A blog that I have kept as short as possible (a hard job I tell you). The Picts were the people of northern Scotland - defined as a "confederation of tribes brought together to ally against common enemies". They are first named as "Picts" by the Roman writer, Eumenius in 297 AD, who referred [...]
I think 7 July in Scotland should honour a genius with Doyle Day. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish writer, who created the character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887 he published A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and [...]
Trinity Public Affairs and Communications RE: Seán Duffy, Professor of Medieval History Dear Paul, That is fine if you would please credit Trinity College Dublin as well as the author, thanks for your interest.Best regards, Katie Crowning of Ireland’s Last, Scottish High King By kind permission - Seán Duffy, Professor of Medieval History and [...]
Burns Night is annually celebrated in Scotland (and the world) on January 25th. It commemorates the life of the bard (poet) Robert Burns, who was born on January 25, 1759. Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known as Rabbie Burns, the National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire and the Ploughman Poet and [...]
Angus Og MacDonald, was a fourteenth century Scottish chief of Clann Domhnaill. He was a younger son of Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay. After the latter's death, the chiefship of the kindred was assumed by Aonghus Óg's elder brother, Alasdair Óg Mac Domhnaill. Most documentation regarding Aonghus’ career concerns his support of [...]
Ballachulish (at the end of Glencoe) perched on the edge of Loch Leven is a monument. It was here in 1752 that a local man was hanged for a murder he didn’t commit. The man’s name was James Stewart of the Glen. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Kidnapped fictionalises the Appin Murder with a cast of [...]
The Liverpool Scottish Regiment Due to work and marriage, my dad (from Oban) was living in Liverpool, then a big Irish centre. My mum was Irish. I was baby knapped from Connel (Oban) at an early age, that’s another story. The Liverpool Scottish, known as "the Scottish", in the later half of the 19th century [...]
The two Cathedrals in Oban St John's Cathedral, part of The Scottish Episcopal Church - or the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine (Scottish Gaelic Ard-eaglais Eòin an Diadhair) is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It is one of the two cathedrals of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles, and [...]
The Battle of Altimarlach A delve into Scottish history through the eyes of Paul McLean. Here we go again with more clan disputes in Scotland. This time – for a change – the Campbell’s are involved, shock! The 13th of July, 1680 saw the last significant clan battle to be fought in Scotland, with the [...]
Mote Church (Stormont Mausoleum) "Boothill" is thought to be a corruption of 'Moothill'. The Gaelic name is 'Tom-a-mhoid'. The hill is also said to have been called, 'Collis Credulitatis' - 'the Hill of Belief' - and 'Omnis Terra' - 'Everyman's Land,' - and to have been been connected with the coronation ceremonies which took [...]
