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 […]
One of the world’s leading travel guides has named the Shetland Islands as one of the top 10 regions on earth to visit. The Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 places the islands at number six in the world. You can see some of my photos from when I visited the Shetland Islands in 2014 […]
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 […]
Sir John Carmichael of that Ilk was murdered in June 1600 by a party of Scottish Reivers as he rode from Langholm to Lochmaben to attend a Warden Court. Sir John was born in 1542, son to an illustrious family which hailed from Lanarkshire. He was a direct ancestor of the Earls of Hindford. He […]
The relationship between Scotland and England wasn’t always as amicable as it is today. From the late 13th century to the 16th century, Scotland and England were constantly at war with each other. This created a lawless environment where crime soared, people from both sides of the border would live more like outlaws, taking advantage […]
The aftermath of the 1650 Battle of Dunbar saw the grave mistreatment of 5,000 Scottish prisoners-of-war at the hands of the English Parliamentarian army. These battle-weary prisoners were starved of food and sleep, whilst at the same time force-marched over 100 miles to a makeshift prison in hellish conditions. Yet this is one of the […]
We recently visited Dundas Castle – located in South Queensferry this castle is now the stately home of Sir Jack and Lady Stewart-Clark, but was formerly a home of Clan Dundas The commanding views over the Forth made this castle an important part of Scotland’s defence during the Second World War. In 1938 a […]
The Declaration of Arbroath is one of Scotland’s most famous documents. Scotland’s great cry of independence and freedom from the (then) yoke of the English. As with all great moments in history they do tend to appear on all manner of tourist souvenirs; there are Declaration of Arbroath fridge magnets, Declaration tea towels, probably even […]
This week sees the return of the historically significant Glenfinnan Stone to Scotland. It is a round, weatherworn stone, about 12 inches in diameter, with a hole carved out at its centre, supposedly for the purpose of supporting the standard carried by Bonnie Prince Charlie when he arived at the shores of Loch Shiel. This […]
This year is the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and 150 years since the publication of his masterpiece, The Origin of Species. The inspiration he found in visiting the Galapagos Islands is very well known, but in the Editorial, ‘Darwin in Scotland’ by Dominic J. McCafferty (The Glasgow Naturalist-2009), we find that the time Darwin […]
