See Dates in History in our Features Section
 

I like to have quotations ready for every occasions - they give one's ideas so pat and save one the trouble of finding expression adequate to one's feeling.

Robert Burns

Statements in prose and verse which reflect all aspects of Scottish life and outlook from the 1^st century to the present day.  New quotes added every week.  The quotations are not restricted to native Scots but include observations from abroad which help us, in the words of our National Bard, Robert Burns, "To see oursels as others see us"    

Robert Burns (1759-1796 

We hae tales to tell,
   And we hae sangs to sing;
We hae pennies to spend
   And we hae pints to bring. 

(Hey, Ca’ Thro’ 1787)

Dr James (Hamish) Scott Henderson (1919-2002)

Then up spoke the men of Knoydart
“You have no earthly right
For this is the land of Scotland,
And not the Isle of Wight.
When Scotland’s proud Fianna,
With ten thousand lads is manned,
We will show the world that Highlanders
Have a right to Scottish Land.” 

(The Ballad of the Men of Knoydart 1948)

Adam McNaughton

Oh, where is the Glasgow that I used to know,
Big Willie, wee Shooey. The Steamie, the Co.,
The shilpet wee bauchle, the glaiket big dreep,
The ba’ on the slates, an’ yer gas in a peep?
If ye scrape the veneer aff, are these things still there? 

(Where is the Glasgow?)

Gordon Menzies

Schiehallion, Schiehallion, I hear your voice calling,
Across the Great glen to the coast of Argyll.
The Lowlands, The Highlands, The Borders, The Islands,
I’ll drink to the back of Schiehallion.

(Schiehallion)

John Watt

She’s just a Kelty clippie, she’ll no tak’ nae advice
It’s, Ach drap deid or Ah’ll bile yer heid or Ah’ll punch yer ticket twice
Her faither’s jist a waster, her mither’s oan the game
She’s just a Kelty clippie but I love her just the same. 

(The Kelty Clippie)

PITTENWEEM JO
John Watt

I'm goin' wi' a lassie fae Pittenweem,
She's every fisher laddie's dream.
She guts the herrin' doon by the quay,
And saves her kisses just for me.

Well, last July it come tae pass 
I met this bonnie fisher lass,
Wi' her e'en sae blue, and black was her hair.
I met her doon by the village fair.

Oh, Pittenweem, Pittenweem,
     She's every fisher laddie's dream.
     She guts the herrin' doon by the quay,
     And saves her kisses just for me.

So I says tae her, "Can I see ye hame?"
She says, "Och fine, but I ken yer game.
But ne'er the less, ye're awfy kind.
In fact, a widnae really mind."

So I took her hame that Saterday nicht.
The moon was shinin' oh sae bricht.
And as we sat there on the grass,
I said, "Hey, Jo, will ye be ma lass?"

Well, she's ma lass noo, and weel I ken
She disnae gang wi' other men:
'Cause I was fast but they were slow, 
And that's how I won my Pittenweem Jo.

Footnote:  The harbour at Pittenweem was first recorded as a port in 1228 and the heyday of the fishing industry in the burgh was during the latter half of the 19^th century and early last century. John Watt’s beautiful love song, a modern song with a traditional ring, harks back to the golden age of Pittenweem Harbour. A doyen of the folk movement in Fife, John now lives in ‘exile’ in the bonnie toun o Milnathort, and will be among the folk singers appearing at this week’s Milnathort Crackin’ Ceilidh Weekend which starts tonight (more details below in Scottish Food).

See the SING A SANG AT LEAST in our features section

SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS 

This week sees the anniversary of the deaths of two Scots who did much to enrich our treasure of traditional music and song. The Tarland-born fiddler Peter Milne, known as ‘The Tarland Fiddler’, died 100 years ago and although only some thirty of his compositions for the fiddle survive, they are of an extremely high standard and an important part of Scotland’s rich fiddle heritage. The Blairgowrie-born folklorist Dr Hamish Henderson died six years ago and was the man mainly responsible for the Scottish Folk Revival of the 1950s and 60s. He did invaluable work for the School of Scottish Studies, including the discovery of great traditional singers from the Travelling People such as Jeannie Robertson and Belle Stewart. In the 1960s, throughout Scotland, you could just about visit a different folk club every night and the expansion of folk clubs and the interest in our rich heritage of music and song marched hand in hand with the emergence of the modern Scottish National Party.

Tonight (Friday 7 March 2008) sees a reminder of those days as the 18^th Milnathort Crackin’ Ceilidh Weekend gets underway. Milnathort is fortunate on being able to call on local folk artistes who all played a major part on the folk revival – Gaberlunzie, John Watt, Tich Frier, Wildfire, Colin Ramage and Neil Paterson, as well as calling upon the very best of visiting talent.  Milnathort is a crackin do in every sense and includes The Orwell Gird championship and Bairn’s street games on Saturday in the Milnathort Primary School playground at 12 noon. The Saturday night concert in the Thistle Hotel at 9pm featuring top Scottish folk duo Gaberlunzie (Gordon Menzies and Robin Watson) will in particular recall many happy memories for old folkies of a certain generation! Youth is also well catered for at Milnathort, and the Youth Concert on Sunday (2pm) in the Thistle Hotel showcases the up-and-coming talent on whose shoulders the carrying on of the tradition depends.

Folk Nights and a wee refreshment go hand in hand and this week’s recipe – Meat Ball Casseroles – contains a drappie yill and is guaranteed to warm you up during these cold March days.

Meat Ball Casserole

Ingredients:  1 lb/450 g beef, minced; ½ lb/225 g sausage meat; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 3 tablespoons oil; 1 oz/15 g flour; 1 pint/600 ml brown ale (Newcastle Brown or Scotch Ale); 4 tablespoons tomato paste; small tin tomatoes; 1 dozen sliced stuff green olives

Method:  In a bowl mix together the beef, sausage meat, egg, salt, pepper and onion. Shape into small balls. Heat the oil in saucepan and brown the meat balls. Remove and put in a warm oven. Leave a little oil in the saucepan and stir in the flour into it over a low heat. Add the beer gradually, stirring the whole time. When it boils stir in the tomato paste and the tomatoes. Then add the meat balls. Cook for about 15 minutes. Season to taste and add the olives. Serve with rice or noodles.