Melrose Abbey is a religious, historical and architectural landmark in Scotland, one you must not miss when you visit the Scottish Borders, together with the three other very beautiful Border abbeys : Dryburgh, Jedburgh and Kelso. They are in ruins but we love them all, especially Melrose and Dryburgh where Sir Walter Scott is buried with other members of his … Continue reading →
Mairiuna, as a continuity to your post on Greenknowe Tower, let’s put together a video, mixing the recording that Jean-Claude did of the sound produced when opening the iron gate (the yett) and the pictures we took while investigating this beautiful ruined tower in Berwickshire. 🙂 . Although local folk tales, as you mentioned, said this place is the most haunted place in the area, … Continue reading →
It was the end of a grey and rainy summer day when we arrived at Greenknowe Tower, half a mile west of the village of Gordon and about 6 miles north from Smailholm Tower, as the crow flies. It is located on the A6105, close to the junction with the A6089. We had had a busy day, travelling in the … Continue reading →
Moo… meuh…! 😉 Mairiuna, as I stumbled upon Animoto’s website and discovered that a fun video could be created in just a few easy steps 🙂 , I could not resist to sign up for an account ( they offer Free, Basic and Pro Accounts ) and experiment making a short video with pictures and video clips. Since we had many expressive photos depicting cows … Continue reading →
By the green hill and clear blue heaven. It was a barren scene, and wild, Where naked cliff’s were rudely piled; But ever and anon between Lay velvet tufts of loveliest green; And well the lonely infant knew Recesses where the wall-flower grew, And honey-suckle loved to crawl Up the low crag and ruin’d wall. I deem’d such nooks the … Continue reading →
‘I have read all Walter Scott’s novels at least fifty times’ (Byron) While we are longing to go back to Scotland, our quest for the author of the Waverley novels, which began in 2000 with the visit of Abbotsford, has never ceased to go on through our readings and it has taken a new dimension when, in February 2008, we … Continue reading →
Blackford, near Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland Source: Spooky67 Flickr Hello again from Scotland, Janice, Marie-Agnes et Jean-Claude! With summer almost upon us, the first Highland games of 2010 has already taken place; next on the calendar is the gathering at Blackford (near Auchterarder, Perthshire) – the 141st Blackford Highland Games, scheduled for Saturday, 29th May. (Update: A complete list of Highlands … Continue reading →
. Under the shade of more than centenary cedars, on a loop of the River Tweed, amidst the beautiful ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, lies Sir Walter Scott, the beloved man and great Scottish writer who, having done so much to celebrate his country, finally died like the heroe of one of his novels, with courage and dignity. Since his death, … Continue reading →
Today people are discovering or rediscovering the great authors of the past. Walter Scott is one of them, a most famous one and not only in Scotland. In France, for example, a new translation of his books is under way, in the prestigious “Bibliothèque de la Pleiade”, each novel being translated, introduced, and annotated by a French university scholar. Henri … Continue reading →
. Hi Mairiuna! I’m back online and must tell you that reading your great post about Sir Walter Scott’s romantic home, Abbotsford, brought back to mind the great number of memorable, historical and valuable objects we saw when visiting the many rooms of his beloved house. Let alone the magnificent library which contains more than 7,000 books, I was amazed by all the memorabilia that Sir … Continue reading →
Abbotsford! The Home of Sir Walter Scott! With hills, fields and woods in the background, like a fairytale castle, the old house emerges from beautiful gardens with its many chimneys, its crenellated turrets and crow stepped gables… No wonder Sir Walter was so deeply attached to Abbotsford. He designed the house in the same way he wrote his books, with … Continue reading →
Rob Roy MacGregor – Engraving – Source: Wikipedia In February of 1671, was born in Glengyle, a couple of hundred yards above river Gyle’s northern bank, near Loch Katrine, the third son of Donald MacGregor (aka Donald Glas, or pale, from the natural pallor of his skin), a chief of Clan Gregor and his wife Margaret Campbell. Rob Roy‘s descent … Continue reading →
Margaret MacDonald is my spirit key. My other half. She is more than half – she is three quarters – of all I’ve done. We chose each other and each gave to the other what the other lacked. Her hand was always in mine. If I had the heart, she had the head. Oh, I had the talent but she … Continue reading →
. While touring Scotland’s beautiful Aberdeenshire region, we heard that the Aboyne Highland Games Annual event was taking place, so Mairiuna, Jean-Claude and myself, traveled to nearby Aboyne city to experience our first Scottish Highland Games! The abolition of the powers of the chiefs which followed the defeat of Culloden and the accompanying banning of all things Highland put an end … Continue reading →
