(Flodden Monument in the distance – Wikimedia) Five hundred years have passed since that fateful day of 9 September 1513 when James IV, the beloved King of Scotland fell at Flodden Field, at the age of 40, with so many of his valorous friends and followers… My knowledge in history being rather limited I try to find in books … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! From all the marvelous paths one can travel while exploring the Scottish walking trails, one that I would be delighted to experiment is the Ayrshire Coastal path as illustrated in the map above. Just imagine how exciting it is to see seals, porpoise and perhaps even otters! Wow… We did drive through some of the gorgeous cities along … Continue reading →
Hi everybody, It’s February 13th and the day rings a bell in Scotland, especially in Glencoe, a death bell… I will never forget my first impressions of the mountains of Glencoe. The view is breathtaking and the atmosphere strange. There is something unique in Glencoe which I can’t explain but when we stopped there for the first time, … Continue reading →
Bonjour Mairiuna, Janice et Jean-Claude! Ca va? – How are you today? It was lovely to see you again at the end of September, and to welcome you all for the first time to our home in Scotland – a short visit, but one filled with so many unforgettable moments! 🙂 In the course of your extended journey around … Continue reading →
Hi everybody, Did you read my last post about St Magnus Cathedral? This beautiful pink and white sandstone church is situated in the heart of Kirkwall, the capital city of Orkney. Look! The door is open… let’s go inside, for the cathedral has a very interesting story to tell. Many old churches have their little secrets but if … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! Remember when in Kirkwall, we visited the Orkney Museum, just opposite St-Magnus Cathedral? I’ve learned since that the museum is housed in one of Scotland’s finest vernacular town house: the Tankerness House, built in 1574. Be it said that the entrance from the main street leaves no clue to the large building that lays behind! The story … Continue reading →
Hi everybody, My doctor is not at all an “odious little man” like Charles Tansley in To the Lighthouse (my favourite book by Virginia Woolf)… he is on the contrary a very kind and competent gentleman but the verdict fell on me as an icy shower : “No bagpipes for you this week-end, I’m afraid”. How frustrating, … Continue reading →
As it has been the case for twenty-two years now, the Scottish-French festivities are going to take place in Aubigny-sur Nère on the 14th of July. The whole town will again resound cheerfully with music, cries of joy, and the clatter of horses’ hooves as if to awaken from their long sleep the French and Scottish ghosts of our … Continue reading →
Which of these two Scottish monuments is taller? The Wallace monument ? The National Wallace Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero. Source: Wikipedia or The Walter Scott Monument? We delighted watching the cows … Continue reading →
Bonjour Marie-Agnès, Janice et Jean-Claude. Hello again from Scotland! 🙂 Jean-Claude and Marie-Agnès, please let me say how thrilled we were to meet you both again towards the end of April – for just the second time in our warm and cordial friendship! Those two days that we spent together at Carcassonne were wonderful, filled – as you said, … Continue reading →
. On this beautiful sunshined day, while reading away stories from Celtic Life – 25th Anniversary Special Edition which compiles the “Best of the Best” articles published in the last quarter century, a title grabbed my fullest attention: Child Slaves From Scotland; A Story rarely told . !!?? Written back in 2001 by Douglas MacGowan, it’s an … Continue reading →
Ken McGoogan, Harper Collins, First Edition 2010 . In reading Mairiuna’s very moving post “In Flanders Fields…Lest We Forget…“, a question came to my mind: when did John Alexander McCrae’s ancestors emigrated to Canada? Glancing through the bookshelves of my library, looking for a reference book that could answer this question, I stumbled upon Ken McGoogan’s book “How The Scots … Continue reading →
. Soon it will be Armistice Day marking the end of the terrible conflict in Europe when our soldiers bled with yours. Iain and Margaret Hi everybody, A WEE surprise from Iain and Margaret was waiting for us in the mailbox yesterday… a BIG wee surprise I must say 😉 and another one from Janice too! WOW! It’s so very … Continue reading →
Mairiuna, on discovering that the news release by Marshall Islands was about the commemorative stamps issued to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of King James Bible, I immediately felt it could be an interesting subject for Scotiana and I tried to know more about this famous translation of the sacred book and its royal Scottish translator James Charles Stuart, who made such … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! Hi Jean-Claude! I sincerely hope the weather is fine while you are roaming the roads during this festive season to visit family members and relatives in different parts of your lovely French country. Upon your return, you will have added more than 2,000 kilometers to your car’s km counter and that is quite some mileage! Let us take together a moment to … Continue reading →
