Tour Scotland photographs and videos from my tours of Scotland. Photography and videography, both old and new, from beautiful Scotland, Scottish castles, seascapes, rivers, islands, landscapes, standing stones, lochs and glens.
Old travel Blog photograph of a Pipe Band on Johnstone Terrace below Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock.As the backdrop to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the annual Edinburgh International Festival the castle has become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh and of Scotland and indeed, it is Edinburgh's most frequently visited visitor attraction.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of female Munition workers and Scottish Command Staff in Edinburgh, Scotland. Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793. The Scottish District was commanded by the Commander in Chief, Scotland. In January 1876 a Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland was published, with the Active Army divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. 8th Corps was to be formed within Scottish Command, based at Edinburgh. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled District Commands. VI Corps was to be formed in a reconstituted Scottish Command, with Headquarters at Edinburgh. Lieutenant General Sir Charles Tucker was appointed acting General Officer Commanding in Chief of VI Corps in April 1903. Scottish Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in 1955.
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All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the 5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers at Caigton Camp by Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The 5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, Territorial Force, was established on 1st April 1908 by the amalgamation of the 3rd, Dumfries Volunteer Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers and the Galloway, Kirkcudbright and Wigtown, Volunteer Rifle Corps Stranraer. The battalion was renamed the 5th Dumfries and Galloway Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers in March 1909 and it was under this title that the battalion offered itself for service overseas on the outbreak of the First World War.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of a Northern And Scottish Airways Spartan Cruiser, 8 seater, 6 passengers and 2 crew, airrcaft in Glasgow, Scotland. Highland Airways and Northern and Scottish Airways merged in 1938 to form Scottish Airways. From 1941 they carried airmail for the Air Ministry for troops stationed on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. In 1945 the airline was authorised to operate an airway letter service one way between Stornoway and Glasgow until they were taken over by British European Airways in 1947. In addition to its Isle of Lewis routes, Scottish Airways also had a Glasgow, Renfrew to Campbeltown and Islay route, Northern and Scottish also operated for a short time on a route from Glasgow, Renfrew Airport to Hall Caine aerodrome on the Isle of Man.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the road to the coast by Davaar Island at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch off the east coast of Kintyre, in Argyll, Scotland. This uninhabited Scottish island is known for its seven caves, one of which contains a life size cave painting depicting the crucifixion, painted in 1887 by local artist Archibald MacKinnon after he had a vision in a dream suggesting him to do so.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the James Gale Memorial in Milngavie, a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. An Art Nouveau style monument erected in 1904 outside the Milngavie water treatment works in honour of J M Gale, the Glasgow Corporation Water Works engineer. The memorial comprises a bronze plaque and drinking fountain with basin, the former bearing the words, " In Memory of James M Gale, engineer to the Glasgow Corporation Water Department 1859 to 1902. " The memorial was erected by the employees as a token of respect and esteem in 1904.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of vintage vehicles on the hairpin bend on the road to Aberfoyle, Trossachs, Scotland. Aberfoyle has connections to many historical figures such as Rob Roy and Mary, Queen of Scots. Robert Roy MacGregor was born at the head of nearby Loch Katrine, and his well known cattle stealing exploits took him all around the area surrounding Aberfoyle. It is recorded, for example, that in 1691, the MacGregors raided every barn in the village of Kippen and stole all the villagers livestock.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the walking path by the River Annan at Annan near Dumfries, Scotland. The River Annan, Abhainn Anann in Gaelic, rises at Annanhead Hill and flows through the Devil's Beef Tub, Moffat and Lockerbie, reaching the sea at Annan, Dumfries and Galloway. It is one of the region's foremost fishing rivers. Annan stands on the River Annan from which it is named. It was at Annan in December 1332 that supporters of Robert The Bruce overwhelmed Balliol's forces to bring about the end of the first invasion of Scotland in the Second War of Scottish Independence. The Balliols and the Douglases were also more or less closely associated with Annan. During his retreat from Derby, Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed at an Inn on the High Street. Annan served as a maritime town whose shipyards built many clippers and other boats. Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston, born in Annan on 19 March 1764, died 5 January 1823, was briefly Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales, Australia after leading the rebellion later known as the Rum Rebellion.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Duke Of Wellington Statue on Newmarket Street in Falkirk, Scotland. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, born 1 May 1769, died 14 September 1852, was an Anglo Irish soldier and statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th century Britain. His defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 put him in the first rank of Britain's military heroes. After the end of his active military career, Wellington returned to politics. He was twice British prime minister as part of the Tory party: from 1828 to 1830, and for a little less than a month in 1834. He oversaw the passage of the Catholic Relief Act 1829, but opposed the Reform Act 1832. He continued as one of the leading figures in the House of Lords until his retirement and remained Commander-in-Chief of the British Army until his death.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the road to Strathpeffer, Scotland. In the Victorian era Strathpeffer was popular as a spa resort, owing to the discovery of sulphurous springs in the 18th century. The pump room in the middle of the village dates from 1819. Soon after that, a hospital and a hotel were also built. The Strathpeffer Pavilion dates from 1880, and was built to provide a venue for entertainment of the visitors. The railway station closed in February 1946. The Clach an Tiompain, in English, the Sounding Stone or The Eagle Stone is a small Class I Pictish stone located near the northern entrance of Strathpeffer. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the launching of the Lusitania ocean liner in 1906 at the John Brown and Company Shipyard in Clydebank by Glasgow, Scotland. This Scottish shipyard built many notable and world famous ships including RMS Lusitania, HMS Hood, HMS Repulse, RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Elizabeth 2. At its height, from 1900 to the 1950s, it was one of the most highly regarded, and internationally famous, shipbuilding companies in the world. The sinking of the Cunard ocean liner RMS Lusitania occurred on Friday, 7 May 1915 during the First World War, as Germany waged submarine warfare against the United Kingdom which had implemented a naval blockade of Germany. The ship was identified and torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 and sank in 18 minutes. The vessel went down 11 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, killing 1,198 and leaving 761 survivors. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, contributed to the American entry into World War I and became an iconic symbol in military recruiting campaigns of why the war was being fought.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the launching of the Aquitania ocean liner on 21 April 1913, at the John Brown and Company Shipyard in Clydebank by Glasgow, Scotland. This Scottish shipyard built many notable and world famous ships including RMS Lusitania, HMS Hood, HMS Repulse, RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Elizabeth 2. At its height, from 1900 to the 1950s, it was one of the most highly regarded, and internationally famous, shipbuilding companies in the world. Aquitania sailed on her maiden voyage to New York on 30 May 1914. Aquitania was the third in Cunard Line's " grand trio " of express liners, preceded by RMS Mauretania and RMS Lusitania, and was the last surviving four-funnelled ocean liner. Shortly after entering service, World War I broke out, during which she was first transformed into an auxiliary cruiser before being transformed into a troop transport and a hospital ship, notably as part of the Dardanelles Campaign.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the launching of the Queen Mary ocean liner on September 26th, 1934 at the John Brown and Company Shipyard in Clydebank by Glasgow, Scotland. This Scottish shipyard built many notable and world famous ships including RMS Lusitania, HMS Hood, HMS Repulse, RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Elizabeth 2. At its height, from 1900 to the 1950s, it was one of the most highly regarded, and internationally famous, shipbuilding companies in the world. Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage on 27 May 1936 and captured the Blue Riband in August of that year; she lost the title to SS Normandie in 1937 and recaptured it in 1938, holding it until 1952 when she was beaten by the new SS United States. With the outbreak of the Second World War, she was converted into a troopship and ferried Allied soldiers for the duration of the war.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Clan MacDuff Motel by Fort William, Scotland. Historically, this area of Lochaber was strongly Clan Cameron country, and there were a number of mainly Cameron settlements in the area. The town grew in size as a settlement when the fort was constructed to control the population after Oliver Cromwell's invasion during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and then to suppress the Jacobite uprisings of the 18th century. Fort William is now a major tourist centre, with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the east and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Druim Pass in Strathglass, in the Highlands of Scotland. In 1801, William, the 24th Clan Chief of Chisholm, began the clearances in Strathglass. In the period of one year, half of the clan were evicted. Many left for Canada and Nova Scotia. After William's death, his son was still a minor; but his wife Elizabeth continued with the evictions for one sole purpose, to pay for her son's, the future 25th Chisholm, education at Cambridge. Bishop Chisholm had pleaded with her to end the evictions: " Oh! Madam, you would really feel if you only heard the pangs and saw the oozing tears by which I am surrounded in this once happy but now devastated valley of Strathglass, looking out all anxiously for a home without forsaking their dear valley; but it will not do, they must emigrate ! " She promised the tenants, who had gone to her for help, to come up with a solution. But she never did. Two sheep farmers, Thomas Gillespie and William MacKenzie, had convinced her that she should continue with the “improvements” to her land. The evictions continued with the Cambridge educated son, Alexander. He followed in his parents’ footsteps and totally depopulated Strathglass. It was said that only one Chisholm remained. Bard and poet in the old Gael tradition, Donald Chisholm, wrote these words: " Our chief is losing his kin! He prefers sheep in the glens, and his young men away in the camp of the army ! " A man of the time described Alexander as wanting nothing so much as to replace all his people, " his family from the beginning of time," with sheep. And, unfortunately, it was true.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the road through Queens Forest near Aviemore, South of Inverness, Scotland. Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill walking in the Cairngorm Mountains. There are excellent views of the Cairngorms from various places within the town, especially from the railway station. The Aviemore stone circle is located within a residential neighbourhood of the town.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Chapter House in the in Glenluce, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. This village is in the parish of Old Luce in Wigtownshire, Scotland. It lies on the A75 road between Stranraer and Newton Stewart. Near to the village is Glenluce Abbey, a disused Cistercian monastery built in 1192 by Lochlann, Lord of Galloway. Following the Reformation it was abandoned, falling into its current ruinous state. Glenluce was served by Glenluce railway station from 1862 by the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway which provided a strategic link to Northern Ireland under British Rail. However, it was cut under the Beeching Axe in 1965.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Kilbowie Swing Bridge in Clydebank, a town situated on the north bank of the River Clyde in West Dunbartonshire by Glasgow, Scotland. This swing bridge, carrying the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway over the Forth and Clyde Canal, was designed and built by Sir William Arrol and Company. Weighing 416 tons, it was swung by hand gear worked from a small platform on the side of the main girders. Before 1870, the area which later became Clydebank was largely rural, and agricultural. It consisted of some villages, Hardgate, Faifley, Duntocher, Dalmuir, Old Kilpatrick, farms and estates, with some small scale mining operations, coal, limestone and whinstone, several cotton mills and some small boat building yards. At the start of the 1870s, however, the growing trade and industry in Glasgow resulted in the Clyde Navigation Trustees needing additional space for shipping quays in Glasgow. The Queen Mary a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily on the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line was built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank.The ship was named after Queen Mary, consort of King George V. On 13 and 14 March 1941, Luftwaffe bombers attacked various targets in and around Clydebank. In what became known as the Clydebank Blitz, the town itself was seriously damaged as were the local shipyards and armaments factories such as the Dalnottar Oil depot and the Singer's Sewing Machine factory. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the hotel by the coast in Lochgilphead, Scotland. In the World War Two movie, 633 Squadron, Lochgilphead's main street features briefly in an aerial shot, as the bombers of 633 Squadron fly over the unnamed town en route to the target in Norway. The James Bond film From Russia with Love used locations in Lochgilphead for shots. The local cinema was used to watch screen rushes each day for the cast and crew.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Cuddy Bridge a stone built single arch bridge which spans the Leithen Water in Innerleithen in the Borders of Scotland.. This bridge was built in 1701 to enable parishioners on the east side of the Leithen to attend the former church which stood at the Kirklands a quarter of a mile to the north of the bridge. The Cuddy Brig is also the starting point for the footpath leading to the cairns on Windy Knowe.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of a man loading Reeds from Mugdrum Island in the River Tay, offshore from the town of Newburgh, Fife, Scotland. Mugdrum's name is from muc-dhruim, the Scottish Gaelic for hog back. However, this was applied to the coast opposite in Perthshire, which part it was named for. The reeds on the island were once harvested for thatching houses and cottages and for protecting potatoes during transshipment. Until 1926, a 50 acre farm grew cereals, potatoes and turnips in the island's alluvial soil. It is now a nature reserve under the stewardship of the Tay Valley Wildfowlers' Association.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the road from Ullapool, below Stac Pollaidh mountain, to Lochinver, Sutherland, Scotland. Stac Pollaidh is a mountain in the Northwest Highlands. The peak displays a rocky crest of Torridonian sandstone, with many pinnacles and steep gullies. The ridge was exposed to weathering as a nunatak above the ice sheet during the last Ice Age, while the ice flow carved and scoured the smooth sides of the mountain. The modern Gaelic name is a recent invention. The peak is named on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps simply as " An Stac ", the pinnacle, and on later maps as " Stac Polly ". The " Polly " element is of Norse origin, derived from " Pollå " meaning " pool river ".
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of cottages by the beach on Mary Street in Shieldaig, Wester Ross, Highlands, Scotland. This Scottish Highlands village was founded in 1800 with a view to training up seamen for war against Napoleon. After his, initial, defeat and exile to Elba, the community found itself a new role as a fishing village. Shieldaig did not escape the effects of the Highland Clearances. The village was part of the vast Applecross Estate and the community’s problems began when the estate changed hands from the MacKenzies of Applecross to the Duke of Leeds, whose wife was one of the family who had been responsible for the cruel Sutherland Clearances. The Duchess entrusted local matters to her gamekeeper, who, it soon became obvious, preferred sheep herds and sheep to mariners and sailors. Shieldaig fared badly in the next 30 years.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Outer Court of the old College in Glasgow, Scotland. Glasgow University is the second oldest University in Scotland, second to St. Andrews in Fife, and was inaugurated in 1451 at the request of William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow. On his instigation, King James II applied to Pope Nicholas V who issued a Papal Bull, and in doing so gave Glasgow the opportunity to create a Studium Generale which would possess all of the powers of a University. Initially lectures were held in the Chapter House of Glasgow Cathedral, until 1457 when building started on the High Street. It was in 1460 that James Lord Hamilton donated to the Faculty of Arts an area of land on the east side on the High Street, and in 1560 a further endowment of money and land was given by Mary Queen of Scots. The University remained at this site until the 17th century, when new building works began in the area directly behind the High Street, and eventually grew to replace the original building on the High Street.
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Old travel Blog photograph of John Ferguson from Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Ferguson surname is of Old Gaelic origin, found in Ireland and Scotland, and is a patronymic form of " Fergus ", from an Old Gaelic personal name " Fearghus ", composed of the elements " fear ", man, and " gus ", vigour, force, with the patronymic ending " son ". This Gaelic personal name was the name of an early Irish mythological figure, a valiant warrior, and was also the name of the grandfather of St. Columba. Ferguson is by far the most popular and widespread form of Fergus. Some Irish bearers of the name Fergus claim descent from Fergus, Prince of Galloway who died in 1161. Ferguson is widespread in Ireland in Ulster, where it is of Scottish descent. The surname is first recorded in Scotland in the mid 15th Century where the Fergusons are classed among the septs of Mar and Atholl.
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Old travel Blog photograph of two Football players from Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events in Scottish history have taken place. Mary of Guise ruled Scotland from Leith in 1560 as Regent while her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots remained in France. Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, to a site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. Leith Docks became known as the port for Edinburgh and modest shipbuilding and repair facilities grew. On 20 May 1806. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the lighthouse on the Bass Rock in the Firth Of Forth of the coast near North Berwick, Scotland. This a a steep sided volcanic rock, 351 ft high at its highest point, and is home to a large colony of gannets. The rock is currently uninhabited, but historically has been settled by an early Christian hermit, and later was the site of an important castle, which was, after the Commonwealth, used as a prison. The island was in the ownership of the Lauder family for almost six centuries, and now belongs to Sir Hew Fleetwood Hamilton-Dalrymple. A lighthouse was constructed on the rock in 1902, and the remains of a chapel are located there. The Bass Rock features in numerous works of fiction, including Robert Stevenson's Catriona.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Balvaig Bridge over the River Balvaig near Balquhidder, Scotland. The River Balvaig, Scottish Gaelic: Abhainn Balvaig, is a short river approximately 5 miles long draining from the head of Loch Voil near Balquhidder, then passing southwards through the village of Strathyre before flowing into the northern end of Loch Lubnaig. The Maclaurins acquired the district as early as the 9th century and occupied it for several hundred years until ousted by the Macgregors, a neighbouring clan, who had repeatedly raided their lands, and in 1558 slew the chief and many of his followers. The Parish is also an ancient seat to branches of the Stewart and Fergusson Clans.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Ullapool, Scotland. A village in the Scottish Highlands. On the east shore of Loch Broom, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a herring fishing port by the British Fisheries Society. It was designed by Thomas Telford. The harbour is still the edge of the village, used as a fishing port, yachting haven, and ferry port. Ferries sail to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. The village lies on the A835 road from Inverness. The Ullapool River flows through the village. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland. A village on the North West coast of the Scottish Highlands. It is located on the Lochalsh peninsula, at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. A ferry used to connect the two villages until it was replaced by the Skye Bridge, about a mile to the west, in 1995. Kyle of Lochalsh railway station is connected to Inverness by the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line, built in 1897 to improve public transport to the north west of Scotland. The line ends on the water's edge, near where the ferry connection used to run. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Alloa, a town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is located on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to be the River Forth and becomes the Firth of Forth. In 1813 the first steamboat started to operate out of Alloa harbour.After the improvements were made to the harbour during the 18th century, Alloa thrived as a river port through which the products of Glasgow manufacture were exported to continental Europe. The town was known for its weaving and glassmaking industries well into the 19th and early 20th centuries. Alloa was long associated with the brewing industry, with at least nine major breweries producing ales at its height. George Brown was born in Alloa on November 29, 1818, he was a Scottish born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation. A noted Reform politician, he is best known as the founder and editor of the Toronto Globe. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Grangemouth, South of Stirling, Scotland. Grangemouth's original growth as a town relied mainly on its geographical location. Originally a bustling port, trade flowed through the town with the construction of the Forth and Clyde Canal in the 18th century. Nowadays, the economy of Grangemouth is focused primarily on the large petrochemical industry of the area which includes an oil refinery, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The town is twinned with La Porte, Indiana, USA. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of Winter ice on rocks by the River Tay on visit to the Highlands of Perthshire, Scotland. A widespread sharp frost, severe in places with lowest temperatures in the Perthshire Glens. The River Tay, Scottish Gaelic: Tatha, is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui, Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laoigh, then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochart, Loch Iubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay, in the centre of Scotland, then southeasterly through Perth, where it becomes tidal, to its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee.
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Tour Scotland video of smallpipes music being played on visit to Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. Small Pipes are one of the first documented bagpipes in Scotland, along with the Border pipes, which were popular in the Lowland areas of Scotland as far north as Aberdeen. Evidence shows them to have existed since the 15th century.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old Travel Blog photograph of Blacksmiths in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland. The first settlement to be known as Lerwick was founded in the 17th century as a herring and white fish seaport to trade with the Dutch fishing fleet. When Lerwick became more prosperous through sea trade and the fishing industry during the 19th century, the town expanded in 1891 to the west of Hillhead, thereby including the former civil parishes of Gulberwick und Quarff, as well as the islands parish of Burra. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Chancel of the Parish Church in Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Renfrew is a town 6 miles west of Glasgow. The first record of an existing church at Renfrew occurs in 1136, when it was given to Glasgow Cathedral. The original church was erected by Walter Fitz Alan, who was created High Steward of Scotland by King David I, on the Inch of Renfrew; it was dedicated to St. James, the patron saint of the Fitz Alan family. The monks were lodged not on the Inch, but on the mainland where they built a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The present church stands on the site of this chapel. After the monks left, the Renfrew church would assume the title of the Church of St. Mary and St. James, which it has at present. Several churches may have occupied the site; the size and layout of the church prior to the Reformation may be deduced from old charters. At a certain period the church seems to have changed in name from that of St. Mary and St. James. The present church was built in 1861.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Steel Truss bridge over the River Tay in Grandtully near Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland. Until it was replaced, the old Steel Truss bridge at Grandtully used to carry the A827 across the River Tay. Fortunately, today it just carries a minor village road, and the new route of the A827 allows larger vehicles to bypass it. The old bridge suffers from a number of constraints. Firstly, it is at right angles to the river, while the road at either end runs parallel to the river. This means that traffic has to make two right-angled turns to use the bridge, one at either end. The second, and possibly more difficult problem is that the bridge is only really wide enough for single file traffic, but this issue pales into insignificance compared to the final problem - the bridge is subject to a 3 Tonne weight limit, with signs requesting that no more than one vehicle is on the bridge at any one time! It has now also been subjected to an advisory 10mph speed limit.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of a vintage coach on the road to Sligachan, Isle Of Skye, Scotland. Sligachan is close to the Cuillin mountains with a good viewpoint for seeing the Black Cuillin mountains. Tradition has it that the Lord of the Isles attacked Skye in 1395, but William MacLeod met the MacDonalds at Sligachan and drove them back to Loch Ainort. There they found that their galleys had been moved offshore by the MacAskills, and every invader was killed. The spoils were divided at Creag an Fheannaidh, Rock of the Flaying or Creggan ni feavigh, Rock of the Spoil, sometimes identified with the Bloody Stone in Harta Corrie below the heights of Sgurr nan Gillean.
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Old travel Blog photograph of Braidburn Dairy on Braid road in Morningside, Edinburgh, Scotland. The Braid estate was one of the large estates that surrounded the old village of Morningside, which was a rural area of open fields and countryside that stretched south from the Jordan Burn, the southern boundary of the city of Edinburgh. The Braidburn dairy, now demolished, was a series of long low whitewashed buildings. The village was an important stop for farmers on their way to Edinburgh and boasted at least two Blacksmiths.
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All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Castle Park Barracks in Dunbar, East Lothian. The barracks have their origins in a hotel known as the New Inn which provided accommodation for officers from 1797. Private soldiers, who were not allowed to use the New Inn, had to use tented accommodation at Belhaven Sands and West Barns Links during the Napoleonic Wars. The War Office acquired both the hotel and Lauderdale House, a large property designed by Robert Adam, and developed the whole site into barracks in 1855. During the First World War the barracks served as the 6th cavalry depot providing accommodation for the 1st King's Dragoon Guards, the 5th Dragoon Guards, the 1st Royal Dragoons and the 2nd Dragoons Royal Scots Greys. During the Second World War the barracks served as headquarters for the 165th Officer Cadet Training Unit. The barracks were decommissioned in 1955 and the property sold to Dunbar Council. Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the south east coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is home to the Dunbar Lifeboat Station, the second oldest RNLI station in Scotland. Dunbar gained a reputation as a seaside holiday and golfing resort in the 19th century. I hope these might be of interest to folks with Scottish Ancestry or Roots in Scotland.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of a woman standing outside a Boarding House in Galashiels, Borders, Scotland. A boarding house is a house, frequently a family home, in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide " room and board, " that is, at least some meals as well as accommodation. Robert Burns> wrote two poems about Galashiels, " Sae Fair Her Hair " and " Braw Lads ". The latter is sung by the some of the townsfolk each year at the Braw Lads Gathering. Sir Walter Scott built his home, Abbotsford, just across the River Tweed from Galashiels. The Sir Walter Scott Way, a long distance walking path from Moffat to Cockburnspath passes through Galashiels.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Drama Club in the village hall in Reston village in Berwickshire, Scotland. The village lies on the western bank of the Eye Water. Reston was once the location of the railway station and junction between the Berwickshire Railway and King's Cross, London, England and Edinburgh. Both the Berwickshire Railway and station are now closed. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Market Cross in Wigtown, Scotland. The earliest reference to the market cross and tron of Wigtown occurs in the 1457 charter. It appears that the market cross stood in front of the old court house and was removed for a short time in the 18th century. While the square was under construction, the market cross was stored in the jail, A second market cross was erected in the main street in 1816, and at some point the original was brought out of its confinement and placed to the west of it. At some time later the older market cross was repaired, re-painted, and re-sited to the east of the second. Wigtown gives its name to the county of Wigtownshire. Wigtown was made a royal burgh in 1469 although a settlement here existed long before this. The burgh is mentioned in an indenture of 1292, and the fact that the sheriffdom was in existence at the time of the Largs campaign of 1263 suggests that the burgh may also have been recognized as such during the reign of King Alexander III.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of West High Street in Coldstream, Borders, Scotland. The town lies on the north bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland in England lies to the south bank, with Cornhill-on-Tweed the nearest village. A former burgh, Coldstream is the home of the Coldstream Guards, a regiment in the British Army, and is the location where Edward I of England invaded Scotland in 1296. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Coldstream was a popular centre for runaway marriages, much like Gretna Green.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Woodmarket Street in Kelso, Scotland. Kelso is a market town in the Scottish Borders and former county town of Roxburghshire. Being a town of trades and selling throughout its history, it is little wonder that the street names allude to that. Woodmarket, Coalmarket, Peat Wynd, Horsemarket, Oven Wynd, Mill Wynd, Distillery Lane all give obvious clues to the past. The town of Kelso came into being as a direct result of the creation of Kelso Abbey in 1128. The town's name stems from the fact that the earliest settlement stood on a chalky outcrop, and the town was known as Calkou. Kelso's main tourist attractions are the ruined Kelso Abbey and Floors Castle, a William Adam designed house completed in 1726. The Kelso Bridge was designed by John Rennie who later built London Bridge. A small hamlet existed before the completion of the abbey in 1128 but the settlement started to flourish with the arrival of the monks. Many were skilled craftsmen, and they helped the local population as the village expanded. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Mermaids Well, next to the Mermaid’s Pool, hidden away near Dod Mill by Lauder in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. Lauder is a town in the historic county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. The town developed in a pattern which was typical of a Scottish Burgh. The Tolbooth, later known as the Town House overlooked the Market Place. Lauder is situated beside what was in Roman times a main route north from England, Dere Street. The route came from Trimontium, modern Newstead, near Melrose, following the valleys to pass over the Lammermuirs at their west end at Soutra, In the 12th Lauder was the site of a major castle built by the de Morville family. Later, the site was used as a fort by the English. Later, still, the same site became the site of Thirlestane Castle Before 1500 the town had been created a Burgh by Royal Charter, the rights being renewed by James IV in 1502. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Blackford Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. Blackford Hill was bought by the Edinburgh Corporation in 1884, and the adjacent Hermitage of Braid estate was gifted to the city of Edinburgh in 1938, by its final owner, John McDougal. The hill has clear views over Edinburgh to the north, and the Pentland Hills to the south. It is popular with walkers, as it has many well established paths, as well as runners and other leisure users. There is a wide range of flora and fauna within a green belt area of Edinburgh, making it an important target for conservation.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Bridge of Keig over the River Don near Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Bridge of Keig was built in 1817 by Thomas Telford. Brilliantly spare treatment: the River Don is crossed by a single segmental arch of a span of 101 feet in sharply squared granite. Above, the road is carried on a slight hump. Alford village gave its name to a battle of the Battle of Alford in 1645. It is also the home of the world popular Aberdeen Angus cattle breed. It is thought that the original breeding ground of the cattle was Buffal, located between Tough, Tulloch, and Craigievar nearby Alford.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Grotto over the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1741, the 2nd Marquis of Annandale left Craigiehall to his nephew, Charles Hope Weir, born 1710, died 1791, second son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun. Hope Weir travelled to Europe on the grand tour in 17545, taking with him the young architect Robert Adam, and was inspired to improve the Craigiehall estate on his return. A walled forecourt and the formal gardens in front of the house were removed. He planted numerous trees across the estate, laid out avenues, and had several garden buildings constructed. The Grotto is dated 1757, it overlooks a particularly picturesque section of the River Almond, with rapids flowing below.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Market Cross in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. One of the first references to Haddington Market Cross occurs in 1425. A pre Reformation cross existed until 1693 when a notice in the Town Council records indicates that stones had been purchased for " building ane new cross ". That cross was said to have had a square base with four steps, surmounted by a unicorn. In 1811 an Englishman climbed the cross, but in the process pulled over the shaft and broke it into pieces. That cross was subsequently replaced by a wooden post, about 12 feet high, in 1853. The current market cross, gifted in 1881, stands in the High Street near the site of the original cross.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland. During the Victorian era, Rothesay developed as a popular tourist destination. It became hugely popular with visitors from Glasgow. Rothesay was also the location of one of Scotland's many hydropathic establishments during the 19th century boom years of the Hydropathy movement. The town also had an electric tramway, the Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway, which stretched across the island to one of its largest beaches. However, this closed in the mid 1930s.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
