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

MONTHLY NEWS AND UPDATES: OCTOBER 2021

NEW PODCASTS

David Macpherson

David Macpherson, the creator and writer on Amazon Prime's new show The Rig, sits down with St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles for an interview covering his career as a writer, the TV shows & films that have influenced his writing and we hear about his upcoming projects.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ON YOUTUBE

The Rig

The Rig is filmed exclusively in Scotland and is a dramatic thriller series by Amazon Prime premiering in 2022. The Rig is directed by John Strickland (Bodyguard, Line of Duty),

created and written by David Macpherson and stars: Iain Glen, Martin Compston and Mark Bonnar.

UPCOMING PODCAST

Remember to subscribe to our podcast series so you don't miss out on our next interview with Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Henderson.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

"ALL HALLOWS EVE"

Virtual Event

Reserve your spot for A Very Scary Scottish "All Hallow's Eve" on October 23rd!

Click here to read about the history of Samhain.

READ ABOUT IT ON HISTORY.COM

POET LAUREATE OF ST. ANDREW'S SOCIETY OF LOS ANGELES

LEN PENNIE

HOSTS THE SCOTS LANGUAGE

AWARDS 2021

READ ALL ABOUT IT

CHEF GARY MACLEAN OPENS

ECO-FRIENDLY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT IN EDINBURGH

Creel Caught at Bonnie & Wild is the first solo venture of Gary Maclean, educator, MasterChef winner, and Scotland’s first National Chef! Creel Caught’s menu offers a first-class, fun dining experience, with an array of beautiful dishes for seafood lovers.

Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s magnificent St James Quarter, Bonnie & Wild is a Scottish-focused Food Hall that gives guests the option to choose from a diverse range of menus from eight independent food stalls and four specialty retailers.

https://creelcaught.com

Bonnie & Wild

St James Quarter

415-417 St James Crescent

Edinburgh

EH1 3AE

Congratulations to Chef Maclean on being recognized for the prestigious Mark Twain award from the St. Andrew's Society of New York!

SCOTLAND'S ONLY LAKE

Famous for being Scotland's only lake, Lake of Menteith is situated on the Carse of Stirling. It is quite unusual to find a “lake” in Scotland because most bodies of water are called “lochs”. As a matter of fact, there are 30,000+ lochs! Until the 19th century, it was known as the “Loch of Menteith”. No official explanation is provided why the Loch became a Lake, although there are many theories. One popular theory is that the word lake is derived from the Scots word laich, which means ‘stretch of low-lying ground’ and a cartographer mistook this word for lake!

There are a number of small islands on the Lake of Menteith. The largest one is called Inchmahome (meaning Island of St Colmaig) with an ancient monastery. Sir Earl of Menteith, Walter Comyn, founded the Inchmahome Priory in 1238 which attracted Robert the Bruce and Mary Queen of Scots. Set on an island in the lake, Inchmahome Priory is an idyllically-situated Augustinian Monastery. Much of the 13th century building still remains although much of it is in ruin today. In 1547 the priory served as a refuge for Mary Queen of Scots where she was hidden at the age of four following the disastrous defeat of the Scots army. Rich in wildlife, the woodlands are carpeted in wildflowers and three Spanish chestnuts which are listed in Scotland’s top 100 trees. Access can only be gained by boat from the Port of Menteith from March until September of each year. To the west of the lake lies Flanders Moss, which is one of the largest remaining bogs in Scotland and designated a National Nature Reserve.

To learn more about Lake Menteith and its offerings including fishing and camping, please visit: https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-see/lochs-in-the-national-park/lake-of-menteith/

Get all the information you need for your trip to Scotland!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

By: Shawn Ledingham

A California native and St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles Membership Co-Chair, Heather Griffith, discovered her Scottish heritage while conducting research for her stories set in historical Scotland. Writing under the nom de plume Eilidh Miller, Heather has written over twenty books, including the Watchers series.

In the Watchers books, Heather blends science fiction and historical fiction in the story of a young woman tasked with making sure history happens the way it's supposed to in order to preserve the future that depends on it. The series centers around Clan Cameron, a creative choice Heather actually made before learning that her own family tree has several roots in the clan. At the end of this month, the next Watchers book will be released. “The Gathering” is the fourth in what is expected to be a series of 21 books.

While researching for the Watchers books, Heather has done more than learning about her ancestors, she has connected with them. To bring life to her characters, Heather strives to understand what people in the past might have been going through, thinking, or feeling. Her writing has also connected her to leading some of the leading historical scholars alive today, as well as leasing to a relationship with the current Chief of Clan Cameron. Outside of the Watchers series, Heather’s latest book is called “Her Father’s Daughter,” the tale of a young woman in Scotland during the Jacobite rising of 1745. The rebellion shatters her idyllic world. She is forced to reconcile with the fact that her life was not what she believed it to be, so that she can find the strength to save herself and her clan. “Her Father’s Daughter” was released last month. Heather extensively researches the historical periods she writes about, to ensure the accuracy of the information she shares. This in-depth research has taken her abroad, to access unique historical archives and scout locations. Heather’s commitment to Scottish history, particularly in connection with her book “Echoes,” was recognized when she was named a Fellow in the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

In addition to her books, Heather is working alongside St. Andrew’s Society trustee Ann McBride on a play (and future feature film) called the “Women of Robert Burns.” Heather not only writes characters, but she also becomes them. A long-time historical reenactor, she loves educating the general public about historical events – in writing and in person.

Heather resides in Southern California with her husband, daughter, and her feisty Shiba Inu sidekick. You can keep up with her on the following social media accounts:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eilidhmillerauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eilidhmillerauthor

Twitter: @AuthorEilidh

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoreilidh

Take a look at Entrepreneurial Scotland and the Saltire Scholar Internship Program that is making great strides. We are excited about doing our part in helping this incredible organization fulfill its mission in shaping Scotland's future and the world's future leaders!

Click the image below to view the PDF.

SCOTTISH ATHLETES BRING BACK OLYMPIC MEDALS FROM THE TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES

By: Steve Adams

Twelve Scottish athletes representing Great Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games brought home 3 Gold, 8 Silver, and 3 Bronze Medals from 6 different sports from Tokyo, Japan.

Duncan Scott of Alloa became the first-ever British Swimmer to win 4 medals at a single Olympic Games. He won gold as part of Team GB’s Men’s 4x200 Meter Freestyle Relay, along with Silver medals in the Men’s 200 Freestyle, the Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley and the Men’s 4X 100 Meter Medley Relay.

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Kathleen Dawson won Gold in the mixed 4X100 Meter Medley Relay. The Backstroke specialist from KIlcaldy, who does her Club swimming at the University of Stirling, has also been a European Champion and Record holder.

Glasgow Academy graduate and MBE, Katie Archibald sped away to Gold in Cycling’s Madison Event to go with her Silver Medal from the Women’s Team Pursuit. (A Madison race is a tag team points race that involves all 16 teams competing at once)

Scottish athletes won medals in Swimming, Cycling, Athletics, Rowing, Sailing, and Field Hockey.

For those wanting to cheer on Scottish athletes, the next Summer Olympics will be in Paris in 2024 followed by here in Los Angeles in 2028.

GINS OF SCOTLAND

Mention Scotland to "spirits" drinkers and you’ll hear plenty about beloved single malts, blended malts, and other great whiskies. And why not? Scotch is justly celebrated as one of the world’s greatest spirits, enjoyed around the globe and accounting for 21 percent of the value of all agricultural exports from the entire United Kingdom. But if you visit Scotland itself, you’re likely to discover a new wave of appreciation for a different distillate: artisanal Scottish gin, which has exploded in growth in the past 10 years.

While many consumers may not be aware of this fact, Scotland does indeed have a gin-producing heritage. Three of the category’s biggest brands are produced in the country: Tanqueray, Hendrick’s, and Gordon’s. In fact, 70 percent of all gin made in the U.K. is produced in Scotland, according to Hannah Mitchell, a sales and marketing executive at Port of Leith Distillery.

Listed below are some popular Scottish gins to try that can easily be found at your local spirits shop:

HENDRICK'S LUNAR GIN

Limited Release

A delightfully smooth and alluring gin that is rich with night-blooming floral essence, offering a delicate balance of warm baked spices, and finished with a crisp burst of citrus. LUNAR is best enjoyed during casual nights at home and is a curious companion for sundowners and starry nights with friends.

CAORUNN GIN

Hailing from Balmenach Distillery in the Speyside region, Caorunn {pronounced ‘ka-roon’} is from the Gaelic word for ‘Rowan Berry’. The humble rowan berry is one of five unique Celtic botanicals that are at the heart of their gin. They use Scotland’s natural pantry to hand-forage the rowan berry along with four other Celtic botanicals; all of which can be found within a ten-minute walk of the distillery. Then they pair these with six traditional gin botanicals, to create a genius recipe.

THE BOTANIST

The Botanist is a progressive exploration of the botanical heritage of the Isle of Islay. 22 hand-foraged local botanicals delicately augment nine berries, barks, seeds and peels during an achingly slow distillation. This first and only Islay dry gin is a rare expression of the heart and soul of this remote Scottish island.

BARRA ATLANTIC GIN

The adventurous spirit of Barra people inspires their unique gin. Their award-winning Barra Atlantic Gin is distilled from 17 specially selected botanicals, capturing the essence of their beautiful home. Born from the island, every drop is distilled, bottled, and labeled locally on the Isle of Barra.

WHITE NOVELS

A group of young musicians from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling taking Scotland by storm!

Formed in the midst of the pandemic initially as a solo project, White Novels is the creation of two songwriter musicians Jack Bestow & Tam Kane. White Novels has a unique sound that blends alternative, 80's rock/new wave, with a dash of dark pop, rock, shoegaze and dream pop making it a flair that they can call all their own.

Lead Singer and multi-instrumentalist of the band, Jack Bestow says "Music is my passion, it is my love and outlet for all my problems past and present." His bandmates include Tam Kane, Chris Roarty, Angus Kemlo and Lewis Dawson.

Here's a wee listen to their single "California" https://cloutcloutclout.com/new-music/premieres/white-novels-california/?fbclid=IwAR1A_c0Wmx_dHIyNz_q8L5rS9GXiT5isDRQHpa7REkcRSXMWagk1foTQ19M