John Dewars Islay, Jura and Colonsay: A Birds Eye View

This review article attempts to assess the first fruits of a monumental undertaking by Ronald Black, Christopher Dracup and their colleagues aimed at publishing in their entirety the historical accounts and lore collected by John Dewar (1802–1872) in the West Highlands of Scotland between 1862 and 1872. It does so from the perspective of a general reader, anticipating that Scottish historians, linguists, onomasticians, ethnologists, folktale experts, musicians and others will offer more specialised critiques in due course

We in Scotland have to make our stand for pure Liberalism: John M. Bannerman and Scottish Politics, 1932-1968

This article assesses the political career of John M. Bannerman from his entry into Scottish politics in the early 1930s until his final speeches in the House of the Lords in the late 1960s. The principal issue which it addresses is the history of the Liberal party in Scotland in the period from 1945 to the late 1960s. By analysing Bannerman\u27s Liberal candidatures (he stood eight times in four different Scottish constituencies from 1945 to 1964, losing on each occasion), his attitude to Scottish Home Rule, his role in keeping the Scottish Liberal Party alive, and his ideas on the revival of the Scottish Highlands, it deals with his role in the survival of a party which had once dominated Scottish politics but had fallen into deep decline. The position of the Liberal Party during a period in which the Labour Party and the Scottish Unionist Party dominated the politics of Scotland is also a theme of the article. Some additional comments are made about the way in which both the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party have deployed Bannerman’s memory in arguing their positions vis-à-vis post-devolution Scottish politics

Both sides of the Tweed: Relations, Tensions and Identity of Scottish Backhold and Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling

Little academic attention has been given to two closely-related styles of traditional wrestling in Great Britain: Scottish Backhold (‘Backhold’) and Cumberland & Westmorland (‘C/W’) Wrestling. Both sports are represented by the Scottish Wrestling Bond and the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Association, and while each organisation maintains its own traditions and practices, they are able to participate in each other’s competitions as well as in international tournaments. Many areas of mutual satisfaction and respect exist between the two organizations and especially amongst the wrestlers themselves. There have, however, been areas of tension between the two groups. This article will explore several such issues that arose between 1998 and 2002, including regulations concerning dress, number of falls to a bout, and alleged non-recognition of certain techniques. We shall then discuss developments in Scottish Backhold between 2014 and 2019; and lastly, we shall examine the recent rise in female participation in what has historically been a male-dominated sport. This analysis raises questions of tradition, as well as potential breaks from tradition, in the development of both types of traditional wrestling. It also attempts to partially redress the lack of academic scrutiny, particularly with regard to Scottish Backhold

The Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill: A Timely Appreciation

A remarkable project to record the Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill, the Paisley weaver-poet, has concluded with the 2024 release of a fifth and final disc, a fitting tribute marking the 250th anniversary of Tannahill’s birth. This review article discusses why Tannahill is an important and distinctive voice in the Scottish traditional song repertoire, and assesses the achievements of the recording project