Old Photograph Saw Mill Bridge Cortachy Scotland

Old photograph of people walking on Saw Mill Bridge over River South Esk near Cortachy Castle, Scotland. The River Walk from Cortachy Bridge to the Sawmill Bridge was originally laid out in the 1870's in anticipation of a visit to Cortachy by Queen Victoria. In the event this visit never took place but the walk has been carefully and lovingly nurtured and maintained since that period. The trees were planted at that time and include Wellingtonias, Douglas, Silver Firs and Sitca Spruce. Rhododendrons were planted by successive generations of the Airlie family and in particular the azaleas facing the river came from Exbury Gardens, the home of the Rothschild family and were planted by the present Earl. The footbridge halfway between the Cortachy and Sawmill Bridges was built by estate foresters and is known as The American Bridge after the present Countess who is an American citizen.



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Old Photograph Visitor Centre Glencoe Scotland

Old photograph of the visitor centre in Glencoe on ancestry visit to the Highlands of 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 Glen Coe were killed by Campbell guests who had accepted their hospitality. This Highland 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. Harry Potter fans will know Glencoe too. In the third film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the scenes featuring Hagrid’s hut were filmed on location in the glen. Scenes in the sixth instalment, The Half Blood Prince were also filmed here. Highlander was also filmed in Glencoe.



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Old Photograph Spinningdale Mill Dornoch Firth Scotland

Old photograph of Spinningdale Mill by Dornoch Firth, Sutherland, Scotland. Spinningdale cotton mill, situated on the North shore of the Dornoch Firth was built in 1792 by George Dempster, owner of Skibo Estate, and David Dale, the successful industrialist and entrepreneur, who had already established a cotton mill complex along with Robert Owen at New Lanark. Although the site offered most of the usual requirements of a cotton mill, fast flowing burn for water power, climate damp enough to prevent cotton threads breaking, a means of importing the raw cotton, in this case by sea, the main reason for locating the factory here was to relieve poverty and unemployment. Ironically, problems with the labour force was the main reason it was not successful. There was no tradition of factory work in the Highlands and workers absented themselves at lambing, peat cutting and harvesting times. Thus, when the building was gutted by fire in 1806, it was not deemed worthwhile to rebuild it and it remained a ruin. It is now in a precarious state so best viewed from the road.



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Old Photograph T.S.S. Manx Maid II Scotland

Old photograph of the T.S.S. Manx Maid II on sea trials near the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. TSS Manx Maid II was built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead, Merseyside, England, in 1962, and was the second ship in the Company's history to bear the name. The " Maid ", as she was always affectionately known, was certified for 1400 passengers and a crew of 60. Manx Maid was a great success and was of major importance in the history of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, as she was the first vessel to be designed as a car ferry; she had the capacity for up to 90 cars and light commercial vans. After over 20 years of reliable service, Manx Maid made her final sailing from Douglas on Sunday 9 September 1984, ten days before her younger sister.



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

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Old Photograph Village Green Aboyne Scotland

Old photograph of the village green in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. In 1715 Aboyne was the scene of a tinchal, or great hunt, organised by John Erskine, sixth Earl of Mar, on 3 September, as a cover for the gathering of Jacobite nobles and lairds to discuss a planned Jacobite uprising. The uprising began three days later in Braemar. Aboyne is unusual in having The Green on which events are held, as the village was modelled by one of the first Marquesses of Huntly, inhabitants of Aboyne Castle, on a traditional English village with a green at the centre. Few Scottish towns have such an asset.



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