Congratulations both -- and would extend "in Portugal" outwards, then and now!

Good morning
#Stirling

Clash Ossian, birthplace of the Gaelic muse, Sma Glen

Poster for Aberdeen Unity March on 18 April. Bold yellow text on pink with a purple city skyline. Text reads: Assemble Rubislaw Terrace 10:30am. Love not hate, hope over fear.

The Aberdeen Unity March is today! Head down with a friend.

We’ll see you there ❤️

Look what arrived in the mail just in time for #FolkloreThursday

Willow Winsham’s latest book!

Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines

Can’t wait to read it!

Richard Ovenden standing at a lectern talking to a large group of people in a modern lecture theatre.

We’re proud to be part of the formal launch of the Libraries Alliance today at the British Academy in London.

Libraries of all kinds are coming together as a unified voice, showing how libraries support people through every stage of life.

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When libraries invite you in...
#Perth

In the Dark Robin Fulton Macpherson God said: Let the dark be dark. Let the stars shine properly. And let darkness with no stars heal the damage caused by light. Men said: Let there be light all night through, where there is no-one much or no-one at all, let the gathered haze from street-lamps, undying brand-names, full-blaze unpopulated windows stain the undersides of clouds even when nights are cloudless. God said: Light itself needs rest. Some things are best seen, unseen, in darkness unhindered by Great Light. Me, for example.

God said: Let the dark be dark.
Let the stars shine properly.
And let darkness with no stars
heal the damage caused by light…

—Robin Fulton Macpherson, “In the Dark”

Today, 13 April, is the start of #InternationalDarkSkyWeek
#poem #poetry #DarkSkies #DarkSky #astronomy
idsw.darksky.org

The Contested Cottage: Scottish Literature, Irish Partition & the Cottage Nation
22 April @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social & online – free

An @iashedinburgh.bsky.social Work-in-Progress seminar: Dr Sarah Sharp examines “kailyard” literature in #C19 Scotland & Ulster
www.iash.ed.ac.uk/event/dr-sar...

Celebrating 100 years of Agnes Owens ✨
Out of the Margins opens 18 April at Lillie Art Gallery. Featuring archival & contemporary works, it honours Owens’ powerful, place-rooted writing and lasting impact, curated by @sorchadallas.bsky.social

"Cities don't just host writers, they shape them": wonderful to be the launch of the new Stirling Literary History map @StirlingLibs a great partnership project, with huge congratulations to Jonathan Kaney

Unicorn, Stirling

It steppit like a stallion,
Wha’s heid hauds up a horn,
And weel the men o’ Scotland kent
It was the unicorn.

It steppit like a stallion,
Snaw-white and siller-bricht,
And on its back there was a bairn
Wha low’d in his ain licht.

(William Soutar 'Birthday')
#NationalUnicornDay

Tulips: cream flowers with cerise lines at the petals' edges

A pot of cheerful flowers: yellow hearts, cream petals; deep purple hyacinth in tgd background

April flowers

Wish I was Here, (2001), Scotland's first multicultural multilingual anthology, with photographs of the poets. A themed anthology of Urdu, Gaelic, and other cultures and languages, incl. Jackie Kay, Irfan Merchant, Leila Abouleila, and Meg Bateman. 3 rare copies available for £15.00, just send PM.

The Declaration of Arbroath | UNESCO in the UK Widely seen as Scotland’s most iconic document, The Declaration’s stirring language, and evocative sentiments of nationhood and freedom, have given it a special distinction over the centuries…

“It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself”

The Declaration of Arbroath, asserting Scotland’s independence, was signed #OTD, 6 April 1320
#medievalsky
unesco.org.uk/our-sites/me...

A photo of me, holding up a copy of The Times which features a review of my book, accompanied by the headline: ‘A genius with claws - the picaresque life of Muriel Spark’

Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark is BOOK OF THE WEEK in The Times, and it's frankly outrageous that a small marching band hasn't trundled into my house to make some little celebratory parps in my honour 😤

he haunts global fiction too, specifically and by allusion! I recently read Turgenev's "A House of Gentlefolk", on my shelves in a second hand copy since the '90s for the back cover decription "brought up by a strict and "Anglomaniac" father, who forces him to wear a kilt, Fedor Ivanitch Lavretsky":

“When Children Are Asleep” (oil on canvas, 1885), by Thomas Faed (1825–1900). A woman wearing a simple, pale grey Victorian dress and a white bonnet, with a yellow shawl around her shoulders, sits next to a small fireplace, reading a book. She holds the book in her right hand, and holds out her left hand to warm it in the orange glow of the fireplace. Behind her, in a half-open box-bed, two small children are sleeping. Two piles of clothes are on the floor, along with a couple of scraps of paper. Two small pairs of socks are draped over the iron fire-guard in front of the fire.

“When Children Are Asleep” (oil on canvas, 1885), by Thomas Faed (1825–1900). Held by the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
#BookologyThursday #C19 #art

Come along to Saline Church Hall from 7pm on Wednesday 15th April to hear Rona Moody speak on her specialist subject — beautiful Scottish stained glass! We have our own stunning east window by artist John Blyth (1915—99) featuring his signature bee 🎨 🐝

#Fife #heritage #stainedglass

Had a lovely morning with 3 brand new #Wikipedia editors and some experienced ones at the workshop. Local history officer Craig gave a talk on the library's resources. It's his last day before retiring so we also got a special behind-the-scenes tour of the library! Did we remember to take photos?

utterly appalling

Open Letter to University of Aberdeen Court Can you spare a minute to help this campaign?

I’ve signed this open letter to University of Aberdeen Court urging them to reject restructuring proposals being considered.
Staff & students stood together on the picket line recently to oppose these plans that would devastate parts of the university.

Show your support:

@h-net-humanities.bsky.social @pomuirch.bsky.social @aonghusoha.bsky.social @carsoncenter.bsky.social @insuhi.bsky.social @unaeb.bsky.social @valuingculture.bsky.social @valbold.bsky.social @wildjustice.bsky.social

Happy #WorldWaterDay! Fetch yourself a big glass of the good stuff and take a look at the watery wonder which is Hamonshu (1903), a Japanese book of wave and ripple designs: publicdomainreview.org/collection/hamonshu-a-ja...

Little gothic flower motif thing window ready to be installed...🤗

#stainedglass #glasgow #scotland

Jo Miller singing last night at the Stirling Walking the Marches fundraiser at the Golden Lion. Alyn Smith spoke powerfully too, about Stirling as European city; Captain, Robin Mair, gave the vote of thanks. 30th May stirlingwalkingthemarches.org

Super day at Community Archives' & Heritage Group of @ScotsArchives Conference -- inspiring, challenging and brain-filling! Thanks to Audrey, Marissa, BSL interpreters and student volunteers. Off now to engage in Intangible Culture as a Stirling Birlawman. What a great day!

“When Siobhan offered to show me the sword, and its label, I jumped at the chance. For one of the few times in my life, I was struck completely silent…”

Dr @valbold.bsky.social on the discovery of the sword of the notorious Border reiver Kinmont Willie
#BookologyThursday
scvs.ac.uk/index.php/20...

Silhouette of a person's side profile on a circular background with text above reading "Scientific portraits and portraits for science, 20 March 2026." The Royal Society logo is at the bottom.

There's still time to register for our free conference this Friday, which brings together historians of science and art to explore scientific portraiture and representation, including of underrepresented groups: royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectu...