Old Travel Blog Photograph Ardgowan Academy Greenock Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of Ardgowan Academy in Greenock near Glasgow, Scotland. The fishing village of Greenock developed along this bay, and around 1635 Sir John Schaw had a jetty built into the bay which became known as Sir John's Bay. In that year he obtained a Charter raising Greenock to a Burgh of Barony with rights to a weekly market. In 1714 Greenock became a custom house port as a branch of Port Glasgow, and for a period this operated from rooms leased in Greenock. Receipts rose rapidly from the 1770s, and in 1778 the custom house moved to new built premises at the West Quay of the harbour. Greenock suffered badly during the Second World War and its anchorage at the Tail of the Bank became the base for the Home Fleet as well as the main assembly point for Atlantic convoys. 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.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Travel Blog Photograph Sailing School St Fillans Perthshire Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the Sailing Schoo at Loch Earn by St Fillans in Highland Perthshire, Scotland. Loch Earn is unusual in that it has its own apparent tidal system caused by the action of the prevailing wind blowing along the loch. This wind pressure on the surface causes the water level to build up at one end of the loch. As with all damped mechanical systems, applied pressure can result in an oscillation, and the water will return to the opposite end of the loch over time. In the case of Loch Earn, this has a period of 16 hours and the effect can be measured, but is difficult to observe.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Travel Blog Photograph High School Buckie Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the High School in Buckie, a town on the coast of the Moray Firth, Scotland. There has been a High School in Buckie since 1875. The opening followed the 1872 Education Scotland Act, which made education compulsory between the ages of 5 and 13 and put education in the charge of 895 school boards. Rathven School Board covered the Buckie area and built Buckie Public School in West Church Street, at its junction with Pringle Street. The first entry in the school’s log book on 14 January 1876 records that there were 100 pupils enrolled in the charge of a rector, and two pupil teachers. The curriculum consisted of reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar and composition, history, geography, singing and religious knowledge, with Latin for some pupils. The Latin in the school motto translates as, with oars and sails, and suggests doing things with all the effort and power one can muster. School Board records show that by 1881 mathematics and domestic economy had been added to the curriculum and the roll had risen to 400, with a rector, two assistant teachers and six pupil teachers. In 1896, the school had nineteen staff and 850 pupils. The curriculum had been widened and now included Greek, French, cookery, industrial work, drawing, military drill, German, science and shorthand.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Travel Blog Photograph Terrace Gardens Crathes Castle Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the terrace gardens by Crathes Castle, Scotland. Built in the second half of the sixteenth century by the Burnetts of Leys its grounds are equally as famous, being a series of gardens divided by yew hedges planted about 1702. Tour Scottish Castles. The castle estate contains 530 acre of woodlands and fields, including nearly four acres of walled garden. Within the walled garden are gravel paths with surrounding specimen plants mostly in herbaceous borders. Many of the plants are labelled with taxonomic descriptions. There is also a grass croquet court at a higher terraced level within the walled garden. Ancient topiary hedges of Irish yew dating from 1702 separate the gardens into eight themed areas.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Travel Blog Photograph Suffragettes Dumfries Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of Suffragettes in Dumfries, Scotland. In 19th century Scotland women were expected to be wives and mothers and to remain at home. The status of women was, however, changing. Improvements were being made to their legal status, and by 1900 many more women were receiving an education and entering the professions of medicine, the law and teaching. They were also allowed to vote in local council elections. Despite these changes, women were still unable to vote for MPs. Women felt that if they gained the right to vote they would also be able to gain further benefits and advances to improve living and working conditions for women. At first the protest was peaceful, the women concentrating on petitions, letters and public speaking to make their voices heard.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.