Once upon a time there was a King who was so ill that he believed he was nearing death, a wise woman was called for, she said the only thing that would cure him was to drink from the Waters of Life. Questioning the wise woman the King learned that the Waters of Life could […]
This weekend I visited my friends in the countryside, as I had heard there was going to be snow. Being from a semi-tropical climate, snow is still quite a big deal for me, so I jumped at the chance of getting even a tiny bit of white gold. We set out for a walk on […]
If you picture troops involved in a 14th Century clan battle, fairies are the last thing you would expect to find among the ranks. However according to legend, a fairy is said to have appeared at the Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart, fought between Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLean in 1598. Although it wasn’t the kind […]
The Black Dwarf, also known as The Black Tinker (C’eard Dubh) is now almost forgotten, a character who was once highly feared, written about by Sir Walter Scott, and played a large part in legends from all across Scotland. The Black Dwarf is known on Islay and there are many stories about him in the Scottish Borders […]
At ScotClans we have a very active Facebook group: Scottish Clans and Families, it’s been going for many years now and has nearly 28,000 members. Over the years we have seen many photos of Scotland come in that have proven to be fake. So here are my top 10 (ish), enjoy 🙂 10. A lovely […]
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 […]
I have just returned from a trip to Lewis and came across this wonderful story. It is from the Shiant islands (meaning the holy or enchanted islands). The Shiant Islands lie four miles or so off the coast of Lewis and 12 from the northern tip of Skye. The Shiants are a wild and dramatic […]
Glamis Castle, found in the Angus area, is the historic seat of the Lyon family. The estate was presented to Sir John Lyon as a gift by Robert II in 1376. The Bowes-Lyon family, as they are now, still owns the castle and grounds as the Earls of Strathmore. The family has a large link […]
While touring recently around the islands of the Outer Hebrides we came upon this strange story. In 1830 people were busy cutting seaweed at Sgeir na Duchadh near Grimnis on the west coat of the island of Benbecula. One woman spotted a creature several yards out in the water. The creature looked like a woman in […]
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 […]
