Beneath Old Scottish Castle, Foundations of a Legend

A historian once described the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy as “one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.” Well, as fate would have it, Burke’s Peerage, Britain’s authority on aristocracy, said in London that the ruins of a Scottish castle owned by generations of Kennedys may have been the site of the legendary Camelot, one of King Arthur’s forts. Harold Brooks-Baker, publisher of the firm’s book on aristocracy, said that the discovery of the connection between Greenan Castle and Camelot may be the organization’s most significant find in 150 years. The research was carried out to permit the transfer of the medieval Scottish barony of Greenan and the sale of a castle still standing there. The Camelot connection to Scotland arose after an exhaustive study of the fortress’ earthworks, and the description closely matches a fort in Arthurian legend. It will take a few months to determine if there is a connection, Brooks-Baker said. There must also exist a genealogical connection between the Kennedys of Ireland--of which the President was a descendant--and the ancient clan of Kennedy in Scotland.

Needless to say, the saga of the struggle to free two California gray whales has attracted worldwide attention. But nowhere has the story been more appreciated than in the hearts and minds of children. Letters have been pouring into Barrow, Alaska, near the rescue operation, from schoolchildren across the country. “If I could I would help you but I’m only a kid,” wrote Hilary Evans from West Davis Elementary School in Davis, Calif. “I don’t think it’s fair my teacher won’t let me come and help you.” Then there was Lisa DeLack, a third-grader at Centennial Elementary School in Loveland, Colo., who organized a student letter-writing drive. The students sent letters to Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, thanking him for helping free the whales.

While President Reagan is helping to build the political fortunes of Vice President George Bush, his wife, Nancy, is busily building “a new little nest” for her family. Mrs. Reagan is putting some finishing touches on a new $2.5-million Bel-Air home, which is expected to be ready for occupancy during the Christmas holidays. The Reagans have already shipped their furniture from the White House, although they will still live there, of course, until Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 1989.