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 photograph of Balcomie links Golf Course by Crail, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. The Crail Golfing Society is a Scottish golf club established in February 1786 in the Golf Hotel, Crail, Fife. The society is the seventh oldest golf club in the world. Its oldest course, Balcomie, was formally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1894, but competitions were played there since the 1850. The land upon which golf is played straddles the coast of easternmost promontory of Fife, known as Fife Ness. Balcomie has the unusual combination of three par fives, six par threes and nine par fours, producing a tough par of 69.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of houses above the coastal walking path by the beach in Crail on the coast of the East Neuk Of Fife, Scotland. Crail became a Royal Burgh in 1178 in the reign of King William the Lion. Robert the Bruce granted permission to hold markets on a Sunday, in the Marketgait, where the Mercat Cross now stands in Crail. This practice was still continuing in the 16th century, causing concern in the freshly puritanical circles of Edinburgh such that John Knox, visiting Crail on his way to St Andrews in 1559, was moved to deliver a sermon in Crail Parish Church, damning the fishermen of the East Neuk for working on a Sunday. Despite the protests, the markets continued and were amongst the largest in Europe for their time. King James V, the father of Mary Queen of Scots, sent for his wife, Mary of Guise, whom he had recently married by proxy in Paris, and she landed in Crail in June 1538. Built around a harbour, Crail has a particular wealth of vernacular buildings from the 17th to early 19th centuries. The harbour is known to have been substantially complete by 1583. The extension of 1828 to the west pier of Crail Harbour is the work of Robert Stevenson. Crial railway station on the Thornton Junction to St Andrews to Leuchars Junction was opened on 1 September 1883 by the Anstruther and St Andrews Railway. It closed to regular passenger traffic, with the St Andrews to Leven portion of the line, on 6 September 1965. 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.
Old travel Blog photograph of children in rowing boats by the beach in Aberdour, Fife, Scotland. In the 18th century Aberdour's fishing harbour was improved by the addition of a stone pier to help handle the coal traffic from nearby collieries. However, in the 1850s the traffic changed dramatically, and Aberdour Harbour became a popular destination for pleasure steamers from Leith, Edinburgh. This in turn led to the building of a deeper water pier a little around the bay at Hawkcraig, and to the development of hotels and many of the other services still on view today in the village. This in turn led to the building of a deeper water pier a little around the bay at Hawkcraig, and to the development of hotels and many of the other services still on view today in the village. The railway came to Aberdour in 1890, with the building of the line east from the newly opened Forth Bridge.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Buckhaven, Fife, Scotland. I was born in this village on the East coast of Scotland. The fishing community of Buckhaven is said to have been largely the descendants of Norsemen who settled there in the 9th century. Centuries later, Buckhaven's fisherfolk bought an Episcopal Church in St Andrews in 1869 and transported it stone by stone to Buckhaven, using fishing boats. 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.
Old travel Blog photograph of people on the miniature railway in Craigtoun Park by St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. The park was originally part of the Mount Melville Estate originally called Craigtoun was one of the many Melville family estates, first acquired in 1698 for General George Melville of Strathkiness. In the late 18th Century General Robert Melville oversaw extensive landscaping of the grounds including the planting of orchards and woodland. The grounds continued in Melville family ownership until 1901 when the new owner Dr James Younger of the Younger brewing dynasty commissioned Paul W. Waterhouse to landscape the park. In 1947 Mount Melville house and gardens were acquired by Fife County Council.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
