Sir Kenneth Calman has stepped down as Chair of the National Library of Scotland Board.

Appointed by the Scottish Government in 2016, Sir Kenneth has has seen the Library through an intense growth period. National Librarian Dr John Scally described Sir Kenneth's experience and expertise as 'invaluable' to the Library.

The September issue of the Thistle will feature a special video performance by two of our members, piper Richard Strayer and drummer Kim Attebery. Richard and Kim are talented musicians and recognized as leading exponents of their crafts. They will be introducing their playing and sharing some background on themselves and the music.

Apocalypse is the new single from Scottish singer and songwriter NatiDreddd. Watch for our upcoming exclusive and uncensored interview on FB Live with this amazing new talent who will surely steal your heart!

NatiDreddd is the overnight sensation on TikTok with over 3 Million Likes and 1/2 Million Followers!

The Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming was founded in 1979, with the aim of bringing the best Highland pipers in Scotland to Pennsylvania, in order to teach US students. This Summer, 2020, through the power of Zoom, we’ve brought instructors from Scotland (Robert Mathieson), Nova Scotia (Bruce Gandy) and Northern Ireland/Pittsburgh (Andrew Carlisle) into homes in the US and abroad. Response to our schools has been unanimously positive.

Along with our classes and one-on-one instruction, we were able to include videos on various piping topics, as well as tours of bagpipe and reed manufacturing facilities in Scotland. Our summer instructors’ concert, usually available only to students, went public this year, premiering on YouTube. One result of the change to online instruction has been that we’ve attracted students from distant states and nations, for whom travel to Pittsburgh would’ve been prohibitively expensive, or difficult to schedule.

Though the switch to virtual schooling was prompted by closings due to Covid-19, our success this summer has lead to a decision to include online content as part of our schedule, even after public classes and events resume. This fall, we’ll be taking the 14^th Annual Balmoral Classic Junior Solo Piping & Drumming Championships online. Competitors will record performances and send them to the school. In turn we’ll forward the videos to our distinguished panel of judges. Both piping and drumming competitions will be launched as Premieres on YouTube, with live chat available. First prize in piping will be a set of MacCallum bagpipes.

A young boy on a small Scottish island where everyone knows everything about everyone else, will discover that a secret is a dangerous thing in this tense and brilliant tale of from Lisa O'Donnell, the bestselling author of The Death of Bees, winner of the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize.

Covering the history of the last Jacobite Rising, this book tells the stories of the many women caught up in the turbulent events of 1745-46. Female support for the Stuart cause was significant, and the government of the day feared these women who gave money and hospitality or acted as spies. Some stood with their men, while others acted in direct opposition to them. Eighteen of the most prominent women were arrested after the defeat of the Rising; hundreds actively involved themselves on both sides; and many others were raped, persecuted, or transported to the colonies. With one famous exception, historians have ignored female participation in the '45 Rising. This book, based largely on original documents and letters, aims to redress the balance.

Society member Heather Griffith is a contributor to this newsletter and to our Society's social media. She is also a published author and writer (nom de plume Eilidh Miller) of the acclaimed series, 'The Watchers'. Available at Amazon

The Declaration was written during the long war of independence with England which started with Edward I's attempt to conquer Scotland in 1296. When the deaths of Alexander III and his granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway, left Scotland without a monarch, Edward used the invitation to help choose a successor as an excuse to revive English claims of overlordship. When the Scots resisted, he invaded.

Edward refused to allow William Wallace's victory at Stirling Bridge in 1297 to derail his campaign. In 1306 Robert the Bruce seized the throne and began a long struggle to secure his position against internal and external threat. His success at Bannockburn in 1314, when he defeated an English army under Edward II, was a major achievement, but the English still did not recognise Scotland's independence or Bruce's position as king.

On the European front, by 1320 Scottish relations with the papacy were in crisis after the Scots defied papal efforts to establish a truce with England. When the pope excommunicated Robert I and three of his barons, the Scots sent the Declaration of Arbroath as part of a diplomatic counter-offensive. The pope wrote to Edward II urging him to make peace, but it was not until 1328 that Scotland's independence was acknowledged.

Many thanks to Will Lipp and Steve Lipp of Alexander Murray & Co for supporting St. Andrew's Society with whisky tastings at many of our events over the years.

Scotland is one of the few countries in the world where a locally-made soft drink outsells Coca-Cola.

SCOTLANDISNOW is a collaborative marketing campaign which relies on partners outside of government promoting it in their wider communications/engagement work. Our St. Andrew's Society is proud to partner with Scottish Counselor in the US Joni Smith and her office in promoting Scotland in southern California and beyond.