Hello All! Just got back to California from three lovely weeks in Scotland. My wife and I spent 8 days on Bute at the home of my second cousin. Weather? I got sunburned! I had prepared to exhibit over 100 of my grandfather's photos (My grandfather was a Brandane who emigrated to California via Hawaii after World War One). With the assistance of Mr. Ivor Gibbs of the Bute Museum and Mr. Jim Gallagher of the Bute Sons & Daughters, we got some good publicity from The Buteman and set up in The Discovery Centre (The Old Winter Gardens, I'm told) for a lovely Saturday and Sunday. The idea was for Locals to view the photos to try to identify people in them and/or provide any information to "flesh out" the stories surrounding them. Most of the photos were taken by my grandfather, Daniel Morrison of the Bute (Mountain) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, at the outbreak of the war, and of the Argyll (Mountain) Battery in action in Salonika. There were many other family photos, church photos, and photos with unknown participants and origins. The Bute Battery, the Argyll Battery and the Ross & Cromarty Battery were part of the 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade, RGA, TF. These were unique units in the British Army and provided special fire support in Gallipoli, Egypt and Greece in places where conventional artillery couldn't go. The response was better than expected and I spent two days meeting some very special folks. While there were some identifications made, I learned a bit more about the Battery, and Rothesay and Bute history. I met some very special people. Mrs. May Russell just turned 100 years old shortly before my visit. Ivor from the Museum arranged for me to go to her flat on Battery Place and meet her. I took along the photos and she picked her father out of several of the photos as well as a few of the other men. She could also tell me where they lived and what they did for a living. I brought along my grandparents wedding photo taken in front my grandmother's home, Croft Lodge at 32 Argyle Street (no longer there). She looked at it, pointed at my grandfather and said, "Oh, there's Danny Morrison!" She then told me where my grandmother had worked as a seamstress before she was married and an interesting story about my granduncle (best man in the photo) and why he left Rothesay. (I won't go into that now, if you don't mind!) She's a lovely lady who is quite remarkable. I also spent some time with Commander Ian Hamilton of Ardbeg Road. He is only 94 years old and came down to the Discovery Centre on his own to see me before our visit. He is a retired Royal Navy officer and WWII vet who is interested in the 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade and it's Batteries. We have kept up a wonderful correspondence for a couple of years now. I found out that my great grandfather lived at Stewart Villa on Belvue Road, around the corner from my great great grandfather at 17 Barone Road (then called Brandane Terrace) and that was next door to my grandUncle and GrandAunt. And, of course, this was next door to where my cousin lives now and where we stayed. Small world. That went on for two days and visits to and from various people interested in local history kept me busy (and fascinated) (and awake!) for the rest of the week. In the meantime, my cousin took my wife and a couple of friends who popped in from Germany on a sightseeing tour of the island, driving out to Ettrick Bay and going down the west side of the island. Great stories abounded about places like "Drunk Island" (Inchmarnock) and the Kyles of Bute during World War II when the submarines were based in and out of there and the Spitfire chased and shot down the German bomber who had participated in the raid on the Clyde. The bomber dropped his load of bombs on the west side of the island which knocked a few farmers out of their beds! My wife took our friends to Mount Stewart where they toured the house and walked the grounds. We had dinner at a wonderful new restaurant at The Discovery Centre next to the Island's newest celebrity, Richard Attenborough, who lives out by Rhubhodach. This is going on and I don't want to bore anybody. The island is still beautiful. The economy has improved in the last two years. Cars are still out of place in Rothesay (but they're there!). They're putting finishing touches on a new sea wall at the Pier. Let me know if you want more. We are already planning a longer stay in Rothesay next year. One of the nice things for someone like me is that Bute has changed so little that I can walk the streets of my ancestors and know what has change and what would look the same (without the cars!) If you have any connections, go! Mike Morrison