1915-1984

George Campbell Hay was a Scottish poet.

George Campbell Hay was born in 1915, in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland. His father, John Macdougall Hay, was a minister in the town, he was also the author of the book Gillespie. When George Campbell Hay was only four when his father passed away, subsequently, the remains of his family moved to Tarbert, Kintyre in Scotland. He attended Fettes College and then the University of Oxford. George Campbell Hay served in the army during World War II in North Africa, Greece and Italy. Reportedly, at the last station he was injured, which eventually led to metal illness which plagued the man for the rest of his life.

George Campbell Hay was a vastly talented poet who received disproportionately little attention during his lifetime. It is considered to his works in Gaelic and Scots are his most significant works. George Campbell Hay also created significant amounts of work in English, French, Italian and Norwegian. His most prominent writtings were collected and published together in “Collected Poems and Songs “, edited by Michael Byrne. The appreciation of his work within Scotland was delayed due to an overwhelming ignorance of Scots and Gaelic. The pieces that were written in other European languages did receive appreciation, but typically in the country of the language.

Some World War I records hold that the kilt was worn by a select number of Scottish regiments with claims that this offered them a decided advantage in the fields of war.

The claims that the kilt was an advantageous piece of uniform are taken from "The Romantic Story of the Highland Garb and Tartan", by J.G.MacKay. The specific exert relating to World War I comes from an appendix written by colonel Norman MacLeod. The piece revolves around three points relating to the kilt as a items of military uniform.

Firstly, the kilt was reputed health benefits of the garment over the commonly issued trousers. Primarily, the kilt kept the soldier warmer around his mid-section than the trousers would. As this is the location of vital organs, ultimately the kilt kept the soldier in a greater state of comfort. The other health advantage came from the inevitable water that would be found in trenches. The kilt could be raised out of the water line if the need came. Also, as the kilt would be worn with hose-tops there were less cases of trench foot amongst kilt wearing soldiers, compared to the trouser issued men.
The kilt was said to give its wearers a distinct performance advantage. The most obvious benefit would be the ease of leg movement that the kilt would provide. As the kilt was considerably thicker than the standard issued trousers, it would be more effective in protecting its wearer from mustard gas. The movement of the kilt would also be rather effective at dispersing the gas as soldiers stood up.Ultimately though, the kilt was a great morale booster for the Scots troops in the war.

Fidra is an uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth.

Fidra is located approximately four kilometers North-West of the town of North Berwick. In total it is only 10 hectares in area, and its highest point only reaches 20 meters above sea level. As a product of ancient volcanic activity, it has a few curiosities in its layout. Fidra consists of three main sections, a small hill at one end, a steep rocky stack on the other end, with a low lying section of land in the middle.

Fidra is currently unpopulated, though this has not always been so. The hill end of the island has a lighthouse standing upon it. It was built in 1885, but by 1970 had been automated to the point where it no longer needed human supervision. Further back in time, the island of Fidra was home to a chapel, though this is now in ruins, giving away little evidence as to its origins. Some hold the belief that the remains are not a chapel but indeed a lazaretto, used for holding the sick or as a quarantine area.

The name Fidra is thought to derive from Old Norse, it is thought to refer to the large seabird population on the island, and the subsequent feathers which are left behind. Presently, Fidra is fitted with remote cameras, which are used by the Scottish Seabird Center in North Berwick to view the local birds.

Scottish Gaelic was and still is a language spoken in Scotland.

This article will focus on Scottish Gaelic literature. For more information on the history of the language refer to our previous article on Gaelic laguage.

Scottish Gaelic was spoken in before the 1200s, though the exact time at which it would have been correct to say that it had transmuted from Irish Gaelic to Scottish Gaelic is unknown. There has been claim that there could have been a verbal divergence in the language but the literate element remained the same.

As such, there is little evidence of complete independent Scottish Gaelic literature before the High Middle Ages. This was due to the Highland clans using Scottish Gaelic, which by then was classified as its own language. The Highland people were said to be highly bardic and this would have been an element in the success of Scottish Gaelic.

By the mid 1700s Scottish Gaelic was in decline. The defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden and the subsequent Highland Clearances made a deep impact in Scottish Gaelic usage. Though at the same time, there was somewhat of a resurgence of the language with the "discovery" of the Ossian manuscript and the first translation of the bible in Scottish Gaelic, in 1767.

Until the 1900s Scottish Gaelic was in decline again. Though there are now several Scottish Gaelic theater houses, and books being published in the language. The early 1900s saw a growing number of Scottish Gaelic plays being written. Though while a resurgence of its use is strong, the language is still relatively minor in general appeal.

The Scottish Seabird Center is an award winning Scottish tourist attraction, the main appeal of which is a network of cameras allowing visitors to see an array of local seabirds.

The Scottish Seabird Center is located on North Berwick, twenty five miles east of Edinburgh, in the East Lothian, Scotland. Being situated in the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, the area is a ideal location to view the many seabirds which reside in the area and surrounding islands.

The primary appeal of the Scottish Seabird Center is its network of cameras. These are able to be remotely controlled by the center's visitors, to focus on the birds in detail, and their daily activities. The cameras are spread throughout islands in the Firth of Forth, like the Isle of May, Bass Rock and Fidra. The center is also well known for the exclusive landings rights that it holds for its boat tours to Bass Rock, the largest gannet colony in the world.

The Scottish Seabird Center was touted as being unique in the fact that it is a "green building". Throughout the building phase, the use of plastics was kept to a minimum, with preference going to the use of wood from local and sustainable resources. The Scottish Seabird Center was also created with the aim of reducing its power wastage, utilizing natural lighting and ventilation whenever possible.

The Glanmasan Manuscript is a Scottish Gaelic 15th century mammal skin manuscript concerning the Ulster Cycle.

The Glenmasan Manuscript contains a collection of stories like "The deaths of the sons of Uisnech", "Deirde and the Sons of Uisneach" and "The cause of the exile of Fergus mac Roig", amongst others. The collection is currently held at National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, though it was previously contained at the Advocates Library. The Glenmasan manuscript consists of a total of 27 leaves, which include the covers. The pages are double columned and contain 38 or 39 lines of text each. Anomalies in the binding suggest that page ordering has been changed at some point in the life time of the Glenmasan manuscript.

The history of the Glansmasan Manuscript is somewhat vague, with the exact origin being unknown and its history up till 1761 being only marginally better. The Glenmasan Manuscript only came into well known existence at the Highlands Society's enquiry into the authenticity of James MacPherson's Ossian, when it was given by a local countryman to Rev. John MacKinnon. The manuscript was then given to teh Highland Society. It has been suggested that were the Highland Society not so vocal in their enquiry about the Ossian, the Glenmasan manuscript might have never have surfaced.

Castlemilk Moorit are a breed of sheep in Scotland, they are a relatively young breed that was created specifically for decorative purposes.

The Castlemilk Moorit was developed out of a mixture of Manx Loaghtan, Shetland and Mouflon sheep. They were created in the early 1900s by Sir Jock Buchanan-Jardine to serve as decorative animals for the Castlemilk estate in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He had also set out on a goal to mix a breed which would provide a fine quality moorit colored wool that would also be kemp free, the Castlemilk moorit was the realization of that goal. Similar to its origin, the Castlemilk moorit is most commonly used as an animal for hobby farming.

The Castlemilk moorit is a member of the Northern European Short-tailed Sheep group, and subsequently has a short tail that tapers of to a point from its thicker base. The breed is a primitive type and subsequently its rams weigh approximately 55 kilograms, and the ewes are typically around 40 kilograms. The Castlemilk moorit has two wide spreading horns which spiral, though avoid the cheeks. The horns of the ram are heavier and deeper in their spiral. Though it is not a wild breed, the Castlemilk Moorit is very fine boned in its legs and subsequently rather agile. This is a product of its breeding ancestors. Aesthetically, the animal is sad to be graceful and remarkably well balanced.

The Castlemilk Moorit cannot be found in great numbers across the worlds, in fact the British rare Breed Survival Trust lists only 900 specimens of the animal. Outside of Scotland there a examples of the sheep in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The Isle of May is a small island of the coast of Scotland.

The Isle of May is located approximately 8 kilometers from the coast of Scotland, in the north of the outer Firth of Forth. The Isle of May is approximately half a kilometer wide and less than 1.8 kilometers long, making it 45 hectares in area. The island rock is basalt, with traces of greenstone.

There is dispute as to the name of the Isle of May, or more specifically, its origin and translation. Some contest that May is derived from Old Norse meaning "seagull", making it the island of seagulls. The Gaelic alternative is that the name could mean "plain", which would coincide with the naming of islands within proximity. Lowland Scots would mean that the name would be the "Island of the Maiden". Archeological evidence points to one of Scotland's earliest churches being built on the island, there is also strong suggestion that it was a point of pilgrimage. This could support the idea that the site was a place of worship to an unrecorded female maiden.

In 1635, the Isle of May saw the earliest established permanently manned lighthouse in Scotland. Its flame consumed 400 tones of coal per year. In 1814 the Isle of Man lighthouse was purchased by the Northern Lighthouse Board. At the time, it was the last remaining privately owned lighthouse in Scotland. In 1816, a new lighthouse was built on the Isle of May by Robert Stevenson. It was constructed in a more aesthetically pleasing Gothic style. It is now a listed building. Currently the lighthouse is unmanned and ownership of the island is in the hands of the Nature Conservancy Council.

Hebridean sheep are a breed of sheep from Scotland, they are occasionally referred to as St. Kilda Sheep.

The Hebridean sheep are members of the North European Short-tailed Sheep group, meaning that they have short tails that are wide at the base and taper of to a point. The Hebridean sheep are covered in black wool, though their thick coat can fade to brown from the sun. The face and legs of the animal are also not covered in any wool. Both sexes of Hebridean sheep have horns, and while it is usually one pair of horns, two or more are not considered to be unusual.

As with many Scottish breeds of animal, Hebridean sheep are smaller than comparable species. The Hebridean sheep ewe typically weighs only 40 kilograms, and rams are not usually found to be more than 60 kilograms or less than 50 kilograms. Studies from the Oklahoma State University have shown that meat from the Hebridean sheep is significantly lower in cholesterol than typical breeds of sheep.

The habits adapted by the Hebridean sheep in surviving the Scottish countryside have made them excellent modern animals. They are capable of surviving on lands harsher than the capabilities of many sheep. The Hebridean sheep are also useful conservation grazing purposes, as they eating habits promote health within its grazing area. The breed is also effective in the use of scrub control as they are prone to browsing for leaves and other soft plant material.

The Battle of May Island, as it came to be called, was a series of naval accidents which occurred between numerous Royal Navy vessels.

The Battle of May Island occurred on the night of the 31st of January (and early morning of the 1st of February), 1918. It took place near the Island of May, in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. In total, over 100 men perished that night, two submarines were lost, and three submarines along with a cruiser were badly damaged.

Despite its given name, the Battle of May Island was not indeed a battle, no enemy forces were present. Events began with a fleet of 40 vessels leaving Rosyth and headed to Scapa Flow. The fleet consisted of three battleships and their destroyer escorts, four battle cruisers and their destroyers, two cruisers and a set of light cruisers which would lead a K-class submarine each. The vessels were in line formation, and were only showing dim stern lights. This was to protect the ships from a suspected nearby German U-boat, as this was thought to be enough under the present mist cover.

The Battle of May Island began when a group of light ships were seen approaching the line of submarines. The K-class flotilla altered course, but K-14 experienced a jammed rudder. In an effort to fix the problem, K-14 and K-12 stopped. Though K-22, which was now lost, collided and K-14. As it passed the event, the battle cruiser "Inflexible" collided with K-22.

Though radio silence was meant to be kept through what became the Battle of May Island, news of the initial crash had been sent out. The captain of Ithuriel, upon hearing the message, turned around, and was followed in formation by the vessels in behind. This nearly caused another collision with the 2nd Battle Squadron. Soon after, Fearless, the leader of the 12th Battalion collided with K17, causing the submarine to sink. Further, K4 was hit and sank.