It was only 28 years after the infamous Battle of Culloden, in 1773, when the Hector was moored within Loch Broom taking onboard a group of people from the Highlands. 189 passengers joined the Hector that day, 25 single men, 33 families, a piper and their agent, all of which had one thing in common. They […]
Strathglass was known in Gaelic as Crom ghleann, it is the area around Upper Valley of the River Beauly. This land belonged to the Chisholm Clan. People here strongly adhered to the Catholic faith, even long after the “Reformation” of 1560. A time when catholic priests were forced into hiding and preached in secret places to […]
The Highlands hold many myths and legends. Most warn people not to stray from the path, don’t speak to strangers – especially beautiful female ones, best to stay in doors and most definitely stay faithful. This one warns of The Baobhan Sith – a female blood sucking fairy who terrorised the misty glens and the […]
Sadly Danus Skene has just died following surgery during the early hours of this morning. Mr Skene was ‘a gentleman and a scholar’, terms often used when describing him. A man deeply passionate about politics but also a historian, musician and a minister. He loved the outdoors, but most of all he loved Scotland. He […]
On The Fife coast sits the pretty village of Lower Largo. The village was the Birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration behind the story of Robinson Crusoe and a sign in the village points to the Juan Fernandez Islands, some 7,500 miles away where Selkirk was a castaway. The history of the area goes back […]
The Flag of Scotland is called the Saltire or the St Andrews Cross. It is a white diagonal cross on a blue field. The legend of it’s origins as the national flag go all the way back to 832AD. A joint force of Picts and Scots under King Angus (or Óengus) of The Picts met […]
The thistle is the national flower of Scotland, much like the rose is the national flower of England and the United States. Today we’re going to look at two interesting things about this flower, the tale as to why it became the national flower and also the unofficial national anthem it inspired. There are several […]
For our families Summer holiday this year we decided to go to Denmark for a couple of weeks. I’ve always been interested in Denmark especially as it’s thought to be the happiest place on earth – and have also wanted to find out more about the Danish Vikings. I know that they shouldn’t really be […]
It’s interesting to learn that until 1996 the bagpipes were classified as a weapon of war. This does not simply mean an instrument played in battle, or a tool used to direct troops, it actually means a physical weapon, like a sword or a musket. The origins of this take us all the way back […]
The Royal Mile, one of the most famous streets in Edinburgh, runs from the castle all the way down to Holyrood Palace. When Edinburgh castle was first established this was the only accessible route, a natural ramp formed thousands of years ago gave access to a castle otherwise impregnable from the east. With the establishment […]
