Letters to the Editor
Robert Burns Birthplace Museum The Captain’s Galley
I shuddered when I read about the water and When I finished reading about Jim Cowie and
ultraviolet light damage to the irreplaceable his seafood restaurant, The Captain’s Galley in
paper-based material at the old Burns Cottage and Scrabster, I suddenly felt ravenously hungry. It was
Museum at Alloway in Ayrshire. It is beyond belief as if the aroma of his wonderful seared scallops had
that precious objects like the Burns family bible wafted right off the page. Well done to Mr and Mrs
could have been treated so casually as to allow Cowie for having the courage and the perseverance
them to be dripped upon from a leaky roof! As for to make their dream come true. Accolades like
the over-exposure to ultraviolet light, this is just Britain’s Best Seafood Restaurant don’t come easily
inexcusable. Iain Gunn’s article in SCOTS 43 says and I’ve no doubt that Jim and Mary Cowie deserve
the damaged material is being sent to experts for the award that has at last put Scottish seafood on
conservation. We must all hope that they can do the map.
something to save the badly faded paper-based Henry Dundas, Kirkcaldy, Fife.
material. I hae ma doots.
Carrifran Wildwood
James Gillespie Graham, Edinburgh
Congratulations to all those in the Borders
Kinloch Anderson Forest Trust who stumped up the £335,000 to
Thanks to Angus Urquhart for his splendid features purchase the Carrifran Valley and set in motion
on Highland Dress in SCOTS Number 43. Douglas the Wildwood project, the biggest community-
Kinloch Anderson is absolutely spot-on in pointing based ecological restoration project in Scotland. It
out how offensive it can be when one sees Highland is a hugely ambitious undertaking and one which
Dress treated with disrespect. Highland Dress is, after could so easily have crumpled had it not been
all, Scotland’s National Dress and nothing looks for the persistent drive and energy of certain key
better, to my eye, than a man well kitted out in proper individuals. Over a million trees have now been
attire. I loathe the notion prevalent among some planted and the valley is slowly being transformed.
young Scots that it’s somehow OK for kilts to be worn It will of course be many years before we see
with vulgar tee-shirts, short socks and work boots. anything approaching a forest there, but no matter,
Good men fought and died for Highland Dress and it the Great Forest of Caledon took millennia to reach
behoves all of us not to forget that. maturity. We must all be patient. Thanks to the
Colin Campbell, Argyll people of the Borders, that process is now underway.
Well done!
Highland Dress
Fiona Jamieson, Peebles, Peeblesshire
Thank you for the very informative feature on
Highland Dress. I sincerely hope that it’s read and James Morrison’s Scottish Landscapes
understood by the clansfolk coming to Edinburgh Thank you for the series on the exceptional work of
for The Gathering in July this year. I’ve seen some the landscape painter, Dr James Morrison. I greatly
truly embarrassing things done to kilts in my time admire the ease with which he handles paint and
and not least by well-meaning people who really the apparently effortless way in which he captures
ought to know better. Highland Dress should be the brooding qualities of the Scottish Highlands.
a source of very great pride for those with Scottish These are marks of very great distinction in a
blood in their veins. There’s nothing so handsome painter. I just hope that people at home appreciate
as Highland Dress properly worn and nothing so the quality of his work as much as those of us
downright silly as a kilt worn back-to-front. outwith Scotland. I intend to visit Scotland during
Robert Gordon, Angus. the Homecoming Year. Is there a gallery displaying
Dr Morrison’s work?
A Year in the Highlands Hugh Fraser, New York, NY.
I’m greatly enjoying Innes MacNeill’s features on
James Morrison’s work may be seen at The Scottish
Alladale. His words and his superb photographs
Gallery in Dundas Street, Edinburgh. (Editor)
bring it all home so vividly that I feel I’m right there
with him in Glen Mhor. Innes, old mate, if ever
you want to swap jobs with an Aussie, I’ll be up to
Scots Heritage offers a David Humphreys' Limited
Edition, signed and numbered art print to the best letter
Alladale in a flash, although somehow I suspect you
received by the Editor. Congratulations to Colin Campbell
probably wouldn’t enjoy my desk job in Sydney.
who receives this issue's prize.
Never mind. I can dream, can’t I?
Duncan Maclennan, Gordon, NSW.
SCOTS44.indd 6 28/3/09 4:24:43 PM
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