271 years ago, a mere 12 miles from Edinburgh, one of the first and arguably one of the most important battles of the Jacobite Rising of 1745 took place. It was the first step in a campaign to place a Stuart back on the British throne. In the early half of 1745, Charles Edward Stuart or […]
The Flag of Scotland is called the Saltire or the St Andrews Cross. It is a white diagonal cross on a blue field. The legend of it’s origins as the national flag go all the way back to 832AD. A joint force of Picts and Scots under King Angus (or Óengus) of The Picts met […]
The Royal Mile, one of the most famous streets in Edinburgh, runs from the castle all the way down to Holyrood Palace. When Edinburgh castle was first established this was the only accessible route, a natural ramp formed thousands of years ago gave access to a castle otherwise impregnable from the east. With the establishment […]
Throughout Scottish history there have been many battles fought on Scots soil, many have been fought on English soil, however a few battles between Scotland and England have taken place on French soil. Few have been as important as this one though; the Battle of Baugé Background: The Battle was part of the ‘Hundred Years War’ […]
Battle of Drumnacoub (between 1427 and 1433) This battle was an internal feud among the men of Clan MacKay but also involved some Sutherland men. A disastrous battle, it led to the loss of many senior members of the clan and most of the belligerents on both sides. The origins of the battle begin with […]
This is the first in a series of Bletherskite blog posts that we like to call “Not Your Father’s Gaelic”. We briefly introduced the series a few weeks back. The broad goal of the NYFG project is to provide needed support and energy for a growing Gaelic cultural and language revitalization movement within the Scottish […]
Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie was once one of the most popular, powerful, and feared clan chiefs in the Scottish borders. However, after his execution in 1530 by order of James V, Clan Armstrong have been without a chief for over 450 years. The Border Reivers were a band of raiders along the Scottish-English border from […]
Our wee series of articles on Edinburgh continue today with a look at some of the symbols that have become synonymous with the city, their origins and what they represent and we’ll start off with what must be the most famous of them all, the Luckenbooth…. The story of the Luckenbooth begins on the Royal […]
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 […]
Let me start off this post with a caveat. If you are a serious scholar or indeed if you have ever read a book or even paid attention during a documentary about the Jacobite rebellions then best to move on – nothing to see here - mind your step on the way out. The reason […]
