Old Travel Blog Photograph Bridge Birks Of Aberfeldy Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of a bridge for walkers at the Birks of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland. Robert Burns wrote the song, " The Birks Of Aberfeldy " in late August 1787, during a visit to the Birks of Aberfeldy, then known as the Den of Moness. Legend has it that Burns wrote the song after resting in a natural seat on the rock, just at the side of the Birks. This natural seat is well known and a plaque now exists at the exact spot where Burns was inspired to write the ballad.

Now simmer blinks on flow'ry braes,
And o'er the crystal streamlet plays,
Come, let us spend the lightsome days
In the birks of Aberfeldie!

(Chorus)
Bonnie lassie, will ye go,
will ye go, will ye go,
Bonnie lassie, will ye go
To the birks of Aberfeldie?

The little birdies blithely sing,
While o'er their heads the hazels hing;
Or lightly flit on wanton wing
In the birks of Aberfeldie!

The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foaming stream, deep-roaring, fa's,
O'er-hung wi'fragrant spreading shaws,
The birks of Aberfeldie.

The hoary cliffs are crown'd wi'flowers,
White o'er the linns the burnie pours,
And, rising, weets wi' misty showers
The birks of Aberfeldie.

Let Fortune's gifts at random flee,
They ne'er shall draw a wish frae me,
Supremely blest wi' love and thee
In the birks of Aberfeldie.



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

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Castle Gardens Dirleton Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the castle gardens in Dirleton, East Lothian. Dirleton is notable for Dirleton Castle which was begun around 1240 by John De Vaux, the castle was heavily damaged during the Wars of Scottish Independence, when it was twice taken by the English. In the 14th century, Dirleton was repaired by the Haliburton family, and it was acquired by the Ruthvens in 1505. The Ruthvens were involved in several plots against Mary, Queen of Scots, and King James VI, and eventually forfeited the castle in 1600. Dirleton ceased to be a residence, although Oliver Cromwell was forced to besiege the castle to flush out a band of marauders during the Third English Civil War in 1650. The damaged castle was then acquired by John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton, who decided to build a new country house on the nearby Archerfield Estate. The church built soon after the move of the parish in 1612 is located immediately to the north of the village in a beautiful situation. 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 South Colinton Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of South Colinton located South West of the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally sited within a steep sided glen on a convenient fording point on the Water of Leith, and expanding from there, Colinton's history dates back to before the 11th century. Robert Louis Stevenson spent the summers of his childhood at the manse in Colinton when his grandfather was the village's Parish Minister; the philanthropist James Gillespie; and architects Sir Robert Rowand Anderson and John James Burnet, all lived in the village.





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

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Shops Dalmellington Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of shops, vintage cars and people in Dalmellington, Ayrshire, Scotland. Eighteenth century Dalmellington was a small rural village with some 500 inhabitants, but the modern way of life was already taking shape. Good quality coal was being produced from surface workings and sent down the turnpike road to Galloway. The town grew after Watt`s engine had made deeper mine workings feasible, and the completion of the railway in 1858. Apart from the coal mining, there were 8,000 sheep and 800 black cattle on the hills, and plans were afoot for the spinning and weaving of wool. These plans resulted in two woollen mills which flourished for a time in the following century. The two mills employed about 30 people between them. The yarn from the largest was disposed of wholly to the Kilmarnock carpet manufacturers until the proprietor of the mill added a carpet factory with eight looms constantly at work. The yarn spun in the second mill was also manufactured on the spot, into blankets, into plaid, packing cloth. There were also about 40 weavers working from home. Although by the 20th Century mining was the dominant industry, workers had to travel to outlying areas. Eight pits producing around 124,000 tons a year were operating in the 1940s. 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 Classroom And Dining Hall Belmont Camp Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of a classroom and dining hall at Belmont Camp, Meigle, Perthshire, Scotland. In 1939 the Camps Act was passed. This set aside money for the construction of around 25 Centres in England and Wales and a further 5 in Scotland. This was a Department of Health initiative and the intention was that young people from the cities would spend some months at these Centres, eating well and enjoying the fresh, uncontaminated country air. Building work began immediately using high quality Canadian cedar wood and construction of the Centres in Scotland was entrusted to the Scottish Special Housing Association. The 5 Centres constructed were Belmont Centre at Meigle, Broomlee at West Linton, Dounans Outdoor Camp at Aberfoyle, Glengonnar at Abington and Middleton at Gorebridge. Each of the 5 had a capacity of around 250 young people plus other accommodation for staff and teachers.




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

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