Tag Archive for: Scottish Life

thumbnail of SB-4611-MAY 2023- NA
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The Scottish Banner
May 2023

In this issue... SCOTLAND'S OLDEST TARTAN DISCOVERED New scientific research has revealed a piece of tartan found in a peat bog in Glen Affric around forty years ago can be dated to circa 1500-1600 AD, making it the oldest known surviving specimen of true tartan in Scotland. The Scottish Tartans Authority commissioned... SCOTLAND'S ZEN GARDEN The place of pleasure and delight.  Everything about the Japanese Garden at Cowden is designed to slow visitors down, to calm the mind and encourage contemplation, even down to the uneven stones underfoot at the entrance arch, which is carved with the words “the place of pleasure and delight”. These days, the garden, near the town of Dollar, quietly hums... TWELVE YEARS AND OVER 400 CASTLES LATER My favorite Scottish Castles. Twelve years after my arrival in Scotland from Canada, I have more than made up for the lack of true castles in the country of my birth. To date, my Scottish castle count stands at 443, almost all of which I have reached by foot, bicycle, and public transport. To answer the two very reasonable questions...
photo of the April 2023 cover of The Scottish Banner
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The Scottish Banner
April 2023

In this issue... A CELEBRATION OF TARTAN V&A Dundee present major exhibition solely on tartan. Tartan (1 April 2023 – 14 January 2024) at V&A Dundee takes a radical new look at an instantly recognisable textile and pattern. Set to be a major event in 2023’s cultural calendar, Tartan marks the 5th anniversary of Scotland’s design museum. Celebrating tartan and its global impact, the exhibition explores... 100 YEARS OF FLYING SCOTSAMAN World’s most famous steam locomotive.  Friday 24 February 2023, marked 100 years since Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous steam locomotive, set off on its first journey from the sheds at Doncaster Works. Now a national treasure, Flying Scotsman is a star attraction in... THE PRESTWICK PIONEERS Prestwick is located in South Ayrshire and is synonymous with Scottish aviation. Ninety years ago this month, on April 3 1933 David McIntyre and Sir Douglas Douglas-Hamilton were the first men to fly over the summit of Mount Everest. The aviators would go on to form Scottish Aviation Ltd at Prestwick, which was the last Scottish aircraft manufacturing company created, as Eric Bryan explains.
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The Scottish Banner
February 2023

In this issue... ISLE OF CUMBRAE DISTILLERS: THE FEMALE SCOTTISH GIN MAKERS On Scotland’s Ayrshire coast lies the Isle of Cumbrae, just a short ferry trip from Largs. A group of five international women have come together to create the islands first gin distillery called Isle of Cumbrae Distillers. Bronwyn Jenkins-Deas from the team spoke to the Scottish Banner on building a new business during the pandemic, how a women led business is contributing to the community and just why visitors to Scotland should be adding Cumbrae to their travel plans. READ MORE CROWN OF THORNS: SAVING THE ICONIC SYMBOL OF LINLITHGOW When the spire on Linlithgow’s parish church was first erected in 1964, its modern shiny look, contrasting so sharply with the weathered stone of the ancient building, sparked a fierce reaction. Some said it looked like a rocket waiting to take off, others compared it to a wigwam. Certainly many felt the contemporary aluminium “crown of thorns” did not belong on a medieval church just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. READ MORE STELLA: A SCOTTISH CINDERELLA A new Scottish feature film about a German Jewish refugee who finds herself working in a stately home belonging to aristocratic supporters of fascist leader Oswald Mosely has won an international Best Drama award. Stella, inspired by Cinderella, took the award at the Melech Tel-Aviv International Film Festival where it had its world premiere. And it has now been nominated for the Montreal Independent Film Festival – one of the most popular events of its kind. The makers of the film, which features Gary Lewis, Susan Vidler, Richard Hansell and Rufus Wright, are also in negotiation for UK distribution. READ MORE