Blogs

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke out as she launched a new paper making the case for Scottish independence. The UK is facing a “shift to the right” in politics whoever becomes the next Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said, and insisted independence was now “essential”.

Speaking at her official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon insisted: “Offering Scotland the choice of independence, particularly in the context we are in today, is essential.”

The First Minister of Scotland has announced that Scotland will vote in an independence referendum on October 19, 2023. Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled preparations for a legal battle with Westminster (Parliament of the United Kingdom), over indyref2. A referendum bill (proposal for a new law) has now been published

News from Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering:

"Come and join us for our 45th festival!

25 - 31st July 2022

Media Release from Culture Vannin:

Bequest makes possible a new award for young people learning Manx

/ New award for young people learning Manx

25.04.2022

Culture Vannin is delighted to announce the launch of the ‘Sophia Morrison Award’, which recognises and celebrates the achievement of young people learning the Manx language.

The Celtic Media festival is an annual three day event that brings together media professionals from the Celtic nations and regions. This year the Festival will be held in Quimper, Brittany (Breton: Kemper, Breizh) from the 7th to the 9th of June 2022. The event sees conference panel sessions, workshops, pitching sessions and many networking events. It brings together delegates from the Celtic nations and regions to share and learn from each other’s experiences.

A rare Pictish carved stone, originally discovered by archaeologists in early 2020, has now been excavated. Thought to date to the 5th or 6th Centuries the stone is 5.5ft (1.7m) long and was found by a team from the University of Aberdeen during survey work at Aberlemno, Angus (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Leamhnach, Aonghas). The site is near what is thought to have been the location of the Battle of Dun Nechtain, also known as the Battle of Nechtansmere. This was fought in 685 AD, when the Picts led by King Bridei Mac Bili, defeated an army of Northumbrian Angles.

Ukraine - statement from the Celtic League

Kremlin's Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday 24 February 2022. The Celtic League condemns in the strongest terms Putin’s acts of aggression against the state of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and his deliberate targeting of civilians

The world finds itself at a crossroads once again with Putin’s dream of an expansionist Tsarist Empire and an oppressed Ukrainian people fighting for liberation within their own borders. 

The Isle of Skye (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgitheanach) is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Now fossil hunters have announced that 170m years ago the Isle of Skye was home to an enormous flying reptile called Jurassic pterosaur (pterodactyl) with a wingspan of about 8 feet (2.5 metres) or larger. 

Inverclyde (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Chluaidh) councillors have voted in favour of Scotland’s flag being flown on council buildings all year round. The national flag of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Bratach na h-Alba) is a white cross against a blue background. It is known as the Saltire and it is hard to imagine any other country in the world having to vote on flying their national flag.  However, it needed Alba councillor Chris McEleny to succeed in having the matter discussed at a full meeting of the council and passed. 

The Massacre of Glencoe (Scottish Gaelic: Mort Ghlinne Comhann) took place 330 years ago but the memory of the horror and infamy of the events that took place early in the morning of 13 February 1692 remain poignant. One of the most beautiful places in Scotland Glen Coe (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Comhann) takes its name from the River Coe that winds and tumbles its way through the glen. It is hard for those who visit this area of great beauty today to think that it was the site of such a treacherous act of murder and brutality against the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe.