Fixing broken links in the DNA post

I was checking the blog posts that had been viewed recently and part of that is looking at what links had been clicked.  I discovered that there were a couple of broken links on a post that I did a few years ago so I have fixed the links and here is the repaired post. This post was first published in May 2013

I loved the cover of this book as the genetic code is set to resemble the Forth Railway Bridge, very clever.  My reason for including this book is the fact that I have been reading about a particular project taking place to trace the genetic code of Scottish folk.

One of the columns on my Tweetdeck is for Caithness, so I catch up on the latest from there.  Yesterday there was a tweet asking for people to participate in Project DNA for Caithness and Sutherland.  I clicked on the link as my dad came from Caithness.
To participate in the project you need to visit Family Tree DNA : History unearthed daily.  Of course I should have realised that nothing comes without a cost.  To be tested for this project it has to be a male member with the family surname and the cost can vary from $49 to $339!  I don’t think I would be that keen to find out links from the past but no doubt there are those who are.

The Sutherland DNA Surname Research Project provides further information on the surname and some interesting links to other sites and at no cost!  There, that’s my Scottish traits coming to the fore again!

To put it all into perspective you need to read this article.An excerpt from the article:

Perhaps it is harmless fun to speculate beyond the facts, armed with exciting new DNA technologies? Not really. It costs unwitting customers of the genetic ancestry industry a substantial amount of hard-earned cash, and it disillusions them about science and scientists when they learn the truth, which is almost always disappointing relative to the story they were told.

Exaggerated claims from the consumer ancestry industry can also undermine the results of serious research about human genetic history, which is cautiously and slowly building up a clearer picture of the human past for all of us.

All the links are now working again.

Tuesday travels. . . Dunrobin Castle, Golspie, Sutherland

 Dunrobin Castle is in the county of Sutherland and we stopped there on the way to visiting my cousins in Caithness.  I had visited this castle as a child when we lived in Scotland.
From this angle in the grounds it looks like a fairytale castle.

When my husband and I first travelled to Scotland from Australia in 2003 we visited the castle but were unable to look inside as it was past the holiday season and the castle was closed.  We were still able to look around the grounds but there was not a single person in sight.

This time, 2012, we were there during the holiday season so we were able to get a look inside.  We were also fortunate enough to be there at the right time to catch a wonderful display of falconry.

As well as the falconry display there were several other birds which were on display.

The grounds of the castle are beautiful and well worth visiting as there is also a family museum in the grounds.

That is the North Sea you can see in the background.  The garden is well sheltered and has some plants that you would not normally expect to see in this part of Scotland.

My reason for visiting Dunrobin is that my maiden name is Sutherland. . . .hence the link to Dunrobin Castle which is the ancestral home of the Earl of Sutherland and the clan Sutherland.

The clan motto is Sans peur, without fear and it is sculpted into the window architraves in the castle.

Family Tree DNA – Caithness and Sutherland

I loved the cover of this book as the genetic code is set to resemble the Forth Railway Bridge, very clever.  My reason for including this book is the fact that I have been reading about a particular project taking place to trace the genetic code of Scottish folk.

One of the columns on my Tweetdeck is for Caithness, so I catch up on the latest from there.  Yesterday there was a tweet asking for people to participate in Project DNA for Caithness and Sutherland.  I clicked on the link as my dad came from Caithness.

To participate in the project you need to visit Family Tree DNA : History unearthed daily.  Of course I should have realised that nothing comes without a cost.  To be tested for this project it has to be a male member with the family surname and the cost can vary from $49 to $339!  I don’t think I would be that keen to find out links from the past but no doubt there are those who are.

The Sutherland DNA Surname Research Project provides further information on the surname and some interesting links to other sites and at no cost!  There, that’s my Scottish traits coming to the fore again!

To put it all into perspective you need to read this article.An excerpt from the article:

Perhaps it is harmless fun to speculate beyond the facts, armed with exciting new DNA technologies? Not really. It costs unwitting customers of the genetic ancestry industry a substantial amount of hard-earned cash, and it disillusions them about science and scientists when they learn the truth, which is almost always disappointing relative to the story they were told.

Exaggerated claims from the consumer ancestry industry can also undermine the results of serious research about human genetic history, which is cautiously and slowly building up a clearer picture of the human past for all of us.