Old Photograph Weavers Dundee Scotland

Old photograph of weavers in a Jute Works in Dundee, Scotland. With the advent of jute, and thanks to the Crimea War and the American Civil War with their demand for jute products, Dundee more than doubled its population in a period of some 20 years in the 19th Century. Such was the demand for labour that many of the dispossessed from the Highland clearances came for work. Many more from Ireland were shipped across to the West Coast and brought to Dundee in cattle trucks, where they were put into ready made slum dwellings built by the mill owners. One area of the Hilltown was known as Candle Land because the gas company refused to put in gas in case the occupants committed suicide. Because the demand for workers in the weving mills was mainly for women Dundee became a very matriarchal society. The women of Dundee were reputed to have the most beautiful hair in the whole world. This was because of the fact that after leaving the mill at night, they would spend so much time brushing the jute out of their hair. In complete contrast the mill owners lived mainly in Broughty Ferry, a suburb of the town which boasted the highest number of millionaires in the world at that time. 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 Liniclett Benbecula Scotland

Old photograph of a crofter, horse and cart and thatched cottages in Liniclett on Benbecula, Scotland. Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the early 15th century Hugh MacDonald, third son of Alexander, Earl of Ross was the proprietor of " lands in Uist, Benbecula and Garmoran " although his tenure was opposed by Clanranald of Garmoran. By 1491 Clanranald were in possession of " nearly the whole of Uist and Benbecula. " 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 Pearce Institute Govan Scotland

Old photograph of the Pearce Institute in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. The Pearce Institute, a building which contained a public hall, library and other rooms, was given to Govan by the widow of Sir William Pearce, 1st Baronet, born 8 January 1833, died 18 December 1888. He was a British shipbuilder, under whose management the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan on the River Clyde became the leading shipbuilding company in the world. He was later a Conservative Party politician. He was born near Chatham in Kent, England, where he trained as a shipwright and naval architect at the Chatham Dockyard. He died suddenly at the age of 55 in his home on Piccadilly in London. He was survived by his wife Dinah Elizabeth Socoter, who was originally from Gravesend in Kent. Their only child was William George Pearce, who succeeded to the baronetcy.



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

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Old Photograph Bridge Of Carron Scotland

Old photograph of the Bridge Of Carron over the River Spey in Moray, Scotland. This Scottish cast iron bridge used to carry the Boat of Garten to Craigellachie Spey Valley railway across the River Spey, which here forms the boundary between the parishes of Knockando in Moray, and Aberlour, in Banff. It now carries road traffic. The bridge was built by MacKinnon and Company of Aberdeen in 1863 as one of three major river crossings on the Craigellachie, Nethy Bridge section of the Speyside Railway line of the Great North of Scotland Railway. 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 Harbour Reay Scotland

Old photograph of fishing boats in the harbour in Reay by Sandside Bay, Caithness, Scotland. In 1437, the MacKays defeated the men of Caithness at Sandside Bay in the battle known as the Sandside Chase, turning there on the pursuers that had chased them away from an attempted raid. The area around the village has been occupied for millennia. Within the modern village are the remains of a stone circle, several Viking houses and burials. 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.