The Daily Thistle
The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland
Friday 11th August 2017
"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. What an amazing walk Bella and I had this morning, crystal clear skies with a big fat moon looking after things while the Sun is taking care of business on the other side.. it's warm so we headed for the ocean in the hope of a cooling breeze as the temperature is showing 27c so walking along the promenade I see a head come out the water followed by several more and then splashing and more heads ..it's a very large pod of Dolphins come into the beach to feed on Sardines.. Bella and I were fascinated as they played and gamboled in the shallow water.. I guess there must have been 40 or more... we stopped and watched for a while and then as magically as they appeared they vanished into the dark water.. We walked back to the house with a magical memory and coffee to drink….
ISLAND POSTIE HANGING UP BAG AFTER 100,000 MILES ON ONE ROAD…. A postman is taking a well-earned rest after clocking up an incredible 100,000 mile journey delivering the mail on an island with only 12 miles of road. Keith Rutherford, 70, who took over the mail run on Colonsay in 1985, “semi-retired” – but will still deliver the mail on Wednesdays to give his successor a day off. Mr Rutherford knows every inch of the circular road round the Inner Hebridean island, which is home to 120 people. In all weathers his Royal Mail duties have also included delivering the post to the four inhabitants of Oronsay, a tidal island which is connected to Colonsay at low tide. Mr Rutherford, whose outstanding contribution to Colonsay has been highlighted by Argyll MP Brendan O’Hara in an Early Day Motion to Parliament, has made many midnight deliveries to fit in with the tides. He said: “I have seen other people, who were getting into a wee bit of difficulty getting across from Oronsay over the years, and I have had to pick them up.” Mr Rutherford added that his own late-night mail drops were stopped, on the orders of Royal Mail, after he found himself stranded overnight, unable to cross The Strand, which separates Oronsay from Colonsay. He said: “It was one of those inky nights and I made two attempts coming back from Oronsay, I tried to position the vehicle to where I thought it should be going – but the rocks look different in the dark. “The third time I tried, the tide was coming in and I couldn’t see where the tyre marks were, I did a U-turn and went the wrong way, I had to stay there all night.” Although there is only 12 miles of road on Colonsay, the myriad of tracks and the 11-mile return trip to Oronsay means the post run usually clocks up 30 to 36 miles a day. Mr Rutherford has used a variety of vehicles, including a Land Rover and postbus to deliver the mail over the years. He said: “When I had the Land Rover, that did 35,000 miles and the next two did about 30,000 miles – I have probably driven about 100,000 miles here on Colonsay.”
PRINCE CHARLES LEADS PLANS TO SAFEGAURD MEY HIGHLAND GAMES…. PLANS are being made to safeguard the smallest Highland Games in Scotland - and these are being led by Prince Charles. The Mey Highland Games, which are to take place at John O’Groats this weekend, is one of only two with Royal Patronage. Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay, is launching an initiative to begin next year where Caithness secondary school children take an interest, through training, in Highland Games. This will be assisted by the Scottish Highland Games Association. Prince Charles and his grandmother, the late Queen Mother, have supported the Mey Games for decades. Capt Richard Ottley, chairman of the Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland, and the local Cadet Corps, hopes that established young heavyweights in the north of Scotland will come on board to train any enthusiastic youngsters. It is hoped that a small fund will be created to produce equipment and pay for expenses.
MICHAEL GOVE SPARKS STORM OVER POST-BREXIT FISHING ACCESS…. Michael Gove has sparked anger by promising that Danish fishing vessels would still be allowed to catch “large amounts” of fish in British waters after Brexit. The UK Environment Secretary infuriated the SNP who claimed his remarks were at odds with UK Government pledges that EU withdrawal would benefit the Scottish fishing industry by taking back control of waters. Mr Gove attempted to reassure the Danish food industry when on a visit to the Scandinavian country. He said: “Danish fishermen will still be able to catch large amounts of fish in British waters, even if the British leave the EU. Britain has no fish cutters [those employed to clean, trim and bone fish] and production facilities enough to catch all the fish in British waters.” Previously, Mr Gove had said that becoming an independent coastal state would extend the UK’s control over waters to 200 miles. He also said British fishermen will have the exclusive rights to a 12-mile zone around the coastline under after Brexit as the UK would no longer be bound by the Common Fisheries Policy.
BREWDOG REVEALS PLANS FOR BAR ON US-MEXICO BORDER…. A Scottish brewery plans to open a new bar on the US-Mexico border in effort to bring together craft beer fans from the two countries. BrewDog hopes to build its Bar on the Edge half in Texas and half in Chihuahua. It would serve Mexican beers on the US side and American drinks on the Mexican side, as well as BrewDog’s range of craft beers brewed in Columbus, Ohio. James Watt, co-founder of the Aberdeenshire-based brewery, said: “Beer has always been a unifying factor between cultures - and our business was born from collaboration and an inclusive approach - so we thought it would be fun to place the bar a few feet further to actually cross the US-Mexico border too. “We will request official permission from the local authorities to put it there and adhere to any red tape stuff, but I guess it would make it more difficult to build a wall if there’s a BrewDog bar in the way. “We’re planning on putting the bar there anyway until someone tells us to move it. “It was (former US president) JFK that said, ‘conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth’. We love the US, and we already have an amazing army of fans over here, but we do not intend to bring BrewDog ‘lite’ to the US. “The Bar on the Edge is our line in the sand, quite literally.”
WILLIAM WALLACE’S BLUEBELL WOOD HIDEOUT SAVED BY LEGACY GIFT…. A spectacular bluebell wood said to have sheltered William Wallace and his army has been bought by the Woodland Trust Scotland conservation charity – thanks to a generous legacy from a long-term supporter. The Trust intends enhancing Ballathie Bluebell Wood near Kinclaven in Perthshire, and reforesting adjacent grassland cleared of trees in the 1940s and 50s. Carol Evans, Woodland Trust Scotland director, said the legacy stipulated the money was spent in Tayside. “We are delighted to have this special wood under our care. The springtime display of bluebells is simply breathtaking. “The gentle slope of the ground combines with the blooms to produce a blue haze which seems to go on forever. We think it is the most spectacular display in Scotland.” Ballathie is also home to species such as red squirrels, pine martens, stoat, brown hares and hedgehogs. Earlier this year the Trust bought Loch Arkaig Pine Forest in Lochaber, one of the largest remaining parts of ancient Caledonian pinewood.
On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,
Our look at Scotland today is of the William Wallace Ballathie Bluebell Wood near Kinclaven in Perthshire….. I recall running through the Blue Bells as a child.. where oh where did the years go……
A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Friday 11th August 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…
All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in
Be safe out there…
Robert McAngus