Douglas MacQueen's blog

News from the Celtic League:

News in this report that the Ministry of Defence Police are to undertake a higher profile in policing the Rosneath Peninsula on the Clyde in the Scottish Sunday Herald (link):

http://www.heraldscotland.com/…/15009201.Armed_MoD_police…/…

Archie McGeachy was born in Cambeltown in 1932. He was aged 14 years when identified as someone with promising bagpipe talent and given the gift of a set of Henderson pipes. Using the pipes Archie played at the Queen's Coronation in 1953 at the age of 21 and went on to become a world champion piper. He emigrated to North America  where his interest in piping continued, playing with other talented musicians and as a member of Pipe Bands. He also formed a band in Ontario Canada called Kintyre. Sadly, Archie McGeachy died at the age of 83 years at home in Ontario in November 2015.

News from the Celtic League:

Report here from Wales online about what appears to be the start of a direct action campaign by some members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) to have broadcasting devolved to Wales (link):

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/…/tv-licence-fee-strike-launch…

Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) have today (29th December 2016) unveiled their Gaelic Language Plans for the coming five years. It is a statutory requirement for all Scottish public bodies to have a Gaelic language plan. Under the plans Police Scotland officers will be encouraged to learn Gaelic and the service’s vehicles rebranded as part of an initiative to help promote the language within Scotland's national force. Vehicles in Police Scotland’s N Division (Highlands and Islands), including the force helicopter, already carry the “Poileas Alba” branding. 

As pre-Christmas storms sweep across Scotland this year the work of rescue services on land and at sea are vital. Also an important factor on the hills and mountains of Scotland is the prediction of the conditions leading to avalanches. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) provides vital information every winter, giving reports on avalanche, snow, and mountain conditions for Lochaber, Glen Coe, Northern Cairngorms, Southern Cairngorms, Torridon and Creag Meagaidh.

The historic 2500 acre forest of Lock Arkaig has been bought by the local community. Woodland Trust Scotland joined with Arkaig Community Forest to purchase the forest. The Woodland Trust intends to restore the forest with a programme of native tree planting. An appeal was launched to raise money towards buying the forest. Gary Servant, of Arkaig Community Forest, said: "This is a great moment. The land has been bought and we have a fantastic opportunity to work together to restore these native woodlands and to reconnect local people with their forests.

Over a million acorns have been collected as part of a project to expand ancient oakwoods in south west Scotland. The scheme is taking place in Galloway Forest Park which is a woodland park, principally covering woodland in Dumfries and Galloway (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh). Over the next few years, Forest Enterprise Scotland will plant the acorns around Loch Trool and the Cree Valley helping to grow some 600,000 young trees.

Glasgow Film Festival 2017 takes place on 15 - 26 February 2017. The festival began in 2005 and continues to grow and develop its international reputation. Glasgow Film Festival 2017 has announced special anniversary event screenings of three cult classics that will take place throughout the festival and across Glasgow with further titles to be announced in January. The films are the teen vampire chiller The Lost Boys, which celebrates 30 years since its release in 1987. It will be shown in a secret location event on Friday 17 February with a vampire theme to the event. 

Protesters gathered on Nairn (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Narann) beach yesterday to oppose plans for ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Moray Firth. An inlet of the North Sea, the Moray Firth (Scottish Gaelic: An Cuan Moireach) is the largest firth in Scotland. The Inner Moray Firth is designated as a Special Protection Area for wildlife and noted as an important place on the Scottish coast for observing dolphins and whales. The Cromarty Firth Port Authority wants permission to transfer millions of tonnes of crude oil at sea.

An agreement with the National Galleries of Scotland could see the iconic oil painting of a red deer stag, Monarch of the Glen, saved for the Scottish nation. The owners planned to put the painting up for auction but have now gifted half the estimated £8 million value of the piece to the galleries in the hope that they can raise the remaining £4 million. This would enable the painting to be placed under public ownership.