Old Photographs Rachan House Scotland

Old photograph of Rachan House by Broughton in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. James Tweedie, of Quarter and Rachan, and his father, spent £80,000 between 1838 and 1860 on the purchase of Rachan and other properties. Rachan from at least 1406 to 1752, belonged to the Geddeses, of whom James Geddes, born 1710, died 1748, was author of An Essay on the Composition of the Ancients.

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

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Old Photograph Children Broxburn Scotland

Old photograph of children on the main street in Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland. The village that later became Broxburn probably originated around 1350 when Margery le Cheyne inherited the eastern half of the Barony of Strathbrock, Easter Strathbrock, on the death of her father, Sir Reginald le Cheyne III. The hamlet that grew up around her residence was then called Eastertoun, eastern town, after the land on which it stood. The lands of Strathbrock were earlier owned by Freskin the Fleming, granted to him under a charter from King David I. Eastertoun was burned to the ground sometime in 1443 during a conflict between William, Earl of Douglas, Lieutenant General of Scotland, and William, Lord Crichton, Chancellor of Scotland. It was destroyed again in 1455 during fighting between the Douglases and King James II. After the conflict, peace was regained and the town was gradually resettled. The village was renamed Broxburn in 1600 by Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington, Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland. 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 Ruthven House Meigle Scotland

Old photograph of Ruthven House by Meigle, Perthshire, Scotland. John Bannerman Milne, born 1902, died 1968, once owned this house. He was born one of three sons of Charles Milne, a Dundee coal merchant. When he was nine, he bought his first violin. By the age of sixteen, he was working at Dura Works Jute Mill from 5.30am to 6.00pm, teaching the violin from 6.00pm to 8.00pm and then playing in a dance hall until midnight. His first entertainment job was at the Variety Theatre, Dundee, as a 19 shillings a week " musical director and cleaner ". He eventually bought the theatre in 1925 and never looked back. Within ten years he presided over a theatre, cinema and bingo empire that stretched from Stornaway to Galashiels. 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 Tollcross Park Glasgow Scotland

Old photograph of children outside the entrance to Tollcross Park in Glasgow, Scotland. The park is located in the heart of Glasgow's East End some 3 miles east of the City Centre. Wellshot Road, Tollcross Road and Muiryfauld Drive surround the park. 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.

Old Photograph Beechgrove Street Moffat Scotland

Old photograph of people walking along Beechgrove Street in Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Moffat was a notable market in the wool trade, and this is commemorated with a statue of a ram by William Brodie in the town's marketplace. The ram was presented to the town by William Colvin, a local businessman, in 1875. From 1633 Moffat began to grow from a small village into a popular spa town. The infamous murderer and alleged grave robber William Hare may have stayed in the Black Bull Hotel during his escape to Ireland after turning King's evidence against William Burke. Robert Burns came for the waters and frequented the local bars. 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.