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Category: Kilts & Scotland

Drink More Whisky

Published on 14th August 2015

scotianostra:

10 Reasons To Carefully Consider Drinking More Single Malt Whisky 

1. Whisky contains 0% fat – so that is one less thing to worry about.

2. Whisky is low in carbohydrates.

3. Dr. David J. Hanson of State University of New York research indicated that people who drink one or two alcoholic drinks a day have a 50 percent lower chance of having a stroke or developing dementia at an older age.

4. In 2005, Dr. Jim Swan, speaking at the EuroMedLab conference in Glasgow, found that single malt whiskies have more elegiac acid than red wine. The elegiac acid is an antioxidant that is thought to absorb rogue cancer cells in the body.

5. Sore throat – whisky is an antiseptic that can help sooth sore throats.

6. Whisky has historically been used as a digestif after a large meal.

7. Single malt whisky contains no nasty preservatives and will last 100 years in a sealed bottle.

8. Whisky is not just in the domain of men. Elizabeth Bessie Williamson is credited with establishing, ‘Laphroaig’ as one of the earliest single malts in the American market. From 1961 to 1964 and she toured the US representing Islay whisky to buyers and distributors.

9. Whisky has been around for at least 519 years – the earliest documented record of distilling in Scotland occurred in 1494, in the tax records of the day. The Exchequer Rolls, list, ‘eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor where to make aqua vitae’.

10. Single malt whiskies come in a huge range of characters and flavours – profiles include: smoky, tobacco, medicinal, sherry, spicy, malty, nutty, honey, sweet, fruit and floral.

Piping Competition

Published on 27th July 2015

fotoflingscotland:

Darach Urquhart, Piper by Richard Findlay@FotoFlingScotland @_Highland Games
Via Flickr:

Lochearnhead Highland Games 2015

Solo Piping Results

Piob:

1 Darach Urquhart (Big Spree)
2 Peter McCalister
3 Graham Mulholland
4 John Mulhearn
Judges: A Wright, M McRae

March:
1 Gordon McCready
2 John Mulhearn
3 Finlay Johnston
4 Ben Mulhearn
Judges: A Forbes, A Frater

S&R
1 Gordon McCready
2 Finlay Johnston
3 John Mulhearn
4 Graham Mulholland
Judges: J Banks, G Lumsden

Lochearnhead Highland Games – History

The Highland Games have been a classic part of Scottish culture for centuries. Many stories have been told purporting to explain the origins of highland games:

A method of finding the best warriors to fight for the clan chieftain
A way of passing the time for agricultural workers – using available items such as hammers, tree trunks and bales of straw as a means of testing the strength.
Whatever the origins, highland games take place regularly in many highland villages and towns every year. Set in the splendid natural amphitheatre of the surrounding hills, Lochearnhead Games are still run along traditional lines as a “village games”
Ewen The games were first run many years ago with the three villages – Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre – taking turns to host the games. For a few years the games lapsed before being re-started by Mr Ewen Cameron, then the proprietor of the original Lochearnhead Hotel. He was himself a notable heavyweight athlete taking over 100 first prizes over a season when he was competing. Ewen stood almost 6 feet 5 inches in height but did not look anything like this as he was 22 stones in weight, with a 53 inch chest, 16 inch biceps and 36 inch thighs, remotely related to the great A.A.Cameron he was , like his predecessor , a very good wrestler and for a long time was unbeaten, on one occasion he even beat the British Cumberland style champion, which is no mean feat, for it took a lot then, as now to “coup”the lads from the north of England. On one occasion Ewen packed up his caber and went off on his own to Denmark to appear before 30,000 spectators proving , as always, a wonderful ambassador for Scotland.

When the games once again became a regular annual event they were always held at Lochearnhead games field, mainly for reasons of space and convenience.

The three villages are now in the midst of the new Trossachs National Park, and have wonderful historical links to many of the famous Scottish clans. To this day, there is a strong presence of the clans MacLaren, MacGregor. Macnab, Stewart and Cameron, all whom have been represented as Chieftain.