NEWSFLASH

Sgarabhaigh reaches ‘The House of Lords’

Our latest ‘Friend of Sgarabhaigh’, Mr Devin Scobie Managing Director of Caledonia PR Consulting based in Edinburgh, has friends in high places and took the witnessing of his ‘Contract’ to the ultimate level when he got Lord Watson of Invergowrie to countersign it with the Honourable Lord giving his witness signatory address as ‘The House of Lords’. They have both given their wholehearted support to the project and its aims, having followed our progress for nearly a year. Mr Scobie has also offered us help to develop the publicity side of the project which is particularly helpful given his professional background. Clearly the endorsement of the project from such eminent people can only serve to consolidate ‘Friends of Sgarabhaigh’ as a significant sustainability initiative in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Latest News Report - October 2007

Well we have just returned from a trip up to the island to film the island and the seals having their pups. We went up on the 24th September and got onto Sgarabhaigh on the 26th very early. Until we stepped onto the island the weather had been wet and windy but as we unloaded the boat the sun came out and shone for the three days we were filming. We saw gannets dive for fish, cormorants drying their wings on the rocks and seal pups learning to swim in the shallows of the beaches. There were battles between the bull seals and the cow seals protecting their pups set against the sun shining on the turquoise waters of the Sound of Harris and the deep blue waters of the Little Minch. We are now in the process of making a film of the trip hopefully for television as well as a shorter version for the website itself. I hope to get a further version done for any organizations that might like an evening learning a little more about Friends of Sgarabhaigh and the Western Isles. Watch this space for news of the launch of the new film and in the meantime look at the new photo’s in the Gallery. 

We also made a summer trip to Sgarabhaigh in August introducing my niece and her husband to the island for the first time. They were visiting from Vancouver and managed to bring rain with them which followed us up to the Western Isles and fell on us every day of the visit. Even so it was a great trip made all the more special by the sun appearing from behind the clouds as we sailed out to the island with Hamish Taylor our boatman extraordinaire who makes every trip special. We had two new friends with us who work with my wife at the University and the young grandson of Chrissie and Murdo MacKenzie, Fraser. We all spent two splendid hours on the island bathed in splendid sunshine and then adjourned to the boat to be presented with tea and home made cakes by Hamish followed by a frantic fishing spell where we caught about twenty fish in as many minutes mainly pollack and mackerel. We then nipped quickly over to meet our neighbour on the sister island of Linghaigh and had a discussion on his tree planting project and the appearance of a Red Deer stag on the island which after being startled subsequently swam over to Grodhaigh another island in our little archipelago. It was then back to Rodel harbour and on to Chrissie’s for a bowl, or two, of homemade soup some sandwiches and a wonderful cup of tea. What a day of sights, friendship and sunshine, quite an oasis in a rain strewn week. More photo’s in the Gallery folks!

Feedback from new ‘Friends’ continues to be very encouraging with compliments flowing about the boxes, the film and the project in general. The ‘Packages' that support the ‘Holding' in the island have become valued family heirlooms and our ‘Friends' are adding their own history to the packages to make them very personal and intimate treasure troves of family history for future generations. A family island does much to enhance family folklore and tales from each generation will continue to add to the compendium as the years pass. So if you are reading this, and have not joined us yet, just have a look at the other sections of the site and check out more about the project. It is not an exclusively Scottish project, in fact the more diverse our ‘Friends’ are the better, as we want enrich the lives of all kindred spirits who love wild places, wildlife, beautiful scenery. It is a unique opportunity for anyone who would like to have an eternal link to a very special place steeped in history, myth and legend.

I am continuing to make efforts to reach the descendents of the families so cruelly evicted from their land on the islands in the Clearances of the 1800's. Whilst I am sure that would not want to return to the poverty stricken life of a crofter they may wish to have a perpetual and tangible link to their spiritual family home in the islands. They may only visit once or twice in their lifetime but they can leave much of themselves and their story in the ‘box’ and be proud of their Scottish ancestry and heritage. So if anyone reading this has knowledge of their family roots being in the Scottish Western Isles or knows others who do please point them to this site and to me as I would love to discuss their thoughts on the project with them.

The Sgarabhaigh Silver Sixpence can now to be found in many gift outlets across the world from small family run establishments to multi national shops. The coin is becoming ‘the’ unique and unusual gift to give anyone for any occasion but it is making a particular impact on weddings and christenings. We have changed the laser hallmarking process originally selected to reduce coin damage to the traditional hand punched process which adds yet another traditional hand process to the project. The hand punching has made the coins even more charming with the detail of these four little pieces of artwork, just 1mm square, complementing the whole coin story and it has been achieved without causing any discernable damage to the coin. Look on the site at the ‘Sixpence’ section if you want to know more.

Take care and enjoy the rest of 2007 and if you want that special gift for someone special, want that gift for the ‘impossible person to buy for’ or want to know any more about the project just ring, write or email, I look forward to talking to you. Contact details are on the contact page of the site.

In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that I tell you that my very good friend and key ‘Friend of Sgarabhaigh’ Brendan Commons has died after almost a years battle with a brain tumour. Brendan gave unstinting time to the project and took the majority of the photographs to get the project started. He was one of the people responsible for making the whole project a success and will be greatly missed but the fact is that his work for us will both live on and remain a central plank of the project allowing us all to see the Western Isles and Sgarabhaigh at their best through his photographic skill.

Brendan was our founding Celt with his half Irish half Scots heritage he was indeed the soul of the project he was with me on my first visit to the island. His guidance and patience helped me enormously as I struggled to get the whole project off the ground. He always amazed me with his knowledge across a very broad spectrum of all things Celtic and on one of our visits to the islands I remember being astounded as he compared the Scottish Gaelic of the Western Isles to the Irish Gaelic of his youth.

A man of calmness, insight, patience and love he epitomized what we all strive for in being decent and valued human beings. He was an example to us all and while he will be greatly missed he has left us with much to cherish and reflect on, bless him.
Take care Bren.

Sgarabhaigh gets the ‘Thumbs up’

As part of a validation process for a collector’s website called ‘Gathergate’ a glowing third party endorsement of the project was produced. The referee was a person with a direct knowledge of Dave Hill, the main project sponsor and he also had experience of the whole process of ‘Package’ production.

On a visit to the UK he visited a friend of mine who introduced him to me and he asked me to explain the project and its aims. Within 10 minutes the decision was made to make a ‘Sgarabhaigh Package’ the centerpiece of his mother’s imminent 75th birthday celebrations. The time was 12.15am on a Saturday and the referee was due to leave for the US on the Sunday at 11.00am. After many early hours’ exertions on the Saturday and Sunday and the use of a ‘Blue Peter’ style oak box (“this is one I produced earlier”) he was dispatched slightly later at 11.30am Sunday, with an almost complete ‘Sgarabhaigh Package’. The box was prepared with a blank lid plate with the engraved lid plate being subsequently dispatched separately and being installed in Canada the day before the birthday. Quite an effort, quite and impact and from what we are told quite a birthday.

Click here for the full text of the reference.

Plan Your Holiday

We have just linked up with a company called Scottish Clans and Castles Limited which is
based in Nairn near Inverness and which organises special itineraries for people who want to visit Scotland. In their own words they “deliver carefully tailored holidays featuring Scotland's castles, culture and clan lands”.

The company has a very extensive knowledge of Scotland and its history and is excellent at making that history ‘real’ for their visitors. They also use that knowledge to focus your visit to maximise the time you have and ensure that you see as much as possible of the places you want to see.

They are strongly recommended by people from all over the world that have used their service. So if you want to avoid the inevitable time consuming effort of finding your own places to visit, places to stay, transport options and then take pot luck on the quality of each of the services you choose then just go to www.clansandcastles.com .

Let them take the strain and use their knowledge, experience and professional approach to deliver you a holiday of a lifetime that, who knows, may just become the first of many special Scottish holidays in your lifetime.

Locate Your Family History

To help you to get to know more about your family history then use our link to www.scotroots.com and find out where you came from and what your relatives did for a living. Put the information you establish in your Sgarabhaigh Oak Box and let it enhance and embellish your own family's folklore.

The Company will help you find out about your relatives and the places they lived. They can tell you where your family name came from and what your family crest looks like and with their help you will have a treasure trove of facts and records to add to this new chapter you will be writing as a 'Friend' of Sgarabhaigh.

A Quintessentially Scottish Coin

The coin is now available in gift shops across the world and has pride of place in small elite gift shops through to multi national gift specialists. It is gaining a reputation as being the most unique and unusual gift. It is a coin created from a small boy’s dream of having his own island linked to his passion for coin collecting. The sixpence is a coin cherished for its ‘luck’ links and minted from pure ‘fine’ silver a precious metal famed for its healing properties. So if you want to hold a dream in the palm of your hand or want to cross a newborn’s palm with the safest of coins then get a Sgarabhaigh  Sixpence, it’s pure magic! 

If you want one of the most unique and inspiring gifts for someone try our first piece of island currency the Sgarabhaigh Silver Sixpence . Whilst not being legal tender it has been based on coin of the realm from the reign of James 6th of Scotland / James 1st of England back in 1606 and the finished coin is very authentic. It has been struck in 'fine' silver which is 99.9% pure and incorporates in its design both historic links and key features of the project that is Friends of Sgarabhaigh. The coin now also has four beautiful hallmarks to complement the design and to validate the purity of the pure silver.

It is a very special element of the Sgarabhaigh project and is guaranteed to captivate all who see it. So, if you want to make someone feel special give them our magical sixpence steeped in history, myth and legend and give them a precious link to a very special part of Scotland .

It really is a gift for everyone for every occasion and if you know a golfer this is the year that the Sgarabhaigh Sixpence will be the Ball Marker to have in your pocket to enjoy all the luck of the sixpence and to show real class on the greens. Click here for full details.

A Universal Gift for all 'Occasions'

We can solve all gift requirements for the special people in your lives our coin and our Packages are unique very special and certain to be a first. So make that family milestone for someone you know extra special by giving them their own romantic island, whether it's a birthday, an anniversary, a special valentine or a thank you for being your special person I guarantee they will be impressed. See our 'Sixpence' page for more gift occasions.

It can be a gift for a raffle or a gift for competition winners - for that small gift, a 'fine' solid silver coin or for that impressive centre stage gift a real 'Island in a Box'. It can make that focal prize for any event you want to hold to raise money for your own organization and if you are a 'Caledonian' or 'St Andrews' Society it will have an even more special significance for your membership.

Testamonials

Some of our first 'Friends' have sent their reaction to the 'Holding'. Click here for details.

Articles

The following press articles have been published. Click on the title to read the article.

•  'The Journal' - July 2004

•  'The Tamworth Herald' - 15 th July 2004

•  'The Hebridean' - 29 th April 2005

•  'The Scottish Islands Network Newsletter - May 2005

•  'The Shropshire Star' - 8 th August 2005

•  'The Advertiser' - 12th August 2005

•  'The Tamworth Times' - 1 st September 2005

•  'Stornoway Gazette - 15th March 2007

•  'Sunday Express - 18th March 2007

•  'The Journal' - September 2007

Comments

Please feel free to phone, write or email me with any comments you may wish to

make about the project - if you want to email just click here.