A handwritten, unpublished work by a Scottish music hall performer known as the world’s worst poet is set to fetch thousands of pounds at auction. Edinburgh-born William McGonagall, won notoriety in the 19th century as an extremely bad poet, and to this day is regarded as the worst in English literature. His works were so […]
A new soundtrack by a Scottish composer has been influenced by the infamous Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Kildonan, the latest work by Sutherland based composer Robert Aitken, draws on traditional, contemporary and classical styles to create an album that evokes the forced eviction of people from their lands. During the industrial […]
Here’s a strange case of life imitating art from Inverness, with news just in that rivals Hitchcock’s 1963 horror The Birds: A giant Eagle Owl is to blame for attacks on pedestrians over the last week on Castle Street. Police have warned residents to keep clear of the giant bird of prey, who has taken […]
French fashion powerhouse Chanel recently hosted it’s annual Metiers d’Arts show at Linlithgow Palace just outside of Edinburgh, showcasing a contemporary interpretation of traditional Scottish crafts and tartan. Creative director Karl Lagerfeld’s collection combined elements of gothic grandeur with tartan, tweed, sporrans, argyle socks and brogues, coloured with a rich earthy palette. The show ended with […]
A land ownership storm is brewing on the islands of Barra and Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides. The late Ian MacNeil, 46th Chief of Clan MacNeil, announced in 2003 that he had agreed to donate the 9000-acre crofting estate on the islands to the Scottish Government. However it was made clear that if the islanders […]
The Scottish Register of Tartans has been criticised for including designs in their repository by Disney, a German Pipe Smokers group and Peter Rabbit. The Government register, which provides a definitive resource for protecting and promoting tartans, has come under fire by Scottish Members of Parliament, claiming the approval process needs to be changed to […]
A Scottish Shipwreck makes a cameo appearance in The Ang Lee Blockbuster – Life of Pi. Surprised locals recognised the wreck of the Scottish fishing boat called ‘The Sovereign’ on the film poster, it’s highly doctored but obviously the same wreck, which can still be seen stranded at Cairnbulg on the east coast of Scotland […]
Reading the news for the last few years has not been a great deal of fun. Every other business and economy article has been telling stories of doom and gloom, job losses, double dip recession. It has felt like we are in some sort of economic dark age. British GDP has fallen behind Iceland and […]
We are just back from a trip to Iceland, don’t travel abroad much so was quite wide eyed with the relatively new experience. As the plane approached Iceland we could see hot springs spouting up from the volcanic landscape. The plane comes into land. We are in Iceland – the airport greets us with massive […]
The Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle is one of the oldest orders in the United Kingdom; its conference is in the personal gift of the sovereign and not under advice from her government; and has a very exclusive and limited membership. Earlier this month a new knight was added: Prince William, Earl […]
