Scexit’s not Brexit
In which I offer five reasons as to why Brexit tells us nothing about Scottish independence.
Brexit, the EU and Scottish independence
A look at some of the myths around Scotland and the EU, in the light of the forthcoming second independence referendum.
Knoydart, 2016
Knoydart is one of Scotland’s most beautiful but least accessible areas, where a difficult history of land ownership still casts a shadow over the community’s cautiously optimistic future. I spent a week walking, cycling and exploring there in May 2016. Here are a few posts from the trip.
Islonia
In which I stumble across a foreign country in the middle of the Highlands – Islonia, Scotland’s very own micronation.
True Highlands reviewed
A wee review of a new Highlands and Islands tourist information website: True Highlands.
A horrible time to be in Scotland
In which a seemingly innocuous tweet suddenly helps me understand what the No campaign in the independence referendum has been about all this time. Sorry, I’ve probably been a bit slow.
A second referendum
The Scottish Government and Yes Scotland have made great efforts during the independence referendum debate to stress that this referendum is a “once in a generation” opportunity. They’re wrong: if we vote No there’ll be another within a decade. Here’s why.
Applecross
A few words and pictures from a spectacular day trip to Applecross – surely one of the best places on the west coast of the Highlands.
TROTMH 3: The Scots in New Zealand
This is the third in a series of extracts from my new book The Return of the Mullet Hunter, which I am posting over the the course of this week. This third extract describes my visit to Te Papa, New Zealand’s excellent national museum in Wellington, which at the time of my visit included an exhibition…
Skota sendependeco por komencantoj (parto 2)
Ĉi tiu estas la dua parto de enkonduko al skota sendependeco kaj la estonta referendumo, por Esperanto-parolantoj. Parto 1, pri la historio, estas ĉi tie. Parto 2, jene, temas pri la argumentoj de la du flankoj de la debato. Viaj komentoj kaj demandoj estos tre bonvenaj sube. Mi tre interesiĝus en la vidpunktoj de homoj…
Skota sendependeco por komencantoj (parto 1)
Mi ofte skribas pri skota politiko kaj la sendependeco-debato en Google+, kaj kutime en la angla. Mi konscias ke la plej granda parto de mia kontaktuloj en Google+ ne estas skotaj, sciias malmulton pri skota politiko, kaj ofte ne parolas la anglan bone, do mi miras ĉu tiaj afiŝoj estas kompreneble al ili. Antaŭ iutempe,…
Walking the Coulags circuit
The problem with agreeing to go hillwalking on a certain date is that you can’t wimp out when the weather forecast is rubbish. Our plan was to do the Coulags circuit, which runs northwest from near Achnashellach. According to MWIS the prognosis was not good, though: below zero temperatures at summits, and as low as…
Do you fear the future? Well, try the present
In which I argue that the fears being expressed about independence – from welfare to defence capacity to the national debt – are already being manifested right now within the United Kingdom. Yet nobody seems to be arguing that the UK is unsustainable as an independent country…
My week on ScotVoices
As I mentioned on my blog a few weeks ago, I did a recent spell as the tweeter on the ScotVoices account. That is, of course, one of many “national” Twitter accounts where someone from the country tweets about their life, their country, and indeed anything (within reason) they fancy. I’ve now had a couple…
The Britishness challenge
In which I try (in vain) to think of a single aspect of British identity besides the passport that would die upon Scottish independence.
The nations of the UK: from resentment to respect
In which I offer a few examples that show that Scotland’s place within the UK – and the debate around it – is actually harming the interests of the other nations of the UK and fuelling political resentment. We therefore need to move from a resentful relationship to a respectful one.
Scotland’s voice in the world
In which I point out that the UK and Canada’s joint embassy plans rather undermine the argument that Scotland couldn’t sustain its own diplomatic network – and indeed rather point a way for Scotland to achieve it.
Bravely selling Scotland
In which I argue that the Scottish Government is backing the wrong kind of horse when it uses films like the animated fantasy Brave to promote Scotland and Scottish tourism.
The Scotophiles of Bucharest
“So… what is happening with Glasgow Rangers?” I laughed. Partly it was out of surprise that this Bucharest taxi driver was aware of the collapse of one half of the Old Firm. Partly, though, what I also found amusing was the tone of resigned bewilderment, making it sound like the sort of small-talk opening gambit…
A “no” by any other name
An attempt to critique the various early arguments from the No campaign, following their official launch.