DG's Visits Week 9

The final visit of the week was to the Rotary Club of Auchterarder and District, in their splendid new venue at the Auchterarder Golf Club. Still the wet weather continued and the professional golfers in the Johnnie Walker event at neighbouring Gleneagles must have been singularly unamused. The warmth of the Club's welcome, more than offset the dismal weather outside, and it was really nice to renew a number of old acquaintances.The Club has special links with my own Club of Dundee, which date back to the considerable involvement of our former President, Bill Sutherland, in their establishment. At one stage, Bill was as often at the Auchterarder Club as his own. Bill was also instrumental in sending me in their direction to talk about some of my research, and some of the members present last night, still remember my visit to talk to them at their former venue in Blackford in the early 1990s. I must ensure that my next visit does not take quite so long!
President Andrew also has ambitious plans for the growth of the Club and, in particular, to introduce a younger echelon of committed Rotarians. Increasing public awareness of Rotary's activities also figures highly, as does their fund raising for local and international charities.They have really embraced the Club Leadership Plan and are making it work to the Club's maximum advantage. They also have close links with the young people of the area in a range of ways , including the funding for two of them to attend RYLA, always an enormously worthwhile activity

DG's Visits Week 9

Wednesday evening took us to the Cupar Club and the dual pleasures of meeting both their Rotarians and the incoming GSE team for District 5510, Arizona. The list of objectives for President Bill and his Rotarians in 2009-10 is impressive to say the least. An expansion in the Club size, even greater awarenss of Rotary in the local community, help for the elderly, an environmental project, and various fund raising activities for PolioPlus, Foundation and other good causes, all figure highly. I was delighted to receive the Club's contribution of £500 towards PolioPlus. If one adds to this their work with and for young people, and their activities on Shoeboxes and Shelterboxes, their year will be a busy one. The jewel in the crown of Club activities for a number of years has been the funds raised for Water Projects in Uganda and Nepal.


It was a great delight to meet the GSE team. District Governor Ken Oakes promised a first class team and he has certainly lived up to this. Ably led by Karen Panietz, the team members of Caitlin King, Heather Bilodeau, Kylee Seely, Scott Turpin and Levi Coffelt epitomise the very best of America's young people. They are a great credit to their country and District, and I am sure that everyone will enjoy meeting them. I will see them again at Oldmeldrum and finally at the District Conference in Aviemore where I hope they will be completing a wonderful and beneficial tour of our District. I hope that we can produce an equally strong outgoing team to visit District 5510 in the late spring/early summer of 2010.

DG's Visits Week 9

Wednesday lunchtime saw us visiting the Rotary Club of Perth St. Johns, still dogged by the appalling wet weather which has afflicted Scotland in recent weeks. It must all be very depressing for our farmers seeking to ensure a timely harvest. Vice President Paul soon dispersed any such thoughts by giving me a full brief on the Club's intended activities for the year. These involving young people are very important, including the often forgotten youngsters of Chernobyl and those who perform a vital but often unsung role as young carers. Also high on their list of priorities are increasing public awareness of Rotary, and raising funds for Shelterboxes which are so vital in the times of major disasters. The Club also does a great deal for our older citizens, while seeking to find the time and funds to support Rotary's Foundation charity. Clearly, they have a busy year ahead which will be heightened by their participation, with the other Perth Rotary Clubs, in the celebration of the city's 800th anniversary.

DG's Visits Week 9

Tuesday evening saw us heading into the heart of Macgregor country and a visit to the Rotarians of Callander and West Perthshire. As the Macfarlanes of the past were every bit as lawless as the Macgregors, this was perhaps a meeting of like minds. The Rotarians of Callander gave Daphne and I a warm welcome and were eager to tell us of their many activities, including their walk up Ben Ledi which involves many of the local community and raises significant funds. President Peter has ambitious plans to expand the Club and to raise public awareness of Rotary. I am sure that their local activities, including their commitment to raise $1000 for PolioPlus this year through packing bags in a local supermarket, already tell the local community much of what Rotary seeks to achieve in the world.

Week 9

It is always an enormous pleasure to welcome visitors to our District and this was certainly the case with the incoming group of Canadian Rotarians from District 5370, Alberta. I had the pleasure of meeting them and joining them for lunch as they transferred from the St. Andrews Rotarians to those in Montrose. They had interesting tales to tell not least big John who learned late of his inclusion in the team and had to trek out of the Canadian wilderness to join his Rotarian colleagues.The five couples have a superb tour planned for them which will take them to many corners of the District and let them see many aspects of Scottish life and hopefully the best of Scottish scenery. This is just one of a number of friendship exchanges superbly organised in recent years by Mike Barron, to whom enormous thanks are due.

Week 9-24 August

The week began with a late flight home from a week-end General Council meeting at RIBI's HQ. The range of matters discussed over the week-end was wide to say the least and I was enormously impressed by the huge amount of work undertaken by the HQ staff who did everything possible to help, and to smooth our various travels.It is also quite remarkable how far ahead planning now needs to take place, with the RIBI Conference in Bournemouth and the RI Convention in Montreal now very firmly in everyone's sights. Both promise to be first class events and well worth the effort of attending. With the latter having a particularly Scottish dimension, with John Kenny as RI President, I will certainly be making every endeavour to attend.

DG's Visits Week 8

Friday brought us back to Dundee and the frantic pace of dealing with some outstanding matters for the District Conference, and reading, responding to or ignoring the usual deluge of e-mails. All this in just over 24 hours before setting off to Alcester for a 2 day meeting of the General Council of RIBI and an all too rare opportunity to touch base with my fellow Governors. In particular, it will be useful to hear more of their plans for the Thanks for Life week of activities, which will both provide opportunities to raise funds for PolioPlus and other vital causes, and raise awareness of what Rotary is about. A hoped for spin-off from this will be an increased flow of people who wish to join Rotary. An end to Polio in the world is now so close, we surely have to make every effort to ensure success.

DG's Visits Week 8

Our next visit was to the Rotary Club of Elgin, again a Club with many good friends from my time as Assistant Governor in that part of the District. The Club does so many different things that it would be difficult to know where to start. Events such as their Marafun and their startling success with the Fellowship Malt are part of the District legends. However, they have never been a Club to rest on their laurels and in recent years have raised large sums of money to bring fresh safe water and sanitation to Nepal. Having seen that county's problems at first hand, I know only too well, how vital these provisions are to the health of the country and the lovely Nepalese people. Like many of us, the Club is concerned at the inadequate provisions available to look after those injured while serving the country and they are strong supporters of the Help for Heroes campaign. This will figure as a part of this year's District Conference but will have a more immediate public expression through a concert to be given by the Royal Marines in Elgin on Saturday 5 September. If you have not yet signed up for this, don't miss the chance to do so. It will be a wonderful evening of music in a very worthy cause. This is only one of many new initiatives of President Graeme and his team.With 7 new members targeted for this Rotary year, is any one going to trump them?

DG's Visits Week 8

The middle of the week saw us in Aviemore, a much loved part of the world and favourite holiday destination for the past 30 years, for not only Daphne and I, but the rest of the family. It was a great pleasure to introduce the next generation of the family to this beautiful part of the world earlier this year. I greatly enjoyed my visit to the now familiar Spey Valley RC where it was a pleasure to meet up with a number of old friends, not least long-serving Secretary, Bill McConachie, who has now occupied this post for 25 years-really Service Above Self. President George was in great form with a wealth of new initiatives to try, and a real desire to bring in new members, especially at the younger end of the scale. With 4 new members recently and 2 more in the pipeline, they are setting a hot pace.The success of their Wishing Well in Newtonmore is legendary and huge sums of money have been raised to help with the provision of safe drinking water in the underdeveloped countries. The weather had now relented somewhat so it was a great temptation to linger and enjoy the scenery. However, other parts of the District beckoned.

DG's Visits Week 8

Week 8 took Daphne and I out and about the District again, with our first port of call to the Portree RC on the Isle of Skye. The warm welcome of President Chrisann and her fellow Rotarians was greatly appreciated, given the inclement weather outside. The venue at the Cuillin Hills Hotel may have great views of this iconic range on a good day, but the mountains of Skye were singularly invisible in the heavy rain. The Club has a number of excellent fund raising ideas and is starting to pull in new members, so this all augurs well for the future. The island Clubs have their own unique niche in the community but are keen not to miss out on the mainstream activities of Rotary in District 1010. Ideas such as audio-visula links would ease their problems of communication and travel, and are surely the way forward. I am delighted that our head of communications, James Martin, is actively pursuing such innovations. The weather on the following day was if anything, even wetter, but every cloud does indeed have a silver lining. Every little stream had been turned into a raging torrent, with some of the waterfalls spectacular to say the least. However, there is good reason for Daphne and I to go back to Skye to see the island in sunnier weather, which we certainly hope to do in the not too distant future.

DG's Visits Week 7.

Thursday evening saw us once again south of the Tay at the North Fife Rotary Club which has also figured significantly in my Rotary life since early days. It was good to renew old friendships and to meet new members who have joined the Club since my time as their Assistant Governor. Again there were elements of a re-union with a number of former Dundee Rotarians now in the North Fife ranks.This is another Club with a substantial commitment to young people and it was a pleasure to meet up with their RYLA candidates at the Abernethy Trust at the beginning of July. The Club has a substantial programme of activities in the year to come, which seeks an even division between support for local and overseas needs. Their regular events for the elderly in that part of Fife are particularly commendable. This is another Club with a big Charter occasion looming and I wish them an especially successful time in the 40th year of their existence.

DG's Visits Week 7

On Thursday, it was westward bound again, to St Johnstone Football Club's McDiarmid Park, but not to enjoy some Premier League rivalry but the very pleasant surroundings in which the Perth Club now meets. President Bill and his Rotarians have an exceptionally busy year ahead, both with their involvement in the International Curling Championships in Perth and in the lead up to the city's 800th anniversary celebrations. The Club is also developing its strategy to celebrate its own centenary in the not too distant future. Despite all of this, the Club still plans a wide range of activities in the coming year in support of many international causes, including their ongoing project in Nairobi, and in raising funds for PolioPlus and Foundation. Membership growth also figures highly in their plans, with a particularly well planned strategic approach to building up their numbers in under represented age categories.

DG's Visits Week 7.

Wednesday evening took us westwards to visit the Carse of Stirling Club, where informality, fun and good fellowship rule in equal measure. Even visiting District Governors are not immune from the predations of their Sergeant at Arms but it was all thoroughly enjoyable. Vice President Andy made Daphne and I very much at home and provided an interesting breakdown of their plans for the year, including support for the Nepane project and involvement in a very large Kids Out programme. They contribute substantial sums to Foundation every year and have also targeted a considerable increase in their member numbers, notwithstanding the difficulties in attracting good young Rotarians in these harsh economic times, believing that this can only aid their fund raising in the future.

DG's Visits Week 7.

Wednesday lunchtime saw us back across the water again to visit President Alan and the members of St. Andrews RC. This had a certain element of an old boys re-union with the President being a former member of my own Club. This is another Club with a comprehensive and ambitious programme for the year ahead, including working with several other NE Fife Clubs to re-vitalise the local Rotaract Club. The one really big event of their year is the organisation of the International Golf Event, which attracts 300 golfers from 20 countries worldwide, and will be celebrating its 56th year. The lure of playing at St. Andres is always a strong one and I hope that my duties will allow me to participate. The Club has always had a strong involvement with Ambassadorial Scholars and international students, the current year being no exception with the Club acting in loco parentis for 2 visiting Rwandan students among others.Never a Club to rest on its laurels, they have also targeted a substantial increse in their member numbers to take the total to 70 or higher

DG's Visits Week 7.

Tuesday evening saw Daphne and I south of the Tay to visit St Andrews Kilrymont RC and catch up with President Grace's plans for the year. Always keen to be involved with the local community, they now have a very up front approach to keeping the locals up to date with the Club's activities. Published on a quarterly basis, Kiltymont Klips is increasingly widening its distribution, with doctors and dentists surgeries and now libraries on the list of recipients. Fund raising for international targets is never neglected and the Club's annual, national golf event attracts players from throughout RIBI, raising substantial sums of money in the process. I have had the pleasure of participating for the past 3 years and it is a wonderful day of competition and good fellowship in equal measure. No matter how poorly you might play, it is impossible to feel down in such an upbeat competition. I know of no other golf competition where your waistline and ego receive regular boosts through the appearance from the depths of some gorse-packed barrier to progress, by good natured Rotarians bearing black bun and a dram. A liberal helping of this and any wayward shots soon assume their proper place in the scheme of things. During the evening, I was delighted to receive two large cheques from the Club for PolioPlus and Leonard Cheshire.

DG's Visits Week 7.

Tuesday lunchtime took us up to see the Kirriemuir Club where the dismal weather outside was soon banished by the warm welcome and good fellowship of the Club. President Jim, recently returned from showing our North American cousins how to play the game of golf, was in great form, giving me a detailed breakdown of their comprehensive programme for the year ahead which will have a particular concentration on activities with young people, including hopes for the re-establishment of an Interact Club. The Club must have one of the widest ranging group of friends from outside RIBI, always being the first to volunteer their assistance with friendship and sporting exchange groups in Rotary. On past occasions I have shared in and enjoyed their hospitality, especially their wonderful Burns suppers which they can lay on irrespective of the time of year. Visitors never fail to be impressed and I am sure that our incoming GSE team will be no different.

DG's Visits Week 7

Week 7 started with the promise of a lower than average mileage compared with previous weeks, but it is amazing how the figures still added up. First up was a visit to President David and the members of the Kinross Club, the first Club I visited outside my own after I joined Rotary. Like all Clubs, they have a wide range of activities, including a very strong involvement with young people and with WaterAid. Perhaps unique in this District, and possibly any other, is their involvement with the massive T-in-the-Park event, where they both provide a Left Luggage service for the young people attending, and endeavour to feed them, working into the early hours of the morning over the 3 days of the event. The popularity of the latter service grows year on year with burgers, bacon and sausage filled rolls, tea, coffee, soup,fruit juice, water and chocolate bars on offer. Despite the Club's best endeavours, the hunger of the young people seemed insatiable, and they actually sold out of bacon, burgers and sausages one day. However, this all guaranteed a very healthy sum for their charity funds. The Club is very supportive of District events and I look forward to welcoming their large contingent to the District Conference in Aviemore this September.

DG's Visits Week 6

The end of the week saw me together with my two fellow Scottish Governors at the Wishaw Games which Rotary in Scotland has supported for a number of years. The weather gods shone for most of the day and a full range of outdoor and indoor activities was enjoyed by the participants, eagerly supported by families and friends. The enthusiasm and competitive nature of all was clear to see and I marvelled at the prowess on display. Many of the events would have taxed my sporting abilities to the full, even in the days of a younger and somewhat fitter DG. The times in the track events, and distances achieved in the field events, were impressive to say the least. I can only express my total admiration for everything the competitors achieved. My award of a gold medal for presenting the prizes paled in comparison with the five or more medals achieved by some. My appreciation goes to the organisers, who had an exceedingly busy day, and to the many other bodies who provided funding and other support.

DG's Visits Week 6

The end of this round of visits took me back down the road towards Dundee and a visit to the Rotary Club of Brechin. President Steve and his members were in fine form and the evening had a similar feel to the meeting at Laurencekirk, with much good-natured banter and cross talk. The Club has many good things going on, including support for the Elgin Club's Nepane project. It is encouraging to see so many Clubs now embracing the need for collaboration which will be an inevitable outcome of the Foundation New Initiative in the not too distant future. It is also encouraging to see Brechin and a number of other Clubs seeking to promote the Young Musician of the Year competition in the District. In time, I hope that this will achieve the same level of Club involvement as is now enjoyed by the Primary School Quiz. With considerable support for activities involving young people, including an ongoing commitment to RYLA, I have no doubts about a successful year ahead.

DG's Visits Week 6

On Thursday, it was back to Aberdeen to be hosted by the St. Machar Club at the Northern Hotel, a well-remembered venue for parties in my student days. President Margaret was great company and it was most interesting to hear about her plans for the year ahead and to share reminiscences of Aberdeen in earlier days. This is another Club with a wide range of activities, covering everything from a Flower Festival to support for young people in many different ways such as Dictionaries for Life, Kids Out and RYLA. Publicity of these activities occupies a high level of importance which is so critical when public support is sought. It was a great pleasure to meet up again with PDG Bill Wood and catch up with all his news.

DG's Visits Week 6

On Wednesday evening, the experiment was tried of several Clubs meeting together for the DG's visit, with Banff, Faserburgh and Turriff getting together at Turriff. The experiment will be repeated later in the year after which a decision will be taken on whethre or not this is a feasible way to deal with what is becoming an extremely difficult logistical exercise to get round all 87 Clubs in a reasonable time scale. Some Rotarians do feel that such a move distances the District Governor from the Rotarians. Other possibilities exist which the senior District team will discuss.
I was delighted to be hosted by three of my lady Presidents and Rose, Pauline and Janet made me most welcome. All three Clubs have excellent programmes for the year ahead with international, national, community and youth activities all being well supported, as well as every effort being made to ensure that the wider world is aware of Rotary's purpose and activities.

DG's Visits Week 6

Wednesday lunchtime took us just along the road to Curl Aberdeen and the Rotary Club of Aberdeeen St. Fittick, via a very pleasant walk round Hazlehead Park where the presence of the Piper Alpha memorial still brings back sombre memories, even on a sunny day. President Roger and his members have a very ambitious programme for the year ahead, including a major contribution to PolioPlus, the targeting of a significant number of new members and a valuable project in Sierra Leone with the Rotary Club of Bo. All of this will be carried out against the background of a determined push to get maximum publicity, something we all need to be aware of nowadays, if Rotary is to get its fair share of charity money.

DG's Visits Week 6

Wednesday morning saw Daphne and I on the go bright and early for the meeting of the breakfast Club of Aberdeen Bon Accord in Cults. President Willie Skene and his members typify the new approach to Rotary, with hardly any time to even sit down to eat their breakfast so that they can network and get through the maximum amount of business. Another Club with ambitious plans for membership growth, they punch above their weight in fund raising and their involvement with young people. Perhaps the last of these is a reflection of the narrower gap in age between members and various youth groups. The day was further enlightened by the presence of a visiting Rotarian from Canada, keen to attend a Scottish Rotary Club.

DG's Visits Week 6

Tuesday brought Daphne and I to my old university city with a visit to the Rotary Club of Aberdeen. It was an interesting experience to be meeting just across the road from where my education began at the Aberdeen Grammar School. Rumour has it that I was dispatched there at the tender age of four because I was bored at home! President Peter Carry and his team were most welcoming and soon updated me on their plans for the year including a very worthwhile project with the Kenyan Paediatric Association. They are also very much in tune with John Kenny's theme that every Rotarian should be involved in some way. The Future of Rotary is definitely in their hands.

DG's Visits Week 6

Monday of the first week in August found me restored in health but totally lacking in appetite-probably no bad thing for my waistline. Many thanks for all the good wishes for my speedy recovery.The first visit was to the Rotary Club of Laurencekirk. While one of the smaller Clubs, it more than makes up for this with its excellent spirit. The repartee during the meeting was great and brought a new meaning to audience participation. With a clear view on future growth while still remaining an integral part of their community, this is a Club going places. The wide range of activities which they undertake belies their size, their commitment to young people is great and they are clearly in very good heart.

DG's Visit 31 July

The many highlights of the earlier days in the week came crashing to earth on the Friday with myself comprehensively laid low by a bug which forced me to abandon my intended address to the Rotary Club of Stirling. President Alan and his members were kindness personified and their doctor member managed to patch me up with several tablets to get me safely home. 48 hours in bed followed using every trick I could think of to get me fit enough to resume my Club visits at the beginning of week 6. It may be a week in which I eat very little but that will no doubt benefit my waistline. Like General MacArthur, I will return and look forward to fulfilling my engagement at the Stirling Club as soon as possible.

DG's Visits 30 July

Our final visit of the day took us to the Rotary Club of Bridge of Allen and Dunblane, following a very welcome and relaxing interlude at the home of President Robert and his wife Janet. The walk round their beautiful garden and the very welcome cup of tea were just what were needed. The Club is in fine fettle and wiill clearly reap the benefit of President Robert's skills and experience as a senior officer in the Colonial Police. Their involvement with both projects abroad and in their local community, represent an ideal balance and together with the fun and fellowship which they all clearly enjoy, a good year is in store. It was also a pleasure to welcome a visiting President from the Rotary Club of Keighley, Liz Balding and her husband, Charlie, Past President of Bradford.

DG's Visits 30 July

Lunchtime saw us heading west to the Rotary Club of Dunfermline, with the all too familiar summer weather and torrential rain making a reappearance. President Noel and his members soon dispelled the gloom outside with the warmth of their welcome. As one of the District's oldest and largest Clubs, there might be some excuse for resting on their laurels but this is far from being the case. They have so many activities at home and abroad, a sizeable involvement with young people, a great commitment to Foundation, great social events and good fellowship, it is clear that their members all make a sizeable contribution to the well being of the Club. They clearly have a continuing verve for success in all things Rotary.

DG's Visits 30 July

Thursday 30 July saw a reversion to the 0500 start with a trip across Fife again, to visit the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy Raith. President Shiona is the epitome of the new generation of Rotarians - a young lady with a young family and an important business to run. Despite this she still manages to commit an enormous amount of time and energy to Rotary- the ultimate in time management skills. She and her members will have a major commitment to the PolioPlus campaign, especially involving primary schools, and have already committed themselves to supporting the Thanks for Life campaign in February 2010. With their commitment to bring in more new members and achieve a Presidential Citation, one has to be confident in the road ahead for this new young Club.

DG's Visit 29 July

Wednesday brought a quieter day with just the one visit to the Rotary Club of Aberfeldy and District where Daphne and I were warmly welcomed by President Andrew and his members. It was a particular delight to see then well esconced in their new home at The Moness Country Club and clearly thriving. This is all the more remarkable in that it is only a relatively few years(5) since their entire future was in doubt. I wish them a long and continuing success. With their exceedingly active programme with the local community and their ambition to increase membership, I am sure that this is not in doubt. Their friendly welcome and good fellowship must make them the sort of Club that local people will wish to join.

Cub Visit 28 July

The evening took us the short distance along the coast to the Rotary Club of Leven where I received a warm welcome from President Harry and District Membership chair, Bob Thomson. Bob has been beavering away to set up a joint Scottish Districts seminar on membership at Stirling university and I ask all Clubs to support this. President Harry was in fine form and I am in no doubt that his enthusiastic approach will rub off on the Club. With their support for RYLA and achievement of a Presidential Citation for the past two years, they tick all the right boxes. AG Sandy's interest and support over these recent years have clearly been of great benefit and much appreciated.

Club Visit 28 July

Lunchtime brought us eastwards to the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy and a warm welcome from President Ann, PDG Bill Moodie and their members. A very pleasant interlude had previously been spent with Ann and her husband discussing every subject under the sun and not just Rotary. The Club has some very innovative ideas for fund raising of which more will be heard shortly. I also welcome their proposals to set up a new Interact Club jointly with the Raith and Burntisland Clubs. I particularly welcome their long term support for RYLA which I think everyone agrees is one of the best such schemes around for the development of leadership skills in young people.

Club Visits

Tuesday 28 July brought a 0500 start to the day to get across Fife in time for the breakfast meeting of the Rotary Club of Dunfermline Carnegie. Even at that early hour they were all brighteyed and bushy tailed and eager to tell me all about their plans for the year ahead. I was also delighted to see a number of their Interact Club present, all high with anticipation over their forthcoming trip to Canada. By now, they should be enjoying all the delights that Canada and its Rotarians can offer. Among many other proposals, Carnegie are now looking to set up a Rotaract Club and I will watch developments with interest as part of their considerable commitment to young people at both Club and District level.

Assistant Governors

The remainder of the Monday morning(27 July) was given over to the AG training and a discussion of a wider role for them in the District organisation. This is in part related to the fact that we are still not able to provide adequate training to incoming Club Presidents so that they can start their preparation for their year in office sufficiently far in advance for them to benefit from an early identification of their teams and priorities. The AGs are a wonderful repository of good ideas and it is great to have their input. Thanks also go to Cath Chorley and Gus Macdonald for organising the event.
The remainder of the day was given over to discussing the necessary changes to the District's Standing Orders so that the administration can be streamlined and the workload of key individuals eased. All such matters will be brought forward to the first District Council meeting on Friday 18 September, at the start of the District Conference week-end.

DG's Visits Week 5

My 5th week as Governor started with the pleasant occasion of welcoming to our lovely District 1010, the Rotarians from District 7710, North Carolina, as they switched over from their first hosts in the Rotary Club of Glenrothes to the Rotarians of Blairgowrie, at the Holiday Inn in Dundee. They are a delightful group with more than a sprinkling of past District Governors, but only one who had any great experience of Scotland. However, he will be well able to advise the group on the vagaries of the Scottish diet and its alcoholic refreshments.They still have a wonderful trip ahead of them on a journey which takes them all the way to Shetland, via Braemar and surroundings, and finishing up at Inverurie. This will surely take them to many interesting and beautiful parts of Scotland and I wish them a happy time and a safe jorney back to America.