Old Travel Blog Photograph Valley Railway Alford Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of Alford Valley Railway in the Howe of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The narrow gauge railway, built from salvaged equipment from the New Pitsligo peat moss railway, was proposed in 1979 and opened in 1980. Originally it ran for 1.9 miles from Haughton Park station through Murray Park Woods. Then in 1984 another line was run from Alford station, alongside Alford Golf Course, to Haughton Park where there is a platform. However, the original Murray Woods line was then closed. The current station building is on the site of the original granite structure which was demolished after British Rail closed the line. The passenger platform is the original. A small railway museum is housed in the railway station building. The original locomotive shed was situated to the east of the station but this has also now been demolished. To the west of the station the granite carriage shed of the previous railway is now used by the Alford Valley Railway. The Grampian Transport Museum and Alford Heritage Centre are nearby.



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

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Tour Scotland Spring Travel Video Shepherd Sheep And Scottish Border Collies Shian Glen Quaich Highlands

Tour Scotland Spring travel video of a Shepherd, Sheep and Scottish Border Collie sheepdogs on ancestry visit to Shian Farm in Highland, Perthshire, Scotland. The Border Collie is a working and herding dog breed developed in the Anglo Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It was specifically bred for intelligence and obedience.

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

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Tour Scotland Spring Travel Video Hill Farmer Herding Sheep With Quad Bike Glen Quaich Highland Perthshire

Tour Scotland Spring travel video of a Scottish Hill farmer herding sheep with a quad bike in Glen Quaich on ancestry visit to Shian Farm in Highland, Perthshire, Scotland. The Scottish highlands are home for many hill farms. Sheep farms and mixed sheep and cattle farms constitute approximately 55% of the agricultural land in Scotland. These areas have a harsh climate, short growing seasons, relatively poor quality of soil and long winters. Therefore, these areas are considered to be disadvantaged and the animals raised there are generally less productive and farmers will often send them down to the lowlands to be fattened up.

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

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Tour Scotland Spring Travel Video Sheep And Lambs Glen Quaich Highland Perthshire

Tour Scotland Spring travel video of sheep and lambs in Glen Quaich on ancestry visit to Shian Farm in Highland, Perthshire, Scotland. As well as longer, lighter days one of the best aspects of spring is getting to see adorable lambs gambolling across the fields, hills and glens. March and April are peak lambing time in the UK, although the main season runs from February to April and some farmers even lamb before Christmas. As the ewes in this example were tupped in October, they will lamb in March.

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

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Duke Dennistoun Glasgow Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of Duke Street in Dennistoun, Glasgow, Scotland. William Miller was born on August 1810 and lived in Dennistoun. He was a Scottish poet best known for the nursery rhyme Wee Willie Winkie. Miller, known as " The Laureate of the Nursery " suffered from ill health and was unable to become a surgeon and instead took up woodturning and cabinet making. At the same time he began writing poetry and children's rhymes, mainly in the Scots language. His poetry was published in various works including the Whistle binkie books. In 1842, Whistle-binkie: Stories for the Fireside was published and contained the rhyme Wee Willie Winkie. The poem would go on to become known in other countries, in translation, and made Miller famous at the time. In 1871, Miller's leg became ulcerated and he had to retire from cabinet making. The leg became infected and led to his death in 1872 aged 62. By then Miller was destitute and was buried at Tollcross. Later a memorial to Miller was erected on the Glasgow Necropolis.





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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.