Map of Scotland between 1558 and 1566
This old map of Scotland from between 1558 and 1566 is quite interesting. Just look at how big Hirta is at the top of the map.
Lady Grange’s Letters from St Kilda
The letters of Rachel Erskine, Lady Grange, who was exiled to St Kilda by her husband have now been made public by The Edinburgh University Image Collections. The letters were smuggled to Lady Grange’s solicitor in Edinburgh and offer an incredible insight into the suffering and hardships she endured on the island. Lady Grange spent […]
Islands of the Forth!
Having grown up just a few miles east of Edinburgh and lived within the city my entire adult life, I’ve always had great views of the Islands of the Forth travelling around. This week whilst gazing out at the great view of Inchkeith Island from the sands of Portobello I wondered what the island had […]
The Friendly Falls
I recently came across a book called My Favourite Place, where various writers discuss their most-loved places in Scotland. The book was available free from libraries throughout Scotland in 2012 as part of Book Week Scotland. Monty Python’s Michael Palin is featured in the book, discussing the Falls of Dochart in Killin. Killin is the […]
The Benbecula Mermaid.
While touring recently around the islands of the Outer Hebrides we came upon this strange story. In 1830 people were busy cutting seaweed at Sgeir na Duchadh near Grimnis on the west coat of the island of Benbecula. One woman spotted a creature several yards out in the water. The creature looked like a woman in […]
Symbols of Edinburgh
Our wee series of articles on Edinburgh continue today with a look at some of the symbols that have become synonymous with the city, their origins and what they represent and we’ll start off with what must be the most famous of them all, the Luckenbooth…. The story of the Luckenbooth begins on the Royal […]
The Grey Dog of Meoble and Clan Donald
There is an old Clan Donald legend which dates back to the early 1800s telling of a large dog with a rough grey coat and an unearthly wailing bark that appears to descendants from the Morar MacDonalds at the point of death. The tale begins with a young Highlander called Dugald MacDonald, the young man […]
Experts recreate king’s ancient lost unicorn tapestries at Sirling Castle
At Stirling Castle they have just unveiled the recreation of the lost tapestries of James V , this completes a 14 year project. The seven tapestries were commissioned by Historic Scotland, work started in 2001 as part of a wider effort to restore the king’s palace to its 1540s style. A team of 18 expert weavers from […]
Epic Bannockburn Mural Unveiled
An awe inspiring new mural depicting the Battle of Bannockburn has been unveiled at the Bannockburn visitor centre just outside Stirling. The work, painted by the Edinburgh based artist Chris Rutterford, was started last year just before the celebrations of the 700 year anniversary of the Battle. The artist has said that the aim of the […]
WW1 letter reveals a brutal day at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow is one of Britain’s most important historic stretches of water, located within the Orkney Islands, off the northeast coast of Scotland. It’s a natural harbour which has been used over many centuries, from the Viking fleet of King Haokon in the 13th Century, to the present day. It formed an important northern base […]