Old Photograph High Street Hawick Scotland

Old photograph of the High Street, Hawick, Scottish Borders, Scotland. Old Hawick. Dating from the thirteenth century, Hawick has a proud history as a market town and the centre of the Borders' textile industry.

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Old Photograph Kilmarnock Cross Scotland

Old photograph of Kilmarnock Cross, Ayrshire, Scotland. In Rambles Around Kilmarnock in 1875, Archibald R Adamson wrote " Kilmarnock Cross is most spacious, although of a most peculiar form, having no less than seven streets branching off it. In the centre stands a marble statue of Sir James Shaw, who rose from a humble position to that of Lord Mayor of London". The seven streets, in clockwise order starting from the north, were Portland Street, Fore Street, Regent Street, Duke Street, Waterloo Street, King Street and Bank Street, and just north of Bank Street, but opening more on to Portland Street than the Cross itself, Croft Street. The Cross looks completely different now. The heavy traffic in the town led to the redevelopments which saw all traffic through this area of the town being stopped completely. A complete redevelopment of the town in the 1970s saw some of the streets demolished, including Duke Street, Fore Street, Regent Street and Waterloo Street. The statue of Jimmy Shaw was at the Cross from 1848 until 1929, when it was removed and placed at London Road. Shops were built along the line of Fore Street's northern end becoming the Foregate, the Burns Shopping Mall covering the old Duke Street area, and the Bus Station and Multi storey Car Park replaced the Regent Street area. Some of these shops are built over the top of the Kilmarnock Water, along the line of Waterloo Street. In the town today there are statues placed on King Street to signify where the water runs under the streets. Another statue has been placed at the Cross now that it is free of traffic. The statue is of Robert Burns and John Wilson, the printer of Burns First Edition. King Street opened in 1804. King Street runs from the Cross over the Kilmarnock Water and on to the junction with Titchfield Street. Many of the fine buildings which were in King Street were demolished during the redevelopments in the 70's. These fine buildings were replaced by the characterless flat roofed shops which stand in their place today. Another two casualties of the redevelopments were the Town House and the King Street Church. These were also demolished at this time.



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Old Photograph Castle Street Aberdeen Scotland

Old photograph of the Mercat Cross and Castle Street in Aberdeen, Scotland. Aberdeen's Mercat Cross was built in 1686 by John Montgomery, a native architect. This open arched structure, 21 feet in diameter and 18 feet high, is a large hexagonal base from the centre of which rises a shaft with a Corinthian capital, on which is the royal unicorn. The base is highly decorated, including medallions illustrating Scottish monarchs from King James I to James VII. Originally erected opposite the Mercat Cross, a statue of George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon, erected in 1844, was relocated to Golden Square.



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Tour Scotland Photograph Interior Dowhill Castle

Tour Scotland photograph of interior of Dowhill Castle near Kinross, Perthshire, Scotland. The original early 16th century tower was the eastern side of extended oblong block forming a palace of late 16th century and early 17th century date. On the north side of the castle was a barmkin of which only the shell of a round tower remains. The upper part of this tower was used as a dovecot. It is a former stronghold of the Lindsays. The Lindsays were prominent in both England and Scotland from the late 11th century. The name most likely derives from the region of Lindsey in England though it could also refer to the village of Limésy in Normandy. Sir Walter de Lindissie accompanied David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon to claim his throne. Walter's great grandson, Sir William de Lindesay, sat in the Parliament of 1164 and was later a justiciar. William Lindsay held the lands of Crawford. The chief's premier title was later Earl of Crawford.Sir William Lindsay sat in Parliament as Baron of Luffness in East Lothian. He probably had two wives, and through his wife Alienora de Limesi came David de Lindsay. Sir William Lindsay's son was Sir David de Lindsay who married a member of the royal family named Marjory. David died in 1214 and was succeeded as Lord Crawford and High Justiciar of Lothian by his son who was also called David. This David also inherited the English estates of Limesay and Wolveray. One of his descendants was another Sir David Lindsay who was Chamberlain of Scotland in 1256.



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May 25th Photograph Barmkin Scotland

May 25th photograph of a Barmkin at Dowhill near Kinross, Scotland. Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and castle houses in Scotland, and the north of England. It has been suggested that etymologically the word may be a corruption of the word barbican. The barmkin would have contained ancillary buildings, and could be used to protect cattle during raids.


May 25th photograph of a Barmkin at Dowhill near Kinross, Scotland.


May 25th photograph of a Barmkin at Dowhill near Kinross, Scotland.


May 25th photograph of a Barmkin at Dowhill near Kinross, Scotland.

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

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Scotland's traditionally built environment is one of its most unique and cherished features. It is something which both draws visitors from around the world and gives Scotland's inhabitants a sense of place and identity. This volume celebrates for the first time the raw materials which have been employed in forming Scotland's traditional buildings. In total 14 different materials are examined, including stone, timber, iron, clay and slate, with each being discussed by an expert in the material, reflecting regional variations, the socio-economic stories behind the materials, and how they have shaped Scotland's traditionally built environment. Each chapter covers aspects of the material such as how it has been utilised over time, geographical variations throughout the country, the properties of the material and examples of its use. Building Scotland.

Medieval Scotland. Of all the Celtic peoples once dominant across the whole of Europe north of the Alps, the Scots were the only ones who established a kingdom that lasted. Wales and Brittany, subject to the same sort of pressure from a powerful neighbour, retained linguistic distinctiveness but lost political nationhood; Ireland became a patchwork of petty kingdoms, unable to throw off the domination of the English. What made Scotland's history so different from theirs? Alan Macquarrie's powerful account of medieval Scotland explores the reasons for Scotland's distinctiveness and its unceasing search for freedom and a national identity. The picture of medieval Scotland that emerges is a surprisingly 'modern' one, with its rich racial mix, the Scots were not a pure Celtic people but a mixture of Celtic races, Gaels, Picts and Britons, with strong non-Celtic elements such as Norse and English, and its strong regional identities making it almost egalitarian. From the situation in Scotland at the end of Roman Britain until the political and religious revolutions of the sixteenth century, including Scotland's achievements in the creative sphere, the social life of the people. Medieval Scotland.