The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that style, there is now this regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site including "Scottie's Photo Diary From Scotland".
To receive a text version of this newsletter as a reminder to look at these Web pages when they are published, just send an e-mail to Scottie@RampantScotland.com with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
Dreams Do Come True
The editor of the "Scottish Radiance" Web site, Sharma Krauskopf, fell in love with Scotland and she and her husband decided to buy a lighthouse keeper's cottage in Scotland. They then spent over five years trying to realise their ambition. As all the lighthouses were being changed to automatic operation, the accommodation which had been provided for the keepers (and sometimes their families) was being sold off. But none of their bids were successful - until one day in 1999 a fax arrived saying that their offer to buy the lighthouse keeper's cottage at Eshaness in Shetland in the far north of Scotland had been accepted. Here is Sharma's joyous description of that momentous occasion! See Dreams Do Come True
Selkirk Grace
The Selkirk Grace is attributed to Robert Burns but some believe that it existed before his time. It is used extensively in Scotland and by people of Scottish descent all over the world, especially at Burns' Suppers. The article includes a sound clip of a spoken version of the Selkirk Grace. See: Selkirk Grace
Wedding TraditionsWeddings in Shetland, Caithness, West Lothian and Uig on Skye. Different wedding traditions in different parts of Scotland. See: Wedding Traditions.
Oatcakes
Oatcakes are one of a number of "signature" food products linked to Scotland. Here's how to make them - from early times made on a griddle to modern ones bought in a supermarket! See: Oatcakes
Southerness Lighthouse
Located at the village of Southerness in Dumfries and Galloway in South West Scotland, this lighthouse is at present the second oldest lighthouse in Scotland. It is unusual in being initially a square structure before it becomes circular below the lamp level. See Southerness Lighthouse
Vaternish / Waternish Lighthouse
Waternish or Bhatairnis/Vaternish is a peninsula approximately on the island of Skye, situated between Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort in the northwest of the island. The name Waternish is derived from the Norse vatnenes or "headland of the pond". The present tower was built in 1980. See: Vaternish / Waternish Lighthouse
Chanonry Point Lighthouse
Located at the end of Chanonry Ness, a spit of land extending into the Moray Firth between Fortrose and Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, as the Moray Firth narrows between Chanonry Point and Fort George. it is at one of the best spots in the UK to view Bottlenose dolphins from the land. See Chanonry Point Lighthouse
Cromarty Lighthouse
Cromarty Lighthouse was discontinued with in 2006 and the keeper's house and outbuildings are now used by Aberdeen University students studying the bottlenose dolphins of the Moray Firth. See: Cromarty Lighthouse
History of Scotland - Evolution of Alba
As a federal Pictish kingdom evolved, by accident as much as by design, into Alba. The kingdom was expressed in terms of a territory as well as of a group of peoples and kings of Picts became kings of Scots, a new but significant collective name for what was still a collection of separate peoples. Meantime, there was pressure from the north and west from the Vikings from Scandinavia, pushing the fledgling kingdom further east. See: History of Scotland - Evolution of Alba
Scotland on YouTube
Earlier this year a bit of digging produced pages of links to professional videos which had been made available via YouTube covering Scottish landscape, towns, history and clan histories. To make access to these more easily available, a composite index page to of all them has been created. If any more similar quality videos on Scotland and the Scots find their way to YouTube, I'll add the links to this page. See: Scotland on YouTube
Rampant Scotland Index Page
In addition to marking the new sections that are being recently added to the site with a "new" graphic, I've also recently checked just how many article pages are currently on the site and have updated the description on the index page to read "7,000 Web pages on Scotland and the Scots." . Even I was surprised at just how many pages were there!
There is now also a Google+ "+1 button"on the Index page. This is designed to allow people to recommend sites (similar in use to Facebook's "Like" button) so if you like Rampant Scotland please click on the +1 button on the Index page! The number of +1s a website apparently helps it to higher Google search rankings. See Rampant Scotland Index Page
Next Newsletter
The next newsletter is scheduled for 31 May and will be concentrating on more of "Tam's Tall Tales" to entertain readers about a selection of current news items. Tam was chuffed by the positive feedback to his recent collection of Tall Tales and is aiming to continue to interest and amuse Rampant Scotland readers.
Yours aye
Scottie
Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in an Archive. The Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here.
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