The Thistle - September 2022

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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. ANDREW'S SOCIETY OF LOS ANGELES

NEW PODCAST

with Andy Scott

When most people think of Andy Scott, they picture his two massive 'Kelpie' sculptures in Falkirk, Scotland. But what they might not know is that he's responsible for some of the most compelling public artworks in the world.

In this conversation with Andy, you get an intimate look at what drives him to create his own form of public art. He is a man full of wisdom, experience, and creativity that you can't help but be inspired by.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

UPCOMING SASLA EVENT

Member Meet-Up at MacLeod Ale's

new location in Highland Park!

September 17th @ 12:00pm!

Highland Park/South Pasadena

5930 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Space is limited! RSVP below!

RSVP HERE

SEE IONA FYFE LIVE IN CONCERT

Friday, September 9, 2022

6:30 PM at the Mayflower Club!

The Celtic Arts Center is very excited to present to you one of Scotland’s finest singers, Iona Fyfe, direct from Aberdeenshire to perform both folk and pop songs in the Scots language. She and her accompanying musicians are on their world tour and they will be making a special stop on Friday, September 9th to perform for all of us at the Mayflower Club.

11110 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91606

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

THE BRAEMAR GATHERING

LIVE STREAM

After a three-year absence due to the pandemic, preparations are well underway to stage the world's most famous Scottish Highland Games – the Braemar Gathering.

Online access will provide an opportunity to project the thrill and excitement live from the Games Park and engage with friends and supporters from around the world who share a passion for Scottish culture, heritage, history, and tradition.

The free link can be accessed via: https://vimeo.com/event/2371412

The live stream will begin at 11:45 UKT (UK Time) on Saturday the 3rd and will end at 16:00 hrs.

Attended by members of the Royal family, the Braemar Gathering is renowned for attracting high-caliber competitors from Scotland and abroad who represent sport and culture through field, track, bagpipe music, and highland dancing events.

* Information and inquiries about the live streaming should be directed to Gregor Wilson – gregor@brhcharity.org.

10 GAELIC PLACE NAMES AND

THEIR MEANINGS

Gaelic is a fascinating language and you probably know that many place names in Scotland have Gaelic origins. These Gaelic place names often reveal stories about the places they describe. Click here to read about them on VisitScotland.com

Don’t know much about Gaelic? Check out VisitScotland.com's video Scottish Gaelic: Explained for a fun and informative introduction.

2ND ANNUAL BEST OF BRITISH BRANDS

Join BABC members, Aston Martin owners & enthusiasts, and local business and government leaders for an evening of high-end business networking combined with a showcase of British Brands in the Orange County area.

In partnership with Aston Martin Newport Beach, we are delighted to announce the return of this showcase of British luxury, travel, retail, fashion, beauty, and food & beverage.

When: Thursday, September 22nd, 2022 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Where: Aston Martin Newport Beach Performance Center,

14332 Chambers Road, Tustin, CA 92780

Tickets to attend:

$35 BABC OC Members

$45 Non-Members

Be sure to visit the SASLA booth!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

OUTLANDER PREQUEL OFFICIALLY MOVES FORWARD

Attention all Outlander fans!

It was first reported in February that the new Outlander prequel was officially greenlit, but now more information has been released such as an official title of "Outlander: Blood of My Blood" and that it will be showrun by Matthew B. Roberts with Diana Gabaldon consulting as a producer on the series.

Click here to read more from this month's edition

of The Hollywood Reporter.

EDINBURGH'S HISTORIC CLOSES

GET A FACELIFT

Edinburgh World Heritage has announced the completion of the first batch of its Twelve Closes Project. Edinburgh’s closes, the narrow, often steep alleyways branching off from the Royal Mile, are an important characteristic of the Old Town, and a reminder of the city’s medieval origins. However, Edinburgh’s closes are often perceived as being unclean and unsafe, particularly at night. This innovative co-design project aims to renew and reinterpret some of Edinburgh’s most historic closes, creating safer and more attractive spaces for residents, businesses, and tourists to explore.

Click here to read more about it from from the Scottish Banner

SHETLAND SEASON 7 AND A FAREWELL TO DOUGLAS HENSHALL

Goodbyes are always hard, but it will be especially hard for Shetland fans to say goodbye to Douglas Henshall as this will be his final season playing

DI Jimmy Perez. The actor has decided to leave his role after nearly a decade in order to pursue other projects.

Season 7 is officially airing in the UK as of August 10th, so keep a lookout on BritBox for those of us waiting for it in North America.

Click here to read about his farewell and plans for the future.

THIS MONTH IN SCOTTISH HISTORY

4 September 1241: The birth of the future King Alexander III.

4 September 1561: Mary Queen of Scots meets John Knox at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to try to resolve the religious differences between them. The meeting fails and Mary neither ratifies nor revokes the Protestant Acts passed by Parliament.

4 September 1745: The Jacobite army takes Perth.

6 September 1661: King Charles II restores the episcopal government to Scotland by royal decree. Alternative services called conventicles, often held in the open air, that spring up in an effort to retain a Presbyterian approach, are later made illegal.

8 September 1468: The Shetland Islands are mortgaged to Scotland for 8,000 florins as part of the marriage agreement between the future James III and Princess Margrethe of Denmark.

9 September 1543: Mary is crowned Queen of Scots at Stirling Castle, at the age of nine months.

11 September 1297: William Wallace and Andrew Murray comprehensively defeat the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Murray subsequently dies of wounds suffered during the battle.

15 September 1860: Marischal College and King's College in Aberdeen merge to form a single University of Aberdeen.

16 September 1701: James VII/II dies in France. His claim to the throne and the Jacobite cause passed to his 13-year-old son, James Francis Edward Stewart. He is recognized by the French King as King James VIII/III of Great Britain, in effect declaring war on King William.

16 September 1745: The Jacobites take Edinburgh without a fight.

19 September 1817: The remains of Robert Burns are moved to the Robert Burns Mausoleum in Dumfries.

20 September 1746: Bonnie Prince Charlie sails for France from Loch nan Uamh near Arisaig, very close to the spot at which he landed in July 1745. The site is today marked by the Prince's Cairn.

20 September 1967: The liner Queen Elizabeth II is launched at Clydebank.

21 September 1513: King James V is crowned at Stirling at the age of just one.

21 September 1832: The death at Abbotsford of literary superstar, Sir Walter Scott.

23 September 704: The death of Adomnán of Iona, also known as Saint Adomnán. He was Abbot of Iona, the author of the Life of Columba, and the promoter of the hugely influential Law of Adomnán.

24 September 1332: Edward Balliol is crowned King of Scots at Scone. This leaves Scotland with two kings: Edward Balliol and David II.

26 September 1290: The death at St Margaret's Hope in Orkney of the seven-year-old Margaret, Maid of Norway, Queen of Scotland.

26 September 1934: The liner "Queen Mary" is launched at the John Brown shipyard on the River Clyde, before going on to break transatlantic speed records following her maiden voyage to New York on 27 May 1936.

28 September 1928: Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin.

COCKTAIL FEATURE!

The Balvenie's Julep Flush!

Darjeeling Tea's second flush is perhaps its most aromatic and complex. Picked at the height of the growing season in early July, it is fruity and sweet. At the same time of year across the world, Juleps are consumed in the heat of Kentucky. This is also the same place we get the American oak barrels for the long first maturation of our DoubleWood 12 whisky and it is those casks that bring a honeyed sweetness to the drink. Working with the natural flavours present in each key ingredient, this drink is elevated to a new level.

Ingredients:

50ml 2nd Flush Darjeeling infused DoubleWood 12*
12.5ml Sugar Syrup
2.5 Orgeat
8 mint leaves
Mint sprig garnish

Method

Place infused whisky into serving vessel and add in mint leaves.
Gently press with the back of a bar spoon 2 to 3 times to macerate.
Taste to see if mint is strong enough.
Add sugar syrup and mix.
Place cubed ice halfway up glass, stir drink and top with crushed ice.
Garnish with mint.

Preparation:

*HR Higgins 2nd Flush Darjeeling DoubleWood 12: Infuse 6g of tea in 125ml of DoubleWood 12 for three hours. A longer infusion brings out peachy/stone fruit characteristics in tea, and the slight bitterness that emerges mimics the bitters that would normally go into a julep.

BOOK CORNER

The Highland Clans

by Allistair Moffat

“A brisk and accessible guide to a thousand years of reiving and rivalry in the Highlands.” ―The Scotsman

The story of the Highland clans of Scotland is famous, the names celebrated, and the deeds heroic. Having clung to ancient traditions of family, loyalty, and valor for centuries, the clans met the beginning of their end at the fateful Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Alistair Moffat traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans; from Somerled the Viking to Robert the Bruce; from the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Risings; and from the Clearances to the present day.

Moffat is an adept guide to the world of the clans, a world dominated by lineage, land, and community. These are stories of great leaders and famous battles, and of extraordinary people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. It’s a story too about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that began after Culloden.

Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON