Old Travel Blog Photograph Salt Water Bathing Pool Saltcoats Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of children by the salt water bathing pool in Saltcoats, a small town on the west coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland. In the late 1880s, a bathing pool was built on the site of the former saltpans. This was in a rocky cove, which is at one end of what is now Winton Circus. This bathing pool had changing facilities and some seated accommodation for spectators although seating was often just the surrounding rocks in the bay. This proved to be a very popular venue. This pool was replaced in the 1930s. 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 West Common Arbroath Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the tennis courts, putting green and people on the West Common in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland. Tennis in its earlier forms was introduced into Scotland from France in the Middle Ages. It was traditionally known as " caitch " or " cache " in Scotland, and is an ancestor of the better known form of tennis. In the nineteenth century, tennis was a fairly exclusive sport, with high level participation being mainly by the upper classes. Scotland produced two Wimbledon men's champions in this period, Herbert Lawford and Harold Mahony. However, to complicate matters, Lawford was born in England but died in Scotland, and Mahony was Scottish born, but died in County Kerry, Ireland, where his family were from.



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 Military Funeral Castle Douglas Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the Military Funeral of Canadian, Sergeant Johnstone, in Castle Douglas near Threave Castle, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Castle Douglas was a reception area for Glasgow's evacuated children during World War II. From March 1943 to April 1944, the town was the base for 92nd Loyals Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, which was training for Operation Overlord, the invasion of occupied Europe. Castle Douglas was founded in 1792 by a wealthy descendant of the Douglas family, William Douglas, who made his money in American Trade and created a planned town on the shores of Carlingwark Loch. The town's layout is based upon the grid plan pattern of streets as used in Edinburgh's New Town, built around the same time. Sir William Douglas also created a number of industries in Castle Douglas, including hand-woven cotton factories.



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 Brig O Trams Wick Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of Brig O Trams rock formations off the North coast to the South of Wick, Caithness. Scotland. The name Wick comes from the Norse word, Vik meaning bay. Wick was granted the title of Royal Burgh in 1589. However, it was in the 1800s that Wick enjoyed its greatest prosperity as a thriving herring port, in time becoming the busiest in Europe. Work to enable the development of the huge seasonal herring fishing first began in 1803 under the auspices of the British Fisheries Society. By the time trade at Wick peaked around 1900 there was a fleet 1120 strong. 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 North Coast Road To Durness Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the North coast road to Durness, Northern Sutherland, Scotland. The name was originally Norse " Dyrnes ", meaning " deer headland." Near Durness is the Judgement Stone. This was said to be where judgement was meted out to malefactors and those found guilty were thrown over the cliff to their doom below. Durness is on the A838 road. This links the parish to the A836 at Tongue to the east and loops around the coast through Rhiconich near Kinlochbervie to meet the A836 again north of Lairg to the south. The road is single track along most of its length. Bus services are sparse in the area, although one bus a day links Durness with the Far North railway line at Lairg railway station. This provides rail services north to Wick and south to Inverness.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.