Walkhighlands

?Duff change Doune to MacDuff?

I wonder if this is something to do with the 1843 Disruption, when evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland?

I wonder if the violent conflict leading to a beheading refers to the early conflict between John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots, which led to her to flee to England where she was ultimately executed.

Putting this forward as a possible line for others to explore - as I don't know what the second D or the M might be, unless this might be a reference to the title Moderator, used within the Free Church of Scotland.

Tim

Sgurr has it! A Duff changed Down to Macduff

In 1783 James Duff, 2nd Earl of Fife, changed the name of the town of Down (or Doune) to Macduff, reflecting his supposed descent from the medieval MacDuff Earls of Fife
The quote was from William Alexander's superb Johnny Gibb of Gushetneuk, where Johnny in Chapter 2 visits Macduff and is appalled to find that the citizens have changed the name of Main Street to Duff Street in honour of their local patron/ landowner, the Earl of Fife ("the Yarl o' Fife")
And the violent conflict referred to Shakespeare's (largely fictitious) Macbeth where, in the final scene, Macduff kills and then beheads Macbeth:
behold, where stands
The usurper's cursed head

I somehow thought this one would last longer - was it the Johnny Gibb quote or the reference to beheading that gave it away?

HMHT, yes I did wonder if the beheading reference would lead people down the Mary Queen of Scots path!

Over to Sgurr!

Yes, it was the Johnny Gibb quote. I often used to get it in a house clearance in the much collected Foulis edition. Although I never read it, I dipped in to see what it was all about....story of my life "a thing of shreds and patches."


SD enabled NG to change tack.

Is "change tack" a hidden clue?

It wasn't when I wrote it, but my subconscious might have been telling me something extra to "change direction"

I maybe should have written TSD, or to be generous The SD.

TSD is/are the marine part, although NG had an arms length marine connection.

Is NG Nigel Gresley?

No. Just a bit more modern than him. NG was associated with the PP.

Are we talking about the author Neil Gunn and The Silver Darlings. His publisher was Porpoise Press.

We are indeed. I still have indelibly printed on my mind the occasion when I went to clear the house of someone who had known NG. We were treated to a lot of run of the mill Scottish stuff, and the daughter was keeping (as who wouldn't) all the first editions of Neil Gunn each with a friendly dedication and a letter from him saying "All the porpoises at the press are leaping with joy at the success of The Silver Darlings." et al. At that point he gave up being an excise man and became a full time author (changed tack).

Thanks Sgurr. It took a while for Neil Gunn to pop into my brain but I didn't know about Porpoise Press.

I think this will go quick

Since SS, MC has undergone a dramatic change of sides.

Since the Six Scholars Muchalls Castle switched to the Covenanting cause?????

Sgurr wrote:Since the Six Scholars Muchalls Castle switched to the Covenanting cause?????

Sorry,I can't detect anything that relates to the correct answer.