19th Century Clan Catalogue For Sale

19th Century Clan Catalogue For Sale

A rare 19th century volume of lavishly illustrated clan fashion is set to go under the hammer in Edinburgh tomorrow. Part of auction house Bonham’s Scottish sale, Costume of the Clans is an illustrated guide that shows how tartan trews and kilts were historically worn. The book, which is numbered 37 of 500 copies, is […]

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Calling all Murrays

Calling all Murrays

Blair Castle, one of Scotland’s biggest tourist destinations and the ancestral home of the Murray Clan, is marking Scotland’s Year of Homecoming with an open invitation to all Murrays across the globe to visit their ancestral home, and their visits to the Castle will be absolutely free. The Castle, which has been the home of […]

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Kelburn Castle Set to Reopen

Kelburn Castle Set to Reopen

The seat of Clan Boyle, also known as the ‘graffiti castle’, is set to reopen after a five year £500,000 renovation. Kelburn Castle near Largs, North Ayrshire was closed in 2009 following a fire in the roof. Extensive renovations have now been finished and it is to reopen at the start of April as a […]

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Airline Reveals Tartan-Clad Plane

Airline Reveals Tartan-Clad Plane

A distinctive orange and black tartan-clad aircraft has been unveiled to mark a new early morning flight from Inverness to London Gatwick. Budget airline EasyJet launched the tartan today entitled “Highland aircraft” on its Airbus A319 aircraft, alongside a kilt and scarf sported by cabin crew on its inaugural 6:40am service. However the kilt is […]

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This Week in History: Isabel MacDuff and Robert the Bruce

This Week in History: Isabel MacDuff and Robert the Bruce

With attention focused on the approaching 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, it’s worth taking a look at the events and figures instrumental in the lead-up to the momentous battle. Strangely absent from the legends surrounding Bannockburn is the role played by women, even though one largely looked-over heroine enabled Robert the Bruce’s claim […]

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Talking Folk with The Elephant Sessions

Talking Folk with The Elephant Sessions

Hailing from Inverness, The Elephant Sessions are an upcoming act set to make waves on the traditional Scottish music scene this summer. I caught them last year at a gig in Edinburgh, where they blasted through a set of the grooviest folk music I’ve ever heard. They’re currently recording their debut album off the back […]

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History & Mystery in Edinburgh’s Closes

History & Mystery in Edinburgh’s Closes

This posting is a guest posting by Margaret who works at VieAmhor Apartments, an edinburgh based holiday letting agency set right in the heart of Edinburgh’s old town. As you walk up the Royal Mile, it’s hard to miss the arched entryways that sit on either side. Signposted with odd names like ‘Fleshmarket’, ‘Lady Stair’s’ […]

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10 Handy Tips for Visitors to Scotland

10 Handy Tips for Visitors to Scotland

With the plans underway for the next clan gathering in 2014 we are aware that lots of people will be preparing for their first ever trip to the ‘home land’ of course there are many useful visitor guides out there that will give you lots of practical advice but what about the things the guide […]

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A Hidden Gem – New Lanark

A Hidden Gem – New Lanark

Scotland has four World Heritage Sites, and perhaps the least well know, New Lanark, has its own very interesting tale. To me the story of the enterprise village is part and parcel of the change that embraced Scotland during the Industrial Revolution, and Enlightenment period.

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The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy

The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy

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.

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