The rowan tree has a special place in the hearts of the Scottish people. It was once worshipped by the Druids, planted near the doorways of homes as a protection from witches, used as part of the rituals in quarter-day celebrations and features prominently in Scottish folklore. Perhaps the most famous is the tale of [...]
The words ‘The Gorbals’ Vampire’ spread from lip to lip. Wide-eyed, the children relished the horror of the tale. It had pale skin! Its eyes were red! They glowed in the dark! It was seven foot tall! It had sharpened fangs made of iron. You will never guess where it lives! In the Gravy (The [...]
The Battle of Bannockburn fought on the 23rd and 24th of June 1314, was a turning point in Scottish History. To a large extent, it was this battle which made Robert the Bruce the legend he is in modern-day Scotland. The Scots were greatly outnumbered and yet they won the day. But what happened at [...]
Many people visit the Calanais Stones, on the Isle of Lewis at sunrise on the Summer solstice. They have heard a legend about the arrival of the ‘Shining One’ and go there in the hope of catching a glimpse of this being. But what is the story behind the myth and why are the Calanais [...]
The 18th of June is the Feast Day of the Nine Maidens in Scotland. But who were these women? Did they ever exist? Were they Christian reworkings of an ancient religion tied to Goddess worship? What is the connection between the Nine Maidens, the Cailleach and Brìde? What is their connection with Edinburgh and King [...]
In Scotland, Beltane and May Day are almost synonymous. May Day is a Spring holiday celebrated across Europe on May the First. It has ancient origins, some which extend back into the pagan rituals of the Romans. For the Gaelic-speaking people it aligns with Beltane (or Beltainn), celebrated each year on the 30th of April. [...]
The Battle of Culloden was the last battle to be fought upon British soil. The Battle would prove to be the death knell of the Jacobite cause. On the lead up to the Battle, there were who had premonitions that things would not go well for the Jacobites. Events at the Battle of Culloden The [...]
Perhaps nowhere in the world has as many tales of hauntings as Scotland's Haunted Highlands. The Landscape and Scotland's Haunted Highlands There is a haunting quality to the Highlands of Scotland which conjure up images of kilted clansmen appearing out of the mist. The ruins of abandoned cottages are remnants of a way of life [...]
Murder! Massacre! Betrayal! Treason! Glencoe is one of the most spectacular areas of unspoiled wilderness in Scotland. There is a haunting quality about the moor-clad mountains that stand as sentinels over the eight-mile-long glen which runs from east to west along the northern border of Argyll. And there are those who say that the glen [...]
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 [...]