This month we are showcasing the best in black and white photograph of Scotland and everyday Scottish life.
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Spectacular Sounds of the Shetland Folk Festival
The 2008 Shetland Folk Festival, taking place from 1 to 4 May, will be celebrating 28 years of this prestigious event with performances by some of the very best International, British and Shetland musicians at venues throughout Scotland’s Shetland isles. The Festival Club in the Islesburgh Community Center in Lerwick will host both formal and informal concerts, as well as workshops throughout the festival.
The first Shetland Folk Festival was held in 1981 as a result of a conversation between the late Dr. Tom Anderson and Charlie Simpson. Having played as part of the Shetland Fiddler’s Society at a number of festivals on mainland Scotland, they decided that it would be an excellent idea for Shetland to have its own festival. It was hoped that the festival would provide a platform to celebrate Shetland’s rich musical heritage and highlight Shetland’s own unique fiddle tradition. The festival was a resounding success and has gone from strength to strength.
Discover the Wonderful World of Science in Dundee
Science is a subject that is considered by many pupils to be a difficult subject. Fortunately for the children of Dundee, in Scotland, science has come to them in the form of the Sensation Science Centre, creating an interactive learning environment that not only educates adults and pupils, but thrills, excites and entertains. Visitors to the Sensation Science Centre in Dundee will be amazed at the imaginative and creative ways that the centre has thought of to teach science to pupils, while having fun.
Sensation Science Centre is as much an attraction as it is a centre for learning. As a family excursion, the centre provides visitors with more than eighty exhibits to explore, as well as demonstrations and workshops. Interesting projects have been put together, giving parents ideas on how to encourage their children’s interest in the world of science.
Scotland’s 4th Glasgow Film Festival
The fourth edition of the Glasgow Film Festival is set to take place between 14 and 24 February 2008 in the beautiful city of Glasgow, Scotland. It has long been recognized that the uniting power of films transcends all race and language barriers as audiences respond to the raw emotions and insight that are encountered in real life drama, or the thrill of high action escapist entertainment. The Glasgow Film Festival aims to present a program that covers films, film stars and film-makers right from the era of silent cinema through to the latest films from renowned studios.
In keeping with previous festivals, a retrospective will be screened highlighting one of Hollywood’s greats in the film industry. The 2007 Glasgow Film Festival paid tribute to John Wayne in a sold-out event. The 2008 festival plans to pay tribute to the Oscar Award winning actress Bette Davis, with a retrospective of her successful sixty year film career.
Visitors to the 2008 Glasgow Film Festival can expect to see the pick of the films that will be entertaining audiences world-wide in 2008. Last year the Glasgow audiences were among the first in Scotland to enjoy the screening of David Lynch’s masterpiece “Inland Empire” as the surprise film of the festival. Audiences won’t even be told the title of the 2008 surprise film until the curtain opens, but organizers have promised that it will be unforgettable.
Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Robert Burns
With the Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations behind us, it’s time to celebrate the life of Scotland’s best loved poet, Mr Robert Burns.
On 25 January Scots all over the world will be gathering together to honour the great bard’s short, yet prolific career. But did you know…
1. Burns’ Suppers were first held on 29 January, because his friends got his birthday wrong. It was only after double checking the church register that the 25th became the definitive date!
2. There is much speculation about how many children he fathered. Most believe it is twelve, from four by different women, while others believe it could be fourteen children and by six mothers. His last son, Maxwell, was born on the day Burns was buried.
3. Many refer to him as Rabbie but Burns signed himself Robert, Rob’t, Rab, Rob, and or just R. He used either ‘Robbie’ and ‘Rabbie’.
4. Though a humble ploughman, he was well educated. He read Shakespeare and included French and Latin in his letters. He was also a competent fiddler and could sight-read music. He became a theatre enthusiast and was planning to write a play when he died.
5. The first recorded Burns supper was in 1801 in Alloway when a group of his friends gathered, not in January but in July, to mark the fifth anniversary of his death.
Celtic Connections 2008
16 January - 3 February 2008, Glasgow
Celtic Connections 2008 will launch with Common Ground - a concert to celebrate the festival’s 15th birthday. Fiddler John McCusker will assume the role of Common Grounds Musical Director, and will be joined on-stage by the likes of Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Sharon Shannon, Mike Scott, Julie Fowlis, James MacIntosh, Ewen Vernal and Chris Thile.
Common Ground is a distillation of the spirit of collaboration and camaraderie that Celtic Connections is renowned for, with McCusker describing it as a huge big glorious session Over 100,000 people descend on Glasgow during January to hear home grown and international talent. The festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and features some of the most prominent names in roots and world music.
Artists appearing at this year’s festival include Steve Earle Acts appearing elsewhere at the festival include Steve Earle, Lau, Paul Brady and Andy Irvine (performing their eponymous classic album), Shooglenifty, Capercaillie, Moving Hearts and legendary Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and his band, the Rhythm Kings. Visit Celtic Connections online for more information.
Enjoy the Fort William Mountain Festival
The 2008 Fort William Mountain Festival is set to take place from 15 to 23 February 2008. This celebration of mountain culture in Scotland is becoming increasingly popular, as like-minded people gather to share their love of mountains. The Fort William Mountain Festival is the only festival in the U.K. that is dedicated to mountains and the culture that surrounds them.
The 2008 event will feature top climbers, mountain bikers, paddlers, international films, public art and motivational speakers. This family event offers something for everyone, from thrill seekers to creative writers and outdoor enthusiasts. Apart from the popular events that have been highlighted at previous festivals, there are a number of “firsts” that visitors can look forward to in 2008.
Explore the Scotland’s Wonders on the West Highland Way
If you enjoy walking long-distance then you simply have to attempt the West Highland Way. This magnificent trail was completed in October 1980, making it the first official long distance route in Scotland. The West Highland Way covers a distance of 152 kilometers (95 miles) and links Milngavie to Fort William.
One of the things that makes the West Highland Way in Scotland so amazing is that it combines so much of Scotland’s beauty in one enjoyable trail. Not only do you start your journey on the outskirts of Scotland’s largest city, but you also skirt the shores of the country’s largest freshwater loch and meander through lowlands and highlands until you finally end up at the foot of the highest mountain in Scotland. Over this vast distance the landscape changes repeatedly and so walkers are taken through lowland moors, rolling hills, dense woodlands and striking mountainous regions. This variety of environments exposes you to a wonderful and diverse array of flora and fauna – giving you the opportunity to view some very rare species.
Fantastic Sounds of the Inverness Music Festival
Between the 19th of February 2008 and the 8th of March 2008, Inverness in Scotland will come alive with the sounds and performances of the Inverness Music Festival. Since the year 1922, Inverness has hosted a music festival annually and the Inverness Music Festival has grown into one of the largest music festivals in Scotland, and the United Kingdom. From a one day only festival with a hand-full of participants, it is now a music extravaganza for musicians, choirs, singers and many artists of a variety of music genres.
The three week festival comprises several different categories, and is a competitive music event. To accommodate the vast number of participants, the festival takes place at various venues in Inverness and closes with a grand finale of the winners showcase performance. Ensuring that the festival runs smoothly, the organizers of the music festival, the Inverness Festival Association, rely on volunteers who provide the necessary assistance and services to run the festival successfully. Only the official accompanists and the adjudicators of the festival are paid for their services.
Scottish Football History
Scotland was one of the earliest modern footballing nations. The game started to become popular in Scotland following the development in London in 1863 of the first ever rules of soccer, established by The Football Association. Scottish football clubs started to be formed towards the end of the 1860s and 1870s. Queen’s Park was Scotland’s first football club and was founded in 1867. It is the oldest existing soccer club outside England. In its very early years it played in the English FA Cup, reaching the final twice.
In the late 1860s football rules in Scotland still allowed the ball to be handled by all the outfield players, as well as the goalkeeper, whereas in England only the keeper was permitted to handle the ball and then only in his own area. According to the Scotsman newspaper on the 2nd December 1872 at this time there were only about ten Soccer clubs in Scotland.
Scotland’s Larder
Scotland’s unspoilt environment and a climate without extremes provide the ideal conditions to produce high quality ingredients and food products. Scottish seafood, beef, lamb, game, dairy produce, fruit and vegetables are world-renowned.
Our expertise in brewing and distilling produces some of the finest beers, ales and whiskies available.
So, have a browse through our world renowned produce, meet Scotland’s food heroes, visit our seasonal produce site and, most of all, experience the taste of Scotland first hand!
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