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 travel Blog photograph of people on the Braes Road in Tayport, Fife, across from Dundee, Scotland. Brae is the Lowland Scots word for the slope or brow of a hill. The Braes were traditionally the leisure area for the village. They were much enjoyed by both villagers and visitors. Indeed, for generations of Dundonians trying to escape the smoke and grime of the city, the Braes provided the perfect day trip destination, easily accessed by the ferry to Newport on Tay.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of thatched cottages in Scotstounhill, Glasgow, Scotland. Scotstounhill is a small area between south Knightswood and Scotstoun situated in West Glasgow. Housing is mainly in a cottage flat style, although several high rise flats, also known as tower blocks, can be found in the area. Scotstounhill contains a noted bowling club, and is served by Scotstounhill railway station which has frequent services to and from the city centre.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Dule Tree by the castle in Inveraray a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Dule or dool trees in Britain were used as gallows for public hangings. They were also used as gibbets for the display of the corpse for a considerable period after such hangings. These " trees of lamentation or grief " were usually growing in prominent positions or at busy thoroughfares, particularly at crossroads, so that justice could be seen to have been done and as a salutary warning to others. Place names such as Gallows Hill, Gallows See, Gallows Fey and Hill of the Gallows, Tom Nan Croiche, record the site of such places of male executions. In Scots, dule or duill, also dole, dowle; dwle, dul, dull, duyl, duile, doile, doill, dewle, deull, and duel. In Middle English, dule, duyl, dulle, deul, dewle and variants of doole, dole, and dool. All these words mean sorrow, grief, or mental distress. It is said that King Malcolm Canmore legislated in 1057 that every barony was to have a tree for hanging convicted men and a pit of water for the execution of convicted women. These baronies belonged to the same order as earls and these earls and barons together formed the order of the three estaits of the Scots Parliament known as the Baronage of Scotland. The barons sat in the Scots Parliament until 1587, when they were relieved from attendance, which was burdensome and costly. The right of pit and gallows was removed in 1747 by the Heritable Jurisdictions Scotland Act 1746, lesser powers continued to the twentieth century. Dule trees were also used by Highland Clan chieftains, who would hang their enemies or any deserter, murderer, etc. from them. Highland clan chiefs also therefore had the power of 'life or death' over their clansmen in times gone by. The high ground on which these trees grew often became known as " gallows hills ".
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Ness Castle Hotel in Inverness, Scotland. The building It used to belong to Ness Castle Estate which included North Lodge, South Lodge, Mid Lodge and West Lodge. All the Lodges were sold and The Honourable Mrs. Smythe, who had an estate called Ashington Court, in Bristol, England, bought Ness Castle for her country home. She was a Liberal supporter and Lloyd George stayed at Ness Castle during a Liberal fete in Inverness. There is supposed to be a ghost called The Green Lady which haunts the castle, walking the corridors at night.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Youth Hostel by Lochgoilhead, Argyll, Scotland. The Scottish Youth Hostels Association, Gaelic: Comann Osdailean Òigridh na h-Alba, founded in 1931, is part of Hostelling International and provides youth hostel accommodation in Scotland. The mountains above Lochgoilhead village, located at the head of Loch Goil, were used for the scene in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love in which Bond, played by Sean Connery, eliminated two villains in a helicopter by firing gunshots at them. A few miles north of Lochgoilhead, is a junction which on the left goes through Hell's Glen, Loch Fyne, Dunoon, Inverary, Lochawe, Oban, Tyndrum, Glencoe and Fort William. On the right it goes to Glen Croe, Loch Long, Arrochar and Tarbet, Loch Lomond, Glasgow and Crianlarich with the options of travelling to either Inverary and Lochawe, Oban and Fort William, Lochearnhead and Killin.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
