Whether you come or your ancestors came from the North, South East or West of Scotland there is no doubt it is a very enchanting Country for the wayfarer, the holiday maker, the sight seer, the painters or the poets, people that love golf or fishing, and I admit right now I have huge ties to my homeland suffering a little of that `homesickness people talk about, hence all these writings.

To the likes of me, the exiled Scot beyond the seas, the Glens and Straths still wait in silence, many...

Dublin university, a great place to stay, just one of the bestest places I have ever had the pleasure of frequenting, also the home of the most famous book in the world. The book of Kells, over 800 years old, first written in Iona by amazing monks, and then startlingly moving to  Ireland at Kells Monastery in County Meath. Then for safe keeping it’s off to Dublin in 1654, wow, these dates make my mind boggle at times especially from the perspective here in New Zealand. Not that NZ does not ...

Well, Dublin’s heart, not one of the longest rivers in the world it’s only about 100 kms from its source away up in the Wicklow Mountains to Dublin bay, passing under 14 bridges on the way.

But it meanders all over the place, and changes remarkably over that distance, going through the very lovely phoenix park. Nice views we had from O’Connell bridge and also from the old Ha`penny pedestrian bridge. I wonder if it is still standing (of course it is, they built em well in those days) as...

One of the best things about being in my shop for last nine years is the enjoyment of seeing people and also hearing them so proud of their ancestral ties. That’s what Celtic connexions is all about, but even better is when someone who had not really thought about `where they came from ` starts to take an interest. It’s fascinating.

So where do you start, well we are no experts and the best place to go is to a genealogist society for help. Sadly we have not been able to make these groups...

You have heard me often enough-Edinburgh is a must on tour and the Castle, Scotland’s number one tourist attraction, welcomed  205,832 visitors  in August this year, making it the highest number of paying visitors to the Castle in a month since records began.  This is an eight per cent increase in comparison with August 2010.   This is a good sign that the tourist siude is picking up.

Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs said:  “Edinburgh Castle is a ...

Well just as I was about to read an article in the Scots magazine someone bought one of our Tea Towels with all the sayings on it so I guess I should write about my thoughts as well?

I can remember somewhere in the depths on my brain learning the song at school at a very early age. Maybe my teacher was a bit of a patriot or maybe with 2 Wallace’s in the class she thought it a good song to learn.

I should have written some time ago on this because when I was oer in Franc...

Yes good old Nessie, She`s a great friend of mine, I seen her several times but sadly I was not sober at the time. I have swam in the loch, sailed on a very little lugger, the Cameron’s youth club watermobile,  in a yacht, in a canoe and on each occasion I have to admit there is something  eerie about the whole feel of loch ness and the area tween the hills.

Yes that certain long necked monster is without doubt the Lochs greatest attraction, and was for me always a bit of a pull. It’s wi...

Hadrian’s Wall- Was it a military failure?

In about 5 weeks’ time I will be 4 back again standing at the wall, this time with fresh eyes, having digested a lot more information about the early would be conquerers,the Romans, would be coz they never made Scotland Caledonia) part of their Empire.

The then tribes of Northern Scotland must have been a tough lot I reckon, and I believe the wall was built to keep them in not to keep them out, if you know what I mean. Aside that of course ...

Field Marshal Montgomery take first place at Cowal Games
here we go with STV offering on last week’s Cowal Championships. I have said it before, you have the Worlds and all the other Competitions but Cowal takes it all. Wonderful  performance from Field Marshall. have a look at the link below

But it’s not for the piping, the drumming, see it’s the atmosphere, I personally guarantee you the time of your life at Cowal, and if you hate the bagpipes I still defy you not to be blown away by th...

You know I do miss the Highlands, the feeling of open space and standing on those mist-shrouded mountains looking down on some the most beautiful lochs in the world, just breath-taking.

But these same areas have seen the hardest of winters, also some of the bloodiest battles ever fought. I have stood on these hills, many of them” Munroe’s” (hills and mountains over 3000`), and wondered what our ancestors must have been doing. I never stood on the edge of a cliff though for I have fear ...