Douglas MacQueen's blog

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to formally open a new museum and archive on Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas). Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris (Leòdhas agus na Hearadh), the largest island of the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar), an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. The islands are rich in history and were once part of the Norse kingdom of the Suðreyjar, known as The Kingdom of Mann and the Isles.

News from the Celtic League:

The National have sent us a preview of tomorrow’s new magazine launched in conjunction with the independence supporting web site Bella Caledonia.

It’s an interesting development in that what was initially a social media blog has now gone main stream.

Other independence sites like ‘Wings over Scotland’ are also flourishing. Wings recently raised way above its fundraising target of £45,000 within hours of the appeal being launched.

BERNARD MOFFATT
Public Relations Officer Mannin Branch

Alexander Fleming FRS FRSE FRCS (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish biologist, pharmacologist and botanist, whose crucial discovery of penicillin saved the lives of millions of people all over the world. In September 1928 while studying influenza Alexander Fleming noticed mould had developed accidentally on a set of culture dishes being used to grow the staphylococci germ. The mould had created a bacteria-free circle around itself. He experimented further and named the active substance penicillin.

The Massacre of Glencoe (Scottish Gaelic Mort Ghlinne Comhann) took place early in the morning of 13 February 1692. One of the most beautiful places in Scotland Glen Coe (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Comhann) takes its name from the River Coe that winds and tumbles its way through the glen. It is hard for those who visit this area of great beauty today to think that it was the site of such a treacherous act of murder and brutality against the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe.

Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, Chief of Clan Fraser lived from about 1667 to 9 April 1747. Beheaded in London as a supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie, his headless body is said to lie in a lead casket at Wardlaw Mausoleum at Kirkhill, near Inverness. A body, minus the head is in the casket but is it that of Simon Fraser? After he was beheaded, some say his body remained in England, others that it was taken to Scotland and ended up in Wardlaw Mausoleum.

Celebrations took place at the weekend to mark the community buy out of a Cold War surveillance station on Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas) in the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar). The radio and radar station was established at Gallan Head, close to the village of Aird Uig (Àird Ùig) 60 years ago. It formed part of Nato's early warning system against Soviet submarines and aircraft.

News from the Celtic League:

Like him or loath him Donald Trump is set to redefine how global politics is conducted. The jury is out on if this will be for good or ill.

BBC Scotland has this detailed article about Trumps background and the incredible story of his mother’s journey from a Hebridean Island to the high society of New York (link):

News from the Celtic League:

It’s not only me that has a problem with the BBC; in Scotland nationalists have taken their anger to a new but constructive level. Billboards and Van boards attacking BBC bias in news reporting have appeared.

As well as a slogan the boards carry a link so that folk can assess themselves the slant the BBC put on news and current affairs.

Speaking in the Scottish newspaper ‘The Courier’ a representative of the group driving the campaign ‘Inform Scotland’ said;

News from the Celtic League:

Although the centenary commemorations of the Easter Rising in Dublin are now over the role of the Scots involved in the struggle to end British rule in Ireland at the time is to be highlighted in a new book (link):

http://www.thenational.scot/…/15025055.Book_pays_tribute_t…/

The book is scheduled to be published in time for Easter this year.

News from the Celtic League:

The issue of the transport of nuclear waste by air from Dounreay in Scotland to the United States is to be highlighted at the Scottish parliament this week it is an issue the Celtic League highlighted last year (link):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/…/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-386365…