Author: Morag Mackenzie

The original Herring Girls were seen as hardworking, strong women unafraid of hard graft – a legacy which continues to inspire their clothing namesake

Herring Girl is more than a source of unique Hebridean knitwear – it’s also a tribute to the almost forgotten women whose resilience and skills helped the island communities to survive.

Margaret Anne Elder, who was a small child when she was taught to knit by her grandmother, began the business to help tell the story of the enterprising and talented Herring Girls from the Western Isles.

Born in 1899, her grandmother was one of the Herring Girls, who followed the fishing boats around the British Isles to gut the fish, and knitted while they waited for the catches to land.

Each island had its own motifs and every garment the Herring Girls knitted had a different pattern. Margaret Anne keeps that tradition alive and every guernsey she knits is unique, with motifs like the true lover’s knots that are associated only with the land of Bara where her family have been fisherfolk and crofters for generations in the township of Bruernish.

Centuries-old knitting patterns unique to Barra lie at the heart of her collection and when she knits a guernsey, for example, she finds out a little about the customer before she starts.

“Every jumper tells a story and if I knit one, I have to think of the person I am knitting it for so they are all different,” she says. “I never knit two the same. Each one is bespoke.”

The collection is more than just sweaters, however, with baby clothes, shawls, cushions, and hats all hand knitted in the Western Isles following traditional patterns, using colours inspired by the beautiful sea, shore and land.

The resulting products combine traditional values of durability, simplicity and beauty in long-lasting, styling garments.

For Margaret Anne, it is a way of keeping the memory of the Herring Girls alive.

“The business is more about these formidable women because I think history has forgotten about them,” she said.

“To me, the most important think is that these women are remembered. They were hardworking, travelled, made money and sent it home and should not be forgotten.”

Inspired by his own family recipes, Coinneach MacLeod launched the ‘Hebridean Baker’ on Tiktok in 2020 – and millions of views later he has now gathered a loyal global following.

His recipes offer an evocative taste of island life, so it is no wonder the Hebridean Baker has just finished his second sell-out North American book tour, which took place in Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago and Toronto.

Coinneach MacLeod finished the fortnight on the Canadian bestsellers list and returns to North America in July to be the Author in Residence at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina where 30,000 folk a day will revel in everything Scottish.

Born and raised on the island of Lewis, the most northerly of the Outer Hebrides, he is inspired by family recipes, traditional baking and Scottish flavours and showcases the best of the Scottish islands through his stories, dishes and adventures with his partner Peter and their wee West Highland Terrier Sèoras.

Coinneach was Scotland’s best-selling cookbook author in 2021 and 2022 with his two cookbooks, Recipes and Wee Stories from the Scottish Islands and My Scottish Island Kitchen. His third cookbook is due out in October.

His cookbooks and social media content have certainly struck a chord, as 26 million people worldwide have been encouraged to bake, forage, learn Gaelic, enjoy a dram or two of whisky and seek a more wholesome, simple life.

In conjunction with Stag Bakeries, the oldest bakery in the Outer Hebrides, Coinneach has released a selection of Hebridean Baker shortbread and oattie biscuits. The delicately flavoured Heather Honey Shortbread appears in this month’s WeeBox. “It is amazing that my shortbread is being whisked across the world directly from the island of Lewis,” says Coinneach.

“I love telling stories through my recipes, from a Brides Bonn, a shortbread which is smashed over the brides head on the day of the wedding, to a Scots Flummery, which was Flora McDonald’s final dessert before she was arrested for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from Culloden.”

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we are so excited to share this special feature on one of our amazing WeeBox makers – mother and daughter team, Glenna Jewellery!

This mother and daughter create wonderfully evocative jewellery with works that take inspiration directly from natural surroundings.

With a passion for Scottish art and jewellery design, Glynis and her daughter Alison launched the first of their two Scottish jewellery brands in the summer of 2014.

Glenna Jewellery was born when the inspiration to create a contemporary collection with a distinctive Scottish style came as a fully formed idea as Glynis was walking on a hilltop close to the studio. Glenna’s silver jewellery is now loved for its distinctive flowing Scottish style and modern timeless appeal.

Glenna Scottish Bluebells have become an all-time favourite and is one of their most loved collections, inspired by the beautiful surroundings of Dumfries and Galloway, a place Glynis and Alison have called home all their lives.

The open Scottish countryside, coastal villages and natural wildlife of southwest Scotland continue to provide the perfect inspiration for future designs. Their small Scottish family business also offers a Galloway Melts collection of luxury home fragrances and soy wax melts in small batches.

Glenna loves the ripples of the ocean and the ever-changing Scottish Coastline. It’s no surprise, living close to the sea, their Scottish Coast sterling silver wave pendant reflects the movement and magic of the west coast of Scotland. Their designer jewellery showroom is on King Street in the beautiful town of Castle Douglas.

Happy Mother’s Day, WeeBox Clan! Sending you all the warmest Scottish wishes from all of us here at WeeBox HQ x

A taste of Scotland: Whisky Cocktails

Over the past decade in Scotland whisky has assumed a more prominent place in local hospitality, breaking free of preconceptions and finding a new and very appreciative audience.

In many ways this gradual shift has seen Scotland catching up with the momentum of whisky internationally, as the national spirit is considered a key ingredient in mixed drinks outside of our nation as much as it’s something to be enjoyed in a glass, alone or with a drop of water.

Alex Robertson, who is the global head of heritage and education for The Glenlivet whisky, has visited more than 60 countries around the world talking about single malts.

He says: “Probably the biggest change I’ve seen has been the move towards cocktail culture. You get an opportunity to explore and try the flavour of Scotch whisky in an accessible way. We don’t have to be sitting on the sidelines discussing whether it should be water or ice!”

Spiced Spey Coffee

The Glenlivet 12 year old has both the character to stand up to coffee and the approachability to work with a combination of softer, sweet and creamy flavours.

This recipe uses dark chocolate and hot pepper to integrate with the whisky and hot coffee, topped off with a finish of cold unsweetened cream.

Ingredients:

• 40ml The Glenlivet 12 year old
• 15ml liquid chocolate
• 10ml simple syrup
• 75ml Americano coffee/strong filter coffee
• 1 small pinch cayenne pepper
• 40ml lightly whipped double cream

Method:

Warm a small wine glass with boiling water. Pour out the hot water. Mix the chocolate, whisky, coffee, syrup and cayenne pepper together in the heated glass. Gently pour the cream over the back of a spoon to create a creamy layer. Garnish with chocolate shavings, adding another small pinch of cayenne pepper.

Peach and Vanilla Hot Toddy

A classic warming recipe with a spiced ginger twist, the Bonfire Hot Toddy is a fiery drink using The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve. Its citrus and sweet notes tune perfectly with the ginger and clove kick.

Ingredients:

• 50ml TGL Founder’s Reserve
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml ginger syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Method:

1. Build in an enamel mug and top with hot water.
2. Garnish with a lemon wedge, studded with cloves if possible.

Did you know?

With a population of 5.4 million, and more than 20 million barrels of whisky in store, Scotland has almost four casks of whisky per citizen.

According to Scottish Whisky Regulations, Scotland is divided into two protected localities (Campbeltown and Islay) and three protected regions (Highland, Lowland, and Speyside).

John ‘Johnnie’ Walker was a grocer in Kilmarnock, Scotland, in the mid-1800s who specialised in blending tea before he decided to start blending whisky.

Cullen Skink

This is a hearty dish Jamie and his warriors would have wished existed for their long marches. It actually originated in Russia and was made with potatoes, onions and beef. However, the cooks of Cullen in Moray on the North Sea coast had nowhere to find beef scraps so they opted for fish trimmings then added the smoked part for extra flavour.

Why not give it a try? It only takes ten minutes to prepare!

Ingredients:

• 450g of potatoes, peeled and diced roughly into 1cm squares
• 1 tablespoon of summer harvest rapeseed oil
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 450g of undyed smoked haddock, skinned and cooked
• 300ml of boiling water (you can use chicken or vegetable stock, if you want, and pop in the haddock skin for added flavour)
• 425ml of full cream milk
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh chives

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Method:

1. Gently soften the onion in a heavy based pot
2. Add the diced potato and stir for a few minutes
3. Season lightly
4. Add the milk/stock to the pot and place the fish on top
5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes then lift the fish out and set it aside
6. Discard any bones and break the fish into chunks. Keep it warm
7. Return the mix to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes to fully cook the potatoes
8. Stir in the fish, season and serve immediately, garnished with chives

Kedgeree

Kedgeree is often thought to be an Indian dish, but it was introduced to India by Scottish soldiers serving there and is no stranger to Scottish breakfast tables, particularly in hotels and B&Bs.

Ingredients

• 2 large undyed smoked haddock fillets
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 50g butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp hot curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 cardamom pods, bashed open
• 1⁄2 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons raisins or sultanas
• 200g basmati rice
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and quartered
• Flat-leaf parsley and coriander

Method

1. Use your fingers to press the flesh of the fish and remove any bones. Rinse and place in a shallow pan, adding enough cold water to just cover the fish. Drop in the bay leaves.
2. Bring the fish to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat, and leave to cook in the warm water.
3. Warm the butter and oil in a wide saucepan.
4. Add the onion to the pan and stir. Cook with the lid on for 5-10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
5. Add the curry powder and turmeric and cook for a few minutes while stirring.
6. Add the basmati rice and stir. Now add the drained water from the fish, so that the liquid level above the rice is approximately 3-4 cm. Add more cold water if needed.
7. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, and raisins, cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed, adding more if needed.
8. Once cooked, fluff the grains with a fork and add sea salt and freshly grated black pepper.
9. Remove the cardamom and cinnamon stick, and add the lemon juice and zest.
10. Flake the fish into the rice and gently stir.
11. Serve the egg quarters and freshly chopped herbs.

Follow in the footsteps of Claire and Jamie and see the sights of Outlander.

You may well have heard of the ‘Outlander Effect’. But the extent to which it is making a deep impression on Scotland’s tourism industry is staggering.

Since it first aired nearly 10 years ago, Outlander has introduced Scotland to a whole new audience.

Perhaps then, it is time to look up an enjoy what is right here on our own doorstep and see Scotland through the eyes of Outlanders who cannot get enough of the standing stones, castles, glens and lochs that form the backdrop to the hit show and indeed to our lives.

Glen Coe, Highlands

Where best to begin than with the series one opening credits of Outlander, featuring the dramatic majesty of Glen Cow which sets the scene for the Highland adventures to come. The spectacular valley of the glen is so stunning you could easily believe it was a product of Hollywood special effects.

But Glen Coe has, of course, a haunting history and an atmosphere all of its own.

Pollok Country Park, Glasgow

Pollok Country Park is the only country park within the city, with extensive woodlands and gardens set over 146 hectares that provide a quiet sanctuary for wildlife and visitors alike.

On-screen in Outlander, this beautiful city spot doubled as the grounds surrounding the fictional Castle Leoch in the first series.

Doune Castle, Stirling

This fortification became the fictional Castle Leoch, the seat of Clan MacKenzie, Doune – which also featured in the pilot episode and episode one of Game of Thrones – was the seat of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany and Governor of Scotland in the Fourteenth Century.

Dunure, South Ayrshire

The picturesque village of Dunure in South Ayrshire, about five miles from Ayr, is a historic fishing community, dating back to the early 19th century. At the heart of the village is its ancient ruined castle, standing on a rock promontory on the Carrick coast, overlooking the harbour and out across the Firth of Clyde. Dunure has featured in Outlander on a number of occasions, perhaps best known to fans as the port where Jamie and Claire set sail for Jamaica.

Calanais Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis

The standing stones of ‘Craigh na Dun’ are pivotal in Outlander, with Claire finding herself suddenly transported into the 1740s, where she meets her love Jamie, by touching them. Craigh na Dun is in fact a fictional spot and the stones in the programme are fictional too. They are, however, based on the iconic standing stones of Calanais.

Finnich Glen, Stirlingshire

The Scots gorge, 70ft deep, features a circular rock, the Devil’s Pulpit, and a steep staircase known as the Devil’s Steps, and was always a draw for visitors, but never more so since it was used in Outlander to depict St Ninian’s Spring.

Our shaggy-haired friends, Highland cows, are among the animals helping to preserve the ancient battlefield at Culloden and generate interest for new generations of visitors.

THE site of the last battle in Scotland has been brought closer to its historic appearance thanks to grazing animals, including Highland and Shetland cows, six goats and two Highland ponies, who have become key members of the National Trust of Scotland team at Culloden battlefield.

But the animals are assisting conservation efforts in more ways than one – by also fostering an interest in the site where Charles Edward Stuart’s Jacobite forces took their last stand against the troops of the UK Government.
Before the pandemic, the site was populated with “very dense vegetation and scrub in various parts” which has now been cleared in the areas hosting the cattle. As well as providing a boost to conservation, they have also helped “open new conversations” with visitors to the moor.

“Over a season you can see great impacts,” public affairs coordinator for the NTS team Ellen Fogel Walker said. “By the cattle churning up the ground, they are essentially ploughing for native species of wildflowers and other plants to be blown into the ground. We’ve seen a tremendous increase in biodiversity. Since having the cattle, we’ve seen a wider range of flora and fauna.” This has included the return of endangered European skylarks and other “rare” animals such as pine marten and stoats. While the cattle tackle the higher vegetation, the goats eat the low-lying shrubs and roots.

The conservation grazing herd are helping maintain the “isolating and eerie feeling” of the site where the battle took place, which is also where approximately 1700 people were buried. Ms Fogel Walker added: “When you work at a landscape that’s really sensitive, on a battlefield, most of the things that are important are below the ground. It’s all the archaeological remains, all human remains, and all the things that if we use heavy machinery to remove a lot of the pine plantations that were planted in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, to return the battlefield to what it looked like historically, we would potentially disturb a lot of that material.”

The animals were chosen as they are “heritage breeds” which would not have changed very much in their looks or size since the battle. Ms Fogel Walker said: “Looking at the battlefield at the time in 1746, a lot of people involved didn’t come from a traditional military background, most of them were farmhands dealing with cattle and these are the breeds that they would have had.” They therefore help the team guiding tours on the ground explore the “everyday aspect as well as people’s experience of the battle”.

“We found the cows have increased our ability to connect with visitors who aren’t as interested or maybe thought they weren’t interested in a battlefield. It’s always of interest to people visiting to see Highland cows and the animals typical of here. We have people who visit the battlefield on coach tours who might not have picked the specific coach tour just because of Culloden.

“We also have people coming to Culloden because they’re Outlander fans as well, which is fantastic. However, the cattle have opened up new areas of conversation with visitors who might not have felt a connection with the site.”

Scottish singer and entertainer Marti Pellow chooses his favourite spots to admire stunning architecture and find true peace and quiet.

Best Beach

My parents didn’t drive so our days away would mean getting a couple of trains to Largs. We would visit Pencil Beach, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, which must be one of Scotland’s smallest. I still have a soft spot for that wee beach.

Best Building

I think it was one of Alexander “Greek” Thomson’s last commissions – the buildings at Great Western Terrace on Great Western Road. I love everything about it. I love the cornice and the brickwork, the detail, everything is just phenomenal. Even the way that the sun bounces off it. I tried to buy one in the 1990s, but I was beaten to it – I was absolutely gutted. Glasgow must have the greatest Victorian architecture anywhere.

Best Street

My favourite stretch is the junction of Dumbarton Road and Kilbowie Road but from a good few years ago. I would sell the Evening Times there and wait for the workers flooding out of the Singer sewing machine factory and John Brown’s.

Best View

For me, there’s no finer view than the one from Ben A’an in the Trossachs. The great thing about it is it’s not a massive climb for people not used to mountain climbing. You can see Loch Katrine and Loch Achray from there. It’s an incredible sight.

Best Walk

I think the best walks get you somewhere. For me it’s the old road from Balloch to Luss. For me it’s jumping on a train with my juice and pieces and getting off at Balloch then making my way up the old road to Luss towards the pier, where I can jump off and have a swim in Loch Lomond.

Best Place for a Quiet Time

I’ve always gone to Bowling Harbour for this. It does make you think when you look up the Clyde from here you’re looking at a gateway to the world.

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