Old Photographs Gordon Highlanders Scotland

Old photograph of Gordon Highlanders in camp by Burghead located eight miles North West of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. The Gordon Highlanders was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed for 113 years, from 1881 until 1994, when it was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders, Seaforth and Camerons, to form the Highlanders, Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons. The 1st battalion fought at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo Egyptian War, and then took part in the Nile Expedition in an attempt to relieve Major General Charles Gordon during the Mahdist War. The 1st Battalion then took part in the Chitral Expedition and then the Tirah Campaign; it was during operations on the North West Frontier in October 1897, during the storming of the Dargai Heights, that one of the regiment's most famous Victoria Crosses was earned. Piper George Findlater, despite being wounded in both legs, continued to play the bagpipes during the assault. Another of the heroes involved in the charge of the Gordon Highlanders at Dargai Heights was Piper John Kidd. Piper Kidd was with Piper Findlater when, half way up the heights, both pipers were shot down. Unmindful of his injuries, Piper Kidd sat up and continued to play " The Cock o' the North " as the troops advanced up the heights. 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 George Terrace St Monans Scotland

Old photograph of a shop, houses and people on George Terrace in St Monans in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. The village takes its name from St Monance who was killed by invading Danes in about 875. St Adrian was killed on the Isle of May in the same raid and 6,000 Fife Christians are said to have died. Like other small East Neuk towns, St Monans is rich in vernacular fisher and merchant houses of the 17th to early 19th centuries, with characteristic old Scots features. The tradition of shipbuilding has now ceased. For over 200 years the boat builder J W Miller & Sons Ltd produced fifie fishing boats, yachts and motor launches in the village. 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 Torphins Scotland

Old photograph of the Blacksmith in Torphins, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Scottish Gaelic: Tòrr Fionn, a village in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. Situated about 23 miles west of Aberdeen. It is on the A980, about 7 miles north west of Banchory, and was once served by the Great North of Scotland Railway. The Deeside Railway line, used by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they travelled by Royal carriage to Ballater, passed through this area until 1966. Torphins was home to a War Memorial Maternity Hospital. As a result, many notable people from Deeside have been born in Torphins. 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 Craiglockhart War Hospital Scotland

Old photograph of Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland. The estate in which this building is located was sold in 1773 to Alexander Monro, who was second of three generations to be Professor of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh. It stayed in the Monro family for more than a hundred years. In 1877, the estate became the property of the Craiglockhart Hydropathic Company, who set about building a hydropathic institute. The Hydropathic was built in the Italian style. Craiglockhart remained as a hydropathic, until the advent of the First World War. Between 1916 and 1919 the building was used as a military psychiatric hospital for the treatment of shell shocked officers. The building then became a convent for the Society of the Sacred Heart, before serving as a Catholic teacher training college. It then passed to the then Napier College, and was used by that institution and its successor, Napier Polytechnic; thus it is now part of Edinburgh Napier University. Much of the old building has been retained, and an extensive new wing has been built behind it to house the Business School. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. 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 Harbour Troon Scotland

Old photograph of boats in the harbour in Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. Troon Harbour played a notable part in the development of the town for many years. It was home to the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, which constructed many vessels for worldwide customers but mainly small passenger and various merchant vessels. The fishing fleet from Ayr moved to Troon Harbour and a revitalisation of the abandoned section of the harbour started. An approach road was constructed to connect to a ferry terminal which operates a service to Ireland. The Seacat high speed ferry service briefly operated from Troon Harbour but has now ended. Troon Harbour is now a fishing port, yachting marina, seasonal passenger ferry port and Ro-Ro ferry terminal for timber and containers. The shipbuilding industry at Troon Harbour ended in 2000. 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.