By 1593 the feud that had existed between the Maxwells and the Johnstones, the two most powerful families in south-west Scotland, was to reach its zenith. The feud was long-standing as it had existed for over a century. Whilst the culmination of the feud would result in the Battle of Dryfe Sands which has already […]
A portrait thought to be of Bonnie Prince Charlie, purchased by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery back in 1994 for £22,000, is in actual fact ‘probably his brother’, Prince Henry, the museum has conceded. After a two-year debate with London art dealer, Bendor Grosvenor, the National Galleries of Scotland have back down from its initial […]
As part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations, a poll was held by STV to see who the public believes the greatest ever Scot is. Thousands of people were said to have voted from the list of 35 nominees, with Robert Burns, perhaps aptly, generating the most popularity. Homecoming Scotland 2009 has Burns as its focus, […]
The 30th of November is celebrated by Christians across the world as Saint Andrew’s day; remembering the day that Andrew, one of the Jesus’ twelve apostles, was martyred by crucifixion on an X-shaped cross, also known now as a ‘St Andrew’s Cross’, in Patras, in Greece. However, for Scots, the day is more about celebrating […]
The eldest son of ‘Auld’ (Old) Wat of Harden was William Scott who would succeed his father as Baron of Harden and be knighted by James VI. Harden House is still to be seen about three miles south of Hawick in the Scottish Borders as is the deep glen where Auld Wat hid the cattle […]
Today is the third, and final, Friday the 13th of 2009, and the date has long been associated with superstition and bad luck. The number 13 is considered awkward and irregular because of the ‘completeness’ of the number twelve, which is reflected by the twelve months of the year, twelve hours of the clock, the […]
One of the visitors to our site told us about this great Clan Johnstone legend: The Battle of Dryfe Sands on the 6th of December, 1593 saw the Johnstones and the Maxwells fight it out near the town of Lockerbie. On the day of the battle Lady Johnstone went out with her maidservant to see […]
The Battle of Killiecrankie, fought on the 27th of July, 1689, was part of the Jacobite Risings trying to get James VII/II back on the throne in Scotland, England, and Ireland. It was a bloody victory for the Highland Jacobite army against the government troops (mainly comprising of lowland Scots, incorrectly referred to as ‘English’) […]
The Lords Forrester were a principal family in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh. Their main home was Corstorphine Castle, a 14th century stronghold which, by the 18th century, was nothing but ruins, and today nothing of the castle remains but a 16th century dovecot. Sometime during the 17th century, a James Forrester was laird at […]
Sir John Carmichael of that Ilk was murdered in June 1600 by a party of Scottish Reivers as he rode from Langholm to Lochmaben to attend a Warden Court. Sir John was born in 1542, son to an illustrious family which hailed from Lanarkshire. He was a direct ancestor of the Earls of Hindford. He […]
