The Kilt. Just saying that conjures up images of HIghlanders walking through the Scottish Glens. it is one of the most recognisable national dress seen in the Western World. All over there are women, and men, swooning at the thought of a man in a kilt, c’mon readers I know you’re all thinking it and […]
Many of you will not of heard of this, what the government called the Scottish insurrection of 1820. Though if you are from or been to Edinburgh you certainly will have heard of the Radical road around Arthur’s Seat. The actual Radical War only lasted a few days but despite it almost being written out […]
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……. […]
Now there’s a thought, King of America Charles Edward Stewart. Actually it was more than a thought du du dahhhhhhhhhh In November 1782 4 gentlemen from America arrived at San Clemente Palazzo in Florence to put this offer to the exiled King Charles Edward Stewart, who we all know as the Bonnie Prince Charlie. When establishing […]
From what we know Lady Catherine Gordon was a very beautiful woman and her father was a Scottish nobleman who had royal blood and she married four different men including a man called Perkin Warbeck. who pretended to be the heir to the English throne. She was there for so many important Tudor events at […]
A few weeks ago my son and I decided to create a circular route around the centre of Edinburgh that took in as many as possible of the ‘essential sights’ This week we came up with a plan to create a second walking tour but this time one that explored the New Town and covered […]
Edinburgh is one of Europe’s top visitor destinations and we have had many people ask ‘I only have one day to spend in Edinburgh – what should I see?” In many cities it would be virtually impossible to take in the main sights in one day without taking an open top bus tour or a handy […]
Oh deary me, where on earth do I start. There is a story stating that, it was, in fact an Englishman who invented the small kilt, the forerunner of the kilt we wear today. This comes from a letter that was published in a popular pamphlet of the time ‘The Edinburgh Magazine’ in 1785 Now, […]
Back in 1820 or thereabouts there were two wee English brothers, born in Wales, by the names of John Hay Allen and Charles Hay Allen who moved to Moray, Scotland. After being there a while they changed the spelling of their name to Allan, to make it look more Scottish, but then shortened it to Hay. These two brothers are […]
Tartan is one of the most distinctive and recognisable textile in the western world and Scotland has become one with it. The earliest reports we see about tartan come from the Roman writers Virgil and Tacitus who wrote that the Picts/Celts were wearing striped, sometimes across, cloaks, shiny and bright. Tacitus also says they were […]
