As Gilbert and Sullivan said: ‘Here’s a how-de-d0′. Having instructed that a specific flag ceremony at Auchindrain
Farm Township in Mid Argyll should be kept private because otherwise it might wrongly become fodder for political mischief-making, its Chair of Trustees, in limbo during the 2011 Scottish Election campaign, herself chose to blow the gaff on the event today.
Writing an account of her diary for last week in today’s online Caledonian Mercury, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Argyll and Bute seat, Councillor Alison Hay, noted under her entry for Friday 22nd April: ‘The museum is taking down a tattered old saltire flag and replacing it with a new one. The old one is being respectfully folded and cremated’.
Unsurprisingly, fed such a tasty titbit, the CalMerc slapped a provocative strapline on her article: ‘ ’Lib Dem campaign diary: council overtime and cremating a saltire’.
Councillor Hay’s initial sensibilities were attuned to this sort of outcome, judging that the event should be kept private for fear of misinterpretation in the heat of an election campaign.
For this reason, For Argyll did not even attend, although the potential photographs could have been visually dramatic in ways that have nothing to do with elections.
What on earth was Councillor Hay thinking of, to go on – herself – to make mention of the event and without the necessary contextual detail, in an online newspaper and under her own name?
This bewildering carelessness, under an inflammatory strap, could leave the museum open to all sorts of hostile enquiry from offended nationalists. There is little so evocative as a flag.
So here, to calm the potential ire, are the culturally fascinating facts that lie behind what will have been a unique ceremony we chose, out of repsonsiblity, not even to witness.
The replacement of the Auchindrain Saltire
Auchindrain – Achadh an Droighinn (the field of the thorn tree), a few miles south of Inveraray on the A83, is Scotland’s only preserved crofting township of the ‘unimproved’ variety. It one of the recognised collections of Scotland and a magical and evocative place.
Under its unsleeping and endlessly innovative new Development Director, Bob Clark and Councillor Hay’s warmly committed and energetic support as Chair of its Trustees, Auchindrain has been transformed over the past year or so. Collapsed walls and buildings are progressively being rebuilt by dry stone dyking. Original drains have been detected and redug. Much information about the township, its way of life and its occupants has been recovered in a variety of ongoing researches. Events and festivals have been held there, giving the place a living contribution to make to its community.
A major part of this interim stage of development has been the remodelling and re-equipping of its visitor reception centre. It now has an industrial kitchen capable not only of its daily catering but of hosting cookery classes; a superb new tearoom, a chill-out conversation corner, internet access and a smart retail area.
All fine and dandy.
But at the gate, on the flagpole, was the tattered old Saltire – or the 15% of the original that was left, shredding in the wind.
Bob Clark got a new flag.
During a casual conversation about the logistics of replacing it, an American voluteer whose contribution to the regeneration of Auchindrain has been immense in very many ways, was horrified when the rag was tossed to the ground. She grabbed it before it touched down, folded it carefully and hugged it protectively close.
A former US Navy Marine, Rebecca Martin, bred in a very different culture and additionally shaped by a military one, saw the flag as a potent symbol that must be handled at all times with ritual respect. When she discovered that the plan was simply to bin the threads of the old one, she flatly refused to allow it.
Bob Clark then enquired what happened in the Marines. Out of this conversation came a plan both to treat the flag with the specific reverence born of Rebecca’s military background and to devise a cross cultural ceremony that would also mark the end of Rebecca’s year as a volunteer.
Consulted on the plan, Alison Hay agreed with interest and was savvy enough to say it should not be publicised for fear of political mischief-making. She had no intention of being disrespectful to the Saltire and knew that her SNP competitor, Michael Russell, would both understand and not seek to make erroneous political capital out of it, were he to know about it.
Quite reasonably. though, afraid that if the planned event were to be publicised on the media, others might make mischief she and Auchindrain could do without.
So the plan, which we assume from Councillor Hay’s published diary went ahead, was that the old flag would be lowered and treated in the manner of the US military, folded, cut and ceremonially burned – a sort of pre-Valhalla for flags – and the new flag would then be hoisted, phoenix like, from its ashes.
Councillor Hay, who would be present, would then say a few words, presumably about the rebirth of Auchindrain under Bob Clark and about Rebecca Martin’s substantial and thoughtful contribution to that. And the ritual would be complete.
So why did Councillor Hay choose to refer today, almost teasingly, to this event and on a major online news platform? It was most probably down to tiredness, coming to the end of an election campaign that has been gruelling for everyone.
Whatever it was, no one should be under any illusion that she was anything other than sensitive to the nuances of the handling of the Saltire. Nor should anyone of nationalist sympathies be offended by Auchindrain, which was working to treat the flag they choose to fly – and a much valued volunteer – with the respect that is their mutual due.
I didn’t see any flag flying at Auchindrain this afternoon .
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Maybe it was still on Alison Hay’s BBQ
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For Kintyre 1: We checked before publication and it wasn’t there but it was in the evening and it had probably been lowered at close of play.
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Crazy She-Bat: You make us laugh every time, Crazy. We envy your wit.
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The new Saltire was flying proudly and looking spectacular when I passed on Monday. Infact the whole place was looking bonnie in the glorious sunshine.
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Again I say the Union flag would be more welcoming .
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Kintyre1, what would be your response if the ‘Jack was cremated?
I find that the whole thing stinks to high heaven. Yes, have multicultural ceremonies, but if it is controversial why do it in the first place?
Flag burning is easily misunderstood. It isn’t a Scottish tradition. It has negative connotations. Why so close to the election would you want to do this? It’s insane.
All because it’s OK in America doesn’t make it so here. Aye, next we will be defending the American constitution as our own! Some traditions are NOT border crossing – we have got to realise this in an age when liberalism has gone crazy…. Not that America is “open” and “liberal” in the first place! We all know that it’s bad to let it touch the ground, but to torch it, maybe not. I’m surprised everyone involved thought this was a great idea!
If the ceremony had been properly done, in public, with a statement to make people understand why the desecration was going to happen none of this political uproar would have happened.
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would you rather the old flag were just chucked in the bin?
It sounds like the simple replacement of a flag was made into a nice way to say a heartfelt thank you to those who have been working hard as volunteers for the museum.
And at least some respect was paid to the old flag, and all it had overseen.
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In an age where we should be encouraging cross cultural dialogue between individuals and communities, I see this moment as a celebration of who we are. The range of backgrounds and experiences has enabled many cultural heritage projects within Argyll to be a success. Auchindrain, in a sense, acts as looking glass into this diversity, both in present form and historically; the township has a demonstrable past of influx from people around Scotland and ancestry beyond and this particular event demonstrates that. As a Scot with my own ancestry, I recognise that we should be open to the respectful culture of others and if the intention behind an event such as this is supposed to be positive then perhaps the meaning should be explored before making such negative attacks.
Surely museums, acting as symposiums of culture and viewpoints would be a failure if they did not draw on these different perspectives. Yes, have debate, but look into the facts before doing so. This was a celebration!
I wish the very best to all of those at Auchindrain. It is a tranquil and insightful place, one of the few that I have visited where I can relax and learn without being force fed from the above. They raised a new flag, treated the old with respect and should be commended for it. It’s not as if it was used as an act of hatred as so many flags these days are used as, both at home and abroad. Look into the past, listen to the music, see what has been built, taste what has been eaten, even look into the language. then you may learn about the rich cultural diversity that acts as foundation to who we are and what we do.
Semper-Fi
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Lets not get diverted into which flag should be burnt thread. If you go down that road, then I vote for a nice big pair of Alison Hay’s bloomers to be hoisted up there instead.
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Don’t encourage her Crazy. She’s already deluded enough to think she has any chance at all of joining the “Fur coat and nae k******s” set in Edinburgh!
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Kintyre1.
The Union Flag may have been created under the direction of Scottish King, James VII, but there should only be one flag that flys higher and prouder in Scotland today and that is the Saltire.
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Mark McCormack
I had a right good laugh at your posting .
You clearly need to have a few history lessons .
Perhaps you can explain to Forargyll readers who James VII of Scotland was ?
This appears to be another attempt by nationalists to rewrite the history of Scotland and the formation of the United Kingdom – today of all days
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*chortles @ Hotbird
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Kintyre 1…or MMcC might just have types an extra I!
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or even typed it (see – anyone can make typos!)
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Kintyre1, you really are a bitter and twisted individual.
There is nothing in this story. Why this housewife-run blog chose to run it is beyond me, but still you use it as a platform for your last-century unionist bile.
Scotland deserves better than you…
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I attended the ceremony and thought it a fitting way to replace the old flag which was definitely the worse for wear and to celebrate the refurbishment of the reception area.
And I agree with Linnhe’s and Ron Simon ‘s comments.
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For Frangag Linnhe: Of course it was.= – and both Auchindrain and Councillor Hay are to be commended for their imagination, Cultures learn from each other and discovering ways of respecting symbols people hold to be important is the mark of a civilised society.
We think that it was Laurence Durrell, writing about Corfu, an island whose history is one of serial colonisation, who said: ‘The British organised it and the Italians designed it’.
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I’m so appalled at some of the stuff kintyre1 comes out with that I’ve decided to use a new name. The repetitive vitriol being associated with the name kintyre1 threatens to undermine Kintyre’s reputation subliminally. I don’t suppose Mark McCormack will be visiting any time soon and that’s a great pity because we could use the trade!
Hopefully my posts are a bit more positive and will show Kintyre in a better light. It really is a good place with lots of decent, positive and caring people and I have no doubt most of them would have commended the careful disposal of our flag with all due respect accorded.
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Welcome aboard Kintyre Too .
I don’t consider not using the Union flag as “more positive” and consider it to be “our flag”
I suspect the majority of visitors to Auchindrain agree with me and urge the management at the museum to consult paying visitors over the summer to find out their views .
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kintyre1, I suspect that tourists aren’t baffled much by the Saltire. They’re people who choose to come to Scotland for its landscape and history and by definition are therefore people who can grasp its cultural differences and wrap their heads round the fact that there are four distinct countries in the British Isles. If I spent money going to another nation for a holiday I’d be a bit miffed if it turned out just to be an extension of Scotland with Saltires flying over its Moorish ruins.
Given the date of the early Auchindrain buildings, it’s likely the occupants had similar debates about flags. The Act of Union was hugely unpopular and in a democratic age would have been unlikely to see the light of day.
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Vitriolic and not one bit positive Kintyre Too
Fact is Scotland was bankrupted by the failed Darien scheme and the Union was the making of Scotland .
To this day only a minority want to break up the most successful partnership in the history of the world
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kintyre1, if you read that as vitriolic I suspect you have a problem. Please read it again and reconsider.
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If anyone could turn me into a nationalist, it would be kintyre1. Reading what kintyre1 writes makes one empathise with nationalistic Scots. Scotland is a proud and beautiful country and the Scottish Saltire is a proud and beautiful flag. Well done for flying it, Auchindrain, and well done for disposing of a piece of fabric that was once a flag but is now an old rag in a thoughtful and totally respectful way. When the current Saltire gets ragged I hope you’ll afford it the same treatment and then break out a new one.
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