Old Photograph Gymnasium Merchiston Castle School Edinburgh Scotland

Old photograph of the gymnasium in Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland. In May 1833, Charles Chalmers took a lease of Merchiston Castle, the former home of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms, which at that time stood in rural surroundings, and opened his academy, starting with thirty boys. Over time, the number of pupils grew and the Merchiston Castle became too small to accommodate the school. The governors decided to purchase 90 acres of ground at the Colinton House estate, four miles south west of Edinburgh. In 1930 the school moved to Colinton. Three years later, in 1933, Merchiston celebrated its centenary, attended by the Duke and Duchess of York. Fifty years on, in 1983, at a time of further expansion and with 350 boys on the roll, their daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II, visited the school for its 150th anniversary. 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 Queen Mary Warrenden Park Road Edinburgh Scotland

Old photograph of Queen Mary on Warrenden Park Road on a Royal visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. Mary of Teck became Queen Mary, consort of King George V. She was the mother of kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. Also known as Victoria, Mary of Teck, was raised in an upper class family in Great Britain. After losing her first fiancé to influenza, she married his brother, the future King George V. During her reign as consort, she was a strong advocate for her husband as the kingdom experienced change. When the king fell ill, she attended to him until his death. Afterward, she endured her son, Edward VIII's, abdication of the throne and continued her charitable service to her country until her death.



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

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Old Photograph Cramond Brig Scotland

Old photograph of a cottage and people by Cramond Brig over the River Almond the end of Braepark Road by Cramond village, North West of Edinburgh, Scotland. In his Tales of a Grandfather, Sir Walter Scott records the traditional tale of how King James V was attacked while walking across the bridge. He was rescued by a local tenant farmer, Jock Howieson, who he later rewarded with a gift of the land he worked at Braepark. The King asked in return that Howieson and his descendants should be prepared to wash the monarch's hands either at Holyrood Palace or when they passed by Cramond Brig. How often this duty was carried out in the following centuries is not known.





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

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Old Photograph Gun Batteries Castle Edinburgh Scotland

Old photograph of Gun Batteries on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh Castle still has a military garrison, used for ceremonial purposes and is the headquarters of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the 5th Regiment Royal Military Police. For the artillery fan there are no less than five gun batteries to view.



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

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Old Photograph Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Edinburgh Scotland

Old photograph of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and King George VI on Royal visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, born 4 August 1900, died 30 March 2002, was the wife of King George VI and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. She was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions from her husband's accession in 1936 until his death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter. She was the last Empress of India. Born into a family of British nobility, she came to prominence in 1923 when she married Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. The couple and their daughters embodied traditional ideas of family and public service.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.