An interesting angle to the current debate on Scottish independence is what would happen to the British Flag, the Union Jack, should Scotland actually separate from the rest of the United Kingdom. It may seem a trivial point, but the flag and the union are so interwoven that it is worth looking at how it […]
Braemar Castle in Aberdeenshire was first built by the 18th Earl of Mar, John Erskine in 1628, using it as a hunting lodge and strong hold against the powerful neighbouring Farquharson family. The castle replaced the nearby Kindrochit Castle, which is said to have been built sometime in the 11th century. In 1689, John Farquharson, […]
Gordon Casely, a heritage consultant in Aberdeen, has inadvertently discovered that Prince William was a direct descendant of a 17th century Middleton from the small town of Luthermuir in south Aberdeenshire. Mr Casely was trying to discover if William’s soon-to-be wife Kate Middleton had Scottish ancestry, when he came across John Middleton, the son of […]
At the weekend, whilst trying to entertain my mum on a visit down to Edinburgh, I visited the National Galleries for the first time. There’s a great collection of artwork there, a lot of lovely pieces, but the painting that I found most striking and alluring was John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Lady Agnew of […]
I just found out that outside of the English speaking world, Argentina has the largest number of people of Scottish descent, which I thought was pretty interesting. The Argentine-Scot population currently stands at an estimated 100,000, and has existed, at varying levels, for over 180 years. Over the years there have been some very notable […]
This picture of tartan ribbon is pretty unique as it is world’s first ever colour photograph. The three colour method, which is the basis of virtually all practical colour processes, was suggested by the renowned Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1855, and the photograph was then taken in 1861. Our tartan ribbon strips are […]
Hobbie Noble of the Crew in Bewcastle, Cumberland was disowned by his own folk but found favour across the English Scottish Border in Liddesdale with the mighty Armstrongs of Mangerton. He would be betrayed back to the English by an unlikely source, the Armstrongs of the Mains.
The Scottish Wars of Idependence, nomonally over by 1328, would haunt the relationship between Scotland and England for another two centuries. They were kick-started by the unfortunate death of an innocent little girl.
On the western edge of the village of Eaglesfield in the Scottish Borders lies the ancient church and churchyard of Kirkconnel. There one can find the remains of a medieval church. It is tiny; probably the remnants of a much larger building have long disappeared: the stone, fine and ready cut, having found a better […]
James V of Scotland was determined to subject his Border subjects to his rule. His visit to the Scottish Borders in 1530 would see the end of not only Johnnie Armstrong but also Cockburne of Henderland and Adam Scott, known as the King of Thieves.
