Issue no.4 -July 2015

The Official Newsletter for Clan Scott Scotland

Warmest greetings from us all at Clan Scott Scotland.

Well, half the year gone already and time for more reflections, insights and information surrounding our illustrious family name of Scott. I hope that everyone is enjoying the longer nights , if not the sporadic better weather that occasionally accompanies it. In this issue, we hear the latest from His Grace on proposed land reforms within Scotland , on-going news stories of interest from the “big houses”-Bowhill, Drumlanrig and Boughton, an interesting article on the famous Robert Falcon Scott, from our Secretary ,and some food for thought around Scotland’s DNA project and what this implies for our family surname, Duke Richard included. Also a note on the late Princess Alice. Other smaller pieces include the answers to last issue’s crossword, an update on Balwearie Castle and the first of our Grannie Scott’s words and sayings.. So best get going. Other issues planned for the rest of this year will feature on a Sir Walter Scott special edition and also one dedicated to the horse, an animal intrinsically woven into the very fabric of Border life, both in the past and present. (pic, Lord Polwarth with,Sir Walter Scott actor at Scott Gathering)

Clan  Scott   Scotland   held  its  second  Annual  General  Meeting   courtesy  of His  Grace  the  Duke  of Buccleuch at  Bowhill  on  the   16th   May 2015.   After  the  formal  business,  chaired  by  Lord  Polwarth, when  Mr Scott Lindsay  was elected  to the executive 

Bellendean Bugle Bellendean Bugle

committee, the  members  were delighted  to  have   two  excellent  presentations.The  first  was  delivered  by   Mr  Crispin  Powell  the   Duke's  archivist  on the  subject  of the Buccleuch   archives.  The  second  was  a  paper  fromProfessor   Caroline  McCracken-Fletcher   on items  in  the   collection  at  Abbotsford. Professor   McCracken-Fletcher   hails  from the  University  of  Wyoming  USA  and  is a  recognised   authority  on  Sir  Walter  Scott and  Abbotsford.Afterwards, we were  entertained  by the fine  piping of our  new executive member   to  a  rendition  of  " Blue  Bonnets  over  the Border"  which  resounded  to  the  delight of  casual  visitors  around the  courtyard at  Bowhill.

Duke flags up slimmed down estate ahead of land reform.

Richard Scott, the 10th Duke of Buccleuch, and Britain’s biggest landowner has spoken, with dismay, for the first time about proposed land reform plans

The Duke of Buccleuch said he now plans to sell off much of his 240,000 acre estate in the south-west of Scotland because of the changes which would allow Ministers much more influence over proposed planning decisions. With extensive land holdings in Dumfriesshire and Dalkeith, Buccleuch Estates, the parent company is chaired by the Duke.

Between them Bowhill and Dalkeith employ 80 full-time and 25 seasonal staff, involved mainly in agriculture(with 42 tenanted farms) and forestry, while tourism is centred around Bowhill House near Selkirk, attracting around 10,000 visitors a year between April and September.

Previously, His Grace has spoken of his fears. Now, for the first time, the Duke has personally expressed his “absolute dismay” at the proposed legislation, while going on the front foot and conceding the need to adopt a pragmatic approach

In an interview at Drumlanrig Castle, the centrepiece of Buccleuch holdings, he said the political situation was his main motive for “slimming down” – but concern about, along with, the ability to fund development of all the land properly, was also a factor.

“There’s a need to be pragmatic about the politics of the time and also what we’ll be able to afford to look after well – and I have anxiety on both fronts." I’d be surprised if, in 10 years, we’re not noticeably smaller.”

He added: “We’re more stimulated and stirred up than ever to look after what we have as well as we can.

“I and the management team are determined to carry on rethinking the use of the land, of farms and forestry, to ensure it delivers the best for the local community."I can understand people who have a deep-down visceral dislike of others who own large amounts of land.

“All I can do is try to make a case for our stewardship of it as being good and responsive to the best interests of the community.” But he also warned that misconceived reform could put the upkeep of historic houses such as Drumlanrig Castle and Bowhill at risk in the longer term. He said: “There always been an umbilical cord almost linking these great houses with the land around them. “Within a generation or two it will become increasingly difficult to look after them.”Scotland’s largest private landowner has spoken of his fears for the impact on his business – and the Borders economy – of controversial legislation due to be enacted by the Scottish Parliament next year.

And the Duke has hinted that his estates, which include 61,000 acres at Bowhill and 75,000 acres in Eskdale and Liddesdale, may have to be slimmed down because of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Public consultation on the detail of the bill, which includes an extension of community ownership, tax changes, enhanced rights for tenant farmers and to change the law whilst the setting up of a permanent land reform commission, ended on Tuesday. 7 February 2015.

Underpinning the SNP policy is a vision that “Scotland’s land must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few”.Nationalists want to establish a permanent land reform commission, strengthen the rights of tenant farmers and change the law so that landowners can no longer leave all their land and buildings to a single heir.

They also hope to re-introduce business rates for shooting on deer stalking estates. However, campaigners claim this could this put a question mark over their ability to survive. The lobby group Scottish Land and Estates has expressed “extreme concern” at the proposed powers, while the Scottish Conservatives have denounced them as “simply unacceptable”.

But the move will be welcomed by campaigners who say over-concentrated ownership in Scotland undermines communities and stunts economic growth.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said land “must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few. ”But she also said responsible landowners should be “valued and respected” and planned moves did not represent “some kind of class warfare”.

Rural Affairs Secretary, Richard Lochhead, said: “Landowners should not view any of the measures being proposed as a threat – unless they deem themselves bad landowners.”

What land reform means for Scotland The Duke Of Buccleuch At His Home Drumlanrig Castle

Sunday 31 May 2015 . Source: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/what-land-reform-means-for-scotland.127555843

The ongoing debate on land reform is often characterised as one where 'progressive' land reformers are pitched against 'intransigent' landowners, which is a great pity as the topic of land reform should lead us all to challenge whether we are making the most of our natural resources.

A truly progressive debate should have at its heart constructive dialogue and a frank assessment of the issues that confront various communities and business sectors-the Scottish Government etc..

The Scottish Government's Minister for Land Reform, Dr Aileen Macleod, recently talked of the need for much greater collaboration and co-operation between landowners and communities. No-one should argue with that. She also, however, recognised the social, economic and environmental contribution made by private landowners - a contribution that delivers substantial public benefit rather than simply serving the interests of a landowner.

The Duke was of the opinion that we, at Buccleuch,I don't believe that we are anti-land reform as there are some proposed measures such as migrating land registration onto the land registry which are constructive suggestions. Also, the sentiment behind dealing with abandoned or neglected land is right - but the challenge here is to get the correct definition. There are also many ways in which agriculture could be improved but binding the subject into land reform does, in my view, the farming industry a disservice.

Sadly, the land reform debate is too easily narrowed into the issue of ownership alone. I can fully understand that some people do not like the concept of individuals owning large tracts of land. However, the portrayal of landowners simply 'owning' land - and therefore preventing progress - is far removed from what happens on the vast majority of estates.

Most landowners I know have a very deep sense of commitment to the land they manage and wish to make the best use of it, not just for them for the benefit and enjoyment of all and for future generations.

Any estate owner will tell you that productive use of land is the main priority and it may take many forms, agriculture, tourism, forestry, leisure, energy are all areas where private landowners make a significant contribution.

Surely, both the private and public sector have a role to play - as they do in most walks of life. Land use should be no different. There are examples where community ownership has proved to be successful and examples where private landownership has not been delivering as much wider benefit as it could. We should be honest enough to admit that the reverse is also true - community ownership is not always a panacea and, in truth, there are parts of Scotland where there is not really a great demand for it.

I believe it would be more productive if there were to be greater acceptance that there is room for everyone - community, private, public and charitable ownership - and each model will face major challenges on how they use land to the best effect.

It is a challenge we face on the Buccleuch estates on a daily basis. Buccleuch is a business and, while I am extremely proud of our heritage, we are wholly committed to looking to the future as a modern and progressive business.

Our core operations of tourism, hospitality and energy are sectors that we firmly believe are of benefit to Scotland. 120,000 people annually visit our estates to enjoy a vast array of activities.

Our plans to redevelop Dalkeith Country Park are well underway and will provide a range of benefits to the local community, creating around 35 new jobs along with a first-class visitor destination.

We believe there are substantial economic and community benefits which could be stimulated in the South-West through potential renewable energy resources. For example, we are a committed partner in the restoration of the Glenmuckloch mine which again has provided local employment and our energy ambitions in that area, should they be realised, could generate direct and indirect community benefit running into many millions of pounds.

Scotland's land is very varied, offering an array of opportunities to deliver more for our nation. Many landowners do their level best to make a positive contribution to rural Scotland and the interests of rural Scotland would be better served if a more collaborative and less adversarial approach is taken to how we use land in Scotland.

Royal Scots: geneticists launch bid to trace Stuart DNA in modern men

GENETICISTS are peeling back almost a thousand years of Scottish history to trace the men alive today whose DNA marks them out as belonging to the royal Stuart bloodline.

The Scotland's DNA project, led by Edinburgh University's Dr Jim Wilson, has tested almost 1,000 Scots in the last four months to determine the genetic roots of people in the country. The project discovered four new male lineages, which account for one in 10 Scottish men. It also found that actor Tom Conti is related to Napoleon Bonaparte. Scotland's DNA was set up by Dr Wilson along with historian Alistair Moffat, the current rector of St Andrews University. Using new technology, scientists were able to pinpoint a participant's DNA marker, from which they tracked the person's history and lineage. Conti and Napoleon both share the M34 marker, which is Saracen in origin. Alistair is at the helm of Scotland’s DNA, a project that aims to map our genetic history, telling us where the earliest inhabitants came from. Researchers believe that Scotland's location could be a factor in the "astonishing and unique" origins of people from the country. In a statement, Dr Wilson and Mr Moffat said: "Perhaps geography, Scotland's place at the farthest north-western end of the European peninsula, is the reason for great diversity.

"For many thousands of years, migrants could move no further west. Scotland was the end of many journeys."

Scotland's DNA also found that more than 1% of all Scotsmen are direct descendants of the Berber and Tuareg tribesmen of the Sahara, a lineage which is around 5600 years oldThe project found that Scotland has almost 100 different groups of male ancestry from across Europe and further afield. More than 150 different types of female DNA from Europe, Asia and Africa were discovered.

The Duke of Buccleuch, Britain's largest private landowner, is a carrier of the S781 genetic marker which identifies those belonging to the royal Stuart bloodline

Around half of men with the Stuart or Stewart surname - regardless of the spelling - are believed to carry a unique marker in their Y chromosome which identifies them as the direct descendants of a 13th Century nobleman who fought alongside William Wallace and whose subsequent lineage includes the Stuart monarch, James VI of Scotland.

Researchers are now keen to recruit as many men as possible to build an

accurate picture of the Stuarts' genetic dynasty in modern Scotland.It was pinpointed after geneticists on the long-running project received a DNA sample from the current Duke of Buccleuch, a direct descendent of Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll, a military commander killed during the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.

By comparing it against the DNA of a direct descendent of Sir John's brother, they were able to prove that the S781 marker originated in Sir John, because his brother's descendants did not inherit the marker but those of both his sons, including the Duke of Buccleuch, did. "But S781 being Sir John of Bonkyll's marker, there's no two ways about it."

"This is the first time ever that we've been able to link a genetic marker to a named historical person," said Dr Jim Wilson, chief scientist at Scotland's DNA. "Scientists in Oxford and Cambridge have identified a Y marker that they think marks the lineage of Genghis Khan but that is based on circumstantial evidence.

Markers refer to "errors in copying" when DNA is passed down the generations. Each of us inherit some six billion letters of DNA, three billion from each parent. The unique sequence is made up of a combination of four letters: A, C, G and T, shorthand for the molecules adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine. Occasionally, small mistakes occur in the code that see letters switch places. This is known as a single nucleotide polymorphism - or marker.

The Scotland's DNA team are also keen to hone in on other royal bloodlines. They believe they may have uncovered the genetic marker for the Bruce line using a sample from a man in Shetland who traces his family tree back to Robert the Bruce's grandson, although Dr Wilson stressed this remained a "work in progress". The study has already thrown up unexpected results, but the biggest surprise came in the DNA of Richard Scott, the Duke of Buccleuch, Britain’s largest private landowner.

Alistair said: “We spoke to many people we thought would have interesting DNA, and one of them was the Duke.“ People in noble families tend to have really good records of their genealogy, and Richard is descended from Mary Queen of Scots and Charles II and so on.

“We further traced his ancestry back to Brittany. Then we applied the genetic marker test, and he’s got a marker called R1b-S145, which is most common not in Brittany but in Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and

Cornwall.

“A light went on in my head and I realised what had happened. Brittany means Little Britain, as there were many Brits who migrated there to escape the Anglo-Saxons and the duke’s ancestors were among them.“If you did a thumbnail sketch, you’d say it was Celtic, some Pictish, some Viking and a bit of Irish maybe. But we’ve found 100 lineages and we’ll find more.

“We’ve got one per cent of Scottish men who are descended from the tribes of the Sahara. How did that come about? “ We’ve got two whose markers come from the Caucasus, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. How the devil did their ancestors get here?

“Ten per cent of all Scottish men have Irish ancestry, which is far more than I’d have thought.” And the project is still gathering pace, with more and more people wanting a test. Alistair said: “I thought we might get 400 or 500 customers, which would’ve been great as it would have been a big enough sample to draw conclusions from, but it’s been five or six times that.”

The Big Houses;Bowhill Bowhill House and Country Estate won the title of Borders Tourism Business of the Year in the Scottish Borders Business Excellence Awards 2014.

The historic house set just five miles from Selkirk beat stiff competition from the other shortlisted businesses including the McDonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf and Spa in Cardrona and The Restaurant at Kailzie Gardens, Peebles.

A team from Bowhill attended the awards ceremony which took place on Friday 25 April at the Scottish Borders Campus, Galashiels, and were thrilled to be announced as the category winner.

Helen Currie, House and Events Manager for Bowhill House and Country Estate, said: “Everyone at Bowhill is incredibly proud to be awarded the accolade of Borders Tourism Business of the Year. “It is fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team in creating this

unique and fun-packed visitor destination. “The award reaffirms Bowhilll’s place on the Borders tourist attraction map as we continue to offer an unrivalled customer experience and grow our visitor attractions even further.”

The success came hot on the heels of a sharp hike in visitor numbers to the Country Estate in 2013, jumping from 13,000 in 2012 to 20,000 in 2013 – an increase of more than 50 per cent. Bowhill offers a jam-packed programme of Ranger-led activity and theatre events.

Other attractions include Bowhill House’s impressive Victorian Kitchen, House tours, waymarked walks, an adventure playground, internal soft play area and more.

The organisers of the Scottish Borders Business Excellence Awards were looking for businesses within the tourism sector which were outperforming their peers at a national level and those exploring new and innovative avenues to develop the sector and bring new business to the region.

27 June 2014

Mini masterpieces on display in Selkirk A rare collection of miniature portraits has gone on display at a stately home in Selkirk. The exhibition of tiny masterpieces was unveiled by the Duke of Buccleuch at Bowhill House.The miniatures are considered to be the most important collection in private hands, excepting the Royal Collection. The Buccleuch Collection, which comprises a total of around 750 miniatures, will be exhibited at Bowhill House throughout July for visitors to enjoy.

A collection of miniature portraits on display in Selkirk came to the Borders due to the obsession of a Duke that once lived at Bowhill House.

Walter Francis, the fifth Duke of Buccleuch, collected the tiny paintings in the 19th century. There are around 750 of them still at the stately home, which are on display in special cabinets during July.

The current Duke of Buccleuch, Richard Scott, said they are there thanks to his ancestor's obsession with miniature portraits:'He and his wife Charlotte Anne began collecting in the 1830's, and they went on throughout their married life, he didn't die until 1884, and they bought huge quantities.

There are over 750 still in the collection now, we have got the bills, they bought 10 here, 20 there, and I think they were absolutely intrigued as to who these people were.'

They include the famous unfinished portrait of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper and fine examples of the art form, dating back to the 1520s including a masterpiece by Hans Holbein.

The unfinished portrait of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper Credit: ITV Border

A new exhibition of 50 jewel-like portrait miniatures from the internationally renowned Buccleuch Collection, including some never-before-seen pieces, will be launched by the Duke of Buccleuch at Bowhill House. The collection – co-curated by the Duke and Dr Stephen Lloyd, former senior curator of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and an international authority on portrait miniatures – will be exhibited at Bowhill using the latest display cabinets and lighting techniques, allowing the miniatures to be seen in their proper glory for the first time.

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth is one of the smallest in the collection Credit: ITV Border

The Duke of Buccleuch with one of the miniature pieces and a £2 coin Credit: ITV Border

For only the second time, Bowhill will open its doors to the public throughout autumn and winter.

The grounds, Victorian Kitchen, Soft Play and Minstrel Tearoom will remain accessible to the public at set times throughout what is traditionally the closed season.

They will open every Thursday from now until December 11, from 10am–3pm, and every Thursday from January 15 to April 2, 2016, from 10am–3pm. Also from October, visitors can join the team at Bowhill for ranger-

led activities, including the Woodland Story Telling or Woodland Walk at 10.30am and 1.30pm.

Special house tours will also be offered on the first Thursday of each month from October 2015 to April 2016 (excluding December and January). Tours will start at 1pm at a cost of £10 per person. Season pass expiry dates will be extended until the end of March.

Bowhill’s Helen Currie said: “The estate is absolutely beautiful throughout autumn and winter, looking picture perfect as the trees in the estate turn amber and as the frost turns every part of the estate into a winter wonderland.”

Bowhill recognised alongside Buckingham Palace in elite education awards22 January 2015

Helen Currie, Michael Paton and Rory Powell from Bowhill House collect their Sandford Award.

BOWHILL House and Country Estate has joined an elite group of UK and Irish heritage sites to be awarded a prestigious Sandford Award for the high quality education programme it delivers to children of school age.

The coveted award was picked up by the team at Bowhill House at a recent ceremony in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London – the Estate was recognised amongst other high profile visitor destinations including Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and the V&A Museum of Childhood.

The Sandford Awards scheme was created in 1978 and represents a broad spectrum of heritage sector partners who recognise the importance of a continuing education programme.

The Awards focus on formal, curriculum-linked education opportunities offered to schools by heritage sites, although recognition is also made of informal learning

such as family programmes. 

Helen Currie, House Manager at Bowhill House and Country Estate attended the annual awards ceremony to accept the award. She said: “To be recognised amongst some of the top heritage sites across the UK and Ireland is a real honour and true testament to the hard work and dedication put in by the team here at Bowhill. We are committed to delivering a top class education programme that excites and inspires pupils to get a real flavour of the history of the House and the Estate.

“The feedback we received from the judging panel was very encouraging and reinforced that our programmes are engaging for all. We look forward to moving forward with and continuing to improve our educational offering throughout 2015.”

A schools visit to Bowhill targets the key elements of the Curriculum for Excellence whilst ensuring that everyone has fun at the same time. Youngsters get the opportunity to enter the Victorian Kitchen and step back in time with a visit to the drawing room or dining room, and the wide acres of Bowhill Estate make the ideal place to learn about nature, wildlife and the relationship with the environment.

Sandford Award lead judge, Emma Webb, added: “Bowhill House and Country Estate offers a unique resource for learning and teaching, with imaginative, creative programmes that support educational experiences and outcomes across a wide age range.

“A friendly, experienced education team will welcome pupils and offer an engaging programme of activities that will inspire their ideas and questions and help to develop their understanding about the past and the natural world.”

Bowhill House and Country Estate offers a travel subsidy of up to £100 to help with bus costs. For more information on a schools visit call 01750 22204 or email education@buccleuch.com.

Drumlanrig Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate is one of the historic seats belonging to the family of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, as well as being home to part of an internationally renowned art collection (Rembrandt’s Old Lady Reading and family portraits by artists such as

Thomas Gainsborough, as well as landscapes by Paul Sandby and the Dutch masters). Here there is a wealth of experiences on offer for all visitors, whether you simply wish to tour the castle or explore the extensive 90,000-acre grounds of the estate, be that on foot, bike or on a Land Rover tour led by part of the Ranger team

Success for country fair

Lord Damien Scott of Buccleuch with Bethany Martin & dog Moscow from Les Amis D'Onno prepare to wow the crowds in rain at Galloway Country Fair. Thousands of people flocked, last year, to a fun-filled Galloway Country Fair at historic Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate on Saturday to make it one of the biggest and best ever.

More than 200 traders showcasing everything from crafts and clothes to food and drink reported brisk trade from early on at one of Scotland’s most prestigious outdoor events set on the 90,000-acre estate.

The event, held in the grounds of the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, has swiftly become a major player on the country show calendar and was officially opened by Lord Damian Scott of Buccleuch.

He said: “It is very exciting for Drumlanrig to host the Galloway Country Fair for the fourth consecutive year, bringing the biggest and best show to date. Building on the success of previous years, we had lots of activities

and representatives from various country pursuits showing and exhibiting. The feedback from visitors on the first day was incredibly positive.

“Everyone on the estate values the countryside and all it has to offer enormously and I am delighted so many people turned out to share this with us and take part in the fair.

“We want Drumlanrig to be recognised as a great venue that can play host to such large-scale events as the Galloway Country Fair and continue to put not only the estate but Dumfries and Galloway on the map as a great place to visit.”

Crowd-pullers over the weekend, last year, included an appearance from celebrity chef Mike Robinson, famed for his appearances on Countrywise Kitchen, Ready Steady Cook and Saturday Kitchen.

The fair also boasted a range of participation events at its hugely popular Sporting Village including a clay shooting competition with a £1000 prize up for grabs, archery, fly fishing competitions and casting demonstrations.

A range of entertainers were also lined up to provide a fun-packed family-friendly weekend with equestrian displays, a motorbike stunt rider, the Buccleuch Hounds, falconry, agility displays, pipe bands, Highland games and more.

Boughton House

Gardens of Boughton House to open with restored Grand Etang lake and fountain

A fountain was switched on, 15th May 2015, at a restored lake at an historic country estate. The plume of water at the lake - The long-forgotten Grand Etang lake and its plume of water at Boughton House – known as the English Versailles in Northamptonshire - rises more than 75ft.

This now exceeds the 58ft jet from the fountain, after the lake was first constructed in the 1690s.The lake covers almost an acre and contains 1.5 million gallons of water. It will be shown off when the house and gardens open to the public throughout August.

Situated near Kettering, Boughton House has been likened to France's Versailles - Louis XIV's palace near Paris. It has been the home of the Montagu family and their descendants, the Dukes of Buccleuch, since 1528. After nearly 200 years of neglect the lake had to be completely re-dug and filled with clear spring water , but it was officially opened by the Duke of Buccleuch in May to restore the magnificent reflection of the house for the first time in two centuries. The formal parkland covers more than 100 acres and has been the subject of a massive restoration programme by the present Duke of Buccleuch and his father.

The most recent part of the work has been carried out with the financial assistance from English Nature though the Countryside Stewardship scheme.

The Duke of Buccleuch, who switched on the fountain said: "The reopening of the Grand Etang is a major milestone in the restoration of the immensely important designed landscape at Boughton.

"A decade of work has revealed long lost waterways and lakes dating back over 300 years but only now can we enjoy the full vision for a majestic setting for this great house. The arriving visitor is greeted with views and reflections that are simply stunning.

"A rather significant part of our national heritage has been revealed for generations to come." “The arriving visitor is greeted with views and reflections that are simply stunning.”

The one-acre Grand Etang and its Jet d’Eau fountain were built in the 1690s to form part of a landscape that still includes a canalised river and lily pond.This landscape was created by the first and second Dukes of Montagu, who planted tree-lined avenues as well as masterminding the bold water features.

The first Duke had been an ambassador at the court of France’s King Louis XIV, who built Versailles. He brought back French architecture and

landscape design to Boughton, which was previously a Tudor manor house.

The grounds include a rose garden and an inverted grass pyramid that dips down about 200ft (7m) below the level of the restored terraces.

Visit England Chairman Lady Cobham CBE, who attended the launch, said: “I first went to Boughton House more than 40 years ago and it is thrilling to witness the remarkable restoration work that has been carried out.

The Duke of Buccleuch and VisitEngland Chairman Lady Cobham at the Gardens of BoughtonSir Walter Scott stamp marks Royal Mail milestone

Matthew Maxwell Scott, a direct descendent of Sir Walter Scott, as he unveils a stamp plaque of Sir Walter Scott on a postbox in Kelso. Picture: PA

24 June 2015

A STAMP of Sir Walter Scott was unveiled today on a post box in the Scottish Borders, to mark the 50th anniversary of Royal Mail’s modern Special Stamps programme. The historic novelist has featured on two sets of Special Stamps in the past - the first was issued in 1971 to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth and the stamp featured on the

postbox was issued in 2006, on the set celebrating 150 years of the National Portrait Gallery. 50 special stamp plaques are being installed on postboxes across the UK for the event. Each plaque features one of the most popular stamps which has a special connection with the UK city, town or village in which it is located.  The postbox featuring the Sir Walter Scott stamp is located on Woodmarket, Kelso, in the Scottish Borders - his home. Other stamps on postboxes include Winston Churchill, Bagpuss, Dylan Thomas, Robert Burns, the Giant’s Causeway, York Minster and Sherlock Holmes. Unveiling the new stamp plaque today in Kelso, Matthew Maxwell Scott, a direct descendent of Sir Walter Scott, said: “We are delighted that the Sir Walter Scott stamp is to be included as one of Royal Mail’s special plaques and there is no more fitting place than Kelso, an area which Scott loved and also went to school. “As a very proud descendant of the great man it is an honour to represent his memory on an occasion like this.”Watson, Royal Mail manager for the Scottish Borders added: “The UK’s towns and cities have influenced stamp designs over the past 50 years.

“We are proud that one of our postboxes in the Borders features the stamp of Sir Walter Scott. “We hope that all our customers and visitors enjoy this special stamp plaque and might even take a photo as a memento.”

Flashback- 21 April 2011 Duchess of Buccleuch funeral to take place in Melrose

The funeral service for, Jane, the Dowager Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry took place in Melrose, after dying in a London hospital on Monday at the age of 81.Her funeral was held at Holy Trinity Church in Melrose on 27 April with a further service in Northamptonshire at a later date.

Jane McNeill, who hailed from the Western Isles, was a fashion model for the house of Norman Hartnell before marrying the 9th Duke of Buccleuch, then the Earl of Dalkeith, in 1953.

Her wedding with the duke at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh was attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and most of the Royal Family.

The couple had four children, including the current 10th Duke of Buccleuch.The 9th duke died in September 2007, aged 83, but the dowager duchess continued to spend much of her time at the family's Borders home at Bowhill near Selkirk.

Revealed - How oldest ever Princess left a fortune to loyal staff: Queen's aunt left payments of £30,000 to 14 employees when she died aged 102

Princess Alice was Britain's oldest royal when she died at 102 in 2004 In her will she left payments worth £30,000 to 14 loyal members of staff This was despite leaving a relatively modest estate of just over £500,0000 Royal commentator not surprised by her decision to remember staff

Published:, 16 May 2015

She was born in a bygone age of aristocratic splendour, living a quiet life of dutiful Royal service.

And it seems that even at the very end Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester – once described as the last great Edwardian – never forgot her duty to her staff.

According to her will, published for the first time today, the Princess – who was 102 when she died in 2004, making her Britain’s oldest-ever Royal – left payments worth £30,000 to 14 members of her staff. This was despite leaving a relatively modest estate of just over £500,000.

Princess Alice, who was close to her niece, the Queen, left £5,000 each to both her private secretary and equerry, Sir William Bland, and Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott, a former lady-in-waiting who became one of her closest friends.

The will also lists payments of £3,000 each to her former head gardener Nicholas Walliker, and butlers Thomas Feehan, Alfred Amos and Alan Williams.

Hugo Vickers, the Royal commentator who knew the Princess, said he wasn’t surprised she would remember her staff: ‘The Princess was very Scottish and aristocratic, and she knew she was the mistress of the house.

‘So it wasn’t a question of her sitting down to tea with the staff or anything like that. But I remember one of the butlers who worked for her telling me how considerate she was.

‘The Princess would never ask people to work after hours and she always left polite notes for the staff. She would never ask people to make a cup of tea at 4pm. It was always “Would you be so kind as to?” ’

Sir William – one of the few beneficiaries still alive – said he had been touched to be remembered by such ‘a remarkable and wonderful person’. ‘She was very generous and very kind-hearted, and would always put other people before herself. She was carrying out public engagements almost up until her death.

‘I can only speak for myself but I was so grateful that she took the trouble to remember me in her will.’

The Princess, the daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, was born on Christmas Day in 1901.Domestic service remained one of the country’s largest employers and the Princess was surrounded by staff from the moment she was born.

Her parents had so many servants they would regularly hire entire trains so they could travel between their properties in London and Scotland. Despite her privileged background, Princess Alice had little time for the frivolities of high society life.

Her passion for travel and adventure marked her out from contemporaries and she once smuggled herself into Afghanistan. She also spent time with the notorious White Mischief Happy Valley set in Kenya, but soon grew tired of their antics.

Her marriage to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, in 1935 was a happy one but it was touched by tragedy. In 1972 the couple’s 30-year-old son Prince William, a trained pilot, died in an air crash. In 1995, financial difficulties meant that the Prince and Princess had to give up their Grade II-Listed Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire and move into Kensington Palace.

The bulk of her estate was shared among the Princess’s second son, Prince Richard, and her grandchildren.

The wills of members of the Royal Family are normally sealed by the Probate Office so their contents remain a secret. But it is understood the Princess’s family saw no reason why the document should not be in the public domain.

Left picture: Princess Alice pictured with her Princess Alice pictured as a young woman

niece,the Queen, in 2001.

  Ma Grannie Scott’s (Scots) words and sayings

Awfy- terrible

Braw- bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht. Meaning it’s a great, full, moonlight, night tonight. fine, pleasant-esp of the weather

Blootered- well drunk

Besom- Ya cheeky wee besom! An obstreperous girl, or woman

Bahookie- bum/backside. when i got home my Dad booted me up the bahookie for being late..

Boak- verb, to be sick, vomit or nausea. He gives me the boak.

Baffies-. they’re comfortable, cosy, and ideal for relaxing around the house in. And they come in pairs. We’re talking, of course, about slippers,

Birl- spin, either in a dance or a run in the car

Bowfin- awful, or smelly as in expended air from one’s posterior

Blether– “ we had a right good blether.” A person who chatters incessantly, babbles on and on.

Canny- cautious, careful, hesitant, frugal esp with money-ie. the canny Scot

Couthie- sociable, friendly or comfortable and snug

Crabbit –Meaning grumpy and bad tempered, such as “Yer a crabbit get, so ye are” “Feeling a wee bit crabbit today?” someone of ill-tempered, or of a generally grumpy disposition.

Chuffed- well pleased with ones-self

Cludgie- toilet. finding a cludgie in the countryside nooadays is no easy!

Clatty- dirty, as in your manners are really clatty

Clipe- tell a tale on someone, shop them in.

Chap- knock ie. chap at the door, or chappin at dominoes-knock table, to signal not playing.

,_.___

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_,_._,___Killernie Castle. The ruins of Killernie Castle sit at the southwest extremity of Saline Hill. The castle was once known as the Castle of Balwearie. It was owned by the Scotts of Balwearie, one of whom was Sir Michael Scott, renowned knight and wizard. The ruins now consist only of fragments of two towers, of which the southern is said to be the more recent, bearing the date 1592.

(thanks to above notice , advised by one of our members, after reading article in last months Bellendaine issue.no 3.)

A bit o Scott’s fun rhyme by Kevin Scott-Edtr.

There yince wis a clan called the Scotts

whae's neeboors cattle, we stole in great lots.

Thar peel towers we burned,and caused sic a mayhem

tae the Kerrs,Elliots, Armstrongs and Graham.

 

But we haud Buccleuch, the bold an the true,

the maist respected and feart in the land.

An mony a Nixon, a Bell or a Douglas,

lay deid in a ditch,  or even heidless!.

 

Noo the shout out o Roberton,or auld Bellendean

caused mony owlets tae hoot in thaur sleep,.

as the Scotts rallied roond ,on a braw moonlicht nicht

an heeded aff fur a plunderin sheep.

 

Cos reivin was fun, but a dangerous spree

an mischievous legends were born

but pity the maun whae returned empty-haunded

wi nae food fur his kin in the morn .

 

An Sir Walter, the chap, a no-bad poet/writer

caused aw  of the world tae tac heed,

'o Scotland,oor nation,the hairt beating faister

as the kilts and the tartan ,tae the country, he gied. 

There wis Scott of Antarctic, a real-life explorer,

an Ridley whae directed them Aliens,

bit the yins whae really mattered, in thae misty days of auld

are them that fronted up against the barbarians.

Across

1.bellendaine 5.amo 6.clans 11.low 13.cadet 14.ewe 15.boa.17.main.20.be 21.stag 24.hawick 27.bader28.due 29.queensberry

Down

1.buccleuch 2.dalkeith 3.amo 4.iowa 7 L.A.8. adept 9.new 10. stem 12.blaeberry 16.O.B. 18.As 19.na 22.grace 23.bide 25.cue 26.ken

The Borders' Common Riding season begins in Hawick

5 June 2015

Hawick has kicked off the Common Riding season in the Scottish Borders.

It is the first of a number of towns which will be at the centre of the traditional festivities over the summer.

The Hawick festival celebrates the capture of the English flag by a group of local youths at Hornshole in 1514.

It also recreates the "Riding of the Marches", a tradition dating back to the 12th century when the town's boundaries were checked on horseback.

The towns of Selkirk, Melrose, Peebles, Galashiels, Jedburgh, Duns, Kelso, Langholm, Lauder and Coldstream will also host Common Ridings in June, July and August.

(Watch out for a special feature edition of the horse and its interwoven realationship with the Borders, Scotts, reivers, sculptures, Buccleuch Hunt etc. which will follow later in the year.)

Captain Robert Falcon Scott

The Terra Nova Expedition 1910–13, officially the British Antarctic Expedition, was led by Robert Falcon Scott with scientific and geographical objectives. Scott wished to continue the scientific work that he had begun when leading the Discovery Expedition to the Antarctic in 1901–04. He also wanted to be the first to reach the geographic South Pole. He and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, where they found that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by 34 days. Scott's entire party died on the return journey from the pole; some of their bodies, journals, and photographs were discovered by a search party eight months later.

RRS Discovery was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in Britain. Designed for Antarctic research, she was launched as a Royal Research Ship (RRS) in 1901. Her first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first, successful journey to the Antarctic, known as the Discovery Expedition. She is now the centrepiece of visitor attraction in her home, Dundee.

Robert Falcon Scott . The seventh continent.

He was a scientist in the guise of a naval officer (George Seaver, 1940, in Scott of the Antarctic) Childhood fascinations often kindle an interest, which become life long. As the Secretary of Clan Scott Scotland, most members know me as Roy, which is the name I use every day. Being the first born, I was christened Robert after my paternal grandfather, as was the custom in most Scottish families. One day, when I would be around 9 years of age, I entered the junior section of our local public library. I have, from an early age, been interested in foreign lands. What caught my eye, as I trolled through the travel section in the library, was the book” South with Scott” -a biography written by the ,then Lieutenant Evans, later to become Admiral Evans. The book inspired me to look further into the life of Robert Falcon Scott, and the story of Antarctica in all its mysteries, tragedies, triumphs, human sagas, the science and the significance of the early explorers appreciation of the necessity to record ,document and observe the 7th continent. When doing my National Service, I was tempted to volunteer for the Falklands Island posting, but this could have meant spending three years away from my aim of securing a post in a National Health Service Hospital. At that particular time hospital ambitions were for the optimistic, due to the cessation of National Service with the inevitable crush of those not joining the forces and those being discharged , competing for a limited number of posts. The stampede for positions was immense. There were obvious reasons at the time to keep within the framework of the hospital career ladder. I did get to Antarctica eventually. As a celebration of my 70th birthday celebrations, my wife and I spent 23 days on a Russian icebreaker, which took us to the Ross Sea and the historic huts and sites. No one, who has ever visited the 7th continent, could fail to be overawed by the grandeur, the isolation, the prospect of rapid and terrifying changes of weather, the animal and avian life, the cold -most obvious- , the sheer stark beauty of ice-bergs, mountains, the white of the snow, the indescribable Erebus volcano with “its plume” and probably, above all, as I have discussed with other travellers, the silence.Every time I read a criticism of my boyhood hero, I wonder at the ignorance of the distant critic. The retro spectroscope is an easy instrument for the non-thinker, especially if that person, in reference to the 7th continent, has no realisation of the lack of knowledge available to explorers, such as R F Scott at the turn of the 19th /20th centuries . When on our cruise, we visited Cape Adare, at the north end of the Ross Sea. This site is particularly significant ,in that it was here that the Norwegian explorer, Carsten Borchgrevink, landed and set up his hut to become the first to over- winter in Antarctica. He was leading the British Southern Cross expedition of 1898. On our cruise ,we met a delightful Norwegian couple. The wife, Sophie Nordrum, was the grand daughter of Carsten Borchgrevink. In conversation with her husband, Ivor, I asked “if the family still had the rifle?” He grinned, and told me the tale of how the family retrieved the gun. I tell this story because there is a famous photograph of Borchgrevink holding the gun. The significance of this is

that it illustrates, graphically, the fact that early explorers to Antarctica had absolutely no idea what they might encounter. Borchgrevink, being Norwegian would automatically have thought “polar bears.” We now know that there are no such creatures on the Antarctic continent. We may smile about this well known fact but it demonstrates the lack of knowledge with which early explorers entered the white wilderness. Those men had to find and establish the knowledge from scratch. Not only did they so do, but they started recording geological , meteorological and glaciological data ,which would be invaluable for future generations. Scott and William Speirs Bruce, of the Scotia expedition were two, who laid down the foundations of scientific data, which would later lead to the modern awareness of changes in the earths weather conditions. R F Scott,therefore, helped establish the understanding of basic scientific observations and facts necessary in our current realisation of global warming. Reading the journals of his last expedition, we realise that when the team was confined to their huts at Cape Evans, because of the winter weather, combined with 24 hour darkness, scientific discussion, lectures and work were the order of the day. This is not surprising, when it is realised that there were12 scientists in the group. We get a flavour of one of these lectures given by George C Simpson, the meteorologist. In the course of his lecture, Simpson discussed halos, coronas, rainbows and auroras . Expounding on the latter, he pointed out that the frequency of auroras was dependent on sun-spot intensity. He talked about magnetic storms and possible unknown factors. In the lecture on auroras, he discussed the gas Argon and possible parallels of the two spectra. Simpson then advanced two theoretical considerations.The first was the Arrhenius theory concerning solar particulate material being gathered in a magnetic field of the earth. The other was the Birkeland theory, which was possibly caused by bombardment of free negative electrons within the magnetic field of the earth. In the lecture ,speculation was made concerning observations that minute drops of water are deflected by light. In Scott’s journals there is the concluding comment that “ Professor Stormer has collected much material showing connection with lines of magnetic force” . Recent polls in Scotland, now put the sight of the “Aurora Borealis” as number one of “things to see.” We have the advantage of modern science to explain this phenomenon. There are several reports of the scientific presentations held throughout the expedition which emphasized the very high quality of those members of the group, who very much had science as their motivation, and who were totally dependent upon Scott’s leadership, not only in providing the opportunity to visit Antarctica, but because he had organised and supervised the supplies, and teams, to run the day to day provision of the basic requirements of life and of science.. I could give many examples similar to those mentioned concerning the positive management by “The Owner”, as he was known by his men.Many critics of R F Scott, fail completely to express the simple fact that, basically, he lead a scientific expedition ,his prime aim being to improve

man’s knowledge of the 7th continent. We, as “Scotts”, are rightly proud of our distinguished kinsman, and should say so, loud and clear.

Roy Scott : Secretary Clan Scott Scotland

Footnote. George. C. Simpson as a meteorologist in Antarctica supervised the use of balloons to examine the effects of altitude on temperature. Captain Scott provided him with an isolated hut, to be used for magnetic measurements. Simpson was responsible for the data concerning weather, then setting up a weather station. On his return from the south, he continued as a government meteorologist, in the Middle East, and eventually, in 1920, became Director of the Meteorological Office in 1920. He, then, became Sir George C Simpson, to be later honoured by many universities, for his long period of scientific work. He was a scientist of the highest quality, and an excellent example of the type of scientist who added lustre to the work of Robert Falcon Scott.