Douglas MacQueen's blog

St. Andrew's Day (Scottish Gaelic: Là Naomh Aindrea) is Scotland's official national day celebrated on 30th November. St Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland from at least the mid tenth century and legend says long before. He was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee in the early 1st century and is the brother of St Peter. According to the Gospel of St John, Andrew was a follower of the preacher John the Baptist and then became a disciple of Jesus who he recognised as the Messiah. The name Andrew is Greek in origin.

Fèis Blas - Blas Festival 2019 begins on Friday. The nine day event will be staged in a variety of venues across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.  Since its inception in 2005 Blas (Taste) Festival has become an important event in the calendar for communities across the area. When the music, songs, language and culture of the Highlands are celebrated. Information on the Festival programme and artists performing can be obtained from the Blas Festival 2019 website.

Image: from Blas Festival facebook page.

A Pictish standing stone with unique carvings has been discovered in an old burial ground near Dingwall (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Pheofharain) in the Highlands of Scotland. The 1,200-year-old standing stone has carvings never before seen on a Pictish stone. The discovery of the stone was originally made by a member of North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS) and was then referred via a regional archeaoligist to Historic Environment Scotland and the Pictish Arts Society.

The Mòd, a festival of Scottish Gaelic language and culture organised by An Comunn Gàidhealach (The Gaelic Association), is underway this week in Ghlaschu (Glasgow). Mòd Ghlaschu - Mod Glasgow runs until Saturday 19th October 2019. Yesterday a new Gaelic festival in Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) was announced at the Mòd.

The Scottish National Party (SNP; Scottish Gaelic: Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) conference 2019 is underway in Aberdeen (Obar Dheathain). Taking place between the 13th - 19th October it comes at a time when a new opinion poll finds support for Scottish independence has risen to 50%. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party has made it clear she wants to hold a new Scottish referendum on independence in the second half of 2020. However, the current UK government has repeatedly refused to countenance allowing a new independence vote.

There is no shortage of discredited politicians being given publicity at the moment. They are often rolled out by sections of the media to give support to one cause or another. The latest to be given maximum coverage is Tony Blair, despised British ex-Prime Minister. His latest "intervention" is that a future Labour Government should not enter into any negotiation with the Scottish National Party (SNP) in regard to a second Scottish independence referendum. The SNP is the largest political party in Scotland, which holds most Scottish parliamentary seats in the Parliament of the UK. 

Next week the Mòd, a festival of Gaelic language and culture, is returning to the city of Glasgow (Scottish Gaelic: Ghlaschu) after an absence of more than 30 years. Mòd Ghlaschu - Mod Glasgow will take place in Glasgow from Friday 11th to Saturday 19th October 2019. The Mòd is run by An Comunn Gàidhealach (The Gaelic Association) and is a festival celebrating Scottish Gaelic language, literature, song, arts and culture. 

Faskally Wood is located on the north shore of Loch Faskally about I mile (1.6km) north-west of Pitlochry, Perthshire (Scottish Gaelic Baile Chloichridh, Siorrachd Pheairt) in central Scotland. An annual event takes place at Faskally that has grown over the years into an important part of Scotland's autumnal calendar known as the "The Enchanted Forest".  It is an internationally acclaimed and multi-award winning sound and light event, lasting four weeks that attracts over 800,000 visitors to the area every year. 

A birthday celebration, complete with piper and cake, took place at Glenelg (Scottish Gaelic: Glinn Eilg) in the Localsh area of Highland in western Scotland on Saturday.  It was the 50th birthday of Skye's historic car ferry MV Glenachulish, named after Glenachulish (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann a' Chaolais) a glen in the Scottish highlands. The ferry was built at Ailsa Shipbuilding Company in Troon (Scottish Gaelic: An Truthail / An t-Sròn) in 1969.

Black Isle (Scottish Gaelic: an t-Eilean Dubh) is a peninsula within Ross and Cromarty (Ros agus Cromba), in the Scottish Highlands. Tarradale near Muir of Ord on the Black Isle is also now thought to be the location of one of the largest Pictish cemeteries in Scotland. The Picts were a Celtic society of farmers and hunters who lived in what is today eastern and northern Scotland during the late Iron Age and early Medieval periods.