Blogs

Rodney's Stone is a two-metre (6.56 ft) high Pictish cross slab. It is now located close on the approach way to Brodie Castle, near Forres, Moray, Scotland. (Scottish Gaelic: Farrais, Moireibh, Alba). It was discovered in the late 18th Century during excavations for the foundation of the new parish church at Dyke.  The church, built in 1781, stands on the site of an earlier mediaeval church. 

Last June members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; Scottish Gaelic: Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA) voted to ban the unlicensed culling of mountain hares and to make them a protected species. The new law came into force today March 1st 2021 and forms part of the new Animals and Wildlife Bill. The measure was proposed and campaigned for by Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone and gives greater protection for mountain hares.  Mountain hares are Scotland's only native hare, where they could have existed since the last ice age.

St David is the Patron Saint of Wales and March 1st is St David's Day. The first of March is recognised as a National Day throughout Wales. It is also a day of celebration for Welsh communities throughout the world and the Welsh flag with Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon) is proudly raised. The flag of Saint David (Baner Dewi Sant) normally a yellow cross on a black field, also plays a central role in the celebrations. The date is tradionally seen as the date that Saint David died in 589.

Bannan is a Gaelic-language television series produced by Young Films and first broadcast in 2014. The long-running Gaelic drama is broadcast by BBC Alba. BBC Alba is a Scottish Gaelic-language free-to-air television channel jointly owned by the BBC and MG Alba, which is the operating name of the Gaelic Media Service (Scottish Gaelic: Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig). The drama has English subtitles when aired on BBC Alba (the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland).

A local community is making a bid to buy the remotest mainland pub in Scotland. It is located in the village of Inverie (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Aoidh) which is on the north side of Loch Nevis (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Nibheis). The Highland village is set in spectacular and beautiful scenery on the Knoydart (Scottish Gaelic: Cnòideart) peninsula in Lochaber. The pub is The Old Forge. Inverie is not connected to the rest of the national road network and can only be reached by a 18-mile (29-kilometre) hike or by a regular 7 mi (11 km) ferry from the port of Mallaig in Lochaber. 

Scotland's first ever Golden Eagle Festival will be held in Moffat (Scottish Gaelic: Mofad) between 19 and 26 September 2021. Moffat is located in the Dumfries and Galloway (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) area in Scotland. The Moffat Hills cover some 300 square kilometres of hills, noted for their outstanding scenery and rich wildlife. In the past it was home to a number of Golden Eagles, but as the result of deliberate persecution and land use changes their numbers declined to critical levels.

Following four weeks since the commencement of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid vaccine programme in Scotland. Research led by Public Health Scotland found hospital admissions were reduced by 85% and 94% for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs respectively. Although initial results indicate that the AstraZeneca vaccine is more effective, both have been found to have a significant impact in the reduction of a person’s risk of hospital admission

An internationally significant find of Viking Age artefacts were declared as Treasure by the appropriate authority in the Isle of Man (Manx Gaelic: Mannin) today (February 18th 2021). They were discovered in late 2020 by metal detectorist Kath Giles whilst metal detecting on private land. The Treasure is of international significance and consists of a gold arm-ring, a massive silver brooch, at least one silver armband and other associated finds. They were buried around AD 950. 

Rhuddlan in the county of Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych) is in the north-east of Wales (Cymru). Rhuddlan has the highest concentration of Mesolithic sites in Wales. The Mesolithic period of pre-history, sometimes called the middle stone age is dated between 9,600 and 4,000 BC. An archaeological dig, carried out in October 2020, at a site designated for development on Castle Hill, Rhuddlan, has uncovered a 9,000 year old site with more than 300 stone age tools and artefacts.

This month, February, marks the birth of Constance Markievicz (4th February 1868 – 15 July 1927). Constance Markievicz was a staunch Irish Republican who was to play an integral role in the birth of modern Ireland. Born Constance Gore-Booth in Lissadell, Co. Sligo on February 4, 1868. Her early life was typical of many young women from a wealthy Anglo-Irish background at that time. Constance studied art in London and Paris. In France, she met her Polish husband, Count Markievicz. They married in 1901 and had a child in Dublin.