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A great and innovative Burns Night hosted by Hunter Valley Scots Club. Young people featuring throughout and carrying forward the Scottish culture in Australia.  We talk to the people who attended - guests, artists, award recipients, organisers to understand why Burns Night is sold out every year at the club and growing!

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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For our last episode in Season 1 we look at the long standing question about the difference between Highland and Lowland Scotland.  We taste the very elegant Glen Grant Arboralis Whisky and decide it is perfect for Hot Aussie Christmases.  And we look at some great Scotland - themed books to read over Christmas or give as gifts.

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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WE find out why Newcastle streets are full of Steam Engineers and then taste one of New Zealand's up-and-coming whiskies from Pokeno Distillery in the North Island.

Assistant Commissioner, David Mackenzie from Clan Mackenzie talks to us about the Mackenzies in Australia and ahis talent for turning scrap wood into meaningfull works of Scottish Culture.

We also talk with Linda Baer and Andrew MacPherson from the Hunter Valley Scots Club about their continuing innovations in bringing Scottish culture into the 21st Century. From "Scottish Hardware Stores" at clan gatherings to expanding the traditions of Burns Night, the club is a role model for other societies in Australia and the world.

Finally, we take a look at what's om in the Australian - Scottish scene with St Andrews Day festivities dominating the calendar for November.

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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This episode we hear about the Tragedy of Elizabeth Campbell and learn about brand new findings that may rewrite the orthodox story of the Battle of Culloden. We talk with co-host Dr Erin MacGillivray-O'Neill about tracing Scottish ancestors in the field in Scotland and all the resources you can use.  Erin also searches for the grave of Mary "The Fornicator" MacGillivray.

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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We taste the famous "Old Pulteney" whisky, from the very north of Scotland.  Co-Host, Erin MacGillivray-O'Neill talks to us from the Isle of Mull where she visits the beautifully set Mausoleum of former NSW Colonial Governor, Lachlan Macquarie.

Then Erin is off to MacGillivray country around Inverness, Loch Ness, and Culloden where she traces the ruins of houses destroyed when Clan MacGillivray crofters were evicted from their ancestral lands only 130 years ago.

And then to the fabled "Stone of Swords" the Clach an Airm revered in Clan Folklore. Erin was first on-the-spot to report that the stone came literally within inches of destruction as giant trees fell each side of it during the fierce Storm Amy.

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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In this episode we talk to Co-Host, Dr Erin MacGillivray-O'Neill, who is off to Scotland to hunt, eerr, track down her ancestors around Culloden. In the upcoming episodes we'll be "crossing live" to Erin from different locations in Scotland.

Back in Australia we go to the Bonnie Wingham Highland Gathering and talk to representatives of Clans Buchanan, Lindsay, and Davidson as well as the Wingham Museum and Manning Valley Historical Society members.  We also talk to Linda and Andrew from the Hunter Valley Scots Club which is powering forward with a fusion of modern and ancient.

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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Can I wear a clan tartan if I'm not a member of that clan?  Is it bad form to wear the Balmoral tartan if I'm not a King? And does Hello Kitty actually have a tartan!!???  

We answer these "Tartanic" mysteries as well as taste a wonderful whisky from Headlands Distillery in NSW. 

We also talk with Peter MacLeod, President of the NSW, QLD and ACT Clan MacLeod Society, on the clan's rowdy island history and its journey to Australia.

Plus we look at what's on in Scottish-Australian cultural scene in the upcoming weeks.  So join us on the Tartan Trail!

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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The Munro Snowball is just one of the fascinating stories Allan Munro tells about Clan Munro here in Australia and in Scotland. We talk to Allan about all things "Munro".

This week's whisky is Talisker, from the salty shores of the Isle of Skye. Erin and Richard delve into the mysteries of Peat Smoke - without ever having actually smelled Peat Smoke.

Richard takes a stroll on an Australian farm and talks about the many similarities between Aussie and Scottish farms, as well as some pretty spectacular differences - cue kangaroos, koalas, and highly venomous snakes.

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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In our First Tartan Trail episode we look at the myth behind the Bonnie Prince Charlie jacket, taste some very nice Aussie Whisky, talk to the organiser of the Saltire Wine Estate's Hunter Valley Highland Games and finish with a look at what's on in the Scottish-Australian scene in next few weeks. Join us on the Tartan Trail!

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!

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Welcome to The Tartan Trail. From Scotland to Australia, a living trail of heritage, heart, and highland pride. Since 1788 Scots have had an extraordinary role in the building of the Australian nation. From agriculture to engineering (of course!) to music and literature, Scots have shaped Australian life in an unmistakeable way. 

The Tartan Trail follows the footsteps of those Scots who helped shape Australia and looks at their legacy today.

We will talk to Scots and their descendants to get a feel for the role of Scottish culture in today's Australia.  And hopefully help people find their Scottish roots along the way.

We'll look at music, arts and crafts, food, dance, history, Highland gatherings and much more as well as talk to the people behind these aspects of Scottish-Australian culture.

We'll taste Whisky and give our (unique!) verdict on each dram and we'll tell listeners about upcoming Scottish events around the country.

So whether you're a Scot, a descendent of Scots, or just love the Scottish culture like we do, The Tartan Trail is for you!

The Tartan Trail: From Scotland To Australia. A trail of heritage, heart, and Highland pride!