St Andrews – Religion, University and Golf
To celebrate St Andrews Day, I have prepared a blog about his beautiful town for the British Guild of Tourist Guides. Simply click on the picture to read…
Did You Know…. Deacon Brodies?
Deacon Brodies pub sits in a prominent position at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, and has an unusual pub sign – on one side there is a respectable gentleman holding a key, whilst on the reverse is the picture of a robber, complete with mask and swag bag. Who are these two men? The …
Did You Know…? The Honours of Scotland
Scotland’s crown jewels have a long and exciting history. The 2nd oldest in the world, they were nearly captured and sold off by Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s. They were taken to Dunottar Castle for safekeeping, but the castle was besieged for 8 months. Just before it fell, the jewels were lowered down the sea-cliff …
Did You Know…? Harry Potter in Scotland
The Hogwarts Express is, in fact, a scheduled train on the West Highland Line. Harry Potter fans (or steam enthusiasts) can travel from Fort William to Mallaig aboard the Jacobite in just over 2 hours. The train runs from April to September (with additional “festive specials” in December). You can then spend some time in …
Did You Know….The Well of the 7 Heads?
This unusual monument (Well of the 7 Heads) on the shores of Loch Oich commemorates a bloody incident from Scotland’s exciting past. It shows a hand clutching a dagger, and 7 severed heads, and recalls a family disagreement which had deadly consequences. This was MacDonald territory, specifically the MacDonalds of Keppoch – a powerful branch …
Did You Know…? Clydesdale Horses
Walking in Glen Isla I passed a field with these two wonderful Clydesdale Horses, and thought I would share a little bit of their story. Clydesdales were the heavy horses of Britain’s Industrial Revolution. They pulled wagons and ploughs, barges and coalships – beautiful, powerful beasts. We exported them in their 1000’s – they were …
The Kilted Guide hits the States
Last summer, I was lucky enough to spend a week or so with a group from New England, led by Will Lange. Will was recording an episode for his Emmy award winning programme “Windows to the Wild” for New Hampshire PBS, and we had a great time visiting some of Scotland’s most iconic sites. Will …
Did You Know…. Universities in Scotland?
St Andrews University has today been ranked as the UK’s 3rd best University (1st in terms of student satisfaction), for the 5th time, only marginally behind Oxford (0.2%) and Cambridge. This reinforces Scotland’s reputation for excellent university education. Scotland’s universities have a long history, with Scotland having 4 universities by the end of the 16th …
6 Days across the North – A Scottish trip
Fab, fun 6 days with Sally and Raynor Ewart from Down Under. These two ladies certainly packed a lot into their Scottish trip, having visited Speyside, Shetland and Fair Isle before I picked them up in Aberdeen. After visiting Old Aberdeen, and Kings College, we had a run through beautiful Royal Deeside. A quick stop …
A quick trip to Perthshire and the South-West
Continuing my preparation for the season to come, I spent a few days on my Perthshire doorstep, and then further afield to the wonderful heritage museum at New Lanark, then a trip down to the Lowther Hills. Perthshire has been lived in since it was a major centre for the earliest peoples who have left …