Old Photograph Loch Banton Scotland

Old photograph of Loch Banton near Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Covenanter army under General William Baillie formed near Loch Banton for their engagement with the Royalist forces under the command of Montrose at the Battle of Kilsyth on August 15, 1645; a major battle of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. 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 Pier Garelochhead Scotland

Old photograph of a paddle steamer at the pier in Garelochhead, Scotland. Oiginally in Dunbartonshire, this village developed from the 1820s with the advent of steamer cruising during the Glasgow Fair holiday. Tourism was boosted with the opening of the West Highland Railway line to Fort William in 1894. 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 Lawn Bowling Green Govan Scotland

Old photograph of bowlers on the Lawn Bowling Green in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. Located on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick. Historically Govan, was part of the County of Lanark. Govan was at one point; the centre of the world renowned Clydeside shipbuilding industry, but few shipyards remain today. In 1841, Robert Napier began iron shipbuilding in Govan, and in 1843 produced its first ship, the Vanguard. He also procured a contract with the Royal Navy to produce vessels, notably the Jackal, the Lizard, and the Bloodhound. He also allowed naval officers in training to visit the shipyard to familiarise themselves with the new vessels. Napier's Shipyard in Govan was later acquired by William Beardmore and Company in 1900, before being sold on to Harland & Wolff in 1912. It finally closed in 1962 and most of the site was redeveloped into housing. Govan's other major shipbuilding firm was founded in the 1860s as: Randolph, Elder and Company, later becoming John Elder and Company. In 1885, the yard moved further west to its present site and was reorganised as the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd. This company continued until 1965, when it filed for bankruptcy. 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 Loch Assynt Scotland

Old photograph of Loch Assynt and Ardvreck Castle, Sutherland, Scotland. This Scottish castle is thought to have been constructed around 1590 by the Clan MacLeod family who owned Assynt and the surrounding area from the 13th century onwards. Indeed Sutherland, the area in which Ardvreck is situated, has long been a stronghold of the clan MacLeod. The most well known historical tale concerning the castle is that on 30 April 1650 James Graham, the Marquess of Montrose, was captured by the Laird of Assynt and held at the castle before being transported to Edinburgh for trial and execution. Montrose was a Royalist, fighting on the side of Charles I against the Covenanters. Montrose was executed on 21 May 1650, by hanging, drawing and quartering. Archibald Campbell, Marquess of Argyll, a covenanter and Montrose's rival, was himself executed in 1661 after the restoration of the monarchy. Clan MacKenzie attacked and captured Ardvreck Castle in 1672, and then took control of the Assynt lands. In 1726 they constructed a more modern manor house nearby, Calda House, which takes its name from the Calda burn beside which it stands. A fire destroyed the house under mysterious circumstances one night in 1737 and both Calda House and Ardvreck Castle stand as ruins today.



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

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Old Photograph Bridge Poolewe Scotland

Old photograph of cottages by the bridge over the River Ewe in Poolewe in Wester Ross, Scotland. Poolewe is a small village in Wester Ross in the North West Scottish Highlands. The River Ewe is one of the shortest in 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.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.