We were fair tricket or delighted to welcome singer and Doric activist Iona Fyfe to our second Doric or North East Scots Language Bootcamp in Portsoy recently. Follow https://www.facebook.com/DoricBootcamp/ to find oot mair aboot the neist ane.

On ma wye hame Ah cam through Fyvie and recorded this sang. Ah’ve made the lyrics “as Doric” as possible.

Mein Interview im Friisk Funk auf Fering/ Föhrer Friesisch gemischt mit Eindrücken von Helgoland. Das von mir gesungene Lied “Iis Lun lait med’n uun weeter” hatte hier auf meinem Youtubekanal vor zwei Wochen seine Internetpremiere. Es ist im Helgoländer Friesisch, das nur noch von ca. 100 Personen gesprochen wird.

Fit like fowks?

Come and kickstart your North-East Scots! Tried and tested last year we are back with teachers Jamie and Aidan and a weekend of Doric at Portsoy Sail Loft, from 4/7/25 at 530pm till 6/7/25 at 1pm. Tickets are now available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1243630966699?aff=oddtdtcreator

Here is a selection of my reports from Rome for BBC Naidheachdan and BBC Scotland News.

The first day of Pope Francis’ body lying in state:

And live on tv news: An Là on BBC ALBA, 23/04/25 (in Gaelic)

“The View from Rome”: My impressions ahead of the Papal funeral (in Gaelic) https://www.bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan/sgeulachdan/cd7v014dj89o

Rome is getting ready for the funeral (in English)

And again live on tv news: An Là on BBC ALBA, 24/04/25 (in Gaelic)

Live on BBC Radio Scotland’s “Good Morning Scotland” from St Peter’s Square just before the Papal funeral mass:

Here are a couple of short videos of the beautiful music during the mass. The second one contains singing in ancient Greek from the Byzantine liturgy and sung by a representative of one of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Below are a few pictures from St Peter’s Square as well as from the church where Pope Francis is burried, Santa Maria Maggiore (including his grave with the simple inscription “Franciscus”).

Iain MacChaluim as he was known in his native Gaelic language or John MacCalum in English, born in 1851 and from Muc Càrna or Taynuilt in Earra-Ghàidheal/ Argyll, was a folklorist, bard, composer and Gaelic activist, but most of his songs aren’t so well known. So I decided to sing one of them on “An Là”, the news on BBC ALBA (14/04/25).

Language gives you the keys to the town… and so does journalism! People open up to you. HYPIA – The International Association of Hyperpolyglots – have made me appreciate that you can learn languages just for the fun of it. This interview describes my language learning journey…oh and btw, I forgot to mention Irish on my list.

This time around my election coverage from Berlin and neighbouring Potsdam was entirely in Scottish Gaelic only. Here is a compilation of the highlights:

On Friday, 21st February 2025 I had a package shot entirely on my mobile phone (with a few additional covering shots added) on “An Là” on BBC ALBA. I reported from one Friedrich Merz’s election rallies as well as from Olaf Scholz’s constituency of Potsdam. This was also the summer residence of the Prussian kings and the place where the Potsdam Agreement was signed by Churchill, Truman and Stalin 80 years ago. Despite this anniversary the far right AfD party is now the biggest political force in former East Germany.

Here is my article for the BBC Naidheachdan website:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan/sgeulachdan/c2415l372jlo

Immigration, the economy and security in an international context were the main subjects of the election campaign. “An Là”, BBC ALBA on 23/2/25 (in Gaelic). Here is my live report on the night of the election:

Here is the written piece on the BBC Naidheachdan website:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan/sgeulachdan/cpq29x159nro

The day after the election: Results and outlook. Broadcast from my mobile phone (An Là, BBC ALBA, 24/2/25, in Gaelic).

Reporting from the Isle of Islay, Scotland, a red alert zone during Storm Éowyn. DW News (24/01/25)