Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
S E R V I N G T H E
S C O T T I S H
C O M M U N I T Y O F
G R E A T E R V I C T O R I A
E D I T O R :
L A R R Y S C O T T
SCOTTISH NEWSLETTER
A U G U S T 1 , 2 0 1 9 V O L U M E 4 : I S S U E 8
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
The Majestic Line 1
Upcoming Events: Aug.—Sept. 2 The Majestic LIne
Continued 3 Canada Day at Craigflower 4 Contact Information: Scottish Groups,
Dance Instruction, Businesses 5
VICTORIA. Not too long ago, my wife and I sailed from Oban on the Glen Massan, a North Atlantic fishing trawler that has been beautiful-ly converted into a small cruise vessel. Nothing like any cruise ship I have encountered before, this one has six guest cabins and carries an ab-solute maximum of a dozen passengers. But what it has, that the big cruise ships rarely have, is magic at its very core.
A Review by Michael Elcock, Victoria Writer and Tourism Consultant
The Glen Masson near Eilean Donan Castle
Andy Thoms, a semi-retired architect and engineer who with his partner Ted Grant, dreamed and then devised, designed and built this two-boat operation, named it after a ficti-tious cruise line from the Para Handy stories. The Majestic Line is a rare thing in Scotland's tourism industry; it operates with efficiency and precision in uncertain waters that are sub-ject to fast-changing weathers. In other words its secret lies in its ability to adapt, and it does this brilliantly because its crews are competent, resourceful, well-trained and knowledgeable.
There is much more though – and I know that this is starting to read like a trave-logue – but what Scotland has with this opera-tion is a gem. I work in the tourism industry around the world. It's not very often that I en-counter a tourism operation that instils so much enthusiasm in its clients. Almost never do I come across one that reintroduces me to life's essentials, that wakes me up and brings me alive like this one did.
The magic and the mystery come from the places the Majestic Line takes you to – to the islands of the inner Hebrides, to plac-es with puffins, to the inspiration for the mu-sic of Mendelssohn, to a little pub at Salen in Morvern, to a series of sheltered anchorages on Mull, Muck and Ardnamurchan, to the Well of the North Wind on Iona, to a tiny ru-ined village on the bluebell-clad Treshnish Islands. It will give you the raw view that Robert Louis Stevenson had of the treacherous Torran Rocks, which fea-tured so prominently in 'Kidnapped' – and then take you ashore at the sandy beach on Erraid where David Balfour washed up after the shipwreck. But every cruise is different; these are just a few of the places we were taken. There is enlightenment and education in all this. It comes from the discoveries; from the intimate knowledge that the crew has of the flora and fauna, of the mythology, the leg-end and the history of these western islands. None of it is rammed down your throat. It is simply there for the asking if you're interested to find out about it. Continued on p. 3 Cruising the islands of the Inner Hebrides
Puffins having a blethering
Torran Rocks
Upcoming Events: August 2019
2
Brentwood Scottish Country Dancers
In the fall we will be having a work-shop on September 8th at 2:00 pm for footwork, formations workshop and some fun easy dances. Beginners and experienced dancers are welcome.
Brentwood Scottish Country Dancers
We will continue to dance Tuesday and Thursday
mornings 10:00—11:30 am. Please check with instructor to ensure there is a class as we
may take a break on some of the summer days. Contact for information: [email protected]
World Pipe Band Championships August 16-17, 2019
Glasgow Green, Glasgow
https://www.theworlds.co.uk/about
The World Pipe Band Champion-ships as we currently know them have been staged since 1947. That being said, the Grade 1 Pipe Band Competition win-ners at the annual Cowal Highland Gathering were recognised as World Champions as far back as 1906. Initially the World Pipe Band Championship moved around to various locations, but since 1986 it has been hosted continuously in Glasgow, Scotland. Usually there are more than 220 bands from 15 or more countries, competing in nine Grade levels. Among the Canadian bands competing this year will be the Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band!
Campbell River Highland Gathering and Logger Sports
August 10-11-12th, 2019 Part of Annual Campbell River
Salmonfest https://campbellriverhighlandgathering.ca/
Glengarry Highland Games
Maxville, Ontario August 2-3, 2019
North American Pipe Band Championship
https://glengarryhighlandgames.com/
September 2019
Labour Day Monday September 2 Van Isle Scottish Country Dance Society
Ireland Pilgrimage Tour September 18 - October 11, 2019
Open House September 3, 7:30 pm City Light Church Hall, 550 Obed Avenue No charge Everyone welcome!
We explore Old Stone Age, New Stone Age, early Celtic and Celtic Christian sites — delighting in Irish hospitality, landscape, music and language. Staying in retreat centres, hostels and B&Bs. Call Vanessa 250 415-9272. [email protected]
3
The Majestic Line ...Continued from p. 1
I will mention the food because it is outstanding. Michael Grahl, the chef on our boat, has been in the busi-ness of providing fine cuisine for nearly 40 years. There can be few who are better at it. The selection of mostly Scottish cheeses, presented each evening by Alastair, the boat's engineer, was a short one-act play; superb, and often hilarious. The house wines are the same as those of the Dorchester Hotel in London, yet without the big mark-up you'll pay down there. The bar bill – paid at the end of the six-day cruise – was pleasantly light. And if you're lucky enough to have the skipper we had, you might even be treated to the pipes played in a way, and in places, that may be beyond your imagination.
Q&A: The Scottish Newsletter
How did the Scottish Newsletter get started? There was previously a newsletter under the auspices of the Victoria Joint Scottish Council, which was an umbrella organization for Scottish groups in Victoria. That news-letter ceased when the VJSC dissolved in 2013. Various people identified the need for some ongoing information-sharing among the separate Scottish groups in Victoria.
Who sponsors the present newsletter? No group sponsors the Scottish Newsletter. The volunteer editor is Larry Scott, who was the last Secretary of the St. Andrew’s & Caledonian Society, before it folded in 2014. The volunteer proof reader is Irene Feir. The editor con-sults with the various Scottish groups on an informal basis about the content of the newsletter but there is no “board”. Because the newsletter is an email publication, there is no overhead for postage or printing; no member-ship fee is charged and no paid advertising is required.
Where does the content come from? In general, groups that want to publicize their upcoming events submit items for the events calendar, which is the main purpose of the newsletter. Event notices can be edited for brevity, as are articles submitted by readers. Individuals or groups sometimes contribute digital photos from re-cent events and these are appreciated by the readership. Photo sources are acknowledged where possible.
Letters to the Editor and content focus? Comments are welcome but we don’t do a Letters to the Editor section. Generally the Scottish Newsletter sticks to local event announcements and providing contact info for Scottish or other Celtic groups and businesses in southern Vancouver Island. Articles on Celtic culture in general, also seem to be of interest to readers.
Distribution? The newsletter goes out by email on the second last day of each month. Some recipients are the secretary or news-letter editor of their group and they in turn forward the newsletter to the group’s membership. People can also subscribe individually by emailing the editor. Although our focus is local, there are subscribers in the interior of BC, Ontario, Washington and California. Presumably the articles, rather than the event announcements, are the in-terest for such readers. As a courtesy, the Victoria High-land Games Association lists the Scottish Newsletter on its website, but the two entities are autonomous.
Will I get a stream of emails if I subscribe? No. The Scottish News-letter comes just once a month (sometimes with a poster or two attached), so as not to deluge your inbox with ongoing no-tices. There are no extra mailings or advertisements between issues. Editor
Cruising the inlets and islands of the Isle of Mull
I see the Majestic Line has added a brand new boat since we sailed on it. The Glen Shiel joins the Glen Massan, the Glen Tarsan, and the Glen Etive to make a fleet of four small cruise boats, each built for different types of cruise—from the Caledonian Canal to the Outer Hebrides and points in between. A small disclaimer: Andy Thoms was a friend of mine who was studying at Edinburgh University, before I migrated to Canada in the 1960’s. I hadn’t seen him before we went on our trip. He hadn’t changed a bit.
Review submitted by Michael Elcock. Photos from The Majestic Line: www.themajesticline.co.uk/
4
Canada Day at Craigflower Manor, July 1, 2019
Cst. Donald McIntosh, Cst. Nancy Saggar, both of West Shore RCMP.
Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band. The band competes in Scotland in August.
Lekwungen Dancers of the Songhees First Nation.
Opening Procession (left to right): Pipe Major Warren Fells, Drum Major Randy Evans, Singer Tom Morrissey, President of Victoria Highland Games Assoc. Jim Maxwell.
Craigflower Manor and its grounds on Canada Day 2019.
5
Scottish Culture:
Saltire Society of Victoria: Contact is the Provost, Gordon Robinson at 250 477-8317 or the society’s Scrivener (secretary), Larry Scott at 250 213-5239.
Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association. For in-quiries, contact Keith Feir at 250 652-5773 or [email protected]
Victoria Gaelic Choir: The group sings in both Gaelic and English. www.victoriagaelicchoir.com
Victoria Highland Games Association: President is
Jim Maxwell. www.victoriahighlandgames.com
The Celtic Connection: Burnaby-based tabloid pub-
lishing since 1991. www.celtic-connection.com
Websites: The Scottish Banner is a digital download subscrip-tion service. View at: www.scottishbanner.com
Bruce Knight Memorial Piobaireachd Competition
https://www.facebook.com/bruceknightmemorial
Scottish Review is now edited by Islay McLeod, who is located in Prestwick: www.scottishreview.net
Rampant Scotland is a site begun in 1996 and written
by Alan Scott at: www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners. Did you
ever work in the UK? You may be eligible for a pension.
[email protected] www.britishpensions.com
Dance Instruction:
Brentwood Scottish Country Dancers: Contact [email protected] for more detailed infor-mation. Classes happen at Brentwood Centre.
Vancouver Island Scottish Country Dance Society: www.viscds.ca Weekly classes for various levels of ability. Further information may be had from Dora Dempster, [email protected]
Bon Accord Highland Dancers: Lynne Griffiths. Tel. 250 479-7804 [email protected]
Glengarry Highland Dancers: Carolyn Phillips-Cusson. Tel. 250 758-0208 or email for information to [email protected]
Kathleen Laurie School of Highland Dance: Tel. 250 213-9627 [email protected]
Kathy White’s Island Highland Dance Academy: [email protected] Cell 250-710-0837
Katie Dean School of Highland Dance: H 250-920-3513 cell 250-514-8110 [email protected]
O’Brien School of Irish Dancing: Teachers — Mairead O’Brien/Crystal vanBoven. www.obrienirishdance.com Tel. 604 340-2370.
Victoria Highland Dance Association. Sponsors competitions, etc. Contact at www.vhda.weebly.com
Victoria School of Irish Dance: www.victoriairishdancers.com Contact Alison Paladini at 250 888-9421 or [email protected]
Victoria Area Pipe Bands:
BC Pipers` Association serves solo Highland Bagpipers, Scottish Drummers and Pipe Bands in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. www.bcpipers.org
Canadian Scottish Regimental Association Pipe Band www.canadianscottishregiment.ca
Castle Cary Pipes and Drums. P/M Colin Murray. For info go to: www.castlecarypipesanddrums.ca
443 Squadron RCAF Pipe Band. P/M Stephen Kelly [email protected] or [email protected]
Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band. www.gvppb.com Pipe Major Warren Fells; Drum Major Randy Evans.
Pipe Band of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s). Drum Major Glen Ereaut, contact at [email protected]
Saanich Peninsula Pipe Band. Contact 250-652-9954 or [email protected]
78th Fraser’s Highlanders Pipe Band. Contact Pipe Major Dave Hjalmarson at [email protected] 2136 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Pipes and Drums. www.2136cadets.ca
VanIsle Caledonia Pipe Band. Pipe Major Richard Findlay at www.vanislecaledonia.com
Local Businesses With Celtic Flavour:
Bard and Banker Scottish Pub, 1022 Government St, Victoria www.bardandbanker.com
Caledonia Meats. Haggis makers. Email: [email protected] or 250 857-5260.
Craigdarroch Castle, 1050 Joan Cresc, Victoria. Built by Scottish coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. https://thecastle.ca/
Fraser Orr’s Butcher and Deli, 108-1931 Mt. Newton Cross Rd., Saanichton. Haggis, Scotch pies, etc. www.fraserorrsbutcher.com
Freedom Kilts, 1919 Fernwood Rd, Victoria www.freedomkilts.com
Irish Linen Stores, 1019 Government St, Victoria www.irishlinenvictoria.com
Irish Times Pub, 1200 Government St, Victoria www.irishtimespub.ca
Island Bagpipe, 5775 Alder Way, Nanaimo www.islandbagpipe.com Bagpipes and much more.
Lion Rampant Scottish Pub, 6777 Beaumont Ave., Duncan. www.lionrampant.ca
North of Hadrian’s Kilts and Celtic Clothing, 264 Island Highway, Victoria www.northofhadrians.com
Out of Ireland Irish Importers, 1000 Government St., Victoria: www.outofireland.ca
Victoria Caledonian Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery does tours and events. www.victoriacaledonian.com
If you would like to be on the free email mailing list for the Scottish Newsletter, contact Larry Scott by email at [email protected] There is no print version available.
