Scotophile Monday

Welcome back to Scotophile Monday! All sources credited. Enjoy!

Greyfriar's Bobby in Walk of Fame
Greyfriars Bobby, who gained fame for his loyalty by sitting beside his master's grave in Edinburgh's Greyfriars churchyard for 14 years, has been included in the world's first Walk of Fame for dogs. This has been created in London's Battersea Park as a canine equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. The first canine stars to be honoured include Lassie, Gromit, Toto from the Wizard of Oz, Chance and Shadow from The Incredible Journey, Bullseye from Oliver! and Fang from the Harry Potter films. More dogs will be added each year. Every dog chosen to join the Walk of Fame will be honoured by a bench and a plaque - but no pawprints in cement.

Birds Influence Wind Turbine Development
Seven whooper swans have being tracked by satellite by the BBC's Autumnwatch TV series as they flew from their summer breeding grounds in Iceland, on their 500-mile journey to the south-west of Scotland on the Solway Firth. Previously, only the start and end of the birds' migration had been known and not the path that they followed. It is hoped that the information can assist in deciding the location of wind turbine developments, to avoid creating an extra hazard for the birds. So far, there appear to be two main tracks - making landfall at Caithness and flying down through central Scotland and another coming down the Western Isles. Whooper swans travel in family parties with the cygnets born earlier in the year. The satellite tracking of one group found that the two adults and four of their cygnets arrived at the Solway Firth together - but another youngster was missing. It was thought it had perished along the way - until a whooper cygnet in Mull was spotted and its identification ring showed it was the missing bird. Although it is unlikely to be reunited with its family, it may latch on to other whooper swans as they pass over. Around 10,000 birds fly into Britain each winter, mainly from Iceland.

Don't Carry a Bow and Arrow in York
A TV channel has drawn up a list of UK legislation which has never been repealed and now looks decidedly strange today. One of the laws permits the murder of any Scotsman carrying a bow and arrow within the city walls of York in northern England! Another bans eating mince pies on Christmas Day - legislation that dates back to the 17th century and was designed to outlaw gluttony. There is also a law that says that it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp upside-down on a letter, as all such stamps show the portrait of the British monarch. And in Scotland, there is a law which says that if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter. But perhaps the daftest legislation, which must have been crazy when it was passed, is one that makes it illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament in London. The news report didn't specify what the penalty was for breaking that rule...

Glamis Castle Wins Two Awards
Glamis Castle in Angus is a popular tourist attraction with its magnificent building, stunning apartments full of period furniture and paintings, a long history which continued in the 20th century as the birthplace of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The estate also includes some glorious gardens and walks through the tall trees of the arboretum. In recent years Strathmore Estates has invested in additional facilities for visitors and extended the season into the winter months. All that effort has paid off this year with its elevation to VisitScotland’s exclusive five-star classification, which has been awarded to just over 40 locations across the country. In addition, Glamis also achieved remarkable success in the Green Tourism Business Scheme, going straight in at gold level this year.

This Week in Scottish History
November 11 1918 - Armistice Day - World War I ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
November 12 - St Machar Day, patron saint of Aberdeen.
November 13 1093 - King Malcolm III (Canmore), last of the Celtic kings was killed at the Battle of Alnwick. Succeeded by Donald III.
November 13 1715 - Battle of Sheriffmuir in which a force of Jacobites led by John, 6th Earl of Mar, fought an inconclusive battle against a Hanoverian force led by John, 2nd Duke of Argyll.
November 13 1850 - Novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson born Edinburgh.
November 13 1939 - The first bombs dropped on British soil in the Second World War fell on the Shetland Islands.
November 14 1770 - James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile, Lake Tana in north-west Ethiopia.
November 14 1896 - Speed limit for "horseless carriages" was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph.
November 14 1916 - Author Hector Munro died in action in France. Some of his work was written under the pseudonym "Saki".
November 15 1715 - The "Glasgow Courant", the city's first newspaper, appeared for the first time.
November 15 1824 - Edinburgh's Great Fire began - and lasted until 17th November. It destroyed the High Street, Parliament Square and the Tron Kirk.
November 15 1873 - Statue to Greyfriar's Bobby, who stayed by his master's grave for 14 years was unveiled.
November 16 1891 - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opened in the East End Exhibition Buildings, Duke Street, Glasgow.
November 17 1855 - David Livingstone reached Victoria Falls in Africa.
November 17 1959 - Prestwick and Renfrew airports in Scotland became the first in the UK to offer duty free goods for sale

All of the above are from RampantScotland.com

Scottish Web Sites of the Week
Clan Currie
National Library of Scotland

Pedalling Around
Follow the adventures and video diaries of Mark Beaumont of Fife, who is attempting to ride his bike around the world. Read/view more

Who Ate All The Pie? Uh, We Did...
Robert Ross, a man with a keen eye for a pie, slices into the sample in front of him: "You're looking for a nice, crisp, straight shell. This one looks appetising, it's nicely baked." His knife reveals ... perhaps not quite Burns's "gushing entrails bricht", but certainly a glistening mince filling. Read more

Scottish Blog of the Week
Hermit Life

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