Tour Scotland Video Bull Stone Leslie Fife

Tour Scotland travel video of the excellent Bull Stone on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit and trip to Leslie, Fife. This roughly shaped granite boulder stands on the town green. It is a relic of the old pastime of bull-baiting and bears deep grooves, made by the ropes which were used to secure the animals. A Bill for the suppression of this cruel blood sport practice was introduced into the House of Commons in 1802, but was defeated by thirteen votes. It was not finally outlawed until parliament passed the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, which forbid the keeping of any house, pit, or other place for baiting or fighting any bull, bear, dog, or other animal. This Scottish village bears the name of the Leslie family area descended from Bartolf or Bartholomew who was a Hungarian or maybe Flemish tradesman, who according to legend arrived in Scotland with Queen Margaret, the sister of Edgar the Ætheling in 1057.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Video Kneeling Woman Sculpture Edinburgh

Tour Scotland video of the Kneeling Woman sculpture by Frederick Edward McWilliam at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art on visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. F.E. McWilliam, D.Litt., C.B.E., born 30 April, died 13 May 1992), was a Northern Irish surrealist sculptor, born in Banbridge, County Down. He worked chiefly in stone, wood and bronze. He studied for a time at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, England, where he was later to end up teaching. During the first year of the Second World War he joined the Royal Air Force and was stationed in England where he was engaged in interpreting aerial reconnaissance photographs. Even during this time he was still able to exhibit and teach art.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Video Kolbenneblok Sculpture Edinburgh

Tour Scotland video of the Kolbenneblok sculpture by Tony Cragg on visit to the grounds of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art on visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. Tony Cragg was born in Liverpool on 9 April 1949. Between 1966 and 1968 he worked as a lab technician for the National Rubber Producers' Research Association. In 1969 he enrolled in the foundation course at Gloucestershire College of Art and Design in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He studied at Wimbledon School of Art from 1970 to 1973, and then until 1977 at the Royal College of Art. Cragg moved to Wuppertal, in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany in 1977, and in 1978 began teaching at the Kunstakademie of Düsseldorf.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Video Butt To Butt Sculpture Edinburgh

Tour Scotland video of the Butt To Butt sculpture by Bruce Nauman at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art on visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. Bruce Nauman is an American artist. His practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, photography, neon, video, drawing, printmaking, and performance. Nauman lives near Galisteo, New Mexico, USA. Nauman was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but his father's work as an engineer for General Electric meant that the family moved often. He studied mathematics and physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and art with William T. Wiley and Robert Arneson at the University of California, Davis. In 1964 he gave up painting to dedicate himself to sculpture, performance and cinema collaborations with William Allan and Robert Nelson. He worked as an assistant to Wayne Thiebaud. Upon graduation, he taught at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1966 to 1968, and at the University of California at Irvine in 1970. In 1968 he met the singer and performance artist Meredith Monk and signed with the dealer Leo Castelli. Nauman moved from Northern California to Pasadena in 1969. In 1979, Nauman further moved to Pecos, New Mexico.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Self Catering Holiday Cottages Recommendations Ballachulish Glencoe

Tour Scotland self catering holiday cottage recommendation in Ballachulish near Glencoe, Scotland.

3 Angus Crescent is a charming semi detached cottage in the village of Ballachulish in the Scottish Highlands, and can sleep five people in three bedrooms. The cottage can sleep five people in three bedrooms, including one double, one single and one ground floor twin along with a ground floor shower room. The ground floor also contains a sitting room with an electric fire and a kitchen with dining area and doors that lead to the rear garden. Outside there is off road parking, lockable bike storage and an enclosed gravelled garden with furniture. Ballachulish and the surrounding area provides some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in Scotland. The village itself is situated on the banks of unspoilt Loch Leven and is just a mile from Glencoe. Ballachulish attracts many visitors throughout the year and is a perfect base for those wishing to enjoy outdoor pursuits. The village has excellent local services including a village shop, coffee shop, post office, pubs and hotels and it also has its own Tourist Information Centre and gift shop. With nearby Kinlochleven providing the Ice Factor, an indoor ice and rock climbing centre, Fort William 15 miles to the North providing its famous Nevis Range and Glencoe 1 mile south, what an absolutely fabulous holiday location this is.

Strathassynt Cottage is a two bedroom cottage in the West Highland Village of Ballachulish. Comfortable lounge with reclining sofas and chairs, TV with Sky and DVD, and a real fire; dining kitchen with a full range of appliances, and two ensuite bedrooms, one double and one twin with space for an extra bed. A comfortable and cozy family retreat, or a great base for a group of friends wishing to explore. Perfect for the outdoor enthusiast or those just looking to get away from it all and do a little soul recharge. There's a large DVD library available, and a stack of board games for family fun time. Ballachulish is a peaceful village on the A82 main route from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling to Fort William, Oban and on to the Isles of Skye and Mull, Loch Ness and Inverness. We have a Co-op supermarket close by, and the historic Laroch pub/restaurant serving excellent pub food is right across the road.

Stone Cottage provides magnificent views across Loch Leven, whilst the rear facing bedrooms provide scenic woodland views over the cottage grounds, which are close to one acre in size and include a stream and open waterways. The cottage is a short stroll away from both Glencoe and Ballachullish villages, as well as being a few hundred yards for the popular gift and coffee shop Crafts and Things which is an ideal place to relax and enjoy a leisurely breakfast or sample a fine selection of refreshments after your invigorating day out in the mountains. The cottage is an ideal base for walkers and climbers to explore the local area. Watersports and activity centre are either a short walk away or a short drive, so ideal for the family wanting to undertake an activity holiday.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.