Douglas MacQueen's blog

Galloway (Scottish Gaelic: Gall-Ghàidhealaibh) is a region in southwestern Scotland. It is an area steeped in history being the location of the ancient Kingdom of Galloway and is noted for its great natural beauty and wildlife. Now there is a campaign for the creation of a third national park in Scotland that should be created in Galloway.

During road works being undertaken on the A9 recently the remains of a structure which could date back some 2000 years has been uncovered. Pieces of ancient pottery and a stone tool were also found at the site, which is close to the town of Kingussie (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann a' Ghiùthsaich) in the Scottish Highlands. The newly discovered building is not far from Raitt's Cave, an underground Iron Age subterranean chamber known as a souterrain discovered in the 1800's.

A number of decades ago a chair was donated to the Highland Folk Museum. The chair shows evidence of having been immersed in sea water for a considerable time. It estimated to be at least 300-years-old and the back panel of the seat has a carved a lion and a unicorn on a crest with a crowned heart motif. At this stage its origins are not known, but museum sources believe part of the carving could be associated with the Clan Douglas. 

St. Andrew's Day (Scottish Gaelic: Là Naomh Aindrea) is Scotland's official national day celebrated on 30th November. St Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland from at least the mid tenth century and legend says long before. He was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee in the early 1st century and is the brother of St Peter. According to the Gospel of St John, Andrew was a follower of the preacher John the Baptist and then became a disciple of Jesus who he recognised as the Messiah. The name Andrew is Greek in origin.

A dog named Kobe that had been lost for days in snow and freezing conditions in Glen Coe (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Comhann) in the Highlands of Scotland has been found. His owner, David Parry from Glasgow (Glaschu), had been with friends in the glen along with Kobe and another dog, Echo, when Kobe went missing. They are part of Scotland's Team AKobE Marathon Community. This a group that encourages and provides access to free marathons for solo runners and canicross teams. Canicross is a sport involving cross country running with dogs, which are attached to a person and run in a team.

Rubha an Dùnain is a peninsula to the south of the Cuillin hills on the island of Skye (An t-Eilean Sgitheanach) in Scotland. The headland rises to a height of over 98 feet (30 metres) above sea level. To the east of the peninsula is the freshwater loch of Loch na h-Airde. The peninsula has a variety of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic period onwards.

Caledonian MacBrayne (Scottish Gaelic: Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually referred to as CalMac, operates passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast. Now CalMac has seconded a full time ORCA Wildlife Officer to help educate crew and passengers about marine life across the west coast of Scotland. 

Four year old Summer lost her teddy bear at Edinburgh Airport on Monday. So her mother Donna posted a plea on Facebook to help find the lost teddy. Scottish regional airline Loganair cabin crew member Kirsty Walter saw the appeal and came to the rescue and a search was organised. There were rumours that the teddy was seen lurking around the fine Scottish whisky section of Edinburgh Airport duty free shop. In any event the missing bear was found and was given star treatment by the airline on its flight home to Orkney in the Northern Isles of Scotland.

The Scottish island of Barra (Scottish Gaelic: Barraigh, Eilean Bharraigh), is an island in the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar). The area of Barra is approximately 23 sq ml (60 square kilometres), 11 miles long and 6 miles wide. The main village is Castlebay (Bàgh a' Chaisteil). Now Barra has joined many other places in Scotland with its own flag. Although the island has used the the green and white Nordic cross for many years, now after a community campaign the flag of Barra has secured official recognition.

In Gaelic mythology (Irish, Scottish and Manx) Cailleach is a creation goddess. She is commonly known as the Cailleach Bhéara and in Scotland also as Beira, Queen of Winter.  In partnership with the goddess Brìghde, they rule the seasons. Cailleach governs the winter months between Samhainn (1 November ) and Bealltainn (1 May), while Brìghde rules the summer months between Bealltainn and Samhainn. It is said that Cailleach carries a staff that freezes the ground.