Overcast and cold, much like yesterday, but without the sunny intervals. Temperature down to 6C at the moment. Awoke this morning to the sight of the Norwegian fish survey vessel GO Sars coming into port. Not seen that one for 4 years. The GO Sars travels the Atlantic in search of shoals of fish, for Norwegian fishing vessels to scoop up.
The other unusual sight was the ferry, docked stern first. She normally docks bow first. I'll check how she is lying when passengers board, by 2pm - an hour from now. Talking of hours, our clocks were put forward by an hour last night, and I'm feeling suitably hung-over - without having overindulged.
I'll be uploading pictures later this afternoon about yesterday's trip to the West Side.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Storyteller
Wreathed in the smoke of a peatfire, 80-year old Calum Ferguson tells a story from his book Children from the Blackhouse, in the Blackhouse at Arnol on 27 March 2010.
Unfortunately, I have had to remove the video at the request of Calum himself.
Unfortunately, I have had to remove the video at the request of Calum himself.
Saturday 27 March
Today was focused on a story teller, Calum Ferguson, who was at the Arnol Blackhouse for an hour between 11 and 12 (to speak in English) and 1 and 2 pm (to speak in Gaelic). Calum is a prolific writer and teller of tales, none of them tall, by the way. And proud of his heritage from Point, which frequently prompts him to gently poke fun at the poor sods from elsewhere in Lewis. In order to be in Arnol at 11, it required a departure from Stornoway at 9.10, as that would take us to the village the long way round. A £6 Rover ticket took care of our pilgrimage. The weather was not very good, with frequent showers and a cold northwesterly wind. Attendance at the storytelling session was good, with quite a few youngsters around. Everybody braved the dense peatreek, which at times obscured Calum from view. The stories were followed by a cuppa and a ceilidh in the adjacent Whitehouse (as opposed to Blackhouse). I am informed that the name Blackhouse is a misnomer: it should be Thatched House. The Gaelic Taigh Tugaidh sounds like Taigh Dubh in pronounciation - trust me, it does. Tugaidh means Thatched, Dubh means Black.
At 1pm, we trotted up the road to the main A858 road, past the many ruined blackhouses that Arnol has, alongside modern residences. The bus took an hour to take us to Callanish, which is 18 miles away. Once there, we had a cup of hot soup to warm us up, then we had to leg it back to the main road to pick up the bus back to Stornoway. Once more the long way round.
As I type this, I am still smelling of peat reek.
At 1pm, we trotted up the road to the main A858 road, past the many ruined blackhouses that Arnol has, alongside modern residences. The bus took an hour to take us to Callanish, which is 18 miles away. Once there, we had a cup of hot soup to warm us up, then we had to leg it back to the main road to pick up the bus back to Stornoway. Once more the long way round.
As I type this, I am still smelling of peat reek.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Friday 26 March
Rain coming down all day, so it's quite simply an inside day. Except for a jaunt to the shop. Since the collapse of regional airline Highland Airways, our papers have to come on the ferry, meaning they're not in the shop until mid afternoon. Only the Press and Journal, which comes from Inverness, seems to be there in the morning. The P&J is a regional paper, covering the north of Scotland. The other papers come from Glasgow / Edinburgh or from London. The bankruptcy of HA has cost 100 people their jobs; a dozen have been kept on to look after the aircraft and passengers.
Pupils at a combined primary and secondary school in Castlebay, Barra, walked out of classes today in protest over the education standards at their school. For three years in a row, a Government inspection found standards lacking. Parents have passed a vote of no-confidence in the local education authority. Said authority has said all in the garden is fine - I wonder which sandy beach they have used for burying their heads in. One local councillor has said the Western Isles Council is unfit for purpose. Pupils only returned to their classes after they were threatened with cancellation of a schooltrip, later in the year, to Barcelona. Moves are afoot to involve the Education Secretary in the Scottish Government, which I think is very necessary.
Pupils at a combined primary and secondary school in Castlebay, Barra, walked out of classes today in protest over the education standards at their school. For three years in a row, a Government inspection found standards lacking. Parents have passed a vote of no-confidence in the local education authority. Said authority has said all in the garden is fine - I wonder which sandy beach they have used for burying their heads in. One local councillor has said the Western Isles Council is unfit for purpose. Pupils only returned to their classes after they were threatened with cancellation of a schooltrip, later in the year, to Barcelona. Moves are afoot to involve the Education Secretary in the Scottish Government, which I think is very necessary.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Thursday 25 March
Today started bright and sunny, but cloud has now covered the sky and the wind is picking up. It appears, from the radar, that we're missing the rain. Fingers crossed it stays dry for the rest of the afternoon.
When I went out to buy today's papers, one of them was not present. Upon enquiring, it transpired that the airline that was supposed to bring them (Highland Airways) here had been placed into administration, and ceased trading. All flights operated by the company, including lifeline services between Stornoway and Benbecula, have been cancelled. The company's difficulties stem from a large debt owed to HM Customs & Excise. The information screens at Stornoway Airport merely state that the airline's flights are cancelled.
I am going to review my use of Facebook. At the moment, I seem to be playing games and using it as a relay for this blog. Every now and again, I leave a comment with somebody's postings. Not a satisfactory situation, so I'll cast a critical eye over the situation. It may also mean a review of contacts.
When I went out to buy today's papers, one of them was not present. Upon enquiring, it transpired that the airline that was supposed to bring them (Highland Airways) here had been placed into administration, and ceased trading. All flights operated by the company, including lifeline services between Stornoway and Benbecula, have been cancelled. The company's difficulties stem from a large debt owed to HM Customs & Excise. The information screens at Stornoway Airport merely state that the airline's flights are cancelled.
I am going to review my use of Facebook. At the moment, I seem to be playing games and using it as a relay for this blog. Every now and again, I leave a comment with somebody's postings. Not a satisfactory situation, so I'll cast a critical eye over the situation. It may also mean a review of contacts.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
The long way round
World Tuberculosis Day
Did you know it's World TB Day today? The BBC has put up a picture gallery with graphic images associated with that disease. I'll just jot down a few private observations on that illness.
TB is an old adversary of humankind, and has crept into everyday vocabulary. It is referred to as consumption in English, a euphemism of the sort commonly attributed to serious illnesses. In days gone by, within living memory, TB sufferers were taken into a sanatorium with plenty of fresh air - even if that was fresh air from outside at a temperature of minus a lot. In the 1950s, people were operated upon, with entire lung lobes removed. I personally know someone who had that done. It cured them - or did it? The antibiotics used to combat TB are heavy duty stuff, and just today the development was announced of a new compound.
TB has made a come-back in the last decade or two, on the back of AIDS. The latter disease destroys the immune system, which opens the floodgates to the TB.
Chemically speaking, the tuberculosis bacillus has some unusual fatty acids in its cellwall - consisting of a chain of 80 carbon atoms. Those of you familiar with bio-chemistry will recognise the extra-ordinary nature of such a compound. It means that the bacillus is well-nigh impregnable to antibiotics, which need to get into the cell of the TB bug to kill it.
Another problem is that the treatment course of TB is 6 months. Few people manage to finish a course, because their symptoms tend to disappear after a couple of days or weeks. Bearing in mind the unpleasant side-effects of some of the drugs, it is even less of an incentive to continue to take pills that turn your urine an alarming hue of pink, for instance.
If you haven't been put off yet, I'd like to highlight another aspect of tuberculosis: transmission through domestic and wild animals. Bovine TB is a major problem in farming, with some farmers blaming wild animals (like badgers) for transmission. So, even if we manage to eradicate TB in people, it might stage a come-back via the animal kingdom. Bearing in mind that the AIDS message seems to have dropped out of people's considerations when having casual sex, I don't expect the eradication of TB to happen very shortly.
TB is an old adversary of humankind, and has crept into everyday vocabulary. It is referred to as consumption in English, a euphemism of the sort commonly attributed to serious illnesses. In days gone by, within living memory, TB sufferers were taken into a sanatorium with plenty of fresh air - even if that was fresh air from outside at a temperature of minus a lot. In the 1950s, people were operated upon, with entire lung lobes removed. I personally know someone who had that done. It cured them - or did it? The antibiotics used to combat TB are heavy duty stuff, and just today the development was announced of a new compound.
TB has made a come-back in the last decade or two, on the back of AIDS. The latter disease destroys the immune system, which opens the floodgates to the TB.
Chemically speaking, the tuberculosis bacillus has some unusual fatty acids in its cellwall - consisting of a chain of 80 carbon atoms. Those of you familiar with bio-chemistry will recognise the extra-ordinary nature of such a compound. It means that the bacillus is well-nigh impregnable to antibiotics, which need to get into the cell of the TB bug to kill it.
Another problem is that the treatment course of TB is 6 months. Few people manage to finish a course, because their symptoms tend to disappear after a couple of days or weeks. Bearing in mind the unpleasant side-effects of some of the drugs, it is even less of an incentive to continue to take pills that turn your urine an alarming hue of pink, for instance.
If you haven't been put off yet, I'd like to highlight another aspect of tuberculosis: transmission through domestic and wild animals. Bovine TB is a major problem in farming, with some farmers blaming wild animals (like badgers) for transmission. So, even if we manage to eradicate TB in people, it might stage a come-back via the animal kingdom. Bearing in mind that the AIDS message seems to have dropped out of people's considerations when having casual sex, I don't expect the eradication of TB to happen very shortly.
Wednesday 24 March
Today has been a very wet day, which has only just now dried up.
Here in the islands, working parents are being inconvenienced by the closure of a nursery at the hospital, called Little Teddies. The nursery can be used by any working parent, but the NHS here is running a £3m deficit - and has done for 5 years - which needs to be addressed. Fortunately, an alternative facility will be in place by August.
It is quiet on the hurricane front, with only two tropical storms about. Imani is headed south across the Indian Ocean, near the 85th degree longitude east; Omais is moving slowly northwest, away from the northern Marianas islands in the Pacific. Both are not expected to be around for much longer than 48-72 hours.
Here in the islands, working parents are being inconvenienced by the closure of a nursery at the hospital, called Little Teddies. The nursery can be used by any working parent, but the NHS here is running a £3m deficit - and has done for 5 years - which needs to be addressed. Fortunately, an alternative facility will be in place by August.
It is quiet on the hurricane front, with only two tropical storms about. Imani is headed south across the Indian Ocean, near the 85th degree longitude east; Omais is moving slowly northwest, away from the northern Marianas islands in the Pacific. Both are not expected to be around for much longer than 48-72 hours.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Tuesday 23 March
Overcast and increasingly windy. Just after 2pm, the wind ratched up a notch to about force 7 from the south. Made progress on foot rather more difficult than usual; in a built-up area, houses and buildings can funnel the breeze. As a result, we've been treated to the spectacle of shreds of paper blown around the area. Added to that were 8 inch blobs of suds which were floating on the wind. These emanated from a sewerage outfall pipe down the shore, across from my position, where a large blob of foam had congregated. The tide is out, so we'll just await high tide at 1 am tonight to wash it all away.
The British government has decided to expel an Israeli diplomat in the wake of the row over forged UK passports. Earlier this year, a leading figure in the Palestinian movement Hamas was assassinated in Dubai by a number of men carrying forged UK passports (and other European passports, also fake). Although the finger of blame firmly points towards the Israeli security agency Mossad, no concrete evidence to link the Israelis to the murder is available. Nonetheless, the UK Foreign Secretary has squarely blamed Israel for this "intolerable" misuse of UK passports. Mossad is well known for ignoring laws when executing its brief of protecting the security of the state of Israel. Hamas and Israel fought a bloody battle over Gaza a year ago. The "peace process" is as dead as it has always been, in spite of various talking shops hosted by people like Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and Tony Blair. I see no prospect of that festering sore being cured anytime soon.
The British government has decided to expel an Israeli diplomat in the wake of the row over forged UK passports. Earlier this year, a leading figure in the Palestinian movement Hamas was assassinated in Dubai by a number of men carrying forged UK passports (and other European passports, also fake). Although the finger of blame firmly points towards the Israeli security agency Mossad, no concrete evidence to link the Israelis to the murder is available. Nonetheless, the UK Foreign Secretary has squarely blamed Israel for this "intolerable" misuse of UK passports. Mossad is well known for ignoring laws when executing its brief of protecting the security of the state of Israel. Hamas and Israel fought a bloody battle over Gaza a year ago. The "peace process" is as dead as it has always been, in spite of various talking shops hosted by people like Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and Tony Blair. I see no prospect of that festering sore being cured anytime soon.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Healthcare debate
Over in the States, the House of Representatives has passed a Bill, aimed to alter the way people in the US can access healthcare. Until now, about 20% of US citizens did not have access to healthcare insurance for various reasons. President Obama has fought hard to get this legislation passed, and it has proven to be a seriously divisive issue in America.
I was absolutely stunned to note the ferocity of the opposition to this law, and (to my untutored mind) appears to centre on the average American's distrust of the state and unwillingness to pay tax. There is also an attitude, going back to the 19th century, that everybody has to stand up for themselves (as nobody else would do so), and people who will not or cannot are just lazy lay-abouts. The S-word has also come up (socialism), and the fact that some fear the prospect that the USA will become like a European nanny state.
I am heavily biased, as living in one of those European nanny states, where you can access healthcare without it costing you an arm and a leg. The only contributions (at point of uptake) that you can be expected to make in primary care are for medicines and dentistry. Otherwise, you make national insurance contributions, as employer as well as employees, which pays in large measure for healthcare in the UK.
Over in Holland, there is a system where people pay a compulsory premium to the healthcare system (not in tax, but directly). In addition, depending on income, you may be compelled to take out private healthcare insurance. In the UK, private healthcare insurance is optional and often seen to be the prerogative of the rich.
Generally speaking, it is a government's duty to look after the wellfare of its citizens, and to make sure that mechanisms are in place which will enable said citizens to access healthcare. Those that are financially unable to do so, should be offered a way to get the healthcare they need. To deny a full 20% of the population access to healthcare insurance is neglectful (and I'm deliberately omitting choice adjectives before neglectful) and a dereliction of duty.
It is time for America to move out of the pioneer era, out of the wagons, the period of the Injuns and the US Cavalry. Out of the McCarthy era, with its shameful persecutions of people who were deemed to be holding left-wing sympathies. It is time for everybody to take responsibility for those who are less fortunate, through no fault of their own. Join the 21st century.
I was absolutely stunned to note the ferocity of the opposition to this law, and (to my untutored mind) appears to centre on the average American's distrust of the state and unwillingness to pay tax. There is also an attitude, going back to the 19th century, that everybody has to stand up for themselves (as nobody else would do so), and people who will not or cannot are just lazy lay-abouts. The S-word has also come up (socialism), and the fact that some fear the prospect that the USA will become like a European nanny state.
I am heavily biased, as living in one of those European nanny states, where you can access healthcare without it costing you an arm and a leg. The only contributions (at point of uptake) that you can be expected to make in primary care are for medicines and dentistry. Otherwise, you make national insurance contributions, as employer as well as employees, which pays in large measure for healthcare in the UK.
Over in Holland, there is a system where people pay a compulsory premium to the healthcare system (not in tax, but directly). In addition, depending on income, you may be compelled to take out private healthcare insurance. In the UK, private healthcare insurance is optional and often seen to be the prerogative of the rich.
Generally speaking, it is a government's duty to look after the wellfare of its citizens, and to make sure that mechanisms are in place which will enable said citizens to access healthcare. Those that are financially unable to do so, should be offered a way to get the healthcare they need. To deny a full 20% of the population access to healthcare insurance is neglectful (and I'm deliberately omitting choice adjectives before neglectful) and a dereliction of duty.
It is time for America to move out of the pioneer era, out of the wagons, the period of the Injuns and the US Cavalry. Out of the McCarthy era, with its shameful persecutions of people who were deemed to be holding left-wing sympathies. It is time for everybody to take responsibility for those who are less fortunate, through no fault of their own. Join the 21st century.
Monday 22 March
A brightish day with strong winds and the odd light shower. Nice rainbows, but because the sun is now higher in the sky, the rainbows remain low in the sky. When the sun is higher than 46° (halfway up) in the sky, a rainbow cannot be seen as it will be "below the horizon".
I am not a happy bunny today, because my laptop has decided to revert to its old, bad ways of giving me an aberrant colour display. It is not quite as bad as before, but it is very tiring to be subjected to abnormal colours.
Like so:
A frightening incident has taken more than 2 months to come to public attention. A motorist was trapped in her car as it was stuck under the bumper of a lorry on the A1 near Wetherby, Yorkshire. It took a full minute for the lorry driver to finally notice something was wrong. Someone took video footage of the incident (see the BBC link). The company has said that since the footage emerged, a week ago, they have taken the driver involved off the road. The police are considering what action to take.
I am not a happy bunny today, because my laptop has decided to revert to its old, bad ways of giving me an aberrant colour display. It is not quite as bad as before, but it is very tiring to be subjected to abnormal colours.
Like so:
A frightening incident has taken more than 2 months to come to public attention. A motorist was trapped in her car as it was stuck under the bumper of a lorry on the A1 near Wetherby, Yorkshire. It took a full minute for the lorry driver to finally notice something was wrong. Someone took video footage of the incident (see the BBC link). The company has said that since the footage emerged, a week ago, they have taken the driver involved off the road. The police are considering what action to take.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Sunday 21 March
It's Sunday, so it's very quiet. The weather started out wet this morning, but after a couple of showers, the afternoon remained dry and not too cold. The mercury reached 10C, but is receding as darkness falls. Went out for a walk round my area of Stornoway. It is mainly industrial, with a powerstation and several defunct Harris Tweed mills. Not beautiful, but I've seen worse.
Defunct mill
Cat in window
Memorial to naval base at Battery Point
Battery Point powerstation
Iceland saw a volcanic eruption in the early hours of the morning. It caused great disruption to national and international flights, but could potentially trigger a larger eruption of a nearby volcano.
Australia's Queensland coast is recovering after cyclone Ului struck in the early hours of Sunday morning local time. Winds peaked at 106 mph, but the storm quickly lost its puff as it moved over land. Rainfall totals have exceeded 16 inches, adding to the existing flooding problems in the state. The remnant of Ului is moving west across Queensland towards Northern Territories.
Defunct mill
Cat in window
Memorial to naval base at Battery Point
Battery Point powerstation
Iceland saw a volcanic eruption in the early hours of the morning. It caused great disruption to national and international flights, but could potentially trigger a larger eruption of a nearby volcano.
Australia's Queensland coast is recovering after cyclone Ului struck in the early hours of Sunday morning local time. Winds peaked at 106 mph, but the storm quickly lost its puff as it moved over land. Rainfall totals have exceeded 16 inches, adding to the existing flooding problems in the state. The remnant of Ului is moving west across Queensland towards Northern Territories.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Pilots, Turks and Hurricanes
Back in 2007, pioneer aviator Steve Fossett went missing in the Nevada desert. He had left an airfield and never came back. You may remember the extensive search efforts, even involving Internet users (like myself) who were asked to scan images on Google Earth for anything resembling a crashed aircraft.
You had to subscribe to Amazon's Mechanical Turk programme, which I duly did, and off I went perusing dozens and dozens of pictures of desert as seen from space. Several plane wrecks were located using this technique, but not Steve Fossett's. His plane, and remains, were located more than a year later, in November 2008.
After I got enough of staring at all shades of colour between brown, green and grey, I ventured into other areas of the Mechanical Turk. You can do all sorts of mind-numbingly dumb chores for which you get paid a couple of dollar cents a go. The more challenging tasks can earn you a few dozen cents, and the big jobs several whole dollars. In the end, I had accumulated nearly $12 in Amazon gift vouchers.
I then came across dearmissmermaid, an Internet blogger from the island of Tortola in the Caribbean. She had written a book, called Hurricanes and Hangovers, which I could purchase from Amazon. However, I could only use the gift vouchers on Amazon US. So, off I went to buy the book all the way from the States. It would cost me more than $28, but the Mechanical Turk knocked off those $12, so it's down to about £10.
When the book arrived earlier this week, it was annotated that it had been produced for me on 6 March 2010 in Lexington KY. I've let DMM know that I'm thoroughly enjoying her book - I'm not going to link, as I've done more promotion in one post than I've done for many a month.
You had to subscribe to Amazon's Mechanical Turk programme, which I duly did, and off I went perusing dozens and dozens of pictures of desert as seen from space. Several plane wrecks were located using this technique, but not Steve Fossett's. His plane, and remains, were located more than a year later, in November 2008.
After I got enough of staring at all shades of colour between brown, green and grey, I ventured into other areas of the Mechanical Turk. You can do all sorts of mind-numbingly dumb chores for which you get paid a couple of dollar cents a go. The more challenging tasks can earn you a few dozen cents, and the big jobs several whole dollars. In the end, I had accumulated nearly $12 in Amazon gift vouchers.
I then came across dearmissmermaid, an Internet blogger from the island of Tortola in the Caribbean. She had written a book, called Hurricanes and Hangovers, which I could purchase from Amazon. However, I could only use the gift vouchers on Amazon US. So, off I went to buy the book all the way from the States. It would cost me more than $28, but the Mechanical Turk knocked off those $12, so it's down to about £10.
When the book arrived earlier this week, it was annotated that it had been produced for me on 6 March 2010 in Lexington KY. I've let DMM know that I'm thoroughly enjoying her book - I'm not going to link, as I've done more promotion in one post than I've done for many a month.
Hurricane update - 20 March (2)
Tropical cyclone Ului is approaching the coastline of Queensland as I type (1520 GMT). I was fascinated if horrified to read the continual updates from the weather station at Hamilton Island, just off Proserpine, which reported winds of 172 km/h (that's 107 mph), with gusts to 202 km/h (126 mph). The 0900 GMT forecast from JTWC was miles out with regards to strength: they were talking about sustained winds of 60 mph with gusts of 80 mph.
The last update, from 15 minutes ago, showed winds abating (I suppose 80 mph is less bad than 107 mph) at Hamilton Island, but beginning to pick up at Proserpine, 25 miles to the east on the mainland. It is an interesting demonstration how localised a phenomenon a tropical cyclone is.
The last update, from 15 minutes ago, showed winds abating (I suppose 80 mph is less bad than 107 mph) at Hamilton Island, but beginning to pick up at Proserpine, 25 miles to the east on the mainland. It is an interesting demonstration how localised a phenomenon a tropical cyclone is.
Saturday 20 March
A bright and sunny morning, if a tad on the breezy side. It's not cold, with the temperature already into double figures at 10 am. Started the day by washing the salt off the windows - couldn't see a thing. Who needs net curtains if you can have a gale and seaspray.
The freighter Wilson Dover, which was in distress in galeforce conditions off Cape Wrath yesterday, was safely towed into Kirkwall, Orkney. The coastguard tug Anglian Sovereign managed to get the ship alongside the Hatston terminal north of the town at 8 am this morning.
With reference to the Battle at Culloden, April 1746, a military historian has called for a memorial to be erected in memory of the soldiers who fought on the side of the Duke of Cumberland, in opposition to the Jacobite forces, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Not much is being made of the Red Coats, as all the attention is focused on BPC. I have previously made clear that I feel that the Jacobite prince was a royal fool and incompetent to a catastrophic degree. Whilst the clan system was already on the way out in the mid 18th century, Charlie's actions served to give the Hannoverian forces the pretext they needed to go on the rampage in the Highlands and Islands.
Culloden is often marked as the occasion which marked the end of the Scotland of old. Well, in 1707, Scotland had already ceased to be an independent nation, by virtue of the merger of the Scottish Parliament into the Westminster one in London. The rebellions by the Old Pretender in 1715 and his son, the Young Pretender, in 1746, served no purpose. To this day, the people in the Highlands and Islands can be claimed to feel the effects of the disaster that was Culloden, without a doubt.
Comparing Scotland to Norway, as some politicians like to do, throws up some unpleasant home truths. The remote areas in Norway are supported, if necessary subsidised, by the government in Oslo. The remote areas of Scotland are not supported to any degree like that of the Norwegians. The fish farming industry is a case in point, where plants and companies have been taken over by foreign parties - to be closed down and asset stripped. The Norwegians would never allow that to happen in e.g. the Lofoten Islands. So, why does the Scottish Government or indeed the British Government permit it?
No, I'm not a Scottish nationalist. Far from it. Regular readers are aware of my provenance. This post is merely one of my pet hates, the elevation of Prince Charles Edward to the status of near-sainthood in Scottish history. The man was an unmitigated disaster for Scotland.
The freighter Wilson Dover, which was in distress in galeforce conditions off Cape Wrath yesterday, was safely towed into Kirkwall, Orkney. The coastguard tug Anglian Sovereign managed to get the ship alongside the Hatston terminal north of the town at 8 am this morning.
With reference to the Battle at Culloden, April 1746, a military historian has called for a memorial to be erected in memory of the soldiers who fought on the side of the Duke of Cumberland, in opposition to the Jacobite forces, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Not much is being made of the Red Coats, as all the attention is focused on BPC. I have previously made clear that I feel that the Jacobite prince was a royal fool and incompetent to a catastrophic degree. Whilst the clan system was already on the way out in the mid 18th century, Charlie's actions served to give the Hannoverian forces the pretext they needed to go on the rampage in the Highlands and Islands.
Culloden is often marked as the occasion which marked the end of the Scotland of old. Well, in 1707, Scotland had already ceased to be an independent nation, by virtue of the merger of the Scottish Parliament into the Westminster one in London. The rebellions by the Old Pretender in 1715 and his son, the Young Pretender, in 1746, served no purpose. To this day, the people in the Highlands and Islands can be claimed to feel the effects of the disaster that was Culloden, without a doubt.
Comparing Scotland to Norway, as some politicians like to do, throws up some unpleasant home truths. The remote areas in Norway are supported, if necessary subsidised, by the government in Oslo. The remote areas of Scotland are not supported to any degree like that of the Norwegians. The fish farming industry is a case in point, where plants and companies have been taken over by foreign parties - to be closed down and asset stripped. The Norwegians would never allow that to happen in e.g. the Lofoten Islands. So, why does the Scottish Government or indeed the British Government permit it?
No, I'm not a Scottish nationalist. Far from it. Regular readers are aware of my provenance. This post is merely one of my pet hates, the elevation of Prince Charles Edward to the status of near-sainthood in Scottish history. The man was an unmitigated disaster for Scotland.
Hurricane update - 20 March
Tropical cyclone Ului is now approaching the Queensland coast of Australia, and I'm a bit concerned about the news from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Forecasts from the past few hours suggest the cyclone is intensifying, which contradicts the forecast from the Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). Their predictions keep Ului at tropical storm strength, with winds of 55 knots, 65 mph. BOM Australia is currently putting the storm's intensity at 65 knots and increasing. Ului is forecast to make landfall near Proserpine, with a margin of error stretching from Mackay in the south to Ayr in the north. The coastline from Yeppoon to Cardwell is under a tropical cyclone warning (map). Residents are strongly advised to follow the tropical cyclone advices from the BOM, and listen to ABC Tropical Queensland for updates.
Friday, 19 March 2010
Forever for sale
I was once again travelling the island by Google Streetview this evening, when I decide to head down the Eishken Road. About 3 miles in, there is this ruin of a house, in a glorious location overlooking the head of Loch Seaforth. It has come down in price over the years, from about £25,000 in 2005 to £13,000 today, in 2010. No facilities on site at all. Why doesn't it shift? I mean, it would perfectly suit a hermit, a holiday home, or someone wanting to be away from it all. Well, there is the minor matter of a windfarm with 33 turbines, each 500 feet high which will be constructed on the hills on the other side of Loch Seaforth.
Leaving monstrosities like a windfarm to one side, there are other reasons why houses don't sell. The house shown in this picture, which stands in Ness, has also been for sale for at least the duration I've been here. It requires such an enormous amount of work, that demolition is probably the cheapest option. Sometimes houses are not put up for sale for years. The reason is quite often that the occupants have passed away, but there is a dispute of subsequent ownership. Or nobody knows who the owner is. I'll never forget the description of the interior of a house that was put up for sale some 14 years after the last occupant had died. Newspapers, dating back to the 1930s, were still present. The man's caps were neatly piled up, and everything was still the way it was the day he died, in 1991. More often than not, houses fall into rack and ruin.
Evening notes
Just before darkness fell, a flutter of large, whitish wings caught my attention in the backyard. It flew into the hedge, which is home to many small birds, flew out at high speed and back in again. In the end, the bird sat down outside the hedge and I could see what it was: a sparrowhawk. Small wonder the blackbird was panicking. I did not have my camera on me, and the light conditions were way too poor to be able to take pictures at any rate.
The below image shows a gull taking advantage of the force 8 conditions this morning.
Although we have had fewer gales this winter than average, it is still a relief for boat owners that they can put their vessels on hard standing during the winter months. By 1 May, they will have to be back in the water.
Friday 19 March
The above map has been cropped from AIS Northern Scotland. The MV Wilson Dover has run into mechanical problems amidst a force 9 gale and an 8 metre (27 ft) swell. The MV Anglian Sovereign is a coastguard tug, which has come to the aid of the Wilson Dover out of Kirkwall, some 45 miles to the east, trying to tow the ship to safety in Orkney. Conditions are so horrendous that to even attempt to attach a towline is proving well-nigh impossible. STV alerted me to the rescue. The location is some 50 miles north of Cape Wrath, the farthest point northwest in mainland Britain; approximately 100 miles northeast of Stornoway.
Today has been a wild day, and the weather is taking its time in calming down. The day dawned with a force 8 gale here in Stornoway, and conditions so poor that the early morning sailing of our ferry was cancelled. The wind is slowly subsiding, currently at force 6 with winds of 25 mph, but not out at sea it would appear.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Thursday 18 March
Overcast, wet and windy. With a temperature of 9C, we're lagging behind the rest of the country. Can't say it bothers me very much; I prefer the cooler weather.
Here in the islands, a ferocious row is going on in the Isle of Barra, 120 miles south of Stornoway. The school in the main town, Castlebay, has been receiving less than favourable reports from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education, now for 3 years in a row. Parents are concerned and so are the pupils. A local internet blog highlighting the issue received 100 comments, whereas commonly the number of comments on its entries is around a dozen or so. More remarkable is that the Council blocked access to the blog from computers at the school in Castlebay. In spite of a visitation by a senior education official, parents’ and students’ fears are by no means allayed, and a move could be afoot to wrench control of the school from the council to the community. This would require the consent of the Scottish Government.
A report has been published in which the deathtoll of the bombing of the German city of Dresden in February 1945 has been put at 25,000. During three nights, British and American planes bombed the city in the east of Germany, raising a firestorm as a result. Neo-nazis have put the deathtoll as high as half a million, a claim disputed by the report's authors. They say that far fewer refugees from the east, who had been fleeing the advancing Red Army, had been in the city. Critics have claimed that the bombardment served no military purpose, but others have said that Dresden was an important logistical centre at the time.
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