Latest

St Kilda, Disease and Immunity

St Kilda, Disease and Immunity

A day or two after any visitor arrived to St Kilda, the inhabitants suffered from outbreaks of a respiratory tract infection known locally as the ‘boat cough’ By James Currall On August 15th 1727 three men and eight boys were rowed from Village Bay on Hirta, the largest island of

Crofting Law

Crofting Law

by Russell Smith The old joke is that a croft is a small piece of land completely surrounded by legislation and there are certainly some complications about crofting law. Crofting is unique to Scotland so we can’t look elsewhere for enlightenment. Basically, crofting was set up by the Napier

Louise Worthy: "There is an element of the unknown in printmaking that is magical"

Louise Worthy: "There is an element of the unknown in printmaking that is magical"

Owls, foxes and puffins populate the artworks of artist and printmaker Louise Worthy, who 15 years ago swapped a career in the fashion industry for an art studio in the Highlands. KC: When and why you decided to become an artist?  LW: My love of printmaking started when I was

Horses

Horses

Toponyms from the various names for horse are very common, arising from the old practice of keeping horses on a pasture by themselves. Rosehall (Rossall) comes from the Norse hross-völlr, 'horse field'. In the adjacent Glen Rossal, several names incorporate the Gaelicised version Rosail: Rosail forest, Loch Rosail,

How our forebears fought for their heritage

How our forebears fought for their heritage

by Russell Smith In the last edition, we looked at the crofting landscape and the benefits of crofting in the 21st Century. Here we look back at some of the history of how the crofters (our forebears) fought for their heritage - not always successfully but always with spirit. We

Fiona matheson: "The process is as exciting as the outcome"

Fiona matheson: "The process is as exciting as the outcome"

Croft houses appear regularly on her paintings, a reference to life in Strathcarron and Culrain when she was younger. KC: Why landscape? FM: The textures, colours and form of the Highland landscape are always changing. It supplies endless inspiration not only on a daily basis but hourly, as the weather

Sutherland Sessions: Trad Club of the Year 2019

Sutherland Sessions: Trad Club of the Year 2019

The group is bringing first-class musicians to local venues across Sutherland and has recently received the "Club of the Year 2019" at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. We met with the Sutherland Sessions committee on a stormy February afternoon at Invershin pub. The photo shoot was