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A Scottish Proverb

If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
 

An Instrument of War

It should be noted that although the pipes were used in battle in the Highlands, they were not used in an official way in the units in early times.  The drums and fife were used and then the trumpet by early regiments.  The first piper to gain recognition was Alexander Wallace, who was pipe-major of Dumbarton’s Regiment in 1679.  When the pipes were banned after Culloden, and James Reid, a piper in Ogilvie’s Regiment was captured, Reid pointed out at his trial that he did not wield arms during the  battle.  The judge, however, dismissed his defense as “a Highland Regiment never marched without a piper…therefore his bagpipe, in the eye of the law, was an instrument of war”.

Ref: The Compete Book of Tartan

       By Iain Zaczek and Charles Phillips

Recent & Recommended Readings

Corrag

From member, Margaret Harris we have a recommendation to read “Corrag” by Susan Fletcher. It is an historical novel about Glencoe in 1692. It was a gift to Margaret from her daughter and she “absolutely loved it”.


Here Burns My Candle

This is a new series of two books by the author Liz Curtis Higgs who wrote another such series of four books which also take place in Scotland beginning with the book, “Thorn in My Heart”. Those were based during Burns’ time in history. This newer novel, “Here Burns My Candle” is based on the Book of Ruth in the Bible, but has a different time period, location and character names. The main character is Lady Elisabeth Kerr, a Highlander by birth, who is married to Lord Donald. His mother is the dowager Lady Marjory who hides her gold in order to maintain her place in society and to coddle her two sons. The setting is Edinburgh in 1745 with the arrival of bonny Price Charlie and his army, intent on capturing the crown. The sequel to the story is due out in March at your local bookstore. Liz Curtis Higgs is an inspirational writer and has based all of these recommended novels on stories from the Bible. They cover love, greed, betrayal, loss and redemption! But most importantly these are based in Scotland and
include the history and many of the people of the time in which they are set.

Historic Events

February 20, 1437 King James I was murdered in Perth by a group led by Sir Robert Graham.


February 20, 1472 Orkney and Shetland annexed from Norway.


February 21, 1842 Intercity railway between Glasgow and Edinburgh opened by Queen Victoria


February 21, 1945 Eric Liddell, “Chariots of Fire” athlete, winner of the 1924 Olympics 400 metres,
died in a Japanese internment camp in China.


February 22, 1371 David II died at Edinburgh Castle.


February 22, 1371 King Robert II was crowned.


February 23, 1303 Battle of Roslin in which a Scots army of 8,000, led by Sir Simon Fraser, Sinclair of Rosslyn and the Red Comyn, surprised an English army of 30,000 led by Sir John Seagrave and
defeated them.


February 23, 1995 James Herriot (pen name of James Alfred Wight), author of “All Creatures Great and
Small”, died at age 78.


February 24, 1923 The steam train, the “Flying Scotsman” went into service.


February 25, 1412 Bishop Henry Wardlow established St. Andrews as a “university”.


February 26, 1672 Philip van der Straten, a Fleming, was granted Scots naturalization and set up a
factory in Kelso, thus starting the Border woolen industry.


February 26, 1935 Robert Watson Watt demonstrated radar for the first time.


February 26, 1950 Entertainer and song writer Sir Harry Lauder died.

 

NOTICE OF A MOVE


Gaelic Imports in Ohio is on the move. They will be moving their Shop to 5633 Pearl Road, Parma, OH, just 1.5 miles from their current location. They don’t have a new phone number yet, but the current number will be on a cell phone so that they can still be reached. The Shop will be closed starting February 14 and will reopen in the new location on March 1. Gaelic Imports provides the haggis and pastries for our Annual Burns Dinner and has been a long-time supporter of the Ohio
Scottish Games. Please plan to visit their new location when they re-open in March.