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.
Tour Scotland photograph of West Town Chapel, Perthshire, Scotland. This old 16th century ruined church is situated in the centre of its churchyard. In one of the old charters of the estate this is called the Church of the Blessed Virgin of Inchmartin. It was dismantled about 1800, but burials have occurred in the graveyard since then. It has been known in the past as Wast Town, Westown, and West Town.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland Autumn travel video of Kinnaird Castle on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and trip to Eastern Perthshire, Scotland. Kinnaird Castle is built in a place of great defensive strength high on a spur of the Sidlaw foothills, where it looks out across the Carse of Gowrie to the Tay estuary. It is basically an oblong keep which rises 4 stories to the parapet, with an attic floor above that. The original castle on this site was built by the Kinnaird family, although the present building was probably built by the Thrieplands in the 17th century. King James VI stayed here for a week’s hunting in 1716.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland photograph of the Parish Church, Kinnaird, Perthshire, Scotland. Kinnaird is a village in Gowrie, Perthshire, Scotland. It is notable for its 15th century castle and early 19th century parish church. In the 18th century, it was the home of the Reverend James Adams, who contributed to the Marrow Controversy in the church of Scotland. It is also the birthplace of the philosopher James Mylne 1757 to 1839 who later taught moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow from 1797 to 1836 and also lectured on political economy. The Threiplands of Fingask were a local Jacobite family. The Carse of Gowrie in which the village is located is a prosperous agricultural district of Perthshire.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland photograph of Fingask Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. Fingask Castle is located three miles north east of Errol, in the Braes of the Carse, on the fringes of the Sidlaw Hills. It overlooks both the Carse of Gowrie and the Firth of Tay and beyond into the Kingdom of Fife.
Tour Scotland photograph of Fingask Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. Fingask was once an explicitly holy place, a convenient and numinous stop off between the abbeys at Falkirk and Scone. It was later held by the Bruce family, and then by the Threiplands. In the eighteenth century it was a nest of Jacobites and was forfeited. Since 1969 the castle has been a Threipland property again.
Tour Scotland photograph of Fingask Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. The garden is renowned for its topiary.
Tour Scotland photograph today of a rural road in Perthshire, Scotland. Today was a very beautiful day in Scotland with snowdrops starting to line the rural roads.
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Tour Scotland photograph of snowdrops by the old churchyard gate at Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland. Cargill in 1846. Cargill, a parish, in the county of Perth, 7½ miles North East from Perth; containing, with the villages of Burreltown, Wolfhill, and Woodside, 1642 inhabitants. This place, of which the name, of Celtic origin, signifies a village with a church, originally formed a portion of the parish of Coupar Angus, from which, according to ancient records, it was separated prior to the year 1514. It was for many generations the chief seat of the family of Drummond, of whom Annabella, daughter of Sir John Drummond, was married to Robert III., King of Scotland, and crowned with that monarch, at Scone, in 1390; she was the mother of James I., from whom descended the royal family of Stuart. Stobhall, the seat of the Drummonds, now almost in a ruinous state, came into the possession of the family by the marriage of Sir John Drummond with Lady Mary, eldest daughter of Sir William de Montifex, lord justiciary of Scotland. The ancient mansion, which appears to have been built at different periods, is romantically situated on a narrow tongue of land, on the banks of the river Tay.
The parish, which is in the valley of Strathmore, is about six miles in length, and four in average breadth; the surface is diversified, and bounded on the west and north-west by the Tay, and on the north by the river Isla, which flows into the Tay about half a mile above the village of Cargill. The land rises, by a gradual ascent, from the margin of the river, for nearly a mile, till it attains an elevated plain, varied with occasional eminences interspersed with small glens; the Sidlaw hills form the eastern boundary. The scenery is pleasingly enriched with plantations, chiefly of Scotch fir, with coppices of birch and oak; the native woods, which were formerly extensive, and afforded secure concealment to Sir William Wallace and his adherents from the pursuit of their enemies, are greatly diminished. The soil, along the banks of the river, and on the lower lands, is a humid clay, but fertile, producing abundant crops of grain, and gradually inclines, as the ground ascends, to a rocky marl; towards the base of the hills, it is a light dry gravel, and, on the summit of the elevated plain, partly loam and moorland. The system of agriculture is in an improved state, but much yet remains to be done. The rateable annual value of the parish is £7786. The Tay is navigable to Perth; it abounds with salmon, of which there is a valuable fishery, and with trout and pike, and is a favourite resort for anglers; near the west end of the parish, it flows over a rugged basaltic dyke, where it forms a picturesque fall called the Linn of Campsie.
The substratum is chiefly freestone, of good quality, and of excellent colour, which has been extensively wrought; limestone is also found, but is not much in operation, and rock marl of a reddish colour is abundant, and might be rendered available to the improvement of the moorlands in the upper parts of the parish. The only manufacture carried on, is the weaving of linen for the Dundee manufacturers, which affords employment to a few families. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Dunkeld and synod of Perth and Stirling; the patronage is in the Crown, and the minister's stipend is £224. 16., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £14. The church is a neat and well-arranged structure, erected in 1832, and situated on the sloping bank of the river Tay. There is a place of worship for members of the Free Church. The parochial school is well attended; the master has a salary of £34, with a house and garden, and the fees average about £15, to which Lady Willoughby de Eresby adds £10, for teaching the poor gratuitously. There were traces, till within the last few years, of a Roman station and road; but under the extension and improvements in agriculture, they have been almost entirely obliterated. Near the Linn of Campsie, was an ancient cell dependent on the abbey of CuparAngus: but only very slight vestiges of it can be traced. Stobhall gave the title of Baron to the earls of Perth, who were lords Drummond and Stobhall, till the forfeiture in 1746.
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Tour Scotland photographs of an Adam and Eve gravestone in the churchyard at Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland. Within the churchyard there is a side panel from a table tomb bearing depictions of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac and the goat trapped in the bush.
Tour Scotland photograph of an Adam and Eve gravestone in the churchyard at Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland.
Tour Scotland photograph of an Adam and Eve gravestone in the churchyard at Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Tour Scotland photograph of a sundial above the churchyard gate at Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland. Old encircling wall, rubble, segmentally arched gate dated 1810, but incorporating earlier fragments, and surmounted by a sundial.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Clunie Churchyard, Perthshire, Scotland. Clunie is a small village in Perthshire, Scotland, a few miles west of Blairgowrie. Fragments of the medieval church have been rebuilt in a small structure that probably served as a watchtower to the south of the present church, while some other fragments are to be found elsewhere within the churchyard.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Clunie Church, Perthshire, Scotland. Clunie is a small village in Perthshire, Scotland, a few miles west of Blairgowrie. It lies on the western shore of the Loch of Clunie. Near the village are the foundations of what is believed to have been be a castle used by Kenneth MacAlpin, the first king of Scotland, as a base for hunting in the nearby royal forest of Clunie. The church, erected in 1840, at the expense of the heritors, is a handsome structure in the later English style, with an embattled tower crowned by turrets at the angles.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Loch Of Clunie, Perthshire, Scotland. A beautiful morning at Loch of Clunie, with nice reflections in the loch. The Loch of Clunie is located close to the main road between the towns of Dunkeld and Blairgowrie. The area around the loch is popular with walkers, birdwatchers, and trout fishing is also available. The name Clunie derives from the Scots Gaelic word meaning " meadow ".
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Tour Scotland photograph of the Elisabeth Blyth gravestone, Monimail graveyard, North Fife, Scotland. Elisabeth Blyth, died February 18th, 1784, aged 77.
Blyth is an ancient Scottish name of locational origin, from the old barony of Blyth in the " lordship" of Lauderdale ", in what is now the Borders region. The place was originally named from the Old English pre 7th Century " blithe ", merry, cheerful, perhaps on account of its pleasant situation, or from a nearby river, which would have been so named for its merry, chattering sound. One James Blyth is recorded in ancient charters of the Earldom of Morton, in 1485, as a burgess of Dundee, and William Blitht was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1488. Richard Blyth was Member of Parliament for Dundee in 1567. Blyth was a common name among the Border Gypsies, a late " Queen " being Esther Faa Blyth, who died in July 1883. Among recordings of the name in Edinburgh is that of the marriage of Ludovick Blyth and Bessie Morrison, on January 17th 1673, and the christening of John, son of Thomas and Anna Blyth, on January 23rd 1677. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Blyth, which was dated 1296.
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Tour Scotland travel video of the old Church on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and trip to Monimail, North Fife. The remains of a pre Reformation church, with several interesting gravestones. Old church not used since 1796. Crest in aisle inscribed George Earl Melville, dating it to after 1690 when the title was created. Cemetery walls linked to Melville Garden walls.
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Tour Scotland travel video of Lindores Loch on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and small group trip to North Fife, Scotland. Lindores Loch is a freshwater loch situated in North Fife in the Parish of Abdie. The Loch has for many years been used as a fishery and is well known for its abundant fish life. The old Abdie Parish Church ruins are close to the north shoreline. The ruins of Inchrye House, a grand Victorian Gothic house to which estate the loch once belonged, lay to the East. The rail line between Perth and Ladybank is located on the west shoreline. The loch was an important source of water for powering mills in the Lindores valley, where up to 13 mills of various types operated from the Middle Ages up to the 20th century.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Collessie Church, North Fife, Scotland. This Scottish church was consecrated by the Bishop of St. Andrews in July 1243. It is mentioned in charters of both 1252 and 1262, and so was complete by those dates. Prior to the Reformation, the church was in the ownership of the Bishop of Lindores and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was remodelled in 1839 to a T-plan form and has remained virtually unchanged since that date. The churchyard has been used since at least the 12th century. It was extended both in 1840 and 1871.
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Tour Scotland travel video of the old Parish Church on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and trip to Abdie, North Fife, Scotland. Abdie Old Parish Church, located near Newburgh, was consecrated in 1242, and was originally a narrow single chambered structure, but in 1661 an aisle, used as the burial place of the Balfours of Denmylne, was added and other additions were also made in the 17th century. It was abandoned, in favour of the modern church, in 1827, and was considerably restored in 1856. The church was of Culdee origin, and dedicated to St Magridin but it would appear that there was a later dedication to the Virgin, the "High Altar of Our Lady of Abdie" being mentioned in 1555. It was given to Lindores Abbey about 1198, and was in use as the parish church until it was abandoned.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Moot Hill, Scone Palace, Perthshire, Scotland. The Moot Hill was the Ancient Crowning Place of the Kings of Scots. It is located immediately in front of the Palace and is crowned by a tiny Presbyterian Chapel, which, like the Palace, was Gothicized around 1804. A replica of the Stone of Scone sits in front of the Chapel.
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Tour Scotland photograph of a rainbow this afternoon in Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. A rainbow appeared above the Destiny Antiques sign today, shot a quick photo as I was destined to do.
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Tour Scotland February photograph of Balgonie Castle, Fife, Scotland. A 15th century tower house on the south bank of the River Leven a mile to the SE of Markinch in central Fife. Associated with the Sibbald and Lundy families and once occupied by Rob Roy Macgregor, its most famous owner was the covenanting General Sir Alexander Leslie who fought with Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years War. He bought the estate in 1635 six years before being created 1st Earl of Leven and Lord Balgonie. Scottish Castles.
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Tour Scotland photograph of a rainbow in rural Perthshire, Scotland. Sunny periods today in Perthshire, and with a few showers of rain as well, it was perfect weather for rainbows.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Snowdrops in North Fife, Scotland. Snowdrops today in an old graveyard in North Fife. The relaxing rural scenery of North East Fife provides variety from the historic splendour of St Andrews and the picturesque harbours of the East Neuk of Fife.
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Old photograph of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland. The gallery is located on Argyle Street, in the West End of the city, on the banks of the River Kelvin, opposite the architecturally similar Kelvin Hall, which was built in matching style in the 1920s, after the previous hall had been destroyed by fire. It is adjacent to Kelvingrove Park and is situated near the main campus of the University of Glasgow on Gilmorehill. The gallery was designed by Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen and opened in 1901.
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Old photograph of Shoemakers Doorway, Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland. An old house four stories high in which the shoemakers used to hold their meetings. Over the entrance door is the shoemakers arms cut in stone and the figures 1667 inscribed. Located on the north side of Canongate. Shoemakers Lands was bought in 1677 by the Guild of Cordwainers of the Canongate. The hall of the Incorporation of Cordiners was erected in 1682. Reconstructed in 1725. Totally demolished in 1882.
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Tour Scotland photograph of the Swilcan Burn, Old Course, St Andrews, Scotland. The old stone bridge over the Swilcan Burn on the 18th hole of the is one of the most famous golf course landmarks in the world. It is often referred to as Swilken Bridge, but Swilcan Bridge seems to be the preferred spelling today. St Andrews Golf Breaks.
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Tour Scotland photograph of Taymouth Castle, Kenmore, Perthshire, Scotland. This Scottish castle stands on the site of the much older Balloch Castle, built in 1550, which was demolished to be rebuilt on a much larger scale in the early 19th century by the Campbells of Breadalbane. It was visited by Queen Victoria in 1842. Scottish Castles.
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Tour Haunted Braemar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This Scottish castle is haunted by several ghosts. Sightings have been reported of a young woman who was honeymooning in the castle. On waking one morning she found herself alone and, believing her husband had abandoned her, committed suicide. She usually appears to newly married couples. A piper has been seen in the back corridor, and a clash of steel can sometimes be heard on the staircase. The cries of a young baby, reputedly murdered in the castle, have also been reported. John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey has been seen in certain rooms. His outline on the four poster bed has been seen on numerous occasions, and the scent of his tobacco is said to linger in many of the rooms.
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Old photograph of people and a horse and carriage outside the Post Office in the village of Tomatin in the Scottish Highlands about 16 miles south of the city of Inverness. The name derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Tom-Ah-Tin, which means, hill of juniper.
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Mary, Queen of Scots: Truth or Lies. Mary, Queen of Scots is one of the most famous Scots in history. And yet the debate rages on as fiercely as ever about what this enigmatic Queen was really like. To some, Mary was a naive fool who allowed her errant heart to rule her head. To others, she was a clever, strategic thinker who secured the Scottish throne and the direction of the British monarchy. Murder, infidelity and intrigue permeate this story of one of the most turbulent times in history. Rosalind Marshall is renowned for her work on Mary, Queen of Scots and she takes us through the key myths that surround this fascinating story. Mary, Queen of Scots: Truth or Lies.
Old photograph of the South Aisle in the Cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland. Built before the Reformation from the late 12th century onwards and serving as the seat of the Bishop and later the Archbishop of Glasgow, the building is a superb example of Scottish Gothic architecture. It is also one of the few Scottish medieval churches, and the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland, to have survived the Reformation not unroofed.
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Old photograph of Jamaica Street, Glasgow, Scotland. This street was opened in 1763. This was about the height of the rum and sugar trade, hence the name.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
Old photograph of Machrihanish, Scotland. Machrihanish is a short distance north of the tip of the Mull of Kintyre, which faces out towards Ireland and the Atlantic. The views and skies seen from the beach and Lossit Point to the west were a subject for the Scottish marine and landscape painter William McTaggart, who had a house in the village.
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Old photograph of the Post Office cottage in Glen Clova, Scotland. It is most famous for its connection to Jean Cameron, a pioneering " postie " who revolutionized the Royal Mail uniform during World War II. Jean, whose mother was the postmistress at Glen Clova, delivered mail across a grueling route involving rivers, stone stiles, and muddy bogs. Finding the official blue skirt impractical for such terrain, she requested permission to wear trousers. Following her request, the General Post Office (GPO) updated the official uniform for the first time to include smart trousers. These became so popular that 14,000 pairs were issued by 1943, and the trousers themselves were nicknamed "Camerons" in her honour.
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Old photograph of the hotel, horse and carriage, cottages, houses, people and Town hall in Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland. The town was built near the site of a Roman camp. In the 15th century the area was thickly covered with forest where Mary Queen of Scots and other members of the Royal Family hunted wild boar. In 1517 the town was created a Royal Burgh and in 1595 King James VI gave it a new Charter and included 3,000 acres of land. Between 1800 and 1900 the population was doubled due to the great increase in handloom weaving.
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Old photograph of Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. Troon is famous for its Royal Troon golf course, one of the hosts to the Open Golf Championship. Troon Harbour played a notable part in the development of the town for many years. It was home to the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company. Troon old railway station was one of the first passenger stations in Scotland as part of the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway. The Grey Lady of Troon. The Grey Lady is a tale or fable that has surrounded Troon for years. She was first sighted by Jason Grant, a local farmer, in 1873.
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Old photograph of a Tram, horse and cart, buildings and people on Glasgow Road, Paisley, Scotland. By the 19th century, Paisley had established itself as a centre of the weaving industry, giving its name to the Paisley shawl and the Paisley Pattern. The town's associations with political Radicalism were highlighted by its involvement in the Radical War of 1820, with striking weavers being instrumental in the protests. As of 1993, all of Paisley's mills had closed, although they are memorialised in the town's museums and civic history.
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Old photograph of Queen's Park, Glasgow, Scotland. This park was developed in the late 19th century in response to the increasing population density of Glasgow in general, and the South Side in particular, with the growth of tenement housing supplying the increased demand for middle class homes. Victorian Glasgow took the provision of open spaces extremely seriously, with the result that parks such as Queen's Park sprang up across the city. The park was acquired in 1857 and was designed by the world renowned Sir Joseph Paxton, also responsible for noted public parks in London, Liverpool, Birkenhead and the grounds of the Spa Buildings at Scarborough. The park was dedicated to the memory of Mary Queen of Scots and not Queen Victoria, a common misconception given the proximity to Victoria Road and that the park was created during her reign.
Old photograph of a horse and cart, shops and people in Crossmyloof, Glasgow, Scotland. Crossmyloof is an area on the south side of Glasgow in Scotland. The name is derived from Gaelic Crois MoLiubha, St Malieu's Cross. According to local belief, the name is reputed to be derived from its location on the route taken by Mary Queen of Scots to the site of the Battle of Langside. A fortune-teller may have offered to tell the queen her fate if she would " cross her loof (hand) with silver. "
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Old photograph of a Shepherd in a village in Perthshire, Scotland. The surname Shepherd has an ancient history in both England and Scotland. The many variations in England include Sheppard, Shephard, Shepperd, Shepard, Shipman and Shippard. The Scots have these as well as Sheepheard, and Shippert. There are also the English patriomics such as Sheppardson, Shepperdson, and Shepherdson. In Germany the name exists as Schaefer, Shafer, Shaffer, and Shaver. It also exists as Berger in France, Pecora in Italy, and Vasquez or Velez in Spain. The name is generally considered as occupational. One source states that " Those who tended the sheep of the villagers as well as those of the lord in England might be Shepherd or Shipman, a functionary generally chosen by the villagers. "
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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