John Clayton – The Man Who Saved the Wall

John Clayton – The Man Who Saved the Wall

We have just returned from spending a week near to Hadrian’s wall. The wall was built by the Romans under the orders of Emperor Hadrian in AD122 and runs from coast to coast for 73 miles. This remarkable feat of building marked the northern edge of the mighty Roman Empire. By the late 4th century […]

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Top 5: Whisky of the Clans

Top 5: Whisky of the Clans

Intrinsically linked like bread and butter, whisky and the Clans are about as all things Scot as you’re going to get. Here are our top five links between the water of life and Scotland’s oldest families. 1. Dalmore In 1263, an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by […]

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Greyfriars Bobby-The Lie Behind the Legend

Greyfriars Bobby-The Lie Behind the Legend

Greyfriars Bobby is known around the world as the epitome of man’s best friend, not budging from his masters grave from the day of his burial in 1858 up until his own passing in 1872. The story is well known in Scotland and around the world, through several books and films, particularly the 1961 Walt Disney […]

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The Sword Dance (Ghillie Callum)

The Sword Dance (Ghillie Callum)

The Scottish sword dance is found in Scottish folklore, recorded as early as the 15th century, back to King Malcolm Canmore (Shakespeare’s MacBeth).  The Sword Dance, or Ghillie Callum is the most well known of all Highland Dances. It is an ancient dance of war of the Scottish Gael.  There are a number of sources that […]

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The Cursing Stone

The Cursing Stone

A stone discovered by chance in a graveyard on the Isle of Canna in the Inner Hebrides is Scotland’s first known example of a bullaun “cursing stone”, researchers and archaeologists have revealed.   The cursing stone dates from approximately 800 AD. Interestingly, these cursing stones are sometimes linked with the earlier forms of Christian crosses. […]

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Treasures of Edinburgh Castle

Treasures of Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle has dominated not only the skyline of the city but also the history of the nation. Being at the centre of the capital and of the Scottish Royal family has meant it has amassed a vast array of incredible treasures and artefacts over it’s long history. Let’s take a look at the most […]

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Edinburgh – Did You Know?

Edinburgh – Did You Know?

Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and my all time favourite city, is full to the brim with interesting tales, facts and histories that have built up over it’s very long lifetime. We wanted to share a few of the shorter gems(We’ll give the longer one’s a post to themselves ) that we found whilst doing some research […]

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Anthrax Island

Anthrax Island

Gruinard island is just off the mainland, in Gruinard Bay, along the A832 halfway between Gairloch and Ullapool. During WWII it became the focus of the UKs secret effort to find a weapon capable of defeating the Nazis. These experiments left the island so contaminated it was deemed out of bounds for almost 50 years. […]

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