The MacGregors were once the most feared and persecuted clansmen in Scotland – forced to renounce their ancient ancestry or face execution. Clan Gregor was effectively erased from existence after King James VI decreed the name MacGregor should be abolished following the murder of the King’s Forester, killed for hanging some clansmen for poaching. For […]
David Booth an amateur metal-detecting enthusiast came across more than the usual tin cans and coins when he unearthed a collection of 2000 year old Iron Age golden neckbands in a field near Stirling, this amazing find could land him an impressive £460,000 payment. David is a keeper at Blair Drummond Safari park, he had […]
A leading DNA expert has shown that the celtic hero Somerled who was credited with driving the Vikings out of western Scotland was himself descended from a Norseman It had always been believed that Somerled was descended from an ancient royal line going back to when the Scots were living in Ireland. A few years […]
I’ve always been a big fan of the Harry Potter books so was interested to hear that some of the character names came from Greyfriers Graveyard in Edinburgh. The room is which JK Rowling sat to write Harry Potter overlooks Greyfriers graveyard, and in this graveyard are the graves of Tom Riddle and Mcgonagal. The […]
While we were visiting Greyfriers graveyard we were told an interesting tale by the man who works in the tiny shop which is within the graveyard’s grounds. It was one I hadn’t heard before and I can’t seem to find anything about it on the web. Not far from the infamous Bloody MacKenzie tomb stands […]
A ban on the trade of seal products by the European Union put an end to the continuation of the sale of traditional seal skin sporrans which are a vital part of Highland dress. However, a loophole in the ban could see the skin make a return with the help of the Inuit people in […]
Scotland is to welcome Pope Benedict XVI for his first visit to Britain on 16 September, which is St Ninian’s Day. The Pope begins his visit in Edinburgh, where a St Ninian’s Day parade will welcome him to the city. But who exactly was Saint Ninian, and what was his historical significance? The precise details […]
During a seminar at the National Museum of Scotland claims were made that the iconic Lewis Chessmen could have been made in Iceland by a priest’s wife. These chessmen have fascinated historians and scholars since they were found in Uig in Lewis in 1831. But fresh claims challenge some long-held beliefs about the pieces. The […]
There has been a remarkable breakthrough in discovering Scotland’s origins. The ancient mound known as the Moot Hill in the ground of Scone Palace was once the site of the “lost” abbey of Scone, founded in 1114 by Alexander I, where Scottish kings are believed to have assumed the mantle of power on the Stone […]
