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Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 1 views | comments
From the Mid 1970's onwards there had been building political pressure towards separate parliaments in both Scotland and Wales. Labour's majority had been whittled down in 1974 and after a series of disastrous by-elections had virtually no majority at all. The Scottish National Party was gaining m...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 0 views | comments
The car ferry making the five minute journey between Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh was finally made redundant in 1995 with the opening of the Skye Bridge. The reasons for and against a large, modern construction in an area of stunning natural beauty, little changed since King Haakon anchored his ...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 2 views | comments
Wednesday 13th March 1996 should have been a normal school day for the children of Dunblane Primary School. Tragically it was not. On that morning unemployed former shopkeeper Thomas Hamilton walked unchallenged into the school armed with two 9mm Browning HP pistols and two Smith and Wesson .357 ...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 1 views | comments
In 1997 after nearly 20 years of Conservative rule a labour government swept to power with a landslide victory over largely disorganised opposition. The party had campaigned successfully on the issue of major constitutional reform and among these reforms was devolution for Scotland. The controver...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 2 views | comments
After the success of the Referendum in 1997 the First Minister Donald Dewar announced a competition for the design of Scotland's new parliament building. The winner was the design of Catalan architect, Enric Miralles. His adventurous design with leaf shaped buildings and upturned boat style skyli...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 2 views | comments
Scotland has a fantastic reputation as a tourist destination, the dark rolling mountains, the crystal clear lochs and misty glens. Every year thousands of visitors flock to Scotland from America, Japan, Europe and um err Outer Space! But strangely our little green backpackers don’t pour up the A9...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 5 views | comments
Its a dark evening and you find yourself wandering in the gathering gloom along the side of a small highland stream. You are alerted by some movement down near the water and spot an old woman apparently washing clothes in the stream. You may be tempted to wander down to the side of the stream and ...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 6 views | comments
During the 1300s two dominant branches of the same Clan existed. MacLean of Duart and MacLaine of Lochbuie were headed by two brothers; Eachann Reaganach (Hector the stern) controlled the MacLain of Lochbuie and Lachainn Lubanach (Lachlan the Wily) controlled the stonger Macleans of Duart. Hecto...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 4 views | comments
Major Weir - The Wizard of the West Bow The narrow winding streets and dark cavernous closes of Edinburgh can feel eerie enough at night as you walk alone. But listen out for the wrap of a cane on the cobbles and look out for a dark shadowy figure for it may be the ghost of Major Weir -The Wizard ...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 7 views | comments
There are many Scottish stories about selkies, but the most common is a tragic story of theft, love and loss. Seals live close to people in many coastal and island communities in Scotland. They hunt the same fish, those big eyes and round heads look almost human in the water, and when they sing, yo...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 8 views | comments
Anyone who has browsed the Scotclans site can't help but notice that our logo incorporates the saltire (or at least a reversed out and colourised version of it). Take a walk through Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness or any other Scottish town and city and you will see countless saltire flags. They ado...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 5 views | comments
The Royal Mile is a long cobbled street that runs down from Edinburgh castle to the palace of Holyrood. When Edinburgh castle was first established this was the only accessible route, the castle’s situation on the dark rocky plug of an extinct volcano made it impregnable from all but the east wher...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 3 views | comments
One of the most treasured possessions of the clan MacLeod is the famous Fairy Flag of Dunvegan. The story behind the flag is one of the greatest romantic tales in all the highlands... A great young Chief of the clan MacLeod fell in love with a fairy princess, a bean sidhe, one of the Shining Folk...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 4 views | comments
In the years after the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the terrible reputation of the government troops or 'Redcoats' as they sought to finally put down once and for all the brave highland clans was spread throughout the North of Scotland. One story concerning a poor milkmaid and a wicked redcoat serge...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 3 views | comments
The end of 1688 saw much discontent with the Catholic monarchy, this was brought to a head when James's wife gave birth to an heir, William of Orange was invited to intervene. When William landed in England James was compelled to flee the country. William was crowned in his place. But not everyon...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 3 views | comments
On the island of Eriskay in Scotland's Western Isles. There grows a small pink flower. Unique to the island this frail little Convolvulus flower has a link with Bonnie Prince Charlie. Before he reached Glenfinnan to raise the Jacobite standard in 1745 the 'young pretender' first arrived at the is...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 1 views | comments
It could be argued that St Margaret was Scotland's greatest female character. Born into a time where Scotland was a lawless and dangerous place St Margaret was a great civilising influence on the country and her legacy exists all over Scotland today. Margaret was born, possibly in Hungary, in 104...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 1 views | comments
The saint most closely associated with the foundation of the city of Glasgow, St Mungo's true story must lie somewhere between fact and legend. Mungo’s mother was Denw (or 'Tenew' in some versions), his grandfather was a Brythonic king Lleuddun also referred to as King Llew or Loth after which th...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 0 views | comments
Like many of the early Christian Saints, Æbbe was from royal blood. Æbbe was the daughter of King Æthelfrith the Ravager of Bernicia and his third wife Acha of Deira. She was also related to St. Oswald and St. Edwin, King of Northumbria. Æthelfrith had become the first king of Northumbria when he...
Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 6 views | comments
On the 30th of November St Andrews day is celebrated across Scotland and indeed around the world. So how did this most eligable of all saints come to be Scotland's patron saint? Saint Andrew was one of the original Christian Apostles, he was the older brother of Saint Peter. The name 'Andres is t...
Posted on February 7, 2013 by | 4 views | comments
I'm sure most of our readers have either read Dan Brown's book 'The Davinci Code' or at least watched the film of the same name. The connection with Scotland is seen as the story reaches it's climax in the enigmatic Roslyn Chapel. The tale of intrigue surrounding an ancient biblical artefact is a ...
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