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Made by a MacIntyre piper more than 800 years ago the 'Faery' bagpipes of Kinlochmoidart, are thought to be the oldest Highland pipes. The legend is that the MacIntyre piper had a dream where a “faery” (fairy) came to him and said: “Heat up your poker until it’s white hot and pierce the bottom of your chanter side to side and it will make the sweetest sounding pipes in Scotland.” The chanter is the part of the bagpipe upon which the player creates the melody. The 'Faery' bagpipes are said to be the first with two holes. 

The West Highland Museum has added to its already renowned collection relating to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite cause. A collection of rare Jacobite relics has been given on long term loan to the Museum by a Scottish distiller. The Drambuie Collection was accumulated by the McKinnon family, who owned Drambuie for 100 years. Drambuie is a liqueur made from Scotch whisky, honey, herbs and spices. The link with Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) came after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

The blossoming of early snowdrops often provides a lifeline into better days, with early birds scouring sheltered gardens and country nooks for signs of change in the final days of winter.

I’m thinking about nostalgia the subject having been broached by a Manx Radio interviewer this week asking me about nationalism and Mec Vannin.

Right on cue a small strong buff envelope drops through the letterbox with a US postmark. I’m intrigued used as I am to the gas, electricity or telecom bill with a variation when Alfred Cannan MHK and his chums at the Income Tax Division undertake their annual ‘extortion’.

Members of the Irish Defence Forces and An Garda Siochana who have died on peacekeeping duties were remembered at the inauguration ceremony for a memorial garden at Wexford Barracks last month.

Ireland's Minister of Defence paying tribute to those ‘who sadly did not come home’ said:

“During my time as Minister for Defence, I have seen first hand the contribution that Irish Defence Force personnel are making to peace and security in the regions where they deploy.

Well over a decade ago cracking of the reactor core graphite records for places like Heysham were, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) told us, ‘closed documents’ did any politicians press the issue...Not that we are aware.

The issue of cracking of the graphite bricks which line the nuclear core of the UK's nuclear plants (see earlier post) is a deep seated one we had correspondence about this over a decade ago with Mike Weightman who was then the Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations at the NII.

We’re short of homes again! One of the consistent themes that has preoccupied the Nationalist Party Mec Vannin is homelessness and the perpetual failure of successive Isle of Man governments to address the question of affordable homes and also increased social housing.

Even those that do own a modest home or rent social housing face steep rates or rent rises so the government’s preoccupation with cosying up to the wealthy can continue.

‘Oh for the good old days’! I thought when I saw this Manx Radio news story about a forthcoming financial soiree:

https://www.manxradio.com/…/international-tax-conference-t…/

I wonder will there be any shock horror revelations at this event or will it simply be one of those back slapping exercises where Manx Radio’s John Moss can run around breathlessly interviewing the financial service glitterati about all that's good and pure in our tiny ‘haven’ while Paul Moulton at MTTV tries to elbow him out of the picture.

We all know the more prominent figures the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin such as Pearse and Connolly not to mention ‘the one who got away’ (from being executed) Eamon De Valera. However Joseph Plunkett is less well celebrated and indeed he was one of the least likely revolutions. Yet his is one of the most evocative stories of that weekend. Plunkett was married just hours before his execution in the chapel at Kilmainham to Grace Gifford on Easter Sunday. His wife was allowed back for a few hours on Easter Monday morning when he was shot.

Celtic League concerns about the continued operation of Hunterston nuclear power station have proved prophetic after it was revealed that cracks in the graphite core of the reactor are widening.

The Celtic League has highlighted concerns about a number of UK nuclear facilities which we believe are being operated beyond their sell by date to plug gaps in the UK's energy needs

In November 2015 EDF the plant operator said the operation of the cracked reactor core was safe: