The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland

Author Archive


The false borders 281

Posted on June 21, 2014 by

The second weekend in June played host to the Selkirk Common Riding, the oldest of the Ridings events in the Scottish Borders. For the uninitiated, this centuries-old tradition incorporates a series of festivities in the town, the centrepiece of which is a cavalcade of several hundred horses galloping around the perimeter of the Royal Burgh, ensuring the town’s ancient boundaries are in good order (ie that no pesky Sassenachs have invaded the territory).

Despite being raised in the nearby village of Ashkirk and attending Selkirk High School, I was never interested in the Riding. Even in primary school whilst being taught the lyrics to “Auld Selkirk” and “Hail Smilin Morn” it didn’t seem relevant – I only went to my first ride-out last year because my Polish girlfriend was intrigued.

selkirkjack

That’s when the penny dropped.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, scottish politics

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,673 Posts, 1,203,354 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

    and finally and firstly arithmetic fail braveheart klaxon britnats captain darling cartoons Chris Cairns confused cringe crybabies dateline debates Devo Nano Douglas Daniel Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries hamish hypocrisy liars light-hearted banter lizards memogate misinformation one nation perspectives poll project fear project feart qft Scott Minto smears snp accused soapbox the positive case for the union The Vow ticktock toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • Mia on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Sorry, but your whataboutery is neither evidence to prove your point (it just proves that you lack one), nor convincing…” Nov 27, 08:10
    • robertkknight on A Personal Best For Kezia: ““That is the mark of a dying party and a dying movement” And you must be dying for a shit…” Nov 27, 07:51
    • Mac on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Says the nut battering his keyboard with his fists into the wee hours. lol. Moonhowler indeed.” Nov 27, 07:47
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Maybe Stu recognises that to be of any use to Indy, or indeed Scotland, we need supporters who don’t fold…” Nov 27, 07:29
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Wow. You believe what you believe, because you believe what you believe. Saved the environment by summarising your post for…” Nov 27, 07:13
    • gregor on Telling the truth by mistake: “Hey powerless @DefenceHQ sissy, Come here and defend your integrity (I’m gonna forever-rip it to pieces:)… #UKDefenceButtPlugsRUs” Nov 27, 07:07
    • gregor on Telling the truth by mistake: “Pathetic UK Ministry of Defence traitor has lost the plot (re. UK isn’t a continent)… @DefenceHQ “We stand unified and…” Nov 27, 07:01
    • Robert Hughes on A Personal Best For Kezia: “” we’re fighting ” ahahahahahahaha Who are YOU fighting ,ya fckn prick : still defending the Busby Front from insurgent…” Nov 27, 06:47
    • Breeks on A Personal Best For Kezia: “It’s sad to say, but I would rather trust a Unionist who would openly fight to prevent Independence rather than…” Nov 27, 06:02
    • Campbell Clansman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Uh, “Musclebrain,” Tamworth is in England. Not Scotland. You moonhowlers really make it too easy to laugh at you.” Nov 27, 02:15
    • Jim F. McIntosh on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Stuff the political parties , we need more independent candidates for independence with sole mandate of immediate independence if they…” Nov 27, 00:38
    • Mark Beggan on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Nightmare Images. Number 14. Kezia eating her cornflakes.” Nov 26, 23:55
    • Young Lochinvar on A Personal Best For Kezia: “So having enjoyed reading all the comments to date (ok most) I take it the consensus is that midwitch cuckoo…” Nov 26, 23:40
    • Campbell Clansman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “See, for example, how Scots will be worse off under Indy, at: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19059435.people-2-800-year-worse-off-independent-scotland-claims-new-research/ I include more links making this point,…” Nov 26, 23:30
    • Campbell Clansman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “For more on how Scotland is better off in the UK, see https://www.economicsobservatory.com/an-independent-scotland-what-would-be-the-options-for-economic-success Or see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/why-scotland-is-better-off-as-part-of-the-uk Or this https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1231&context=sigma Of…” Nov 26, 23:23
    • Garavelli Princip on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Agreed. Most- maybe all – of the posters on here who show negative (red) numbers are Yoon trolls – given…” Nov 26, 22:59
    • James on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Can’t answer the question, huh?” Nov 26, 22:40
    • Campbell Clansman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Glad to see you can’t (and won’t) dispute that 1% Alba is dying in the water. Perhaps you’d also want…” Nov 26, 22:38
    • Mia on A Personal Best For Kezia: ““If it’s all about control of U’s vast mineral resources, why are you so keen for R to get that…” Nov 26, 22:32
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “That’ll be the Cuban missile crisis of 62 years ago. Bordering on the Ancient Guff in other words. James works…” Nov 26, 22:31
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “FFS, how many times? Any Scot can enjoy the priceless benefit of going to live in Bath. So that’s one…” Nov 26, 22:18
    • James on A Personal Best For Kezia: “As expected. He/she/it doesn’t have an answer. (because obviously there are no benefits for Scotland in the ‘union’).” Nov 26, 22:10
    • James on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Oh, and the Americans, for their part were ready to push the button because….a foreign power dared to site nukes…” Nov 26, 22:02
    • James on A Personal Best For Kezia: “He resisted the submarine commander. But keep it through the looking glass, that’s how you like it.” Nov 26, 21:59
    • Oneliner on A Personal Best For Kezia: “That’s part of his training. Don’t engage with the enemy when you know you’ll take a pounding.” Nov 26, 21:47
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Shant! Mia’s shattered ma shaky self-esteem and shoogly self-confidence. Oh, all right then. First rule of courtesy for dealing with…” Nov 26, 21:26
    • znovak on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Um, submariner Arkhipov saved the world by resisting his superiors, who wanted to release the nukes. So he saved the…” Nov 26, 21:23
    • Alf Baird on A Personal Best For Kezia: ““North Britain” is rather like saying ‘North America’, or ‘North Asia’; it might be a geographic area but it is…” Nov 26, 21:10
    • Michael Laing on A Personal Best For Kezia: “It’s your beloved United Kingdom that’s circling the plug-hole. And no wonder. No matter how often you’re asked to do…” Nov 26, 21:04
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “//https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/BOTcharmer/ public class WingsBTLContainer {    public static void WhereIsIt()    {        System.Console.WriteLine(“As long as you never leave scotland, Ros, you’ll be…” Nov 26, 21:03

  • A tall tale



↑ Top