Magazine - Scottish News

Welcome to the inaugural edition of SLOGAN, a newsletter bringing you some of the iconic brands of Scotland together with new products to try and special places to visit. Wherever you are around the world we hope to bring Scotland to you and possibly tempt you to visit one day and as we go through the seasons we'll also tell you what's happening in this beautiful country.

Read more here...

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Great Scot

From 'Inside the Beltway" by Jennifer Harper - April 3, 2013

A reminder that the nation's capital remains a historic region, as opposed to a welter of tweeting pundits and grimacing politicians. Alex Salmond, the first minister of Scotland, will soon arrive on these shores to return a pair of George Washington's books long held by the National Library of Scotland. It's all part of an effort by Mount Vernon to recreate a collection of Washington's favorite reading materials, to be ultimately housed in the spiffy Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon, set to open in September.

The two volumes date from 1795 and come under the grand title "Official Letters to the Honorable American Congress, Written, During the War between the United Colonies and Great Britain, by His Excellency, George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Forces." The books were donated to Scotland's national collection 75 years ago by the family of one Hugh Sharp, a bibliophile and jute manufacturer who lived in Dundee.

Mr. Salmond returns them to Mount Vernon at a formal ceremony Monday with a flourish and bagpipe music.

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Disney•Pixar's BRAVE

Hogmanay Activities!

Blu-ray Combo Pack and HD Digital

The American-Scottish Foundation® is pleased to advise that we are continuing to work with Disney·Pixar on a national outreach to the Scottish American community.

The focus of our efforts in the coming months is the Animation / Comedy / Adventure feature BRAVE which is available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and HD Digital on November 13, 2012. The studio is as excited to be working with our community as we did for the theatrical release.

A breathtaking adventure that has entertained audiences of all ages, the Blu-ray release of "Brave" includes hours of all-new bonus material, extraordinary behind the scenes features, extended and deleted scenes, a mysterious and exciting, new short film, 'The Legend of Mordu," and much more.

You will be receiving additional news from us including links downloadable/sharable assets, general press materials, promotions and other opportunities in the near future. Through their network of local PR agency representatives we will work with you to maximize ways in which you can benefit from being a part of this exciting project.

We look forward to hearing from you so please let us know your ideas and thoughts so we can endeavor to work them into the plans being developed.

Read the latest PRESS RELEASE here. For further information email asfevents@wwbcny.com or telephone 212-605 0338 x4

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Andy Scott's Kelpies are in Chicago!

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Neil Armstrong memorial service sees Kelso piper play

September 14, 2012 : Scottish Press

Angus Sutherland wore an Armstrong tartan kilt for the service

A Kelso-born piper has played at the memorial service in Washington DC for Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon.

The astronaut was proud of his Scottish roots and was given the freedom of Langholm in 1972.

Angus Sutherland, who also lived in Melrose, is a recent graduate from Washington DC's Georgetown University.

He wore the Armstrong tartan kilt, as he piped the astronaut's family into the city's cathedral.

Armstrong died last month at the age of 82 and his funeral in Cincinnati, Ohio, was by invitation only. Now he has been honoured by a public memorial service.

Mr Sutherland was asked to play on behalf of the Scottish people by the Scottish government.

The 22-year-old said it was an opportunity which "fell in his lap" thanks to a meeting with a diplomat from the British Embassy in Washington DC about a year ago. "I think what happened was Alex Salmond, on hearing about Neil Armstrong's death, contacted NASA and offered them a piper for the occasion," he explained. "Then it was passed over to the British Embassy to sort that out."

Mr Salmond said the Scottish government wanted to honour a man proud of his Scots ancestry.

"Neil Armstrong was a modest man who achieved magnificent things," he said. "He was extremely proud of his Scottish roots and never more so than the day in 1972 when, in the 'Muckle Toon' of Langholm in Dumfriesshire, he accepted the freedom of the town. Local people were surprised but delighted when he accepted their invitation and when Mr Armstrong declared that Langholm would from then on be considered his home town. Forty years later, the collective memory of that day has not dimmed."

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Disney•Pixar's BRAVE

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The Isle of Lewis

The Lewis Chessmen, which were discovered in 1831 in a sand bank in Uig Bay on the west coast of Lewis, comprise of 78 chess pieces made of walrus ivory probably carved in the 12th century in Norway. They show in stunning detail the clothing and armour worn by Viking warriors at the time, and are considered one of the most valuable collection of its kind in the world. Today the majority are housed in the British Museum in London, but a small part of the collection are currently on show at New York's Cloisters Museum. The Lewis Chessmen give us a rare glimpse into the past of a truly remarkable island.

Read more about the Lewis Chessmen in New York.

The Island of Lewis is along with the Isle of Harris (they are both part of the same island) the largest of the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland, covering around 840 sq miles between them. Lewis is the larger of the two, and houses the bulk of the population; while Harris is relatively hilly and is probably the more visually stunning from a scenic point of view. The boundary between them has been set since time immemorial and formed the march between the old counties of Inverness (Harris) and Ross-shire (Lewis); it was also the border between the clan lands of MacLeod of MacLeod of MacLeod) and MacLeod of Lewis. As such, there has been, and remains, an intense rivalry between the two 'islands'.

During the heyday of the Viking Age Lewis was an important link in the chain of Norse lands stretching from Norway to Ireland. The Vikings came first to raid, and then they began settling the islands, intermarrying with the local Celtic population. In time, Lewis along with the rest of the Hebridean Islands came under the control of the Lords of the Isles, a semi-independent realm ruled over by the Clan Donald. Local governance on Lewis was headed by the MacLeods, but after a dispute with the Crown the lands were forfeited and gifted by the king to the MacKenzies of Seaforth.

The history of the island however goes much further back past the Vikings and the Iron Age to the Neolithic. The Calanais Standing stones are one of the best preserved stone circles in the British Isles and were erected around 4000 years ago. It is part of a wider Stone-Age complex and was probably the centrepiece to a large religious and ceremonial site. Nearby is Dùn Chàrlabhaigh (Dun Carloway), which is a broch (a tower-style fortress), constructed around 100BC during the later stages of the Celtic Iron Age. It was probably around this time that the Gaelic language took root; and it remains part of a very strong cultural identity (it is still spoken by around 65% of the islanders).

Today, Lewis has a population of around 18,500; and the largest town is Steòrnabhagh (Stornoway); which also serves as the principal port serving the Scottish mainland (around a 3 hour ferry journey) and is the administrative centre for Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles). Inland, Lewis is a mixture of heather moorland and sheep grazings with townships and villages dotted across the landscape. The weaving of Harris Tweed is an important industry in these small communities, and along with sheep farming and fishing is key in the local economy. The island is also one of the last bastions of Presbyterianism in Scotland; with church attendance much higher than elsewhere. There is a strong tradition of Sabbath observance, and only recently have ferries begun sailing on a Sunday to the Mainland.

Getting to Lewis is easy for those with a bit of time to dedicate to exploring the islands, and it is recommended to drive through the Northwest Highlands to Ullapool and catch the ferry to Stornoway. Then give yourself a day or two to see all the various attractions from Na Gearrannan village to the lighthouse at Ness; finally heading to Tarbert in Harris to catch the ferry over to Skye and the Mainland.