A new poem has been unveiled to mark the upcoming 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. The specially commissioned poem appears on a new timber ring crowning on the Rotunda Monument at the historic battle site. The designer behind the original monument, Sir Robert Matthew, planned for it to bear an inscription however nothing […]
Inspired by the Scottish independence debate, the latest Asterix adventure sees the comic book hero travel to Iron Age Scotland where he meets the Picts. Author Jean Yves-Ferri explained that the story called Asterix and the Pechts includes a political slant, alluding to the looming 2014 referendum. Yves-Ferri is the first person other than the […]
With an overabundance of stunning landscapes and picturesque castles, it’s no wonder Scotland is a favourite calling card for film and television location scouts. Here are my top five Scottish locations featured on the silver screen: Inveraray Castle – Downton Abbey Featured in the nail-biting finale to the third season of Downton Abbey, the stunning […]
Throughout the month of August in Edinburgh, look up to the sky above Edinburgh Castle at approximately 10:30pm and you’ll be greeted with a spectacular firework display. It’s currently festival time in Edinburgh, so this nightly nocturnal pyrotechnic treat means the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has reached it’s grand finale for another evening. Performed every […]
The Sound of Barra has been designated a site of Special Area of Conservation (SAC) despite opposition from the chief of Clan MacNeil of Barra and local community members. Described as one of Scotland’s “wildlife jewels”, the Western Isle Sound located on the island of Barra has received official protection from the Scottish Government in […]
In August 1561 Mary, Queen of Scots returned to Edinburgh from France as a Catholic queen in a newly reformed Protestant Scotland. Initially greeted with crowds curious to catch a glimpse of their new queen, Mary Stewart was regarded with suspicion and faced a volatile political situation from the fervent Protestant ascendancy. 450 years on, […]
Compiling 500 years of Scottish history is by no means an easy feat. Countless pages of history books burst at the seams with tales of battles, inventions, kings and queens, acts of law, migration, song – it’s hard enough to even pick where to begin. However, Scottish artist Martin Fowler has done just that, compiling […]
Just off the A68 on the outskirts of the Scottish Borders, a small sign points towards the remnants of an ancient highway. Known as Dere Street, the road was once a bustling hive of Roman (and later Medieval) activity that connected York with the Firth of Forth. You have to use a fair amount of […]
With only one week to go until the beginning of the largest Highland Games held outside of Scotland, this years gathering at Grandfather Mountain is shaping up to be one of the biggest. The games are held in the North Carolinian high country over four days attracting more than 50,000 punters, and coincide with the […]
A renowned team of experts at the University of Dundee have revealed a 3D virtual image of Mary, Queen of Scots as she would have looked at the time of her reign. The image was released to coincide with a major new exhibition on the life of the iconic figure that opened at the National […]
