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 […]
Near the village of Milton in West Dunbartonshire lies the Overtoun Bridge; an arch bridge which has become famous for the bizzarely large number of dogs who have leapt over the side to their death. Built in 1895 by Lord Overtoun, the Victorian bridge stands 50 feet over the Overtoun Burn which flows below. The […]
Ard Hill is a wooded promontory on Lochalsh, south of Reraig. It is enshrined in MacKenzie Clan Law. When the Clan needed to communicate with all it’s Clan members, usually to rally them in times of trouble, a barrel of tar would be set alight at the top of the hill. This image of […]
Knock Castle is also known as Caisteal Camus, it is 3.5 miles north of Armadale on the Isle of Skye. It was held by the MacLeods in the fifteenth century, but later passed to the MacDonalds. Knock Castle became the key stronghold for the Lords of the Isles – The MacDonalds. Some say that […]
Kylekin is a small promontory that juts out of the east end of Skye and is crowned by the ruins of Castle Maol. The main wall of the ruin is an impressive eleven feet thick, but ended up defeated by the great storm of 1948. On Febuary 1st 1948, the main wall of Castle Maol […]
Pabay is a small island just off Skye. On Pabay are the ruins of a small chapel, built originally by St. Columba’s monks. After the chapel fell into disuse and the monks left, it became a refuge for outlaws ‘broken men’ and robbers. They caused much trouble on the main island of Skye. Legend has […]
Last weekend saw an ambitious project to cover the Skye Bridge in knitting!! This was part of Highland Homecoming. The Skye Bridge links the Isle of Skye with the mainland in the West Highlands of Scotland. The aim was to link this (rather large!) piece of guerrilla knitting with Highland Homecoming 2009, a celebration of […]
