The rather impressive bit of ‘bling’ above is the insignia of the Order of the Thistle. This is a Scottish order of Chivalry that has among its order the Earl of Elgin (the direct descendant of Robert the Bruce) and a very impressive line up of other lords and ladies and among its officers the […]
Over the last 2 days Highland Titles – the company that sells ‘souvenir’ plots of land where you can title yourself a Laird, Lord, Lady of Glencoe became the focus of an onslaught of social media activity – a posse of very sharp lawyers had the scent of blood and went for them, it was quite incredible to watch it […]
A short ferry trip from Gourock to the west of Glasgow takes you to the town of Dunoon. This seaside town was once a favoured destination as families from the polluted tenements of Glasgow would seek a respite from the foul air. The Cowal peninsula is a gateway to the highlands and one of the […]
News has just reached us of the sudden death of Charles Kennedy, the 8th Marquis of Ailsa and Chief of Clan Kennedy. Lord Charles passed away suddenly while over in Florida attending Central Florida Highland Games. He was 58. As well as being Marquis he was also 19th Earl of Cassilis, 21st Lord Kennedy, 8th […]
What now Scotland?….. Last Thursday evening I set my alarm for 2am and took to bed early, the fridge was stocked with snacks and beer and a bottle of wine sat in the kitchen, champagne seemed too much like tempting fate. I checked my phone just before 2.00 to find a message from a friend, Clackmannanshire […]
It could be any other lazy, late summer afternoon today in Aberdeen. Sunlight is attempting to squeeze its way through the clouds, seagulls are circling in droves, and ship horns are belching at the city’s bulging harbour. Right on cue, the haar has begun to roll in off the North Sea, making the crowd of […]
The world is watching Scotland this week. This is nothing new to those of us who know and hold our Alban ancestors in great respect. We have been keeping an affectionate eye on Scotland for hundreds of years. Like tens of millions of others across the globe, I am descended from those of Scotland’s children […]
Gruinard island is just off the mainland, in Gruinard Bay, along the A832 halfway between Gairloch and Ullapool. During WWII it became the focus of the UKs secret effort to find a weapon capable of defeating the Nazis. These experiments left the island so contaminated it was deemed out of bounds for almost 50 years. […]
There is an old Scottish tale behind the MacLachlan Coat of Arms. Legend has it that the reason behind the two roebucks (deers) supporting the MacLachlan Chief’s Coat of Arms came in 1249, when King Alexander II made his great show of strength in Argyll, he ordered the local chiefs to send their money (taxes) […]
On the 5th of August, 1388, the Battle of Otterburn took place. This was a skirmish between Scotland’s James, 2nd Earl of Douglas, and England’s Henry “Hotspur” Percy, the son of the Earl of Northumberland. This battle was part of continuous Anglo-Scottish border conflicts that were quite common at the time. It was a decisive […]
