Douglas MacQueen's blog

British Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer has continued to adopt the ideas and policies of discredited ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair is now mostly remembered for the way he deceived the cabinet (the collective decision-making body of  the UK government), parliament and the people, in his enthusiastic pursuit of the war on Iraq. A war that a post-war study estimated to have resulted in the death of about half a million people. This is why many continue to describe him as a war criminal who must answer for his actions.

The village of Kilmartin (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Mhàrtainn) is in Argyll and Bute (Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd) in the west of Scotland. It is located in Kilmartin Glen, an area noted for having the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland. Kilmartin Glen can quite rightly claim to be one of the world’s most significant archaeological landscapes.

Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan has performed his Edinburgh Fringe Festival show outside the Scottish Parliament after the venue Leith Arches cancelled his show in a blatant attempt to close down freedom of expression. A second venue had also pulled out of hosting the event demonstrating how far the The Edinburgh Festival Comedy Fringe has moved away from its original idea of being a celebration of cutting edge comedy and free speech.

The Scottish town of Kilmarnock (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Mheàrnaig) is marking their part in the history and fame of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796). It was a Kilmarnock publisher, 240 years ago, that decided to print his first book "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect". The Kilmarnock Edition features 44 of Robbie Burns best known poems including To a Mouse, Address to the Devil and Halloween. It was printed and issued by John Wilson of Kilmarnock on 31 July 1786. First editions of the book are very rare. Only 612 copies were originally published.

It has been reported today on Scottish social media sites that a Senior Labour Party advisor has informed Scottish and Welsh Labour that all Regional Policy decisions will be formulated in London. He has said " We can't have contradictory statements in the press, Keir has made it clear, its his way of not at all". This confirms the long held view of many in Scotland  that Scottish Labour is still in the pocket of a London dominated Labour Party that will never act in the best interests of the Scottish people.

The Treshnish Isles (Scottish Gaelic:Eileanan Treisinis) are an archipelago of eight small uninhabited islands located in the Inner Hebrides (Scottish Gaelic: Na h-Eileanan a-staigh) off Scotland's west coast. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its unique landscape, which provides nesting sites for guillemots, razorbills and puffins. The marine environment around the Treshnish Isles is also part of the Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area due to the presence of basking sharks and minke whales. The Isles have now come under the protection of the National Trust for Scotland,

A motion will go before Orkney council next week to investigate "alternative forms of governance". One such option could be to seek to become a self-governing territory of Norway. In doing so they will be looking at the model of the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark. Council leader James Stockan said Orkney does not get fair funding with its current relationship within the UK. In doing so supporters of the idea have pointed to the historical cultural relationship with Nordic countries.

Irish author Bram Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. Now the writers great nephew, Dacre Stoker, is investigating the influence that Scottish writer Emily Gerard (7 May 1849 – 11 January 1905) had on the novel. Particularly her collections of Transylvanian folklore researched when she  moved to Transylvania in the 1880s.

A new memorial statue was unveiled on Saturday in the town of Wick (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Ùige) in the north of Scotland. Designed by Scottish sculptor Alan Beattie Herriott, the figure represents the sea with one hand raised holding a haddock and the other pointing down to bronze plaques below.

Plans for a 5G mast that campaigners said would damage an iconic view of Edinburgh Castle have been scrapped. The proposed  56ft (17m) structure would have stood on Johnston Terrace, which passes below the castle. It is a popular place for visitors to capture the view looking up at the famous landmark. Objectors pointed out that it was unacceptable to erect the 5G (5th generation mobile network) mast where it would have such a detrimental impact. Historic Environment Scotland, which manages Edinburgh Castle, had also said it had not been consulted about the plans.