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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; Scottish Gaelic: Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA)  have voted to ban the unlicensed culling of mountain hares and to make them a protected species. Mountain hares are Scotland's only native hare, where they could have existed since the last ice age. MSPs passed an amendment giving greater protection for mountain hares. It was proposed by Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone and now forms part of the new Animals and Wildlife Bill.

The Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) border will remain closed because it is "not the moment to make significant changes", the Manx chief minister, Howard Quayle has said. The Isle of Man became the first place in the British and Irish Isles to live without lockdown and to end social distancing on Monday 15th June. Although it is now 27 days since the island last had an active case of coronavirus, Howard Quayle told Tynwald (Manx: Tinvaal), which is the legislature of the Isle of Man, that the border remained an "integral part of our defences" against the disease.

On this day, the 17 June 1497 at Blackheath in Kent, the Battle of Blackheath was fought between a Cornish army and the army of England’s King Henry VII.

The battle was the main conflict during the first Cornish rising of 1497.

The Cornish army badly frightened King Henry and caused panic in London.

King Henry VII had angered the Cornish people by closing their Stannary Parliament and taxing them to pay for his war with Scotland in which the Cornish wanted no part.

The Cornish decided they would march to London to demand an end to the taxes.

Major efforts are underway to boost numbers of one of Scotland's rarest birds. Capercaillie are the largest grouse species in the world and have been living in Scotland's pine forests since the last Ice Age. The Scottish Gaelic name for this species, capall-coille, means ‘horse of the forest.’ They are found in the pinewoods of northern Scotland and it is estimated there are fewer than 1,000. About 80% are found in Strathspey in the Cairngorms.  

Buccleuch, one of Scotland's biggest landowners, has been seeking to sell land in southern Scotland for some time. Now two bids to take moorland  into community ownership have secured significant support. The Langholm Initiative and Newcastleton and District Community Trust (NDCT) is being given £1.85m to purchase the Buccleuch-owned land. An award of £1m from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) is going to the Langholm Initiative. They hope to buy more than 10,000 acres and plan to create a Tarras Valley Nature Reserve.

A series of changes to coronavirus restrictions came into force on the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin)  today, Monday 15th June. This follows 25 days without any new cases of Covid-19. The changes include Manx residents no longer being legally required to remain two metres apart. This was confirmed by the Chief Minister of the Manx government, Howard Quayle, who had contracted the virus earlier in the pandemic, but thankfully made a full recovery.  He has now confirmed social distancing is no longer deemed necessary to protect the community from coronavirus.

It has been reported that there have now been no new Covid-19 cases on the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) for three weeks. The Isle of Man Government stopped all passenger arrivals to the Isle of Man by air and sea from the morning of 27 March 2020. The borders remain closed to all but essential workers and certain other specific categories. Along with other measures, including social distancing, it appears that the closure of Manx borders has been an important factor in preventing further spread of the virus.

Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie have said they need to reopen as soon as possible to avoid serious financial problems.  On the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) website the wildlife conservation charity has appealed for donations. They have confirmed that they have had to to borrow £5m due to the measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic. The organisation points out the valuable work in science, education and conservation that they undertake.

The Irish Times have been covering the matter of the family of an Irish woman who wanted a short Irish language inscription placed upon her gravestone. The short sighted conduct of the Church of England beggars belief.

The article follows with a link at the base of the page:

Church of England rules Irish inscription on grave stone must have translation

Family of Irishwoman wanted phrase ‘In ár gcroíthe go deo’ at grave in Coventry

Peebles (Scottish Gaelic: Na Pùballan) a lovely town nestled into the west corner of the Scottish Borders. It lies at the confluence of the River Tweed (Scottish Gaelic: Abhainn Thuaidh) and Eddleston Water.  The oldest building in Peebles is the tower of St Andrew's Church, which was founded in 1195. Another ancient church in the town is the Cross Kirk, founded in 1261. This church plays a prominent part in the town's annual Beltane Festival.