The Yules, Trows and a big helping of Superstition- The Old Festive Season in Scotland’s Northern Isles
The Yules was the old festive celebration in Orkney and Shetland. It is derived from the old Norse...
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Category: Vikings
The Picts: The Mystery, the Myth and the Monuments
My first encounter with the Picts came, as a child, when I went to see Sueno’s Stone on the...
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The Caledonian Forest: Dwindling Forest, Dwindling Myths
The Caledonian Forest originated in a fit of jealousy, according to the stories. Once, a beautiful...
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MacBeth: The Man, the Myth, the Legend
MacBeth mac Findlay’s heart pounded as sword clashed against sword. The singing swings of the...
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The Slaying of Saint Magnus
Saint Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney, is an old building. By 1919, it was in urgent need of...
Read MoreBurghead: Fire, Water, Wind and a whole load of Bull!
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)...
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