyell—more so, as I believe, than to any other man who ever lived.”

Although written in the Victorian era, the works also shed light on current concerns, including climate change

and threats to species diversity.

They also explore the meanings of so-called deep time – the concept of geological time first described by the Scottish geologist James Hutton in the 18th century.

If successful, the University will make the collection freely accessible to the wider public.

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First for Beijing

Photo BritCham University of Dundee at Beijing Highland Games

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eijing has just hosted its first ever Highland Games

Organised by the Scottish Society, the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce and British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham) the games were all about celebrating community.

Held in the stunning location of Dongfeng International Sports Park, Sanlitun the games attracted a crowd of more than 700 people making it the largest community event that BritCham had ever hosted.

Photo BritCham Lone piper at Beijing Highland Games

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Vote for Edinburgh Castle

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dinburgh Castle has been nominated as Best Heritage Attraction in the prestigious British Travel Awards (BTAs).

The public decide who wins and have until 30 September to vote to ensure the castle seizes the top prize

Photo by HES Edinburgh Castle

at this year’s awards. Winners will be announced at the BTA Gala Awards Dinner in London on 27 November.

Last year over 2 million people visited Edinburgh Castle, making it Scotland’s number one paid-for visitor attraction.

It has been nominated for a BTA Best Heritage Attraction before, previously winning four times in a row, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

To vote go to www.britishtravelawards.com

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Signature event celebrates fine dining

Chef Martin Wishart in action at Signature – his visit to the 2019 festival will be the third in a row

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ix of the nation’s top chefs, who hold a collective six Michelin stars and 19 AA Rosettes between them, have been announced in the line-up for Scotland’s unique fine dining festival.

The Signature festival will take place over 13 days during November when leading culinary lights host their own intimate private dinners at The Chester Hotel in Aberdeen.

Glyn Purnell, Martin Wishart, Brian Grigor and Roy Brett will be making return appearances to Signature from November 3 to 15, while new faces to the line-up this year will be Phil Howard and Daniel Clifford.

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Afternoon tea

Signature is unique in that it is staged within one venue – the hotel’s 2 AA Rosette restaurant – with chefs and their kitchen brigades visiting to recreate the menu experience from their own restaurants. Only 80 places will be available at each dinner.

Now in its third year, Signature aims to showcase Aberdeen as a destination for gourmets and the exceptional quality of raw ingredients found on the city’s doorstep. It is the brainchild of Graham Wood, owner of The Chester Hotel, who saw the local appetite for fine dining through the popularity of his own upscale venue.

“We have some outstanding produce available to us here in the north east, yet for many years Aberdeen simply didn’t appear on food lovers’ radars. That is quite ironic given that so much of our raw ingredients – seafood, game and fruit – is recognised as being of outstanding quality and used in world-class restaurants all over the UK and beyond,” he said.

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A Glynn Purnell creation

“What we wanted to do with Signature was to bring together the best of both worlds: to take these locally sourced ingredients and for exceptionally talented chefs to create simply stunning menus in an intimate setting.

“The success of the event speaks for itself. It has sold out the past

two years – we’ve had to operate a waiting list for some dinners – and we’ve had guests travel considerable distances to be part of it. Signature, along with all the other food-focused events and markets in Aberdeen, is putting the city on the map as a must-visit destination for foodies.”

A side order of laughter is also on the

menu this year from comedian Jason Manford when he brings the curtain up on the popular foodies’ event by performing at a lunch on November 3.

“We’re delighted to have the company of such a high-profile star on the opening day of Signature, following on from last year’s

performance by soul singer Beverley Knight,” said Mr Wood.

“Although he’s shown that he is an all-round performer with his forays into singing and acting, Signature guests will see him doing what he’s best known for. We’re all looking forward to seeing his stand-up routine, and we’re sure it will get

Signature off the best possible start.”

The dessert and petit fours to roundoff the three-course meal will be created by world-class patissier and chocolatier William Curley, who is making his second appearance at Signature having kicked it off in 2018 with an exquisite afternoon tea.

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Martin Wishart

On November 4 Michelin star holder Glynn Purnell will be the first chef to grace the kitchens of The Chester Hotel. Also known as the Yummy Brummie, Purnell – a two-time winner of the Great British Menu – has two venues in his native Birmingham.

He’s a favourite on cookery shows including Saturday Kitchen and My Kitchen Rules.

November 6 will see Scottish household name Martin Wishart as the host. His restaurant in Edinburgh was the first in the city to be awarded a Michelin star and he now has four other venues and travels the world to provide culinary expertise to dining ventures.

Seafood specialist Roy Brett will be in the kitchen on November 8. Chef proprietor of Edinburgh’s Ondine, which holds two AA Rosettes, Brett has worked alongside Mark Hix in London and critically acclaimed seafood chef Rick Stein at his restaurant in Padstow.

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Glynn Purnell

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Signature afternoon tea

Appearing at Signature for the first time on November 11 will be Phil Howard of Elystan Street, Chelsea. A holder of two Michelin stars, Howard kickstarted his rise to the top of the culinary tree in 1991 with The Square – the Mayfair restaurant which he owned for 25 years. A purveyor of pure, simple food full of vitality and flavour, he is now a mentor on the Great British Menu.

November 13 sees Daniel Clifford, chef patron of two Michelin-starred Midsummer House, Cambridge, arrive for his Signature stint. A former Chefs’ Chef of the Year, he is best known for his imaginative style of cooking, reinventing classic British dishes. Clifford has twice won the Great British Menu and has returned as a mentor.

Michelin-starred Brian Grigor, the Scotland-based consultant for Chez Roux, will bring the curtain down on Signature on November 15. Part of the team that secured a Michelin star for Number One Restaurant

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within The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Grigor has a passion for homegrown produce. He was the first ever winner of the Scottish Game Chef of the Year title.

Signature will once again this year

be raising money for good causes. In 2018, the event made an incredible £239,000 donation to Friends of the Neonatal Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, with a further £12,000 going to Friendly Access – a charity supporting those with hidden

disabilities.

Tickets for each of the chef dinners are priced at £150 and are available via the website www.signaturefoodfestival.co.uk

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Spaced out Scotland

Photo by David N Anderson / VisitScotland Glen of the Bar

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s the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the moon landings Scotland is honouring its space connections with a new guide to inspire future explorers and visitors.

The ‘Scotland is Out of this World’ trail highlights the country’s links to space exploration and the landing of Apollo 11 on the lunar surface

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Visitors are being encouraged to investigate Scottish connections to each planet in the solar system, as well as fun facts and details of science centres and the best places to stargaze.

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Glasgow Science Centre

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From Gilnockie Tower, the ancestral home of Clan Armstrong - forefathers of astronaut Neil Armstrong, to to the village of Glenelg in the Highlands, which is twinned with a geological feature on Mars with the same name, there’s plenty to explore.

There is Loch Airigh, Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides which was used to portray the planet Jupiter in the 1968 Stanley Kubrick directed film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

On the mainland there is Braemar, Aberdeenshire which is the birthplace of Johann von Lamont, an astronomer and pioneer in geomagnetism, who calculated the mass of Uranus.

Photo Jonathan Oldenbuck CC BY-SA 3.0 Gilnockie Tower

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Over the Sound of Sleat To Kylerhea, Skye from Glenelg

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland A Beach Near Gallanach, Isle Of Coll, Inner Hebrides

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Down in the Scottish Borders there is the town of Jedburgh which is the birthplace of 19th century science writer Mary Somerville who theorised that difficulties in calculating the position of Uranus may point to an undiscovered planet, which inspired the discovery of Neptune.

Photo by Jakub Iwanicki / VisitScotland Braemar, The Cairngorms Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Jedburgh Town Centre

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At Parton, Dumfries & Galloway visitors can find the resting place of 19th century physicist James Clerk Maxwell, whose name was given to Maxwell Montes, the planet’s only feature named after a man. Â

Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Crawick Multiverse, Artland visitor attraction and events venue In Dumfries and Galloway

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Ohio-born Neil Armstrong was said to be proud of his Scottish heritage. The ancestral home of Clan Armstrong is Langholm in

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Langholm, home town of Neil Armstrong’s ancestors

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Dumfries and Galloway and in 1972 he become the town’s first and only Freeman, declaring it at the ceremony his “home town”.

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Photo by Damian Shields / VisitScotland Dark Skies Observatory, Dalmellington, Ayrshire

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Dark skies have been identified by the travel guide publisher, Lonely Planet, as a key tourism trend for 2019. Scotland is home to two International Dark Sky Parks, Galloway Forest Park in Dumfries and Galloway and Tomintoul and Glenlivet in Cairngorms National Park, a Dark Sky Island (Isle of Coll) and a Dark Sky Town (Moffat).  “Scotland is Out of this World offered

Photo by Paul Tomkins / VisitScotland Moffat

the opportunity to delve into the past and celebrate the country’s contribution to space exploration and astronomy and its ancestral links to one of the greatest moments in history,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland.

“The new trail reveals some of the country’s stellar attractions and locations to visit to firmly cement Scotland’s place in astro-tourism.

After all, our best views aren’t confined to our awe-inspiring landscapes, but reach up high into

the night sky above as well.”

Numerous craters on the Moon and Mars are named after Scottish scientists, including Aberdeen astronomers Arthur Mee, Sir David Gill and Edinburgh mathematician John Napier of Merchiston.

The Stirling Engine at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh was created by Rev. Robert Stirling in 1818. The system design was used by NASA in the initial plans for a lander to explore Saturn’s moon,

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Scotland’s second city was the home of Archie Roy, Professor Emiritus of Astronomy at the University of Glasgow. He was the world-leading authority on the mechanics of orbits in the 1960s when he was recruited

by NASA to manually work out the calculations for Apollo 11’s journey to the moon.

The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 5806 as Archie–roy in his honour in 1986.

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China’s growing love affair with Scotland

The John O’Groats sign must be one of the most photographed landmarks in Scotland

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or more than half of her life entrepreneur, hotelier and experienced travel management consultant Chen Li has been promoting the beauty and attractions of her adopted country of Scotland to a global audience.

Almost as soon as she first arrived in Glasgow in 1998 to study, as thousands of other Chinese students do every year, Chen fell in love with the scenery, history, culture and people. She has made it her mission ever since to help forge closer links between Scotland and China, especially in regards to tourism.

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Harry Potter event at Turin Castle

Much has been made of the growing number of Chinese visitors travelling to Scotland each year and the question of whether the country is China ready? is one often heard among members of the tourism industry. “The Chinese consumer is potentially

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one of the most beneficial and lucrative clients to the Scottish tourism market. To understand this, we need to understand and fulfil their expectations,� said Chen, who runs Magna World, a leading destination management company specialising in bringing Chinese visitors to Scotland.

The majority of Chinese visitors who come to Scotland are middle and high-end customers. It is a once in a decade trip and while they wish to have the best of accommodation and dining they also like to mix with local people and learn about the native culture.

Chen Li

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“Many businesses don’t understand what Chinese people really want to see when they walk in the door or what they want to buy, talk about and learn,” said Chen, who had years of experience working with a global Destination Management Company prior to setting up Magna World in 2015.

“They are interested in the scenery, history, castles, golf, whisky and everything that makes Scotland so unique but they also want to feel welcome and not just some kind

of money making opportunity and that requires a little effort and understanding.

Little things can mean a lot. Often businesses don’t realise that if anyone goes to the Bank of China to get British currency they are only given £50 notes. There are no £20s, £10s or coins and that can cause problems.

“Recently I took some clients to an ice-cream shop in St Andrews. There were four of us and we only had an

Photo VisitScotland VisitScotland recently launched Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 in Beijing

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hour between meetings but because this ice-cream shop is famous on Chinese social media my client really wanted to go,” said Chen.

“We had four ice-creams that looked amazing and my client took out a £50 note to pay the bill but his money was refused because the shop would not accept it for fear it was a fake.

When he tried to pay with a Union Pay Card, they wouldn’t accept that either. It was embarrassing and unnecessary.”

Chen suggests more business should consider accepting Union Pay cards or Alipay, a third party mobile and online payment platform similar to ApplePay and PayPal which is partnered with Barclaycard in the UK. Alipay is now the world’s largest mobile payment, after overtaking PayPal in 2013, with more than 1billion users world-wide and it supports transactions in 18 major foreign currencies.

Similarly, China’s UnionPay is the world’s biggest card issuer with 6billion users in China alone and it’s a growing challenger to Visa and Mastercard in Europe.

UnionPay recently partnered with UK based Tribe Payments, to start offering individuals and companies its branded cards. It is already accepted by more than 40 million merchants and 2 million ATMs in 170 countries, including 40 European nations.

“Making visitors more comfortable about spending their money should be a no-brainer,” said Chen. “When Harrods department store in London installed a UnionPay terminal it reported a huge surge in sales from Chinese students and tourists able to spend directly from their home bank accounts.”

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Visitors get in to the spirit of Scotland

But there is more to catering for Chinese guests than money. While they appreciate the beauty of Scotland’s scenery, the history of its castles and quality of its top products they also want to engage with local people.

“A little while back I took a party of visitors to a castle for dinner. We put them all in a kilt and tried to give them a Scottish experience. Half way through the meal they asked if the owner could join them for a picture.

He over wearing a tee-shirt and jeans and quickly realised he looked out of place in his own castle. Since then, whenever I take a group to dinner, he meets them dressed in his kilt or tartan trousers and treats them all like new friends rather than just paying customers.

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“It doesn’t cost him anything but it makes the whole visitor experience so much better. They go home and tell their friends or share it on social media and then the next group I get ask to go to the same place. It’s good business!”

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Photo VisitScotland Scotland’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, Ivan McKee launches Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 in Beijing

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Recently VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation, hosted a special event in Beijing where Ivan McKee, Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation launched the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020

to attract more Chinese visitors.

VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said it was vital that Scotland and China continue to foster a valuable relationship.

Revenue from Chinese visitors to the country is estimated tho have grown by almost 350 per cent in the last few years as the number of visitors from China has more than doubled.

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Photo by Guy Phillips

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Back to Aboyne Photo by Harry Scott Competitors in the tug o’ war at the 2018 Aboyne Highland Games

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escendants of one of the founding fathers of Aboyne Highland Games will travel over 3,000 miles to attend the event for the first time.

Duncan Mackintosh, the greatgrandson of William Mackintosh, the founding chairman of Aboyne Highland Games, will make the journey from America to northeast Scotland with his family after discovering his ancestor’s connection to the event.

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William Mackintosh was one of 20 men who organised the inaugural Aboyne Highland Games in 1867, creating an annual event that remains popular today. His identity was only fully discovered two years ago as part of celebrations to mark the event’s 150th anniversary.

The current committee asked Aberdeen and North-East Scotland Family History Society to provide some insight into the names of the founding committee listed in the

event’s minute book from 1867.

Following significant research, the mysterious figure listed simply as the Lord Provost of Aboyne was unmasked as William Mackintosh, who was born in early 1830 in the Inverness-shire parish of Daviot and Dunlichity

After making his startling discovery last year, Duncan, vowed to attend the Royal Deeside event and celebrate his family’s link with it.

Joining Duncan, who worked in the North American hardwood manufacturing industry before retiring, and his wife Annie, a grammar school teacher, on the trip will be their daughters Eliza, a senior producer with CNN International in London, and Adelaide, an architect with New York-based Bates Masi Architects.

“I knew my family came from Aboyne, but did not know anything about my great-grandfather’s connection with Aboyne Highland Games or being Lord Provost of Aboyne,” said Duncan.

“When my father and I visited in 1967 he showed me where the family had stayed at Mill Cottage in Aboyne

Duncan Mackintosh and his wife Annie

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before they moved to Aberdeen.

Learning what we have in the past year has filled in some of the blanks about our Scottish family tree and opens doors to enable further exploration.”

Duncan’s grandfather, also William, was born in Aboyne in 1879, the youngest of six children of William Mackintosh and Mary Symon. Like his father he worked in the insurance industry in Aberdeen, leaving the city for America in 1912 and marrying there two years later. William died when Duncan’s father was only 13, leaving the family with little direct verbal history about its paternal Scottish heritage.

“We believe my great-grandfather was a very tall man, over seven feet in height,” added Duncan. “I’m

Members of the Somme Battlefield Pipe Band from France who will be playing at Aboyne to commemorate Scots soldiers who fought in both World Wars

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about six-foot tall and inherited his kilt which hung about a foot below my knees, so his height adds up. In comparison, his wife Mary was said to only be five feet tall.”

Duncan is passionate about his ancestry, something he shares with his cousins, one of whom published a book on her family’s history. He also used his Scottish heritage as inspiration for the novel ‘Three Times to Freedom: The MacBean Chronicles’, which he penned under the pseudonym J.D. Carr.

During their two-week trip to Scotland the Mackintosh clan are keen to learn more about their Scottish roots and forebears. In addition to visiting Aberdeenshire, they plan to spend time in Dornoch, where Duncan’s father often

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Massed pipe bands at Aboyne Highland Games

holidayed, and Inverness-shire where the family history can be traced back to. They also hope to catch up with their Scottish cousins.

“We’re really excited about our visit to Aboyne and celebrating our family’s link with Aboyne Highland

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Games. It sounds like a fantastic event with lots going on – bagpipes, Highland Dancing, tug o’ war and all the athletics events. What more could you ask for as a celebration of Scottish culture. From memory, Aboyne is in a beautiful setting, so it should be a great day,” said Duncan.

Alistair Grant, chairman of Aboyne Highland Games, said: “When we set out to build a picture of our founding committee as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations in 2017, we never expected to be contacted by one of their descendants living overseas. We were surprised when

Duncan got in touch and are thrilled that he and his family are making the journey across the Atlantic to attend this year’s Aboyne Highland Games.

“Aboyne Highland Games has always had an international outlook, welcoming visitors from around

the world. Another member of our founding committee, Donald Dinnie, also helped popularise Highland Games globally in the late 19th century. Scotland’s diaspora is rightly proud its history and heritage. Our Highland Games is a major draw for them and each year we witness that

passion in our clan village.”

The 2019 Aboyne Highland Games takes place on Saturday, 03 August on the Village Green in Aboyne.

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Band of brothers and sisters

Photo Rennett Stowe from USA CC BY 2.0 Pipers play at the Kern County Scottish Gathering and Games Calinfornia

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“It’s coming yet for a’ that, That Man to Man, the world o’er, Shall brothers be for a’ that.”

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he words of Robert Burns could almost have been written to describe the connection felt by millions of men and women around the world.

Whether it’s in the blood, the heart or

the mind Scottishness has become a ‘thing’. It even has a dictionary definition - ‘the quality, characteristic or state of being Scottish’.

There are estimated to be be in

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excess of 50 million people who claim to have Scottish heritage.

Wherever you go on the planet you can bet there’s a very good chance a Scot has been there before you.

And it’s not even just this planet…the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, had Scottish blood. His family hailed from Langholm in the Scottish borders.

Scottishness is about so much more than nationality. There are ScotsAmericans, Scots-Australians, ScotsCanadians, Scots-New Zealanders, Scots-English, Scots-Africans and almost every combination under the sun. For those who wish to embrace some or all of the heritage,

Photo Mobilus In Mobili CC BY 2.0 Central Virginia Celtic Festival and Highland Games

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culture and customs of Scotland it is a shared bond that can transcend borders and boundaries.

It’s often said that the further Scots travel from home, through distance or time, the more Scottish they become. Therefore it’s not surprising there are more pipe bands, Highland Games, clan gatherings and kilt wearers outside Scotland than in it.

It’s not just blood that pulls people together. There are millions more who don’t have any genetic affinity with Scotland but for some reason feel drawn to the idea of Scottishness.

Love of Scotland can be highly infectious but it’s a grand disease!

“As a native born Scot living in the USA I am constantly amazed by the number of people I meet who

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Photo Mobilus In Mobili CC BY 2.0 Greater Richmond Police at Central Virginia Celtic Festival and Highland Games

tell me they too are Scottish and who speak of Scotland with such great enthusiasm and pride even though they have never set foot in the country,” said Colin Dewar, founder of the Thistle Club and a former Scottish international, having represented his country in the sport of fly fishing.

saw more kilts in one day in single place than I’ve ever seen in Scotland.

“They are able to tell me their family names, where they think they originated from and what clan they are aligned with. They are proud to have American nationality but regard themselves as being from Scotland.”

“It was fascinating to talk to each of the clans at their various stands where the people could tell you all about their lineage, the origins of their name and the clan chiefs. Many of these folks knew more about Scotland and its history than most people who live in Scotland.”

As a result of his experiences Colin was inspired to create an online platform where like-minded people can connect with each other and the politically neutral www.thethistleclub.com was born.

Colin, originally from Dunfermline, Fife has lived with his American wife and children in Florida, for more than 10 years and has become a frequent visitor to various Highland games and clan gatherings.

“The first event I went along to was the Central Florida Highland Games just outside Orlando and I was amazed to see thousands of people embracing their Scottish heritage. I

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“At home in Fife my friends and I would never have dressed like these people who were decked out form head to toe in tartan as if they were going to a wedding and there wasn’t a Scottish accent between them.

“It doesn’t matter if you were born in Scotland or not. Anyone can join for free. It’s almost like an online clan.

It’s not connected to any particular

Colin Dewar

name but it pulls everyone together under the umbrella of being one digital family with a shared love for Scotland past, present and future.”

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Gintelligence

- with Fiona Holland F iona Holland is a journalist and long-time gin lover, collecting and sampling unusual and uncommon gins for more than

20 years. Recently, her job amassing the juniper-laced spirit has become significantly easier with the explosion of craft distilleries in Scotland. It’s

difficult to keep up with them all, but you can be assured she’ll try her best…

So, in this instance, we’ll take this gin as semi-Scottish – the label does say it is distilled in the UK, so I think we can say there’s some truth in my newly-created moniker.

Caol Ila and MacDuff iterations, all of which will lend specific qualities.

Anyway, onwards and upwards…

Indian Summer comes in two varieties – original and cask strength.

But even this isn’t quite as simple as it may seem.

What they all have, though, is a subtle infusion of saffron.

Golden aged mystery - a gin to deceive the senses Indian Summer Gin Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky, Aberdeenshire 44 and 56.3 per cent ABV £26-30 and approx £45

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ometimes a mystery is just what you need in life and Indian Summer Gin, from Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky in Aberdeenshire, has given me just that.

It’s a little bit of an odd one – there’s no doubt the production company is Scottish, based as it is in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. But it’s difficult to get to the bottom of where it’s distilled, though it is bottled in Scotland – there are also no claims to the inclusion of any local botanicals.

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The original is straightforward enough, but the cask strength varies from release to release as it is dependent on what type of cask was used for the whisky maturation and, indeed, what kind of whisky was produced. In my instance, the sample was ex Ardmore Peated, but a quick Google will tell you that there have also been ex Bunnahabhain,

It also means that each cask strength gin has a slightly different ABV.

For me this was most notable in the original version, which has a distinct glow of light gold, which rather aptly reflects the Indian Summer name.

On the nose, this gin felt light and lemony, though there was punchy juniper and a slight hint of spice.

There is a rather sweet taste to this neat, with a soupcon of vanilla and fruit combined with a strong spirit kick – it may not make much sense,

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but it had a syrup taste rather than texture.

I used Walter Gregor’s Tonic to dilute with the addition of a small slice of lime. It was diluted as one part gin and one part tonic. Instantly the citrus scent, so marked on the nose, is back, and the light spicing continues, as does the sweetness.

Despite it’s hefty 46 per cent ABV, though, it doesn’t stand up well to excessive levels of tonic, with the more gentle tones being lost.

It is all together rather pleasing One thing which wasn’t a mystery was both the colour and immediate aroma of the cask strength version – it looked like a malt and smelt like one, too. There was an undoubted

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hit of peatiness; you’d never mistake it for a full-on Ardbeg or Lagavulin, but it did, nonetheless, make it’s very distinctive character clear from the outset.

There is, however, still a citrus vibe on the nose, though this time it felt more orangey than the original – considering there is both lemon and orange peel in the botanicals, this is probably not terribly surprising.

Strangely, the peat doesn’t come to the fore when it’s sipped neat, though it’s quite punchy and maintains a spiciness, also felt with the original. But it feels like there are some tricks at play – your eyes will tell you it’s whisky and the taste doesn’t fully dispel that, though there are undoubted overtones of gin, too.

Altogether a little puzzling, though not unpleasant – it feels a little like a comforting autumnal drink, laced with candied peel and sultanas.

With the same tonic and ratios as the original, it becomes less confusing, though the whisky hit does remain.

It has distinctly more body than the original, and it’s certainly not what I’d call a session gin – much more of an occasion drink. The colour does calm down with the tonic to become much paler and the coriander and juniper are very evident.

Botanicals include angelica bark, almonds, coriander seed, cassia, juniper berries, lemon peel, liquorish root, saffron, orris root and orange peel.

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Fresh, zesty and legal

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by Helen Lloyd

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he Isle of Raasay Distillery has launched the first legal spirit from the island rooted in centuries of illicit distilling a handcrafted Hebridean gin.

A year before the newly created distillery releases its inaugural Isle of Raasay Single Malt whisky in 2020 connoisseurs can get a little taste of the quality of spirit to come.

Handcrafted in the Hebrides, the Isle of Raasay Gin is distilled in a Frilli copper pot still using an expert blend of 10 botanicals and water from the well.

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Bottling Isle of Raasay Gin

The result is a complex is described by the makers as a well balanced, zesty dry gin with a lasting aftertaste encapsulating Raasay’s style, character and impressive geological variety.

The makers promise a fresh and aromatic scent with juniper, citrus and a hint of rhubarb that is dry to the palate with a burst of juniper, orange and a richer rhubarb note.

Made for mixing in traditional G&Ts using Fever-Tree’s Premium Indian Tonic, or in your favourite cocktail the aim to to deliver a dry and zesty treat for the senses.

The recipe incorporates each of the following Raasay and traditional botanicals: juniper berries, rhubarb root, lemon peel, orange peel, coriander seeds, angelica root, liquorice root, orris root, cubeb pepper and triple distilled Raasay spirit.

This was established with support from local botanist Dr Stephen

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Bungard and Fiona Williamson, MSc scholar at Herriot Watt, who knows Raasay well, having worked a summer season at the distillery in 2018.

“Our new Isle of Raasay Gin puts island quality first – combining carefully chosen botanicals with water from our well and triple distilled

Raasay spirit,” said Alasdair Day, cofounder of Isle of Raasay Distillery.

“Raasay’s remarkable geology and our modern island distillery inspired both the creation and presentation of our exciting new Scottish gin that we look forward to sharing with the growing number of visitors to Raasay and gin lovers alike.”

Head Distiller Iain Robertson looking toward Glamaig

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More of the Fringe Photo by Phil Hannah Samantha Hannah is looking for happiness

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ollowing our brief guide in last month’s edition of Scotland Correspondent detailing what’s on at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer here’s a few more highlights to entertain audiences in the capital this month.

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How to find happiness Scottish stand-up Samantha Hannah, who gave herself a year to find Mr Right in 2018 and ended up writing a show about it (How to Find a Husband in a Year), is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe – and this

time, she’s looking for happiness.

How to Find Happiness (in a Year) takes a comic deep dive into the world of self-help books, relaxation techniques, yoga and mindfulness – the whole happiness industry.

Photo by Phil Hannah Samantha Hannah

As a woman in her early 30’s she has found that nothing is ever enough.

There’s pressure to find the ideal partner (job done – his name is Toby and he sits through all her shows) – then a wonderful home, perfect children and so on forever.

But above all else, Samantha realised, women are expected to be in a state of perpetual ecstasy.

“I set myself a year to find “the one” two years ago – and I did.

But then I realised that we are in a world of never-ending expectation; nothing is ever good enough and

there is always the pressure to find something more,” said Samantha, originally from Perth.

“And the really big one is happiness.

Not just low-key contentedness.

Everywhere you look, on social media, in magazines, on TV and in adverts, people seem to be bouncing with delight. It’s an aggressive happiness”

“I gave myself a year to find out if it’s possible. I gave up alcohol, I started repeating mantras, reading the self-improvement books, going to the sessions, following the gurus to

see if I can get there - or whether the desire for hyper happiness is making us miserable.”

The new show will update fans on how it’s all going as well as revealing whether she has found the answer to the ultimate challenge of complete happiness. Or if we should be instead focusing on something different entirely.

How to Find Happiness (in a Year) is on at Laughing Horse @ Cabaret Voltaire (Venue 338) between August 1-25

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Looking for Heroes All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre and Room 2 Manoeuvre are bringing their new show, Heroes, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The light hearted show for all the family delves into the world of superheroes and beyond with a stunning fusion of aerial acrobatics, dance theatre, contemporary circus and visceral choreography, In their quirky circus universe, two performers (and their miniature sidekicks) explore what it means to be a hero. The dynamic duo tackle the darker side of life in the spotlight and the pressures of being a role model with a never-ending list of enemies.

Heroes is choreographed and directed by Tony Mills (Room 2 Manoeuvre) and Jennifer Paterson (All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre) and performed by Beverley Grant and Tony Mills.

Audience members of all ages are encouraged to dress as their favourite superhero!

Heroes is at Underbelly, George Square (venue 300) from 1 to 26 August (not 12 August).

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Photo by Chris Scott

Fridays at the Fringe Three fun-filled Friday nights of Fringe entertainment, the return of Gilded Balloon at the Museum, daily live pop-up music performances and this summer’s five-star exhibition Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland will feature in a packed programme of Edinburgh Festival Fringe events at the National Museum of Scotland.

After five years of sell-out success, Museum Late: Fringe Fridays will return on 9, 16 and 23 August to offer a unique taste of the festival.

This adults-only extravaganza presents a different line-up each week with a hand-picked collection of the best acts of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, all under one spectacular roof.

From the Grand Gallery’s main stage to more intimate spaces around the Museum, guests can discover world class collections while embracing the festival atmosphere with circus, comedy, cabaret, music and magic featured across three stages.

In addition to live performances, Fringe-goers can strike a pose at a

Photo by Chris Scott Free Fringe Music returns to the Museum

themed photo booth, get creative at activity stations, enjoy drinks at a selection of pop-up bars, graze from sharing boards in the Brasserie bar or grab a snack at a street food stall, and explore this summer’s fivestar exhibition, Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland.

Free Fringe Music returns to the Museum to celebrate the launch of Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland in partnership with Live Music Now Scotland.

Some of the country’s best emerging artists will perform an exciting blend of traditional Scottish songs and instrumental sets inspired by the exhibition live every day during the festival. Fun for all the family, visitors can embrace the festival atmosphere

Photo by Chris Scott

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Photo by Chris Scott

in the Grand Gallery at 2:05pm, from 3–25 August.

In the Auditorium, Gilded Balloon present 27 days of inspiring and diverse programming, featuring comedy, conversation, family fun and drama, including winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2018 Lost Voice Guy, acclaimed impressionists Roni Ancona and Lewis MacLeod, political commentator Iain Dale, and broadcasting legend Esther Rantzen.

For families, spark young imaginations with Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show, and experience Shakespeare like you never have before with Romantic Romeo. Night owls can join comedians from around the world as they riff on objects on display in the National Museum of Scotland at Comedy Night at the Museum, There will be Cake will feature improvised antics from Marcus Brigstocke, Rachel Parris and Pippa Evans, and music fans will relish the opportunity to witness a Q&A with iconic singersongwriter Donovan.

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Photo by Chris Scott

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Enlightenment 2.0 -

Discovery, Development and Innovation

Synthetic skin could aid healing

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grafts.

rtificial skin produced using nanoscale technology could improve wound recovery for patients with burns or skin

Engineers from the University of Edinburgh have devised a fabric dressing the thickness and elasticity of which can be custom-matched to specific areas of the body. The material is also able to be absorbed by the skin’s own tissue as it heals.

Two synthetic materials are blended to produce nanometre-sized fibres – thousands of times thinner than a hair – which can be fabricated costeffectively in minutes and then used to provide a scaffold on which newly formed skin can grow.

Research is now underway to focus on further developing and testing the material for medical use within the next four years.

Photo by Antonios Keirouz Artificial skin produced using nanoscale tech

Test to ease cancer patients’ plight

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atients with advanced cancer are to test a new therapy aimed at reducing their symptoms and improving quality of life.

The treatment – called bermekimab – could help improve outcomes in cancer, including reducing symptoms such as weight loss and decreased mobility.

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A team led by the University of Edinburgh are working with the US-based biotechnology company XBiotech, which developed the therapy. It works by blocking a molecule of the immune system called IL-1alpha, which causes inflammation and pain. It is already being tested as a treatment for patients with colorectal cancer.

The new trial aims to check if the treatment – a form of immunotherapy – offers any benefit for patients with advanced lung, pancreatic or ovarian cancer.

Using immunotherapy to target the cause of symptoms in cancer is a new approach. If successful, it has the potential to improve quality of life for people with advanced cancer.

Breakthrough in war on disease

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team at the University of Dundee has identified a protein that makes random decisions to allow parasites to survive in their human hosts.

Scientists at the University’s School of Life Sciences have discovered what allows genes to switch on and

off randomly, changing cell surface characteristics and allowing escape from the defences of the host’s immune system.

This behaviour is present in genes within parasites known as trypanosomes, and also in the parasite that causes malaria, which

claims hundreds of thousands of lives every year.

The breakthrough could benefit research into developing treatments for diseases that use this type of immune evasion strategy.

Pedalling change

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aking minor changes to how food is produced, supplied and consumed around the world could free up around a fifth of agricultural land, claim scientists from the University of Edinburgh and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Researchers have applied the British cycling team’s strategy of marginal gains – the idea that making multiple small changes can lead to significant effects overall – to the global food

Photo by Anne Burgess CC BY-SA 2.0 Looking across fields of oilseed rape to Loch Leven Castle

system.

They found that small steps – such as reducing food waste, tweaking diets and improving the efficiency of food production – could together reduce the amount of land required to feed the planet by at least 21 per cent.

Small changes such as eating slightly less meat, switching to chicken or pork over beef and lamb, and reducing transport and processing

losses could have a big impact.

Further improvement could be gained by increasing agricultural yields, eating insects, plant-based imitation meat and lab-grown meat.

Previous research has focused on a few large changes that are difficult to achieve, researchers say. They argue that the marginal gains approach, which has made British cycling among the best in the world, is more likely to be attainable.

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Healthy eating advances

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Dr Alberto Fiore of Abertay University

by-product from rapeseed oil could reduce potential toxic compounds that cause chronic kidney and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from Abertay University in Dundee are investigating how leftover ‘press cake’ from rapeseed oil production can be turned into a human food source with health promoting properties.

Scents believe nutrients in the ‘cake’

could help reduce the formation of ‘Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs)’, which are found in different types of cooked food and are linked to pathological conditions such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease without the unwanted side effects caused by synthetic drugs.

Lab tests have shown it could be partially substituted for flour in cookies with positive effects during the baking process, especially in the

reduction of acrylamide, a potential carcinogenic compound formed during the cooking of starchy foods.

“Rapeseed press cake has some exciting potential for human use and we are hopeful that this project will lead to the creation of new products, using a resource that may previously have been used for animal feed,” said Dr Alberto Fiore of Abertay’s Division of Food and Drink,

Mining the new frontier

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stronauts are to test the world’s first space mining devices, in an advance that could open up a new frontier in exploring the universe.

Prototype kits developed by

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astrobiologists from the University of Edinburgh are being sent to the International Space Station to study how microscopic organisms could be used to recover minerals and metals such as iron, calcium and magnesium from space rocks.

The groundbreaking study could aid efforts to establish manned settlements on distant worlds by helping develop ways to source minerals essential for survival in space.

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Picture progress

cientists from the University of Glasgow have succeeded in capturing visual evidence of an elusive phenomenon which a baffled Albert Einstein once called ‘spooky action at a distance’.

Two particles which interact with each other – like two photons passing through a beam splitter, for example – can sometimes remain connected, instantaneously sharing their physical states no matter how great the distance which separates them. This connection is known as quantum entanglement, and it underpins the field of quantum mechanics used in super computing and cryptography.

Although scientists knew it existed and understood how it works nobody have ever seen the phenomenon - until a team of physicists from Glasgow set up a super-sensitive

camera and managed to get a visible record of the entanglement of the photons.

“The image we’ve managed to capture is an elegant demonstration of a fundamental property of nature, seen for the very first time in the form of an image,” said Dr Paul-

Antoine Moreau of the University of Glasgow’s School of Physics and Astronomy.

“It’s an exciting result which could be used to advance the emerging field of quantum computing and lead to new types of imaging.”

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Antique hunting with Roo Irvine The Magic of Murano A s a glass lover it is easy to step back and view the history of glassmaking in individually distinct chapters. Ever since the ‘official’ birth of manufactured glass in 1500BC Mesopotamia the story of glass has been was driven by political instability and war.

The Egyptian’s captured numerous glassmakers after a war with Syria and then the Romans benefited from their conquest of Egypt in 30BC and so it goes on.

Throughout Scotland examples of Roman Glass can still be found, mostly as relics of their failed invasion in the third century, buried near military camps and forts. Their’s was utilitarian and functional in nature in contrast to the decorative glass found in Egypt.

Bridging the two worlds between ancient and modern lies Venetian glass from the island of Murano where it has been manufactured for over 1,500 years unrivalled for its sheer quality, masterful technique and undeniable elegance.

Murano was Europe’s first major glassmaking centre renowned for its jaw-dropping colours and the infamous Millefiore beads or milkywhite glass innovation known as Lattimo.

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Photo by Sailko CC BY-SA 3.0 Vetro di murano, bicchiere,1450-1500

Photo Rauantiques CC BY-SA 4.0 Murano glass chandelier

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Photo by Vassil CC0 1.0 Murano glass museum

Made from silica, soda, lime and potassium, it melts in a special furnace at a temperature of 1500°C to reach a liquid state. Gold or silver foil are often added to the glass mixture, along with minerals such as copper for sparkle, zinc for white color, cobalt for blue, manganese for violet.

The mixture is then mouth-blown and hand-crafted by master glassmakers using special techniques and basic tools, many of which were developed in the Middle Ages and have changed little since.

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries European glassmakers created a plethora of glass in the Venetian style known as Facon de Venise - delicate filigree, paper-thin decoration and serpent-stemmed glasses. From small tazzas to magnificent chandeliers Venetian glass truly set the standard.

Today there are plenty of examples of glassware in the Murano style to

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be found in shops and homes around the world but beware there are a lot of copies being made in China, Morocco and elsewhere. It is only really a Murano if it’s physically made on the island.

However, if you are are lucky enough to have a real example of antique Murano, especially one signed by some of the master craftsmen like Toso, Venini or Barovier, then you could be sitting on a small fortune.

Despite its light and fragile appearance the best quality Murano glass is actually quite heavy - the heavier the better.

As with all antique glass look for imperfections such as tiny bubbles in the glass, slightly lopsided designs or slight runs in the colour - these are all possible signs of the object being hand-blown as every true piece of Murano should be.

Also make sure there is some weight to the item and that the pigments are

Murano glass pendant (PD)

striking. When it comes to fakes very often the colours are not as strong as they should be.

A nice piece of Murano glass can help add a touch of glamour to any room or occasion but what makes it so very special is that each piece is made by craftsmen steeped in historical practices that date back thousands of years. Murano glass is truly timeless.

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Moments in time G Photo by Gavin Macqueen Photography Sunset Goddess

lasgow based fine art photographer Gavin Macqueen latest solo exhibition. Journey to The Edge, is on at The Glasgow Art Club.

The free exhibition at 185 Bath Street runs until 26th August and features an array of images from across

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Scotland captured in Macqueen’s unique style.

Spectacular sunsets on the Outer Hebrides, magical landscapes taken along the spectacular route of the North Coast 500 and dramatic fashion shots at Glencoe each tell an emotional story that delights the eye

and stirs the heart.

The exhibition includes the historical final moments of Glasgow’s Red Road Flats and a picture of snow capped tenements in moonlight captured during the blizzards of the Beast from the East storm of 2018.

Photo by Gavin Macqueen Photography Tenements in the Snow

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Poet and author James Morrison described Macqueen as “an inventive, creative photographer with the eye of an artist.”

Among the images on show is a creative reenactment of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s raising of the Jacobite Standard at Glenfinnan.

Now based in Glasgow this acclaimed portrait and wedding

Photo by Gavin Macqueen Photography Raising The Standard

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photographer, who originates from Prestwick in Ayrshire, has built a reputation for having an extraordinary ability to capture the mood in a moment in time.

He has twice been shortlisted and commended in The Professional Photographer of the Year Awards and three times in the prestigious Annual International Print Competition.

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Photos by University of Aberdeen The aquavite entry in the Burgh Records

Aberdeen H - the birthplace of whisky?

istorians have uncovered the earliest ever reference to a still for distilling Scotch whisky which suggests the origins of the world’s favourite drink may have been in Aberdeen.

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen came across a 1505 record for a still for making ‘aquavite’, which in Latin means ‘water of life’ and is the Middle Scots word for whisky, in the city’s UNESCO recognised Burgh Records.

It was found by research fellow Dr Claire Hawes who was working her way through deciphering the 1.5million words in Aberdeen’s municipal registers, the earliest and most complete collection for any Scottish town, to make them digitally available in the recent publication Aberdeen Registers Online: 13981511.

Although not the first reference to whisky, which is widely recognised as being in 1494 when the king ordered

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Dr Claire Hawes and volume eight of the Burgh Records

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malt to be sent to make ‘aqua vite’, it is the earliest ever found for a still for Scotch whisky and its descriptor suggests this was a spirit to drink, rather than to be used in the preparation of gunpowder.

The reference appears in the inquest into the inheritance arising from the death of Sir Andrew Gray, convened at the bailie court of Aberdeen on June 20, 1505. Among his ‘moveable possessions’ was ‘ane stellatour for aquavite and ros wattir’.

Andrew Gray was a chantry chaplain in Aberdeen’s parish church of St Nicholas, and he was associated with the master of the burgh’s grammar school in 1499. He died in December 1504 and it is probable that he made use of his still during his lifetime.

Handwritten detail in the Burgh Records

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The University of Aberdeen’s Dr Jackson Armstrong, who led the project to transcribe the Burgh Records, said the find was ‘very exciting’ and ‘helps us to reframe the early story of Scotch whisky’.

“This is the earliest record directly mentioning the apparatus for distilling aquavite, and that equipment was at the heart of renaissance Aberdeen where at this time our own university had just been founded and the educational communities of humanism, science and medicine were growing,” he added.

“This find places the development of whisky in the heart of this movement, an interesting counterpoint to the established story of early aquavite in Scotland within the court of King James IV. “What is more, some other early references to aquavite refer to the spirit used in the preparation of gunpowder for the king. The

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Aberdeen still being for aquavite and rose water may suggest, by contrast, that it was for making whisky to drink.”

The modern English word ‘whisky’ comes from the Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’, which also means water of life. It appears in various forms in written records from about the 17th century onwards to refer especially to the aquavite made in the largely Gaelic-speaking highlands and islands.

The Aberdeen record shows that the aquavite still was in the hands of a George Barbour at the time of the hearing and he was ordered to hand over possession to Gray’s heir, dean Robert Kervour.

According to Dr Hawes’ research this is almost certainly the same man, known as Robert Carver, who would later become a famous choral composer based at the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle.

“Other entries in the archive for George Barbour show that he was active in early medicine in the city while Gray himself had associations with a number of key characters closely linked with learning, science and culture in renaissance Scotland,” she said.

Dr Armstrong claims the archives also reveal a possible location of the first still.

“There are also tantalising suggestions in the records about where the still may have been located. Andrew Gray had property in a street known as Guestrow. In Middle Scots this distinct place name was usually written as ‘gastraw’, in which ‘gast’ means ghost or wraith.

So the very first reference to a whisky still is likely to have been on a street associated with spirits,” he said.

“Today just a small section of Guestrow remains, opposite the bustling Broad Street, and it is home to the appropriately named ‘Illicit

Guestrow plaque

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Phil Astley, Dr Jackson Armstrong and Dr Claire Hawes outside the Illicit Still on Guestrow

Still’ pub. The name recollects a later age when whisky was crafted for sale undetected by the taxman, but it is possible that its location has a connection to the history of Scotch going back much further.

“This is a very significant find in the history of our national drink.

It reframes the story of Scotch whisky and suggests new layers of complexity in Scotland’s urban history.”

Researchers have now been awarded £15,000 in funding from Chivas Brothers, which owns some of Scotland’s most famous distilleries including The Glenlivet and Aberlour.

That gift will fund new research into the still and associated stories from the Aberdeen Registers Online.

Dr Claire Hawes, who uncovered the record and conducted initial research on the find, said that the support would allow the research team to delve deeper into the archives to uncover further details of origins of whisky in Aberdeen.

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“All references to aquavite or whisky from this period are significant because its early development is largely unrecorded,” she added.

“Others such as the first ever reference to malt for the King in 1494 are stand-alone references but what is really exciting here is that it is part of our extensive Burgh Records.

“That means we can trace those involved in the distillation of aquavite throughout the records, looking at their connections, where they lived, their professions and how all of this might be intertwined with the early development of Scotch whisky.

“This could significantly change our understanding of the origins of our national drink.”

Alex Robertson, Head of Heritage and Education for Chivas Brothers described the find as a truly significant and exciting discovery which will go a long way to build a clearer picture about the origins of the world’s favourite drink.

“This incredible find illustrates what an amazing resource the UNESCO-recognised Aberdeen Burgh Registers are for the study of Scottish urban history,” said Phil Astley, City archivist.

“The detailed picture of late-medieval society that emerges from these records is one of a developing social structure increasingly influenced by the cultural, scientific and educational forces of the Renaissance period.”

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Photo by Barbara Carr CC BY-SA 2.0 Housing at High Bonnybridge

Now it should be told‌

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ecent months have seen a huge rise in reports of Unidentified Flying Objects being taken seriously, from the US Navy setting guidelines for reporting sightings to the release of videos showing military pilots engaging with mystery objects, UFOs are back in the news.

Whatever the truth is there is at least one community in Scotland that has

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been seeking answers of its own for almost 30 years.

The central belt of Scotland has long been recognised as a hotbed of UFO sightings. particularly the so-called Falkirk Triangle which lies between Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The area is reported to have an average of 300 reported UFO sightings a year and in the middle

of it lies Bonnybridge, a village of less than 7,000 residents of which more than 60 per cent are calculated to have had some sort of close encounter.

Over the years thousands of people have witnessed unidentified lights in the sky prompting many of the villagers to demand an official government inquiry into the causes.

Photo by Thomas Nugent CC BY-SA 2.0 Bonnybridge from the air

Such is its fame Bonnybridge is regularly credited as being one of the best places on the planet to have a chance of an alien encounter attracting skywatchers from around the world.

Chief among those battling for answers has been local councillor Billy Buchanan who claims to have suffered intimidation from government sources, endured much ridicule from the mainstream media and even suspects his phone has been tapped as a result.

Speaking at the Scottish UFO and Paranormal Conference in Glasgow Cllr. Buchanan, who is the Provost of Falkirk Council (similar to a mayor in other countries), attempted to put the record straight about what happened, and is still happening, in Bonnybridge.

“I’ve been deemed a controversial councillor over the years because I stand up and tell the truth. I would not classify myself as a politician but somebody who just wants to make

the community a bit better and help people,” said Billy who has served on the council for more than 26 years as an independent free from any political party affiliation.

In an attempt to find an answer for his friend Billy reached out to contacts at the local newspaper which printed a story appealing for any other witnesses to come forward.

“This is the first time I have had an engagement where I am going to give the facts about what happened and is still happening to myself and the community,” he told the large audience gathered in the Queen Margaret Union hall at the University of Glasgow.

“There was a deluge of phone calls to my office and house. All these people wanted to talk about sightings they had experienced and wanted to know what it was,” said Billy .

On a Friday evening in 1992 he was at home overlooking the Clyde and Forth canal at Bonnybridge when an old friend, a carpenter called George Wilson, knocked on his door in an agitated state.

The workman claimed he had been driving home when he saw a huge light in the middle of the road which he had stood and watched for several minutes before it suddenly took off into the sky at tremendous speed.

Together with Malcolm Robinson, a founder of Strange Phenomenon Investigations (SPI) who had heard about the story and offered to help, a public meeting was arranged to try and determine the depth of interest and concern in the community.

“We had the meeting and you couldn’t get in. There were people queued outside and that’s when I realised that 1992 was not the first time there had been sightings of UFOs in Bonnybridge,” said Billy.

“There was one lady in her 70s who had drawings she had done as a wee girl at school of silver discs flying

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over Bonnybridge. We had loads and loads of people giving their accounts.”

As a local councillor he contacted the Ministry of Defence in London seeking some kind of explanation but all that came back was a short letter that said: “There is nothing happening in the skies above Bonnybridge that is a threat to national security.”

Determined to find an answer the councillor claims to have written to numerous Prime Ministers, Westminster MPs, Scottish politicians and official agencies of all kinds to ask for an inquiry - all to no avail.

On one occasion Billy went to London with a television crew to hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street but claims he was assaulted by several men in suits who warned him to stop.

“Four or five men dressed in suits came across the road and grabbed the tv camera. They bundled me against a wall and told me I was causing a breach of the peace. They told me to get back to where I came from or they would lock me up,” said Billy.

On another occasion Billy claims to have received a leaked recording of commercial pilots reporting strange lights in the sky over Bonnybridge.

The audio was played to experts who confirmed the dialogue, terminology and jargon used were authentic but after giving it to a television company he said he never saw the tape again.

“There is not one person who ever came to me that I did not believe that they believed,” Billy told the conference audience.

“All we ever wanted, and still want, is an answer to what has been happening in that area. Scotland, the UK and the whole of the world demands an answer and it’s time they got to the truth.”

Model visitor to the Scottish UFO & Paranormal Conference

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Get on yer bike to Dunoon

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by Scott Aitken

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new overnight bikepacking event, which will see up to 150 riders undertake a spectacular 81 mile ride over gravel paths, forestry tracks, public highways and back roads, has been launched in Argyll.

Dirt Dash is a non-timed, selfsupported reliability trial with overnight camping to be held as part of the Summit to Sea Outdoor Festival on the weekend of 28 & 29 September 2019.

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This brand new three day event aims to celebrating the outdoors in and around Dunoon for lovers of the outdoors to enjoy running, mountain biking, mountaineering talks and sea kayaking sessions.

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Headlining the festival are Charlie Hobbs, former Bikemonger and founder of the Dorset Gravel Dash, and single-speed round the world cyclist Markus Stitz, the man behind Bikepacking Scotland. They have teamed up with Dunoon Presents

and Wild About Argyll to create the Dirt Dash.

Both men have a great track record in the events and outdoor industry.

Between the two Charlie and Markus scooped three awards in the 2015

Backpacking Awards for Best New Route, Best New Ride and Big Trip.

The ÂŁ80 entry fee to the event covers the GPX file for navigation, a tasty evening meal from Winston Churchill Venison at a scenic campsite, as well

as a tub of Happy Bottom Bumbutter and a hip flask. The route is suitable for gravel and mountain bikes.

The weekend starts with a pre-ride party on Friday 27 September and a social get together at Pucks Rest.

Riders will start at the Queen’s Hall, next to the historic Dunoon Pier, on Saturday at 9am and finish at Pucks Rest on Victoria Parade, where a large outdoor area will be available for post ride drinks.

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The route features a small section of the Wild About Argyll Trail, which has been a popular destination for gravel bikes since its launch in January 2018.

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“The Dunoon Dirt Dash will be a very sociable experience in one of my favourite parts of Scotland. Argyll, and particularly the Cowal Peninsula, offers so much fantastic scenery off

the beaten track,� said Markus Stitz, who designed both the Wild About Argyll Trail and the new route for the event.

“I have designed a route which will feature a lot of that in a weekend experience. Bikepacking for me is about making connections with like minded people and enjoying the

amazing wild scenery Scotland has to offer, and this event is the perfect way to experience that.�

The organisers encourage riders to

take public transport to the event.

Dunoon is well connected with two regular ferry connections and train services to and from Glasgow Central.

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Mystery Hebridean killer whale pod

Photo Š Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Northern Isles Community seen from Silurian near Handa Island

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by Helen Lloyd

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he identity of a group of nine killer whales off Scotland’s west coast remains a mystery – despite extensive research and a flurry of sightings of killer whales in the Hebrides.

According to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust the unexplained killer whale pod sighting highlight just how much there is still to learn about the remarkable marine life in Hebridean waters, and the need for long-term monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises and basking sharks.

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The unidentified killer whales, which included two large males and two juveniles, were seen just 300 metres away from the charity’s research

yacht Silurian after it left an anchorage at Vatersay.

The animals were observed for some

Photo © Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Killer Whale Encounter

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30 minutes, with one of the males even swimming over to Silurian to have a closer look at the boat and crew.

Photo © Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Sighting of a whale off the west coast of Scotland

“Securing good photographs of these killer whales has allowed us to carry out some detective work using photo-identification techniques. This involves matching identifying features on individual animals to database records to see if they have been seen before,” said Dr Lauren HartnyMills, the Trust’s Science and Policy Manager.

a wider offshore population of killer whales that roam Scottish seas.

“But despite our collaboration with other organisations and experts to identify the animals, the pod remains an enigma. It shows there is still a lot to discover about the cetaceans visiting Scottish waters.

We’re hoping to encounter these killer whales again, and with help from our colleagues across Scotland and beyond, we really hope to find a match and learn more about this group.”

“There’s still much to learn about the orca frequenting Scottish waters. As more people share their sightings, and with surveys out there like the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s, I’m hopeful we can put pieces of the puzzle together and discover more about this so far mysterious group.”

Because it has not been possible to find a match with any known individuals for the mystery killer whales, researchers have suggested these animals may belong to part of

“I’ve been collating killer whale sightings from across Scotland since 2017 and it was fascinating to see these pictures of individuals I’ve not come across before,” said Andrew Scullion, who runs Orca Survey Scotland.

Globally, killer whales, also known as orcas, are one of the most widespread cetaceans, and they range from warm tropical waters to the polar regions.

There are two well-known communities of killer whales found

in Scottish waters, and there have been several sightings of animals from both of these groups in recent weeks.

The wide-ranging West Coast Community can be seen along the whole west coast of the UK, with most sightings in the Hebrides. This group, the most frequently seen or reported to the Trust, and which consists of eight individuals at most, is at imminent risk of extinction, as the Trust has recorded no calves in 25 years of monitoring. There have only been confirmed sightings of two individuals, the males John Coe and Aquarius, in recent years.

On 8 July, Hebridean Whale Cruises spotted two members of the West Coast Community out of Gairloch.

There was another reported sighting of the animals on 14 July, off County Clare in Ireland.

Scotland’s other group of killer whales, the Northern Isles Community, is mainly seen around

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Photo © Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Mystery killer whale pod seen from Silurian near Vatersay

Orkney, Shetland and the north coast of Scotland. Five of its members, including a well-known and highly recognisable male called Busta, and a female called Razor, were spotted on the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s most recent research expedition, as Silurian made her way into Loch Laxford, just north of Handa Island on 30 June.

“Seeing killer whales from Silurian twice in just over a year has been a dream come true,” said

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Rebecca Dudley, the Trust’s Marine Biodiversity Officer “There is nothing like seeing the two metre-high dorsal fin of a male killer whale emerging from beneath the waves. On both occasions, it seemed as though they were just as curious as we were – coming right over for a closer look. The encounters were unforgettable for everyone on board.”

Each year Silurian travels thousands of nautical miles to survey the

seas off Scotland’s west coast for cetaceans and basking sharks. The latest sightings show how exciting the surveys can be. Whether it’s spotting a mystery group of killer whales or seeing resident or regular visitors, each of the Trust’s surveys is different, with the opportunity to learn something new.

These surveys rely on volunteers who work alongside researchers as citizen scientists to record sightings of marine animals and seabirds,

assess human impacts such as marine debris, and monitor sounds using an underwater microphone.

The crew spends the days scanning the seas for wildlife, and the evenings exploring some of the most remote and beautiful anchorages on the west coast.

With marine mammals at risk from human activities including climate change, entanglement, pollution, underwater noise and habitat degradation, ongoing and long-

term research is crucial to improve understanding of the impacts on cetaceans, and how to protect them.

The Trust is looking for volunteers to join its team onboard Silurian for one to two week surveys running between now and October 2020.

Anyone can take part, with some trips held specifically for 16 to 17 year olds. Participation costs cover boat expenses, accommodation, training, food and insurance, and support the charity’s research. For

details, contact volunteercoordinator@hwdt.org, call 01688 302620, or visit hwdt.org/ silurian.

The Hebrides is one of Europe’s most important areas for cetaceans, with 23 of the world’s estimated 92 species recorded – including many species of national and international conservation importance.

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Degrees of admiration

Photo by Maverick Photo Agency Pictured at Old College - seven current students at Edinburgh Medical School who collected the degrees on behalf of the women. (L-R) Violet Borkowska, Hikari Sakurai, Megan Cameron, Simran Piya, Caitlin Taylor, Izzie Dighero and Mei Yen Liew

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by Helen Lloyd

beginning their studies.

even students who blazed a trail for women’s access to higher education have been awarded posthumous honorary degrees - 150 years after

The group – known as the Edinburgh Seven – were among the first women admitted to a UK university when they enrolled to study medicine at Edinburgh in 1869.

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The women faced substantial resistance from their male peers and were ultimately prevented from graduating and qualifying as doctors.

Their campaign against such treatment gained national attention and many supporters, including Charles Darwin. It resulted in legislation in 1877 to ensure women could study at university.

Now, a century and a half later, Mary Anderson, Emily Bovell, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Sophia JexBlake, Edith Pechey and Isabel Thorne have finally been awarded the posthumous honorary MBChB during a special ceremony at the University of Edinburgh’s McEwan Hall.

Photo by Maverick Photo Agency Inside McEwan Hall

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The degrees were collected on their behalf by a group of current students at Edinburgh Medical School as the first in a series of University events to commemorate the achievements and significance of the Edinburgh Seven.

“We are delighted to confer the degrees rightfully owed to this incredible group of women,” said Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Edinburgh.

“The segregation and discrimination the Edinburgh Seven faced might belong to history, but barriers still exist that deter too many talented young people from succeeding at university. We must learn from these

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Photo by Spillerjzy CC BY-SA 4.0 Edinburgh Seven plaque

women and strive to widen access for all who have the potential to succeed.”

When Sophia Jex-Blake first applied to study medicine in March 1869 she was accepted by the Medical Faculty but prevented from taking up a position by the University Court which rejected her application on the grounds the University could not make the necessary arrangements ‘in the interest of one lady’.

Determined not to be beaten she advertised in the newspapers for more women to join her. She was eventually joined by six others and on 2 November 1869 Edinburgh became the first British university to open its doors to women.

However, there struggle was far from over. In March 1870 they sat and passed their first examinations in physiology and chemistry, with Edith Pechey coming top among the candidates sitting the exam for the first time.

Ordinarily this should have given her a chance to win the Hope Scholarship which had been set up 40 years previously to reward the top four students in the exam. However,

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so as not to upset the men, it was decided to award the scholarship to male students who had scored less than the women.

For the next few years the women fought a long and protracted battle against discrimination, abuse and even physical threats to achieve their aims.

On Friday 18th November 1870 the women were delayed from sitting an anatomy exam at Surgeon’s Hall by a crowd of several hundred men who pelted them with rubbish and slammed the gates in their faces.

However, the women’s refusal to give in encouraged some male students, to go to their rescue and open the gates for them.

The Surgeon’s Hall Riot turned out to be a turning point in the women’s campaign as it attracted widespread publicity and won them many new sympathisers, including Charles Darwin.

Eventually their campaign resulted in legislation, passed in 1877, to ensure women could study at University.

Despite being denied their degrees

all of the Edinburgh Seven went on to enjoy brilliant careers in medicine.

Mary Marshall, from Boyndie, Banffshire received a medical doctorate from the Faculté de médecine de Paris in 1879 and was a senior physician at the New Hospital for Women, Marylebone in London.

Emily Bovell also worked at the New Hospital for Women and in Paris where she was awarded the Officer des Ordre des Palmes Academiques for services to medicine by the French Government.

Matilda Ayrton went to Japan where she opened a school for midwives , and was an author of anthropological studies.

Helen Evans became active in promoting the care of women by women. At the turn of the 20th century she was vice president of the committee of the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women and Children, which was the only medical facility in the city to offer treatment and surgical care to women by women doctors.

Sophia Jex-Blake helped establish the London School of Medicine

Sophia Jex-Blake aged 25 in 1865

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for Women and after further qualifications obtained in Dublin became the third woman in Britain to be registered as a doctor by the General Medical Council.

She returned to Edinburgh in 1878 to

become the city’s first woman doctor and set up an outpatient clinic for poor women to get medical attention.

In 1886 she founded what was to become the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women - Scotland’s first hospital for women staffed

Photo by Maverick Photo Agency Professor Lorna Marson (Professor of Transplant Surgery), Professor Peter Mathieson (University Vice Chancellor and Principal) and Professor Moira Whyte (Head of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) with the current students who accepted degrees on behalf of the Edinburgh Seven

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entirely by women.

Edith Pechey went to work in India where she spent more than 20 years as a senior doctor at a women’s hospital while Isabel Thorne became Honorary Secretary at the London School of Medicine for Women.

Third-year medical student Simran Paya, who collected an honorary degree on behalf of Sophia JexBlake, said: “We are honoured to accept these degrees on behalf of our predecessors, who are an inspiration to us all.”

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Destination Scotland P

lan your trip to the most beautiful country in the world with our directory of places to stay, eat, visit and enjoy.

Fingal

Edinburgh The former Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) tender, MV Fingal, is Scotland’s first floating hotel, complete with Presidential suit - as featured in issue 31 of Scotland Correspondent

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Now berthed permanently at the Prince of Wales Dock in the historic Port of Leith, it is a unique addition to Edinburgh’s booming hotel scene.

Developed by The Royal Yacht Britannia each of Fingal’s 23 luxury cabins are each named after Stevenson lighthouses, inspired by her rich maritime heritage.

Royal Scots Club

Meldrum House

More personal than a hotel the Royal Scots Club offers a rare combination of all the charm of a country house with the added cosy atmosphere of a private members’ club in the heart of Scotland’s historic capital of Edinburgh.

More than 800 years of history are wrapped up in this unique boutique country house hotel nestled in the heart of Aberdeenshire’s tranquil countryside. Complete with its own golf course the 240-acre estate and 13th century baronial mansion is the epitome of luxury. As featured in issue 27 of Scotland Correspondent. Meldrum House provides a truly exceptional experience and is an ideal base from which to explore the rich and colourful north east corner of Scotland.

Edinburgh

Founded in 1919 as a living memorial to those who fell in The Great War the club is situated in one of Edinburgh’s finest Georgian streets and is open for bed and breakfast, meetings and events, functions and private dining.

Featured in issue 22 of Scotland Correspondent.

Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire

Chester Residence

Embo House

A luxurious bolthole in central Edinburgh with an expanse of space and all the perks of a grand hotel as featured in issue 21 of Scotland Correspondent.

Luxury exclusive self-catering accommodation in a Grad-A listed Georgian mansion overlooking the Dornoch Firth. As featured in issue 24 of Scotland Correspondent.

Embo House is steeped in history. This former ancestral castle of Clan Gordon with its 8-spacious bedrooms provides contemporary and luxurious accommodation for large family groups, golfers or even weddings.

Edinburgh

Behind the facades of gracious, listed Georgian townhouses in Edinburgh’s New Town these 5-star apartments are spacious and packed with luxury features, including a top of the range kitchen, a heavenly bathroom or two and sumptuously grand living rooms.

9 Rothesay Place (Main Reception), Edinburgh, EH3 7SL. Tel: +44 (0) 131 226 2075 enquiries@chester-residence.com www.chester-residence.com

Sutherland

Embo House, Dornoch, Sutherland. IV25 3PP Tel: 01738 451610 https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk

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Gleddoch Hotel

Carnoustie Golf Hotel

An independently owned hotel resort overlooking the Clyde Estuary with 75 bedrooms, an 18 hole championship golf course, an elegant banqueting room and a luxury Imperia Spa.

Carnoustie Golf Hotel offers an extensive collection of facilities, including 75 luxury en-suite bedrooms and 10 suites with amazing views over the Championship course, the sea and the local town of Carnoustie.

Featured in issue 16 of Scotland Correspondent.

Glasgow

One of the most prestigious, luxury hotels in the Glasgow area just 10 minutes from the airport featured in issue 13 of Scotland Correspondent.

Carnoustie

Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa & Island

Mercure Hotel inverness

Located on the west coast of Scotland on a private 300 acre island with gorgeous views overlooking Loch Linnhe and the dramatic Morvern mountains beyond.

Featured in issue 15 of Scotland Correspondent. This stylish Inverness hotel has been refurbished throughout, blending traditional Highland hospitality with supreme comfort in the finest waterside hotel Inverness has to offer.

Benderloch, Oban

Featured in issue 3 of Scotland Correspondent. The hotel offers a variety of accommodation with 16 bedrooms in the main house, five spa suites in the gardens with private hot tub, two garden cottages with two bedrooms each which are ideal for families and six hilltop reserves overlooking Loch Linnhe with private hot tub and balconies.

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Inverness

Portavadie Lodge on Loch Lomond Luss, Loch Lomond

The Lodge on Loch Lomond Hotel, on the beachfront at Luss near Glasgow, is the perfect place to relax overlooking Scotland’s favourite loch.

Loch Fyne, Argyll Sitting on the shores of Loch Fyne on Scotland’s west coast, Portavadie is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and unwind amid glorious scenery.

As featured in issue 5 of Scotland Correspondent. The 48-bedroom hotel, complete with a range of conference and banqueting facilities for up to 200 guests and leisure facilities, enjoys an intimate, warm and charming atmosphere. The award-winning Colquhoun’s Restaurant and Lounge are the perfect place to relax and unwind and watch the changing landscape of the loch.

As featured in issue 2 of Scotland Correspondent. The resort offers world-class marina facilities, a range of holiday accommodation, restaurants and bars, beauty and wellbeing treatments, shopping and event spaces.

The spa and leisure experience provides an exceptional way to enjoy the views over Loch Fyne at any time of year, making Portavadie the destination of choice for all occasions.

Trump Turnberry

Dundas Castle

Trump Turnberry is an iconic landmark on the spectacular Ayrshire coast providing warm Scottish hospitality.

Dundas Castle is a most spectacular venue for any event.

This authentic Scottish Castle has been transformed into a 5-star ‘Exclusive Use’ venue with 17 bedrooms.

As featured in issue 13 of Scotland Correspondent. Parts of the castle date back to 1416 and has belonged to the Stewart-Clark family since the late 1800s.

Turnberry, Ayrshire

As featured in issue 7 of Scotland Correspondent. It offers a range of exceptional venues ideal for meetings, events and weddings. Enjoy the fresh Scottish air while enjoying the wonderful scenery, exceptional dining options, indulgent spa treatments, outdoor activities and championship golf.

Edinburgh

Enjoy all the amenities of the finest hotels but with the exclusivity of staying in your own castle.

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George Hotel

Inveraray, Argyll Imagine relaxing by an open peat fire, sipping a singlemalt whisky after a sumptuous meal before retiring to a luxury bed in a 247-year-old hotel by the side of a spectacular Scottish loch.

As featured in issue 11 of Scotland Correspondent.

Each of the George’s 17 rooms have been beautifully decorated and many boast a super king-size bed, jacuzzi bath and even a real open log and coal fire to add an extra layer of romantic cosiness.

Glamis House Glamis, Angus

Built in 1798 Glamis House is a stunning, traditional home with an impressive history, as featured in issue 19 of Scotland Correspondent. The house is situated in the grounds of Glamis Castle. With room for up to 13 people to sleep the house is situated in a stunningly beautiful part of the country boasting superb beaches, great walking trails and renowned golf courses close by, including Carnoustie.

Glamis House, Forfar, Angus Tel: 01738 451610 https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk

The Station Hotel

Glen Nevis Hostel

Situated in the heart of Scotland’s world renowned whisky country the Station Hotel in Rothes, as featured in issue 30 of Scotland Correspondent, provides the perfect blend of of history, tradition and modern luxury.

Visitors on a budget looking to spend time in one of the most spectacular areas of the Scottish Highlands can do so Glen Nevis Youth Hostel in Fort William, Lochaber.

Speyside

With 14 bedrooms, including five luxury suites, the fourstar hotel is ideally placed to serve as a base for visitors interested in exploring the well-signposted nearby whisky, golf and castle trails of Speyside.

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Fort William

As featured in issue 20 of Scotland Correspondent this jewell in the crown of Hostelling Scotland has recently been refurbished to provide a mix of private en-suite rooms and shared accommodation with all the comforts and modern conveniences of a home from home.

The Chester Hotel Aberdeen

Trump International

Balmedie, Aberdeenshire MacLeod House & Lodge is a five-star luxury hotel located near Balmedie, Aberdeenshire at Trump International Championship Links Golf Course and award-winning five-star resort.

As featured in issue 20 of Scotland Correspondent.

This historic Scottish mansion and lodge, set amid mature woodland, provides sumptuous accommodation, exquisite dining and an intimate bar. Available for exclusive use, corporate events and weddings it has all the facilities and amenities to suit the modern, traveller.

Situated in the heart of Aberdeen’s historic west end The Chester Hotel, with its 50 luxurious bedrooms and suites, renowned restaurant and stylish lounge bar, is ideally placed for accessing some of the most exciting and challenging golf courses Scotland has to offer.

As featured in issue 19 of Scotland Correspondent. It provides a perfect base to explore the north-east with its abundance of castles, whisky distilleries and breathtaking scenery.

59-63 Queen’s Road Aberdeen, AB15 4YP. T: 01224 327777 Reservations@chester-hotel.com www.chester-hotel.com

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This month in history

S

cotland has much to celebrate and commemorate from the births and deaths of worthy persons to notable events in history. Here’s a brief guide to some of the events and dates worth remembering this June.

The Colossus of Roads he was the first President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Births (PD)

1754 August 21 - Engineer and inventor William Murdoch was born in Cumnock, Ayrshire. He is credited with being the inventor of the oscillating cylinder steam engine and as a pioneer of coal-gas lighting.

(PD)

1766 August 16 - Birth of Carolina Oliphant aka Carolina, Baroness Nairn at at the Auld Hoose, Gask, Perthshire. A poet and author she wrote many Jacobite songs, including “Charlie is my Darling”. Her songs are second only in popularity to those of Robert Burns.

(PD)

1545 August 1 - Scholar, theologian and religious reformer Andrew Melville was born near Montrose, Angus. Regarded as one of the greatest scholars of the age he was instrumental in reforming education at the Universities of Glasgow, St Andrews and Aberdeen.

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1757 August 9 - Civil engineer, architect road, bridge and canal builder Thomas Telford was born in Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire.

Affectionately dubbed the reputation as a prolific designer of highways and related bridges, he was dubbed

1771 August 15 - Novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott was born in

Edinburgh. Author of the Waverley novels and titles such as Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. Regarded as one of Scotland’s greatest writers his work was instrumental in rehabilitating the public perception of the Scottish Highlands which had persisted following the Jacobite rebellion of 1745.

1820 August 6 - Donald Alexander Smith - later Lord Strathcona born in Forres the son of a saddler.

A pioneer of the Hudson Bay Company in the North-West, he later championed the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada and drove the last spike at Craigellachie, British Columbia.

(LOC)

1856 August 15 - James Keir Hardie, coal miner and founder of the Labour Party, was born into grinding poverty in the morning village of Holytown, near Airdrie.

Cypress Point in the US and the must play course Duff House Royal Golf Club at Banff, Scotland.

1875 August 26 - Birth in Perth of John Buchan, author of one of the most exciting adventure stories of the 20th century - ‘The 39 Steps’, which was first published in 1915 and has never been out of print since.

(PD)

1818 August 6 - Sir Alexander Fleming was born at Lochfield Farm near Darvel, Ayrshire. His discovery of penicillin changed medicine and is estimated to have saved more than 200 million lives world-wide. https:// bit.ly/2RXkbz9

1888 August 13 - Television pioneer John Logie Baird was born in Helensburgh, Scotland. The first person in the world to transmit a live moving image.

1870 August 4 - Sir Harry Lauder, born 4 August 1870 in Edinburgh and the first entertainer to sell more than one million records. His songs ‘Loch Lomond’, ‘Roamin’ in the Gloamin’’ and “I Love a Lassie” are still popular around the world.

Alan Pinkerton on left

1819 August 25 - Birth in Glasgow of Alan Pinkerton, founder of the world famous Chicago-based US detective agency that never sleeps and still bears his name.

1870 August 30 - Legendary golf course designer Dr Alister Mackenzie was born in England to Scottish parents. He was responsible for creating some 60 courses, including Augusta National and

1892 August 11 - Author and poet C M Grieve (Hugh MacDiarmid) was born at Langholm, Dumfriesshire.

1922 August 12 - Character actor Fulton MacKay, best known for his role as the prison officer in the UK sitcom Porridge was born in Paisley.

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artillery in warfare, was killed, aged 30, by an exploding cannon at the siege of Roxburgh Castle.

gdcgraphics CC BY-SA 2.0

1973 August 9 - Actor Kevin McKidd was born in Elgin, Moray.

NASA

1930 August 5 - Birth of ScotsAmerican astronaut Neil Armstrong whose ancestors came from Langholm in the Scottish Borders.

In 1972 the astronaut was made the first freeman of the Burgh and a statue was erected in his honour.

Deaths

1305 August 23 - Scottish patriot Sir William Wallace was hung, drawn and quartered in London on the orders of Edward I. The brutal execution was meant to serve as an example to anyone who challenged the English King and put an end to Wallace’s popularity but had the opposite affect as Wallace is still revered today.

1930 August 25 - Actor Thomas Sean Connery born was born in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. A former milkman turned award winning actor he has been voted in various polls as the ‘greatest living Scot’, a ‘national treasure’ and the ‘world’s sexiest man’.

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1460 August 3 - King James II, a leading supporter of the use of

1573 August 3 - Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange was executed for defending Edinburgh Castle on behalf of Mary Queen of Scots and holding out for five years from May 1568 to May 1573.

1776 August 25 - Philosopher David Hume, who is regarded as one of the greatest of all philosophers, died in Edinburgh.

1819 August 25 - Greenock born James Watt, who played a vital role in kickstarting the industrial revolution with his development of an improved steam engine, died in Staffordshire, England.

after centuries of warfare between Scotland and England during which time the town changed hands at least 12 times.

Dunkeld near Perth but were beaten off by around 500 troops of the newly formed Cameronians.

1922 August 2 - Edinburgh born Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, died in Nova Scotia.

Notable events 1561 August 19 - Mary Queen of Scots landed at Leith on her return from France, after the death of her husband, the French monarch King Francis II. HES

1296 August 8 - King Edward I of England stole the Stone of Destiny from Scotland and took it to London where it remained for over 650 years until its return to Edinburgh Castle in 1996.

Richard Webb CC BY-SA 2.0

1306 August 11 Battle of Dalrigh near Tynrdrum in Argyll where Rober The Bruce was ambushed and defeated by a superior force of Clan McDougall loyal to John Comyn.

Colin Babb CC BY-SA 2.0

1482 August 24 - The Northumberland town of Berwick on Tweed was ceded to England

1745 August 19 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard at Glenfinnan, at the start of the 1745 uprising.

1747 August 1 - British government introduced the Proscription Act to stop Jacobite clans wearing tartan and carrying weapons. First offenders got six months jail but a second offence meant transportation to a penal colony.

1642 August 22 - King Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham, and started the Civil War in England between the Royalists and Parliament. It was the culmination of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which had started in Scotland with the first shots fired from St Congan’s Church, Turriff.

1648 August 17/19 - Scots under Duke of Hamilton were defeated by Cromwell at the Battle of Preston.

Thousands of Scottish prisoners were sent as slaves to America and the Caribbean.

1689 August 21 - Some 3,000 Jacobites, fresh from their success at the Battle of Killiecrankie, attacked

1784 August 27 - Scotsman James Tytler became the first person in Britain to fly in a hot air balloon after taking off for a very short flight in Edinburgh.

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on the deck of HMS Furious and led to the development of the aircraft carrier.

1822 August 17 - King George IV visited Edinburgh. The event was orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott and the monarch chose to wear the kilt, heralding the fashionable return of Highland garb as Scotland’s national dress.

1840 August 15 - Foundation stone for the Sir Walter Scott monument in Princes Street, Edinburgh was laid.

It is the second largest monument to a writer anywhere in the world.

1897 August 20 - Scotsman Ronald Ross became the first Scot to win a Nobel prize when he dissected a mosquito and proved a link with malaria - leading to new methods for treating the disease and saving millions of lives.

1826 August 13 - Edinburgh-born journalist and explorer Alexander Gordon Laing became the first European to reach Timbuctu in Africa.

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1917 August 2 - The first landing of an aircraft on to a ship took place in Scapa Flow, Orkney when a Sopwith Pup biplane, flown by Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning, landed

1930 August 29 - The last residents of the remote island of St Kilda were evacuated to the mainland at their own request. It was a sad end to 4,000 years of habitation on the most remote community in the Outer Hebrides known as ‘the island at the edge of the world’. http://bit.ly/2glfksZ

1932 August 19 - Often overlooked Scottish aviation pioneer Jim Mollison MBE became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic east-west from Ireland to Canada.

The Glasgow born pilot also held records for flying from Australia to England in 8 days 19 hours; flying from England to South Africa in 4 days 17 hours.

1942 August 25 - One of the most intriguing mysteries of WWII happened on this day when Prince George, the Duke of Kent, brother of King George VI, was killed in a flying boat crash in Caithness.

1963 August 15 - Henry Burnett, aged 21, became the last man to be hanged in Scotland after he was found guilty of murdering a love rival and was executed at Aberdeen’s Craiginches Prison.

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Date 4 ur diary

Scotland

1 August Black Isle Show Mannsfield Showground, Muir of Ord. The Black Isle Show is the largest agricultural show in the north, and it’s a great day out for all the family too https://blackisleshow.com 1-3 August Belladrum Festival Belladrum Estate, By Beauly, Inverness-shire IV4 7BA Family-friendly event with over 90 acts across five stages featuring local and international artists. http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk 2 August Dornoch Highland Gathering The Meadows Park, Dornoch The Dornoch Higland Gathering has been held every year since 1887 bar the war years and one unfortunate rainy day. It is a day that locals look forward to all year, where everyone can have fun. https://www.facebook.com/Dornochgames/ 2-3 August Perth Show South Inch, Perth Perth Show has been a popular event in the city’s annual calendar for 153 years and includes a wide variety of fantastic entertainment, also a great mixture of trade stands from sweets to huge tractors and many things in between. A great day out for the family. https://www.perthshow.co.uk 2-3 August Highland Field Sports Fair Moy, Inverness-shire The Fair offers a diversity of entertainments and activities for all of the family,from crèche facilities to archery! The emphasis is on field sports activities with competitions in fly casting, gun dog handling and clay pigeon shooting. https://www.moyfieldsportsfair.co.uk 2-4 August Foodies Festival Inverleith Park, Edinburgh The UK’s biggest food festival returns with a mouthwatering summer festival, live music, workshops, masterclasses and of course Top Chefs include local MasterChef Finalist 2019 Jilly McCord! http://foodiesfestival.com/edinburgh-food-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 2-11 August Fringe by the Sea North Berwick Fringe By The Sea, the festival with something for everyone - including a beach - has a full programme with over 160 events to delight residents and visitors to North Berwick and East Lothian. https://www.fringebythesea.com 2-24 August The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh https://www.edintattoo.co.uk 2-25 August Just Festival St John’s Church (Princes Street/Lothian Road), Edinburgh Edinburgh’s socially conscious festival. Just Festival events aim to challenge perceptions, celebrate differences and promote respectful dialogue. https://www.just-festival.org 2-26 August Edinburgh Festival Fringe Edinburgh The world’s greatest platform for creative freedom. https://www.edfringe.com 2-26 August Edinburgh International Festival Edinburgh For three weeks in August, Scotland’s capital becomes an unparalleled celebration of the performing arts and an annual meeting point for people of all nations. Every year, the International Festival present a programme featuring finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre. https://www.eif.co.uk 2 August Stewartry Show Greenlaw, Castle Douglas. https://www.facebook.com/Stewartry-AgriculturalShow-1506924889616574/ 2-5 August The Celts are Coming!

The Scottish Crannog Centre, Kenmore Our biggest festival yet celebrating the best of prehistory!

See specialists in iron, bronze, silver, leather, wood and stone, try your hand at being an archaeologist, learn to whittle, ancient cooking and music, log boats and much, much, more. http://www.crannog.co.uk

3 August Dornoch Highland Games Dornoch, Ross-shire The Dornoch Highland Gathering began in 1887 and with the exception of the war years, it has been a focal point of the summer every year since. A day when old friends meet and new acquaintances are made. http://www.dornochhighlandgathering.com 3 August The Berwickshire County Show Maingate Park, Duns Castle Estate, Duns, Scottish Borders Berwickshire County Show incorporates an agricultural livestock show along with family entertainment, horse events, poultry show, vintage display and dog show, created on a beautiful site next to Duns Castle. There is literally something for all ages. http://www.berwickshirecountyshow.org.uk 3 August Dumfries Show The Show Field, Park Farm, Dumfries DG2 7LU First held in 1962, following the amalgamation of the Dumfries and Lockerbie agricultural shows, Dumfries Show is an old established agricultural society and is now considered to be the largest one day show in the country. https://www.dumfriesshow.co.uk 3 August Newtonmore Highland Games Newtonmore, Inverness-shire The Newtonmore Games have always been based on tradition and 2019 will be no different. At least four Pipe Bands are taking part in a spectacular festival of colour and sound. As usual there will be the spectacular sights of the Clan Macpherson Annual Rally and March to the Games. http://c2967182.myzen.co.uk 3 August Aboyne Highland Games Aboyne, Aberdeenshire Having formed in 1867, Aboyne is regarded as “The Traditional Highland Games”. We continue to attract thousands of visitors to witness the annual display and competition of Scottish culture in one of the most scenic parts of Aberdeenshire. http://www.aboynegames.com 3 August Mey Highland & Cultural Games John O’Groats A celebration of the hospitality, culture and talent of the people of the North Highlands and organised by the Wick, Canisbay & Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland. https://www.facebook.com/MeyGames/

3 August Lauder Common Riding Lauder One of the original Border Common Ridings, with references to the festival dating back to the 1600s. https://www.laudercommonriding.com 3 August Inverkeithing Highland Games Inverkeithing, Dunfermline Games of sorts have been a feature of life in Inverkeithing for many years, linked to the Royal Burgh’s Lammas Fair Celebrations, described in the Burgh records of 1652 as “…a great day for fun, frolic, fit races, ale and drunken folks, gentle and simple”! http://inverkeithinghighlandgames.com 3 August Aberlour Strathspey Highland Games Aberlour High School Playing Field Traditional Highland Games with massed pipe bands and all the usual fun events http://www.aboutaberlour.co.uk 3 August Lorn Show Kilmore, Oban, Argyll https://www.facebook.com/Lorn-AgriculturalShow-291681894236524/ 3 August Dundonald Highland Games Dundonald Dundonald Highland Games is one of Ayrshire’s premier cultural events. It is unique in capturing traditional Scottish heritage and strong community spirit within the picturesque setting of Royal Dundonald Castle. http://www.dundonald-games.org.uk 3-4 August Truckfest Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh http://www.truckfest.co.uk/whats-onscotland/4594054022 3-11 August Pittenweem Arts Festival Pittenweem A celebration of the visual arts taking place in galleries, homes, studios and other venues throughout Pittenweem https://www.pittenweemartsfestival.co.uk 3-11 August Ballater Victoria Week Ballater, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5NE Fun activities for all the family over 10 days in the centre of the prettiest village in Royal Deeside. A vehicle parade, pipe band, pony rides, ghost tours, discos, ceilidh, puppet theatre, children’s races and more. https://www.facebook.com/ballatervictoriaweek/

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3-25 August West End Craft, Art and Design Fair Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ You won’t find anything quite like this anywhere else in the world. Makers, designers and artists selling only what they themselves have produced. Standards are high and there’s plenty of originality and diversity on display. http://www.3d2d.co.uk/festival.html 4-5 August Turriff Show Turriff, Aberdeenshire Largest two day agricultural show in Scotland https://www.turriffshow.org 4 August Bridge of Allan Highland Games Bridge of Allan, Stirling Colourful pipe bands, elegant highland dancers, huge strongmen tossing the caber. A multitude of other events, stalls and entertainments spread out in a picturesque and historic setting. http://bofagames.com 5-11 August Shetland Boat Week Lerwick, Shetland Shetland Boat Week is an opportunity to showcase this heritage and see how modern ships compare with those of a previous generation. https://www.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/ community/boat-week 7-18 August Edinburgh Summer Sessions Edinburgh Top names take part in the annual Edinburgh Summer Sessions in Princes Street Gardens. https://www.smmrsessions.com/edinburgh/welcome 7 August Wigtown Show Bladnoch Park, Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway Wigtown Show is a great day out for all ages and interests. From Craft & Food marquee’s to the trade stands, poultry show, dog show, sheep, cattle, goats and horses there is plenty on offer. http://www.wigtownshow.org.uk 7 August Arran Show Glenkiln Farm, Lamlash, Isle of Arran Great day out for the family. https://www.facebook.com/arranfarmersshow/ 7 August Isle Of Skye Highland Games The Lump The Skye Highland Games have taken place every year since 1877. http://www.skye-highland-games.co.uk

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8 August Grantown Show Heathfield Park, Grantown-on-Spey https://www.facebook.com/GrantownShow/ 8 August Islay Show Bridgend, Islay The Islay, Jura and Colonsay Agricultural Show held its very first meeting on the last day of July in 1838. http://www.islayshow.co.uk 8 August Salen Show (Mull & Morvern Agricultural Society) Aros, Salen, Argyll & Bute The Isle of Mull’s annual agricultural/horse/food/ craft show is one of the highlights of the farming calendar in Mull with locals and visitors enjoying a great family day out. https://salenshow.wordpress.com 8 August Ballater Highland Games Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

There have been Games held in Ballater since 1864 and the games prides itself in having something for everyone, young and old alike. http://www.ballaterhighlandgames.com 9 August Assynt Highland Games Culag Park, Lochinver, Sutherland The Assynt Highland Games is held on the 2nd Friday in August every year at Culag Park in Lochinver. Known as the “Friendly Games” https://www.facebook.com/Assynt-HighlandGames-244462055638787/ 9-11 August Banchory Beer Festival Deeside Rugby Club, Banchory, Aberdeenshire https://www.banchorybeerfestival.com 9-10 August Atholl and Breadalbane Highland Gathering Aberfeldy, Perthshire Each year the lovely little Highland Perthshire town of Aberfeldy comes alive with The Atholl & Breadalbane Agricultural Show and Highland Gathering. http://www.aberfeldyshowandgames.co.uk 10 August Strathpeffer Highland Gathering Strathpeffer, Ross-shire https://www.facebook.com/Strathpeffer-HighlandGathering-248278731927901/ 10 August Orkney County Show Kirkwall, Orkney

A fantastic opportunity to see some of Orkney’s quality livestock and enjoy an action packed entertainment programme. A great day out for all and the most important date in the Orkney calendar. http://www.orkneycountyshow.co.uk 10 August Kinross Show Kinross, Perth & Kinross Kinross Show is a great day out for all ages and interests.

From the bouncy castle, fun rides and children’s education marquee to the trade stands, flower show, dog show, sheep, cattle, goats and horses there is plenty on offer. https://kinross-show.co.uk 10 August Abernethy Highland Games Nethybridge, Inverness-shire Known as the “Friendly Games”, the Abernethy Highland Games have been held in the middle of Nethy Bridge since 1880. The Abernethy Highland Games are home to the Clan Grant gathering. https://www.facebook.com/AbernethyHighlandGames/ 10 August Mid-Argyll Show Kilmory, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8RT The Mid-Argyll Agricultural Show is a major event held annually on the second Saturday in August. Hundreds of exhibitors enter competitions in Baking, Produce, Crafts, Flowers and Vegetables as well as the Dog and Livestock classes. http://www.mid-argyllshow.co.uk 10 August Brodick Highland Games Ormidale Park, Brodick, Isle of Arran Brodick Highland Games have been held in the village almost every year since 1886.

A great traditional day out for all the family. Heavy events, highland dancing, athletics, children’s fancy dress and stalls galore. https://www.facebook.com/BrodickHighlandGames 10 August North Berwick International Highland Games North Berwick, East Lothian This is the 24th year anniversary of the North Berwick Highland Games which attracts thousands of visitors each year, many of whom come to enjoy the charming seaside town of North Berwick just 25 miles from the centre of Edinburgh. http://www.northberwickhighlandgames.org 10-26 August Edinburgh International Book Festival Charlotte Square, Edinburgh The largest public celebration of the written word in the world, bringing around 1000 writers and thinkers from

across the planet together to rub shoulders with an audience. https://www.edbookfest.co.uk 10-18 August Piping Live! Glasgow’s International Piping Festival Glasgow The world’s biggest week of piping will bring over 50,000 music fans to Glasgow this August. https://pipinglive.co.uk 11 August Perth Highland Games Scone, Perth Perth Highland Games is one of the most popular events in the Scottish Highland Games calendar, which runs from May to mid-September each year.

The Games include traditional Heavyweight events such as throwing weights and hammers and tossing the caber.

In addition, there is Highland dancing, foot- and cycle races, solo piping and the very popular pipe band contest with large numbers of overseas bands often taking part. https://perthhighlandgames.co.uk 11-12 August Keith Show Keith, Banffshire Keith Show has been entertaining the North East of Scotland since the 1870’s having replaced the “Simmereve Fayre”, which dates back to the 1700’s.

Family fun day out featuring cattle, sheep, horses and goats, pipe band, sheep dog demonstration & jumping motorcycle. http://www.keithshow.org.uk 16-17 August World Pipe Band Championships Glasgow The World Pipe Band Championships are back at Glasgow Green in August. Two days of competition showcases the extraordinary ability of 8000 pipers and drummers taking part. Defending champions Field Marshal Montgomery will face bands from around the World as they compete to hang on to their crown. https://www.theworlds.co.uk 17 August Stirling Highland Games Stirling Stirling Highland Games is one of central Scotland’s great annual cultural and historic events, welcoming 8000 visitors from not just Scotland and the UK but from overseas as well to enjoy our showcase of a traditional Highland games competition. https://www.stirlinghighlandgames.com 17 August Peebles Show Nether Horsburgh Farm, Cardrona EH44 6RE Agricultural show and fun for all the family. http://www.peebles-show.co.uk

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17 August Helmsdale Highland Games Helmsdale, Sutherland A fantastic day out for all the family starting with the Local Heavy Events and the Children’s Mini Highland Games. http://www.helmsdalegames.co.uk

24 August Glenurquhart Highland Gathering and Games Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire Glenurquhart Highland Games include the traditional events performed by the heavyweight athletes – throwing weights and hammers and tossing the caber. http://www.glenurquhart-highland-games.co.uk

17 August Glenfinnan Gathering and Highland Games Glenfinnan, Inverness-shire https://www.facebook.com/Glenfinnan-HighlandGathering-130602813690942/

24 August Strathardle Highland Gathering and Games Bannerfield, Kirkmichael The 138th Strathardle Highland Gathering will be a day to meet friends from near and far in a relaxing way, a day to set aside the daily toils, a day to enjoy and a day when the local community welcomes visitors to the beautiful glen. http://strathardlehighlandgames.org.uk

17 August Nairn Highland Games Nairn Founded in 1867 the Nairn Highland Games is the BIGGEST free Games in Scotland. http://www.nairnhighlandgames.co.uk 17-18 August Galloway Country Fair Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway An annual two-day event, the Fair brings together food and drink, country sports, entertainment, children’s activities and much, much more. It’d a true celebration of everything that countryside living has to offer with something for all ages to enjoy. http://www.gallowaycountryfair.co.uk 18 August Crieff Highland Gathering Crieff The Gathering is held in the centre of Crieff at the iconic Market Park. We have a full programme of traditional Highland games competitions on offer including The Scottish Heavyweight Championship Running, Youth Running, Cycling, Highland Dancing, Heavyweights, Light Field, and Tug o War. http://www.crieffhighlandgathering.com 22 August Oban Highland Games Oban http://obangames.com/newsite/ 23 August Glenisla Highland Games Glenisla, Blairgowrie A traditional Highland Games with: Putting the Stone, Hammer Throwing, Weight, Tossing the Caber, Dancing, Piping, Hill Race http://www.glenislahighlandgames.co.uk 24 August Lochaber Agricultural Show Castle Farm, Happy Valley, Fort William, Inverness-Shire Lochaber’s annual agricultural/horse/food/craft show is held beneath the spectacular backdrop of Ben Nevis http://www.lochaberagriculturalshow.co.uk

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24 August Lonach Highland Gathering and Games Bellabeg Park, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire The Lonach Highland and Friendly Society was founded in 1823 to preserve Highland dress and “support loyal, peaceful, and manly conduct”. http://www.lonach.org 29-31 August Cowal Highland Gathering Dunoon The Cowal Highland Gathering held in Dunoon, Argyll, is the largest, most spectacular Highland games in the world. Nowhere else will you see world-class pipers, dancers and athletes competing on such a scale. It’s an unbeatable event for all the family. http://www.cowalgathering.com 31 August - 8 September Largs Viking Festival Largs Now in its 40th year this great family event celebrates Viking heritage and the Battle of Largs of 1263 - the last mainland battle between the Scots and Norse. https://largsvikingfestival.org 31 August Birnam Highland Games Dunkeld, Perthshire The Birnam Highland Games are a traditional Scottish Highland Games held amidst stunning Perthshire scenery. The games have been held annually since 1864. http://www.birnamhighlandgames.com 31 August Lairg Crofters Show Lairg, Sutherland Now over 100 hundred years old, the Lairg Crofters Show is the last surviving mainland crofters show and is an excellent day out with something for all the family. http://www.lairgcroftersshow.co.uk/Show/Home.html

Australia

15-18 August Scots in the Bush 2019 Historic Boondooma Homestead, 8262 MundubberaDurong Rd, Boondooma, Queensland.

A day celebrating the contribution of the Scottish people in opening up much of Australia. http://www.boondoomahomestead.org.au

Canada

2-3 August Glengarry Highland Games 34 Fair Street, Maxville, Ontario Since the first Games were held in 1948, the people of Glengarry have extended close to a million welcomes to visitors who come to see what is estimated to be one of the largest Highland Games in the world. Thousands of people find themselves drawn each year to Maxville to witness an outstanding display of music, dance, sports, fiddling, pageantry, and tradition. www.glengarryhighlandgames.com 4 August Montreal Highland Games Douglas Hospital grounds, Verdun, Quebec Over the past 40 years, the Montreal Highland Games has become one of the premier events on the North American Highland games circuit. The Games represent a wonderful opportunity for participants and visitors alike to discover the treasures, legends and history of the rich Scottish culture. www.montrealhighlandgames.com 9-11 August The Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games Fergus, Ontario Founded in 1946, the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games is an annual three-day event that celebrates local Scottish heritage and features worldrenowned talent and entertainment. www.fergusscottishfestival.com 9-11 August The Goderich Celtic Roots Festival Goderich, Ontario The Goderich Celtic Roots Festival is an annual celebration of the music, craft, and culture of the Celtic nations, immigrants of which form a strong historic background to Huron County. From a single memorial concert held in 1993, the Celtic Roots Festival has grown to include a week-long school of music, dance and craft art for children and adults, a series of rural outreach miniconcerts, and a three-day traditional outdoor festival held in beautiful Lions’ Harbour Park on the shores of Lake Huron. www.celticfestival.ca

24 August North Lanark Highland Games N.L.A.S. Fairgrounds in Almonte, Ontario Celebrate the Scottish culture and heritage of the Ottawa Valley at the 36th annual North Lanark Highland Games in Almonte, Ontario. The Games offer a traditional format and size attracting about 6,000 visitors. Twenty pipe bands, a hundred dancers and champion heavyweight athletes combine to present what is recognized as one of the Ottawa Valley’s premier summer events. www.almontehighlandgames.com 31 August - 1 September Canmore Highland Games Centennial Park, Canmore, Alberta A weekend of traditional Highland Games, Scottish music, events and lots of family fun. www.canmorehighlandgames.ca 31 August Calgary Highland Games Calgary Rugby Union 9025 Shepard Road SE, Calgary, Alberta The Calgary Highland Games is one of the oldest gatherings in North America and will be celebrating 106 years since the first games, held in 1913. www.calgaryhighlandgames.com

USA

2 August Detroit Highland Games Greenmead Historical Park, 20501 Newburgh Rd, Livonia, MI St. Andrew’s Society of Detroit presents its 170th Annual Highland Games - the oldest continuous games in North America dedicated to preserving Scottish heritage through its arts, customs, dress, literature and national games. www.highlandgames.com 3-4 August Monterey Scot Games Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey CA 93940 The popular Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival brings the music, dance and athletic events of the mystical lands of Scotland and Ireland to Monterey County each year. Now in our 52nd year. www.montereyscotgames.com 17-18 August Buffalo Niagara Scottish Festival 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road, Amherst, NY 14228 35th Annual Celebration of Scottish Cultural Heritage, including pipe bands, gathering of the clans, traditional Highland Games, Celtic marketplace and much more. www.bnhv.org/scottish

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17-18 August Bitterroot Celtic Games & Gathering Daly Mansion, 251 Eastside hwy, Hamilton, MT 10 Anniversary Bitterroot Celtic Games & Gathering featuring Highland & Irish dance, pipe bands, herd dog demos, Scotch & Mead tastings, food and local beers, Celtic wares, kid’s activities, Highland Athletic competition, live music, clans and much, much, more. www.bcgg.org 23-24 August Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival & Gathering of the Clans Lakeside Park, Mayville, NY A day filled with the sounds of the Highland Bagepipes and Scottish drums, Celtic music, the Gathering of 30 Clans, the competition of the Highland Games featuring over 50 athletes form all over the U.S. and Canada. www.facebook.com/JamestownRegionalCelticFestival 30 August - 1 September Wisconsin Highland Games Waukesha Expo Center, Waukesha, Wisconsin A weekend of Scottish fun for all the family full of history, heritage and tradition. www.wisconsinscottish.org

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31 August - 1 September The Caledonian Club of San Franciso’s Scottish Highland Gathering and Games Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA Join us as we celebrate the very best of Scottish culture, competition, cuisine and entertainment, right here in California at the 154th consecutive Scottish Highland Gathering and Games. www.thescottishgames.com 31 August - 1 September Capital District Scottish Games Altamont Fairgrounds, 129 Grand St, Altamont, NY Two days of family fun. Pipe bands, Highland Dancers, Stage entertainment, Highland Athletics, Children’s Events, Celtic Vendors and much, much more. https://www.facebook.com/capitaldistrictscottishgames/ 31 August - 1 September Virginia Scottish Games Great Meadow, 5089 Old Tavern Rd, The Plains, VA A fun day out for all the family. www.vascottishgames.org

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