BURNS SUPPER HOMECOMING SCOTLAND HAGGIS SPECIAL RECIPE.

BURNS SUPPER HOMECOMING SCOTLAND HAGGIS SPECIAL RECIPE.

BURNS SUPPER HOMECOMING SCOTLAND HAGGIS SPECIAL RECIPE is handed down from three generations ago. It is only because the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations are coming that my better half gave me her secret Scottish traditional recipe.
Serious chefs and cooks will recognise the ingredients and be keen to test it. Please stick to the directions for superb results.
Ingredients needed;
A sheep's stomach - your local friendly butcher will provide this. The stomach needs to be turned inside out and thoroughly scrubbed as this will be the cooking chamber for your Haggis. Many faint hearted have already given up at this point, but many quality butchers will do this for you.
Leave the sheeps stomach to soak in salt water overnight after cleaning and boiling it once.
A sheeps heart, lungs and liver minced - again your local friendly butcher will do this for you.
8oz. shredded suet - (dripping fat was once used).
8oz. oatmeal.
Three tablespoons of white stock.
1/4 teaspoonful of salt.
1/4 teaspoonful of cayenne.
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
1/4 teaspoonful pepper.
1 medium finely chopped onion.
1 measure of malt whisky.
Thoroughly mix ALL of the ingredients together and once well mixed stuff the preparation into the prepared sheeps stomach.
The idea is to only half fill the stomach with the ingredients and sew the stomach up with stout thread that will accept the ingredients swelling so a good seal is recommended, which will fill the stomach during cooking - you will find when you sew up the stomach the stomach is loose and easy to do.
Your on the final leg now - wrap up the prepaired haggis in a large clean, preferably white cloth and boil the haggis in a deep pan for three hours over a gentle heat - the important part here is boil, so a gentle heat getting topped up with boiling water and turning as it needs it.
If you have ingredients left after preparation you can boil this also in a bowl submerged in water, but avoid water getting into your mixture as it will weaken the flavour.
If you really must copy this special recipe to other websites please give credit to the Homecoming Scotland Blog.

OFFICIAL VISIT SCOTLAND ACCOMMODATION TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

OFFICIAL VISIT SCOTLAND ACCOMMODATION TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

VISIT SCOTLAND CONTACT CENTRE HOMECOMING SCOTLAND
TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND - VISIT SCOTLAND OFFICIAL ACCOMODATION TELEPHONE BOOKING NUMBERS.

Visit Scotland Contact Centre have set up two "Hotline", telephone numbers for booking accommodation for overseas visitors and U.K. based residents.
The Visit Scotland Contact Centre telephone numbers have been set-up especially for Homecoming Scotland 2009 overseas visitors and U.K. residents. These numbers are also for every day tourists to our beautiful Scotland wishing to find the best holiday accommodation guided by the Visit Scotland reputation.
The telephone numbers will inform the enquirer about all types of accommodation including costs, and can give general information on all aspects of anything Scottish.
Overseas visitors please telephone;
0044 1506 832121
U.K. residents please telephone local rate;
0845 2255121
http://www.visitscotland.com
For more general information to Homecoming Scotland events;
http://www.homecomingscotland2009blog.com/HOMECOMING_SCOTLAND_2009_EVENT

NEW MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND APPOINTED.

NEW MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND APPOINTED.

NEW MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND APPOINTED is The Reverend William Hewitt.
Born in Kilmarnock in 1951 he attended Kilmarnock Academy before moving to Glasgow University to study divinity.
He is married with three children and a great lover of Robert Burns. As a Robert Burns enthusiast what better time than now to be appointed the new moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland than just before the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations which celebrates the 250th year of the birth of Robert Burns.

SCOTTISH FA CUP SPONSORED BY HOMECOMING SCOTLAND.

SCOTTISH FA CUP SPONSORED BY HOMECOMING SCOTLAND.

SCOTTISH FA CUP SPONSORED BY HOMECOMING SCOTLAND.

This years Scottish FA Cup will be sponsored by the Homecoming Scotland 2009 Event, we must congratulate the people who have made this possible as it shows great forethought and imagination as this is one of the biggest events for any homegrown, ex-pat or overseas Scottish Football Fans.

This sponsorship deal has been greatly helped by Mr Haughey who will put up the sponsorship money, about £800,000 over three years, but he does not want the name of his company "City Refrigeration" attached to the name of the said cup.

Mr Haughey is a well respected figure in Scottish Football circles and once served as a Director of the world famous Celtic Football Club it is thought that after ongoing talks between the Scottish Government and Mr Haughey the preferred name of the cup should be the Homecoming Cup.

For those of you unfamiliar with the SFA Cups schedule here is this years competition format.

ROUND 2.

Clachnacuddin v Crichton FC Edinburgh City v Wick Academy Cove Rangers v Whitehill Welfare Dalbeattie Star v Selkirk Montrose v Huntly East Stirlingshire v Preston Athletic Fraserburgh v Dumbarton Berwick Rangers v Albion Rovers Civil Service Strollers v Vale Of Leithen Inverurie Locos v Banks O'Dee Stenhousemuir v Threave Rovers Annan Athletic v Spartans Brora Rangers v Forfar Athletic Lochee United v Buckie Thistle Cowdenbeath v Elgin City Forres Mechanics v Keith.

Third round - Saturday 29 November 2008.

32 clubs (16 ties) 16 second round winners16 clubs in the Scottish Football League Division 1 & 2:

Airdrie United, Alloa Athletic, Arbroath, Ayr United, Brechin City, Clyde, East Fife, Greenock Morton, Livingston, Partick Thistle; Peterhead, Queen’s Park, Raith Rovers, Ross County, Stranraer, Stirling Albion.

Fourth Round.

32 clubs (16 ties). Saturday 10 January 2009 - 16 third round winners 11 clubs in the Scottish Premier League last season:

Aberdeen FC, Celtic FC, Dundee United FC, Falkirk FC, Heart of Midlothian FC, Hibernian FC, Inverness CT, Kilmarnock FC, Motherwell FC, Rangers FC, St Mirren FC.

5 clubs in positions 1 – 5 in Scottish Football League Division 1 last season:Dundee FC, Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical, Queen of the South, St Johnstone FC.

Fifth round.

Saturday 7 February 2009
16 fourth round winners,

Sixth Round.

Saturday 7 March 2009
8 fifth round winners.

Semi-finals.

Weekend of Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 April 2009
Both at Hampden Park, No replays which means after extra time their will be penalty shoot outs!

Final.

Date yet to be confirmed?

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 EUROPEAN VACATION.

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 EUROPEAN VACATION.



HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 EUROPEAN VACATION.

There has never been a better time for North American visitors to book that trip back to the mother land and their Ancestral home of Scotland.

You can save over 25% of the cost if you booked your Scottish European Vacation now as the recent plummeting value of the Pound Sterling against both the Americans and Canadians currencies than if you booked your 2009 Scottish European Vacation of an life time just one month ago.

Scotland is one of the best value European Vacation destinations there is with so many hotel rooms available prices are at least 50% less than equivalent American hoteliers and guest houses.

Don't delay book today!

If you require any information regarding the Homecoming Scotland Festival Event we are here to help all of our Blogger visitors, simply add an comment and we will try our very best to help all of you.

Scotland has so much to offer the International and North American visitors that we know you will have the best European Vacation and coupled with the outstanding Homecoming Scotland 2009 Festival Event you can't go wrong!

Kind regards.

Homecoming Scotland 2009 Blog Team.

Scottish Clan Gathering 2009 Passport Offers.

Scottish Clan Gathering 2009 Passport Offers.


Scottish Clan Edinburgh Gathering 2009 Passport Offers.

With over 45 million people with Scottish Ancestry it's little wonder that the Edinburgh Clan Gathering will be one of those special moments
for any Homecoming Scotland International Visitor to treasure for the rest of their lives.

Passports for this event are already being snapped up, so if your planning to visit this massive Homecoming Scotland event we think you should
book as soon as possible as the remaining tickets are selling fast.

There will be 8,000 passports available so far about 5000 have already been sold.

The cost for each passport is approx £95 each or around $145 at today's exchange rate, what a bargain for the event of a life time.

By purchasing a Passport to this remarkable event, you will take on the role of an proud participant, an experience perhaps never to be
repeated, and certainly never to be forgotten. Only Gathering 2009 Passport holders will be able to take part in the Clan Parade and Pageant.


As part of the 8000 (eight thousand) of other Scottish Clan members you will march up the famous Royal Mile from Holyrood Palace to the Castle Esplanade
as part of the Clan Parade. Each clan will be led by their Clan Chiefs and Clan Commanders with all Their Clan banners and flags showing.


Once you reach Castle Esplanade you will be directed take your seat and watch the Scottish Clan Pageant, a spectacular show on the history of the
clans through the ages. This show has been especially commissioned for the Edinburgh Gathering 2009 and you can expect music, Scottish dancing and pipers
and lots more excitement as this will be the largest Clan Gathering ever to be held in the last 100 years or since the last major Clan Gathering of 1822.


Don't worry if you are not associated with a Clan or Family you can still purchase a Passport and are welcome to take part
in Clan Parade and Clan Pageant.


The Passport also allows you access to both days of the Highland Games Weekend Event and Scottish Festival taking part on Saturday and Sunday
in Holyrood Park.

Events included are as follows,


Deuchars World Highland Games Heavy Events Championship,
Piping Bands,
Scottish Highland Dancing,
Live Scottish Music,
A Flavour of Scotland,
Hill Racing,
Scottish Genealogy.

This event will be watched by millions across the world by many forms of media including TV and Radio and will be an huge international event that may never be repeated
again.

If your of Scottish Ancestry blood then this is a must see, and a must go event!

Here is some links for you,

To purchase these special limited passports,
http://www.clangathering.org/u/forms/form__booking.pdf

More information on this event will be published on this Edinburgh Gathering website before this memorable event takes place,
http://www.edinburghgathering.com

More Local information will appear on this Blogspot on a daily basis so please bookmark or add this Homecoming Scotland information website to your favorites list?

Thank you!

WORLD PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIP 2009.

World Pipe Band Championships 2009.

World Pipe Band Championships 2009.
World Pipe Band Championships 2009 promises to be one of the biggest single events during the Homecoming Scotland 2009 festival with an estimated 50,000 in attendance.
The World Pipe Band Championships starts on the 14th of August 2009 with the International Piping Concert. With the Piping bands from Scotland and Piping Bands from the rest of the world taking part the concert promises to be a spectacular event.
On the 15th of August 2009 the day after the piping concert will see over 200 piping bands compete for the World Pipe Band Championship title in font of a live audience of 50,000 on the Glasgow Green Venue, and with the world press and T.V. looking on these numbers will swell to massive proportions.
The following day and night with the Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom the venue for the Shindig ( Scottish Party ) this promises to be the best piping band world championships and with the Homecoming Scotland 2009 event in full swing its the event not to be missed if your a fan of Piping Bands and enjoy fantastic memories.

WILLIAM MURDOCH SCOTTISH INVENTOR.

WILLIAM MURDOCH SCOTTISH INVENTOR.

WILLIAM MURDOCH SCOTTISH INVENTOR who was born in Auchinleck, Ayrshire Scotland. Auchinleck in the heart of what used to be the mining region of Ayrshire which at one time had both coal mines and coal pits.
William Murdoch was the inventor of the gas light and his gasometer gave light where it never was before and candles started to take a back seat.
Steam engines were part of William Murdoch's life and he also invented the pneumatic tube and the steam gun, and his prototype steam locomotive may well have been the first ever type of self propelled vehicles.
William Murdoch yet another scots born inventor who changed the world.

BLITZ SWING DANCE BARROWLANDS, GLASGOW.

Saturday 28 March 2009: Back to the Blitz Swing Dance, Barrowlands, Glasgow
Following from the huge success of our Back to the Blitz Swing Dance, we are delighted to announce a date for next year. Join us for another fantastic occasion with the added talents of the Charleston Dancers and Jive Aces. Tickets £30, to include rations!

SIR JAMES YOUNG SIMPSON YET ANOTHER FAMOUS SCOT.

SIR JAMES YOUNG SIMPSON YET ANOTHER FAMOUS SCOT.

SIR JAMES YOUNG SIMPSON YET ANOTHER FAMOUS SCOT who can be associated with chloroform and he is famous for introducing anesthesia to pregnant mums during childbirth.
Queen Victoria rubber stamped his acheivements by using chloroform during her delivery of Prince Leopold.
A very clever man who had passed all his medical exams two years before he was given a licence at twenty.
James Young Simpson was the first man to be knighted by The Scottish Court of the Lord Lyon.
Sir James Young Simpson was a well loved and respected Scotsman who passed away at the young age of 58.
Thousand and thousands of Scots lined the streets to the cemetery and nearly two thousand members of the medical profession also took part.
SIR JAMES YOUNG SIMPSON is yet another scot who changed the world.

PROFESSOR GRAHAME HARDIE FRS, FRSE, FMedSci, is the recipient of the prestigious Rolf Luft Award 2008.

PROFESSOR GRAHAME HARDIE FRS, FRSE, FMedSci, is the recipient of the prestigious Rolf Luft Award 2008.

Professor Grahame Hardie is head of Dundee University department Cellular Signalling and it is him and his department who were responsible for defining the AMPK system.
The recognition of AMPK has led to over 120 million diabetics suffering from type 2 diabetes being able to be actively treated.
The AMPK system is a target for the development of new anti-obesity and anti-diabetic drugs, and is the probable target for the existing drug, metformin, (taken by over 120 million people worldwide). Because 20-30% of adults in Western countries are now obese, while it is projected that over 200 million people will suffer from Type 2 diabetes worldwide by the year 2010, the AMPK system is currently of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
The AMPK enzyme dates back twenty years when Professor Grahame Hardie and his team discovered it.

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 THEME SONG "CALEDONIA".

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 THEME SONG "CALEDONIA".

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 THEME SONG "CALEDONIA", written by Dougie Mclean will be recorded by the Banffshire recording artist singer Sandi Thom.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond says it is the perfect ballad for Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Having heard it ourselves we wholeheartedly agree, the words and the sentiment are a credit to Dougie Mclean and is sung beautifully by Banffshire Lass Sandi Thom.
Homecoming Scotland 2009 theme song "Caledonia", what a great choice for one of the most important events ever to be held in Scotland.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

SNP NEW TARTAN UNVEILED.

SNP anniversary tartan unveiled

The tartan is being sold to mark the SNP's 75th anniversary

A new SNP tartan has been unveiled at the party's annual conference in Perth.

The black, yellow and grey pattern is being sold to mark the SNP's 75th anniversary on 7 April 2009.

It has been produced in conjunction with Scottish kilt makers Slanj and a gents eight yard kilt will set you back £345, while ladies kilts are £130.

The SNP was founded in 1934 and secured its first parliamentary seat in 1945. It became the party of power at Holyrood in 2007.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "As we look forward to next year's anniversary this splendid tartan is an excellent way for the party to mark 75 years as a force in Scottish politics.

READ THE FULL STORY...

SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING - ANOTHER BRILLIANT SCOT.

SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING - ANOTHER BRILLIANT SCOT.

SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING another brilliant scot who discovered Penicillin.
A very clever scot who was born in the Ayrshire Irvine Valley close to a little town called Darvel.
He attended Darvel School and from there went to Kilmarnock Academy.
From KIlmarnock Academy his study took him south to London.
Sir Alexander's life was dedicated to the study of medicine where he excelled.
A truly brilliant Scotsman who also changed the world.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL IS YET ANOTHER FAMOUS SCOT.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL IS YET ANOTHER FAMOUS SCOT.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL IS YET ANOTHER FAMOUS SCOT who is well known for the invention of the telephone, but he should also be remembered for his work in aeronautics and hydrofoils.
Born in Edinburgh in 1847 he was also one of the founder members of the "National Geographic Society".
He died in Canada in 1922 and the cause was pernicious anemia, a crippling illness which in some cases cause the oxygen not to form in the brain properly and causes the sufferer to have a type of dementia and in today's lifestyle would be treatable with vitamin B complex injections.
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL is yet another scots born inventors who changed the world with the invention of the telephone yet he refused to have one where he worked calling it an intrusion, we all know that feeling!
This is a continuation on the "Great Scottish Inventors", who changed the world for ever highlighting the importance of the "Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations".

SCOTLANDS INVENTORS REMEMBERED.

SCOTLANDS INVENTORS REMEMBERED.

SCOTLANDS INVENTORS REMEMBERED will be a tribute in part to some of those great Scottish minds who in one way or another helped to develope the multi-talented Scottish nation.
Oldmeldrum Academy is where my grandson gets taught and thanks to the Oldmeldrum Academy the children there are being taught the importance of our Scottish heritage which includes past and present Scottish born inventors and the way Scots inventors have changed our world. A big thanks to my grandson for todays report on probably one of the most important inventions of all time;
****
ie; the television.
In February 1924 an inventor from Scotland called John Logie Baird made a TV that could have images of silhouettes!
On October the 2nd, 1925 the same person invented a TV that could have moving images!
The quality of the images wasn’t very good and you couldn’t even see the expression on a persons face!
In his laboratory he managed to make the first moving image!
The image was of a ventriloquists dummy's head!
As soon as he managed to get the dummy's head on the T.V. he ran downstairs and got an office worker
called William Edward Taynton and put him on T.V. and that means he was the first person ever to be on T.V.
He only managed to get 30 lines resolution and 5 pictures per second.
Scotsman John Logie Baird changed the world with the invention of the T.V.
In the lead up to the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations we feel it only right to remind those who will visit Scotland over the 2009 events that the Scots are gifted inventors as our history proves.

ROBERT BURNS - "TO A HAGGIS".

ROBERT BURNS - "TO A HAGGIS".

ROBERT BURNS - "TO A HAGGIS", is recited every year all over the world.
This poem, written in the house of Mr Andrew Bruce, Castle Hill Edinburgh, where a haggis one day made part of the dinner.
TO A HAGGIS.
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm;
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While through your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic labour dight,
And cut you up wi' ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin,rich!

Then horn for horn they stretch and strive,
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld guidman, maist like to ryve,
Bethankit hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that would staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect scunner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view,
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip lash,
His nieve a nit;
Through bloody flood or field to dash,
O how infit!

But mark the rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
And legs, and arms, and heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' pray'r,
Gie her a Haggis!