The British architect Graeme Shankland once said: “A country without a past has the emptiness of a barren continent, and a city without old buildings is like a man without a memory.” Historic sites serve as a reminder of our past, help us to understand our culture and give clues as to where we may […]
New Zealand is a rather funny wee place. One of its defining features is the mishmash of cultures from all around the world that have gathered together on a few tiny islands far away in the depths of the South Pacific. You can find a sushi bar on almost every street corner, you’ll see men […]
We’ve been having a good laugh in the office today at this news article: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/weird-news/parents-reveal-fury-at-weetos-breakfast-1493701
This morning i was looking through a folder of old Scottish postcards while looking for a suitable header image for our newsletter. Some of the images were so fantastic I thought they were worth sharing. Here are a few of my favourites: In the days before washing machines getting your laundry done was a more […]
In Scotland the Court of the Lord Lyon is responsible for heraldic matters. It is the oldest heraldic court in the world that is still in daily operation. As well as overseeing state functions in Scotland the Lord Lyon is responsible for the grant of arms as well as ensuring that existing arms are not […]
Reading the news for the last few years has not been a great deal of fun. Every other business and economy article has been telling stories of doom and gloom, job losses, double dip recession. It has felt like we are in some sort of economic dark age. British GDP has fallen behind Iceland and […]
Some details have finally been released about a clan event happening in 2014 as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2014 celebrations. The original dates of 11 – 13 July, 2014 announced have now changed, and the revised plan is to centre a general clan gathering directly around the Bannockburn 700th Anniversary activities in the last […]
Why is the image of a lion so prevalent in Scottish Clan heraldry? Why would a beast that was never native to Scotland feature so heavily? The image of the lion in art and culture dates back to pre history and cave paintings. Our ancient ancestors who’s story began in Africa would have admired these […]
We have just returned from two amazing weeks spent in Barcelona, Spain. We enjoyed the comfort of a family home during our stay and on our return were welcomed back to our home with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates, our house all neat and tidy (not like we normally leave it […]
Recently I was reading an article on James VI of Scotland, Who became James I after the Union of the Crowns. I was reminded of a piece I had read some time ago by an Anglo Welsh historian called James Howell. Howell was possibly the first ever professional English language writer and grew up around […]
