Celtic Guide Magazine

09/11/2023

An eagla an dearmaid, translated from Gaelic
means, “Lest we forget.”
November is a special month; Remembrance
Day is always on the 11th of November. The
motto “Lest We Forget” comes to mind on
that day as well. How lucky we are to live the
way we do because of all the men and women
who sacrificed so much in the wars, and we are
celebrating by living in freedom today.
Another important celebration is writing
about two of our very brave Scottish soldiers.
One was born in Canada but was taken away at
the age of three by his father who brought him
up in his native Scotland.
His name was Bill Millin and he became
Lord Lovat’s personal piper, piping British
Commandos ashore on D-Day.
Who else is featured in my story?
We begin with Brigadier Simon Christopher
Joseph Fraser. He was the 15th Lord Lovat and
4th Baron Lovat, and was born on July 9, 1911
in Beaufort Castle, Inverness, Scotland. He
was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser of Lovat,
and a prominent British commando during the
Second World War. His friends always referred
to him as Shimi Lovat, an Anglicized version of
his name in the Scottish Gaelic language. His
clan referred to him as MacShimidh, his Gaelic
See attached link for the continuation of story
http://www.thecelticguide.com/uploads/1/5/1/5/15152728/nov14.pdf
Page 21 of this edition.

31/08/2023

Harris Tweed
by Alison MacRae
​Correspondent
​Celtic Guide Magazine
January, 2020

The island of Harris is in the Outer Hebrides. The Scottish Gaelic name is Na Hearadh.

Harris is known for Harris Tweed. In Gaelic, the name is Clo Mor which translates to "the big cloth."

Harris Tweed is woven by Islanders at their homes. It is made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun, and finished in the Outer Hebrides.
​
Originally the wool was washed in soft peat water and then coloured with dyes from local plants and scraped from the rocks.
​
The wool used for Harris Tweed once came solely from the Blackface sheep. like the one shown below.

This wool is very coarse.
Picture
Now Harris Tweed wool also comes from the Cheviot sheep (shown below), which is a breed of white-faced sheep. It is raised mostly for its wool.

The wool is dyed, spun and handwoven by the Islanders in their homes and the mill.

No other fabric can call itself Harris Tweed, and it is believed to be the only commercially produced handwoven fabric in the world.
Picture
http://www.thecelticguide.com/alison-macrae-ndash-harris-tweed-ndash-january-2020.html

09/02/2023

When I wrote this story about John Angus Mackie. in 2018, I was not aware then that I was related to him. His daughter, who I had gotten all the information from, did her DNA, and we came up as cousins. It makes it more heartwarming for me. Hope you enjoy reading this brave man's story.

Twice Torpedoed
Published July 2018.

​The headline read: "Sailor rescued from torpedo attack gets torpedoed on the rescue ship."

Wow, what story that must be I thought to myself. How do I find out more about this sailor?

Well, it just so happens this sailor was born on the Isle of Lewis and was not related to me but to my cousin Doreen. I contacted Doreen, and she informed me that the sailor was John Angus Mackie.

As a favour to me, Doreen contacted her cousin, John's daughter Ellen, now living in New Zealand. I then got the story from Ellen herself, along with paper clippings she sent on the story.

I am forever grateful that Ellen gave me so much information on her father. This is such an incredible story. After reading what John endured during WWII, I knew I had to write about this.

People should know that not only did he survive but also did not wallow in it; he just took it in stride as though it happened all the time. Yes, John, it was a big deal, you were just too modest, and it is about time your story was told.

John Angus Mackie was born in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in 1919. He was known as Jackie and not John for the rest of his life. His mum was Christina MacMillan, who married John Mackie in 1915 in Stornoway, and the maternal grandparents were Angus MacMillan and Isabella MacLean.

They moved to Port Glasgow in 1923, so Jackie did not really have much of a memory of the Isle of Lewis. However, family members were still living there, so the family kept in touch with each other.

When the war broke out, Jackie had been doing an apprenticeship in the shipyards and, like many young men at the time, could not wait for his call-up papers. Jackie proudly joined the Merchant Navy.

So I give Jackie Angus Mackie the story of his survival of the two torpedoes.
http://www.thecelticguide.com/alison-macrae-ndash-twice-torpedoed.html

01/01/2023

http://www.thecelticguide.com/uploads/1/5/1/5/15152728/feb15.pdf Page 9
It started out as a voyage of happiness and
joy. All the Christmas presents were wrapped
and with the passengers, on their journey home,
to be given to their loved ones and family. The
men had not been home since they enlisted at the
the beginning of World War I, back in 1914.
These passengers were sailors on leave,
some coming home for good, and all excited as
it was Hogmanay, 1918, when they started this
journey, and it would be New Year’s Day 1919
when it ended.
The voyage they were taking was on the
yacht Iolaire (pronounced I-olair), which was
built-in 1881. It weighed 634 tons and was a
luxury yacht before it was requisitioned by the
Navy in anti-submarine and patrol work.
This yacht also had quite a few names. It
started off as Iolanthen, then it was renamed
Mione, then Amalthaea, before the final Gaelic
name of Iolaire was chosen. Translated, Iolaire
means “Eagle”, and it was named after that
majestic bird of prey. Unfortunately, the name
Eagle, to me, means “soaring high,” and this it
did not do, for the trip ended in disaster.
Formerly entered in error as a troopship, and
later reclassified as a steam yacht, the Iolaire
evidently was stranded on that fateful day, rather
than foundered as had been stated on occasion.
Leading up to this disaster, it was arranged
that home leave would be granted to thousands
of Naval Ratings (enlisted members of the

17/10/2022

by Alison MacRae
Contributing Writer
​Celtic Guide magazine
December 2018
​
​Memories, such beautiful memories, growing up in Glasgow.

I was brought up during the live theatre era of pantomimes. December always brings to mind the pantomimes. It was non-stop, going to the theatre to see them.

One of my top favourites always done at Christmas time was Peter Pan.
The novel Peter Pan was published on 27 December 1904. The "Peter Pan" movie was released in 1953. I don't know anybody who has not read the novel or seen the movie that didn't enjoy going into that fantasy world.

​The author was J.M.Barrie, shown below.
Picture
James Matthew Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, in the Burgh of Angus, Scotland, on the 9th of May 1860.

I found it interesting that Kirriemuir was identified with witchcraft, and some of the still older houses feature a "witches stand to ward off evil".
Also of significance is that the Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones are a series of Class 11 and 111 Pictish stones that date back to the 9th and 10th centuries.

From an early age, James Barrie was not just into storytelling but also acting out his stories.

At only 5.3 1/2 in. tall, he was the smallest of his ten siblings.
http://www.thecelticguide.com/alison-macrae-ndash-peter-pan-ndash-december-2018.html

11/08/2022

The Story of Linda Norgrove.
The Celtic Guide Magazine from the November 2017 issue
A photo of Linda was found on Wikipedia.

Linda was born in 1974 in a small hamlet called Altnaharra, located in Sutherland, the Highland region of Northern Scotland. Her parents moved to the Isle of Lewis shortly after she was born. She attended a primary school in Uig. After high school, she attended the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, which is on the Isle of Lewis.

While attending the University of Aberdeen, she received a first-class honour degree in Tropical Environmental Science. Her post-graduate research brought her to the University of Chiapas in Mexico, followed by a year of study at the University of Oregon. Linda attended the University of London with distinction in Rural Resources and Environmental Policy in 1997.

Linda later received a PhD from the University of Manchester in Development and Management. In 2011 the University of Manchester posthumously honoured Linda with an outstanding alumni award. She worked from 2002 to 2005 for The World Wide Fund in Peru, supporting and supervising the WWF's Forest program in the Peruvian Andes.
From 2005 to 2008, she worked for the United Nations as Regional Director of an International Development Company based in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
to continue reading this story, go to New Stuff and Alison MacRae
story on Linda Norgrove
http://www.thecelticguide.com/alison-macrae-ndash-ndash-the-story-of-linda-norgrove.html

19/06/2022

Reading about this military mission I had thought I had stumbled upon a James Bond movie script. Looking into it further there actually was a movie made on this mission called "The Man That Never Was," by Ewen Montagu. He was a British judge and writer, and, during the war, a Naval intelligence officer. He was one of the original masterminds of this mission.

The other mastermind was Charles Cholmondeley. He was a flight commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF); then was in intelligence in charge of double agents. It was Charles Cholmondeley that had come up with this plan and they assigned Ewen Montagu to work with him to improve the plan.

Both men were working for the Military Intelligence section which was known as MI5.

They had originally read the memo that Rear Admiral John Godfrey, the Director of the Naval Intelligence division, wrote in 1939. It was named "The Trout Memo" and it was about how to set a trap for the enemy, that the Admiral had thought of, From this memo was created the mission "Mincemeat," in 1943.

An interesting fact during the Second World War – a certain Lieutenant Commander, also in charge of Intelligence, named Ian Fleming, was later known as the creator of the James Bond books that were made into very successful movies.

Now if you are wondering what the mission Mincemeat was all about, read the shorter version that I have written.
In the June 2019 issue of the Celtic Guide Magazine
titled The Man that Never Was
http://www.thecelticguide.com/alison-macrae.html

30/05/2022

Explaining each mysterious Celtic symbol from ancient Irish tombs which have captivated people’s imaginations for hundreds of years.

28/05/2022

An excerpt from Celtic Guide Magazine, August 2015
Bamse by Alison MacRae

When one mentions a St. Bernard dog, what
comes to mind? I myself think of the large dog
with the cask around its neck, the Swiss Alps,
and snow. I think that is the usual picture one
has of a St. Bernard.
From Wikipedia, we learn that this is a breed
of large working dogs from the Swiss Alps and
Northern Italy. The breed has become famous
through tales of Alpine rescues as well as for its
enormous size. They usually have a life span of
eight to ten years. Their temperament is lively,
watchful, gentle, friendly, and calm.
I think “extremely intelligent” should be
added to this list.
Why all this talk of a St. Bernard?
You are about to read of a heroic dog by the
name of Bamse (Norwegian for Teddy Bear).
Bamse was no ordinary dog. This dog
was an honourary sailor for the Norwegian
Navy. He was awarded the PDSA gold medal
posthumously, in 1984 (People’s Dispensary for
Sick Animals in the U.K).
He also won the hearts of the local people of
Montrose and Dundee, Scotland.
Montrose even shut down their town and
schools so people could attend on the day of the
dog’s burial.
I also would like to give a warning – Kleenex
tissues might be needed to get you through this
heart-warming story.
My tale starts in Oslo, Norway, where Bamse
was born in 1937. Captain Erling Hafto was a
reserve officer who was appointed Lieutenant in
the Royal Norwegian Navy and given command
of the whale-catcher ship Thorodd, which had
been requisitioned at the start of the war and
now was put on coastal patrol. He acquired
Bamse as a family pet. Mrs Hafto had other
ideas. Bringing up four children, she could not
cope with a large dog as well, so she insisted
that her husband take Bamse with him to sea.
Captain Hafto took Bamse on his ship – so
you could say he got his sea paws at a very early
age!
continued on Page 14http://www.thecelticguide.com/uploads/1/5/1/5/15152728/aug15.pdf

25/05/2022

Is your surname listed?

Scottish names are common throughout the world but do you know what the meaning behind them is?

25/05/2022

Is anyone in the mood to make Cornish Pasties?

When people think of Cornwall images of sandy coves, breathtaking cliffs, and atmospheric ruins all spring to mind. But for many, it is also the culinary traditions which form a lasting impression on the visitor. In the following pages you will find recipes for the traditional Cornish pasty (as per the husband); saffron buns and star gazey pie.

The Cornish Pasty
No visit to Cornwall is complete without sampling the pasty and since 2011 the Cornish Pasty ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ status in Europe. The origin of the pasty is lost in the mists of time however it became most closely associated with the industrialisation of the county and tin miners. Essentially, it is a meal in itself and has the added bonus of being portable. There are many variations to the basic recipe (any visit to a pastry shop in Cornwall will attest to this) but the following recipe follows the more traditional form. I have also included a recipe for the shortcrust pastry but obviously, if you don’t want to make your own then shop bought is quite okay too. Also, it should be noted that some people use puff pastry rather than the shortcrust - like with so many things it comes down to personal preference.

Special Note: the quantities below are an approximation and should make two medium-sized pasties. The husband did not have exact measurements for me - he does it by eye...

The Pastry
200g of flour
50g lard (this is important - if not used, the pastry will be too rich and too short)
50g butter
(or half fat to flour of which half the fat should be lard)
Crumble these three ingredients together, and mix ice-cold water into the crumb until combined and firm (but not sticky). Make into a ball and wrap in plastic put in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up further. Try not to handle the pastry too much or overmix.

Inside your pastry
Again there are no fixed amounts here...
The beef skirt is best to use but you can use beef chuck, sliced thinly.
Potatoes, diced small
Swede, diced small (or turnip if you are Cornish)
Onion, diced finely
Salt and pepper
(and a word from the hubby - under no circumstances are there to be peas or carrots in a pasty...)

Assembly
Divide your pastry into even quantities and roll into discs half a centimetre in thickness. On one half of the disc place the required amounts of ingredients to taste, leaving enough space for the crimp when folded. Fold the empty half of the discover the ingredients and crimp along the side (another word from the hubby - do not crimp along the top, a side crimp is a proper way to do it...). Brush with beaten egg and bake in a hot oven until golden
submitted
by Toni-Maree Rowe in Recipes the Celtic Guide Magazine

22/05/2022

Following is an excerpt from Henceforth Tales by Cass and Deborah Wright
In the June 2016 edition of The Celtic Guide Magazine
It’s 1173 and William the Lion is not happy!
Barely 30 years old, he’s been rushed to the
throne of his beloved Scotland by the untimely
death of his father, Malcolm IV; his brother
David’s progressive failures of diplomatic
strategy have trapped him ‘neath the dominant
thumb of England’s hotheaded new monarch,
Henry II, and his rapport with the high courts
of France are running hot and cold. Now, worse
still, his checkerboard campaigns to seize the
cities, fortresses and keeps of the Debatable
Lands (on either side of what we now recognize
as the Anglo-Scottish borders) are collapsing in
a maddening cascade of fiascoes, like the House
of Cards that the French courtiers
assemble for amusement.
Most recently, his assault on
Carlisle has backfired, and rather than
seizing its great, foreboding castle,
or even laying siege thereto, he must
sound a retreat, pulling his army back
from the men at arms pouring out of
the great keep. Struggling to defend
the rearmost lines, the king’s forces
begin to slow their departure as they
reach the outward limits of Carlisle,
form a defensive front, and allow
their cavalry to turn back against the
erstwhile pursuers. As William’s royal
guard ring about him, he surveys the
work of his warriors, and notes again,
for the fifth or sixth time that day,

19/05/2022

17/05/2022

Little is known about the religious beliefs of the Celts of Gaul. They believed in a life after death, for they buried food, weapons, and ornaments with the dead. The druids, the early Celtic priesthood, taught the doctrine of transmigration of souls and discussed the nature and power of the gods.

10/05/2022

Our field team have captured and reviewed OVER 300,000 IMAGES over the past few months as this year's camera trap surveys come to an end 📷

We wanted to share this one instead of squirreling it away though 😉

These surveys help us learn more about the other animals that our wildcats will share a landscape with after they leave the conservation breeding for release centre at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park and head into the wild 🌲