Blogs

Cruden Bay (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Chruidein) is a village on the north coast of the Bay of Cruden in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Archaeologists have now discovered an ancient settlement at Cruden Bay, dating back to the Iron Age. The site was earmarked for development when digging revealed a number of prehistoric features and Cameron Archaeology began the careful process of evaluating the area of the find.  Work carried out in May and June of 2019 has now been confirmed as having uncovered some 23 structures along with prehistoric pottery and flint tools.

A Rowan Tree that once stood on its own in the Carrifran Valley has been voted Scotland's Tree of the Year 2020. The tree, known as 'The Survivor', became a symbol for a restoration group working in the area. For years the single rowan tree clung desperately to the side of a burn. The surrounding landscape had been mostly stripped bare by millennia of sheep, goats and deer grazing, farming, harvesting and fire. Similar to much of the rest of the Southern Uplands (Scottish Gaelic: Na Monaidhean a Deas) of Scotland.  

The richness of Scottish art history is being explored in an on-line special fundraising event on October 22. Artist, broadcaster and author Lachlan Goudie will be drawing from his recent book ‘The Story of Scottish Art’.  He will look at the interconnected chapters in Scottish art history covering a period of 5000 years, from the neolithic to Pictish eras, and onwards to the Glasgow Boys and Scottish colourists. 

Portmahomack (Scottish Gaelic: Port Mo Chalmaig) is a fishing village situated on the Tarbat Peninsula in the north of Scotland. Over many centuries it was part of a strong Pictish community, many traces of which can still be seen in the form of carved stones. There is evidence of much earlier human settlement dating back to the 2nd century BC. The remains of an Iron Age broch can also be found to the west of the village.

The recent growth in the number of Scottish Gaelic Medium schools has resulted in a shortage of qualified Gaelic language teaching staff. The dearth of qualified Gaelic speaking teachers has prompted action by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland).

The organization recently unveiled a three-year plan to address the shortage of qualified Gaelic Medium teaching staff

Media release from Culture Vannin:

New face for Manx language development at Culture Vannin

Culture Vannin is delighted to announce Ruth Keggin Gell as their new Manx Language Development Officer. In Manx, the role is known as Yn Greinneyder, ‘the encourager or motivator’, and Ruth’s focus will be to promote, support and facilitate the Manx language within the community, as well as to help deliver the Manx Language Strategy.

There is an old military airfield in Angus, Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Aonghas, Alba). On 26 February 1913, Montrose Air Station became the first operational military aerodrome to be established in Scotland. It closed permanently for operations on 4 June 1952, but is now the site of Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. This is a registered Scottish charitable organisation run by the Ian McIntosh Memorial Trust which has a collection of contemporary photographs, artefacts and memorabilia.

There is understandable consternation in Wales about the British government's refusal to implement travel restrictions into Wales by those in high infection areas of England. The First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has said that he feels “great dismay” after his calls for such travel restrictions were once again ignored. At a press conference today, Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething claimed there had been “an importation of coronavirus cases from contact with some of those high prevalence areas in England”.

With the already slack planning laws set to be loosened even more by the distant and increasingly dysfunctional Westminster Government, more and more are now standing up and speaking out against the uncaring government's ludicrous proposals.

Cornwall Council has already voted to take a stand against the Westminster Government although not unexpectedly Conservative members of the council refused to support the decision.

The Book of Deer (Leabhar Dhèir in Gaelic) is set to return home to Scotland after hundreds of years. It was produced by Pictish-era monks and contains the earliest examples of written Gaelic. The book was written in Latin on vellum sometime between the 8th and 10th Century and later had Scottish Gaelic notes on local land transactions added into its margins. It is also adorned with Gaelic designs and once belonged to a monastery at Old Deer, Aberdeenshire (Scottish Gaelic: Dèir, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain).