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MSP joins in Sutherland flag debate


By SPP Reporter

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Edward Mountain.
Edward Mountain.

A POLITICIAN has entered the fray over the design of the Sutherland flag.

Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain has written to Sutherland’s Lord Lieutenant Dr Monica Main to ask if the group acknowledged the strength of feeling against the design and the “lack of democratic choice in the decision”.

The Lord Lieutenancy ran the competition to come up with a flag design for the county, although an independent selection panel chose the winning entry.

Mr Mountain made the move after being contacted by Rogart merchant seaman Leslie Sharp who is running an online petition in a bid to persuade the Lord Lieutenancy to backtrack and allow Sutherland residents to vote on a shortlist of designs.

It has so far been signed by 789 people.

Meanwhile the Flag Institute, which was also involved in the competition, has denied that its registration of the flag on January 25 – before Scotland’s Lord Lyon had authorised the “grant” of a flag – was premature.

Vexillologist Philip Tibbetts said in an email to the Northern Times: “The Flag Institute added the Sutherland flag to our registry at a point consistent with our timings for registering other flags including Caithness, Kirkcudbrightshire, South Uist and Barra.”

He said the flag unveiling and registration happened “following the issuing of the warrant (by the Lord Lyon) but prior to the granting of letters patent”.

Mr Tibbetts added that the flag had been registered following an “agreed and uncontested process for representing the will of the county”.

And he stuck up for the design – featuring an eagle and three stars on a red and yellow background – saying it was “striking, distinct and visible” with the design linking to some of the symbolic traditions of the county.

He concluded: “Until we are advised otherwise by the flag organising committee, in which case we would of course be happy to assist further, we are satisfied with the competition process and the vexillographic design of the flag.”

Meanwhile a social media user has challenged vice Lord Lieutenant Colin Gilmour’s statement to the Northern Times that the Sutherland wildcat, traditionally thought to represent the county, was discounted as an emblem for the flag because it was historically limited to the south-east of the area only.

Blair Hendry, who has Sutherland roots and who calls the county his “favourite place on earth”, said he had contacted historian Dr Alex Woolf of St Andrews University about the issue and Dr Woolf had responded there was “no evidence” to support Lt Col Gilmour’s contention.

Five members of the Lord Lieutenancy, four pupils from Sutherland secondary schools and a local councillor along with Philip Tibbets and Lord Lyon Dr Joseph Morrow were present on the day the winning design was chosen, although it is understood that not all were voting members of the selection panel.


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