Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

This morning, I visited Queen’s Park in the south side of Glasgow which provides commanding views over the surrounding area.

The area is rich in history with evidence going back to the Iron Age. However, key claim to fame is the 1568 Battle of Langside where Mary Queen of Scots suffered a defeat.

The current park was laid out 1857-1862 to a design by Sir Joseph Paxton (of Crystal Palace, London fame).

Key reason for visit this morning was to use the vantage point to photograph Glasgow. Below is a video clip showing the centre of Glasgow with the Campsie Fells (hills) in the distance.

This afternoon was the culmination of some three consecutive days of rain in Glasgow which has resulted in some minor flooding incidents.

This afternoon, I visited Rouken Glen park through which flows the Auldhouse Burn. (Burn is Scots word for stream or river). Here is a video clip of the gushing waterfall in the midst of the park. Quite awesome for such a normally docile stream.

Today, there is heavy rain in Glasgow which is preventing me from venturing out to obtain some topical images.

I am taking this opportunity to post a video clip of a (very) recent visit to Luss at Loch Lomond where I filmed this ancient, Viking era, ‘hogback’ grave marker in the burial ground of Mackessog’s Church. Close by are a couple of similar (but less grand) hogbacks and the film clip ends with a shot of a tall single stone which has echoes of a stone circle but is probably nothing to do with that, prehistoric, era.

Hogbacks are not uncommon in Scotland. There is a strong Viking influence which harks back to the days of early Christianity. One school of thought suggests that hogbacks are meant to resemble dwelling houses contemporary with the deceased person.

The hogback shown here could be about 1100 years old. However, decoration on the sides is still discernable.