Glow Scotland

May 1st, 2011

Glow Light Image 1.5.2011

Lesley Dickson

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Narcissus at Blair Atholl

Joanne McFadden was runner up in a competion run by Angus for an image for GLOW light.  Her picture of Easter daffodils was captured by her daughter, Rachel, whilst out walking in Blair Atholl.

The ancient Greeks believed the narcissus plant originated from the vain youth, Narcissus. He died after becoming so obsessed with his reflection in a pool he could not leave. The Greeks say that the gods turned his remains into the Narcissus flower. This also led to the daffodil becoming a symbol of unrequited love. 

The name Daffodil is derived from ‘Affodell’, a variant of Asphodel.

The Narcissus flower is perceived in the West as a symbol of vanity, in the East as a symbol of wealth and good fortune.

In classical Persian literature, the narcissus is a symbol of beautiful eyes, together with other flowers that equal a beautiful face with a spring garden, like roses for cheeks and violets for shining dark hair.

The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, where it is traditional to wear a daffodil or a leek on Saint David’s Day.

William Wordsworth’s short poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ has become linked in the popular mind with the daffodils that form its main image.

Various cancer charities around the world, including the American Cancer Society,  New Zealand Cancer Society,  Cancer Council Australia, and the Irish Cancer Society, use the daffodil as a fundraising symbol. ‘Daffodil Days’, first instituted in Toronto in 1957 by the Canadian Cancer Society, are organized to raise funds by offering the flowers in return for a donation.

 Image:  Rachel McFadden/Text:Wikipedia

April 24th, 2011

Glow Light Image 25.4.2011

Lesley Dickson

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Close Up on Glasses

This image was submitted by Falkirk Council.

It was sent in by teacher Nick Tait and was 3D modelled by, Stacy E., Grangemouth High School.

April 17th, 2011

Glow Light Image 18.4.2011

Lesley Dickson

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Black Linn Falls, The Hermitage, Perth and Kinross

This week’s image was taken by Andy Garnett, Active Schools Lead Coordinator, Angus Council and is the winner of a competition organised by the local authority to choose an image for Glow Light.

The Hermitage  is a National Trust for Scotland-protected site in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross. Located just to the west of the A9, it sits on the banks of the River Braan in Craigvinean Forest. It is home to Ossian’s Hall of Mirrors and Ossian’s Cave, Georgian follies built by the Dukes of Atholl, who had their former main residence in nearby Dunkeld House in the 18th century, to honour the blind bard Ossian. The Hermit’s Cave was built around 1760 for the third Earl of Breadalbane, who unsuccessfully advertised for a permanent eremite. The guide in 1869, Donald Anderson, dressed up with a long beard of lichens and clothes of animal skins.

Also in its grounds are several Douglas-fir trees — one of which was the first tree in Britain to reach 200 feet in height. The Forestry Commission Scotland, on the other hand, gives its height as 194 feet.

Visitors to the site can undertake various walks. The most popular walk is the 1km long  journey to Ossian’s Hall.

Originally, the popular riverside path purposely deviated away from the river at about a half-mile from the car park. This was to build up the visitors’ anticipation for the waterfall (the Black Linn Falls) that is to be found a short distance ahead.

Image:  Andy Garnett, Active Schools Lead Coordinator, Angus Council/Text:Wikipedia

April 10th, 2011

Glow Light Images 11.4.2011

Lesley Dickson

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Winning Entries from the Western Isles

Curracag, the Outer Hebrides Natural History Society, runs an annual photographic competition with 7 categories.

 The adult categories are:

1.       Landscapes/seascapes

2.       Crofting life including fishing

3.       Flora including all types of wild flowers and seaweeds

4.       Fauna i.e. wild fauna of all types

5.       Collages including stories and multiples images

 Categories for those under 17 years old are:

6.   Flora and Fauna

7.   Any other category listed above

Images must have been taken in the Outer Hebrides. The 2011 competition received over 190 entries which were judged by Steve Carter, Biology Teacher, Sgoil Lionacleit, on Friday 18 February, in the Sgoil Lionacleit Museum. The photos are currently on exhibition in the Museum.

The under 17 entries were of a very high standard and it was great to see entries from a range of local schools including Castlebay, Sgoil Lionacleit, Sgoil nan Loch, Balallan, Tolsta – and Switzerland!  The competition is sponsored by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

 2011 Curracag Photographic Competition Winners:

 Under 17′s Flora and Fauna

1st – Scotch Burnet Moth, South Uist, by Megan McCabe, Age 13 (Friday/Weekend picture)

2nd – A Most Delicate Flower, by David Macleod, Age 12, Sgoil nan Loch (Thursday picture)

3rd – Natural Beauty, South Uist, by Megan McCabe, Age 13 (Wednesday picture)

 Under 17’s Any other category

1st – Sea Shells at Traigh Cille-Bharra, Isle of Barra, by Megan McCabe, Age 13 (Tuesday picture)

2nd – Power and Rock, by Calum Copeland, Age 11, Sgoil nan Loch (Monday picture)

 Note: Megan McCabe lives in Switzerland and took the winning photographs while on holiday in the Western Isles in 2010.

 For further information about Curracag visit www.curracag.org.uk

 Learn more about the work of SNH at http://www.snh.gov.uk/

 Find out more about the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) at: http://www.visithebrides.com/

April 3rd, 2011

Glow Light Image 04.04.2011

Katie Barrowman

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Play the Shape Game

West Lothian Schools took part in a ‘Play the Shape Game’ project and uploaded their wonderful creations into a Glow Group so that everyone could marvel at their creativity. This picture represents a selection. To see more visit the Play the Shape Game Gallery Glow Group.

March 27th, 2011

Glow Light Image 28.3.2011

Lesley Dickson

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The Twinning Project

The Twinning Project was devised and is being led by pupils who attend the Glow Club at Kemnay Academy in Aberdeenshire.  The pupils hope that The Twinning Project will enable schools throughout Scotland to link-up and collaborate with other schools in a similar way to how cities, towns and villages in the UK twin with places in other countries.

The Twinning Project is featured on Glow Light to encourage schools across Scotland to contribute and benefit from this excellent collaborative opportunity. The Twinning Project Glow Group can be accessed via a link on the Glow National Site.

The following information was provided by the pupils at Kemnay Academy:

How to take part:

The twinning process is simple:

Step 1 – Register your school

Step 2 – Pick a school or schools to twin with

Who can you twin with?

The system has been set up so a school can have up to three twins. It is recommended that schools should consider twinning with:

·      A school from their local network

·      A school from their local authority

·      Another Scottish school

Why should schools twin?

By signing up for The Twinning Project and linking with other schools who have done this you will be able to:

·      share good practice

·      share resources

·      visit each other’s schools

·      build relationships between schools

·      encourage the use of Glow

·      organise competitions between schools

·      to use Glow Meet & Glow Chat

·      make new friends

·      share ideas

·      use the new technologies to enhance learning

·      encourage teachers to work together

·      learn from one another

·      become confident individuals, successful learners, responsible citizens and effective contributors

For more information visit the Glow group.

March 20th, 2011

Glow Light Image 21.3.2011

Lesley Dickson

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Robert Burns

This is a photograph of W. G. Stevenson’s statue of Robert Burns in Kay Park, Kilmarnock. The statue dates from 1879. It now forms the centrepiece of the Burns Monument Centre.

The photograph was suplied by East Ayrshire Council.

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) is also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard. He was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a “light” Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt.

He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism. A cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish Diaspora around the world, celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In 2009 he was voted by the Scottish public as being the Greatest Scot, through a vote run by Scottish television channel STV.

As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His song Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay, the last day of the year, and Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today include A Red, Red Rose; A Man’s A Man for A’ That; To a Louse; To a Mouse; The Battle of Sherramuir; Tam o’ Shanter, and Ae Fond Kiss.

Text: Wikipedia

March 13th, 2011

Glow Light Image 14.3.2011

Lesley Dickson

Comments: 1 Comment Tags:  : Categories Glow Light Images, Inverclyde

Gaudi Sunflowers

This week’s image is the winner of a competion held by Inverclyde Council.

Primary 5 pupils at Gourock Primary have been studying the work of Gaudi and loved his sunflower tiles.  They used paint and oil pastels to represent the tiles.

Gaudi’s work is admired by architects around the World as being one of the most unique and distinctive architectural styles. His work has greatly influenced the face of the city of  Barcelona, Spain and you will see Gaudi’s work all over the city.

Antoni Gaudi was born in Reus in 1852 and received his Architectural degree in 1878. From the very beginning his designs were different from those of his contemporaries.

Gaudi’s work was greatly influenced by forms of nature and this is reflected by the use of curved construction stones, twisted iron sculptures, and organic-like forms which are traits of Gaudi’s Barcelona architecture. Gaudi also adorned many of his buildings with coloured tiles arranged in mosaic patterns. This added another important dimension to his buildings which is so often overlooked by architects – the use of colour.

The combination of original design, interesting shaped stonework, and vibrant colours in Gaudi’s work give the viewer a truly breathtaking visual experience.

Gaidi’s most famous work is the still unfinished Sagrada Familia.

 Image: Primary 5, Gourock Primary School, Inverclyde.

March 6th, 2011

Glow Light Image 7.3.2011

Lesley Dickson

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Seven Spot Ladybird

This week’s image was supplied by Angus Council. It was snapped by Rory, from P6 at Rosemount Primary School who won first prize in a competition to choose the Angus  image to go on Glow Light!

Coccinellidae is a family of beetles, known variously as ladybirds  or ladybugs.

Coccinellids are small insects, ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm and are commonly yellow, orange, or scarlet with small black spots on their wing covers, with black legs, head and antennae. They are generally considered useful insects as many species feed on aphids or scale insects, which are pests in gardens, agricultural fields, orchards, and similar places.

After an abnormally long period of hot dry weather in the Summer of 1976 in the UK, there was a marked increase in the aphid population followed by a “plague” of ladybirds, with many reports of people being bitten as the supply of aphids dwindled.

Coccinellids are and have been for very many years a favorite insect of children. The ladybird was immortalised in the still-popular children’s nursery rhyme Ladybird, Ladybird:

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home
Your house is on fire and your children are gone
All except one, and that’s Little Anne
For she has crept under the warming pan.

Image Rory McI., Rosemount Primary School/Text Wikipedia

February 27th, 2011

Glow Light Image 28.2.2011

Lesley Dickson

Comments: 1 Comment Tags:  : Categories Glow Light Images, Orkney Islands

Radwick Bay. Island of Hoy, Orkney

Hoy (from Norse Háey meaning high island) is an island in Orkney, Scotland. With an area of 143 square kilometres it is the second largest in the archipelago after the Mainland. It is connected by a causeway called The Ayre to South Walls. Unusually, the two islands are treated as one entity by the UK census.

In Norse mythology, Hoy is the location of the never-ending battle between Hedin and Högni.

The dramatic coastline of Hoy greets visitors travelling to Orkney by ferry from the Scottish mainland. It has extremes of many kinds: some of the highest sea cliffs in the UK at St John’s Head, which reach 350 metres; the impressive and famous sea stack, the Old Man of Hoy; some of the most northerly surviving natural woodland in the British Isles; the remote possibility that Arctic Char survive in Heldale Water and the most northerly Martello Towers, which were built to defend the area during the Napoleonic War, but were never used in combat.

The main naval base for the British fleet Scapa Flow in both the First and Second World Wars was situated at Lyness in the south-east of the island. Some rather incongruous art deco structures nearby date from this period.

The northern part of the island is an RSPB reserve due to its importance for birdlife, particularly Great skuas and red-throated divers. It was sold to the RSPB by the Hoy Trust for a minimal amount.  Anastrepta orcadensis, a liverwort also known as Orkney Notchwort, was first discovered on Ward Hill by William Jackson Hooker in 1808.

Image Graham Bevan, Orkney Islands Council/Text Wikipedia