https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Celtic Hauntings: Dalhousie Castle Hotel

Dalhousie Castle Hotel by kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0 
<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Dalhousie Castle Hotel is located near Edinburgh, Scotland and dates back to 13th century. It has bore witness to a host of history, from royalty to battles and much more. The hotel still in operation today and is Scotland’s oldest inhabited castle.

The castle was originally called Dalwolsey. The land around the castle is believed to have been owned by Simunus de Ramesia. William Ramsay witnessed deeds regarding land in 1280. He was the first known Ramsay de Dalwolsey. His name is on Ragman’s Roll of 1296, showing that he paid homage for the land to Edward I of England. Edward I even spent a night at Dalhousie Castle before going to Falkirk.

Read more »
By

Celtic Proverbs: Recent Grief

“Recent grief is the heaviest” is an Irish Proverb. It talks about how the more recent a grief is, the heavier it is to carry. Anyone who has ever been through any kind of grief knows this to be very true.

Grief is one of the heaviest, if not THE heaviest, emotions to carry. It has been said that grief is just feeling love that has nowhere to go. What a privilege it is to love someone so much, and to have them love you in return, that it is so incredibly painful to live without them. The days following the loss of a loved one are the hardest days we face.

While we learn to carry the grief and can go on to lead fulfilling lives, there are days when the grief will still sneak in. Grief is a cycle, after all. You may think you are healed, and something will remind you of your loved one and bring back feelings of grief all over again. In these moments, it is important to give yourself grace. You are likely doing better than you feel.

As someone who has lost a number of loved ones throughout the years, including my mom, I know firsthand that recent grief is the hardest and heaviest thing to carry. The first birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries are excruciatingly painful. However, as time has gone on, it has become manageable. Obviously, I still feel the grief, and some days are harder than others even years later. However, I have learned to live with the grief so I can live the full life my loved ones would want me to live.  

Related Articles:

By

2027 Tartan Day Parade Date Announced

Photo by Henrik Hjortshøj on Unsplash

The National Tartan Day New York Committee has announced the date of the 2027 Tartan Day Parade. The 29th annual event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 10, 2027. This will follow a record-breaking 2026 event, where Scottish actor Sam Heughan was the grand marshal of the parade.
Read more »
By

Celtic Proverbs: Who Suffers Not

 

“Who suffers not gets no ease” is an Irish Proverb. Those who do not suffer do not get the ease that follows a period of suffering.

There is a similar saying that says that there is no light without darkness. We need the contrast to be able to see the hard times and the ease that comes after we have been suffering. “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” as one proverb says. We need the difficult times to help us learn and grow.

Living an easy life seems like it would be a great existence, but no one learns or grows from an easy life. It can be so easy to be jealous of those who seemingly have it so much easier than we do. However, it is important to look to see how much we are growing and experiencing through the difficult times we face. These tough times make us stronger and more interesting. We become more empathetic because we can understand what suffering feels like, so we want to help others in a similar situation.

Even when we suffer, we get the satisfaction of a period of ease and rest afterward. When we have to struggle, this ease feels so much better than if it was a constant thing. We learn to appreciate the easy times so much more after we struggle through something than if ease was our constant.

A life without struggle would be boring, so it is better to have at least some difficulty so we can grow and expand. Otherwise, we never learn anything. Those who have had the most difficult lives are some of the most interesting and empathetic people around. These people have great strength and compassion for sharing their struggles and lessons with the world around them.

Personally, I strive to be someone who learns from difficulty and does not fear it. Many people become cynical, but I aim to use my difficult situations to learn and then help those in similar situations. It is so easy to become hardened by struggles, but it takes strength and courage to learn and then help others.

Related Articles:

-Celtic Proverbs: Plough a Field: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/09/celtic-proverbs-plough-field.html 


By

Album Review: “Abhaile” by Lisa Murray


On September 25, 2026, Irish singer and songwriter Lisa Murray released her debut album, “Abhaile.” It is available in physical form via her website as well as across streaming platforms. The album was produced by Cian Sweeney and Lisa Murray, and mastered by Chris Le Monde.

When Murray was trying to get her album recorded, she was having trouble getting people to believe in her mission. People thought that listeners would not understand the Irish language, which they called a “dead” language.

However, Irish is not a dead language, and the best way to keep it alive is to use it and promote it, even if listeners may not understand it fully. Murray understands this, so she self-funded the album and has found a way to get her music and message out into the world.

The album features songs written in the Irish language. It draws on the richness of the Irish language while taking inspiration from contemporary pop musicians such as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. It is the perfect gateway to learning the Irish language, as the songs combine both Irish and English lyrics.

The overall vibe of the album encapsulates the feelings of creating a new home away from what someone already knows. Murray moved to London, and this experience is so perfectly captured in this album. Even if someone has not moved, they can relate to the overall message and sentiment of the album.

The mixing and mastering of the album are stunning and very well done. The vocals can be heard and understood over the instruments, and everything is in perfect balance.  Her vibe is definitely pop, and fans of Taylor Swift and other ladies of pop music will love and appreciate Murray’s album. This allows the Irish language to have even more of a reach.

Overall, this is a great album. It is perfect for those who may not be familiar with the Irish language yet. It helps ease listeners in, especially since it draws on contemporary pop influences. Once people get more acclimated to the language, they can hone in on more traditional Irish and Celtic music to help them learn the language.

Track List:

1. Gaeilge Bhriste
2. Uaigneach
3. Éadrom
4. Nead
5. Mac Máthar
6. Dóthain
7. Plúiríní Sneachta
8. Céim ar Chéim
9. Fan nó Fág
10. Slán
11. Contae Na Mí
12. Abhaile

 Related Articles


By
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)