We found out later that the cross was actually discovered on Holy Island (an island which is now owned by Buddists and used as a retreat). A tenant of a farm on Holy Island removed the cross from his land sometime in the 1850s or 1860s and buried it for reasons unknown in Kilbride graveyard. […]
Hoddom Castle in Dumfriesshire is one of those places that have a special significance in our families own history. It was here that my mother and father first met while both were stationed there at the end of World War II when the castle was used a a military camp. The castle was never occupied […]
For centuries the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy had baffled both scientists and myth-makers alike; and solving the puzzle would reveal an amazing picture of our geological past. Glen Roy, in Lochaber has three distinct, parallel terraces running the length of both sides of the valley; and it wasn’t until the mid 19th century did geologists realise that they were looking at ancients shorelines from a lake dammed back by huge glaciers. The understanding that Scotland was once glaciated opened up the study across the world; but it was here that scientists had their ah-ha moment.
A very grey rainy day, we thought we’d take a walk up to The Giants Grave, a Neolithic burial chamber on the hill above Whiting Bay.
While camping on the Isle of Arran we visited Brodick Castle which is on the east coast of the island. A castle owned mainly by the Hamiltons, it was used recently as a hunting lodge. In front of the castle, right by the cafe stands a small wooden house with a Heather roof. It’s very […]
Lochranza Castle on Arran was built in the 13th century. It passed to the Stewarts of Menteith and became a royal castle when Robert Stewart became King in 1371. In the 1450s the Tower House was granted to the Montgomeries. They held the castle for the next 250 years. In the 16th Century the castle’s […]
On Saturday the ScotClans team went up to the Highland Games at Lochearnhead to hold a stall for Clan MacLaren. The weather was glorious and it really highlighted the beauty of that part of the country. There were a lot of events, ranging from the usual dancing, heavy events, and clan parade to a hill […]
Most people have a fixed idea of what a Scottish accent is, thanks to film and television; and, generally it’s sort of Glasgow-ish, with a hint of Edinburgh. This is no coincidence, as nearly two thirds of the Scottish population lives in the Greater Glasgow – Edinburgh corridor, and this kind of accent prevails. That’s […]
The well known ballad “Mary Hamilton“, or “The Fower Maries” is a sixteenth century song about Mary Hamilton awaiting execution and telling the story of her downfall. Mary was a lady-in-waiting to a Queen of Scots who goes on to have an affair with the King. She becomes pregnant and has a baby, but kills […]
Living in Edinburgh its hard to escape the traditional image of the the Scotsman in full regalia. Every highlandwear shop on the high street has its shop window display and a piper is positioned every few hundred yards as if by some government directive to ensure you are never not hearing ‘Flower of Scotland’. lovely […]
