History

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From Beg, Steal or Borrow to Bangaranga, Eurovision marches on

I count myself fortunate that I was able to go to the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest when it was held in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. A school friend and I took the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh – in itself a big adventure for us! –  and had one of the most exciting nights of our young lives. And while the staging back then may not have had the extravagant and explosive pyrotechnics of today’s event, it was still a big deal.

Those who founded the song contest in 1956 hoped it would be a way to bring European nations together after the ravages of the Second World War. But not only was it a way to promote European cooperation and new song writing, it was also an experiment in Europe-wide live broadcasting. No mean feat!

The 1972 show was hosted by celebrated Scottish actress and ballet dancer, Moira Shearer. Born in Dunfermline in 1926, she rose to fame in Powell and Pressburger’s films The Red Shoes (1948) and The Tales of Hoffman (1951). But she also appeared in Powell’s 1960 chilling, and controversial, psychological horror-thriller, Peeping Tom, a film in which she came to a very sticky end.

The New Seekers © National Archives, the Hague

Although I wasn’t aware of it then, The New Seekers had a very strong Scottish connection. One of the two female singers in the group, Eve Graham, came from Auchterarder. Born in 1943, Eve is a beautiful singer, with an enviable three-octave range. While Beg, Steal or Borrow was a success in the charts, it’s fair to say that the group’s best-known hit was I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, a song that may have started life as a Coca-Cola advert, but went on to become a chart-topping hit around the world in 1971.

Scottish connections aside, the Eurovision Song Contest is still going strong, with the motto for its 70th anniversary being United by Music. And, despite increasing political tensions, it’s been surprisingly successful at doing what it set out to do all those years ago. It’s one of the longest running international song contests ever and possibly the world’s biggest ever musical celebration. One that may at times seem to be over-the-top and awash with pyrotechnics, but anything that continues to keep us together in a fractious world has to be worth holding on to!

The full article appears in issue 118, June/July 2026, of iScot Magazine.

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Benmore Botanic Gardens

We may not have the best weather in the world here in Scotland, but we do have some magnificent botanical gardens. And Benmore is one of my favourites.

A spectacular mountainside garden, Benmore sits close to the southern end of Loch Eck. The entire Benmore estate was gifted to the nation in 1925 and became the third of Scotland’s great botanical gardens.

With trees and plants from all around the world, it’s a delight to explore. Alongside Scots Pines and a wealth of native plants, you’ll discover the hillside now boasts a Japanese Valley, a Tasmanian Ridge, a Bhutanese Glade and, perhaps my favourite, the Chilean Rainforest Glade.

Being a hillside on Scotland’s west coast, the gardens have suffered more than their fair share of challenging weather, which makes if doubly impressive to see just how much hard work has gone into repairing the damage done by recent floods and storms.

It’s also now home to a sapling from the famous Sycamore Gap Tree, so pointlessly felled by vandals in September 2023. “A Tree of Hope”, as the label says, and one that will fit in well in such an inspiring place!

The full article is available from iScot Magazine, issue 117

 

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“If you go down to the … Glasgow Botanics…”

… you’re sure of a big surprise!”

Not only will you come across Killer Plants, but you’ll also discover the forgotten tracks of an underground railway station.

Then there’s the story of an infamous Victorian poisoning in 1857, and the subsequent trial which rocked Scottish society. Was Madeleine Smith guilty? The verdict? Not proven. If not she, then who did poison apprentice nurseryman Pierre Emile L’Angelier?

And what has an ingenious Victorian engineer, a man who invented a remarkable ‘floating bike’, have to do with the glorious glasshouse that is the Kibble Palace?

But most intriguing of all, what was the top secret WW2 project that went on down in the tunnels below the gardens? What was ‘The Research Institute For Flora-based Invasion Defences’ up to? Just how carnivorous can some plants be?

There’s a lot more to the Glasgow Botanical Gardens than meets the eye, and you can read all about it in issue 116 of iScot Magazine, April/May 2026

 

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Dr Elspeth King – The People’s Curator

In May 2018 I had the privilege of interviewing Dr Elspeth King, not long before her retirement from the Stirling Smith Museum. She had so much to say that the article ran to nine pages in the May 2018 edition of iScot Magazine!

Her death last month was a real blow to the history and cultural landscape of both Glasgow and Scotland. To mark the passing of this remarkable woman, we again paid tribute to her and her achievements (iScot issue 111). A wonderful farewell to a unique and inspiring woman!

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Margot Sandeman and the Arran Connection

Scottish artist Margot Sandeman (1922-2009) had a long-standing connection with the Isle of Arran. There were many happy childhood holidays with her family on the island. Later came sketching and painting trips with her good friend and fellow Glasgow School of Art student Joan Eardley. Finally, in 1973 Margot and her husband bought one of the little cottages up in High Corrie.

High Corrie is a unique place. The nine cottages that make up this tiny settlement sit tucked into the shelter of the mountain slope and give real insight into how the traditional communities of a bygone era would have looked. The setting – between mountain and sea – is beautiful, the views breathtaking. The High Corrie Burn flows past the clachan, while further up the hillside the rushing White Water makes an ideal picnic spot on the way up Goatfell.

We spent many memorable family holidays there. So it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that Margot Sandeman fell in love with the place. Nor that both Corrie and High Corrie inspired some of her finest works. Or that the Isle of Arran as a whole proved to be a life-long source of creative inspiration for her.

In the little exhibition, No More Sheep, currently on in Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, a selection of Margot Sandeman’s delicate paintings mourns the passing of a way of life she’d witnessed throughout the long years she’d been coming to Arran. In the early days sheep had played a big part in the life of the islanders and were seen all over the island. By the late 20th century that way of life was passing, if not gone altogether. And through these pictures she mourns that passing.

It’s good to know that Margot Sandeman is still remembered. And while this is only a tiny exhibition, it’s a good point to start from for anyone keen to find out more about Margot’s love of Arran and the places that inspired so much of her work.

No More Sheep: Margot Sandeman on Arran runs at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum until 1st June 2025

The full article is available in issue 103 of iScot Magazine

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Archie Roy

He was a scientist who helped put the first men on the moon. While his interest in the paranormal earned him the nickname of Glasgow’s Ghostbuster. And his thrillers, many set on Scottish islands, were for decades amongst the most sought-after books in public libraries. Yet, surprisingly, he’s little-known today.

But without doubt Professor Archie Roy was one of those men that Scotland used to produce – a polymath. A man whose interests weren’t narrowly proscribed. Rather, he was someone who was interested in, and open to investigating, everything around him. Be that on earth, in the heavens or somewhere in between! And who was fascinated by that greatest mystery of all – the human brain.

In his thrillers, he wrote about places he knew well, in particular the islands of Arran, St Kilda and Mull. Fast-paced, some of his novels come with elements of science-fiction based on his own scientific experience and knowledge. In others, he looks at that great question of ‘what if’ specific events in history had taken a different course and left us with a very different present.

They’re thrillers that stand the test of time and use the landscapes of these three very different islands to great effect.

In this article, in the 100th issue of iScot Magazine, I look at the rich and fascinating life of Archie Roy: scientist, ghostbuster and thriller writer – and so much more.

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A Tale of Two Countries – Austria and Scotland

The High Alpine Road at the Grossglockner Glacier

“Comparisons are odious” wrote John Lydgate in his Debate between the horse, goose, and sheep, circa 1440. While it’s clearly not a new sentiment, and in many cases a valid one, there’s no doubt there are times when comparisons can be a timely wake-up call to matters that can, and should be, dealt with.

After a recent trip to the Austrian Alps, I certainly felt that in comparison to Austria, with its excellent rural bus services, good rail network, welcoming tourist facilities, and well-maintained roads (not a pothole in sight), Scotland definitely comes a very poor second.

No country is perfect, no country gets everything right. But at the level of a country’s basic infrastructure – roads, railways, bus services – then right now Scotland is definitely getting things very wrong.

Take the appalling delays in dualling that ‘killer road’, the A9. Or the endless landslips and closures on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful – problems that have dragged on for decades and seen millions of pounds wasted on consultations and temporary fixes. Then look at how similar problems are dealt with in Austria – the point being that over there they are dealt with. None of it is rocket science, and it’s particularly galling when you think that Scotland once had a world-class reputation for its civil engineering skills.

Is it incompetence, neglect or sheer stupidity that stops our government dealing quickly and efficiently with essential matters of infrastructure? Matters that are vital for the sustainability of our rural communities.

These are fundamental issues that need to be addressed if rural Scotland – or indeed all of Scotland outwith the Central Belt – is to thrive. Even a quick comparison with how the Austrians deal with their challenging terrain and keep their many rural settlements well-connected, could provide answers to Scotland’s problems.  If they can get it right, then there’s no real excuse for us not to.

Austrians take a real pride in their country. They want visitors to see it at its best too. We could learn a lot from them.

Examples of how the Austrians have tackled similar problems to ours are outlined in my article in issue 99 of iScot Magazine.

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Saints, Kings, Vikings and Shipbuilders. Govan and the Clyde

Although almost on my doorstep, I have to admit it was years before I discovered the magnificent carved stones housed in Govan Old Parish Church. Hundreds of years of history, belief and kingship set in stone and preserved for all to see in the heart of Glasgow. The Govan Stones are an exceptional array of early medieval Christian sculpture that show clearly the importance of this place to the Kings of Strathclyde.

According to tradition, the original church on this special site was founded early in the 6th century and dedicated to St Constantine. Built of wood and close to a holy well (a location much favoured by the Celts) it was surrounded by an almost circular wall.

The people who lived here at that time were neither Scots nor Picts, rather Old-Welsh-speaking Britons, part of a powerful kingdom ruled from Alt Clut – Dumbarton Rock. But then came the dreaded Vikings who sailed up the Clyde and in 870 AD the mighty fortress of Dumbarton fell to those ferocious Norse warriors.

One of the hogback Viking Stones

However, Dumbarton’s loss was Govan’s gain as it was to Govan that the new kings of Strathclyde looked to establish their power base. Already an important religious site, Govan now grew as a political and administrative centre: the Christian and the secular powers in the kingdom very closely intertwined. A growing sign of that increased status and subsequent wealth is reflected in what became known as ‘The Govan School’ of carving, which flourished between 900 and 1100 AD. Swirling snakes, elaborate interwoven decoration, mounted warriors, biblical scenes, huntsmen and saints – it’s all there!

As are five massive Viking hogback grave markers, which are truly monumental! At first glance they look like huge humpbacked beasts, but on closer inspection you can see that some are carved to represent wooden-tiled roofs; copies, possibly, of the wooden houses of important Viking chiefs of settlements or bases further west, who recognised the immense spiritual prestige of St Constantine’s Church at Govan and who craved the recognition burial at such an important Christian site would give them.

The Tall Ship reflected in the dramatic windows of the Riverside Museum

Not far from the Govan Stones you’ll find Fairfield Heritage Centre which tells the story of Govan’s long shipbuilding tradition. It also tells the story of brave and determined women like Mary Barbour, a leader in the Rent Strikes of 1915, when, during the First World War, the women of Govan courageously stood against corrupt landlords.

Cross the mighty River Clyde over the brand new pedestrian bridge linking Govan and Partick, and you reach the Riverside Museum, with the Tall Ship berthed in front of it. Along this short stretch of the river there’s much to see and discover. Govan and the Clyde have a long and fascinating history – some good, some not. But all part of the past that has led to the Govan of today where change is afoot. Govan’s story is not done yet!

The full article can be found in issue 98 of iScot magazine, available through Pocketmags.

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Scottish islands in crime fiction

A question: What do William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Agatha Christie, Peter May and Enid Blyton all have in common? And the answer? They’ve all used islands as settings for some of their most exciting and memorable works.

Just think of those raging storms of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Or the terror of being trapped on an island with an unknown murderer as in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Then there’s those bleak, elemental, wind-swept landscapes of Peter May’s Lewis trilogy. And of course, that youthful delight in sailing, swimming and the great outdoors (with a smuggler or two thrown in for good measure) in Enid Blyton’s The Island of Adventure. All examples of that long-standing urge authors have to set their writings in a self-contained and very specific world. And islands fit that bill perfectly.

Scotland’s islands are no exception. We’re blessed with a great many of them. Some lie close to the mainland and so-called civilisation. Others lie far out to sea, beyond the distant horizon. Some sit almost within striking distance of their neighbours. Others in splendid isolation. Yet all with very different landscapes, customs, beliefs and even language. Perfect settings to fuel the imaginations of authors. Over the centuries they’ve provided inspiration for myths, legends and even today’s crime writers. And it’s the works of some of these that I examine in this article in issue 96 of iScot Magazine.

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Coire Fhionn Lochan – an Arran gem

‘Climb every mountain …’

… and take this walk to the beautiful Coire Fhionn Lochan on the west coast of Arran. Its name means the Little Loch of the Pale Corrie, and its crystal-clear water is fringed with white granite sand.

There’s something quite strange about coming to a beach up in the hills, but it’s a lovely spot for a rest or a picnic. It’s not a long walk, but it can be steep. And for the more energetic, there are walks that head further into Arran’s stunning mountains.

It’s a walk rich in history, with clues to the past in the place names that describe the natural features of the surrounding landscape. Place names with a mixture of linguistic roots, that tell of the invaders from other lands, who descended upon these shores. Often arriving as deadly raiders, then returning as settlers, marrying into local communites and eventually adding to the genetic mix that makes up who we are today.

Whose blood flows through your veins? Are you descended from dark-haired Celts, or fair-haired Norse Vikings. Or even those unfortunate Spanish sailors whose ships floundered in the stormy waters off the Scottish coasts in the aftermath of the Spanish Armada of 1588 and stayed on (think of Jimmy Perez!).

This walk has echoes of St Columba, as well as tales of a visit from Robert the Bruce. It’s a walk in the present that resonates with the past. A lochan at the top of the world. Not a bad place to be at all!

Full article available in issue 95 of iScot Magazine