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 Crofters planting potatoes on the Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The potato was a popular as a crop in the Highlands and Islands during the 18th century. It produced a better return than most other crops grown and by 1800 potatoes made up about 80% of the Highland and Islands diet. In the 1840s the failure of the potato crops due to a blight led to many people emigrating to avoid starvation.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of the King's Stables on the battlefield at Culloden by Inverness, Highlands, Scotland. The ruined thatched cottage on the right is reputed to have housed the King's cavalry after the Battle of Culloden. The inscription on a nearby stone reads: Kings Stables Station of English Cavalry after the Battle of Culloden. The Battle of Culloden was the last pitched battle fought on British soil. It was fought on 16 April 1746 and saw the Jacobite army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeated by the army of the Hanoverian King George II under the leadership of the Duke of Cumberland. The battle put an end to Jacobite hopes of restoring the Stuart dynasty to the British throne.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of a Tram in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. Kirkcaldy Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Kirkcaldy between 1903 and 1931. The Tramway had two main routes, a lower one extending into Dysart, and the upper one connecting with the Wemyss and District Tramways Company line. Both routes were linked by connections on Whytescauseway and St Clair Street. Services were closed on 15 May 1931. Some of the tramcars remained in service with the Wemyss and District Tramways Company until this closed in 1932.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of Hawkhead Bridge which spans White Cart Water near Paisley, Scotland. The White Cart Water originates on the edge of Eaglesham moor in East Renfrewshire. It then flows northwards around the South of East Kilbride to Waterfoot. The river forms the boundary between East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire here before running through the centre of the village of Busby after which it runs around the eastern side of Clarkston and Netherlee where it crosses the Glasgow city boundary into Linn Park, heading downstream to Cathcart. Here, the river turns west, flowing through Pollokshaws and cutting through Pollok Country Park, under the M77 motorway towards Crookston, where it is joined by the River Levern. From Crookston, the river passes the grounds of Leverndale Hospital and then crosses into Renfrewshire and flows through the farmlands of Hawkhead, parallel with the Paisley Canal railway line. On entering the town of Paisley, the river falls over rapids called the Hammils, and flows under two roads, to emerge in the town centre at Paisley Abbey. It then passes under Gauze Street, the Piazza Shopping Centre and Paisley Gilmour Street railway station where it emerges from the Abercorn Bridge, a wide, high arched red sandstone bridge at Old Sneddon Street. From there it runs, mostly hidden from view, towards Glasgow International Airport and Renfrew.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of whales on the shore at Whiteness on Mainland Shetland Islands, Scotland. The village lies seven miles north north west of Lerwick. The parish is now merged with Tingwall. In 1903, two whaling stations, operated by Norwegian whaling companies, started in Shetland at Ronas Voe on north west Mainland. The Shetland Whaling Company began whaling in April 1903 with a single whale catcher, the Frithjof. The Norrona Company started in June with the catcher Norrona, They both operated until September and each boat caught just over 60 whales In the following year, two more stations commenced operations, the Norwegian Alexandra Company from a station in Colla Firth, Yell Sound, using one boat in the first year and two boats in each subsequent year, and the Olna Whaling Company, owned by Christian Salveson and Company, opened a station in Olna Firth on the west Mainland coast. Four boats were used in most seasons.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
