Travel Diary - Isle of Skye & North West Scotland

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Travel Diary – Isle of Skye & North West Scotland

The Isle of Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides and one of the jewels in the Highlands of Scotland. The first part of this travelblog will discuss my time on the island and visiting Ross and Cromarty on the mainland.

The Journey North

The journey to Skye has a great sense of occasion. After crossing the Erskine Bridge, the road winds past Loch Lomond, past the Arrochar Alps and onto Crianlarich. Only a few miles further on, the road splits at Tyndrum and you have the choice of continuing west on the A85 to the busy port of Oban or continuing on the A82, heading north to Fort William. The journey to Fort William is like a greatest hits of Scottish scenery with the soaring grandeur of Glencoe.

 

 

The landscape of Fort William is dominated by Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. Following a trip up the Great Glen, the road heads north to Kyle of Lochalsh, a town that has always been a key crossing point to the Isle of Skye and the crossing point for the Skye Bridge. The photo below shows the view over the sea to Skye to the small settlement of Kyleakin.

The journey reached its conclusion when we came to our accommodation, a lovely 3 bedroom home called Bruchlas , around 3 miles from the port of Armadale, overlooking the Sound of Sleat on the east of the island.

 

Elgol

We decided to take a trip on the single track road west of Broadford to the small hamlet of Elgol, a place of historical significance as it is where Bonnie Prince Charlie spent his last night on Skye after being hosted by members of clan MacKinnon. There are some views of the Cuillin mountain range and out to nearby islands from this settlement.

 

 

Uig & Kilt Rock

Monday involved a trip to the north of the island to the port of Uig, a place of importance as it is the gateway to the Outer Hebrides. Although it is a very small place, there was much activity on Monday due to the large amount of trucks at the quayside as they waited patiently to board the Ro-Ro ferry, Hebrides, which was undergoing repair after a breakdown. We enjoyed seeking solace in the local café where I enjoyed a delicious bacon roll and lovely cappuccino. The journey then continued down to the main town on the island, Portree, via Kilt Rock and its waterfall.

 

 

Gairloch & Loch Ewe

Tuesday involved a trip to the mainland, with a scenic journey to Gairloch and Loch Ewe on the mainland. The latter of these was of strategic importance in World War 2, as it was the site of the departure of the Arctic Convoys that went to northern Russia. The site is still used by NATO vessels as a refuelling point when there are exercises in the North Atlantic. A commemoration of the WW2 exploits is planned in the area for Spring 2013.

Dunvegan - Trumpan

Wednesday began with a scenic drive out to the west of the island, stopping off at a traditional community fair in Dunvegan which provided the opportunity to purchase some local produce and crafts including some tasty marmalade that included Talisker 10 year old single malt. We also stopped off at Fairy Bridge, a haunting site where 2 people are known to have died in mysterious circumstances and various supernatural activities have been noted. It has been said that horses have refused to cross the bridge, leading some to suspect that they have seen sights that are invisible to human eyes.

Following this, we then continued up the winding road towards the site of Trumpan Church. This was the site of a bloody massacre when members of the Clan MacDonald came over to Skye and barricaded members of the MacLeod clan in the local church whilst they were worshipping. They then burnt down the building, killing all inside apart from one young girl who escape to raise the alarm at the local castle. The marauding band were then caught on the beach heading back to their ships and all were killed. The remains of the church still stand as a reminder of the bloody clan warfare that took place in times gone by.

 

The most poignant part of our trip involved paying respects at the grave of Flora McDonald Margaret Swire, a young lady whose life was cruelly cut short by Lybian terrorists on the night of the 21^st December 1988 on Pan Am flight 103 in the skies above Lockerbie, on the eve of her 24^th birthday. She has been laid to rest at a secluded cemetery near to Dunvegan, alongside her grandparents. Miss Swire was training to be a neurosurgeon at the time of the tragedy and had just bought a ticket to the USA to spend Christmas with her American boyfriend. Her life is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate cruelty of terrorism, but as we consider this talented young woman and the lives that she could’ve saved through her medical training, the eulogy given to her namesake of Jacobite times came to mind:

“Her name will be mentioned in history and mentioned with honour”.

 

Her father, Jim Swire, has been a tireless campaigner for the families of the Lockerbie disaster victims worldwide, even meeting the only man convicted of the bombing. All of those affected by this tragedy should also be remembered for their dignity in the face of the most senseless loss and know that they are not alone in their grief, sentiments that also ring very true for the victims of the latest mindless attack on the streets of Boston.

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Bullet for my Valentine

The most dramatic story in February was undoubtedly the arrest of Athletics icon, Oscar Pistorius, following the shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp on the morning of Valentines Day. There are some in the press who have pointed that there were signs that Pistorius had a temper when he made a complaint about the length of a competitors blades at London 2012. He quickly apologized for this rant against Alan Oliviera but I can’t recall any of the press commenting that Pistorius had the potential to be a homicidal maniac.

After his arrest, the Police involved in the case bungled between calamity and farce, embarrassing themselves in the face of a watching world. In recent times, Pistorius had his bail conditions relaxed to allow him to leave the country and continue competing although concerns remain that he could flee to Italy as he has a house there and there is no extradition treaty in place with them and South Africa. It is clear that, whatever the outcome of the forthcoming trial, the status of Pistorius as an inspirational sporting icon has gone and a talented, attractive young woman who had so much to live for, has died far too soon.

 

New Boss – Same as the Old Boss?

The world was shocked during February to see the first Papal abdication in over 600 years when Benedict XV1 decided that he was too frail to continue in the role. The Vatican then produced more history with the appointment of the first Pontiff from Latin America in the shape of Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina, who took on the name of Francis. In viewing the extensive TV coverage that took place in the shadow of splendour of The Vatican, a colleague who doesn’t attend any church pondered “you wonder what Jesus would’ve made of all this”, going on to recount that Jesus was noted for his humility and concern for the poor.

This blog is not written from a Roman Catholic perspective, but it is to be hoped that the new Bishop of Rome will make it his mission show humility in all that he does and champion the cause of the poor and disenfranchised in society. The media has also been digging into the Pontiff’s past to unearth details of his stance on the Falkland Islands. It would be advisable that he steer clear of any political proclamations otherwise his standing will be greatly undermimed and certainly won’t be in keeping with one who has named himself after St Francis of Assisi, a man who wrote the famous work of poetry, Make me a Channel of your Peace.

The Anglican Church has also recently appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury. The previous incumbent of the office was very much an old school intellectual who was often viewed as out of touch with ordinary people and found it difficult to heal the schisms in the church. On a recent edition of Songs of Praise, the new Archbishop, Justin Welby, opened up about the pain of losing his young daughter in a car crash quarter of a century ago and the testing of his faith. The next few years will see how both of these men progress but it is to be hoped that they will take heed from the message of sacrifice that is at the heart of the Easter story and seek to take lessons from the founder of the Christian faith in reaching out to those whom society leaves on the margins. Gentlemen, the world is watching you but above all, never forget that you are also answerable to a higher power.
 

 

 

Sport – The Boat Race

Easter Sunday saw the annual university Boat Race on the Thames, this has to be the only sporting event that is also cockney rhyming slang. The 159^th edition of the event is more corporate than in days of old but the fierce competitive spirit is still there as it was clear that anything other than first place is not acceptable. In light of the nature of the competition, it must’ve been a real kick in the guts for the vanquished Cambridge crew to hear BBC presenter Claire Balding telling the viewers, “now is not the time to be talking to losers”. Ouch.
 

 

 

News Round Up

Welcome

This edition of The Clog provides a collection of different themes from current affairs to TV and sport.

Guns - Democratic Right or Danger?

In the last couple of years, the world has witnessed some shocking massacres take place in the USA. These shootings have been all the more shocking as they haven’t been gang turf wars in the Bronx but random acts of violence against innocent people going about their everyday business. The notorious killings of the primary school children and teachers in Conneticut as well as cinema goers in Colorado, have shook the world.

President Obama let the veneer of statesmanship slip by giving an emotionally charged response to the Sandy Hook tragedy, addressing the nation more like a father than the leader of the free world. The tone of his address seemed to chime with the mood that something had to change and that strickter new gun controls may be necessary. President Obama was officially sworn in for his second term, a time when leaders have an eye on creating a political legacy and it is speculated that one of his keynote reforms will be to toughen up laws surrounding the public sale of certain categories of guns. This quest may be fraught with difficulties due to some powerful vested interests.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) represent are the self-styled defenders of the Second Amendment, a cherished part of the constitution that gives citizens the right to bear arms. The NRA are a powerful force in the USA, with over 4 million members, and the organisation has the ability to make or break political careers. They have sensed a threat to their power and have found themselves a target for their hate in the shape of Piers Morgan following his calls for a ban on certain categories of guns. Disliking Mr Morgan is something that is not especially unusual in some quarters, indeed he was once physically attacked by motoring journalist, Jeremy Clarkson, at an awards ceremony. Anti-Morgan sentiment was taken to a new level when NRA spokesperson, Alex Reid, started a petition to deport the broadcaster.

Mr Reid was then invited onto The Piers Morgan Tonight show where he unleashed an astonishing 9 minute tirade that covered everything from support of the Second Amendment to ranting that 1776 will happen again if they try and take guns. Many left wing commentators would have be rubbing their hands and getting ready to trot out their usual line on neo-conservative conspiracies until his astonishing rant that suggested an Establishment cover up over the 9/11 attacks. This showed that those on the far right and far left are so far round the circle from one another that they are practically standing next to one another.

The interview was also the first time in media history where Piers Morgan could have been considered as a measured, voice of reason. It also called attention to the fact that ease of access to powerful semi-automatic weapons. There was a mention of “shoot ‘em up” video games being to blame for some of the recent massacres in the USA. This may be a point for debate although the profile of the shooter in many recent massacres has been that of a disenfranchised, socially awkward loner who wanted to take revenge on society for their own inadequacies. An American indie band, Foster the People capture this in their Grammy winning song, Pumped Up Kicks, where the refrain goes:

All the other kids in their pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with their pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, faster than my bullet.

This song captures the sense of grievance that these guys carry and the cold blooded thirst for vengeance that wells up from within to destroy those who are apparently more successful.

Following on from last years’ tragedies, there has already been an attempted massacre at another school that was only averted through the decisive actions of a brave teacher who stood up to the gunman and talked him out of it. This has bolstered the viewpoint of critics who are keen to see more stringent gun laws.

The USA are a force for good in their position as the world’s eminent superpower and there is no doubt that personal freedom and self sufficiency are cornerstones of their society. It is perhaps understandable that there is a resentment in some quarters that they are taking lectures from a controversial foreign journalist like Piers Morgan but equally, recent tragedies have made people ask profound questions on how far freedom should go. Some of the rampage shooters may have found another means of slaughter if guns were banned but there is also the question about the value of a life and if easier access to weapons helped to bring about the tragedy.

Churchill was credited with saying that Americans will always do the right thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities. All other possibilities have now been exhausted, it is surely time for this great nation to stand up and do what is right for future generations.

 

TV: Africa

The most wondrous programme that I have viewed this year has to be the latest David Attenborough production, Africa. This production draws you in with stunning camera work from sweeping panoramas of the desert to close up shots of the fleas on a lions back. In the last few weeks, we have seen things like two giraffes fight for territorial rights, a shoebill chick attack its sibling and the injured younger chick gets rejected by its mother and a herd of elephants walk on as a mother waits beside her poorly youngster as it takes it breathes its last. We often try and attribute human feelings and emotions to animals but we should remember the words of Ludwig Wittgenstein: “if a lion could speak, we could not understand him”. One thing that the programme has demonstrated is that nature is red in tooth and claw.

 

Sport

Superbowl

This weekend heralds the arrival of one of the great sporting weekends as the grand finale of the American Football season takes place and the Superbowl is contested between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens on Sunday evening from 2300 (UK time). The event is due to take place at the Superdome in New Orleans, a venue that many will recognise as it acted as a place of shelter during the time of Hurricane Katrina though it has been said that much depravity took place within its confines as desperation and fight for survival ensued. The venue has now been repaired and is a world class sporting arena which is now given an extra veneer of class through its sponsorship by Mercedes Benz. Grid Iron has a growing following in the UK, this is helped by an NFL game being held at Wembley Stadium every year.

Unlike soccer, American Football takes place over four quarters of 15 minutes although the game is often drawn out over a 2-3 hour period due to time outs and teams changing rotating between offense and defence. Another unique feature is that the Superbowl is often famed for its advertisement breaks – there certainly won’t be any soccer fans tuning into the Champions League final to see the latest Ford or Continental advert. North American sports fans also enjoy collecting statistics and commentators will often pour over things like the length of passes, yards run and number of blocks. The best advice that this blog can give is to leave your cynicism at the door and come into enjoy one of the world’s great sporting events – well at least as much of it as you can, as you may have to get up early on Monday.

 

Football

David Beckham deserves praise for deciding to donate his £150K per week salary from his new club, Paris St German, to a childrens charity. Cynics will no doubt point to the fact that he can well afford to do this because of his sponsorship income, but in an era where we have seen many examples of footballers behaving like spoilt brats, his gesture represents a shining beacon of generosity.

 

Rugby Union

The Six Nations championship begins once more on Saturday 2^nd February.  The England v Scotland match takes place at Twickenham. Many Rugby fans will go into the tournament with hope that their team may do quite well but the mindset of Scotland fans can be defined by the 1998 football world cup song by Del Amitri, “Don’t come home too soon”, a lament that hopes for the best but prepares for the worst.

Form is also against Scotland who have not won at the home of English rugby for three decades but once again we wrap ourselves in tartan, muster the spirit of the 1990 Grand Slam and march into battle against the Auld Enemy. As those great philosophers sang back in 1998:

So go then, out into history and show them how easy it can be, you might not believe it yet but pretty soon you’ll see, even long shots make it...

 

Christmas - A Triumph of Hope?

We have now once again reached the festive season and as we are confronted with Christmas once more, there are some who will be wondering if it is appropriate to celebrate due to the shadow cast by the mindless slaughter that has taken place at Newtown, Conneticut. Tragedy at Christmas is sadly not a new phenomenon, we can recall the worst aspects of humanity through the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and Christmas market terrorist attack at Liege in Belgium last year. In addition, who could forget the awesome scale of the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, the worst natural disaster in living memory.

Inspite of the recent horror that has dominating the international news,  Christmas is arguably more important than ever. Since the day that evil visited Sandy Hook Elementary, wickedness has been countered by innumerable tales of kindness. This includes thousands of letters sent to the grieving families, toys donated to the children of the town and a movement that encourages people to do 26 acts of kindness in the memory of those whose lives abruptly ended on that fateful day. The acts of kindness have swept across America, with many stories of people paying for other people’s meals, coffee and subway tickets as well as an upsurge in charity to the homeless. The movement has been driven by social networking and has gone global, indeed Glasgow City Mission is able to give in excess of 250 homeless people a Christmas dinner due to an increase in donations. This wave of kindness demonstrates that humanity has a soul, that intangible, eternal kernel of spirit that burns within us and brings us closer to Godliness.

The Christmas story in its stripped down form is an intoxicating tale with a teenage mother, shepherds receiving an amazing vision, an overbearing government, a jealous king and mysterious visitors from abroad bearing exotic gifts. The gifts brought to the Christ child of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh tell their own story. The Gold was a gift of kingship and Frankincense a symbol of Deity. The burning question popularised in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, has to be “Myrrh, Myrrh, What’s Myrrh?”, this was a symbol of death as it was used as an embalming oil. These gifts were a prophesy of the type of life that would be lived by Jesus Christ and the visit of this delegation must have been quite an overwhelming experience for Mary and Joseph. The words of the John Betjeman poem, Christmas, eloquently express the reaction that many people today feel towards the story:

And is it true,

This most tremendous tale of all

Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,

A Baby in an ox's stall ?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me ?

And is it true ? For if it is,

No loving fingers tying strings

Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things,

Bath salts and inexpensive scent

And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,

No carolling in frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single Truth compare -

That God was man in Palestine

And lives today in Bread and Wine.

Betjeman was a member of the Anglican Church who had a faith that waxed and waned throughout his life. This extract from the poem combines wonder and awe with honest questioning about the events of that first Christmas. An invitation exists in the lyrics to put aside cynicism  and ponder the deeper meaning of the story. In the last 2000 years, there have been many kingdoms that have risen and faded away but the great old story of Christmas has endured, bringing transformation to many lives throughout the generations.  Whether anyone reading this blog is a person of faith or not, the humility of the history defining events in a squalid stable in the furthest reaches of the Roman empire teach us about peace and goodwill to all men, qualities that we need more than ever in today’s society. I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas.

On Saturday 1^st December, I made my annual pilgrimage to a Continental Christmas market. After a nice time in Lille last year, I headed into Belgium to the city of Bruges for my only day of the year spent away from this island.

Travel Diary - Bruges

The day started at stupid o’clock as I had to be at the rendezvous point in Sevenoaks Kent for the departure time of 8am. The conditions were foggy on the journey but thankfully it was possible to see cars several hundred metres away, although this didn’t stop some fools from activating their fog lights. Unlike weekdays, the journey took about 55 minutes so managed to get there for before 0710. This seemed really early but the decision was wise as the coach turned up 10 minutes later and I was able to get my preferred seat right at the front on the top deck.

There were aspects of long distance coach journeys that I had forgotten about such as the slightly embarrassed smile that people do when they shuffle down the aisle on their way to the rather cramped toilet. It is always amusing to see them return to their seat, seemingly doing a face that tells everyone “honest, it wasn’t a number 2”. Another aspect of the journey is that there is always the travel bore who has been everywhere and he will delight in telling you about the number of times that he has previously visited the city. He also does a good job of never looking impressed at just about anything, its just as well that Judith Chalmers didn't adopt the same tactic on the old ITV show Wish You Were Here. The only thing more certain than death and taxes is that travel bore will at some point be sitting next to you, advising on the best places to eat in Bruges and name dropping of other places he has visited.

One of the best inventions of the last 20 years is the channel tunnel. The next stage of the journey took place from the Eurotunnel terminal aboard Le Shuttle. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that this is like a normal train, it is essentially a big car park with a small toilet block that so happens to have an electric locomotive at either end.  The journey from Folkestone to just outside Calais takes around 30-35 minutes. The French Eurotunnel terminal is plugged into the motorway network, making it quick and easy to get on the journey. The landscape around Calais is full of retail estates and large warehouses packed with cheap alcohol, the latter of which is to service the “booze cruise” industry.

The coach took the main A16/E40 route which is a good fast motorway although is mainly has two lanes on either side and a rather threatening looking concrete partition to separate the carriageways. The frontier between the two countries is interesting as the French have a sign with the name “Belgique” surrounded by the European flag and “3000m” written beneath, an almost identical sign is then placed at the border, this time with “Belgie” written in the middle then a further two Flemish signs welcoming motorists to Belgium. Inspite of being a dual language nation, it is immediately obvious that French is not as welcome in this part of the country.

As you enter the city limits of Bruges, there is a degree of poignancy as you travel on the Expressway and see the imposing Sint Jan hospital that was used to treat victims of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster back in 1987.  Beyond this point it is also possible to see some of the spires of the cities cathedrals as the historic cityscape looms into view.

As we made our way into the city, we were greeted by Sinterklaas on the back of a tandem powered by his helper Zwarte Piet. Ah yes, the controversial Black Pete is an integral part of the Christmas season in Continental Europe. He is considered to be the servant of Sinterklaas and revellers have been known to “blacken up”and wear an afro wig, jewellery and lipstick in honour of the character. It’s not like he is Santa’s dodgy black mate who rolls up with his crew to steal the presents that the blessed bearded one has just brought down the chimney. Surely it’s time to give Zwarte Piet a break and see him for the good work that he does, giving sweets to kids and generally preparing the way for Sinterklaas, a bit like John the Baptist from the real Christmas story.

Another aspect of the continental Christmas narrative that is different, is the act of placing a shoe near the fireplace to receive presents. This is fine if you have asked for a mobile phone or something but it is more problematic if you really want a Scalextric.

The main Christmas Market was in the Markt, dominated by the imposing Belfry and the Provincial Court building. The market stalls were right in the heart of the pedestrianised part of the square. There were many stalls selling Gluhwein and crepes, although they do prefer to refer to the latter of these as wafels in this part of Belgium. The crepes/wafels are always excellent when filled with Nutella. Another popular filling is cream, or slagroom, as it is gloriously known in the Flemish speaking world.         

 

                                                        

Beyond the commercially oriented Markt, there is Burg, a square that is the administrative heart of the city dominated by the Gothic town hall. There is also the old Civil Registry in this area. The city is connected by a number of canals, which explains why it is known as the Venice of the north. There are many wonderful architectural jewels around the city such as Sint Salvator Cathedral, the largest church in the city. There was a second smaller Christmas market located not far from the Cathedral. In addition, the Church of Our Lady with its large brickwork tower is also a major landmark in the Bruges skyline. Near to this church is the site of Oud Sint Jan’s hospital is a fascinating medieval hospital that was designed to care for sick pilgrims and travellers, this was an active hospital until 1978.

 

 

 

 

 

It is compulsory to purchase some of the wonderful chocolates that are made in the city and I made sure that I purchase a 500g box to take home as well as a couple of smaller confections. Bruges is certainly a city that has been close to my heart since I first visited back in 1993 and worthy of a visit, as is the nearby city of Ghent which share much of the beauty of its’ more celebrated neighbour. Over the last 15 years, I have found that the European Christmas market is always a good way to start the Christmas season and it is a tradition that I hope to continue for many years.

 

Remember

Having just marked another Remembrance weekend, I would like to take the opportunity to offer a few thoughts on the importance of honouring this festival.

Remember

Every year in last October, the Royal British Legion launches its annual poppy campaign in order to raise funds to assist its excellent work with our retiree soldiers from campaigns of times past to those who have been injured in current theatres of war. Their work also extends to helping relatives who have lost a loved one in war. The work is brought into sharp focus for about 2 weeks of the yar although  their work is ongoing every day of the year.

In 2009, I visited some of the 1^st world war battle sites of the Somme in northern France. It was sobering to see row after row of gravestones where many gallant young men fell, many of whom were between their late teens and mid-20’s. There were many poignant sites in the area including the Beaumont Hamel, where there is an imposing monument of a lone Caribou calling out to the fallen sons of Newfoundland who perished in that brutal conflict thousands of miles from home. Further into the battle site revealed the monument to the 51^st Highland Division. This included the Gordon Highlanders, Seaforth and Camerons Brigade and the Argyll and Southerland Highlanders. There was also a Lancashire division drafted in to the regiment for a time and the fields around Beaumont Hamel also have the graves of many valliant soldiers from the Red Rose county.  The Black Watch took the place of the Lancashire soldiers and earned the respect of their German foes for their fighting spirit. Some of these storied regiment names may have disappeared at the stroke of a politician’s pen back in 2006 but their blood sacrifice in the cause of freedom will be remembered by the people of our nation.

We may have said goodbye to the last WW1 veteran in the last couple of years but we still have a reasonable number of WW2 veterans in our midst today. It is incredible to imagine what it must have been like in those times such as the Battle of Britain and the battles on the beaches of northern France. There were also many town and cities that paid a terrible price in the German Blitzkreig such as Clydebank, Coventry and Portsmouth. All of these places would rise again although the memory of those ordinary citizens who perished will never be forgotten.  It amazes me how the nation came together as one to join the fight against evil. In my own family, my grandfather was a gunner in the RAF, mainly based in the Middle East campaigns in WW2. Below is a picture of him just after he signed up, this was taken at Blackpool before all the boys went into service (he is in the second row from the bottom, second left). Like many of that generation, he did not speak much of the war and it was only late in his life that we learned of the extent of his war efforts. The reason that our nation overcame the threat to our freedom was due to millions of such men who put themselves on the line when their country needed them.

The UK has undergone some economic difficulties in the last few years and we all have to acknowledge that spending cuts have been needed across all areas of public service. I am not convinced that the best way to reduce our deficit was to very publicly decommission our Aircraft Carrier, Ark Royal, and the fleet of Harrier jump jets back in 2010. What sort of message does this send out to the world? This decision looks somewhat absurd when the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers are not due until 2016 and 2018. There were also concerns that we may not have the aircraft needed until 2020, meaning that our state of the art ships would look like giant, maritime ironing boards. France has also suffered economic problems but they haven’t decided to sell off their imposing Charles de Gaulle nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The UK must have its own carrier as we may have to protect the people of the Falkland Islands once more, as Argentinian sabre rattling increases.

All areas of our forces also play a key role in peacetime. The Royal Navy Fisheries Protection Squadron patrols 80000 square miles of UK waters and also get involves in Anti-drugs surveillance. Want to play Blackjack Mr Putin? No problem, a couple of our boys will be there at Mach 2 to intercept and gently guide you round the perimeter of our airspace whenever you come calling. As an island nation, we rely on those at the sharp end of national security to be provided with the relevant resources to deter our enemies.

 

On the morning of 11/11, I went to the Cenotaph in my home town of Dalry along with many people from the local community to witness a dignified ceremony. The local Church of Scotland minister read a passage of scripture entitled The Mountain of The Lord and this seemed very appropriate as we stood at the highest point of the public park, everyone recognising that they were on consecrated ground.

Through the ages, our armed forces have been there to defend our nation. I have been encouraged by the way that everyone comes together at this time to honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the call of duty. Our armed forces look after all of our interests worldwide in peace time and in war. Above all, they are the people who put the Great into Britain.

State of Independence?

When making a coffee at work, I had somebody question me about why Scotland wants to break away from the UK. The question did not surprise me following all of the publicity surrounding the announcement of the independence referendum paper that the First Minister, Alex Salmond, with typical self-agrandisement, Christened as the “Edinburgh Agreement”. I don’t normally want to talk about politics in this forum but as I have lived in England for much of the last 8 years and likely to face more questions, it is probably a good time to address the issue.

State of Independence?

Many people are baffled by the sudden promotion of the independence cause north of the border and could be forgiven for wondering if the seeds of a revolution are being sown in our towns and cities. Can it be that the United Kingdom’s mountainous, northern outpost is about to say goodbye to its neighbours and bring an end to over 300 years of union?

In the 1990’s, many people in Scotland wanted more of a say in their own affairs and were happy to vote for devolved powers. It could be argued that the politicians mis-managed the process as all that happened was that a new division was put in place and an absurd situation where MP’s representing Scottish constituencies are potentially able to vote on matters representing England whereas English MP’s couldn’t vote on certain Scottish matters. Arguably, this was brought about by politicians not rolling out a devolution plan for each individual country in the Union. Perhaps one lesson of devolution is that we should be aware of politicians peddling more politicians. The SNP  have emerged as a force mainly due to the Labour Party implode due to sleaze and losing touch with the people and the other unionist parties being largely irrelevant up north.

I visited our great capital city of Edinburgh in late September, a city that was nicknamed “the Athens of the north” due to its contribution to intellectual enlightenment. There is always a feeling of pride when I visit our capital city, New York has the skyscrapers of Manhatten, Kuala Lumpar has the Petronas Towers and Paris has the Eiffel Tower, but none of these has a hulking, great fortress sitting atop a dormant volcano. At any time of year, there is always a great sense of occasion to walk on the Royal Mile and hear the skirl of the pipes.

There was something that did make the visit a bit less pleasant in that many streets looked as if they had been hit by a bomb due to being dug up to make way for tram tracks. The Edinburgh trams project has been one of the Scottish Government’s vanity projects where costs have gone out of control and completion dates have been moved back. There is the farcical situation where rolling stock worth £40 million can be seen sitting in the sidings at the Gogar depot. It is amazing to think that the people who have overseen this botched, modestly sized infrastructure project somehow think they can represent our nation in the international context.

One key component of the independence movement is to make Scotland a nuclear free state. This includes closing down our nuclear power station at Hunterston and placing more emphasis on renewable energy sources. There have been many wind turbine developments in Scotland in the last 10 years, turning our nation into an overgrown Tellytubby land. Our nuclear submarine base at Faslane would also close and this could have potentially dangerous national security implications. It would appear that the SNP have listened to the John Lennon song, “Imagine” and taken it to be a political manifesto.

Scotland is a country that has punched above its weight in the world and could have the ability to survive as an independent state, however, there would have to be clear policies for tax and trade. It is clear the SNP would be seeking to take an independent Scotland into the EU. Part of the ascension criteria for any new EU state is the acceptance of the Euro, a currency that has come close to the brink in the last few years. It surely can’t be lost on the Scottish Government that Ireland, the Celtic Tiger, needed financial assistance. There have also been the other nations such as Greece and Portugal needing to be bailed out by the EU, with France and Germany setting stringent conditions. Ah yes, France and Germany – the two dominant forces in the EU who dominate policy and are not afraid to push around the smaller nations. The EU is striving to achieve closer political union and an independent Scotland joining this club would arguably only swapping London government for Brussels government.

I will always consider myself to be Scottish, first and foremost. If Scotland plays England at anything from tiddlywinks upwards, I will be there draped in tartan to roar on my home team. This is how it should be, each of our nations has its own character and sense of identity. Equally, I am also proud to call myself British and take pride the amazing achievements of the United Kingdom in the last three centuries, who couldn’t have been amazed by the showing of Team GB at London 2012? We will always have our squabbles and rivalries but this is true of any family and the ties that bind us are stronger than a few peripheral disagreements here and there.

Having considered all of these issues, the only conclusion that I can reach is that we are better as interdependent in the UK rather than just a small subsidiary state in the EU, otherwise Edinburgh could be known as the Athens of the North for all the wrong reasons.