Old Travel Blog Photograph Salsburgh Scotland


Old travel Blog photograph of cottages in Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Salsburgh is a semi rural former coal mining village. The closest major town to the village is Shotts 3 miles to the south east and Airdrie 6 miles to the north west. There has been a community in the area for over 600 years, although the present village dates back to 1729. At that time only a row of four houses existed, named " Muirhall, Girdhimstrait, Merchanthall and Craighead ". Craighead was home to a Mr. Young and his wife Sally, and when Young sold some of his land to construct more houses it was decided that it would be named " Sallysburgh ". Through time the name was shortened to Salsburgh. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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Old Travel Blog Photograph Putting Green Golf Course Pitlochry Scotland


Old travel Blog photograph of people on the Putting Green by the Golf Course in Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland. In the early 20th century, the members of both the Pitlochry Golf Club and the Pitlochry Ladies Golf Club played over a nine-hole course situated on the banks of the River Tummel. The holes weaved their way down from Faskally Woods to the pavilion at the Recreation Ground and back again. The new golf course was constructed during 1908 with Willie Fernie of Troon being commissioned as the initial designer. He saw the natural beauty of the Balnacraig and Drumchorry farms upon which the course now rests and set about using the undulating landscape to its full potential.



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

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Town Hall Duns Scotland


Old travel Blog photograph of the Town Hall in Duns in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. The foundation stone of the town hall was laid on 3rd December 1816 by Alexander Christie of Grueldykes and was officially opened on 17th of March 1820. Duns is a past county town of the historic county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. The town was created a Burgh of Barony in 1490 by King James IV heritably for John and George Hume of Ayton, and the townsfolk were given the right to hold a market every Wednesday, and to hold a week long annual fair between Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. Duns suffered badly in cross border raiding and feuding, and was burned to the ground three times within 14 years, in 1544, 1545 and 1558 during the war of the Rough Wooing. Oliver Cromwell put a garrison into the town after the Battle of Dunbar on 3 September 1650. In the peace following the end of the Jacobite rebellion in 1746, Duns began to expand and many of the administrative functions of Berwickshire were carried out in the town. The Hay family were responsible for the present Gothic Revival Duns Castle. 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 Travel Blog Photograph Askomil Campbeltown Scotland


Old travel Blog photograph of houses and people in Askomil, Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland. William Mitchell McKersie who lived at Craigard, Askomil, was born in 1844. He was born into a Whisky Distillery family. His father, also William, was a partner in Lochside Distillery, Longrow, Campbeltown before becoming the owner of Albyn Distillery, situated on The Roading, Campbeltown. The Albyn Distillery passed to his sons, William and John. In 1867, William and his brother John bought another distillery, Lochruan located at Princess Street, Campbeltown which they rebuilt. William and his brother, whilst running two distilleries together, seem to have been quite competitive. William had the architect H E Clifford design his villa “ Craigard ” at Askomill. His brother employed the same architect and gave him the order that he build him a house like his brother’s, only better. William’s son, Jack, served with Princess Louise’s Regiment of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Two of his daughters, Marion and Jean operated a motorised field kitchen on the Italian Front. William’s wife, Marion, was awarded the MBE for her services to the British Red Cross. William Mitchell McKersie died in 1916 in Campbeltown.



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Old Travel Blog Photograph Courting Tree Hunterston Scotland


Old travel Blog photograph of the Courting Tree in Hunterston, Ayrshire, Scotland. The Courting Tree was an Ash Tree located at the end of a footpath opposite a walled garden heading towards a Mansion House. It had its trunk carved out and a seat embedded into it. The original Hunter lands were Ardneil, or " Arnele " or " Arnell " or " Arnelle ". Ardneil Bay extends from West Kilbride towards Portencross on the South side of the Hunterston Peninsula. Ardneil is on the road between Portencross and West Kilbride. The old spelling of the family was " Huntar ", and the estate, " Huntarstown. " Hunter of Hunterston owned the estates here as early as the time of Alexander II, King of Scotland.



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

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