Douglas MacQueen's blog

Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce became King of Scotland in 1306. Revered as a national hero in Scotland he reigned as King of Scots until his death in 1329. Robert led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England and fought successfully to regain Scotland's place as an independent country.

A two-week hearing is to be held from 30 July over whether a former Catalan minister should be extradited from Scotland to Spain. The date was set after Clara Ponsatí appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for the latest hearing in her fight against extradition. The Spanish government is seeking her extradition over her involvement in last year's Catalan independence referendum. Clara Ponsati's lawyer has described the Spanish charges against her as "a grotesque distortion of the truth" and "politically motivated" and which would be challenged "robustly".

Supporters of Scottish Independence gathered in peaceful protest on bridges overlooking the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh yesterday, drawing attention to the ongoing fight for an independent Scotland. Waving flags, holding banners and dressed in kilts the campaigners drew considerable support from motorists. They were joined by a group of motorcyclists, the Yes Bikers, who rode down the motorway with Saltires attached to their bikes.

Skye (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgitheanach) is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan a-staigh) of Scotland. Now a new study from finds on Skye, published in the Scottish Journal of Geology, is shedding new light on dinosaur evolution. This comes after the discovery of giant prehistoric footprints belonging to sauropods and therapods from the Middle Jurassic period on the Isle of Skye.

The House of Binns, is the former home of General Tam Dalyell and is now managed by the National Trust For Scotland. The house we now see dates from the early 17th century, but is built on the site of previous manor houses. It is thought that Binns Hill was inhabited from prehistoric times and may have been the site of a Pictish fort. The House of Binns eventually came into the possession of the Dalyell family. Dalyell is a Scottish surname which derives from the Scottish Gaelic Dail-gheal meaning bright dale.

Scottish tennis star Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam tournament winner and two-time Olympic champion, is among a group of celebrities who have called on the UK government to use new trade freedom powers after Brexit to ban all fur imports. They have sent an open letter to a Sunday newspaper pointing out that it is hypocritical that fur farming was banned in the UK but that products could still be imported. They write :“If fur is too cruel to produce in this country, it’s too cruel to sell in this country.

Dounreay (Scottish Gaelic: Dùnrath) is on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland and west of the town of Thurso. Since the 1950s it has been the site of two nuclear establishments. Used for the development of prototype fast breeder reactors and submarine reactor testing. Most of these facilities are now being decommissioned. In a report in the Scottish regional newspaper the Press and Journal: "A leading independent nuclear expert has called for increased monitoring of a Caithness beach after an “alarming” radioactive fragment was found."

The Loch Ness Monster features on a new UK 10 pence coin that has entered into circulation. Loch Ness (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Nis) is a freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands (Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd) which is renowned for its great beauty. It is, of course, also famous for being home to the mysterious large aquatic animal known as the Loch Ness Monster or affectionately known by the nickname Nessie (Scottish Gaelic:Niseag).

The 2018 crime novel festival Granite Noir is getting under way in Aberdeen today and runs from Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th February 2018.  The festival has been organised by Aberdeen Performing Arts (APA), who describe the event on their website : "Over three days we’ll explore the enduring appeal of stories that plunge us into the heart of darkness - where morality is ambiguous, motives complicated, and even heroes harbour devastating secrets".

Stormy conditions have hit Scotland over recent weeks. Snow and high winds have been causing disruption and during awful conditions on 14th February the ruined castle of Caisteal Maol on the Isle of Skye was damaged by a lightning strike. It smashed the top off one of the two main standing parts of the ruin. In what a witness described as an unnerving combination of lightning, thunder, violent wind and wet snow. There then came a loud thunder crack and a massive fireball. In an instant the floodlights that illuminate the ruin's walls were extinguished.