Old Photograph Post Office Easdale Scotland

Old photograph of the Post Office cottage, people and houses in Easdale near Ellenabeich, Scotland. Easdale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Èisdeal, one of the Slate Islands, in the Firth of Lorn. Once a centre of the British slate industry, Easdale had a community of more than 500 working as many as seven quarries, some of which extended to 300 feet below sea level. Easdale slate helped to build major cities of the British Empire and can still be seen on rooftops as far afield as Melbourne in Australia, Nova Scotia and Dunedin in New Zealand and Dublin, Ireland. The great storm of 1850 flooded most of the quarries. Lacking any means of pumping the water away, the slate industry on the island more or less came to an abrupt end. By the early 1960s, the population had dwindled to only four people and the island appeared doomed. Descendants of the original quarrymen, along with others from around the world, have moved to Easdale to create a model of island regeneration. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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Old Photograph Kirk Street Markinch Fife Scotland

Old photograph of cottages and people on Kirk Street in Markinch village in Fife, Scotland. The name Markinch derives from the Scottish Gaelic Mark Innis. Mark is the Gaelic for horse, specifically a steed or charger, and innis is the Gaelic for a meadow or an island, here probably meaning a piece of land rising out of or above a body of water or a bog. The earliest written reference is a charter of around 1050 transferring ownership of the church to the Culdees of Loch Leven.

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

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Old Photograph The Gean House Scotland

Old photograph of the Gean House on Tullibody Road in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. This Scottish mansion house was built as a wedding gift for the eldest son of Alexander Forrester Paton, also named Alexander, who worked in the family business manufacturing woollen yarn. Plans were commissioned from William Kerr, born 1866, died 1940, partner in the local firm of John Melvin and Sons, a tried and tested architect previously engaged to design Patons' imposing headquarters at Kilncraigs in Alloa.



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

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Tour Scotland Playlist Videos St Andrew's Day

Tour Scotland playlist of videos of St Andrew's Day in Scotland. St. Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on the 30th of November. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Romania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and Saint Andrew, Barbados.

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

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Tour Scotland Playlist Videos Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Tour Scotland playlist of videos of Red Hot Chilli Pipers from Scotland. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are an ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards and drummers. Since their formation the Red Hot Chilli Pipers have combined guitars, keyboards, drums and their bagpipes to create 'bagrock' sound. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers perform a fusion of traditional pipe tunes and contemporary pieces.

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

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