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For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
Disqus Comment System
I'm not sure how many of you know about our Disqus commenting system. It's on all pages of the site apart from the index page. To see it you need to scroll down to the foot of the page below the page content. The system can actually be used as a community forum. For example if you went to any of our clan and family pages you can add a comment and then others may also comment on your comment and thus build some interesting information and advice to the page.
If you have an account with Google, Facebook, Twitter or Yahoo you can use that account to add comments but if you don't you can very quickly add a Disqus account. I have arranged the system in such a way that all comments are moderated which means I need to approve them before they will appear on the page. This just means I ensure that inappropriate comments are not posted and that they are relevant to the content of the page where you post your comment.
As an example if you posted a comment about your clan but it's clear the comment has nothing to do with the clan then I'd likely delete it. So your comments should have something to do with the content of the page where you leave your comment.
I am able to email anyone that leaves a comment so if I thought it was a good comment but not relevant to the page where you left it I may email you to tell you that and suggest another page where it would be appropriate.
It's also a way to add information such as the date of a Highland Games where your clan will have a clan tent. You can even come back afterwards to add a link to see pictures of the tent.
So do make use of the system and that way it will add to the usefulness of the page.
Scottish Elections
Well the big news this week is the Scottish Elections in which the SNP lost their overall majority. Many views of this from all sides of the political divide. Labour lost big time and the Tories did very well. The Greens did well and now in 4th position overtaking the Lib-Dems. It is thought the Greens may well help the SNP win key votes in Parliament.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page...
The SNP: Running to Stand Still
Over 1 million constituency votes is a good headline number, but let’s not forget that it would have taken over 1.8 million votes for Yes to have won the independence referendum.
Read more at:
http://chokkablog.blogspot.ca/2016/0...and-still.html
Eurosceptic SNP voters could influence EU referendum result
A series of polls show a large minority of Scottish National party voters are Eurosceptics, giving Nicola Sturgeon a political headache as the referendum campaign begins
Read more at:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/s...ing-data-shows
First Group to run Edinburgh to London budget rail service
It said average fares would be less than £25 and there would be only one class of carriage.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-36273407
Ken Macintosh chosen as Holyrood presiding officer
The Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has been elected as presiding officer for the fifth term of the Scottish Parliament.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...itics-36279028
Loch Lomond and Trossachs named top of UK beauty spots
Now National Geographic Traveller, renowned for its stunning photographs and unique travel writing has named one of Scotland’s beauty spots as the top national park in Britain.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...pots-1-4121929
A history of surnames from Edinburgh and the Lothians
ALTHOUGH Scotland is a small country, with around 5.3 million inhabitants, there are believed to be as many as 100 million people of Scottish descent scattered around the world.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/peo...ians-1-4124306
Old mines offer hope of cheaper heat for homes
More than half of all energy used in Scotland goes towards heating, and it is also responsible for nearly half of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...omes-1-4121891
SNP to face natural majority against Named Person plans
SNP policy being targeted for repeal by the newly strengthened Holyrood opposition parties.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...lans-1-4122567
Franchising moves to unsung hero of Scotland’s economy
Franchising can sometimes idly be thought of as a frippery to the mainline economy.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/business/man...nomy-1-4121272
Ruth Davidson vows to hold SNP to account with fresh approach
Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has pledged to hold the Scottish Government to account
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...oach-1-4121429
EU referendum: Donald Trump backs Brexit
The UK would be better off without the European Union, US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has said.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-...endum-36219612
Electric Canadian
Caricature History of Canadian Politics
Events from the Union of 1841, as from "Grip," and various other sources by J. W. Bengough, with an Introduction by Rev. Principal Grant, D.D., of Queen's University, Kingston. (1886) in 2 volumes. Includes a Sketch of Canadian Political History, 1841 TO 1879.
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/history/caricatures.htm
Found a couple of books on Agriculture...
The Potato in British Columbia at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...00ticerich.pdf
and
Farming in Alberta at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...ingalberta.pdf
Fort McMurray Wildfire
Where the Fort McMurray wildfire is now and why it will take months to extinguish. Read more at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...ered-1.3575583
Electric Scotland
Cameronians
Including a book about Richard Cameron and a 1 hour talk about him.
Cameronian was a name given to a radical faction of Scottish Covenanters who followed the teachings of Richard Cameron, and who were composed principally of those who signed the Sanquhar Declaration in 1680. Known also as "Society Men", "Sanquharians," and "Hillmen", they became a separate church after the religious settlement of 1690, taking the official title of Reformed Presbyterians in 1743. "Societies of Cameronians for the Maintenance of the Presbyterian Form of Worship" were formed about 1681. Their testimony, "The Informatory Vindication", was published in 1687. They quickly became the most pronounced and active adherents of the covenanting faith. They wished to restore the ecclesiastical order which had existed between 1638 and 1649, and were dissatisfied with the moderate character of the religious settlement of 1690. Refusing to take oaths of allegiance to an uncovenanted ruler, or to exercise any civil function, they passed through a period of trial and found some difficulty in maintaining a regular ministry, but in 1706 they were reinforced by some converts from the established church. They objected strongly to the proposal for the union of England and Scotland, and were suspected of abetting a rising which took place in the west of Scotland in 1706; but there appears to be no foundation for the statement that they intrigued with the Jacobites, and they gave no trouble to the government either in 1715 or in 1745.1n 1712 they publicly renewed their covenants at Auchensaugh Hill in Lanarkshire, and in 1713 their first presbytery was founded at Braehead, while a presbytery was formed in North America in 1774. Following an 1863 division, the majority body of the Reformed Presbyterians united with the Free Church of Scotland, leaving the tiny minority body as the last representatives of the Cameronians; it retains the name of Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In the British army the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a regiment directly descended from the Cameronian guard, which was first raised in 1689 by James Douglas, Earl of Angus, fought at the battle of Dunkeld and was afterwards employed to restore order in the Highlands. One of the regimental traditions was to issue a bible to every new recruit; another was that the troops went under arms to church services, and the service only started after sentries had been posted on four sides of the church building.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ameronians.htm
Alexander MacGregor
Added an article about him and also an article from him as well as the book he wrote about Flora MacDonald.
IN our last we intimated the death of the Rev. Alexander Macgregor, M.A., of the West Church, Inverness, on the 19th of October last, from a stroke of paralysis. We then scarcely realised the great loss which Inverness and the Highlands had suffered, and we have not done so in its full extent even yet. It is, indeed, difficult to realise that we shall never again see him in the flesh. He who for years scarcely failed to make his daily call, until within the last twelve months, when he was perceptibly getting more frail and we were a little further out of his way. Even then he would pay a visit two or three times a-week, and have his interesting chat, his quiet, enjoyable laugh, and his puff, for he heartily enjoyed the calumet of peace, though he never carried pipe nor tobacco. His fund of anecdote, Highland story and tradition, was inexhaustible; and the various incidents in his own life-experience, which he enjoyed to recapitulate in his characteristically modest and charming style to his more intimate friends, were delightful and most instructive to listen to.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist..._alexander.htm
Celtic Magazine
Added an additional 7 volumes of this magazine vols 2-6 and 8-9. You can read these at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/Hist...ltic/index.htm
The Diary of Mr. James Melvill 1556-1601
MELVILLE, JAMES, with whose history are connected many most interesting facts in the ecclesiastical and literary history of Scotland, was born at Baldovy, near Montrose, on the 25th of July, 1556.
I have added a link to his diary to the foot of his page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lle_james1.htm
Memoirs of Sir Andrew Melvill
SCION of a leading Scottish family was sent in 1637 to Prussia to learn German. He gave his tutor the slip to go a-soldiering in Poland; but, disappointed in this, he returned to Scotland, where he found his parents dead and his patrimony confiscated by creditors. Turning freebooter, he was captured and imprisoned by peasants. He next went to France, where he entered the army and underwent many dangers and privations. He then joined Charles II. in Scotland, fought at Worcester, and was sheltered by villagers till his wounds were healed, when he effected his escape to the Continent. Agaiu in France, he commanded the Scottish body-guard of Cardinal de Retz. Thrown into prison, he was well nigh starved into abjuring Protestantism. Once more in the field, he was captured by Croats. He next served German princes, one of whom sent him to London to compliment Charles on the Restoration. He fought for Austria against the Turks, combatted the French at Treves, and after the peace of Nimegueu settled down as governor of a Hanoverian town. Yet strange io say, his autobiography, published in French at Amsterdam in 1704, a second edition appearing in the following year, has never been reprinted, nor translated into English. One reason of this is that the author gives no pedigree, nor even his Christian name, information unnecessary at the time but of importance to posterity, so that he is indistinguishable among a host of homonyms; consequently the British Museum catalogue leaves a blank for the Christian name, and an exhaustive history of the family from which he sprang, while containing a letter addressed to him, was unable to trace his relationship, or even to identify him as the autobiographer.
This is a really interesting book and have added a link to it at the foot of our page about him at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lle_andrew.htm
Strling Albion F.C.
More articles from the Glasgow Herald Archives at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...l/19491114.htm
Elgin: and A Guide to Elgin Cathedral
By John Shanks (1866).
Added a link to this book from our Records of Elgin page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/loss...in_records.htm
Inverness Guide
The Official Publication of the Corporation. Added a link to this guide at the foot of the page on Inverness at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/inverness/
Letter on Immigration
Hand written letter From Harry Munro to Sir William Sinclair, Albany 1773 (pdf)
You can download this at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...s/johnson1.pdf
Dictionary of National Biography
Added some more entries on names from this publication. The links can be found at the foot of the appropriate pages...
Anstruther http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...anstruther.htm
Arbuthnot http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../arbuthnot.htm
Armstrong http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../armstrong.htm
Arnot/Arnott http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...tion/arnot.htm
Arthur http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ion/arthur.htm
Ayton/Aytoun http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...tion/ayton.htm
Sir Samuel Auchmuty
Added an account of this General to our Auchmuty page in the Scottish Nation at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...n/auchmuty.htm
Private Journal of Lord George Granville Campbell
H.M.S. CHALLENGER: From the Cape of Good Hope to Australia (1875). Added a link to this book at the foot of the page on Campbell at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...n/campbell.htm
THE STORY
As the big story this week were the elections I thought I'd bring you a story about them and here it is...
Holyrood elections see rise of 'Team Ruth' and demise of Labour vision
Leader of Scottish Conservatives successfully positioned herself as only serious opposition to Nicola Sturgeon
The elections have seen the remarkable transformation of Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Conservatives from “toxic Tories” to the second party and official opposition of the Holyrood parliament.
The party nearly doubled the number of seats it won in 2011, to 31, while the benighted Scottish Labour party slipped back into third place with 24 seats, only three of which were won in first-past-the-post constituency contests.
It was Davidson who, having baited Labour’s Kezia Dugdale over her pro-union credentials during the televised leaders’ debates, successfully positioned herself as the only person capable of standing up to Nicola Sturgeon over independence.
Does this mean that the constitutional question is once again front and centre of Scottish politics, as voters split according to yes/no loyalties, just as they did in last year’s Westminster elections?
Not necessarily. During the campaign, Conservative activists told the Guardian that the constitutional question was not having as much sway on the doorstep as their message of strong opposition to the dominant SNP.
Davidson’s personal popularity also proved a decisive factor: campaigners made no secret of introducing themselves as being “with Team Ruth” rather than representing the Scottish Conservatives. The strongest evidence for this was the leader’s own unexpected win of Edinburgh Central from the SNP, a constituency she barely campaigned in after switching her political base from Glasgow last summer.
Perhaps more significant was the distribution of the pro-independence vote: while the SNP victory was substantial, the party lost six seats and failed to secure an overall majority, while the Greens consolidated their post-referendum surge in support by tripling their tally to six list seats, leapfrogging the Liberal Democrats into fourth place in the process. This would suggest that, with their second list vote, independence supporters were attracted to the Greens’ more radical offer to “push the SNP beyond their comfort zone” on tax, fracking and land reform.
What was starkly evident in some constituencies, particularly across the central belt, was how percentages of Conservative gains were matched almost exactly by Labour losses, although Davidson did tell the Guardian earlier this week that she was targeting older, working-class Labour voters “who look at Jeremy Corbyn and run a mile”.
But it’s highly unlikely that this indicates a sizeable tranche of direct switchers. Rather, it indicates a Labour base without a strong enough motivation to get out and vote, while the Conservative base felt the opposite: that there was a point to voting again and they were well-mobilised.
Mark Diffley, a pollster with Ipsos Mori Scotland, said Davidson had run a tactically brilliant campaign. “She is a young charismatic leader who reaches out beyond the traditional Tory constituency and also played the aftermath of the referendum pretty astutely, it has to be said,” he said.
Diffley said Davidson told voters: “If you want to protect yourself against another referendum, vote Tory. And they were pretty consistent about that during the campaign.”
Senior figures in the Scottish Labour party and trade unions believe their poor showing, which led to Labour’s worst result in more than a century, was in part because it had failed to address the country’s constitutional future.
Alex Rowley, Labour’s deputy leader at Holyrood, said the party had to win back former Labour voters who had shifted their support to the SNP after voting for independence in 2014 by producing “a clear vision for the future of Scotland”.
Labour needed to revisit the question of “home rule” for Scotland, or federalism at UK level, under which Holyrood would have control over far more tax-raising areas, such as pensions or employment law.
“We will need to set out what kind of future we want for Scotland,” Rowley said.
End
There are plenty of stories on the election within our ScotNews feed on our index page.
And that's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
Disqus Comment System
I'm not sure how many of you know about our Disqus commenting system. It's on all pages of the site apart from the index page. To see it you need to scroll down to the foot of the page below the page content. The system can actually be used as a community forum. For example if you went to any of our clan and family pages you can add a comment and then others may also comment on your comment and thus build some interesting information and advice to the page.
If you have an account with Google, Facebook, Twitter or Yahoo you can use that account to add comments but if you don't you can very quickly add a Disqus account. I have arranged the system in such a way that all comments are moderated which means I need to approve them before they will appear on the page. This just means I ensure that inappropriate comments are not posted and that they are relevant to the content of the page where you post your comment.
As an example if you posted a comment about your clan but it's clear the comment has nothing to do with the clan then I'd likely delete it. So your comments should have something to do with the content of the page where you leave your comment.
I am able to email anyone that leaves a comment so if I thought it was a good comment but not relevant to the page where you left it I may email you to tell you that and suggest another page where it would be appropriate.
It's also a way to add information such as the date of a Highland Games where your clan will have a clan tent. You can even come back afterwards to add a link to see pictures of the tent.
So do make use of the system and that way it will add to the usefulness of the page.
Scottish Elections
Well the big news this week is the Scottish Elections in which the SNP lost their overall majority. Many views of this from all sides of the political divide. Labour lost big time and the Tories did very well. The Greens did well and now in 4th position overtaking the Lib-Dems. It is thought the Greens may well help the SNP win key votes in Parliament.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page...
The SNP: Running to Stand Still
Over 1 million constituency votes is a good headline number, but let’s not forget that it would have taken over 1.8 million votes for Yes to have won the independence referendum.
Read more at:
http://chokkablog.blogspot.ca/2016/0...and-still.html
Eurosceptic SNP voters could influence EU referendum result
A series of polls show a large minority of Scottish National party voters are Eurosceptics, giving Nicola Sturgeon a political headache as the referendum campaign begins
Read more at:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/s...ing-data-shows
First Group to run Edinburgh to London budget rail service
It said average fares would be less than £25 and there would be only one class of carriage.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-36273407
Ken Macintosh chosen as Holyrood presiding officer
The Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has been elected as presiding officer for the fifth term of the Scottish Parliament.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...itics-36279028
Loch Lomond and Trossachs named top of UK beauty spots
Now National Geographic Traveller, renowned for its stunning photographs and unique travel writing has named one of Scotland’s beauty spots as the top national park in Britain.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...pots-1-4121929
A history of surnames from Edinburgh and the Lothians
ALTHOUGH Scotland is a small country, with around 5.3 million inhabitants, there are believed to be as many as 100 million people of Scottish descent scattered around the world.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/peo...ians-1-4124306
Old mines offer hope of cheaper heat for homes
More than half of all energy used in Scotland goes towards heating, and it is also responsible for nearly half of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...omes-1-4121891
SNP to face natural majority against Named Person plans
SNP policy being targeted for repeal by the newly strengthened Holyrood opposition parties.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...lans-1-4122567
Franchising moves to unsung hero of Scotland’s economy
Franchising can sometimes idly be thought of as a frippery to the mainline economy.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/business/man...nomy-1-4121272
Ruth Davidson vows to hold SNP to account with fresh approach
Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has pledged to hold the Scottish Government to account
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...oach-1-4121429
EU referendum: Donald Trump backs Brexit
The UK would be better off without the European Union, US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has said.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-...endum-36219612
Electric Canadian
Caricature History of Canadian Politics
Events from the Union of 1841, as from "Grip," and various other sources by J. W. Bengough, with an Introduction by Rev. Principal Grant, D.D., of Queen's University, Kingston. (1886) in 2 volumes. Includes a Sketch of Canadian Political History, 1841 TO 1879.
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/history/caricatures.htm
Found a couple of books on Agriculture...
The Potato in British Columbia at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...00ticerich.pdf
and
Farming in Alberta at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...ingalberta.pdf
Fort McMurray Wildfire
Where the Fort McMurray wildfire is now and why it will take months to extinguish. Read more at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...ered-1.3575583
Electric Scotland
Cameronians
Including a book about Richard Cameron and a 1 hour talk about him.
Cameronian was a name given to a radical faction of Scottish Covenanters who followed the teachings of Richard Cameron, and who were composed principally of those who signed the Sanquhar Declaration in 1680. Known also as "Society Men", "Sanquharians," and "Hillmen", they became a separate church after the religious settlement of 1690, taking the official title of Reformed Presbyterians in 1743. "Societies of Cameronians for the Maintenance of the Presbyterian Form of Worship" were formed about 1681. Their testimony, "The Informatory Vindication", was published in 1687. They quickly became the most pronounced and active adherents of the covenanting faith. They wished to restore the ecclesiastical order which had existed between 1638 and 1649, and were dissatisfied with the moderate character of the religious settlement of 1690. Refusing to take oaths of allegiance to an uncovenanted ruler, or to exercise any civil function, they passed through a period of trial and found some difficulty in maintaining a regular ministry, but in 1706 they were reinforced by some converts from the established church. They objected strongly to the proposal for the union of England and Scotland, and were suspected of abetting a rising which took place in the west of Scotland in 1706; but there appears to be no foundation for the statement that they intrigued with the Jacobites, and they gave no trouble to the government either in 1715 or in 1745.1n 1712 they publicly renewed their covenants at Auchensaugh Hill in Lanarkshire, and in 1713 their first presbytery was founded at Braehead, while a presbytery was formed in North America in 1774. Following an 1863 division, the majority body of the Reformed Presbyterians united with the Free Church of Scotland, leaving the tiny minority body as the last representatives of the Cameronians; it retains the name of Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In the British army the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a regiment directly descended from the Cameronian guard, which was first raised in 1689 by James Douglas, Earl of Angus, fought at the battle of Dunkeld and was afterwards employed to restore order in the Highlands. One of the regimental traditions was to issue a bible to every new recruit; another was that the troops went under arms to church services, and the service only started after sentries had been posted on four sides of the church building.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ameronians.htm
Alexander MacGregor
Added an article about him and also an article from him as well as the book he wrote about Flora MacDonald.
IN our last we intimated the death of the Rev. Alexander Macgregor, M.A., of the West Church, Inverness, on the 19th of October last, from a stroke of paralysis. We then scarcely realised the great loss which Inverness and the Highlands had suffered, and we have not done so in its full extent even yet. It is, indeed, difficult to realise that we shall never again see him in the flesh. He who for years scarcely failed to make his daily call, until within the last twelve months, when he was perceptibly getting more frail and we were a little further out of his way. Even then he would pay a visit two or three times a-week, and have his interesting chat, his quiet, enjoyable laugh, and his puff, for he heartily enjoyed the calumet of peace, though he never carried pipe nor tobacco. His fund of anecdote, Highland story and tradition, was inexhaustible; and the various incidents in his own life-experience, which he enjoyed to recapitulate in his characteristically modest and charming style to his more intimate friends, were delightful and most instructive to listen to.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist..._alexander.htm
Celtic Magazine
Added an additional 7 volumes of this magazine vols 2-6 and 8-9. You can read these at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/Hist...ltic/index.htm
The Diary of Mr. James Melvill 1556-1601
MELVILLE, JAMES, with whose history are connected many most interesting facts in the ecclesiastical and literary history of Scotland, was born at Baldovy, near Montrose, on the 25th of July, 1556.
I have added a link to his diary to the foot of his page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lle_james1.htm
Memoirs of Sir Andrew Melvill
SCION of a leading Scottish family was sent in 1637 to Prussia to learn German. He gave his tutor the slip to go a-soldiering in Poland; but, disappointed in this, he returned to Scotland, where he found his parents dead and his patrimony confiscated by creditors. Turning freebooter, he was captured and imprisoned by peasants. He next went to France, where he entered the army and underwent many dangers and privations. He then joined Charles II. in Scotland, fought at Worcester, and was sheltered by villagers till his wounds were healed, when he effected his escape to the Continent. Agaiu in France, he commanded the Scottish body-guard of Cardinal de Retz. Thrown into prison, he was well nigh starved into abjuring Protestantism. Once more in the field, he was captured by Croats. He next served German princes, one of whom sent him to London to compliment Charles on the Restoration. He fought for Austria against the Turks, combatted the French at Treves, and after the peace of Nimegueu settled down as governor of a Hanoverian town. Yet strange io say, his autobiography, published in French at Amsterdam in 1704, a second edition appearing in the following year, has never been reprinted, nor translated into English. One reason of this is that the author gives no pedigree, nor even his Christian name, information unnecessary at the time but of importance to posterity, so that he is indistinguishable among a host of homonyms; consequently the British Museum catalogue leaves a blank for the Christian name, and an exhaustive history of the family from which he sprang, while containing a letter addressed to him, was unable to trace his relationship, or even to identify him as the autobiographer.
This is a really interesting book and have added a link to it at the foot of our page about him at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lle_andrew.htm
Strling Albion F.C.
More articles from the Glasgow Herald Archives at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...l/19491114.htm
Elgin: and A Guide to Elgin Cathedral
By John Shanks (1866).
Added a link to this book from our Records of Elgin page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/loss...in_records.htm
Inverness Guide
The Official Publication of the Corporation. Added a link to this guide at the foot of the page on Inverness at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/inverness/
Letter on Immigration
Hand written letter From Harry Munro to Sir William Sinclair, Albany 1773 (pdf)
You can download this at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...s/johnson1.pdf
Dictionary of National Biography
Added some more entries on names from this publication. The links can be found at the foot of the appropriate pages...
Anstruther http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...anstruther.htm
Arbuthnot http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../arbuthnot.htm
Armstrong http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../armstrong.htm
Arnot/Arnott http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...tion/arnot.htm
Arthur http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ion/arthur.htm
Ayton/Aytoun http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...tion/ayton.htm
Sir Samuel Auchmuty
Added an account of this General to our Auchmuty page in the Scottish Nation at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...n/auchmuty.htm
Private Journal of Lord George Granville Campbell
H.M.S. CHALLENGER: From the Cape of Good Hope to Australia (1875). Added a link to this book at the foot of the page on Campbell at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...n/campbell.htm
THE STORY
As the big story this week were the elections I thought I'd bring you a story about them and here it is...
Holyrood elections see rise of 'Team Ruth' and demise of Labour vision
Leader of Scottish Conservatives successfully positioned herself as only serious opposition to Nicola Sturgeon
The elections have seen the remarkable transformation of Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Conservatives from “toxic Tories” to the second party and official opposition of the Holyrood parliament.
The party nearly doubled the number of seats it won in 2011, to 31, while the benighted Scottish Labour party slipped back into third place with 24 seats, only three of which were won in first-past-the-post constituency contests.
It was Davidson who, having baited Labour’s Kezia Dugdale over her pro-union credentials during the televised leaders’ debates, successfully positioned herself as the only person capable of standing up to Nicola Sturgeon over independence.
Does this mean that the constitutional question is once again front and centre of Scottish politics, as voters split according to yes/no loyalties, just as they did in last year’s Westminster elections?
Not necessarily. During the campaign, Conservative activists told the Guardian that the constitutional question was not having as much sway on the doorstep as their message of strong opposition to the dominant SNP.
Davidson’s personal popularity also proved a decisive factor: campaigners made no secret of introducing themselves as being “with Team Ruth” rather than representing the Scottish Conservatives. The strongest evidence for this was the leader’s own unexpected win of Edinburgh Central from the SNP, a constituency she barely campaigned in after switching her political base from Glasgow last summer.
Perhaps more significant was the distribution of the pro-independence vote: while the SNP victory was substantial, the party lost six seats and failed to secure an overall majority, while the Greens consolidated their post-referendum surge in support by tripling their tally to six list seats, leapfrogging the Liberal Democrats into fourth place in the process. This would suggest that, with their second list vote, independence supporters were attracted to the Greens’ more radical offer to “push the SNP beyond their comfort zone” on tax, fracking and land reform.
What was starkly evident in some constituencies, particularly across the central belt, was how percentages of Conservative gains were matched almost exactly by Labour losses, although Davidson did tell the Guardian earlier this week that she was targeting older, working-class Labour voters “who look at Jeremy Corbyn and run a mile”.
But it’s highly unlikely that this indicates a sizeable tranche of direct switchers. Rather, it indicates a Labour base without a strong enough motivation to get out and vote, while the Conservative base felt the opposite: that there was a point to voting again and they were well-mobilised.
Mark Diffley, a pollster with Ipsos Mori Scotland, said Davidson had run a tactically brilliant campaign. “She is a young charismatic leader who reaches out beyond the traditional Tory constituency and also played the aftermath of the referendum pretty astutely, it has to be said,” he said.
Diffley said Davidson told voters: “If you want to protect yourself against another referendum, vote Tory. And they were pretty consistent about that during the campaign.”
Senior figures in the Scottish Labour party and trade unions believe their poor showing, which led to Labour’s worst result in more than a century, was in part because it had failed to address the country’s constitutional future.
Alex Rowley, Labour’s deputy leader at Holyrood, said the party had to win back former Labour voters who had shifted their support to the SNP after voting for independence in 2014 by producing “a clear vision for the future of Scotland”.
Labour needed to revisit the question of “home rule” for Scotland, or federalism at UK level, under which Holyrood would have control over far more tax-raising areas, such as pensions or employment law.
“We will need to set out what kind of future we want for Scotland,” Rowley said.
End
There are plenty of stories on the election within our ScotNews feed on our index page.
And that's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your weekend.
Alastair