Strictly Sutherland

Happy New Year 2011

2010-12-29T20:51:00.003Z

Soon be the dawn of yet another year - time seems to pass so quickly!

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the celebration to welcome the New Year. Traditionally it runs from noon on 31 December to noon on 1 January. It is a time of hope and looking forward to a better year.

The celebration of Hogmanay can be traced back to the pagan practices of sun and fire worship in mid-winter. The Roman festival of Saturnalia involved great festivities with lots of wine and food, as well as more lascivious goings-on. The Vikings celebrated Yule, beginning on the shortest day of the year with sacrifices to the Norse gods and continuing for a number of days. The customs of Hogmanay probably combine elements of both of these with elements of druidic winter solstice practices.

Following the Scottish Reformation in the 1560s, celebrating Christmas was frowned upon by the rather dour version of Calvinism introduced by John Knox and his successors, who believed it was too superstitious and too Roman Catholic. This was taken so seriously, and preached so vociferously in parish churches, that the celebration of Christmas was effectively banned, except in its pure religious sense. However, while the reformers could ban Christmas, they were unable to do the same for New Year. The celebrations were forced to go underground during the Interregnum under Oliver Cromwell, who banned Christmas in 1651, but it re-emerged in the late 17th Century.

Right up until the 1950s, Hogmanay was the major festival of the winter season. Christmas Day was a normal working day in Scotland until the 1960s and even into the 1970s in some areas. Instead, people took holidays over the New Year period, 31 December to 2 January, with all the feasting and gift-giving which is now associated primarily with Christmas. By the 1980s/90s, Christmas had once again become a huge festival, due in large part to the waning influence of the church. However, despite Christmas Day and Boxing Day being made public holidays in the 1960s, Hogmanay is still associated with as much celebration as Christmas in Scotland, if not more.

No-one is really sure where the word Hogmanay comes from. The Gaelic phrase for Hogmanay is Oidhche na Challuinne, meaning 'the night of the new year.' The word Hogmanay can be traced back to 1696 with reference to someone singing a 'hog ma nae song.' The Oxford English Dictionary dates Hogmynae-night as a festival as far back as 1680. Read more here.

The lovely image above is a desktop which if you click on it you will see full size, you may then right click and choose save to your own computer. Desktop created by myself using a stunning photograph of Loch Assynt taken by Gary Sutherland, Kinlochbervie, in December 2010. The image above will fit a widescreen monitor. If you use a standard size monitor take the one below this.

If you would like a card sized version which you may send to friends visit our Gallery. Lots of lovely cards there for all occasions, all created by ladies with County Sutherland heritage.

I wish each and every one of you A Guid New Year, health, wealth and happiness and may 2011 be the year your most difficult brick wall tumbles.

Chris
www.countysutherland.co.uk

Beautiful Sutherland Desktop Wallpapers

2010-10-24T13:18:00.001+01:00

Joan Currie, Sydney, Australia has recently returned home after a trip to Scotland.

During this trip she visited Sutherland, home of her Mackay ancestors.

These two desktops are made by Joan for our pleasure. I love that coo!

The beautiful Strathnaver one below includes The Mackay Prayer.

Both are available for download in a selection of sizes to fit all monitors from Joan's own blog HERE.

Please take time to look at the other lovely desktops she has on there plus use the links on the side of her blog to see all the work carried out by the girls from A Touch of Class, descendants of Sutherland.

Thank you Joan for these exceptionally lovely desktops.

My Heart is in The Highlands

2009-10-12T10:22:00.005+01:00

The far off mountains of Assynt in Sutherland form the backdrop for this blended image with deer.

You can click on the image above to bring up a larger image or download a zip with desktop sizes

1440 X 900

1280 X 960

1280 X 1024

1024 X 768

DOWNLOAD HERE

Handa Island, Eddrachillis

2009-09-11T15:10:00.005+01:00

This lovely photograph turned into a desktop is both lovely and peaceful.

Photo taken by Andy Ross.

The image here will fit all widescreen monitors. Click on the picture and the full size will come up. You can save it by going to FILE, SAVE IMAGE AS. When it is on your computer, right click on the image and choose SET AS DESKTOP WALLPAPER.

If you have a standard size computer monitor you can get the correct size by clicking HERE and choosing DOWNLOAD.

Enjoy
Chris

Durness - new desktop

2009-03-30T22:15:00.002+01:00

For all you lovers of Durness here is a beautiful image made into a desktop.

Available in two sizes, widescreen and standard. Download this zip file HERE and choose which to use.

Putting this gorgeous image on your screen is easy. Download the file, double click to open it, choose the size more suited to your monitor, double click on the image, right click and choose set as desktop wallpaper.

Enjoy
Chris

Scourie, Sutherland, Scotland

2008-09-20T17:57:00.004+01:00

Scourie is a delightful Highland village on the north west coast of Scotland in the Highland county of Sutherland. The population of the village is just over two hundred. It is known as the birthplace of Hugh Mackay, a British general in the 17th century.

I spent a few days here while touring Sutherland and loved it. Lovely people, stunning scenery and the wildlife is brilliant.

I took this photograph just as the evening light was beginning to fade.
Unfortunately the sky was a little cloudy but does not detract from the beauty.

This is a wide screen desktop wallpaper. Click on it and the full size image will open up. Right click on that and save to your own computer. If you need a standard size you can download one HERE.

There is a matching card in the Touch of Class Gallery if you would like to send one to friends.

Enjoy
Chris

Coldbackie Beach, Tongue

2008-08-11T14:21:00.004+01:00

This lovely desktop and our new page header was made by Chris using a beautiful photograph of Coldbackie Beach, Tongue which was taken in 2006 by Isabel Griggs, Australia, during her trip to Sutherland.

This image is widescreen size. Click on the image and it will download to your computer.

If you need a standard size you can download one HERE.

Enjoy.

Emigrant Statue, Helmsdale

2008-01-31T21:49:00.003Z

I have made a desktop for you using my own photographs of the new emigrant statue at Helmsdale, the coast line at Golspie and an old croft at Knockarthur, Rogart.

I hope you like the finished desktop and will use it. The one on show fits widescreen computers so click and save if that is the size you need.

I also have a zip file which you can download HERE which contains a standard size desktop.

Enjoy

Chris

Bonar Bridge, Creich

2007-11-30T21:36:00.003Z

Thank you Hector Macrae for allowing me to use your photo of Bonar Bridge.

This is the third bridge to be built at this site, the present one replacing an iron and granite one erected at the end of the 19th century and it in turn replaced an earlier stone bridge of 1810.

Click on the picture and it will download to your own computer. A zip containing even larger versions suitable for other sized screens can be downloaded here.
Enjoy,
Judy

Kyle Of Sutherland

2007-11-12T21:59:00.001Z

I played around with this lovely image of the Kyle of Tongue to make this desktop for you. This is an area dear to my heart...close to the Ancestral home of my ancestor Major John Scobie of Melness.

If you would like to see a larger version, simply click on the image. To download a zip file with a larger image and one suitable for a widescreen, click here.

Judy

Putting Granma in the Frame!

2007-11-11T19:55:00.002Z

This beautiful picture has been created from an old photograph sent in by one of our members. Using scrapbook elements has turned it into what you see now. The owner of the original photograph is very pleased with the effect.

Photographs treated like this are great for digital scrapbooks, on your family history website, adding to our Member's Interests site, sending to other family members, etc.

Touch of Class group members are all happy to create scrapbook photographs for you if you so wish as long as you are happy for us to choose the elements, colours, etc., we use. We just enjoy being creative.

If you wish to send a photograph in please email it to me direct - you all know my email address but if you are stuck you can find it on the main website. Just in case we receive a large number of photographs to be worked on please note that we will email you giving you an idea of when we can do it.

Nice idea?

Chris

Loch Fleet from the Mound

2007-11-07T17:39:00.004Z

A new desktop wallpaper for you. This one is a shot taken a couple of weeks ago from the Mound looking towards Rogart over Loch Fleet. Dusk was just falling after a sharp, cold day.

The preview does not do justice to the beautfy of the large desktop. You can download a zipfile containing two sizes, standard plus widescreen HERE.

Thanks and enjoy,Chris

Loch Fleet Nature Reserve

2007-11-01T17:23:00.003Z

This delightful desktop has been created by Joan.

The reserve at Loch Fleet (the northernmost tidal basin on the east coast) contains within its boundary, coastal heath, sand dunes and pine woodland, as well as mudflats. Waders and shelduck feed on the invertebrates in the mud at low tide, and eiders feed on the mussels along the course of the river. In summer, arctic and common terns fish in the shallows, and in winter large numbers of wigeon graze the eelgrass growing on the tidal flats. Other ducks also take advantage of the estuary’s shelter in winter, among them long-tailed duck and common scoter.

Both within the estuary and along the coast to north and south, common seals can be seen. These are particularly conspicuous when they haul out on sandbanks at low tide. The pine woodland at Balblair Wood supports a number of rare pinewood plants as well as more common ones associated with such woodland. Mammals such as pine marten, red squirrel and roe deer also frequent these areas. The heathland at Ferry Links and some clearings within Ferry Wood support a wide range of interesting plants including orchids and a range of butterflies. The pinewoods support Scottish crossbills, crested tits and other more common species such as treecreeper, sparrowhawk, buzzard and great spotted woodpecker. In summer, ospreys fish regularly on the reserve, although they do not breed there, and in winter peregrines and hen harriers regularly visit to hunt. It is a very beautiful spot, situated between the Little Ferry and Golspie town.

Joan's delightful desktop will serve as either a souvenier of this lovely spot or a reminder to visit it when you visit Sutherland. Download the zip file HERE.

Achvaich, Dornoch

2007-11-01T13:32:00.004Z

This lovely desktop is created from a photograph taken by myself in autumn 2007.

It struck me how isolated, wild, and beautiful it was up there but fear it must have been really hard work living and farming. People do still live there and with the advent of four wheel drives, etc. life must be easier than it was!

The image will fit a widescreen monitor, click on the pic and save the full size to your desktop. If you require a standard 1024 x 768 size you can download one HERE. Enjoy.

Chris

Dunrobin Glen, Golspie

2007-10-31T12:45:00.002Z

This lovely desktop, beautifully made by Judy shows the lovely colours of Dunrobin Glen in autumn. Photograph taken by Chris in October 2007.

The image shown is a widescreen version. Click on it and it will download to your compute. Or, if you need a standard size you can download our ZIP FILE in which you will find three different sizes - one will fit your computer.

Thanks lots
Chris