Most of us roughly know the story of Macbeth. Well, we think we do. But, how many of us actually know the Shakespeare version and have never actually thought about the historical figure of Macbeth. Be honest now. Shakespeare tells us of a Scottish general named Macbeth meeting up with 3 witches on a scary moor……. […]
Over 270 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
With attention focused on the approaching 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, it’s worth taking a look at the events and figures instrumental in the lead-up to the momentous battle. Strangely absent from the legends surrounding Bannockburn is the role played by women, even though one largely looked-over heroine enabled Robert the Bruce’s claim […]
The Isle of Skye has been confirmed as a shooting location for the latest version of Macbeth to take to the silver screen. The Hollywood blockbuster, starring Oscar contender Michael Fassbender in the title roll, has received £200,000 worth of support from arts body Creative Scotland for several on-location shoots due to take place later […]
