Photograph of the Highland Games Field, Markinch, Fife, Scotland.
Tour Scotland Photograph Highland Fling Markinch Fife
Tour Scotland photograph of the Highland Fling being performed at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. The Highland Fling is one of the oldest of the traditional Highland dances of Scotland.
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Photograph Junior Highland Dancers Markinch Scotland
Photograph of Junior Scottish Highland Dancers at Markinch Highland Games, Markinch, Fife, Scotland.
Tour Scotland Photograph Solo Piping Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of the solo Piping competition at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. There were pipes and reeds away back in prehistoric days. The Persians, Chinese and Romans mention bagpipes in their ancient folklore, with Emperor Nero starring as a piper as well as a fiddler. The single drone pipe instrument can be traced back to 100A.D. by Scottish musical historians. The addition of a second drone around 1500, and then the bass drone some 200 years later, led to the instrument being recognised world wide as the Highland Bagpipe.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Throwing The Weight Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of throwing the weight at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. At the Highland Games, the weight throw consists of two separate events, the light weight and the heavy weight. In both cases, the implement consists of a steel or lead weight, usually spherical or cylindrical, attached by a short chain to a metal handle. The handle may be a d-ring, a triangle or a ring. The size of the weight depends on the class of the competition.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Pipe Band Competition Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of the Pipe Band Competition at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of bagpipe players, a section of snare drummers, assisted by tenor drummers and usually one, though occasionally two, bass drummers. The entire drum section is known collectively as the drum corps. The tenor drummers and bass drummer are referred to collectively as the bass section.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Blowing The Bagpipes Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of a Scottish Bagpiper blowing the bagpipes at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. The most important area to concentrate on for the beginning piper is blowing the bagpipe steadily. Many pipers never master this, even after years of playing. The reason for this is that they did not take time in the beginning to practice it. You must master steady blowing in order to get good tone from your instrument. Even the best Bagpipe in the world will not produce good tone unless it is blown steadily.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Throwing The Hammer Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of throwing the hammer at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. This event is similar to the hammer throw as seen in modern day track and field competitions, though with some differences. In the Scottish event, a round metal ball, weighing 16 or 22 lb for men or 12 or 16 lb for women, is attached to the end of a shaft about 4 feet in length and made out of wood, bamboo, rattan, or plastic. With the feet in a fixed position, the hammer is whirled about one's head and thrown for distance over the shoulder. Hammer throwers sometimes employ specially designed footwear with flat blades to dig into the turf to maintain their balance and resist the centrifugal forces of the implement as it is whirled about the head. This substantially increases the distance attainable in the throw.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Cyclists Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of cyclists competing at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. Scotland has a well established grass track cycling scene which has evolved as part of the Highlands games. Most races are handicapped where riders get a head start depending on ability and they tend to cover 800m, 1 mile, 3200m, 6400m and most also include a special race called the Deil tak the Hindmost. The Deil, or Devil, is an elimination race where all riders start together and at the end of each lap the last rider gets eliminated, until you are left with only one rider, who is the winner.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Drum Major Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of a Scottish Drum Major at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. A drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The position of drum major originated in the British Army with the Corps of Drums in 1650. Military groups performed mostly duty calls and battle signals during that period, and a fife and drum corps, directed by the drum major, would use short pieces to communicate to field units. With the arrival of military concert bands and pipe bands around the 18th century, the position of the drum major was adapted to those ensembles.
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Photograph Liberty Hot Dog Stand Scotland
Photograph of a Scottish Pipe Band in front of the "Liberty" Hot Dog Stand, Markinch Highland Games, Markinch, Fife, Scotland.
Tour Scotland Photograph Video Putting The Shot Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of a Scottish competitor putting the shot at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. The shot put is a favourite at all good Highland Games. Competitors throw a large stone of around 20 - 26lbs in weight as far as they can. The stone is thrown either after a short run up to the toeboard or from a fixed standing position, depending on the rules of the competition. The contestant who throws the furthest wins.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Highland Dancers Markinch
Tour Scotland photograph of Scottish Highland Dancers at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. Highland dance or Highland dancing is a style of competitive solo dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games, where it is often performed to the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music. It is now seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Scottish Piper Irn-Bru
Tour Scotland photograph of a Scottish Piper drinking Irn-Bru at the Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland. Irn-Bru is a Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as " Scotland's other national drink " after whisky. It is produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, by A.G. Barr of Glasgow, since moving out of their Parkhead factory in the mid 1990s, and at a second manufacturing site in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Orwell Standing Stones
Tour Scotland photograph of the Orwell Standing Stones, Perthshire, Scotland. Drive from Milnathort towards Balgedie on the A911 and you pass, on your left, these Standing Stones. Both of these standing stones are of whinstone. The western one, rugged and angular, is over seven feet high, while, while the other, smooth sided, is over nine feet high. The discovery of cists and cremation patches in the same field in the early 19th century suggests that the stones have acted as a focus for such burials.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Shop Kinnesswood Perthshire
Tour Scotland photograph of the Post Office and shop with red telephone box in Kinnesswood, Perthshire, Scotland. Kinnesswood, possibly from the Scottish Gaelic words: Ceann eas ciad, meaning " head of the waterfall of the wood, " is a village in Perth and Kinross. It lies to the east of Loch Leven, on the A911 road, below Bishop Hill in the Lomond Hills. It is approximately 4 miles west of Glenrothes and 4 miles east of Kinross.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Anne Young Gravestone
Tour Scotland photograph of the Anne Young gravestone in the graveyard cemetery in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. Here lies Anne Young, spouse of George Henderson, Merchant in Coupar Angus, who died on the 4th day of August, 1734. In England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the surname Young is derived from the Middle English, yunge, and yonge. This particular surname usually originated to distinguish a younger son.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Watchtower Coupar Angus
Tour Scotland photograph of the Watchtower, Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. Coupar Angus graveyard includes this polygon shaped watchtower that was employed in the 19th century as a guard against body snatchers. This burial ground of on the site of the old Abbey, which was founded by King Malcolm in 1164. It is said to have been previously used as a Roman camp.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Tolbooth Tower Coupar Angus
Tour Scotland photograph of the Tolbooth Tower in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. The Tolbooth Tower served as a court and prison and dates from 1702. The town was revitalised in the 19th Century as a market town, manufacturing centre and communication hub following the creation of the turnpike roads and the arrival of the railway.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Clown Coupar Angus
Tour Scotland photograph of a Clown in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. Clowns have a varied tradition with significant variations in costume and performance. The most recognisable modern clown character is the Auguste or " red clown " type, with outlandish costumes featuring distinctive makeup, colourful wigs, exaggerated footwear, and colourful clothing. Their entertainment style is generally designed to entertain large audiences, especially at a distance.
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Tour Scotland Photographs Spinning Wheel
Tour Scotland photograph of a Spinning Wheel in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. Two members from the Ericht Spinning Group who meet on the first Tuesday of the month, except in August, from 10am to 3pm in St Catherine's Community Hall, Blairgowrie. The group has been running for the past twenty years and consists not only of spinners, but weavers, knitters and embroiderers, many of whom travel quite a distance for the monthly meets. A spinning wheel is available for new members to use. Contact: Frances Young 01250 873392.
Photograph of a Spinning Wheel in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland.
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Tour Scotland Photographs Baby Eagle Owl
Tour Scotland photograph of a baby European Eagle Owl in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. This European Eagle Owl is just eight weeks old. The European Eagle Owl is the largest owl in the world, three feet tall, with a wingspan of six feet. They are native to southern and eastern Europe but over the last few years several have been seen in the Highlands of Scotland.
Photograph of a baby European Eagle Owl in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Perthshire Brass Band
Tour Scotland photograph of Perthshire Brass Band in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. Perthshire Brass was founded in 1978 and over the past thirty years the band has built a strong reputation for entertainment across Perthshire and beyond: The players tour regularly, and have performed in Holland, Germany, France, Norway, Czech Republic, and New Zealand. In National Contest terms, the band is relatively young. There have been some notable achievements however, twice named Scottish Band of the Year, and appearing at the British Finals three times in their short history. They are well respected across Scotland for their emphasis on youth development, and for relying on home grown talent in the national contest arena. The band performs regularly around Perthshire and is always looking for opportunities to play to local audiences.
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Tour Scotland Photographs Lanner Falcon
Tour Scotland photograph of a Lanner Falcon in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland. The lanner falcon is a bird of open country. It usually hunts by horizontal pursuit, rather than the peregrine falcon's stoop from a height, and takes mainly bird prey in flight. It lays three to four eggs on a cliff ledge nest, or occasionally in an old stick nest in a tree.
Photograph of a Lanner Falcon in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland.
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Photograph Biplanes Scotland
Photographs of Biplanes at The Heart of Scotland Airshow, Perth Airport, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland.
Photograph of a Biplane in Scotland.
Photograph of a Biplane in Scotland.
Photograph Spitfire Scotland
Photograph of a Spitfire at The Heart of Scotland Airshow, Perth Airport, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland.
Photograph of a Spitfire in Scotland.
Photograph Red Arrows Scotland
Photograph of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows at The Heart of Scotland Airshow, Perth Airport, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. The Red Arrows are renowned throughout the world as ambassadors for both the Royal Air Force and the United Kingdom.
Photograph of the Red Arrows in Scotland.
Photograph of the Red Arrows in Scotland.
Photograph of the Red Arrows in Scotland.
Photograph of the Red Arrows in Scotland.
Photograph of the Red Arrows in Scotland.
Tour Scotland Photograph No 2 Baker Street Stirling
Tour Scotland photograph of No 2 Baker Street, Stirling, Scotland. This pub serving excellent food is located in the centre of Stirling on a corner approaching the castle. Their menu is packed with all your favourite pub classics as well as some more contemporary dishes.
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Photograph Stirling Castle Scotland
Photograph of Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Stirling Bridge
Tour Scotland photograph of Stirling Bridge, Stirling, Scotland. Tour Scotland video of part of a walk over the old bridge over the River Forth on ancestry visit to Stirling. This Scottish bridge was built around 1500 and was the lowest bridging point over the River Forth for almost four centuries. The southern arch was rebuilt in 1749, the original arch having been blown up in 1745 to prevent the Highland army entering Stirling. In 1297, William Wallace fought the Battle of Stirling Bridge against the English army, and won. It was a critical point in Scottish History, effectively marking the start of the Scottish resurgence that led to victory at Bannockburn 17 years later. The only downside of the battle was that the old timber bridge was destroyed, leaving Stirling without a crossing of the river. Doubtless ferryboats would have provided a service in the interim, but it is believed that the bridge was rapidly replaced. The original bridge was sited a little to the north of the current structures, but it's replacement may have been nearer the current site. Battle of Stirling Bridge 11th September 1297.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Stirling
Tour Scotland photograph of Stirling, from Stirling Castle, Scotland. The city is located several miles to the west of the mouth of the River Forth. Historically it was strategically important as the Gateway to the Highlands, with its position near the Highland Boundary Fault between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands and has been described as the brooch which clasps the Highlands and the Lowlands together.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Braveheart Statue
Tour Scotland photograph of the Braveheart Statue, which stood below the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland. A statue of of Mel Gibson as " William Wallace. "
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video Bruce Statue Stirling
Tour Scotland photograph of the Robert The Bruce Statue on the esplanade outside Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland. Bruce was descended from ancestors in Brix, in Flanders. In 1124, King David I granted the massive estates of Annandale to his follower, Robert de Brus, in order to secure the border. The name, Robert, was very common in the family.
Robert the Bruce and William Wallace were of the same period in Scottish history, but their aims were, to begin with, very different.
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Tour Scotland Photograph Video William Wallace Monument
Tour Scotland photograph of the William Wallace Monument, Stirling, Scotland. The National Wallace Monument is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero.
William Wallace entered into the history books during a fairly calm and affluent period of time period in Scottish history.
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