“A well tempered man, in body shapely, of a fair piercing eye, of middle stature and of quick discernment.” Somerled is the first known historic figure of the medeival Hebrides. He was celebrated as a purely Celtic hero, but like all good heroes, his story is a gloss of myth and legend. His name in […]
The current church of Kilmore stands in an idyllic position on the coast of Skye with great views over the water towards the main land. The history of this church is in fact the history of three churches. The now Parish church stands on a site sanctifed by successive places of worship since the dawn […]
Major Duncan Campbell of Inverawe was fatally wounded at the Battle of Carillon in 1758 during the Seven Years’ War. The night before the battle Campbell had a ghostly encounter with his dead foster-brother, and after that meeting he knew that the battle was going to kill him. Years before Duncan Campbell was even […]
Highland Homecoming will welcome locals and visitors to enjoy the best of the Highland’s rich heritage and culture with a programme of over 100 events including spectacular street theatre, music, storytelling and of course world famous ceilidhs. Some of the programme highlights include a performance by the sublimely talented award-winning Gaelic singer songwriter Julie Fowlis, […]
Renowned archaeologist Dr. Tony Pollard will be hoping that the remains of soldiers from Scotland will be found buried in the German town of Lützen. Under a modern-day supermarket in the east German town, archaeologists believe they have found the final resting place of some of the soldiers who fought in a battle during the […]
On the 8th of February, 1587 Mary I of Scotland was executed for treason at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. She was found guilty of conspiring against her cousin Elizabeth of England, and so after 18 years of confinement, Mary was eventually taken to the scaffold where she was beheaded at the age of 44. The […]
It is said, according Scottish myth, that Merlin, the wizard from Arthurian legend, is buried in the Borders town of Drumelzier. However, there are many different versions of what actually happened to Merlin, ranging from his own prophecy of a “triple death” to slightly more supernatural accounts of him being imprisoned in a tree and […]
During our holiday to Mull we saw an amazing variety of wildlife, including this stag that was just stood beside the wee train we were riding to Torosay Castle. We were also very lucky to see a sea otter off the pier at Tobermorary – which is an animal I’ve always wanted to see. The […]
On the Caithness east coast, five miles north of the town of Helmsdale, you will see the ruinous remains of the once inhabited village of Badbea which saw its last resident leave at the start of the 20th century. The Highland Clearances affected thousands of Highland families who were made to move from their homes. […]
At a speech given to a gathering of chiefs at this years Gathering, Robert McWilliam president emeritus of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations, said that Scotland’s Clans must turn to social networking websites such as facebook and twitter to increase their ranks in the 21st Century. Holyrood was host to the Clan Covention […]
