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 a paddle steamer on the River Clyde by the King George V bridge in Glasgow, Scotland. The bridge was designed by Glasgow City Engineer Thomas Somers and built by Melville Dundas & Whitson. It links the south side Tradeston area to Oswald Street in the city Centre. The bridge was commissioned in 1914, but was delayed due to the First World War: the bridge was not completed and opened until 1928.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of the Masonic Hall in Mid Calder in West Lothian, Scotland. Free Masonry started in Mid Calder between the years 1700 and 1710, under the patronage of Lord Torphichen. Mid Calder town is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around 15 miles west of Edinburgh. The town has been on a major crossroads since its origin some time in the eleventh century. John Spottiswoode, was born in 1565 in Mid Calder, he was an Archbishop of St Andrews, Fife, Primate of All Scotland and historian of Scotland. He was the eldest son of John Spottiswood, minister of Calder and " superintendent " of Lothian. He was educated at the University of Glasgow, and succeeded his father in the parish of Calder in 1583. In 1601 he attended Ludowick, Duke of Lennox, as his chaplain, in an embassy to the court of France, returning in 1603. He followed James to England on his accession, but was the same year nominated to the see of Glasgow, his consecration in London, England, however, not taking place until October 1610. In 1633 he crowned Charles I at Holyrood. In 1635 he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland, an office which he retained till 1638. He was opposed to the new liturgy as inexpedient, but when he could not prevent its introduction he took part in enforcing it. He was a spectator of the riot of St Giles, Edinburgh, on 23 July 1637, endeavoured in vain to avoid disaster by concessions, and on the taking of the Covenant perceived that " now all that we have been doing these thirty years past is thrown down at once. " He escaped to Newcastle, was deposed by the assembly on 4 December on a variety of ridiculous charges, and died in London on 26 November 1639, receiving burial in Westminster Abbey on 2 December 1639.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of the Balmoral Hotel in Ballater, Royal Deeside, Scotland. There have been Highland Games held in Ballater since 1864. Balmoral Castle, the British Royal Family's holiday home is located close Ballater and the family has visited the town frequently since the time of Queen Victoria. Ballater railway station was closed in 1966. Ballater is a centre for tourism in Royal Deeside. I hope these might be of interest to folks with Scottish ancestry.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of the hotel in Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland. This Scottish village was the birthplace of Neil Gunn, born 1891, died 1973, author of The Silver Darlings, Highland River etc., many of whose novels are set in Dunbeath and its Strath. Prince George, Duke of Kent, was killed when his Short Sunderland flying boat crashed on a Dunbeath hillside on 25 August 1942. Dr John N Sutherland, graduate of Glasgow, St Andrews and Edinburgh Universities, former Professor of Virtual Reality at Gifu University in Japan, founder of video games as an academic discipline, was brought up in Dunbeath and attended Dunbeath Primary School and Dunbeath Parish Church.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of fishing boats in Mid Shore harbour in Pittenweem, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. Founded as a fishing village around a probably early Christian religious settlement, Pittenweem grew along the shoreline from the west where the sheltered beaches were safe places for fishermen to draw their boats up out of the water. Later a breakwater was built, extending out from one of the rocky skerries that jut out south west into the Firth of Forth like fingers. This allowed boats to rest at anchor rather than being beached, enabling larger vessels to use the port.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
