Tour Scotland photographs and videos from my tours of Scotland. Photography and videography, both old and new, from beautiful Scotland, Scottish castles, seascapes, rivers, islands, landscapes, standing stones, lochs and glens.
Old photograph of horse racing at the racecourse in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to travel and visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of Mary Garden, born, 20 February 1874, in Aberdeen, Scotland. Mary was a Scottish American operatic soprano with a substantial career in France and America in the first third of the 20th century. She spent the latter part of her childhood and youth in the United States and eventually became an American citizen, although she lived in France for many years and eventually retired to Scotland, where she died. Her parents, both from Aberdeen, were Robert Davidson Garden, born 19 July 1855, and Mary Joss Garden, born 23 February 1860. The family moved to Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States when she was nine years old. They then moved to Hartford, Connecticut a few years later, thence Chicago in 1888 when Mary was 14. By 1910, Garden had become a household name within America. She left the Manhattan Opera House to join the Chicago Grand Opera Company where she sang from 1910 to 1913 in such roles as Mélisande, Fanny in Massenet's Sapho, Dulcinée in Massenet's Don Quichotte, the Prince in Massenet's Cendrillon, the title role in Georges Bizet's Carmen, and the title role in Giacomo Puccini's Tosca. During this time she also sang in other American cities, notably appearing in the world premiere of Victor Herbert's Natoma in Philadelphia on 25 February 1911 and in the title role Février's Monna Vanna in its United States premiere in Boston. During World War I she was decorated by the French and Serbian governments and made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1921. In 1922 Garden became the director of the newly formed Chicago Civic Opera where she also performed roles until 1931. She retired from the opera stage in 1934, after making her last appearance as Katyusha in Franco Alfano's Risurrezione at the Opéra-Comique. After retiring, Garden worked as a talent scout for MGM and gave lectures and recitals, mostly on the life and works of Claude Debussy up through 1949. For much of her life she had openly encouraged young singers and even secretly paid for them to receive training. She continued to support young artists after her retirement through master classes, often allowing aspiring artists to attend for free. Mary died in Inverurie, on 3 January 1967, close to Aberdeen, where she spent the last 30 years of her life.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of Sir Archibald Alison in Glasgow, Scotland. Archibald, born 29 December 1792, died 23 May 1867, was a Scottish advocate and historian. He held several prominent legal appointments. He was the younger son of the Episcopalian cleric and author Archibald Alison. His elder brother was the physician and social reformer William Alison. He was the son of the Reverend Archibald Alison and his wife Dorothea Gregory, who was the daughter of Professor John Gregory, and granddaughter of James Forbes, 17th Lord Forbes. He was elected Lord Rector successively of Marischal College, Aberdeen, and of the University of Glasgow. In 1825, he married Elizabeth Glencairn, the daughter of Patrick Tytler; the children from the marriage were Archibald, Frederick and Eliza Frances Catherine. Both sons became distinguished British officers. Alison died at Possil House, Glasgow, at the age of 74, and was interred in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of Sir Robert Christison, born 18 July 1797, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Robert was a Scottish toxicologist and physician who served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and as president of the British Medical Association. He attended the Royal High School and graduated at the University of Edinburgh in 1819. He then spent a short time in London, England, studying under John Abernethy and Sir William Lawrence, and in Paris, where he learnt analytical chemistry from P. J. Robiquet and toxicology from M. J. B. Orfila. In 1822 he returned to Edinburgh as professor of medical jurisprudence. His fame as a toxicologist and medical jurist, together with his work on the pathology of the kidneys and on fevers, secured him a large private practice, and he succeeded to a fair share of the honors that commonly attend the successful physician, being appointed physician to Queen Victoria in 1848 and receiving a baronetcy in 1871. He retained remarkable physical vigour and activity until extreme old age, and died at Edinburgh on 27 January 1882. He is buried in New Calton Cemetery in the plot of his father, Alexander Christison. No mention is made of his fame or knighthood. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to travel and visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of John Laird, born 14 June 1805 in Greenock by Glasgow, Scotland. John was a Scottish shipbuilder and key figure in the development of the town of Birkenhead, England. He was the elder brother of Macgregor Laird. He was one of the first to use iron in the construction of ships. He was the eldest son of Scottish entrepreneur, William Laird and Agnes Macgregor. In the same year the Lairds moved to Liverpool. John was educated at Liverpool Royal Institution. In 1824 the Laird family moved to Birkenhead, where William Laird and Daniel Horton established the Birkenhead Iron Works. This manufactured boilers near Wallasey Pool. This partnership was dissolved in 1828 and William Laird was joined in his business by John Laird, who had been a solicitor's articled clerk. The company was renamed William Laird & Son. In 1829 Laird married Elizabeth Hurry. In 1860, John Laird was joined in partnership by his three sons, William, John and Henry. However, John Laird retired in 1861 and the business was taken over by his sons. It merged with Charles Cammell & Co to form Cammell Laird in 1903. John died at his home, 63 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead on 29 October 1874, following a riding accident. He is buried in the grounds of Birkenhead Priory, next to his yard.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
