Tag Archive for: The Scottish Banner

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The Scottish Banner | November 2023

In this issue... CELEBRATING LONACH TRADITION The Lonach Highland and Friendly Society was formed 200 years and friendly, Highland Games. The Lonach Highland Gathering and Games have taken place annually for 180 years each August when all roads lead to Lonach, as Anne-Mary Paterson explains. JOHN MACLEOD The Aberdeen University scientist pioneered the creation of insulin in the 1920s, which has saved millions of lives of those with diabetes, as Neil Drysdale reports. MINGINISH CENTENARY PROJECT The Minginish peninsula on Skye was largely cleared in the Clearances of the 1800s but 100 years ago it was deliberately repopulated on land bought by the government from the MacLeod’s of Dunvegan Castle, with crofts created as part of the “land for heroes” campaign after the First World War. Families from Harris, Lewis and other parts of Skye arrived between 1923 and 1924. Now the community is celebrating that anniversary, looking to put together an exhibition in June 2024 and erect a memorial as Judy Vickers explains.
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The Scottish Banner
Sep 2023

In this issue... 2023 WORLD PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS The spectacular finale of The World Pipe Band Championships saw Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band crowned the winners of the renowned international contest. It is the long-established Scottish pipe band’s first-ever... DUKE OF SUTHERLAND'S COAL MINE The arrival of the railway at Brora, Sutherland in June 1871 was a special day especially for the 3rd Duke of Sutherland who had great plans for Brora. He was interested in... WILD HIGHLANDS The Highland Wildlife Park. On a 260-acre expanse of land near Kingussie, Highland in the Cairngorms National Park, you’ll find a menagerie of animals ranging from small Japanese snow monkeys to...
Cover of The Scottish Banner, August 223, Clan MacFarlane
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The Scottish Banner
Aug 2023

In this issue... CELEBRATING STORIES AT THE ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO This month, set against the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will welcome local and international audiences to their new show, Stories. Staged between 4-26 August,... MY 5 FAVOURITE EARLY HISTORIC SITES Previously, I shared five of my favourite Scottish medieval castles and five of my favourite ancient sites. Now, it’s time to pick five from the somewhat awkward middle child, the Early Historic period. You may be more familiar with the term ‘Dark Ages’,... HEAD TO SCOTLAND FOR AN ADVENTURE THIS SUMMER Scotland benefits from beautiful scenery, many hills and mountains to explore, as well as stunning wildlife and spectacular walking routes and trails. With the arrival of summer...
Cover of The Scottish Banner - July 2023
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The Scottish Banner
July 2023

In this issue... THE ART OF BUILDING A NEW TOWN Celebrating 75 years of Glenrothes. The Fife town of Glenrothes was ‘born’ on 30th June 1948. It was Scotland’s second new town and became the first in Scotland to appoint its own artist to specially create public art. Today the town houses tens of thousands of people, has a strong connection to the electronics industry, as well as a much loved African animal, as Judy Vickers explains. In 1950,.. BACK TO THE TOP The Cairngorm Mountain Railway. The Cairngorm funicular railway in the Cairngorms National Park has the double distinction of being the only funicular railway in Scotland, and the highest railway in the United Kingdom. Positioned on the north side of Cairngorm, the railway serves the Cairngorm Mountain alpine ski area that,.. MY FIVE ANCIENT SITES In the May 2023 edition I reflected on five of my favourite Scottish castles following twelve years of non-stop exploration. Let’s now turn the clock back, way back, into the mists of prehistory. Scotland has tens of thousands of prehistoric sites, from intangible yet significant Mesolithic settlements hinting at...
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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...
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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.
Photo of the cover of March 2023 issue of The Scottish Banner
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The Scottish Banner
March 2023

In this issue... SHINTY Scotland's ancient sport. s a sport, its fortunes have often reflected the ups and downs of life in the Highlands where it is played, from Celtic myths, through the Scottish diaspora and the decimation of young men during World War One to the challenges of modern rural life. And those with a passion for shinty – camanachd or iomain in Gaelic – will be hoping that particular tradition continues as the stick and ball sport looks to a future... EILDON HILLS Icons of the Scottish Borders. Gattonside, Eildon North and Mid hills appear as twins, with perspective playing tricks as to which is the highest (Eildon Mid Hill comes out on top, barely, at 422 metres compared with Eildon North’s 404). From the east, the three become one as Eildon Hill North seems to engulf them all...
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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
photo of Cover of The Scottish Banner January 2023 | MacFarlane.org
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The Scottish Banner
January 2023

In this issue… THE TRANQUILITY OF STONEHAVEN For many centuries the wee fishing port on Scotland’s east coastline has been a magnetic location for summer tourists, a distinction it retains to this day. Made up of delightful seascapes, an enchanting harbour and a lively town centre,… READ MORE SCOTLAND’S THE PLACE TO BE IN 2023 Celebrate a new year with plenty to discover across Scotland. New stories, special moments and unforgettable memories are ready to be made in Scotland in 2023. From January through to December,… READ MORE REMEMBERING DODDIE WEIR Born in 1970, rugby great Doddie Weir won the first of his 61-caps for Scotland against Argentinain November 1990, but came to prominence as a member of the Scotland side which reached the semi-final of the World Cup the following year. He would go on to,… READ MORE