Scottish Tour Guide's Blog » Edinburgh

Tour Highlands, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:30:08 +0000

Cairngorm Mountains, Aviemore, Scotland

This morning, we departed our lodgings at Ballifeary Guest House, Inverness after breakfast and drove south to our first stop at Aviemore. This small town is located in the Cairngorm mountain region and is popular with hikers, birdwatchers and outdoor enthusiasts. We had coffee at a high elevation restaurant which offorded superb views over the snow-capped mountains. Our visit coincided with the scheduled departure of the Strathspey Steam Train from Aviemore which was an added bonus.

Next we drove down the A9 to our next stop of Dunkeld with a photo stop for Blair Castle en-route..At Dunkeld tour guest played his Scottish Small Pipes in the Taybank Pub which itself is a popular music venue. We also had a light lunch here. After a short walk around the centre of Dunkeld we continued south to our next destination of Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions.

We visited all main aspects of Stirling Castle including Great Hall, Royal Chapel and Kitchens. The recently restored Royal Apartments were of particular interest with assistance from actors in period costume.

After departing Stirling Castle, we continued south to our final destination of Edinburgh but first availing of a light meal at the Granary Pub on Leith’s popular waterfront.

Final drop-off was neraby where we exchanged fond farewells at conclusion of a fascinating 10 day round Scotland tour with emphasis on the Outer Hebrides.

Visit Scott Monument, Visit Edinburgh

catswhiskers — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:44:57 +0000

Scott Monument, Princess Street, Edinburgh

This evening, I am focusing on the Scott Monument in Princes Street, Edinburgh, Scotland.

This monument was erected in 1844 to commemorate the life ( 1771-1832) of romantic novelist, Sir Walter Scott whose novels and writings acted as a catalyst to inbound Scottish tourism in the 19th century. Scott’s prodigious output includes:

Whisky Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:33:23 +0000

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

This morning, I collected guests from Edinburgh Grassmarket and then drove north to the ancient Scottish capital of Stirling. Here we spent about 1 hour exploring the famous medieval castle which now features a heavily restored Royal Palace.

Tour Leith, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:42:31 +0000

Leith Pub, Leith, Scotland

This evening, I am posting a photo record of my evening stroll around the Port of Leith, near Edinburgh, Scotland.

Historically, Leith was a major commercial port serving the east of Scotland and to an extent these activities continue. However, some of the port’s redundant areas have been tastefully transformed into a mix of visitor attractions, shopping mall, smart residential housing and offices (mainly Scottish Government). The overall effect is positive. To attract visitors there are hotels and some smart eateries.

Read more on Tour Leith, Tour Scotland…

Visit Melrose Abbey, Visit Scottish Borders

catswhiskers — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:28:38 +0000

Melrose Abbey, Borders, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders, about 40 miles south of Edinburgh.

The founding of Melrose Abbey on its current site (superseding a previous building located about two miles away) was inspired by King David I of Scotland in 1136 AD. The Abbey was built by a group of Cistercian Monks from Rielvaux in Yorkshire, England. Construction is believed to have taken ten years.

Because the Abbey enjoyed Royal favour it continued to flourish despite suffering damage in the Anglo-Scottish wars and being rebuilt in the 15th century. It fell into ruin after being ravaged by English soldiers and Scots Protestants. The last monk died in 1590.

The Abbey is noteworthy for:

Visit Edinburgh’s Leading Attractions, Visit Edinburgh

catswhiskers — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:23:04 +0000

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on a selection of the key visitor sites in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland.

We start with Edinburgh Castle which has a long history dating back to the 11th century. There is much to see here including Mons Meg Cannon, the National Memorial and the Crown Jewels of Scotland. Great views from the battlements as per image no 3. Allow about 90 mins.

Visit Art Deco Architecture, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:58:06 +0000

Art Deco Cinema, Renfrew, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on one of my favourite architecture styles, namely Art Deco of which there a few extant examples in Scotland.

The Art Deco style emerged after World War I. It was inspired by machines and used geometric ornament and latest materials including plastics and decorative metals like chrome.

Image above shows the Regal Cimema in Renfrew, S.W.Scotland. The building originally dates from 1913 but was rebuilt with balcony in 1929.

Below is the B-listed cinema in Perth, central Scotland. This was built in just seven weeks and dates from 1933.

Connect with Traditional Stonemasonry, Connect with Traditional Scotland

catswhiskers — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:57:52 +0000

: Stonemason, Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland

There is a saying that England is constructed with bricks as Scotland is constructed of stone.

As most tourists will know, Scotland is liberally endowed with stone resources which have been utilised to build castles, cathedrals, churches, houses, walls and more. Aberdeen is called the ‘granite city’ because most of the buildings are built from local granite whilst, on the other hand, Glasgow is largely built of softer sandstone. All around the countryside and Highlands can be seen stone walls (field boundaries) made from local stone and which last hundreds of years.

Stonemasonry is a skill still in demand today especially for reconstruction and conservation work. The images and video shown here were taken at historic, Rosslyn Chapel which dates from the 15th century the interior of which is a stunning display of the medieval stonemasons’ skill.

It is believed that Freemasonry grew out of early associations of stonemasons. The ‘Freemasons’ were outsiders not directly involved in stonemasonry work

Visit Royal Scottish Academy, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:34:58 +0000

Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland

This evening, I am posting information on the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture which is located in the heart of Edinburgh, Princes Street, and is home to a wide ranging collection of contemporary art dating back to the founding of the institution in 1826. In the course of each year various themed exhibitions are available for viewing.

Visit MacDuff’s Castle, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:56:05 +0000

MacDuff's Castle. East Wemyss, Fife

This afternoon, I visited MacDuff’s Castle near the village of East Wemyss on Scotland’s Fife Coast.

This sandstone ruin was built by the Wemyss family and dates from the 14th century.