Legend tells us the range of mountains called ‘The Five Sisters’ came into existance by the Grey Magician of Coire Dhunnid. The local Chief had seven daughters, the youngest two of these were loved dearly by two Irish princes. A deal was agreed with the Chief that they would be allowed to marry his youngest […]
“A well tempered man, in body shapely, of a fair piercing eye, of middle stature and of quick discernment.” Somerled is the first known historic figure of the medeival Hebrides. He was celebrated as a purely Celtic hero, but like all good heroes, his story is a gloss of myth and legend. His name in […]
The current church of Kilmore stands in an idyllic position on the coast of Skye with great views over the water towards the main land. The history of this church is in fact the history of three churches. The now Parish church stands on a site sanctifed by successive places of worship since the dawn […]
Major Duncan Campbell of Inverawe was fatally wounded at the Battle of Carillon in 1758 during the Seven Years’ War. The night before the battle Campbell had a ghostly encounter with his dead foster-brother, and after that meeting he knew that the battle was going to kill him. Years before Duncan Campbell was even […]
On the Caithness east coast, five miles north of the town of Helmsdale, you will see the ruinous remains of the once inhabited village of Badbea which saw its last resident leave at the start of the 20th century. The Highland Clearances affected thousands of Highland families who were made to move from their homes. […]
At a speech given to a gathering of chiefs at this years Gathering, Robert McWilliam president emeritus of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations, said that Scotland’s Clans must turn to social networking websites such as facebook and twitter to increase their ranks in the 21st Century. Holyrood was host to the Clan Covention […]
The Beatons of Mull, the famous ‘Ollamnh Muileach’, were a family of doctors, whose origins can be traced back to Béthune in France, and are said to have been very talented with a rather unique medical ability. They family were hereditary physicians first to the Lords of the Isles, and then to the MacLeans of […]
The 13th of July, 1680 saw the last significant clan battle to be fought in Scotland, with the Sinclairs, under the command of George Sinclair of Keiss, taking on the Campbells led by Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy, fighting over the right to the Girnigoe Estates in Caithness. In 1676, George Sinclair, the 6th Earl […]
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 […]
