Friday 26 August 2011

BBC ALBA – WEEKLY PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS Saturday 3 September – Friday 9 September 2011




Title: Cuirm Ciuil dha Gordon / The Gordon Duncan Experience

The Gordon Duncan Experience concert is the fourth concert held in Perth in the memory of Gordon Duncan, a piper, folk musician and composer, who is widely regarded as one of the most skilled and innovative traditional music performers and composers of modern times.

The 2010 concert features performances from Seamus Begley & Tim Edey, Willie MacCallum, Old Blind Dogs, Galician piper Xose Manuel Budino, The Pitlochry & Blair Atholl Pipe Band and the Gordy Duncan Jr Band.

While steeped in the art of traditional highland piping, his approach to his music was always imaginative, fresh and at times radical, to the extent that his influence can be heard within an entire generation of younger musicians across Scotland and well beyond. Gordon died in December 2005, aged 41.

The annual concert is organized by the Gordon Duncan Trust, which was set up for the promotion of piping and other forms of traditional music amongst young people in Scotland, and this concert features performances by over 30 young musicians who have benefited from the work in the trust by being part of the Gordon Duncan Experience orchestra.

Transmitted: Saturday 3 September
Time: 8.55 – 10.00pm


Title: Cuirm @ Celtic: Taigh Ciuil - Dual

Dual, the top Scottish and Irish musicians in concert during Celtic Connections 2011. With Julie Fowlis, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Eamon Doorley and Tony Byrne.

Transmitted: Saturday 3 September
Time: 10.00 – 10.30pm


Title: Trusadh – Canada An Turas / The Journey

Take the journey of a lifetime from the mystical Hebridean shores of the Isle of Lewis, over the Atlantic to the historical heart of
Canada - Prince Edward Island. In this action-packed hour we find out what happens when a group of Gaelic exchange students
head out to meet their Canadian counterparts, as they each experience student life, leisure & family as a Canadian.

To kick the exchange off the Canadians spend a week on Lewis tracing their lineage and brushing up on their Gaelic.

Despite being separated by the mighty Atlantic, these two groups of students might have a lot in common. What will the natives
of Prince Edward Island make of the Heather Isle?

Tweed waulking, bridge jumping, exploring new delicacies, every step of the way through the eyes of the children.

Transmitted: Monday 5 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Breab

Breab is back with six new teenagers from across Scotland and plenty of challenges to throw at them.

The teenagers face a series of physical challenges on a camping trip in the great outdoors. Teamwork is needed to succeed but will it be the boys or girls who come out on top?

Transmitted: Wednesday 7 September
Time: 6.05 – 7.05pm


Title: Fergie

A profile of Fergie MacDonald, one of Scotland's most enigmatic and enduring musicians. In this revealing and candid documentary, filmed around the Highlands and Islands, Fergie revisits many friends and locations where he has played his distinctive brand of ceilidh music for over forty years.

Transmitted: Friday 9 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Scottish Govt Press Release on Salmon Farming Industry

SCOTTISH SALMON EXPORTS ON THE RISE

Government and industry team up to encourage further investment in salmon sector

Scottish farmed salmon continues to show record export growth, according to the latest figures released as the Environment Minister attends the key event in the international trade calendar.

Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson will be joined at Aqua Nor in Norway by representatives of Scottish Development International (SDI), the Scottish Government, Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO).

Exports of fresh Scottish salmon have continued to rise and are up 37 per cent, comparing the start of 2011 (January to May) with the same period last year. The Scottish delegation at Aqua Nor aims to encourage investment in Scotland’s industry and support sustainable growth.

During his three-day visit, Mr Stevenson will meet with senior executives from some of the major salmon farming companies, as well as Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, Norwegian Fisheries Minister, and Pablo Galilea, Chilean Vice Minister for Fisheries. Norway, Chile and Scotland are the world’s top three producers of farmed salmon.

Mr Stevenson said:

"Scottish salmon is a high quality, delicious product that is becoming increasingly popular around the world – as illustrated by the latest booming export figures. Last year salmon accounted for 36 per cent of the value of Scottish food exports, while the industry also provides much needed employment opportunities in our fragile rural communities.

"It's important that we continue to promote this key product and encourage further investment in the industry, as well as working with others internationally on ways to continue improving the environmental sustainability of aquaculture. These are areas I will be discussing with my Norwegian and Chilean counterparts, while also sharing successes Scotland has had in the development of our industry."

SDI chief executive Anne MacColl said:

"The quality of Scottish salmon is globally renowned and earlier this year it was voted the best farmed salmon in the world in an independent poll of international seafood buyers. The fact that farmed salmon is now Scotland’s largest food export underlines the contribution it makes to our economy, so we are looking to support this industry in any way we can.

"We are working with our industry and government colleagues to increase investment for the benefit of our economy, and are looking forward to a series of successful meetings in Trondheim."

Scott Landsburgh, Chief Executive of SSPO, said:

"We welcome this joined-up approach to attracting further investment as the sector is enjoying an upward trend, confidence is high and demand continues to increase.

"The salmon farming sector has made around £150 million in capital investment during the last five years – the vast majority of this has been in the Highlands and Islands. Salmon farming is capital intensive and this initiative will help to inform future investment strategies in remote, rural economies in Scotland."

Iain Sutherland, senior manager for aquaculture at HIE, said:

"Scottish salmon, exported from some of our most remote and rural locations in the Highlands and Islands, is celebrated across the world. As our largest food export its success can be attributed to the quality, taste and the hard work and experience of the generations of men and women in the businesses.

"From Shetland in the north to Bute in the west, HIE is working with ambitious businesses every day to support growth in the international arena."

Background

While meeting the Norwegian Fisheries Minister (on Monday evening), Mr Stevenson expressed his condolences to the Norwegian people, for the atrocities committed in Norway last month. Mr Stevenson is the first Scottish Minister to visit Norway since this took place.

Mr Stevenson will hold one-to-one meetings with salmon companies operating in Scotland, as well as touring the Aqua Nor exhibition to meet Scotland-based exhibitors. Aqua Nor, held in Trondheim, is an important international event for the aquaculture industry, showcasing the latest products, services, and research and development projects.

Key facts about Scottish salmon farming:
· Exports of fresh Scottish farmed salmon have risen to 34,840 tonnes (Jan – May 2011), an increase of 37 per cent when compared with the same period for the previous year;
· Scotland is the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the EU and the third largest globally, behind Norway and Chile;
· It is expected to be confirmed soon that Scottish salmon production increased to over 150,000 tonnes in 2010, which would be a third successive annual increase;
· In 2010 salmon farming provided 1,813 direct jobs in Scotland, an increase of around 15 per cent on the previous year (while many more jobs are supported indirectly).

Tuesday 23 August 2011

BBC ALBA – WEEKLY PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS Saturday 27 August – Friday 2 September 2011




Title: SPL St Johnstone v Dundee United

The latest full-match coverage from the SPL as St Johnstone host Dundee United at McDiarmid Park.

Transmitted: Saturday 27 August
Time: 5.30 – 7.30pm


Title: Cuirm @ Celtic: Na Caimbeulaich

Julie Fowlis and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh present The Campbells of Greepe, one of the singing dynasties of Gaelic music, from Celtic Connections 2011.

Transmitted: Saturday 27 August
Time: 9.55 – 10.25pm


Title: Breab

Breab is back with six teenagers from all over Scotland who have signed up to two weeks of Breab challenges!

In this first programme, the islanders are pitted against the mainlanders as they take part in a go-kart race and fight it out in Combat City – a new version of paintballing. But how will our six get on together and how will they cope under pressure? This is Breab!

Transmitted: Wednesday 31 August
Time: 6.05 – 7.05pm


Title: Soillse – Spors is Grinneas / Footballers and Beauty Queens

Taking place in the middle of the world's largest rainforest, the Peladão is a unique event that involves thousands of footballers and hundreds of beauty queens.

Football and women are the twin obsessions of Brazilian culture and the Peladão shows how the two come together. The football tournament doubles up as another competition: each team chooses its beauty queen. And the Miss Football contest can have a direct influence on the matches.

Transmitted: Wednesday 31 August
Time: 9.00 – 9.55pm


Title: Togail Sgeoil

An appreciation of the work of Dr John MacInnes, Gaeldom's foremost folklorist. Formerly based in the School of Scottish Studies in Edinburgh, he has collected the oral literature and tradition of Gaelic speakers throughout Scotland.

Transmitted: Thursday 1 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Pro 12 Live Rugby - Ulster V Glasgow

Action with Ulster and Glasgow Warriors in the RaboDirect Pro 12 competition.

Transmitted: Friday 2 September
Time: 7.00 – 8.55pm