Friday 4 September – Part 3: Our journey around Scotland goes on, following the A 198 in East Lothian. Today, we’ll reach Dunbar, a colourful little town by the North Sea and the native place of John Muir, a Scottish immigrant and one of the most celebrated American heroes. Another landmark on our ‘Literary Scottish Trail’. Writing may not have … 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 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 →
Just stumbled upon this article about the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Award and being a photography lover, I’m very excited to share it with you. Especially that it reports that the overall winner is Scottish Photographer Richard Shucksmith, who lives on the beautiful Shetland Islands! The winners in twelve categories of the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPAs) have … Continue reading →
Wishing You A Great 2012! Hogmanay is the Scots word for the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. Its official date is the 31st of December. However this is normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of the 1st or, in many cases, the 2nd of January. There are … Continue reading →
I would like to begin this post with a few words about Lettres de Gourgounel (1979), one of the first books written by Kenneth White (his first book of prose) and also the first book I‘ve read by this author. The title of the original English edition is Letters from Gourgounel (1966) but it has been out of print for … Continue reading →
“How far, how far to Gretna? ‘Tis years and years away, And chaise and four will nevermore fling dust across the day; But as I ride the Carlisle road, where life and love have been, I hear again the beating hooves go through to Gretna Green.” Anon. Bonjour Jean-Claude, Janice et Marie-Agnès! Hello again from Scotland! 🙂 Isn’t this an … Continue reading →
Mairiuna, before the New Year ramps up, why not investigate about our most popular posts to see what are our readers’ favourite subjects? Let’s see what the stats reveal. Suspense…. And the winners are : 1. Rannoch Moor: First Steps Into The Scottish Wilderness People seemed to be energized in the clear and fresh atmosphere of the place and everybody looked happy … Continue reading →
‘Books!’ said Tuppence. She produced the word rather with the effect of a bad-tempered explosion. ‘What did you say?’ said Tommy. Tuppence looked across the room at him. ‘I said “books”,’ she said. ‘I see what you mean,’ said Thomas Beresford. In front of Tuppence were three large packing cases. From each of them various books had been extracted. … Continue reading →
Herman Melville came North to Canada on his honeymoon trip, when he was twenty-nine years old. In Montreal, he met Captain Coffin, about to leave on a whaling expedition up the norh Coast to Labrador. Maybe that was when the idea of the White Whale started germinating. A few months back, at Stromness, a little port in the … 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 →
. 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 →
At the end of the nineteenth century, Art Nouveau transformed towns and countryside around the world. Even though its style had gained popularity from just the last ten years or so, Art Nouveau permeated many arts & crafts: jewellery, book design, glasswork, textiles, wrought iron, and architecture, to name just a few, with its high Victorian design and craftwork. The … Continue reading →
If it is pouring with rain, as is often the case in Scotland, and if you are not lost in the midst of nowhere in a most desolate and remote place of the Scottish countryside with only a thermos of black coffee to cheer you up, it would be unthinkable not to be able to find a castle, a museum, … Continue reading →
. Hey Mairiuna, before we hop unto Princes Square’s inviting blue escalator leading up to it’s animated galleries, let’s stroll a bit longer on Buchanan street, the most popular and well known shopping street of Glasgow. I was so impressed by the urban design that I would happily spend more time in this premier pedestrian thoroughfare housing more than 125 … Continue reading →
