Thank you Philippa for all your kind words about us Northernly Gaels, or as Billy Conally put it, The Irish that wanted to live on the Island under the perminant rain cloud! Firstly, as others see us; I've felt for a long time that Irish Gaelic culture seems to be better accepted than the Scottish. This could be because we'r seen as a dour lot of penny pinching scrouges with no crac, or our culture is thought of as Piper dolls in plastic tubes, and white heather. I feel that Gaelic Scotland still has a long way to go to irradicate this Victorian kitch, but I do not want it to be replaced by an Enya-esque vision of a Scottish Tir nan Og,(nothing against Enya please understand) The over riding feeling I get from most people is that Scots Gaelic culture is nice as long as it linguistic teeth have been pulled.

Secondly, as we see ourselves; Gaelic Scotland has no real problem with its self, it just doesn't know it yet. Give or take the occasional set back, (from the older generations having little faith in us young to carry on the traditions,) But singing and Music are very much alive. The Mod system has kept much that could have been lost with us, although like many Victorian inventions the Mod does not give much room for adaption or change, it is very much the bastion for regimented Gaelic culture, though it is changing, slowly. The local dances still occure (on a weekly basis in Uist) in one of the Church, or village halls. There is a very strong tradition in the southern isles of "puirt a bial" at these dances with known singers being asked up to perform. As far as the dances are concerned the Canadian step dance (The Scottish version of what most non Gaels would discribe as "RiverDance") That only died out in the Uists with my Grandparents generation, my grandfather and his brothers knew quite a few steps. The set-dances like the Petronella are still danced by the die-hards, The well known Scottish dances are enforced in High School P.E. classes in the run up to Christmas.

Well thats that, well Philippa your translation of "bha Smuid oirre fhein" is fine with me, Its quite a fitting end for a song about the Polly!

Slan leat Aodh