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The Carrick Stone
The Carrick Stone
November 23, 2020
Carrickstone is a housing estate in Cumbernauld that sits atop a hill, but what many may not be aware of is where it gets its name from.
Behind the houses are two objects that you’d never expect to find here, a Roman altar (The Carrick Stone) and a trig point.
The Roman altar has a small fence around it but has been here for almost two thousand years. Legend has it that Robert the Bruce planted his standard in the hole in it, before The Battle of Bannockburn.
The stone takes its name from him, the ‘Earl of Carrick', continue a short distance along the path to find a trig point, which must have been erected long before the houses appeared in the early 1990s.
Treasures of the Land
Treasures of the Land
November 17, 2020
West Lomond Hill is the highest point in the county of Fife, and be seen for miles, the hill consists of a volcanic dolerite cone, rising above ground of both sandstone and limestone layers.
The grey limestone can be clearly seen poking out in places, like the formation locally knows as ‘the devil’s knuckle’s’.
In contrast the sandstone around here varies from red to a lovely yellow, and many of the local buildings have been built with this local stone.
This sandstone has been sculpted into some unusual shapes around the lower slopes of the Lomond Hills, being eroded by the wind and rain due to its soft nature, some parts eventually crumbling away as sand.
One example would be 'John Knox's Pulpit’ - a fine area of soft sandstone which I remember being a tunnelled cave when I was younger, however the pulpit has now mostly collapsed into what you see in the pictures now.
Although the Protestant reformer John Knox may never have preached here, it was the scene of Presbyterian services held during the 'Killing Times' in the late 17th Century and is thought to have been a place of worship long before Christianity arrived in Scotland.
As well as wind and rain, we also get erosion caused by running water. With the varying hard and soft rocks, rainwater running off these hills has slowly, over millions of years cut into the land and the running water has made its mark by slowly eroding away the soft sandstone between the hard limestone layers.
Waterfalls and fast running water have pounded away at the rocks slowly wearing them away. In Scotland, such areas with water running at the base of the fissure are called 'Dens'.
When the world of tourism opens back up, Little Scottish Treasures will be ready to show you the very best and some of the hidden secrets of this magical land.
Finlarig Castle
Finlarig Castle
October 30, 2020
You may have seen this Castle and it’s beheading pit feature recently in the adverts for Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish’s upcoming series 'Men in kilts' This is Finlarig Castle which was built on an excellent defensive site near Killin, a location thought to have been used as a fort possibly right back to prehistoric times.
The Castle was built in the 1620s for ‘Black Duncan’ Campbell a man who liked to build castles and was originally a four-story z-plan structure although most of has crumbled over the years.
On the same site is the Breadalbane Mausoleum, which was the traditional burial place of the Campbell of Breadalbane, and was abandoned by the early 20th century, meaning the 17th Laird and his wife are buried in plots outside the Mausoleum.
A very well-built stone pit sits very close to the castle walls and has come to be known as the beheading pit, it was said locally that ‘often for entertainment, prisoners would be put in the pit and forced to kneel before being executed'. This story goes well with the reputation of some members of the clan who owned the castle, the pit exists but there are possibly less gruesome reasons for such a pit.
On a Little Scottish Treasure, Magical Tour, we know folklore can often tell you a great deal about a place and what local people thought of those who lived there.
Under The Bridge
Under The Bridge
October 30, 2020
Tonight we listened to the trains rumble overhead and the waves gently lapping the rocks below us.
A pleasant, chilly night in North Queensferry.
Kinghorn Historical Walk
Kinghorn Historical Walk
October 28, 2020
This is Kinghorn, Fife.
A small town located on the Coast of Fife, looking over the Forth to Edinburgh. In fact, it takes only 45 minutes to get from Kinghorn to Edinburgh by train, over the magnificent Forth Bridge.
Kinghorn is best known for the romantic, yet tragic story of King Alexander III who died during a storm near here tying to reach his new wife Yolande of Dreux, if it were not for his sudden death (bringing an end to Scotland's ‘Golden Age’), we may never have heard of Robert the Bruce or William Wallace.
This town has seen castle sieges, battles, the coming and going of royalty and minor industry but today it is a quiet peaceful place and the ideal location to relax, take a gentle walk and breath in the sea air.
There is so much more to Scotland than the travel books show, we plan routes according to what you want to see, then add in places we know you will love along the way.
The Howff, Dundee
The Howff, Dundee
October 26, 2020
It is rare to go on a tour with us without a walk around at least one ancient cemetery, and everyone seems to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of these places, whether out in the middle of the countryside or right in the centre of a busy city, Scottish Cemeteries are a wonderful place to visit.
This is ‘The Howff’ (howff simply means meeting place), it is located within Dundee City centre and was originally part of Dundee’s Greyfriars Monastery, where the church clergy met to recognise Robert the Bruce as King in 1314.
In 1564 Mary Queen of Scots granted the land to the council as use for a graveyard, and it was also used as a meeting place for the nine trades of Dundee to do business, which is the reason it was given its peculiar name.
Each trade had its own badge and banner, some of these can be seen carved into the graves, as well as the united trades 'Masonic symbol', these symbols join the popular symbols of death found all over our cemeteries.
A common myth is that a grave with skull & crossbones is a plague grave, this is not true, in fact most plague graves are unmarked and often not located within cemeteries.
The most famous resident of The Howff is 'James Chalmers’, the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp.
When you visit Dundee get away from the rush of the city centre by stepping into The Howff for a little reflection and to admire the work of ancient stonemasons, and when booking a tour with us, include a cemetery as one of your ‘must see locations’ and we will find a special one on your route.
Treasures of the Land
Treasures of the Land
November 17, 2020
West Lomond Hill is the highest point in the county of Fife, and be seen for miles, the hill consists of a volcanic dolerite cone, rising above ground of both sandstone and limestone layers.
The grey limestone can be clearly seen poking out in places, like the formation locally knows as ‘the devil’s knuckle’s’.
In contrast the sandstone around here varies from red to a lovely yellow, and many of the local buildings have been built with this local stone.
This sandstone has been sculpted into some unusual shapes around the lower slopes of the Lomond Hills, being eroded by the wind and rain due to its soft nature, some parts eventually crumbling away as sand.
One example would be 'John Knox's Pulpit’ - a fine area of soft sandstone which I remember being a tunnelled cave when I was younger, however the pulpit has now mostly collapsed into what you see in the pictures now.
Although the Protestant reformer John Knox may never have preached here, it was the scene of Presbyterian services held during the 'Killing Times' in the late 17th Century and is thought to have been a place of worship long before Christianity arrived in Scotland.
As well as wind and rain, we also get erosion caused by running water. With the varying hard and soft rocks, rainwater running off these hills has slowly, over millions of years cut into the land and the running water has made its mark by slowly eroding away the soft sandstone between the hard limestone layers.
Waterfalls and fast running water have pounded away at the rocks slowly wearing them away. In Scotland, such areas with water running at the base of the fissure are called 'Dens'.
When the world of tourism opens back up, Little Scottish Treasures will be ready to show you the very best and some of the hidden secrets of this magical land.
Finlarig Castle
Finlarig Castle
October 30, 2020
You may have seen this Castle and it’s beheading pit feature recently in the adverts for Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish’s upcoming series 'Men in kilts' This is Finlarig Castle which was built on an excellent defensive site near Killin, a location thought to have been used as a fort possibly right back to prehistoric times.
The Castle was built in the 1620s for ‘Black Duncan’ Campbell a man who liked to build castles and was originally a four-story z-plan structure although most of has crumbled over the years.
On the same site is the Breadalbane Mausoleum, which was the traditional burial place of the Campbell of Breadalbane, and was abandoned by the early 20th century, meaning the 17th Laird and his wife are buried in plots outside the Mausoleum.
A very well-built stone pit sits very close to the castle walls and has come to be known as the beheading pit, it was said locally that ‘often for entertainment, prisoners would be put in the pit and forced to kneel before being executed'. This story goes well with the reputation of some members of the clan who owned the castle, the pit exists but there are possibly less gruesome reasons for such a pit.
On a Little Scottish Treasure, Magical Tour, we know folklore can often tell you a great deal about a place and what local people thought of those who lived there.
Under The Bridge
Under The Bridge
October 30, 2020
Tonight we listened to the trains rumble overhead and the waves gently lapping the rocks below us.
A pleasant, chilly night in North Queensferry.
Kinghorn Historical Walk
Kinghorn Historical Walk
October 28, 2020
This is Kinghorn, Fife.
A small town located on the Coast of Fife, looking over the Forth to Edinburgh. In fact, it takes only 45 minutes to get from Kinghorn to Edinburgh by train, over the magnificent Forth Bridge.
Kinghorn is best known for the romantic, yet tragic story of King Alexander III who died during a storm near here tying to reach his new wife Yolande of Dreux, if it were not for his sudden death (bringing an end to Scotland's ‘Golden Age’), we may never have heard of Robert the Bruce or William Wallace.
This town has seen castle sieges, battles, the coming and going of royalty and minor industry but today it is a quiet peaceful place and the ideal location to relax, take a gentle walk and breath in the sea air.
There is so much more to Scotland than the travel books show, we plan routes according to what you want to see, then add in places we know you will love along the way.
The Howff, Dundee
The Howff, Dundee
October 26, 2020
It is rare to go on a tour with us without a walk around at least one ancient cemetery, and everyone seems to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of these places, whether out in the middle of the countryside or right in the centre of a busy city, Scottish Cemeteries are a wonderful place to visit.
This is ‘The Howff’ (howff simply means meeting place), it is located within Dundee City centre and was originally part of Dundee’s Greyfriars Monastery, where the church clergy met to recognise Robert the Bruce as King in 1314.
In 1564 Mary Queen of Scots granted the land to the council as use for a graveyard, and it was also used as a meeting place for the nine trades of Dundee to do business, which is the reason it was given its peculiar name.
Each trade had its own badge and banner, some of these can be seen carved into the graves, as well as the united trades 'Masonic symbol', these symbols join the popular symbols of death found all over our cemeteries.
A common myth is that a grave with skull & crossbones is a plague grave, this is not true, in fact most plague graves are unmarked and often not located within cemeteries.
The most famous resident of The Howff is 'James Chalmers’, the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp.
When you visit Dundee get away from the rush of the city centre by stepping into The Howff for a little reflection and to admire the work of ancient stonemasons, and when booking a tour with us, include a cemetery as one of your ‘must see locations’ and we will find a special one on your route.
Please contact us to discuss your next trip to Scotland.
Please contact us to discuss your next trip to Scotland.