Scone Palace – Crowning Place of Kings Scone Palace Nestled in a tranquil wooded setting, a couple of miles north of Perth, Scone Palace has played a central part in Scotland’s history. The home of the Murray family (Earls of Mansfield) for 400 years, the site has been strategically important for 5500 years with evidence …
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…
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
As I have a few trips to Skye planned over the coming season, I have spent the past weekend on Skye and the West Coast of Scotland with my wife, Susan, preparing myself for the season to come. The season in Skye has not yet fully started, so some of the main attractions, such as …
