Tour Scotland 4K Summer travel video of the sight and sounds of a boat trip on the River Tay on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit and trip to Perthshire and Fife, Britain, United Kingdom. The River Tay, Scottish Gaelic: Tatha, is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui mountain, Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laoigh, then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochart, Loch Iubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay, in the centre of Scotland, then south easterly through Perth, where it becomes tidal, to its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee in Tayside. The Tay has a rich natural heritage, and is home to a variety of wildlife. It boasts a number of sites of special scientific interest, and is noted for its extensive sand and mudflats. It’s been a valuable source of resources for the Highlands and east coast of Scotland throughout history, and provided trade opportunities for a number of historic settlements, including the cities of Perth and Dundee. The name Tay comes from the Scottish Gaelic Tatha, which in turn is believed to come from the Brythonic word Tausa. The name is thought to mean Silent One, Strong One or Flowing One. This is also the name of a Pictish deity, the river goddess. It’s still traditional in some parts of the country to break a bottle of whisky over the bow of a boat at the start of the salmon fishing season! This is believed to be a means of gaining the favour of the ancient goddess of the river, the Silent One. The story of the River Tay begins with the formation of the Tay valley. Scotland was covered with ice for thousands of years before, in 16,000 B.C.E., the climate began to warm, causing the great glaciers of ice to retreat into the sea. The movement of the these glaciers carved out the valley through which the River Tay flows today. The Romans invaded the Tay valley in the first century C.E., establishing forts and fortresses at key strategic points along the river’s banks. The arrival of the Romans seems to have been devastating for the native Tay communities, with evidence of a severe drop in farming activity during the period. The area around the Tay came under Pictish influence after the Romans left, and many of the places along the Tay still bear Pictish names. Perth, for example, comes from the Pictish pert, meaning ‘woodland’. The Picts merged with the Scots in the ninth century, establishing the kingdom of Alba, the heart of which was the Tay valley. At Forteviot, not far from Perth, stood the royal palace where Kenneth McAlpine, seen as the first Scottish king, died in 858 C.E. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. The date for astronomical Summer in Scotland is Tuesday, 21 June, ending on Friday, 23 September. @tourscotland
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
Summer Road Trip Drive With Music To Swallow Roundabout On History Visit To Dundee Scotland
Tour Scotland 4K Summer morning travel video, with Scottish accordion music, of a road trip drive East on the A90 route from Perth, Perthshire, to the Swallow Roundabout on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to Dundee, Tayside, Britain, United Kingdom. Swallow Roundabout is at the western end of the Dundee Kingsway, from where the A85 Riverside Drive leads in to the City. It was named after the nearby hotel, however the hotel was renamed as the Landmark Hotel, became the DoubleTree Hotel in 2013, and reverted to the Landmark Hotel in 2020. It remains to be seen whether anyone will start referring to the junction as the Landmark roundabout. It is, however, known by many visitors as the Invergowrie Roundabout, due to its proximity to the village. However, that name more correctly refers to another nearby roundabout. The roundabout is a simple four arm junction, despite carrying a lot of traffic, destined both for Dundee and beyond to Aberdeen and North East Scotland. The A90 is dualled in both directions, the 20 miles run to Perth being free from roundabouts and traffic lights, whilst the five miles northeast around the Kingsway are littered with such obstructions. The Swallow Roundabout is, then, the end of the open road, with its connection via Perth to the Motorway network, and the start of a slower, if often more stressful, way of life as traffic battles around Dundee and then heads north for Aberdeen. The A90 road originates in Edinburgh, it the travels west and over the Forth Road Bridge, before turning into the M90 motorway. At Perth, the M90 again becomes the A90, now running north east to Dundee and through the Kingsway road system. It then passes Forfar, Brechin, Stracathro, the site of an ancient Roman Camp, Stonehaven, Bridge of Muchalls, where the Burn of Muchalls flows under, near Muchalls Castle, near Saint Ternan's Church, Newtonhill, Portlethen, from there through the city of Aberdeen, crossing the Ythan Estuary, on to Peterhead on its way to Fraserburgh. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving on Scottish roads in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. The date for astronomical Summer in Scotland is Tuesday, 21 June, ending on Friday, 23 September. @tourscotland
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
Summer Road Trip Drive With Music To City Centre On History Visit To Perth Perthshire Scotland
Tour Scotland 4K Summer travel video, with Scottish accordion music, of a road trip drive North on the A912 route to the city centre on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to of the Fair City of Perth, Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. Perth has been inhabited since prehistoric times and it is known that early Mesolithic people occupied the city and areas surrounding it over 8000 years ago with standing stones from Neolithic times being found and thought to be from around 4000 BC. The name Perth itself comes from the Pictish word for wood or thicket which suggests that the Pictish people had settlements here in the Early Middle Ages. Perth was considered the capital of Scotland during the Middle Ages from the 9th to the 15th centuries. This was because it was the primary residence of Scottish monarchs and where the Royal Courts were held. Perth was effectively the main centre for the Kingdom of Alba. Perth played a role in the Scottish Wars of Independence when King Edward I of England brought his armies here in 1296. Perth was captured quickly by the English as it had very little defence. The English then began to build walled fortification around the perimeters of Perth, which was a town at the time. This was completed in 1304 and ordered to be destroyed by Robert the Bruce in 1312 when the town was taken back by the Scots. The 16th century saw large amounts of religious unrest in Perth. Men were hanged for vandalising religious statues and the Blackfriars monastery was attacked. In May 1599, altars at St John the Baptist kirk were destroyed by angry mobs and the religious Houses of Blackfriars and Greyfriars were attacked. Scone Abbey was also sacked during this time. The religious conflict was so strong that the mother of Mary Queen of Scots, who was too young to rule at the time, had to step in to attempt to calm the rioting. She was successful in doing this, but the people of Perth were still extremely opposed to Catholic rule. Perth has been known as The Fair City since the publication of the story Fair Maid of Perth by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott in 1828. During the later medieval period the city was also called St John's Toun or Saint Johnstoun by its inhabitants in reference to the main church dedicated to St John the Baptist. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving on Scottish roads in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. The date for astronomical Summer in Scotland is Tuesday, 21 June, ending on Friday, 23 September. @tourscotland
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
Summer Road Trip Drive With Bagpipes Music On History Visit To Bridge Of Earn Perthshire Scotland
Tour Scotland 4K Summer travel video, with Scottish bagpipes music of a cloudy weather, road trip drive, North on the A912 route on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit Bridge Of Earn, Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. Bridge of Earn is a small town in Perth and Kinross. Often referred to simply as The Brig, Scots word for bridge. The village grew up on the south bank of an important crossing of the River Earn, whose sandstone bridge existed from at least the early 14th century, when it is known to have been repaired by order of King Robert I of Scotland. The growth of the village in the 19th Century was linked to the popularity of nearby Pitkeathly Wells which ceased to function as a spa in 1949. Established during World War II to cope with an expected influx of casualties after the D-Day landings, Bridge of Earn Hospital was one of Perthshire's leading hospitals and a major source of employment until it was closed in 1993. A railway junction, Bridge of Earn station closed in 1964 and the railway line to Milnathort closed in 1970. A single track railway line still passes through Bridge of Earn connecting Perth with Ladybank, while the M90 motorway was built immediately to the East in 1977. The village has expanded greatly from the 1980s through the early 21st Century. On the edge of the village is the independent Kilgraston School, occupying a mansion built in 1800 by Francis Grant of Glenlochy, born 1746, died 1818, whose sons were the portrait painter Sir Francis Grant, born 1803, died 1878 and General Sir James Hope Grant, born 1808, died 1875. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving on Scottish roads in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. The date for astronomical Summer in Scotland is Tuesday, 21 June, ending on Friday, 23 September. @tourscotland
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
Summer Road Trip Drive With Music On History Visit To Aberargie Perthshire Scotland
Tour Scotland 4K Summer travel video, with Scottish music, of a cloudy afternoon road trip drive from the Pictish Tower in Abernethy, West on the A913 route on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to the hamlet of Aberargie, Perthshire, Brtain, United Kingdom. Aberargie, Scottish Gaelic: Obar Fhargaidh, is recorded in the Pictish Chronicle as part of Nechtan's land grant in 460AD, and may have been in existence for much longer. Archaeological surface finds from fields in the vicinity of the village range from neolithic flints, to the full range of Scottish Medieval Pottery and flintlock rifle and pistol flints. Further indicating an extensive period of settlement and activity in the area. MacNaughton is an ancient Pictish Scottish surname. It is derived from the Pictish name Nechtan. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Neachdainn, which means son of Nechtan. The surname MacNaughton was first found in Argyllshire, Gaelic erra Ghaidheal, the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held lands at Lochow and Loch Fyne, called Glenera, Glenshira, and Glen Fyne. McNaughton has been spelled MacNaughton, McNachton, MacNaghten, MacNechten, Notton, Norton and many more. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving on Scottish roads in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. The date for astronomical Summer in Scotland is Tuesday, 21 June, ending on Friday, 23 September. @tourscotland
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
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