Old Travel Blog Photograph Parish Church Tranent Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the parish church and cemetery in Tranent, Scotland. Tranent is a town in East Lothian, approximately eleven miles east of Edinburgh. It is one of the oldest towns in East Lothian. The present church at Tranent was built by John Simpson and opened in 1800, as what is believed to be at least the third church in the town. Local legend has it that a chapel dedicated to St. Martin of Tours and was associated with Lindisfarne in the 8th century. The town's original Brythonic name, Travernant, meaning " settlement on the ridge overlooking a ravine ", tends to show there was a settlement there in the 8th century. The first known mention of a church at Tranent came in 1145 when it was established by the archdeacon, Thor, son of a local landowner. The church was granted by Richard, Archbishop of St Andrews in Fife and later confirmed by Saer de Quincy, the local baron. Tranent parish came under the jurisdiction of the canons of Holyrood Abbey and the building was described as being of a higher standard than the normal country church. Although a settlement grew around the church by 1251, it remained in the hands of Holyrood. The church was badly damaged in 1544 and 1547, each time by the forces of the Earl of Hertford from England during the Rough Wooing. Tranent Parish Church joined the Scottish Reformation when Thomas Cranstoun, the first minister took over from the evicted canons and the last Roman Catholic priest, Thomas Moffat; the church of St. Peter was now a reformed Protestant church. The church remained a ruinous condition, after Somerset's attack, into the 17th century and, though it was refurbished, it is not known when. The church was said to have been restored, extended and improved throughout, but in 1799 the decision was made to build a new church which was opened in 1800, a church which still stands high above the ravine overlooking the Firth of Forth.



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 Fish Market Harbour Whitehills Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of fishing boats by the fish market at the harbour in Whitehills on the Moray Firth on the North East coast of Scotland. Whitehills is a Trust Harbour, established by Act of Parliament in 1895. Whitehills was a very successful fishing port up until 1999, when due to changes in the fishing industry, the Commissioners decided to develop it as a Marina. Between 1924 and 1969 Whitehills had an RNLI lifeboat station. The station was transferred from Banff and in 1932 a new boathouse and slipway (which still stand today) were constructed for a new motor lifeboat. Whitehills received a new 47ft Watson-class boat in 1961, but this was withdrawn and the station closed in 1969 after launching only eleven times in eight years.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Photograph Loch Soy Portsoy Scotland

Old photograph of Loch Soy in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Portsoy is located on the Moray Firth Coast of North East Scotland, 50 miles North West of Aberdeen and 65 miles East of Inverness. From the 16th century until 1975, Portsoy was in the civil and religious parish of Fordyce. The old Harbour dates to the 17th century and is the oldest on the Moray Firth. The new harbour was built in 1825 for the growing herring fishing. Jimmy MacBeath, born 1894, died 1972, the wandering singer, was born in Portsoy and is buried there. He was a bachelor all his life and learned many songs in the bothies, or farm huts where the male farm workers lived. He was to be a traveller for much of his life; in 1908 he took his first long walk, from Inverness to Perth, Perthshire. In the First World War he joined the Gordon Highlanders and fought in Flanders. Later he served in the Medical Corps during the Anglo-Irish War. In the 1920s he was demobbed. Working as a kitchen porter, begging and at seasonal fruit picking, he set about tramping the roads of Scotland, England, the Channel Islands, and even Nova Scotia, Canada. In the streets, pubs, hiring fairs and markets he earned money by singing. Jimmy Paterson, trombonist with Dexy's Midnight Runners, was born and raised in Portsoy. Loch Soy was initially the source of power for the water-wheel at the mill. It also provided a supply of ice for the salmon fishery before the advent of the ice factories.



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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Travel Video Top Secret Drum Corps Royal Military Tattoo Edinburgh Castle

Tour Scotland travel video of the Top Secret Drum Corps at the Royal Military Tattoo at the castle on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and trip to the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Top Secret Drum Corps is a drum corps based in Basel, Switzerland. With drummers and colorguard members it has its roots in the rich drumming traditions of the band's home city, Basel, which is known for its annual carnival called Fasnacht. If you haven’t already seen them perform then you are in for a real treat. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands and artistic performance teams on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of Scotland. The event is held each August as part of the Edinburgh Festival.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Tour Scotland Travel Video United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team Royal Military Tattoo Edinburgh Castle

Tour Scotland wee travel video of the United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team at the Royal Military Tattoo at the castle on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and trip to the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Drill Team promotes the Air Force mission by showcasing drill performances at public and military venues to recruit, retain, and inspire Airmen. They support Air Force Recruiting Service as the official Ambassadors in Blue. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands and artistic performance teams on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of Scotland. The event is held each August as part of the Edinburgh Festival.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.