21 James Westland

What We Do In The Winter

In this episode I talk with James Westland of Tobermory. Born in a castle near Stirling, James, or Seamus as we know him, grew up around Alloa before going to Uni in St Andrews and then headed off shore and came back to land where he studied Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, in Skye. It was at Sabhal Mor that he met Moira, who later became his wife. Eventually they chose to settle on Mull where they live to this day with their family in Tobermory. Our conversation moves between Seamus’ love of geology and the land, and how that journey started for him in the Ochil Hills, how landscape gives off certain feelings, Gaelic music and culture, his working life here on Mull and the geological make up of our islands and why they are so interesting. At the very end we also talk about Seamus’ father in law, the late, much missed Duncan MacGilp. We also have a wee natter in Gaelic at one point in the conversation for a couple of minutes. As ever links to the topics covered can be found, as ever, on the website at whatwedointhewinter.com Episode Links: Airthrie Castle https://historic-hospitals.com/2015/04/27/airthrey-castle-maternity-hospital/ Alva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alva,_Clackmannanshire Ochil Hills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochil_Hills Alloa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloa Ben Cleuch https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/grahams/ben-cleuch.php?s=1 The Silver Glen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Glen Bonanzas and Jacobites by Stephen Moreton https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bonanzas-Jacobites-Story-Silver-Glen/dp/1905267088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550074623&sr=8-1&keywords=bonanza+jacobites Alva Glen - The Dwarf’s Tomb https://megalithix.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/dwarfs-tomb/ Clootie Well at Munlochy https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/munlochy/clootiewell/index.html St Andrews Uni https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Runrig www.runrig.co.uk Silly Wizard http://sillywizard.co.uk/ Teach yourself Gaelic https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Gaelic-Beginner-Intermediate-Course-ebook/dp/B006MXEZ0A/ref=sr_1_2_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550138698&sr=8-2&keywords=teach+yourself+gaelic Can Seo https://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Seo-Donald-John-Macleod/dp/0563162902/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1550078020&sr=1-1&keywords=can+seo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBVb1zbe32k&list=PL04B67DB0ABD8AAD2 Calum Kennedy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calum_Kennedy Na h-Òganich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na_h-%C3%92ganaich Dòtaman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%B2taman HIE www.hie.co.uk Isle of Mull Computers http://www.mull.co.uk/ Angus Miller Geowalks http://www.geowalks.co.uk/ Geology map of Mull https://pennyghael.org/geology.html Mars rocks similar to Mull https://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/mars-and-mull-share-similar-soil-hutton-analysis-finds The Mid Atlantic Ridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_Ridge Columnar basalt - Ulva and Staffa http://www.mullgeology.net/columnarbasalt.html http://www.mullgeology.net/ulva.html The geology of Mull & Iona http://mullgeology.net/ http://www.largeimages.bgs.ac.uk/iip/mapsportal.html?id=1004374 Geology of Gribun http://mullgeology.net/gribun.html Duncan MacGilp https://whatwedointhewinter.com/2018/08/17/coming-soon-duncan-mcgilp/ When the Song Dies by Jamie Chambers https://vimeo.com/150802508 Thanks for listening!