Gowk Day is Scotland’s take on April ‘Fools Day and is also celebrated on the 1st of April. In Scots ‘gowk’ has a double meaning. It can be a cuckoo or a fool. However, the cuckoo also features prominently in Scottish folklore and even has connections with the Standing Stones of Calanais. Gowk Day: Hunting [...]
Saint Kessog (also known as MacKessog) is an obscure figure in Scottish history who appears out of the mists of time. However, he was once venerated by Robert the Bruce and there are those who argue that he was once the Patron Saint of Scotland, before Saint Andrew was given that iconic role. Saint Kessog [...]
The sleepy coastal town of Burghead becomes the focus of an ancient pagan ritual on the 11th January every year. As the Clavie, a barrel of burning tar is placed on the altar at the Doorie Hill the Brochers (natives of Burghead) watch on. The wood crackles. Sparks rise into the night skies. The flames [...]
February the 14th is a time when all the romantics' hearts are set aflutter at the prospect of Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine. People find themselves travelling around to globe to places renowned for their romantic moods. Paris, Rome and Venice all lay claim to being 'The City of Love' but did [...]
Imbolc is a festival which pre-dates the arrival of Christianity in Scotland. The Coming of Christianity In the dawning of time, when Christian missionaries first arrived on Scotland’s shores, they faced a colossal challenge. They were dealing with a strange mix of peoples: the Dal Riadic people of the West, the indigenous Britons of Strathclyde [...]
Dismantling the Yuletide greenery was an important event on Uphalieday, Twelfth Night or what is known as Epiphany in the Christian calendar. Decking the halls with Yuletide Greenery at Christmastime is an ancient tradition. Its origins stretch back to a time before Christianity reached Scotland’s shores. It stretches back to a time of druids and [...]
Hogmanay is by far the biggest celebration in the Scottish year. Traditionally it surpasses Christmas in the degree to which it is celebrated. But why? From ancient times the Winter Solstice has been celebrated by the early people of Scotland. With the coming of Christianity, Christmas became a major celebration. However, during the Protestant Reformation, [...]
The Yules was the old festive celebration in Orkney and Shetland derived from the old Norse Celebration of the Viking Settlers who once inhabited Scotland’s Northern Isles. However, long before the Norsemen arrived, the prehistoric peoples of Orkney had built the cairn at Maeshowe, with its entrance aligned to the Winter solstice. The old ways [...]
Did you know that once upon a time, Christmas was banned in Scotland- by the Kirk? And that Christmas has only recently become a public holiday? However, from before the dawn of time, this time of year has been important to the inhabitants of Scotland. Stone Age Megaliths are aligned to the Winter Solstice. Many [...]
Anyone who has lived in Scotland can tell you that the Winter Solstice can be a tough time of the year, with barely any daylight hours. On 'driech' rainy days, there may be little light at all. Most people feel that they would gladly join the hibernating hedgehogs and bats in their sleep. This must [...]