Old Photographs Lochranza Castle Scotland

Old photograph of Lochranza Castle, Island of Arran, Scotland. This Scottish castle is an L-plan tower house situated on a promontory in the middle of Lochranza, on the North of the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Most of the present castle today was built in the sixteenth century. The original building dates to the thirteenth century when it was owned by the MacSweens. In 1262, King Alexander III granted the castle and its lands to Walter Stewart, the Earl of Menteith. It is believed that Robert the Bruce landed at Lochranza in 1306 on his return form Ireland to claim the Scottish throne. By 1371, the castle has become the property of Robert II. It is thought that at this time it was used as a royal hunting lodge. The castle has seen many varied uses over time. During the 1490s, James IV used the castle in his campaign against the Lord of the Isles and his Clan MacDonald. In 1614 it was occupied by James VI and in the 1650s it was used by Cromwell. By 1705, Lochranza Castle had become the property of the Hamilton family, when it was purchased by the Duchess of Hamilton. The Hamilton family had owned other estates on the Isle of Arran. During the eighteenth century, the castle fell into disuse and disrepair and was abandoned.

Old photograph of Lochranza Castle, Island of Arran, Scotland.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Photograph Kelty Fife Scotland

Old photograph of shops, buildings and people in Kelty, Fife, Scotland.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Photograph Ardstinchar Castle Scotland

Old photograph of Ardstinchar Castle, Ballantrae, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Ardstinchar Castle was built by Hugh Kennedy of Ardstinchar, originally a Dominican friar who left his monastery to travel to France, where he took part in the Hundred Years' War as a mercenary and led troops for Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans. He probably inherited the land from his brother, Alexander, who died without issue, and held it by 1429. With another brother, Thomas, he combined estates to form the Barony of Ardstinchar, but retained a life rent on his own land until his death in 1454. His descendants lived in Ardstinchar Castle for more than a century. Mary, Queen of Scots visited the castle in 1563.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Photograph Wellbank Scotland

Old photograph of cottages in Wellbank village, North of Dundee, Scotland.

Recorded as Welbank, Wellbank, and the dialectals Wellband, Wellbond, Willbond, and possibly others, this is a locational surname. It may be from the village of Wellbank, or more likely, as the surname does not seem to be recorded in Scotland itself, from a now " lost " English medieval village. In either case the origination is almost certainly from the pre 7th century Olde English " waella banke " meaning the stream by the ridge or shore.



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Old Photograph Beechgrove Terrace Aberdeen Scotland

Old photograph of a Tram on Beechgrove Terrace in Aberdeen, Scotland. The city's tram system was the most northerly municipal tramway in the United Kingdom. The system was electrified, with trams using the standard trolley poles until 1935 when bow collectors were fitted to take power from the overhead wires. In the late 1930s the city purchased 18 trams from Nottingham Corporation Tramways in England, which closed in 1936. Further second hand trams were later obtained from Manchester. The last new trams for the city were built by R Y Pickering of Wishaw in 1949. The city's last tram operated on 3 May 1958, being replaced by diesel buses.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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