Tour Scotland Video Dunnottar Castle

Tour Scotland windy day video of Dunnottar Castle, Scotland. A ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky outcrop on the north-east coast of Scotland, about two miles south of Stonehaven. Dunnottar was besieged by Montrose in 1645, and again in 1651 by Cromwell.

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

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Tour Scotland Video Blackness Castle

Tour Scotland travel video of Blackness Castle on the south shore on ancestry, history and trip to Firth of Forth in West Lothian. This castle was built, probably on the site of an earlier fortress, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. In the TV show Outlander, Blackness Castle features as Fort William, the garrison fortress under the command of Black Jack Randall. At this time, Blackness was the main port serving the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow, one of the main residences of the Scottish monarch. The castle, together with the Crichton lands, passed to King James II of Scotland in 1453, and the castle has been crown property ever since. It served as a state prison, holding such prisoners as Cardinal Beaton and the 6th Earl of Angus. Strengthened by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart in the mid 16th century, the castle became one of the most advanced artillery fortifications of its time in Scotland. A century later, though, these defences were not enough to prevent Blackness falling to Oliver Cromwell's army in 1650.

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

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Tour Scotland Video Bagpiper Blair Castle

Tour Scotland video of a Scottish Bagpiper at Blair Castle, Perthshire, Scotland.

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

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Tour Scotland Video Skull Robert the Bruce

Tour Scotland video of the cast of the skull of King Robert the Bruce in the Abbey in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The rosewood box with brass inlay holds a plaster cast of the skull of King Robert I, born 1306, died 1329. Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, was originally a supporter of the English King, Edward I, before changing his allegiance to the Scots. After murdering his close rival, John Comyn, in 1306, he claimed the Scottish throne as the great-great-grandson of David I and, despite opposition, he was crowned at Scone by Perth, Perthshire. To achieve independence for Scotland, at the same time as fighting his Scottish enemies, he proceeded to remove the English from Scottish castles and garrisons, until by 1314 only Stirling held out. The ensuing battle at Bannockburn led to Bruce's decisive victory against the English. Bruce's army continued to harass the English until Edward III, in 1328, was forced to acknowledge his sovereignty and his heirs as kings of Scotland. After his death in 1329 the body of Robert I was interred at Dunfermline Abbey where it lay until the Abbey's Great Tower collapsed in 1818. The site was cleared prior to rebuilding and many tombs were uncovered, including that of Bruce, whose tomb was opened. His remains were examined and measured and a plaster cast of the skull was made by William Scoular. Bruce's body was re-interred at Dunfermline Abbey in 1819 amid great scenes of national fervour. The stand is inscribed: Cast in plaster by William Scouler 1819. Interred 1329. Re-interred 1819.

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Tour Scotland Video Happy Guests

Tour Scotland video of Happy guests enjoying a dram of whisky on one of my small group tours of Scotland. My guests with a Ghillie at Newtyle Salmon fishing beat by Birnam, Perthshire.

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

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