Old Photograph Newtown St. Boswells Scotland

Old photograph of Newtown St. Boswells in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. Situated on the Bowden Burn, Newtown St Boswells is situated between the larger settlements of St Boswells to the South East and Melrose to the North West. Historically, Newtown St Boswells was a centre for milling grain, with watermills on its streams and rivers. It became a regional centre of communication and an exporter of livestock after the opening of its railway station. This importance has declined since the closure of the station in 1969. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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

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Old Photographs High Street Selkirk Scotland

Old photograph of people and buildings on the High Street in Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland. The Selkirk Common Riding is a celebration of the history and traditions of the Royal and Ancient Burgh. Held on the second Friday after the first Monday in June, the ceremony is one of the oldest in the area, with 300 to 400 riders, Selkirk boasts one of the largest cavalcades of horses and riders in Europe. Selkirk still owns common land to the north and south of the town, but only the northern boundary of Linglie is ridden on the day. Selkirk Common Riding commemorates how, after the disastrous Battle of Flodden in 1513, from the eighty men that left the town, only one, Fletcher - returned bearing a captured English flag. Legend has it that he cast the flag about his head to indicate that all the other men of Selkirk had been cut down. At the climax of the day the Royal Burgh Standard Bearer and Crafts and Associations Standard Bearers cast their colours in Selkirk's ancient Market Place. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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

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Old Photograph Burnside Road Tillicoultry Scotland

Old photograph of people on Burnside Road in Tillicoultry in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.



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

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Old Photographs The Sinderins Dundee Scotland

Old photograph of people, Tram and buildings on The Sinderins in Dundee, Scotland. To ‘ sinder ’ in Scots is to part. The Sinderins in the West End of Dundee refers to a parting of the ways or sundering of the roads, one going east along the present Perth Road and the other up the Hawkhill. The rise of the textile industries in Dundee brought with it an expansion of supporting industries, notably of the whaling, maritime and shipbuilding industries and extensive development of the waterfront area started in 1815 to cope with increased demand for port capacity. At its height, 200 ships per year were built there, including Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic research vessel, the RRS Discovery. While the city's economy was dominated by the jute industry, it also became known for smaller industries. Most notable among these were James Keiller's and Sons, established in 1795, which pioneered commercial marmalade production and the publishing firm DC Thomson, which was founded in the city in 1905. Dundee was said to be built on the three Js': Jute, Jam and Journalism. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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

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Old Photograph Bank Street Mid Calder Scotland

Old photograph of shops, houses, cottages and people on Bank Street in Mid Calder in West Lothian, Scotland. This Scottish town is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around 15 miles west of Edinburgh. The town has been on a major crossroads since its origin some time in the eleventh century. James Sandilands received the lands of Calder from his brother-in-law, William IV, Lord of Douglas, in the 14th century. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, Sir James de Sandilands distinguished himself in the wars against the English. For his services he was rewarded with a royal charter of his lands by David II of Scotland. For centuries a large part of the economy of the Scottish Highlands revolved around the breeding and trading of Highland cattle. They were moved along drove roads from all parts of the country, including some of the islands, to trysts or markets held in Crieff and Falkirk. Most of the cattle would then be driven south to feed consumers in England. Several of the drove routes used came together at Mid Calder. Huge herds of cattle would come across fords or bridges over the River Almond before crossing the Pentland Hills to West Linton. The peak year was 1840 when some 150,000 cattle passed through the area over the three months from August to October. This traffic helped support no fewer than nine public houses in the village. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.





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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.