I could have said this action is a sign of the change of government since the “Blair Bush Alliance” that brought our governments closer in policy making in different parts of the world.  However the legislation has been in force now for over 70 years.

For fourteen years the UK government were even giving out shotgun cartridges free to around 7,000 registered shooting clubs formed specifically to kill these American invaders of our country. The cash bounty paid for the killing is no longer paid but the legislation encouraging the killing of these Americans is still live on our court records.

Relax a little we are not shooting American tourists with proper passports coming in through formal immigration channels.

What we are talking about is the growing population of Grey Squirrels which is leading to the eradication of the native red squirrels. The latter are now reduced to small pockets of the UK countryside in particular the Scottish highlands.  The Grey Squirrels were originally brought to the UK from the USA to live in Zoos at the beginning of the 19^th Century but some escaped and thrived slowly over the years spreading across the country.

Whilst I would delight at seeing both Red and Grey Squirrels roaming around our forests and parklands the reality is that there are very few places where the two varieties can live side by side.

As the Grey Squirrel is moving north it is actually leading to the death of our native Red Squirrel to the point where official statistics suggest they are outnumbering the red by 66 to 1.  There are two main reasons for this happening.

1. The nature of the Grey Squirrel is to be more aggressive than it’s UK red cousin. (Maybe they were brought up watching too many John Wayne films?) Or maybe it is the fact they are “Red” and American politicians have made them think that all “reds” are communist and therefore bad.
2. The Grey also carry a squirrel pox virus which is thought to be spread through saliva or scent-marking secretions at feeding or scent-marking sites.  It could also be from fleas that pass from one animal to another.  The Grey Squirrel is now known to be immune from the virus but any Red Squirrel picking up the virus is likely to die within two weeks. Squirrels with squirrelpox develop wet, discharging lesions or scabs around the eyes, ears, mouth, feet and genitalia before becoming increasingly lethargic as the disease progresses, chiefly due to their inability to feed properly.

Various moves have been tried to limit the spread the Grey squirrel but the population is growing fast with a corresponding fall in the numbers of the Red Squirrel. It has been illegal to release any grey squirrel back in the wild since 1933 so even those caught in “humane” traps can only be killed. Discussions have also taken place about using contraception pills for the grey squirrels. But how can you ensure that these animals will remember to take them on a daily basis and how do you ensure only grey squirrels take them and not red ones?

One of the few places to still see numbers of Red squirrels living wild is in the Scottish Highlands even the Scottish Central belt has succumbed and there are now very few red squirrels living there.  Almost all of England and Wales has already been taken over by the American Grey Squirrel except for some small patches including islands off the mainland.

For the record I am against the killing of any wild animal but I can fully understand why we need to take to take measures against the eradication of the lovely red squirrel.

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As the capital of the Kingdom of Scotland was moved it was used in Iona, Dinadd, Dunstaffnage and latterly at Scone. The later town being where it stayed for many years hence its second name as the Stone of Scone (pronounced as Skoon).

All kings of Scotland between Dalriadic were officially crowned right up to 1296 when John Balliol was the King. It was then captured by Edward I of England to be taken to London along with a number of other important emblems of Scottish nationalism.  It was later placed in Westminster Abbey for over 700 years underneath the throne on which all English kings would sit when they were being crowned.

At the time of writing the last monarch to be crowned on the stone of destiny was HM Elizabeth II in 1953.  Incidentally Scotland has never had any queen known as Elizabeth I so why call her Elizabeth II when she visits Scotland?

There the stone remained for 700 years. However due to very lax security measures four Scottish nationals were able to enter the Abbey on Christmas Day 1950.  Despite through searches led by senior officers in the police and special task forces made of Government intelligence agencies they were unable to trace it.

The four nationalists (Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart) kept the Stone of Scone hidden for 16 months before leaving it on the altar of Arbroath Abbey — part of the Church of Scotland.

It was then returned to Westminster Abbey and kept under much tighter security.  It remained there until St Andrew’s Day (30 November) 1996 when it was returned north of the Border to be installed in Edinburgh Castle where it remains to this day.

You may have seen the film about the Stone of Destiny and its theft.  The film itself was described by one of the people who removed it from Westminster Abbey has being largely accurate but I must admit the found it difficult to believe the main actors were all meant to be young students when they all looked like they were in their mid-thirties.

No doubt if we have a new UK King before independence it will be borrowed and taken south again to London for the official crowning.

You are able to see this remarkable Stone of Destiny in Edinburgh Castle  (Note you are not allowed to remove it). Here’s the website http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/index/tour/highlights/highlights-stone-of-destiny.htm

It is arguably the greatest symbol and touchstone of Scottish nationhood and as such, has been a very potent icon for more than a thousand years and will continue to be for many more hundreds of years in the future.

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Scotland also features some of the smartest tourist attractions, including, some of the finest galleries and museums in the whole of Britain, awesome beauty spots, fortified houses, castles, stately homes and historical buildings plus a great deal more.

Below I examine the town of Stranraer.

Stranraer located in southerly Scotland in Dumfries & Galloway, the town is renowned for being where it is possible to sail to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Sadly the largest numbers of tourists fail to investigate some of the tourist attractions in the surrounding countryside and the town itself. This is something of an enigma, if you arrive at the port, and reserve yourself a room in a bed & breakfast in Stranraer, a day earlier you could get to visit a selection of the attractions before catching the ferry to the city of Belfast.

There are a number of things to see and do in Stranraer including the Castle of St John (a medieval tower house) found in the heart of the town. The tower house was constructed in the year 1510 as a home for Ninian Adair of Kilhurst (the Laird of Wigtownshire). The castle was restored, in the year nineteen eighty eight/eighty nine, by Wigtown District Council who opened it to the public in 1990.

Another place to visit near to the town is Castle Kennedy Gardens. The castle acts as the centrepiece of the garden which are found on a hill between two lochs (sadly you are not allowed to visit the ruins. The castle’s landscape gardens extend across seventy five acres. If you would like you can purchase plants from the store which has propagated them from seeds collected in the gardens.

A further beautiful tourist attraction well worth seeing is Glenluce Abbey. Even though it is in ruins (in truth the most ruinous of 3 of monasteries found in the south western part of Scotland) it has an incredible 15th Chapter House. Other places well worth taking the time to visit include, Portpatrick, Port Logan, the Machars and the Mull of Galloway.

If you are thinking about taking a Stranraer vacation please take a look at our listings of Stranraer hotels and Stranraer bed and breakfast

For walkers and water sports enthusiasts few places rival the Isle of Skye as the perfect vacation destination. The Isle of Skye is situated amongst a group of islands known as the Inner Hebrides off the West coast of Scotland and taking a vacation here is a rather unique experience.

Many people take vacations in the Scottish Highlands, arriving to enjoy the incredible scenery in this part of the world but if you want to see the most spectacular scenery you need to head to the Inner Hebrides. Below I take a look at a few of the factors which help to make the island of Skye such an amazing vacation destination.

Places To Visit When On Skye Scotland

Although not actually on the island no visit would be complete without a day trip to Eilean Donan Castle. One of Scotland’s most photographed monuments the castle has also appeared in numerous film including the 1985 cult classic “Highlander”. The castle is privately owned but, for a fee, you can wander around the well equipped castle or take a guided tour. The castle is only fifteen minutes from the Skye Bridge.

The only true mountain range in Britain is The Cuillin which offer fantastic opportunities for mountaineering. In total the jagged Black Cuillins has twelve munros with Sgurr Alasdair being the highest at 992 m (3,255 ft).

Often called the Red Cuillins (not strictly correct) the Red Hills are far less imposing than the Black Cuillin. Unlike the bare rock tops of the Black Cuillin you will find that the Red Hills feature vegetation to the top. Skye only has 2 Corbetts and both are in the Red Hills, the highest is Glamaig.

Glen Sligachan is the best place to access the Red Hills and is rather a nice place to stop for a picnic or bite to eat. Glen Brittle is considered the gateway to the Cuillin mountain range. Both glens are fantastic places to observe local wildlife. Whichever you decide to climb please ensure that you are suitable dressed and equipped as the weather can change for the worse amazingly fast and each year some people end up stranded in severe difficulties.

Visitor attractions include Glendale Toy Museum, the Talisker distillery, Armadale Castle Gardens and Museum of the Isles, Colbost Croft Museum, Giant Macaskill Museum, Skye Museum of Island Life, Bright Water Visitor Centre and Dunvegan Castle. The stronghold of the Macleods of Dunvegan and Harris, Dunvegan Castle, is dramatically situated upon a cliff-top. The Isle of Skye has a mild climate and is much greener than most Hebridean islands and this is made abundantly clear in the fantastic castle gardens, you will also find a craft shop and a restaurant making it perfect for a day out.

Overlooking the Isle of Raasay, Broadford is a seaside village which has much needed facilities but is also rather nice place to spend a couple of hours. The area has some splendid sea views but the number one port of call should be the small, but incredibly interesting, Skye Serpentarium Reptile World where you really can get some hands on experience!

Isle of Skye hotels are relatively easy to find but if you are planning a vacation to the island please take a look at our listings of Skye hotels

Daquharran Castle Scotland open to public

Anyone who lives close enough to take short breaks in Ayrshire, Scotland is lucky indeed. There is so much to do in the area, you can come back again and again without being bored. Wherever your interests lie, you will find something to do here.

If history is what fascinates you, you will be in the right place. It is the location that gave birth to the national poet, Robert Burns. It is also the birthplace of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, legendary figures in the history of the country of Scotland. You can easily spend a weekend visiting the many castles in the area.

For a completely different sort of holiday, the avid golfer will be in paradise. Offerings include some that are world renowned championship courses. Others are more known for their scenic beauty.

Attractions could not be more varied. Choose between theme parks, pony rides and arts and crafts fairs just to name a few. Or how about sea kayaking or fishing trips?

Take yourself off the Scottish mainland and visit one of the islands located just off the coast. Arran, Cumbrae and Ailsa Craig are easy to reach and worth a visit. You can take a paddle steamer around Ailsa Craig which is now an official Scottish sanctuary for birds.

The largest island, Arran, can be reached by ferry. This a beautiful place to get away and relax in nature. Walk to your hearts content around the coastline, woodlands and mountains here. Hiking and biking trails are easy to find all over the mainland as well.

Accommodations are as equally varied as everything else here. Choose a hotel, bed and breakfast or apartment. You will have no problem finding something to your taste and price range. Apartment rentals are especially nice if you fancy staying longer.

The beauty and variety of this historic area awaits you. Once you visit, you will find yourself going home much more relaxed but wanting to come back whenever you can.

Whether you are looking for flights from Prestwick or are planning on visiting the area it is important that you know all the flight routes. With travel tips and advice from Hamish McDougall you should be able to find the best Prestwick flights for your trip.

We make fun of ourselves continually calling it “meanness” but those who have ever studied the annual reports of the UK Charities Commission will know that on a basis of money donated that Scotland gives more to Charity per head of population than any other part of the UK.  And we are keeping that a secret so don’t tell anyone else.

Was this the reason why the American President Jefferson sent two Scottish Americans to take responsibility for what was probably the most important real estate deal that America ever got involved in. If it wasn’t the most expensive purchase of land in any single transaction it certainly had to be the largest in terms of acreage.

One of the people sent by Jefferson was Robert Livingston a descendant of Lord Livingston who had served Guardian to the young Mary Queen of Scots after she was born 1542 so he clearly had a strong Scottish culture in his family background.  However Livingston was also a strong influence in early American politics even to being one of the five people who had drafted the American Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps that is why the US Declaration of Independence bears so much resemblance to the Robert Bruce Declaration of Arbroath claiming independence from our unwelcome rulers England now very much part of the Scottish culture.

Although Livingston was not one of the original people to publicly sign that Declaration of Independence due to other business commitments back in New York he was the person who administrated the oath of allegiance given by to the new president so he was definitely a Scottish American with a strong Scottish culture with a foot in both camps.

Livingston was sent by President Jefferson with another Scottish American James Munro to France to negotiate the purchase of over 828,000 square miles of land. This land comprised of the states we now know as Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana and Arkansas as well as most of  Kansas, the two Dakotas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Minnesota. At a price equivalent to only 3 cents an acre or $15 million in total these two Scottish American using their Scottish culture background were able to double the size of America with one stroke of the pen.

These Scottish Americans partly because of their Scottish culture knew the value of land and were willing to invest in it. We have established this special website especially for Scottish Americans and others interested in their Scottish cultural connection.

If you would like to invest in land using a unique gift idea at little cost and develop your own Scottish culture then go to http://Become-a-Lord.co.uk and check out another amazing bargain.

The next videos are looking at why we are are all suffering from high prices.  given this information we can start asking questions such as why if oil is going up in price and a lot of the UK tax is related to the price of oil why is Scotland still not receiving its fair share or even why Scotland does not even get back a share related to its population as opposed to the size of the UK.

Just how much tax goes to the UK Government from Scottish oil. Discover how the Government benefited even when the oil companies did not find any oil in the areas they were drilling. Petrol companies then start paying massive amounts of company tax and 65% of all petrol put in car tanks by the Scottish people is paid in tax to the UK government and virtually none of it comes back.

More to follow later

In fact it was recently revealed that Scotland is the only country in the world to find oil and end up poorer.

Even though 90% of the UK oil was based in Scottish Waters the money was used to pay for major developments in the South of England where the general population of the country is larger so had a greater voting power. Politicians use their power to buy votes where it matters to them.

Lets have a look at some videos made by Scots examining the effects of oil on the country or lack of it.

There is more on Scottish Oil here as well. This one looks at the power of Scottish oil to support our country when OPEC tried to increase the price of Arab oil which cost other countries massive amounts of money. But none of thie savings on oil taxes came back to Scotland.

So far we have seen some of the ways that our Scottish Oil has generated billions of pounds for the United Kingdom but very little of this oil money has been spent to regenerate Scotland. Indeed Aberdeen city gets less financial support then any comparable region of the UK.

For more information about the problems of Scotland and Scottish oil by going here Scottish Oil 2

“I understand that perfectly. We feel very much the same in Scotland”.

The late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, speaking to a Boer in South Africa who told her that he could not forgive the British for having conquered his country.  (In reality the land of South Africa did not belong to the Boers either but to the South African people.)  The Queen Mother, daughter of Lord Strathmore and Kinghorne, was born in 1900 and spent much of her childhood in Glamis Castle, Scotland.

If you thought it was only a recent policy thought up to grab some money back from the UK when they took all the revenues from the oil found in the North Sea off the Scottish coast then you really need to read the rest of this article.

Read about the Declaration of Arbroath here to discover how the Battle for Scottish Independence has been going for at least 700 years. It was granted temporarily after lots of blood (was shed on both sides) but was never fully accepted by the English Throne and was then largely subsumed back into the Union of Great Britain despite a lot of opposition from the Scottish people. As a consequence Scotland’s role and history has been officially forgotten. For example even in our schools I was taught from an early age about the  history of the country (including Bannockburn) but when I moved to England at age ten I never heard again about anything related to Scotland. History was all about the English Kings and Queens (they did not even mention that Scotland had any kings) the word “British” was even changed to “English” as through that was the only country that existed in the Union.

We were a racial minority and thus were not worth anything in this country of England with ten times as much wealth.

The Union of the two countries have left a lot of people feeling our part of the United Kingdom has been largely neglected by the national government despite it’s government cabinet over recent years having a larger number of Scots on it than would be expected by the size of the population. However the real power behind the throne is of course the Whitehall mandarins who have responsibility for developing policy papers and spending.

In later years the rise to power of the Scottish National Party to gain control of the new Scottish Parliament has once again brought it to the headline status only this time in a manner which will hopefully not cause more wars and deaths on battlefields across our country.  We intend to produce more on the powers and the limits on its powers of the Current Scottish Parliament in the near future.

The oil revenues has been a big thorn in the side of many Scots who feel the prosperity brought and wasted by the British Government should have been used to develop Scotland to enable its businesses and hence its people to benefit. We have developed separate pages on Scottish oil and what has happened to the revenues go to Scottish Oil for more information.

Many people claim that without the influence of Scots the USA would not be a great power in the world today. Huge numbers of Scots came across to the USA because of the clearances in the Scottish Highland when absent landlords (mainly Englishmen) started to throw them off the land they had farmed for centuries. The British Government (again mainly English) was doing virtually nothing to help so there was no real love being shared between Scots and the English who had taken from us Scots.

The Scottish highlanders were by culture and necessity survivors and fiercely independent people and looking to get a fair reward for their hard work. When the British (English) government later started to impose high taxes on American residents most of the Scottish immigrants refused to pay and many moved more inland or started to fight back.

Having been amongst the founders and settlers of the country growing crops and starting townships etc there was no way anybody was going to tax them into having to leave their homes all over again not for any English government. By this stage many of them had become active in local politics and civic leaders and become leaders in the American revolution.

• 2 of the original 5 people who drafted the US Declaration of Independence were of Scottish blood.
• 9 of the original 56 signatories of the Declaration of Independence were descended from Scottish blood.
• 9 of the 13 newly elected Governors of the new States were either Scots or of Scottish descent?
• 25 of the first 73 Americans to go into the US Hall of Fame were of Scottish blood?

I remember the Alamo with the Scot Sam Houston along with that famous King of the Wild Frontier Davy Crocket who often boasted of his Scottish cultural background as did his friend Daniel Boone.

The divided union was embodied by Generals “Stonewall” Jackson and Jeb Stuart for the Gray and George B. McClellan for the Blue. Both of these generals fighting each other were of Scottish descent.

There are a lot of other figures we have published in the Laird of Jura handbook that would support this argument even more but space stops us from quoting more. Suffice it to say that the first American Secretary of War was a Scot named General Henry Knox as was Alexander Hamilton the first Secretary of the Treasury.

Don’t take my word for it! Who else says Scots made America great?

US President Woodrow Wilson said it

“Every line of strength in American history is a line colored with Scottish blood.”

Later The US House Of Senate said it

On March 20th 1998, the following Resolution 155 (S.Res. 155), proposed by US Senate Republican majority leader Trent Lott, was passed unanimously in the US Senate.

WHEREAS April 6 has a special significance for all Americans, and especially those Americans of Scottish descent, because the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modeled on that inspirational document; and

WHEREAS this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this Nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, the Governors in 9 of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, and Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this Nation through its most troubled times; and

WHEREAS Scottish Americans have made monumental achievements and invaluable contributions that have led to America’s preeminence in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts; and

WHEREAS there are more than 200 organizations throughout the United States that honor Scottish heritage, tradition and culture, representing the hundreds of thousands of Americans of Scottish descent residing in every state; and

WHEREAS those numerous individuals, clans, societies, clubs, and fraternal organizations join us in recognizing the great contributions of the Scottish people to this state and nation; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE U.S. SENATE that we hereby designate April 6, each year as National Tartan Day, in recognition of the immense contributions made by Scottish Americans

So who are these Scottish Americans?

Some of the biggest names in American culture originated from Scotland.

Both Alexander Graham-Bell and Andrew Carnegie emigrated and made their fortunes in the New World. Bringing with their Scottish culture of hard work ethics and innovative thinking about how things were done.

But more modern figures like Tommy Hilfiger and artist Jackson Pollock also have tartan in their DNA.

Today’s well known business men would include Donald Trump and Bill Gates of Microsoft  (sorry but I have yet to do a genealogical research on the Linux penguin or Steve Jobs of Apple).

On a political front we can include 12 U.S. Presidents

US North Carolina congressman Mike Mclntyre, recently combined an official visit to Scotland to search through family records for clues to his past. Not surprisingly there are more people in that one state of North Carolina who boast Scots ancestry than there are people in the whole of Scotland.

Mike Mclntyre said: “My ancestors came from Argyll (West Scotland) and were married in the church at Lismore. They sailed to the US in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This has been a great odyssey for me, and I am thrilled to make the final link between both sides of the Atlantic.”

Even through Scots ancestry can not be bought we do know how to increase your connection with Scotland (that is almost like making you an honorary Scot. Buy some land in Scotland according to Scottish culture and tradition and get an exclusive GENUINE Scot’s title.

What’s that you said “That’s too expensive”. Not the way we have been doing it for over five years. Come to http://Become-a-lord.co.uk to find out more.