Old Photograph Turnpike Thurso Scotland

Old photograph of the 17th century Turnpike on the North side of Shore Street in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland. This building is where the old stage coaches used to start. Thurso was an important Norse port, and has a later history of trade with ports throughout northern Europe until the 19th century. A thriving fishing centre, Thurso also had a reputation for its linen cloth and tanning activities. Ruined Old St Peter's Church, St. Peter's Kirk, is one of the older churches in Scotland, dated to at least 1125, and at one time it was the principal church for the county, administered by the Bishops of Caithness. The church held hearings against criminal activity and determined how those caught should be punished. In 1701, a woman who had a relationship with a Dutch sailor had her head shaved and was publicly shamed, paraded through the town by the local hangman. History 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.

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Old Photograph Argyll Square Oban Scotland

Old photograph of the Royal Hotel and houses on Argyll Square in Oban, Scotland. The site where Oban now stands has been used by humans since at least mesolithic times, as evidenced by archaeological remains of cave dwellers found in the town Just outside the town stands Dunollie Castle, on a site that overlooks the main entrance to the bay and has been fortified since the 7th century. The modern town of Oban grew up around the distillery which was founded there in 1794, and the town was raised to a burgh of barony in 1811 by royal charter Sir Walter Scott visited the area in 1814, the year in which he published his poem The Lord of the Isles, and interest in the poem brought many new visitors to the town. The arrival of the railways in the 1880s brought further prosperity to local industry and giving new energy to tourism. History 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.

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Old Photograph Railway Station Corpach Scotland

Old photograph of the Railway Station in Corpach located North of Fort William, Scotland. The name Corpach is reputedly based on the Gaelic for " field of corpses ", so called because it was perhaps used as a resting place when taking coffins of chieftains on the way to burial on Iona. The Battle of Corpach in about 1470 saw Clan Cameron rout Clan MacLean. In World War I, the United States Navy had a base at Corpach as part of the laying of the North Sea Mine Barrage. Naval mines were shipped into Corpach from the United States, and were then sent to the Inverness base along the Caledonian Canal, which joins Loch Linnhe at Corpach. Corpach railway station opened on 1 April 1901. History 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.

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Old Photograph Currie Scotland

Old photograph of cottages and people in Currie located South West of the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. There is no accepted derivation of the name Currie but it is possibly from the Scottish Gaelic word curagh/curragh, a wet or boggy plain, or from the Brythonic word curi, a dell or hollow. The neighbouring suburb of Balerno derives its name from Scottish Gaelic, whilst the nearby Pentland Hills derive their name from Brythonic, so either is possible. The weaver poet James Thomson was brought up in the village in the late 18th century and is commemorated by the dell of the Kinleith Burn being named the " Poet's Glen ", where it runs down from beside his cottage at Mid Kinleith Farm to join the Water of Leith, and also by a number of street names, Thomson Road, Thomson Drive, Thomson Crescent, in the east of Currie. History 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.

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Tour Scotland Video Waterfall Glencoe Scottish Highlands

Tour Scotland video a waterfall on ancestry visit to Glencoe, Scotland. This famous Scottish Glen was the site the of the famous Massacre of Glencoe which began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen at Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achnacon, although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. 38 MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Campbell guests who had accepted their hospitality. This Highlands location featured a lot in Skyfall the James Bond movie, mainly because it is the most famous Scottish glen and one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world.

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

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