↓
 

Scotiana

Scotiana

Everything Scottish

Over 500 articles to explore! Follow your curiosity and discover Scotland.
Four voices. One shared love for Scotland.
Iain and Margaret McEwan , MairiUna & Janice Dugas

 
 
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

Author Archives: MAJA

Post navigation

1 2 3 4 … 31 32 >>

Scotland and Canada: A Friendship Across the Atlantic

Scotiana Posted on June 30, 2026 by MAJAJuly 1, 2026
The prickly purple thistle – National flower and pominent emblem of Scotland.

Scotland’s story reaches far beyond its shores. Discover the enduring friendship between Scotland and Canada through shared history, Highland Games, Scottish ancestry, and my own family’s connection to this remarkable country. Join me as we celebrate the traditions, landscapes, and friendships that continue to unite both nations across the Atlantic.

Continue reading →
Posted in Canada, Glasgow, Highland Games, Scots Abroad, Scottish Towns & Cities, Travelling Scotland | Tagged From Glasgow, From Scotland to Canada, nova scotia, Scotland to New Glasgow, The Sound of the Pipes | Leave a reply

Summer reading: “Whispers in the Graveyard”…

Scotiana Posted on May 31, 2026 by MAJAJune 1, 2026
Whispers in the Graveyard Theresa Breslin Methuen 1994

A haunting Scottish tale by Theresa Breslin, Whispers in the Graveyard follows Solomon, a dyslexic boy who finds refuge in an ancient kirkyard. When dark forces are unleashed after a rowan tree is removed, he must face supernatural dangers, uncover secrets from the past, and discover his own courage. A gripping blend of Scottish folklore, history, and hope.

Continue reading →
Posted in Kirks & Kirkyards | Tagged Alloway Auld Kirk and Kirkyard, Children's Books, Fantasy books, Funeral Symbolism in Scotland, Kirkyards of Scottish writers and poets, Scottish Kirkyards, Scottish Kirkyards by Dane Love, The Necropolis of Glasgow, Theresa Brechin writer, Whispers in the Graveyard by Theresa Brechin | Leave a reply

Sainte-Sophie: Tracing Scottish Roots in Quebec

Scotiana Posted on April 30, 2026 by MAJAApril 30, 2026
Église_de_Sainte-Sophie,_Laurentides

Sometimes, the stories we publish on Scotiana begin long before the writing itself. A few days ago, I was speaking with our webmaster, Jean Liboiron, someone I’ve had the pleasure of working with since 2014. We were reflecting on one of Scotiana’s popular articles, about the once smallest village in Canada, New Glasgow. That story, rooted in local history and … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Travelling Quebec | Tagged Sainte-Sophie: Tracing the Scottish Roots, Scotiana | Leave a reply

The route of sacred sites in Scotland: The Isle of Iona…

Scotiana Posted on March 31, 2026 by MAJAMay 11, 2026
The route of sacred sites in Scotland: The Isle of Iona

Discover the Isle of Iona, one of Scotland’s most spiritual and beautiful islands, where ancient history, sacred sites, and stunning Hebridean landscapes come together in a place of pilgrimage and reflection.

Continue reading →
Posted in A Sense of Place | Tagged Baile Mor the village of Iona, In Search of Angels by Alistair Moffat Birlinn 2020, Iona a great Scottish sacred site, Iona Abbey and Nunnery by Peter Yeoman and Nicki Scott, Iona Abbey Museum, IONA Alastair de Watteville Romsey Fine Art 1999, Iona Nunnery, Reilig Odhrain churchyard on Iona, St Columba founder of Iona Abbey, St Oran’s Chapel, the Abbey Church of Iona, The Book of Kells, The cloisters in Iona Abbey, the High Celtic Crosses on the Isle of Iona, The Isle of Iona beaches, The Isle of Iona in the Hebrides | Leave a reply

Sir Walter Scott’s Tartan Revival

Scotiana Posted on February 28, 2026 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
Sir Walter Scott’s Tartan Revival

Sir Walter Scott played a key role in Scotland’s tartan revival, helping to turn tartan into a powerful national symbol during King George IV’s historic visit to Edinburgh in 1822.

Continue reading →
Posted in Scottish Tartans, Sir Walter Scott | Tagged Sir Walter Scott’s Tartan Revival | 2 Replies

Glasgow: the legendary John Smith & Son Bookshop …

Scotiana Posted on January 31, 2026 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
Glasgow: the legendary John Smith & Son Bookshop

Discover the story of John Smith & Son, Glasgow’s legendary bookshop, and its lasting place in the city’s literary and cultural history.

Continue reading →
Posted in Books, Bookshops & Librairies, Glasgow, Scottish Towns & Cities | Tagged Glasgow, Glasgow 2025 City of Learning, Glasgow history, John Smith & Son Bookshop in Glasgow, Lost Glasgow website on Facebook, Norry Wilson & Lost Glasgow, The Scots Magazine, The Scots Magazine November 1989 | 1 Reply

A Cold Plunge, a Warm Heart: Hogmanay Wishes Inspired by the Loony Dook

Scotiana Posted on December 31, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
A Cold Plunge, a Warm Heart: Hogmanay Wishes Inspired by the Loony Dook

Celebrate Hogmanay with the spirit of the Loony Dook, Scotland’s chilly New Year’s Day plunge that brings warmth, laughter, and community to the winter festivities.

Continue reading →
Posted in Christmas in Scotland, Edinburgh, Holidays, Scottish Towns & Cities | Tagged Hogmanay Wishes Inspired by the Loony Dook, Scotiana | Leave a reply

The Best of R.B. Cunninghame Graham’s “Scottish Sketches”

Scotiana Posted on November 30, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
The Best of R.B. Cunninghame Graham’s “Scottish Sketches”

Explore the best of R.B. Cunninghame Graham’s Scottish Sketches, a vivid body of work that captures Scotland’s landscapes, people, traditions, and social life in rich literary detail.

Continue reading →
Posted in Gabriela Cunninghame Graham, R.B. Cunninghame Graham | Tagged an island on the Lake of Menteith, Edinburgh University Press 2025 ; Lachlan Munro & W.R.B. Cunninghame Graham, Inchmahome, Scotland ; Inchmahome 13 th Augustinian priory ; R.B. Cunninghame Graham ; Gabriela Cunninghame Graham writer ; « The Complete Scottish Sketches of R.B. Cunninghame Graham », Stirlingshire | Leave a reply

From Loch Croispol to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic Shores

Scotiana Posted on October 31, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
From Loch Croispol to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic Shores

Follow the journey from Loch Croispol to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic shores, exploring the enduring connections between Scotland’s Highlands and the Gaelic communities of Canada.

Continue reading →
Posted in Books, Bookshops & Librairies, Canada, Historical Fiction, History, Scots Abroad | Leave a reply

The route of sacred sites in Scotland: Inchmahome Priory…

Scotiana Posted on September 30, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
The route of sacred sites in Scotland: Inchmahome Priory

Inchmahome Priory, a serene 13th-century Augustinian priory on an island in Lake of Menteith, part of Scotland’s route of sacred sites with its rich history and royal connections.

Continue reading →
Posted in Abbeys & Churches | Tagged ‘Don Roberto The Adventure of Being Cunningham Graham’ by James Jauncey 2023, ‘Father Archangel of Scotland and other Essays’ by Don Roberto & Gabriela Cunninghame Graham, ‘Inchmahome Priory & The Lake of Menteith’ HES brochure 2007, ‘Notes on the District of Menteith for Tourists and Others’ by Roberto Cunninghame Graham, ‘Rhymes from a World Unknown’ by Gabriela Cunninghame Graham. ‘, ‘Santa Teresa Her Life and Times’ by Gabriela Cunninghame Graham 1907, ‘The Complete Scottish Sketches of R.b. Cunninghame Graham: A Careless Enchantment’, curling on the frozen lake of Menteith, Historical and Descriptive on the Priory of Inchmahome’ (1815) by W. Stirling, Inchmahome Priory Church & Cloister, Inchmahome Priory on the Lake of Menteith, Mary Stuart stay on Inchmahome, Old Churches and Abbeys of Scotland, Stone effigies in the Inchmahome Cloister, The graves of Don Roberto & Gabriela Cunninghame Graham on Inchmahome | 2 Replies

Findhorn’s Canadian Heart: From Guelph to Moray, with Love

Scotiana Posted on August 31, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
Dorothy Maclean (1920–2020): The Canadian Heart of Findhorn

The Canadian heart of Findhorn, tracing heartfelt connections from Guelph, Ontario, to the Moray Firth community in Scotland, blending transatlantic stories of heritage and belonging.

Continue reading →
Posted in Travelling Quebec, Travelling Scotland | Tagged Dorothy Maclean (1920–2020): The Canadian Heart of Findhorn, Scotiana | Leave a reply

Discover the finest corners of Scotland: St Mary’s Loch…

Scotiana Posted on July 28, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
Discover the finest corners of Scotland: St Mary’s Loch

Nestled in the Scottish Borders, St Mary’s Loch captivates with its serene waters, historic ties to William Wallace and literary icons like Sir Walter Scott, and endless trails for hiking and watersports

Continue reading →
Posted in A Sense of Place, James Hogg, Landscapes, Monuments, Travelling Scotland | Tagged Dryhope Tower, James Hogg monument, Southern Upland Way, St Mary'old kirkyard, St Mary's Loch in the Scottish Borders, Tibbie Shiel's Inn and Tibbie its landowner | Leave a reply

Scotland’s Mythical Unicorn on Postage Stamps

Scotiana Posted on June 30, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
unicorn-national-animal-of-scotland

The enchanting story of Scotland’s mythical unicorn featured on postage stamps, from its royal symbolism to stunning philatelic designs celebrating Celtic heritage.

Continue reading →
Posted in Celtic Culture, Philately, Scottish Unicorns | Tagged Janice dugas, Scotland’s Mythical Unicorn on Postage Stamps | Leave a reply

From a mysterious ring to a Pictish Stone in Cromarty…

Scotiana Posted on May 31, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
Keltia Cover Magazine Pictish Stone Scotiana

Uncover the intrigue of a mysterious ring discovery leading to Cromarty’s ancient Pictish stone, blending Pictish symbolism, local legends, and Highland history in the Black Isle region.

Continue reading →
Posted in Hugh Miller, Pictish Stones | Tagged class II Pictish cross-slab, class II Pictish cross-slab The Highland Pictish Trail, Eliza Miller, Eliza’s grave in St Regulus graveyard, Harriet Miller, Hugh Miller’s Cottage and Museum in Cromarty ; Cromarty on the Black Isle in Scotland, Hugh Miller’s mourning ring, Lydia wife of Hugh Miller, Nigg Stone photogrammetric by Andie Hickie, Pictish Art, pictish stones, Scenes and Legends of the North of Scotland by Hugh Miller, St Regulus graveyard in Cromarty, The discovery of Hugh Miller’s ring in South Africa, The Friends of Hugh Miller, The Highland Historic Environment Record website, The Nigg Stone in Cromarty | Leave a reply

The Bethune Legacy Across Scotland, France, and Canada

Scotiana Posted on April 30, 2025 by MAJAApril 14, 2026
The Bethune Legacy Canada Postage stamp Scotiana

Explore the Bethune family’s enduring legacy across Fife, from Balfour Castle’s medieval towers to their ties with Mary Queen of Scots and the whisky world, tracing noble roots and historic sites.

Continue reading →
Posted in Canada, History, Scots Abroad | Tagged Montreal Yesterdays, Scotiana, thematic philately, Tracing the Bethune Legacy | Leave a reply

Post navigation

1 2 3 4 … 31 32 >>

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Scotland and Canada: A Friendship Across the Atlantic
  • Summer reading: “Whispers in the Graveyard”…
  • Sainte-Sophie: Tracing Scottish Roots in Quebec
  • The route of sacred sites in Scotland: The Isle of Iona…
  • Sir Walter Scott’s Tartan Revival
  • Glasgow: the legendary John Smith & Son Bookshop …
  • A Cold Plunge, a Warm Heart: Hogmanay Wishes Inspired by the Loony Dook
  • The Best of R.B. Cunninghame Graham’s “Scottish Sketches”

Recent Comments

  • oscar schneider on New Glasgow Quebec once the smallest village in Canada
  • Michael Embleton on A Map of Edinburgh in Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street…
  • MAJA on New Glasgow Quebec once the smallest village in Canada
  • Kelly Swaine on New Glasgow Quebec once the smallest village in Canada
  • Jan Gillan on New Glasgow Quebec once the smallest village in Canada
  • Andrew Nicholas Ayre on Scottish Traditional Tales: Wilson’s Tales of The Borders and of Scotland
  • Chris McHugh on New Glasgow Quebec once the smallest village in Canada

Archives

Tag Cloud

Abbotsford Alexander McCall Smith Art Nouveau Charles Rennie Mackintosh Christopher Brookmyre Conan Doyle Detective Novels Dumfries & Galloway Edinburgh Fairies George Mackay Brown Glasgow Hogmanay Ian Rankin Inspector rebus Kenneth White Letters From Scotland New Year Orkney Philately Postage stamps robert burns Robert Louis Stevenson robert the bruce Sartor Resartus Scotiana Scotland Scottish Authors Scottish Books Scottish Borders Scottish Crime Fiction Scottish Ghost Stories Scottish history Scottish writers Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Walter Scott stamp collecting The Book Shop The Country of Sir Walter Scott by Charles S. Olcott The Scots Magazine Topical Stamp Collecting Walter Scott Wigtown William Wallace

Blogs We Like

  • Abbotsford-The Home of Sir Walter Scott
  • Alexander McCall Smith
  • Cracked! 34 fragments + 1 Stone = xxxv
  • Ella Gordon Textile Maker
  • George Mackay Brown
  • Head over Hills
  • Kate Davies Designs
  • Keltia – Celtic Magazine
  • Kenneth White
  • Les Roses de Décembre
  • Mandy Haggith Website
  • Michael Stuart Green Painter & Printmaker
  • Orkneyjar
  • Rampant Scotland
  • Re-enchanting the Earth
  • Société Sherlock Holmes de France
  • Steve Feltham – Nessie Hunter
  • The Chatelaine's Scottish Castles
  • The University of Edinburgh – Walter Scott Archives
  • Undiscovered Scotland
Copyright ©2026 Scotiana - All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy
↑
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}