Renovation restores Victorian glory to Scottish museum

The National Museum of Scotland reopened to the public on Friday, 29 July 2011, after a 47-million-pound renovation that has restored its Victorian glory while giving it a spectacular boost into the 21st century.

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What makes Scotland so Bonnie anyway?

Everyone's used to referring to Scotland - that land north of the border - as Bonnie Scotland, but why?

Like so much of Scottish culture, the person most frequently credited/blamed for inventing the whole notion of Bonnie Scotland is Sir Walter Scott, author of Rob Roy. Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers in Europe, Australia, and North America.

Bonnie Scotland is also the name of a 1935 American film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Hal Roach and directed by James W. Horne. Although the film begins in Scotland, a large part of the action is actually set in British India.

The song Bonnie Scotland was written for and dedicated to all Scots wherever in the world they may be found. It is performed by ‘Tapsalteerie’ a wee group of friends of Saskia and India from Gourock. They are Rosie, Jennifer, Fiona, Emma, Jack and Fergus. You can find out more about them here.

You can find out more about Sir Walter Scott and his legacy to the Scots people in Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave.

Happy Independence Day! (Part 2)

Talking of American Independence Day...

Did you know that nine governors of the original thirteen American states were Scots? Senate Resolution 155, passed on 20 March 1998, referred to the predominance of Scots among the Founding Fathers and claimed that the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on the Declaration of Arbroath, an eloquent appeal for the recognition of Scottish independence and sovereignty, signed on 6 April 1320.

You'll discover more fabulous facts like these in Scottish Misecellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, available from Skyhorse Publishing today!

Happy Independence Day!

It's 4 July so that means that in America it's

INDEPENDENCE DAY!

As American fans of my books are hopefully already aware a number of my titles are available in American editions. There's Christmas Miscellany and Scottish Miscellany (both available from Skyhorse Publishing) but then there are also my Pax Britannia books and of course Black Library's Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 novels sell widely in the US.

So why not celebrate Independence Day today by picking up your favourite Jonathan Green US edition - and then let me know what you think of it!

Brad Pitt to film Zombie Epic in Scotland

Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt is heading to Scotland to film a new £80million zombie movie. Producers are going to transform parts of Glasgow into a war-torn ruin for blockbuster World War Z. The movie will be one of the biggest film shoots ever seen in Scotland.

Scenes being shot in the city centre will feature explosions and gunfire as Brad (47) battles to stop zombies taking over the world, with Glasgow doubling for the US city of Philadelphia. Streets around George Square will be closed in August as shooting begins and the square itself will be the base for the film crew and actors.

Producers plan to erect a tented village, complete with huge trailers for Brad and his co-stars.
Sources say he will spend two weeks shooting in Glasgow but it is not clear if his superstar wife Angelina Jolie and their six children will tag along.

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* Although it they wait until after kicking out time at the pubs and clubs on a Saturday night they won't need to bother.

See Scotland on a budget

As the birthplace of golf and home to some of the world's finest whiskey, Scotland is on the life list of many travelers. So how do you see the sights and still stay on budget? Follow this link to discover several savvy savings tips for an affordable Scottish getaway.

Scotland to leave the UK?

Last month a "political tsunami" struck the United Kingdom and this once-mighty state faces being broken up.

An astonishing victory for nationalists in the Scottish parliamentary elections means it is almost certain that a referendum will be held within five years on whether Scotland should leave the U.K. and become an independent country.

To find out more about this incredible story, follow this link.