Scottish Highlands Research Articles

The vowel /əː/ ao in Gaelic dialects


 
 
 This paper examines the development of the Old Irish diphthongs */ai/, */oi/, */ui/ in later varieties of the Gaelic languages. These are generally accepted to have merged as a single phoneme by the end of the Old Irish period (c. 900). In all modern varieties the regular reflex of this phoneme is a long monophthong, represented orthographically as <ao>. There are three main developments: (a) in southern Irish <ao> has merged with /eː/ and/or /iː/; (b) in southern Scottish and Manx varieties <ao> remains a mid-central vowel, may be fairly fronted and may perhaps have weak rounding; and there is merger between /əː/ representing <ao> and reflexes of earlier */aɣ/; (c) in northern Scottish and northern Irish varieties <ao> is realized as a high back unrounded vowel /ɯː/, which is contrastive with mid back unrounded /ɤː/ representing earlier */aɣ/ (these may merge with /iː/ and /eː/ in Ulster). Building on suggestions of earlier scholars, it is argued that it is the developments of */əː/ are explained by its anomalous position in the phonological system of earlier varieties of Gaelic, and its interactions with the palatalization contrast of the consonant system.
 
 

Glacial geomorphology of the Gaick, Central Grampians, Scotland

ABSTRACT The Gaick is an enigmatic glaciated landscape in the Central Grampians, Scotland, dominated by an expansive dissected plateau. Previous studies have postulated widely differing interpretations of the glacial landforms and current understanding of the glacial events in this area is partly restricted by the absence of detailed glacial geomorphological mapping. To address this issue, we present a comprehensive 1: 46,000-scale glacial geomorphological map, covering an area of ∼520 km2. A combination of detailed field mapping and interpretation of aerial photographs and Digital Surface Models (DSMs) has revealed a variety of glacial, periglacial and fluvial landforms, including an abundance of moraines and meltwater channels within valleys. We also identify a glacial sediment-landform assemblage, dissected glaciogenic material, that has not previously been reported in the Scottish Highlands. The geomorphological map provides the necessary foundation for elucidating the extent, dynamics and timing of former glaciation in the area.

Once We Were Shepherds: Górale Ethnic Identity in Celebrations Revived and Reinterpreted

Abstract The Górale of the Polish highlands are seen as a people apart from the rest of Poles. They are afforded this special status through the romanticisation as Poland’s very own “noble savages” by the writers and travellers of the 19th century. This was the time of Poland’s search for nationhood (when its territory was occupied by Russia, Prussia and Austria). The Górale have always been described, even in those early accounts, as pastoralists. During the season, when the sheep went up to the alpine pastures, the villages were almost deserted. In the 20th century the pastoral system dissolution took place starting with the establishment of national parks after the Second World War. Further unfavourable developments decimated what was left of it since the late 1980s. As a result of the dissolution of the pastoral system the Górale chose to amplify their internal unity by strengthening the ethnic identity. The revival of pastoralism as it currently presents itself today, may be seen as yet another rallying call around Górale identity. It is a come back to the pastoralist “core” of the highland culture, while changing and re-inventing the tradition to suit new economic, social and political circumstances. In the Polish pastoralist tradition there have always been two seminal community events which bracketed the winter season. There was the autumn event of “Redyk Jesienny” when the sheep brought back from the summer alpine pastures were given back to their owners and there was also a spring event of “Mieszanie Owiec” which literally means the Mixing of Sheep. Historically, they were very important events of the pastoral calendar, while the pastoral system itself has been crucial fixture and backbone of the social system of the Górale people. The paper examines how these traditions changed from old ethnographic descriptions and how they are being re-invented in the context of reaffirming the Górale identity today.

Marine ice sheet instability and ice shelf buttressing of the Minch Ice Stream, northwest Scotland

Abstract. Uncertainties in future sea level projections are dominated by our limited understanding of the dynamical processes that control instabilities of marine ice sheets. The last deglaciation of the British–Irish Ice Sheet offers a valuable example to examine these processes. The Minch Ice Stream, which drained a large proportion of ice from the northwest sector of the British–Irish Ice Sheet during the last deglaciation, is constrained with abundant empirical data which can be used to inform, validate, and analyse numerical ice sheet simulations. We use BISICLES, a higher-order ice sheet model, to examine the dynamical processes that controlled the retreat of the Minch Ice Stream. We perform simplified experiments of the retreat of this ice stream under an idealised climate forcing to isolate the effect of marine ice sheet processes, simulating retreat from the continental shelf under constant “warm” surface mass balance and sub-ice-shelf melt. The model simulates a slowdown of retreat as the ice stream becomes laterally confined at the mouth of the Minch strait between mainland Scotland and the Isle of Lewis, resulting in a marine setting similar to many large tidewater glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica. At this stage of the simulation, the presence of an ice shelf becomes a more important control on grounded ice volume, providing buttressing to upstream ice. Subsequently, the presence of a reverse slope inside the Minch strait produces an acceleration in retreat, leading to a “collapsed” state, even when the climate returns to the initial “cold” conditions. Our simulations demonstrate the importance of the marine ice sheet instability and ice shelf buttressing during the deglaciation of parts of the British–Irish Ice Sheet. We conclude that geological data could be applied to further constrain these processes in ice sheet models used for projecting the future of contemporary ice sheets.

In situ 10Be production-rate calibration from a 14C-dated late-glacial moraine belt in Rannoch Moor, central Scottish Highlands

We acknowledge support from the Dan and Betty Churchill Exploration Fund and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) Climate Center. A.E.P and G.R.M.B. each acknowledge support from the LDEO Postdoctoral Fellowship. A.E.P. acknowledges the Lenfest Foundation, the Comer Family Foundation, and the Quesada Family Fund. J.M.S. acknowledges support from the Lamont Climate Center. We thank R. Schwartz and J. Frisch for assistance in the laboratory, as well as D. Duerden, E. Watson, and H. Senn for their help during field work at Rannoch Moor. This is LDEO contribution number 8267.

An evaluation of Scottish woodland grant schemes using site suitability modelling

Woodland expansion is a key component of Scottish land use policy, with targets to increase woodland cover from 18% towards 25% of land area by 2050. However, to date there has been little assessment of whether forestry policy is achieving its objectives. Here, we present an evaluation of woodland grant schemes based on site suitability modelling for the Lochaber Forest District in northwest Scotland. We perform a spatial analysis of woodland creation between 1988 and 2014 using site suitability scores generated through the Forest Research Ecological Site Classification (ESC) methodology. We further conduct in-depth interviews with fourteen stakeholders within the grant-scheme application process to explore the influence of ecological suitability on woodland planning. We find that 92% of woodlands are suited to current climate conditions, and that suitability has improved under the latest grant scheme. This is concurrent with an increased emphasis on suitability modelling in decision-making, though could be explained by cultural changes or a more rigorous approvals process. We find that ecological variables are used to inform woodland location and species selection, but that woodland type is more commonly determined by grant structure. Finally, we discuss other potential limits to grant scheme success, including climate change, edaphic variables and woodland management.

Comments on the dilemma in the October issue: An inconsequential overdose

In the dilemma discussed in the October issue of In Practice, Robert Woodward described a scenario where you are presented with an adult male neutered West Highland white terrier. It...

Longevity and mortality in Kennel Club registered dog breeds in the UK in 2014

BackgroundThe domestic dog is one of the most diverse mammalian species, exhibiting wide variations in morphology, behaviour and morbidity across breeds. Therefore, it is not unexpected that breeds should also exhibit variation in mortality and longevity. While shorter longevity per se may not necessarily be a welfare issue, a generally foreshortened lifespan in a breed that is accompanied by a high prevalence of a particular cause of death may reveal potentially serious welfare concerns and highlight scope to improve breed welfare. Survey data gathered directly from owners offer useful insights into canine longevity and mortality that can support the overall evidence base for welfare reforms within breeds.ResultsMortality data on 5663 deceased dogs registered with the UK Kennel Club were collected from an owner-based survey. The most commonly reported causes of death were old age (13.8%), unspecified cancer (8.7%) and heart failure (4.9%); with 5.1% of deaths reported as unknown cause. Overall median age at death was 10.33 years (interquartile range: 7.17–12.83 years). Breeds varied widely in median longevity overall from the West Highland Terrier (12.71 years) to the Dobermann Pinscher (7.67 years). There was also wide variation in the prevalence of some common causes of death among breeds, and in median longevity across the causes of death.ConclusionSubstantial variation in the median lifespan and the prominent causes of death exists across breeds. This study has identified some breeds with both a low median lifespan and also a high proportional mortality for one or more specific causes of death that should be considered as both potential welfare concerns as well as opportunities for improvement.

Reflux aspiration in lungs of dogs with respiratory disease and in healthy West Highland White Terriers.

BackgroundGastroesophageal reflux and microaspiration (MA) of gastric juice are associated with various human respiratory diseases but not in dogs.ObjectiveTo detect the presence of bile acids in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of dogs with various respiratory diseases.AnimalsTwenty‐seven West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF), 11 dogs with bacterial pneumonia (BP), 13 with chronic bronchitis (CB), 9 with eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP), 19 with laryngeal dysfunction (LD), 8 Irish Wolfhounds (IWHs) with previous BPs, 13 healthy WHWTs, all privately owned dogs, and 6 healthy research colony BeaglesMethodsProspective cross‐sectional observational study with convenience sampling of dogs. Bile acids were measured by mass spectrometry in BALF samples. Total bile acid (TBA) concentration was calculated as a sum of 17 different bile acids.ResultsConcentrations of TBA were above the limit of quantification in 78% of CIPF, 45% of BP, 62% of CB, 44% of EBP, 68% of LD, and 13% of IWH dogs. In healthy dogs, bile acids were detected less commonly in Beagles (0/6) than in healthy WHWTs (10/13). Concentrations of TBA were significantly higher in CIPF (median 0.013 μM, range not quantifiable [n.q.]‐0.14 μM, P < .001), healthy WHWTs (0.0052 μM, n.q.‐1.2 μM, P = .003), LD (0.010 μM, n.q.‐2.3 μM, P = .015), and CB (0.0078 μM, n.q.‐0.073 μM, P = .018) groups compared to Beagles (0 μM, n.q.).Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceThese results suggest that MA occurs in various respiratory diseases of dogs and also in healthy WHWTs.

Comites Villageois Et Problématique De La Gestion Des Points D’eau Dans L’arrondissement De Bayangam (Ouest-Cameroun)

Households in Bayangam district in the west high land of Cameroon face many difficulties, one of the most important of which is access to water resources in terms of quality and quantity. Most people travel long distances in search of water, which is sometimes not reassuring. However, many boreholes as well as Village Committees of Water Point Management (CVGPE) have been set up in this locality. From this observation, the hypothesis according to which the existence of the Village Management Committees does not ensure the sustainable management of the water points in Bayangam was formulated. To verify this hypothesis, literature searches as well as direct observations in the study area were first conducted. Then, survey questionnaires from 150 households were administered. Finally, interviews with 14 resource persons representing the key players were conducted. The results of the study show that many CVGPEs have been established in the Bayangam district in recent decades, with the aim of ensuring better management of the water points set up by a multitude of stakeholders. However, most of these water points are almost non-functional or poorly maintained. Faced with this situation, it is important: to carry out a complete diagnosis of the works for a rehabilitation, to improve the choice of the members for more efficient services, to encourage a thorough involvement of the beneficiaries and a more remarkable support of the Bayangam commune to manage water points for a sustainable supply of populations.

20. Stroh, Silke. 2017. Gaelic Scotland in the Colonial Imagination: Anglophone Writing from 1600 to 1900

20. Stroh, Silke. 2017. Gaelic Scotland in the Colonial Imagination: Anglophone Writing from 1600 to 1900

Archibald Geikie and landscape painting

Abstract Archibald Geikie was interested in art and produced c. 700 images in various media. Geikie's drawings and watercolours evolved in relation to the tradition of links between geology and fine art. This tradition is important in considering Geikie's visual output. His work in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, in England and in France both related to that tradition and responded to differing visual codes of representation in these locations at the time he worked. Specifically, Geikie utilized a Romantic aesthetic while painting in the Scottish Highlands and adopted a more Realist approach in the Lowlands. In France and in England, his visual language can be related to well-established contemporary modes of expression. The significance of these adaptations is discussed.

Paramedic and physician perspectives on the potential use of remotely supported prehospital ultrasound.

During remotely supported prehospital ultrasound (RSPU), an ultrasound operator performs a scan and sends images to a remote expert for interpretation. This novel technology has been undergoing investigation in the randomised controlled SatCare trial, which seeks to assess the capability of RSPU to improve patient outcomes and standard of prehospital care in the Highlands of Scotland. This study aimed to explore the views of emergency medicine physicians and paramedics prior to starting the trial. An interview schedule was prepared a priori and was based upon normalisation process theory (NPT), which can be used to assess ways in which practitioners work to embed novel technologies in clinical practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four consultant physicians and eight paramedics, who were recruited using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation. Analysis used open and hierarchical axial coding, and NPT as a framework to assist in the management and analysis of codes. The prospect of RSPU evoked significantly different responses from emergency care physicians and paramedics. Paramedics thought of RSPU as a logical progression of prehospital care, which addresses core prehospital challenges such as lack of decision-making support and a limited ability to identify life-threatening occult conditions. Paramedics saw RSPU as part of a trend to increase their skills and responsibilities, and viewed ultrasound as a validated tool within emergency medicine. Paramedics felt that ultrasound was simple to learn and would be practical for use within the prehospital arena. In contrast, physicians expressed a greater spectrum of views; most saw limited value to prehospital diagnosis and were concerned that RSPU would distract both paramedics and physicians from their existing roles (particularly in the context of the increasing demand and workload within Scotland's publicly funded National Health Service). Physicians were also concerned that ultrasound skills were poorly incorporated into training and practice in the British emergency medicine system. Furthermore, they believed that ultrasound was difficult to learn, prone to misinterpretation and easy to become deskilled in. Both sets of participants believed that the relational skills required between the two groups and the practical complexities of RSPU may pose challenges in its implementation. In particular, concerns were raised regarding the time that would be required to conduct the ultrasound scans and difficulties with transmission and communication in the Highlands. Both groups questioned the likelihood of measurable benefits from RSPU for patients. Furthermore, both groups were unsure how the technology would benefit those patients in urban areas close to the emergency department or whether RSPU would be effectively utilised in rural areas where serious emergencies are infrequent. There are substantial differences in emergency physician and paramedic perspectives on RSPU; however, both parties were willing to engage with the research process. Both groups have reservations, especially the emergency physicians who perceive significant barriers to the acquisition of skills, as well as the relational and contextual integration of RSPU. This study demonstrates the importance of conversations with physicians and paramedics throughout the research process, particularly as the role of prehospital care remains controversial.

Variation in Scottish Gaelic preaspirated stops: Across speech styles and in connected speech

This paper examines variation in preaspiration in Scottish Gaelic, an endangered language spoken in Scotland. Previous studies (Clayton 2011; Nance & Stuart-Smith 2013) have examined Gaelic preaspiration in careful speech. The present study investigates whether 1. Preaspiration patterns similarly in casual speech as previously attested in careful speech and 2. If variation in preaspiration resembles processes of stop reduction, or sound change in progress. Preaspiration is examined in casual speech across speakers, and across different speech styles within one speaker. Preaspiration is measured for duration, as well as band-pass filtered zero crossing rates, developed by Gordeeva & Scobbie (2010) and adapted for Scottish Gaelic by Nance & Stuart-Smith (2013). Results confirm that variation in preaspiration pattern similarly to previous studies: preaspiration is longer and has higher change in zero crossings for /k/ and in words with a preceding short vowel. This study contributes to the existing literature in that it shows that preaspiration is shortest in words that are phrase medially. This study shows that preaspirated stops are not heavily reduced, and that variation in preaspiration patterns like an ongoing sound change. This study highlights the importance of carefully investigating variation in typologically rare phenomena in endangered languages.

Sustainable Long-Distance Trail Management: International Perspectives

The management of long-distance trails was investigated through a review of global case studies including the Munda Biddi Trail (Australia), Nga Haerenga Cycle Trail (New Zealand), Arizona Trail and Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail (USA), West Highland Way (UK), Lechweg (Germany/Austria), E-Paths (Europe), Rim of Africa Trail (SA), and Jeju Olle Trail (South Korea). Through comparative analysis, the trail management components were identified as: funding, volunteering, governance, partnerships, conservation, infrastructure, and tourism. These components were then analyzed within the context of political, social and environmental settings. The findings indicate that the most financially sustainable model is the community approach, which involves a partnership between government and a not-for-profit organization. It extends the income stream options and reduces overhead through the use of volunteers for maintenance. Tourism strategies, such as marketing, promotion, and product and destination development, further extend the trail's financial sustainability by maximizing user numbers and partnering with businesses. This also increases regional economic benefits and improves the user experience.

Assessing the feasibility of carbon payments and Payments for Ecosystem Services to reduce livestock grazing pressure on saltmarshes

Saltmarshes provide important services including flood control, climate regulation, and provisioning services when grazed by livestock for agriculture and conservation purposes. Grazing diminishes aboveground carbon, creating a trade-off between these two services. Furthermore, saltmarshes are threatened by overgrazing. To provide saltmarsh protection and ensure the continuing delivery of ecosystem services, there is a need to incentivise land managers to stock environmentally sensible densities. We therefore investigated the possibility of agri-environmental schemes and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) to compensate for lost livestock revenue under reduced grazing regimes and provide carbon sequestration and other benefits. This is the first study to consider the benefits arising from a potential carbon market to saltmarshes, although similar schemes exist for peatland and woodland. We calculated the net economic benefit (costs of livestock production are removed from revenue) to farmers obtained from a hectare of grazed saltmarsh under low (0.3 Livestock Units per hectare per year), moderate (0.6), high (1.0) and very high (2.0) stocking densities accounting for livestock revenue, carbon benefits, and agri-environmental subsidies. We repeated the procedure considering additional benefits transferred from the literature in terms of provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services provided by protected saltmarshes. The net benefits were assessed for a range of market carbon prices and social costs of carbon, e.g. the opportunity cost of carbon for society. Applying the model to Scottish saltmarshes we find that the current range of market prices could prompt transitions from high to moderate regimes in areas where livestock value is low, however break-even prices for transitions showed high spatial variability due to spatial variability in livestock values. In some areas of the West Highlands, the break-even carbon price is negative, indicating that the current agri-environmental schemes are able to more than compensate for the lost revenue accruing to farmers by a reduced grazing density. However, in other areas, such as the Outer Hebrides, the break-even carbon price is positive. Private PES schemes or increased public subsidies should then be provided to generate net benefits. It is reasonable to infer that a pure carbon market may have limited scope in incentivising consumers to buy carbon services, especially in areas with limited local number of buyers and corporates of small size. Under this circumstance, a premium carbon market offering bundled ecosystem services may help reduce grazing pressure across a larger number of Scottish saltmarshes, thereby providing globally important climate regulation services and at the same time protecting sensitive habitats.

Rediscovering the ‘Noble Savage’: The Rewilding Movement and the Re-Enchantment of the Scottish Highlands

This paper focuses on an exploration of an emerging and controversial trend in animal/environmental activism, the rewilding movement, and in particular issues arising from the identification of the Scottish Highlands as a suitable site for rewilding. The rewilding movement contrasts with traditional conservationism in asserting that environmental revitalisation is best achieved through returning designated rural areas to a state broadly approximating that which existed prior to large scale human intervention, as opposed to merely conserving existing plants and fauna. Moreover, a key aspect of this process involves the reintroduction of ‘missing species’, in the form of apex predators such as Lynx, Boar and Wolf, where the latter are suggested to play a critical role in restoring ‘natural’ environments, largely through predation to control the activities and numbers of ungulate species whose grazing inhibits the growth of woodland and, hence, the restoration of ecosystems. The paper addresses various political and socio-economic issues raised by proposals for rewilding in the Scottish Highlands, in terms of tensions with traditional conservationism and, not least, the challenges presented to policymakers and publics with respect to predatory species reintroduction, including perceptions of risk to livestock and, indeed, humans. With respect to the latter, more fundamental theoretical questions are also addressed, including the way in which discourses around rewilding have been constructed by both advocates and critics of this phenomenon.

Glacially moulded landslide runout debris in the Scottish Highlands

ABSTRACTA tongue of hummocky terrain ∼1 km long and ∼400 m wide extends downslope from the source area of a rock-slope failure that formed the summit arête of Sgùrr nan Ceathreamhnan in the NW Highlands. The tongue descends from ∼810 m to ∼650 m, crosses a corrie obliquely and laps onto an opposing slope. Individual hummocks are circular to elongate, up to 6 m high and streamlined. A possible origin as recessional or ice-stagnation moraines is inconsistent with hummock morphology and the alignment of the hummock belt, and the streamlining of the hummocks is incompatible with the form of unmodified rock-avalanche runout hummocks. It is proposed that the tongue of hummocky terrain represents rock-slope failure during or after ice-sheet deglaciation, and subsequent modification of runout debris by subglacial erosion during the Loch Lomond Stade (∼12.9–11.7 ka). This interpretation implies (i) that the debris was deposited by an excess-runout rock avalanche; (ii) that the glacier that subsequently occupied the corrie was warm-based; (iii) that Lateglacial landslide runout debris was not invariably evacuated by Loch Lomond Stadial glaciers, as previously suggested; and (iv) that some features interpreted as hummocky moraines elsewhere may have a similar origin.

Osteopatia craniomandibular canina: Revisão

The mandibular cranial osteopathy (MCO) is a degenerative, osteopetrotic, self-limiting, non-neoplastic bone disorder, with no sexual predilection, which rarely affects dogs in the pre-pubertal stage. The most predisposed breeds are the Terries featured in the West Highland Terrier. The clinical signs are variable depending on the altered bones and degree of involvement. Among the most common are fever, mouth opening pain, jaw enlargement, hyporexia and sialorrhea. The bones of the skull are the most damaged, especially the mandibular, temporomandibular joints and tympanic sounds. The diagnosis of this condition is based on the clinical, histopathological and radiographic findings. The most radiographic changes are increased radiopacity and volume of mandibles and tympanic sounds. Its treatment is symptomatic, having as its main point pain control and nutritional support. The prognosis is heterogeneous. Patients may experience complete remission of the condition in weeks or undergo euthanasia due to ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint.

A qualitative study of the perspectives of older people in remote Scotland on accessibility to healthcare, medicines and medicines-taking

Background Recent evidence highlights the disproportionate rates of health inequality often experienced within remote and rural communities. Access to medicines within remote and rural communities may also prove problematic. Objective The aim was to understand the perspectives of older people in the most remote areas of the Scottish Highlands on issues of accessibility to healthcare, medicines and medicines-taking. Method Qualitative, semi-structured one-to-one interviews with 13 residents aged 65 years and over in the most remote and rural areas of the Scottish Highlands. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using a framework approach. Setting Remote and rural areas in the Scottish Highlands. Participants had previously completed a cross-sectional survey. Main outcome measure Themes surrounding the perspectives of older people in the most remote areas of the Scottish Highlands on issues of accessibility to healthcare, medicines and medicines-taking. Results Healthcare was considered convenient, and positive relationships with providers being important. Review of medicines was perceived to be the remit of the doctor, with pharmacists seen as valuable suppliers of medicines. Conclusion Based on this qualitative study, experiences of access to healthcare, including community pharmacy, medicines and medicines-taking within this sample of older adults resident in the most remote areas of the Scottish Highlands are widely variable. There may be an unmet educational need, amongst residents, with regard to awareness of the role of pharmacists, the services they can provide and the benefits which may be experienced as a consequence of engagement.