NEW click here to read the May 2012 Election edition of the Highlander NEW
ELECTION SPECIAL
a question of independence......

NEW
Dilettante Gardener Issue number 18 NEW
May 2012
“in which we talk of love and peas”
click here to see issue 18


 click here to read the May 2012 edition of the Highlander
Things are Hotting up on the Firth”
Caring, Fencing and Belsen......


click here to read the April 2012 edition of the Highlander
Betrayal”
The Green Green Grass of Invergordon......


click here to read the March 2012 edition of the Highlander
Who Cares Wins”
Caring and Sharing plus a hole in the road is worth......

click here
to read the February 2012 EXTRA edition of the Highlander
Invergordon Meeting Time!”
Knowledge is (combined heat and) power


click here to read the February 2012 edition of the Highlander
Information is power
Highland Council's information powers and how it uses them
(with a buzzard on the bottom)

click here to read the January 2012 extra edition of the Highlander
INVERGORDON DOOMED?”
new environmental statement for the incinerator

Dilettante Gardener issue Number 17
in which we talk of beds, venison and clapshot”
click here to see issue 17

click here to read the January 2012 edition of the Highlander
TAKING CARE OF INFORMATION”
Invergordon Petition Raises Issues for Highland Council

click here to read the November 2011 edition of the Highlander
Local Highland Elections and Local Issues”

 
Dilettante Gardener Issue Number 16
as you sow so shall you reap”
click here to see issue number 16

click here to read the Oct 2011 supplement of the Highlander
“PLASTIC, PENSIONS, PLANNING AND (P)LAUDITS”

click here to read the Oct 2011 edition of the Highlander
“HOW TO MAKE A (HEALTHY) MILLION”

click here to read the Sept 2011 edition of the Highlander
“RUBBISH, WRONG & PUBLISHED”


Dilettante Gardener Issue Number 15
in which we talk of TeaPees, Tomatoes and Tales
click here to see issue 15

click here to read the fourth story in the Highland Omnibus
The Courting continued”A Highland Shepherd’s Tale

Dilettante Gardener Issue Number 14
in which we talk of Summer, an exciting construct and creosote
plus a tasty budget meal from the Dilettante kitchen

click here to see issue 14

click here to read the July 2011 Highlander Supplement
“one man’s meat….” M.E.A.T. the future?

Dilettante Gardener Issue Number 13
in which we learn that nothing is important than the earthworm!
click here to see issue 13

click here to read the June 2011 edition of the Highlander
“GOING TO THE DOGS”
an international tale

click here to read the May 2011 edition of the Highlander
“The two gentlemen of Invergordon?”a tale of two cities

 
click here to read the late May 2011 edition of the Highlander
“Caught in the (FOI) Act”a tale of information underload

Dilettante Gardener Issue Number 12
in which there is talk of seesaws, plants and waists!
click here to see issue 12

click here to read the May 2011 Supplement of the Highlander
“Burning Up?” there are always two sides to every story

click here to read the April 2011 Edition of the Highlander
“Sequestrated” plus Highland Hustings and Charity Begins at Home

click here to read the third story in the Highland Omnibus
“The Courting” A Highland Shepherd’s Tale

Dilettante Gardener Issue Number 11
in which there is talk of Food and Fools!
click here to see issue 11

click here to read the March 2011 Edition of the Highlander
“Who Cares Wins”
the Invergordon Incinerator – two sides to every story
click here to read a Special Edition of the Highlander
“Highland Recollections”
a tale from the Village of Inver related by the late John Skinner

click here to read the second story in the Highland Omnibus
“The Clipping” A Highland Shepherd’s Tale

click here to read the first story in the Highland Omnibus
“Tomorrow…Another time” A Highland Shepherd’s Tale

click here to read the February Edition of the Highlander
“Pearls Before Swine”
Swine Flu Epidemic, Pensions and Grant Questions

click here to read a Special Edition of the Highlander
“Highland Village Childhood Memories”
a tale of life in the highlands 70 years ago

click here to read the latest The Dilettante Gardener - Issue 9
In The Doldrums”a tale not of cabbages and kings
plus: the Dilettante Cook celebrates Burns Night

click here for the January 2011 edition of The Independent Highlander
“Unrest, Obsession & Rewards”
Politicians observed at the turn of the year

click here to see the sixth and final part of our mystery novel
The Catalyst”
the story with no ending

click here to see our latest gallery of photographs
Textures from Flotsam and Beachcombing”


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The Independent Highlander in 2010

click here to read a Second Special Edition of the Highlander
“Highland Lives – John Skinner's Story”
further tales of life in the highlands in days gone by

click here for the December 2010 edition of The Independent Highlander
Pensioners Pressed Over Payment”
Chief Executive questioned

click here for the November 2010 Special Edition of The Independent Highlander
“Supermarket Shennanigans”
Rogue Trading at the Supermarket Meat Counter

click here for the November 2010 issue of The Independent Highlander
“Horse Talk & Horse Trading”
Invergordon’s newest industry……

click here to read the September 2010 second edition

Tilting at Windmills II”
hot air, wind and waste

click here to read the September 2010 edition

42 Days of Contrivance
an unearthly silence from Highland Council
plus Invergordon's Highland Fling!

click here
to see the late August 2010 supplement
“Gone To Seed”

click here to see the early August 2010 edition

“A Chemical Romance”

click here to see the July 2010
edition
Crisis again in Invergordon”
click here to read Highland Councillor, Maxine Smith's latest
report to the Invergordon Community Council
(also in this issue
a very private retirement”)

click here to see June 2010 edition
Barbaraville CC”

click here to see May 2010 edition
United they stood......”

click here to see the Late April 2010 supplement
Grow Your Own”

click here to see the April 2010 edition
More Reasons”

click here to see the Early April 2010 supplement
They're still at it!”

click here to see March 2010 supplement
Invergordon Myth”

click here to see the March 2010 edition
Flying High”

click here to see the March 2010 Brahan Seer supplement
Coinneach Odhar”

click here to see the February 2010 edition
Invergordon Stinks”

click here to see the January 2010 edition
A Bright Future For Nigg”


click here to see “A Gallery of Photographs”

click here to see the 2009 Archives


Cottar Cuisine

Even in the days before the Highland Clearances or that of stealing a sheep,
punishable by death, came into being, Cottars throughout the Highlands and
Islands were adept at making the most out of what food came to hand.
Herring and oatmeal were standby ingredients but so too were many other
items gleaned from the countryside, one way or another.

Life for a Cottar was hard right up to and including the second World War
years, as a lad I experienced just that. Thus, before all is lost, I was persuaded
to commit to record some of the dishes and happenings which occurred during
that period and so too, relate some ‘old wives tales’.

During that time there were no such things as digital scales or kilos, the
housewife then went about her baking and cooking mostly by feel and experience.
Hence you will not encounter precise measurements in the attached ‘brief ‘ of
my records, should you wish to access them.

to download a free copy of Cottar Cuisine click here

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editor@independent-highlander.co.uk

last updated 16:30 May 15th 2012