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 Drainie Old Parish Church, Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland. This church was built in the mid 17th century and surrounded by a small graveyard. It was located on flat land near Lossiemouth but has been completely demolished, largely due to the fact that it was located close to where the runway of Lossiemouth RAF base was layed. A storm in the early 1950s apparently led to the collapse of the belfry and east gable and was then completely demolished, apart from some footings. These too have now been removed, leaving no surface remains of the church.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of the Springfield Hotel at Baltasound, the largest settlement on the island of Unst, Shetland Islands, Scotland. At the start of the 20th Century, Baltasound was a fishing boom town and became one of the main centres for the herring industry in northern Scotland. Up to 10,000 people were based here at the height of the season each year. Some 600 fishing boats operated from the 46 herring stations that were dotted around Balta Sound. The Springfield Hotel, later to become the Baltasound Hotel, was well known to many servicemen from RAF Saxa Vord a radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. RAF Saxa Vord was further north than Leningrad, and on the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska, America. The station was named after Saxa Vord, which is the highest hill on Unst at 935 feet. It holds the unofficial British record for wind speed, which in 1992 was recorded at 197 mph, just before the measuring equipment blew away.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of St Paul's Parish Church in Fairlie on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde, in North Ayrshire, Scotland. King David I of Scotland appointed Sir Richard de Morville, a Norman, to hold land in Scotland. Thus he became High Constable of Scotland and Lord of Cunninghame, Largs and Lauderdale. This piece of land was later sub divided among Richard's relatives and friends, and, in the 13th century, the land of Fairlie was held by the Ross family of Tarbert, the land to the North was held by the Boyle family and to the South by the Sempill family. According to ancient records it would appear that Fairlie developed as a fishing village, as it had a good, sheltered anchorage that was fully used in the 16th century. Weaving also began to help the prosperity of the village as the demand for Paisley shawls increased. It was in the late 18th century that John Fife came from Kilbirnie to set up business as a cartwright in Fairlie. His son William, born in 1785, founded Fife Yachts brought to international fame by William's grandson, also called William. Fife Yachts were built in Fairlie until well into the 20th century.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of the HMS Argus aircraft carrier in the dockyard in Rosyth, Fife, Scotland. HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918 to 1944. She was converted from an ocean liner that was under construction when the First World War began, and became the first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full length flight deck that allowed wheeled aircraft to take off and land. Argus was recommissioned and partially modernised shortly before the Second World War and served as a training ship for deck-landing practice until June 1940. The following month she made the first of her many ferry trips to the Western Mediterranean to fly off fighters to Malta; she was largely occupied in this task for the next two years. The ship also delivered aircraft to Murmansk in Russia, Takoradi on the Gold Coast, and Reykjavík in Iceland. By 1942, the Royal Navy was very short of aircraft carriers and Argus was pressed into front line service despite her lack of speed and armament. In June, she participated in Operation Harpoon, providing air cover for the Malta bound convoy. In November, the ship provided air cover during Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa, and was lightly damaged by a bomb. After returning to the UK for repairs, Argus was used again for deck landing practice until late September 1944. In December, she became an accommodation ship and was listed for disposal in mid 1946. Argus was sold in late 1946 and scrapped the following year.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of a Double Decker passenger bus in Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland. A Scottish village and parish in the west of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The Union Canal passes through the village. Ratho is the site of stone age circles, carved into the rocks. There was also a witches stone, which held many legends. When the stone was moved by the land owner for farming, it was believed evil spirits were released into the village. It is believed that the name Ratho comes from Rathach, Scottish Gaelic, for a place where there is an old fort. Ratho is located close to both the M8 and the M9 motorways. The A8 and A71 run parallel to the North and the South of the village. These are two of the major roads running into Edinburgh. There is a network of paths around Ratho and the surrounding area, and you can also walk or cycle along the canal towpath.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
