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 the Dining Hall in Abbotsview Convalescent Home in Galashiels, Scottish Borders of Scotland. The home was was run by the Co-operative Society prior to the Second World War. It was adapted from a two storey house, formerly called Lynhurst, next to the larger Kingsknowes House near the railway line to the south east of Galashiels. A large extension was built to the south. During the Second World War it took evacuated children from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. Robert Burns wrote two poems about Galashiels, " Sae Fair Her Hair " and " Braw Lads ". The latter is sung by the some of the townsfolk each year at the Braw Lads Gathering. Sir Walter Scott built his home, Abbotsford, just across the River Tweed from Galashiels. The Sir Walter Scott Way, a long distance walking path from Moffat to Cockburnspath passes through Galashiels.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Lounge in Kinfauns Castle near Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. In Western architecture, a living room, also called a lounge room, lounge or sitting room, is a room in a residential house or apartment for relaxing and socializing. Such a room is sometimes called a front room when it is near the main entrance at the front of the house. In large formal homes or castles, a sitting room is often a small private living area adjacent to a bedroom, such as the Queen's Sitting Room and the Lincoln Sitting Room of the White House. The term living room was coined in the late 19th or early 20th century. Kinfauns Castle was designed by Robert Smirke and built between 1822 and 1826 by Lord Gray on the site of a medieval stronghold, founded by the Charteris family. Kinfauns was the family seat from the 14th century.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of the Ballroom in Blair Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many castles and mansions contain one or more ballrooms. Blair Castle is said to have been started in 1269 by John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, died 1275, a northern neighbour of David I Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, died 1270, who started building on the Earl's land while he was away on crusade. Upon his return, the Earl complained about the interloper to King Alexander III, won back his land and incorporated the tower that had been built into his own castle. David II Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, died 1326, forfeited the titles and estates after rebelling against Robert the Bruce in 1322. The earldom was granted to a number of individuals until 1457 when King James II granted it to his half brother John Stewart, born 1440, died 1512. John Murray, son of the second Earl of Tullibardine, was created Earl of Atholl in 1629, and the title has since remained in the Murray family.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old travel Blog photograph of Pier Road in Tighnabruaich, Kyles of Bute, Argyll, Scotland. A pier was built in the 1830s by the Castle Steamship Company, a forerunner of Caledonian MacBrayne. Its was a stopping place for paddle steamers and Clyde puffers. The wooden pier was rebuilt in 1885 by the Tighnabruaich Estate who owned it from 1840 until 1950. George Olding owned it until 1965 when it became the responsibility of the local council. This Scottish village is just an hour and a half west of Glasgow, and is located along the east coast of Loch Fyne and stretching into the Kyles of Bute.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of Glengarry Castle in the Great Glen, Scotland. This castle, in the Scottish Highlands, is now a hotel. Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Scottish Gaelic: Clann Dòmhnaill Ghlinne Garaidh, is a Scottish clan and is a branch of the larger Clan Donald. The clan takes its name from Glen Garry where the river Garry runs eastwards through Loch Garry to join the Great Glen about 16 miles to the North of Fort William. Glengarry is in the ancient Kingdom of Moray that was ruled by the Picts. Ranald was the son of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, and Ranald himself had five sons. One of them was Alan, the progenitor of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald and another was Donald, who married twice: firstly Laleve, daughter of the chief of Clan MacIver, by who he had one son named John. Donald married secondly a daughter of the chief of the Clan Fraser of Lovat by whom he had two more sons, Alexander and Angus. The first son, John, died without heirs and was therefore succeeded by his half brother Alexander. Alexander is sometimes considered the first true chief of Glengarry but is usually regarded as the fourth chief. Glengarry did not play an important part in the politics of Clan Donald until the late fifteenth century. Traditional rights of the chiefs were being replaced with feudal relationships in which the Crown was the ultimate superior, as part of the royal policy to pacify the Scottish Highlands. Most of the chiefs submitted to King James V of Scotland and even the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald accepted charters in 1494. However Alexander of Glengarry did not receive a charter, suggesting that he continued to have a rebellious attitude at this time. Finally in 1531 he submitted to royal authority and was pardoned for past offences. He received a Crown charter on 9 March 1539 for the lands of Glengarry, Morar, half the lands of Loch Alsh, Lochcarron, Loch Broom and also Strome Castle. This did not stop Alexander following Donald Gorm Macdonald of Sleat in trying to reclaim the Lordship of the Isles. Donald Gorm was killed attacking Eilean Donan Castle and the rebellion collapsed. In the late 18th Century, the majority of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry emigrated to the historic Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada, which is named after the Clan, as a result of the Highland Clearances as well as settling in parts of Nova Scotia, to look for a better life and to also preserve their Scottish Highland Culture.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
