What does it cost to become an American? Entry into freedom’s last refuge has required more from our ancestors – and from us – than we might at first imagine. Consider this for instance: “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American […]
Francis Alexander Mackinnon, born April 9, 1848, was the 35th chieftain of the Mackinnon Clan and a Test cricketer for England. Arunabha Sengupta remembers the life and career of the man who was the second batsman to be dismissed during Test cricket’s first hat-trick. This article was originally written for The Cricket Country, and has […]
This weekend I visited my friends in the countryside, as I had heard there was going to be snow. Being from a semi-tropical climate, snow is still quite a big deal for me, so I jumped at the chance of getting even a tiny bit of white gold. We set out for a walk on […]
If you picture troops involved in a 14th Century clan battle, fairies are the last thing you would expect to find among the ranks. However according to legend, a fairy is said to have appeared at the Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart, fought between Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLean in 1598. Although it wasn’t the kind […]
Many of you may have seen David Leask’s excellent commentary on the increasingly popular pastime of Gael bashing in Scotland (The Herald Scotland, March 25, 2015). Still, for those of you who have not read this piece, it is well worth the few minutes it will take to gobble it up. Especially for the Diasporrans […]
A Gaelic storm has been blowing around Scotland for the last week. Typically, Gaelic language revival suffers from a distinct lack of attention and interest but for several days now, Scotland’s best known indigenous language has unfortunately and undeservedly been at the heart of several different political stooshies. Things began to heat up on August […]
By John W. Patterson, Editor of the Lion’s Face, Clan Farquharson UK This is a personal account on my trip to the Culloden Battle Field and visitor centre. I visited Culloden on August 12th of this year. For those who have never visited, it is a very solemn place. Culloden is a historical site managed […]
BBC Scotland is on the lookout for Scottish-Canadians descendant from two 1920s emigrant ships for a new documentary series looking at the aftermath of the First World War. Within two weeks in 1923, two ships carried approximately 600 people from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland to their new home in Canada. At the time most […]
Back in 1978, Gavin Alston, an Aberdeenshire farmer was ploughing his field when he uncovered a 6 foot high Pictish stone. The stone was carved with a distinctive figure carrying an axe, it quickly earned the name the ‘Rhynie Man’, coined from the village in which it was found. It was ploughed up on Barflat Farm […]
A few weeks ago I posted the Scottish news that 16 and 17-year-olds will be voting next May for the 2016 Scottish Parliamentary elections. As noted, next year will be a big year in Scottish politics, potentially including an up or down vote on whether Scotia should schedule a second independence referendum. Over 100,000 16 […]
