What Politicians Do

This evening I spoke at the opening of the Royal National Mod - the premiere annual festival of Gaelic culture - which is being held in Dunoon over the next week or so.

At the end of my speech ( scheduled for about 9.00 pm) I presented this year's "Tosgaire na Gàidhlig" ( Gaelic Ambassador) award to Roddy MacLean the Gaelic broadcaster, writer and teacher.

But press deadlines being what they are , we had to do an earlier , staged, presentation for the cameras by the flagstaff above the Castle Gardens , overlooking the Clyde , the town and the hall where the real thing was to take place four hours later.

The first event even had a piper - but for pictures, not sound!