NICHOLAS RUSSELL TO REPORT ON SCOTLAND'S 500 MILES BLOCKCHAIN WALK

Our friends on the main Balbirnie House twitter feed are already well aware that I have a totally unique avocation which began 4 years ago, during one's leisure time for pleasure. That, in any event, was how it all began. 

 Back in 2015, it was a straightforward origination thought, 'modern technology can be used to peacefully resolve mass conflict in any society that is democratic and computer-literate'. 

In January of 2016, a Scot living in California then suggested using #Blockchain #DLT distributed ledger technology, to underpin the thought. Twitter then agreed! The feed accelerated to 1,000,000 monthly impressions, and kept going.

We tweet, we summarise onto wordpress, we publish. Here we are today - 60,000 tweets and 60 wordpress articles later. All via extensive online community.

When off duty from my day job at Balbirnie, I don’t watch TV. I allocate time whenever time exists, to the progressive #BlockchainDemocracy investigative reporting.

In a much wider context, the accumulated work has in turn delivered many absolutely groundbreaking mainstream published articles. The first article published for Business for Scotland, was the first to go #BlockchainDemocracy global viral, a process which was quite something to see. Thanks again to CEO Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp and co-writer Tonie McKay. 

Commemorative photograph in Balbirnie's Business Centre, via Scotland's New York Times photographer Ken Paterson Photography - in conjunction with Lifetime Photography 

And of course, flowers for my co-writer. To define that single article took us 5 weeks of progressive work. 

The entire ongoing phased journalistic development has centred on investigative reporting, especially contemplating Scotland's truly phenomenal capabilities, to be able to increase democratic participation, and accelerate digital inclusion for all Scots. 

In March of 2018 Balbirnie House was host venue for Scotland's inaugural #BlockchainDemocracy summit, organised by Neil McEvoy of Scotland's most innovative and ambitious online platform - DigitalScotland as well as the brand new community hub and news portal at IndyNation.Scot 

Over the course of time, when the #BlockchainDemocracy potential began to be more fully realised, the avocation has certainly extended, and by purely fortuitous circumstance I've thus far become Scotland's exclusive features writer for the newly emerging #BlockchainDemocracy capabilities. 

It has been such an absolute honour to write for many publications, and extremely humbling to have had those multiple opportunities. 

Our latest article summarising accumulated investigative reporting, published a few days ago, on the massive Irish Tech News Platform.

The header image was created by Brave @defiaye - it’s a mosaic of our twitter pals. 

You can read via Scotland Pioneers New Blockchain Polling Technology

Everyone involved in and around the @YesDayScotland twitter, has contributed voluntarily. There has never been any crowdfunding or sponsorship. Everyone involved has only ever been driven by the collective stated aims. 

On 31st July 2018, as Scotland's government blockchain public infrastructure partner, Edinburgh's Wallet services defined: 

Without getting technical about blockchain, nodes, cryptography, and asymmetric security, what this means is really easily understood. In the future, all Scots will be able to use smartphones and the internet, for all future democracy. Elections as we know them today, are to be totally revolutionised. 

And as DigitalSccotNews has confirmed, Scotland will therefore now have capability to become the world's leading direct digital democracy. That's an incredible prospect. 

To my absolute subsequent astonishment I was contacted a few weeks ago by a group of folk who were saying, they were intending walking 500 miles, and that they wished to publicise the work created by all of the community in and around YesDayScotland and #BlockchainDemocracy, the ongoing and accumulated investigative reporting. 

So I replied 

Then they replied 

Then I replied 

And then I told my very lovely wife Gaynor about the conversation. Then Gaynor suggested I would maybe be well advised to take part in a much more meaningful way. 

Since 14th August I've had the opportunity to have a think about the sheer magnitude of their anticipated 500 miles walk. To complete it, is clearly a huge challenge, truly epic. 

There will obviously be global media. There are already film-makers and professional photographers involved. And a cartoonist! With my day job working in Scotland’s Hospitality sector, I can certainly also immediately see how the total combined work could even create multiple future route options that’ll perhaps be defined as Scotland’s very own equivalent of El Camino de Santiago, which is a 500 mile pilgrimage which ends in Galicia, Spain - now immortalised in the 2010 film, The Way.

I'm not the only person googling it! 

A 500 mile pilgrimage from The Isle of Skye to Edinburgh. Holy Moly! What a prospect.

The walk can certainly celebrate Scotland's government's newly-announced commitment to the #BlockchainDemocracy future. It can also highlight the brilliance of the people in Scotland who have delivered that future capability, namely the blockchain professors and academics from both The University of Edinburgh's Blockchain Technology Laboratory, and Napier University's brand new Blockpass Identity Laboratory. It can fully begin to properly acknowledge blockchain engineers, and blockchain technologists. Because these people are all, Scotland's rockstar thoughtleaders.

At the beginning of 2018, our investigative reporting published one single sentence in conjunction with Professor Aggelos Kiayias, director of the Blockchain Technology Laboratory. If asked to define one single sentence that defines the entire 4 years of investigative reporting, I would only choose this.

The 500miles walk can also begin to define how blockchain as a generality beyond democracy, will have truly incredible savings for public services, saving taxpayers an absolute fortune. There are truly amazing values for the demonstrated implementation, for Scotland’s citizens. We are looking at very significant benefits for our economy, environment, innovation, and public services. In total, blockchain could mean savings equating to 2% of GDP. 

Our ongoing twitter has centralised a collection of #BlockchainDemocracy media quotes from across the span of politics, business communities, technologists, and many an ordinary Scot like us. 

The walk can focus collectively on how mainstream and marginalised Scots alike, can use blockchain technology and digital assets ethically, to create a new and abundant life. And in the very process of creating change, this can also stimulate the emerging community of developers and practitioners of ‘blockchains for social good’ applications.

So, with all these things in mind, I then concluded that I could actually do the investigative reporting about the 500 miles walk, from a behind-the-scenes perspective. Because so much good can obviously stem from what the walkers are doing.

Translating to humanity itself, #BlockchainDemocracy will have profound implications for Scotland’s future. These are circumstances by which new digitalised infrastructures will create the architectural underpinnings for new society in Scotland, driven by consensus, kindness, and ethics, technology interfacing with a modern evolution of sentiments, manners and moral opinions.

So, this Scotsman reached into his heart. And his head. Then made a decision. I’m going on the walk. All of it. 

I do so, to support the walkers. Their stated ambition. Their dream of actually being able to complete it.

I’ll be investigative reporting from beginning to end. Then I’m hopefully going to publish a book celebrating what has been achieved, with blockchain potentials spreading through communities the length and breadth of Scotland, a celebration of who we all are today, and a total acknowledgement of what the future now holds. If you are an interested publisher, please do get in touch.

People are already on social media all over Scotland, saying they will join the 500 miles walk at some point. A few yards, a few miles, a marathon. It matters not. Even just to say hello to fellow Scots, every tiny wee piece of support will help the walkers.

The walk is actually 560 miles. The longest single day is 42 miles.

I know what lies ahead. I’ve previously walked the stunning 117 miles of the Fife coastal path, and the magnificent 100 miles Ayrshire coastal path. I’m under no illusion whatsoever.

There is zero doubt that some or all of the walkers might not make it to the end. Injury is very realistic to expect. Nobody can tell if the walk will actually be completed by any or all of the 7 of us setting out on it. One thing for sure though. We will certainly begin it.

And if the unthinkable is achievable, and the 7 of us blockchain pioneers somehow actually make it together to the final day in Edinburgh on Saturday 6^th October, it’ll be great to join everyone else who is meeting that day, to participate on #AUOBEdinburgh - social media is suggesting that’ll maybe be the biggest ever get-together in Scotland’s history. What a day to finish a walk. 500 miles begins on 15th September. I'll be live on twitter from Portree, on The Isle of Skye. Please do join us for chat! 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD and owner - Balbirnie House 


Writing guest blog today, as Editor-in-Chief, investigative reporting for Scotland's accelerating #BlockchainDemocracy 

THE GREAT SCOTTISH SWIM

Thought it would be appropriate, to have a first go at something approaching the forthcoming Austria 2019 IronMan 3.8 kilometre swim, here in Scotland.

Thus far, and having taken up fitness 5 years ago at the age of 46, I've taken part in many challenges, amassing a lovely collection of medals. I don't yet have a DNF (Did Not Finish) against my name, but the 112 mile 9,500 feet climb 2015 Etape Royale bike ride was mighty close.

The great Scottish Swim is located in the iconic Loch Lomond. It's a significant event, with over 2,700 participants swimming many different lengths of swim.

I opted for the 2 mile section, equating 3.2kilometres.

Saturday 25th August 2018 was an absolutely stunning Scotland morning. But it didn't entirely go to plan for this participant. As mentioned to Faceboook pals:

Target time was to finish in 1hr 30mins. Successfully finished in 1hr 50mins.

Subsequent comments from pals.

Editor of FiveStar magazine. Renata was the source inspiration for the origins of the Balbirnie Blog.

Wonderful encouragement for next year's Austria IronMan, from the existing Chair of Glenrothes Triathlon Club. Community, collaboration, camaraderie - it never stops. Membership £20 a year, across the span of all abilities. The best 20 quid you will ever spend! Worth highlighting, not all of the members do all three activities, of running, cycling and swimming, some do one or two.

And a community solution, from the Founding Chair of Glenrothes Triathlon Club. Sorted!

Came home very thoughtful, a few days later went back to the local pool, for a confidence builder. 

On Strava records - It seems to have worked! 

The fitness journey continues. 

Best wishes all,

Nicholas /MD Balbirnie

IS SCOTLAND’S BALBIRNIE HOUSE ABOUT TO GO NUMBER 1 IN THE WORLD?

Scotland’s Hospitality sector is now poised for the potential unthinkable!

We are absolutely delighted to confirm today, that Balbirnie House has once again been invited to represent Scotland’s Tourism and Hospitality sectors, for the 3^rd annual time in a row, at the annual global Haute Grandeur hotel awards. 

Definitively, we were recently informed that Balbirnie House has made the 2018 shortlist for ‘Wedding Retreat of the Year’, on National, Continent, AND Global contexts. 

To achieve the impossible, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought, Scotland.

The 2018 awards ceremony takes place in Palazzo Versace - The Versace Palace, Dubai – on the night of the 1^st of November. 

Palazzo Versace has a refrigerated beach. We'll tell you about that when we get there. I have my bikini and high heels at the ready!

Dubai is somewhat different, to our local village of Markinch!

BLUE SMOKE IN FIFE!

The United Arab Emirates is hours ahead of UK time. If a decision is announced, that Balbirnie has been successful in THE GLOBAL CATEGORY, please keep an eye on the main Balbirnie House chimney, because there will be Scottish Saltire Blue chimney smoke!

Following the recent shortlisting, Haute Grandeur subsequently invited Balbirnie House to participate in an online ‘Rate Us’ campaign, across the spans of general public, and hospitality industry. This capability spread through our social media channels, to more than 100,000 people in Scotland alone.

In addition to the general public, during the ‘Rate Us’ camapign, we saw support from across the span of the hospitality industry in Scotland and abroad. We would like to thank each and every person who contributed and supported.

So, there we go. Potential for Scotland to successfully achieve a previously unachieved feat, and go number 1 in the world, for Hospitality. 

We seemingly have difficulty as a country, in getting a football team to a World Cup Finals? Our Hospitality team has however been successful in getting to the World Hospitality Finals! And on the basis of our accumulated history, we will be so very proud to be there for Scotland.

As that is the case, and given a Scotland Global shortlist has never happened before, as Balbirnie’s owners, my very lovely wife and fellow company director Gaynor and I, have made necessary and unprecedented decisions.

We’ve decided that those who have dedicated their careers to working in Balbirnie’s Event planning, therefore becoming those closest to our clients during what can be a couple of years working liaising with each client, should be invited to join us on this future trip to Dubai. If the unthinkable happens, the award will be collected by those continually closest to clients over recent years, in the complete beginning to end client experience. 

Earlier this week we brought our amazing Special Events planning team together, to outline these thoughts. There were no dry eyes at the end of that discussion. We are all so very humbled to think of what may happen. 

As we all know, optimism is the faith that can lead to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. 

We will also use the trip to highlight Event planning, within Scotland Hospitality.  The hotel manager and 5 wedding planners in Dubai, what a trip to look forward to.

Our combined efforts have previously brought some truly incredible results to Scotland, and the heart of The Kingdom of Fife. Balbirnie House is now the 12 time recipient of The Scottish Hotel Awards, ‘Wedding Hotel of the Year’, Scotland’s 2016 National Hotel of the Year, and previous defined winner in 4 Haute Grandeur categories, as Number 1 in Europe. These are for Best Destination Wedding Retreat, Best Destination Wedding Hotel, Best Function Venue Hotel, and Best Romantic Hotel.

We would like to thank all judges and all involved in and around The Scottish Hotel of the Year awards scheme, for relentlessly inspiring our entire brigade each year during the phased inspection processes, to keep on embracing innovation, evolution and Hospitality.

We would like to thank Haute Grandeur for all support over the last 2 years, and for inviting us again, to represent Scotland.

My personal thanks and gratitude to Balbirnie’s brigade, past and present. If we do deliver the unthinkable on 1^st November, it’ll have been made possible by the boys, girls, men and women who have worked here since Balbirnie opened as a hotel back in 1989. 

And every day we are of course assisted by our wonderful associate suppliers, never ceasing to be amazed at what is brought to each and every occasion. 

'The piper finally retires' - Ian Sword, THE DEFINING IMAGE OF BALBIRNIE 1989 - 2017 

(Image courtesy of Ken Paterson Photography, in conjunction with Lifetime Photography)

Over our most recent 5 years alone, we've seen more than 750 couples celebrate their weddings at Balbirnie House. Our thanks and kindest regards to all previous and future clients. YOU make US possible. And YOU also enable US to continually keep on maintaining, safeguarding and improving Balbirnie House, as a Grade A Listed 1777 National Scotland Treasure. A continual never-ending labour of love, and such continuity is the living of a hotelier's dream. 

What was it actually like to attend the 2016 Haute Grandeur awards? 

Here's our film clip: RED CARPET

In 2018 we were asked to contribute to the Haute Grandeur Global Awards magazine:

The interview is on page 174 - HAUTE GRANDEUR

We will of course be live on our social media channels from Dubai, on 1st November. 

And let's remember, as Audrey Hepburn recently said in Balbirnie's bridal suite, 'Nothing is impossible! The word itself says I'm possible!'

Here in Bonnie Scotland, hopefully await some blue chimney smoke! 

Yours, in Scotland Hospitality,

All best wishes, 

Nicholas Russell / MD and owner Balbirnie House  
1992 - present

Balbirnie's main website

'Wildflowers, Balbirnie' - gifted in 2017 by Archie Forrest, Scotland's leading contemporary Colourist