Urquhart Castle On History Visit To Loch Ness Highlands Scotland

Tour Scotland shot Summer travel video, with Scottish music, of Urquhart Castle by Loch Ness on ancestry, genealogy, history visit to the Scottish Highlands. The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though built on the site of an early medieval fortification. Founded in the 13th century, Urquhart played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. It was subsequently held as a royal castle, and was raided on several occasions by the MacDonald Earls of Ross. The castle was granted to the Clan Grant in 1509, though conflict with the MacDonalds continued. Despite a series of further raids the castle was strengthened, only to be largely abandoned by the middle of the 17th century. Urquhart was partially destroyed in 1692 to prevent its use by Jacobite forces, and subsequently decayed All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Reiver Monument On History Visit To Galashiels Scottish Borders Scotland

Tour Scotland short travel video clip, with Scottish music, of the Reiver Monument War Memorial on ancestry, genealogy, history visit to Galashiels, Scottish Borders. Mounted Border Reiver monument outside the Burgh Chambers. This statue was sculpted by Thomas J. Clapperton who was born in Galashiels, the son of a photographer. His other public monuments in the Borders include the memorial plaque to the poet James Brown, Selkirk; the Sir Walter Scott Memorial, Galashiels; and the James Guthrie Memorial, Hawick, which commemorates a motorcyclist killed in the German Grand Prix. He was also the sculptor statue of Robert the Bruce at the entrance to Edinburgh Castle. The Reiver statue was officially unveiled by Field Marshall Earl Haig in October 1924. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Lost Valley On History Visit To Glencoe In The Highlands Of Scotland

Tour Scotland Summer short travel video clip, with Scottish music, of the lost valley on ancestry, genealogy, history visit to Glencoe in the Highlands. Coire Gabhail, Corrie of the Bounty, or The Hollow of Capture is a high level glen in the Bidean nam Bian mountain massif to the south of Glen Coe. Its narrow entrance 750 feet up the hillside conceals the width of the glen beyond, and it is commonly known as the Hidden Valley or Lost Valley of Glencoe. Access from a bridge crossing the River Coe is by a steep path up beside a narrow wooded ravine. The name refers to former times when the corrie was used by members of Clan Macdonald to hide cattle and other livestock, whether their own or stolen from others. Like other clans in the area, cattle were the mainstay of their economy, both herding and raiding: young men boastfully sang of getting cows from all over the country. The wide flat glen is well suited for this purpose since from Glen Coe it appears to be a normal v-shaped glen approached only by a steep narrow gorge. The Macdonalds commonly had feuds with Clan Campbell. This culminated tragically in the 1692 massacre of Glencoe when Campbell soldiers turned on Macdonald clans folk who fled in a winter blizzard, and a number made their way up to Coire Gabhail while their houses were burned. Those that survived the night then left Glen Coe, fearing the return of the soldiers. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Summer Cairngorm Mountains On History Visit To The Eastern Highlands Of Scotland

Tour Scotland Summer travel video, with Scottish music, of the Cairngorm Mountains, Scottish Gaelic: Am Monadh Ruadh, on visit to the Eastern Highlands. The Cairngorms consist of three large elevated plateaux adorned with low, rounded glacial mountains, and divided by the passes of the Lairig an Laoigh and the Lairig Ghru. The Cairngorms feature the highest, coldest and snowiest plateaux in the British Isles and are home to five of the six highest mountains in Scotland. There are no public roads through the Cairngorms, and all the public roads in the general area either skirt the Cairngorms or stop short, providing access to them only. The approximate southern boundary of the Cairngorm range is generally reckoned to run from slightly east of Braemar, west along the Dee and Glen Geldie to the head of Glen Feshie. The western edge of the range is defined by Glen Feshie and the River Spey as far as Aviemore, with the northern boundary running roughly eastward from Aviemore through Glenmore to Glen Avon. The eastern boundary is defined by Glen Avon and the Am Bealach Dearg, thus ending slightly east of Braemar. The valleys or glens between the individual plateaux were used as drove roads by cattle drovers. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Mountains On History Visit To Glencoe In The Highlands Of Scotland

Tour Scotland Summer travel video, with Scottish bagpipes and drums music, of mountains on ancestry, genealogy, history visit to Glencoe in the Highlands. Glen Coe, Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Comhann, is located in the north of the county of Argyll, close to the border with the historic province of Lochaber, within the modern council area of the Highlands. The south side of the glen is marked by a succession of distinct mountains: Buachaille Etive Beag at the eastern end, followed by the Three Sisters, shoulders of the Bidean nam Bian massif which are subdivided by Coire Gabhail and Coire nan Lochan. The name Coire Gabhail, corrie of the bounty, or hollow of capture, refers to former times when the corrie was used by members of Clan Macdonald to hide cattle and other livestock, whether their own or stolen from others. The wide flat glen is well suited for this purpose since it is a v-shaped glen approached only by a steep narrow gorge. Summits in the Bidean nam Bian massif include Stob Coire Sgreamhach, Stob Coire nan Lochan and Aonach Dubh. By contrast the north side of the glen is a stark wall of mountain, the Aonach Eagach ridge. The ridge is crossed at the eastern end by the Devil's Staircase, an old military road opposite Buachaille Etive Mòr. The western end terminates with the conical Pap of Glencoe, Sgùrr na Cìche, above Glencoe village, at the point where the glen opens out to Loch Leven. This famous Scottish Glen was the site the of the famous Massacre of Glencoe which began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen at Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achnacon, although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. 38 MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Campbell guests who had accepted their hospitality. This Highland location featured a lot in Skyfall the James Bond movie, mainly because it is the most famous Scottish glen and one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world, it also featured in Highlander, Rob Roy, Braveheart and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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