Old Photograph St Mary's Loch Scotland

Old photograph of a shepherd with his sheep by St Mary's Loch situated on the A708 road between Selkirk and Moffat in the Scottish Borders of Scotland. The loch takes its name from a church dedicated to St Mary which once stood on its northern shore, although only the burial ground is now visible. Local legend has it that the loch has no bottom, and it is reputed to be the coldest loch in Scotland. Immediately upstream from St Mary's Loch is the smaller Loch of the Lowes. Between the two is Tibbie Shiel's Inn, an 18th century coaching inn, which was frequented by the Border poet James Hogg, born 1770, died 1835. A statue of Hogg is located close to the inn. The Southern Upland Way and Sir Walter Scott Way long distance walking routes both pass the shores of the loch. The small settlement of Cappercleuch is located at the north west corner of the loch.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Video Autumn Drive From Dundee Through Perth To Scone Perthshire

Tour Scotland video of an Autumn road trip drive West from Riverside Drive under the River Tay railway bridge in Dundee then onto the A90 road through Perth to visit the village of Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. This Scottish road originates in Edinburgh, it the travels west and over the Forth Road Bridge, before turning into the M90 motorway. At Perth, the M90 again becomes the A90, now running north east to Dundee and through the Kingsway road system. It then passes Forfar, Brechin, Stracathro, the site of an ancient Roman Camp, Stonehaven, Bridge of Muchalls, where the Burn of Muchalls flows under, near Muchalls Castle, near Saint Ternan's Church, Newtonhill, Portlethen, from there through the city of Aberdeen, crossing the Ythan Estuary, on to Peterhead on its way to Fraserburgh. Scone village was built in 1805 as a planned village by its landowner, and was originally called New Scone. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence of the Palace, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield. Hence the modern village of Scone, and the medieval village of Old Scone, can often be distinguished.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Video Northern Lights Autumn Sky

Tour Scotland Autumn video of the Northern Lights over my cottage in Scone by Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a spectacular natural phenomenon which can occasionally be seen in the night sky over Britain. The Northern Lights are caused when a solar wind, or highly charged particles released by the sun, interferes with the Earth’s atmosphere. This interaction stimulates the gases in the atmosphere, causing them to glow a fluorescent green.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Video Autumn Leaves And Burn Highland Perthshire

Tour Scotland video of Autumn leaves and rocks in a burn on ancestry visit to Highland Perthshire, Scotland. A burn is a watercourse, in size from a large stream to a small river. The term burn is used in Scotland and England, especially North East England, and in parts of Ulster, Australia and New Zealand. Scots Gaelic has the word bùrn, which means " fresh water "; the actual Gaelic for a " burn " is allt, often anglicised as "ault" or "auld" in placenames.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Photograph Barr Castle Scotland

Old photograph of Barr Castle, a late medieval tower house on a low ridge to the south of the village of Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire near Glasgow, Scotland. Barr Castle was constructed in the 15th or early 16th century. It passed into the hands of the Hamiltons of Ferguslie at the end of the 16th century. They retained the castle until the late 18th century, when they sold and abandoned it for a new mansion. Various inscriptions are carved into the fabric of Barr Castle. These include IW and MH on the pediment above the main entrance, IH and IC 1680 above the lintel at the head of the stair, and WO 1699 on the battlements. The carvings are the initials of various Hamilton Lairds of Barr, John Wallace and his wife Margaret Hamilton, John Hamilton and Jean Cochrane. Margaret Hamilton, eldest daughter of Allan Hamilton of Ferguslie, married John Wallace, second son of William Wallace of Elderslie. It was a term of the contract that the husband was to assume the name and arms of Hamilton. Accordingly on 9 July 1647 a grant under the Great Seal was made to John Wallace of the right to do so, hence the Hamiltons of Barr. Alexander Hamilton of Barr, great grandson of Margaret and John, was born in 1670. Listed as " of Barr, " his name appeared on the 1695 Poll Tax roll for Lochwinnoch. He was appointed a Commissioner of Supply for Renfrewshire the following year. Alexander died in 1747 and was buried in the graveyard of St John’s Kirk in Lochwinnoch. Alexander's grandson John Hamilton sold the estate to the MacDowall family. He died in 1825 and was buried in the family tomb at Lochwinnoch.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.