White stag spotted in the Highlands

A rare white stag has been observed on the west coast of the Highlands.

The animal has been seen with other red deer by a member of the John Muir Trust, which has kept its location a secret to protect it from poachers.

Full article, with link to short video footage Thanks to The Daily Grail

Where the White Stag Runs: Boundary and Transformation in Deer Myths,Legends, and Songs
by Ari Berk

The White Stag by Mary Jones From Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia


In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the four Pevensie children, who have been kings and queens in Narnia for many years, hear from Tumnus the faun that the White Stag has been sighted, the one who will grant your wishes of you catch him. While out hunting for the stag, the Pevensies find themselves returning to their old lives in England.

Up-Helly-Aa Fire Festival in Shetland Islands

During Up-Helly-Aa, hundreds of residents of the Shetland Islands off northern Scotland dressed up as Norsemen -- complete with helmets, chain mail and axes -- or in other fancy dress for a day and night of raucous partying.

The high point of the festivities was an evening parade through Lerwick featuring 900 people brandishing fiery torches which sent a blanket of smoke and sparks over the port town, Shetland's biggest.

At the centre of the procession was a specially crafted Viking longship, which was set on fire at the end of the procession when all the marchers threw their torches into it, creating a giant, intense pyre.

Celebrations were continuing through the night as teams of "guizers" -- the roughly 1,000 locals taking part in the procession -- toured parties performing songs and sketches.

As well as blazing an unforgettable spectacle across the night sky, observers say Up-Helly-Aa, which is largely funded by locals themselves, also highlights Shetland's strong and enduring sense of cohesion.

Full article

Images from the ShetlandTourism.com pages on the festival

As we walked through fields of prayer

Just west of Aberdeen, a forgotten megalithic landscape could contain written evidence of an ancient Mediterranean connection. But it definitely contains memories of a once sacred landscape, which became the Pictish heartland. ARTICLE

Philip Coppens explores the Scottish megalithic features which hang onto their integrity precariously, as civilization spreads over the ancient lands of the River Don.

Thanks to The Daily Grail

New Stone Circle Revealed in Shetland Islands

A team of archeologists from Bath University has uncovered an early Bronze Age or late Neolithic stone circle on the island of Foula, one of the Shetland Islands. The circle is oriented to the midwinter sunrise. Foula (population 30) has the world's largest colony of Great Skuas, known locally as "bonxies."

Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society (BACAS)
http://www.bacas.homecall.co.uk/

Foula (Visit Shetland site)
http://www.visitshetland.com/area-guides/foula/