Scotophile Monday

Popular Scottish Accent
Its amazing how research often proves the blindingly obvious.... A survey of people's reactions to various regional accents has found that Scottish and southern Irish voices are considered to be the most attractive. Read more.

New Seabird Reserve
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is to open a new nature reserve which provides a nesting place for over 150,000 gannets, guillemots and puffins. Read more.

Iron Age Cooking
A culinary and craft festival at the Scottish Crannog Centre in Perthshire last weekend offered visitors the chance to sample bowls of nettle soup and bread baked in ovens of a style used in the Iron Age. Read more.

Wanted: Paranormal Investigators
A specialist company is undertaking a "ghost hunt" in Aberdeen's Tolbooth Museum on 28 July. Paranormal Tours uses experienced investigators but is looking for volunteers to stay overnight in the museum to help to operate the equipment used to measure changes in frequency, temperature, detect motion and record "electronic voice phenomena" - in other words, ghostly noises. Read more.

Memorial to Lost Village
The last family left the mining village of Cairntable in 1963, but Jimmy Dunn, 76, has erected a memorial stone of Loch Doon granite to let people know where his beloved village once stood. Read more.

Edinburgh Animal Shelter May Close
THE 124-year-old Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home has warned that its future is at risk after income from donations dropped by around a third. An unprecedented number of animals needing help, combined with spiralling veterinary costs and a slump in public donations has forced the centre to dip into its cash reserves. Read more.

Great Scots - Captian William Kidd
One thing is for certain: Kidd's place in history is secure as an audacious adventurer who commanded a gang of swarthy pirates as he captured ships on the Indian Ocean. What is less secure is the truth behind the deluge of myths and legends, which has sprung a leak in documented history of Kidd's extraordinary life, death, and indeed his birth. Read more.

Old School Spirit Refuses to Die Away
Ewan Irvine of Scottish Paranormal says he has felt the presence of people who worked at the Ragged School. Read more.

This Week in Scottish History
May 20 685 - Battle of Dunnichen (also known as Nechtansmere), south of Forfar in Angus, as a result of which the Picts stopped the advance northwards of the Angles of Northumbria.
May 20 1303 - France and England make peace, releasing forces to attack Scotland.
May 20 1747 - Edinburgh-born James Lind began a controlled experiment which demonstrated that citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, a disease contracted by sailors on long voyages. The lime juice which eventually became standard issue to British sailors gave rise to the term "limey" as a name for British overseas.
May 21 1650 - James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, executed at Mercat Cross, Edinburgh.
May 21 1916 - Clocks and watches went forward for one hour as the Daylight Savings Act brought in "British Summer Time" for the first time. May 21 1983 - TSB Bank Scotland (now Lloyds TSB Scotland) formed.
May 22 1611 - King James VI introduced the title "baronet" for the first time. This is the lowest hereditary titled order.
May 22 1859 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes, born of Irish parents in Edinburgh.
May 24 1153 - King David I died at Carlisle and Malcolm IV crowned at Scone.
May 24 1852 - Robert Cunningham Graham born. Son of a Scottish laird, he organised the Scottish Labour Party with Kier Hardie, wrote over 30 travel books and was elected first president of the Scottish National Party.
May 24 1916 - Conscription to the armed forces began for the first time.
May 24 1928 - Actor and comedian Stanley Baxter born.
May 24 1972 - Rangers win the European Cup Winners' Cup in Barcelona.
May 25 1726 - First circulating library opened in Edinburgh.
May 25 1713 - John Stuart, Earl of Bute, Britain's first Scottish Prime Minister, born.
May 25 1967 - Celtic Football Club won European Cup.
May 26 1424 - The parliament convened by King James I approved the arrest of a number of the Scottish nobility - and also banned the playing of football.

Scottish Proverbs
Double drinks are good for the drouth.
~Unknown

I'll drink to that!
~Carolan Ivey