As you enter the main hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 150 titans of Scottish history gaze down at you, providing a dramatic introduction to the subjects awaiting you inside the galleries. This impressive chronological frieze by William Hole begins in the stone age, carrying right through till the late 17th century when the […]
Internet search giant Google has revealed questions the world wants to know about Scotland, unfortunately showing rather unflattering results. The auto-complete feature imbedded in the search engine suggests common search terms when certain information is entered, revealing what internet users really want to know. When asking Google the question ‘Why is Scotland so…’, auto-complete suggests […]
With an overabundance of stunning landscapes and picturesque castles, it’s no wonder Scotland is a favourite calling card for film and television location scouts. Here are my top five Scottish locations featured on the silver screen: Inveraray Castle – Downton Abbey Featured in the nail-biting finale to the third season of Downton Abbey, the stunning […]
A week ago I took advantage of a lovely sunny day in Edinburgh and cycled along the Innocent Railway, then on to Craigmillar Castle. The castle is an amazingly well-preserved 14th Century castle just on the outskirts of the Scottish capital. It was home to the Preston family for over 250 years and was visited […]
In the little community of Marchmont in Edinburgh, one of the interesting characters you’ll see about the streets is Sonny Fascia, otherwise known as DJ Sonny. I first met Sonny at the cosy pub in the heart of the area The Earl of Marchmont, where he introduced me to his unique brand of Scottish turntablism […]
A map of Great Britain’s most popular surnames shows the dominance that clan areas still hold in Scotland, while other areas show the effects of modern-day immigration. Created by experts from three English Universities, Uncertainty of Identity uses surnames listed on the electoral roll to find the three most popular names in each electoral ward. […]
Upon the death of Scottish Doctor and Suffragist Elsie Inglis, Winston Churchill remarked that Inglis and her band of nurses would ‘shine in history’. From a Lady who raised rebel troops, to a seafaring businesswoman, here are five real-life heroines who have shone against the backdrop of Scottish history: Dr. Elsie Inglis – Surgeon and […]
A Braveheart impersonator has been charged with firearms offences after police received a complaint about “a man with a blue face firing a gun”. Adam Watters, who performs dressed as William Wallace in Edinburgh’s tourist hotspots, insists that his weapons are blank-firing replicas and that he has been the victim of heavy-handed policing. Police in […]
In 1545 the aptly titled War of Rough Wooing was in full, ruthless swing. In order to gain Scotland’s allegiance to England, King Henry VIII employed the curious tactic of scorching and pillaging Scotland into submission. In retaliation, approximately 2,500 Scottish soldiers were raised by the Chief of Clan Douglas, Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of […]
A handwritten, unpublished work by a Scottish music hall performer known as the world’s worst poet is set to fetch thousands of pounds at auction. Edinburgh-born William McGonagall, won notoriety in the 19th century as an extremely bad poet, and to this day is regarded as the worst in English literature. His works were so […]
