The best of the capital, from the castle to the palace
Have historians misled us?
From Colonsay to Lismore
Shakespeare’s king & his real-life foes
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Distribution Scotland Magazine Issue #129, (ISSN 1475-5505) (USPS 020-429) is published six times a year (bi-monthly) by The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ, UK.
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This issue, with festival fever in the air, we’ve decided to zone in on our capital city with not one but three special articles on Edinburgh. In Enlighten Yourself (p16), I’ve rounded up some of my favourite places to visit in the city, which you could try and squeeze into your trip this summer if you’re heading to the festival, or wait until a quieter time of the year.
In The Greatest Show in Scotland (p28), our very own Henrietta Easton gives the backstory on the city’s grandest spectacle of all, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo; while in When Britannia Ruled the Waves (p33) Kirsten Henton shares her personal connection to the Royal Family’s former yacht (now an award-winning visitor attraction), and we couldn’t resist sending Euan Myles along to the Royal Yacht Britannia to get some exclusive photos, too.
Elsewhere, in this issue’s Travels with Tom (p56) our columnist delves into the clan past of the neighbouring islands of Colonsay and Oronsay, while we meet some of the locals of another of Scotland’s lesser-visited isles, which also has strong clan links, Lismore, in Living in the Great Garden (p50). I will warn you though, reading this piece may result in a strong desire to pack your bags, leave your hometown, and never come back. At least that’s the effect it had on me.
Simon Temlett, Awards Director simon.temlett@chelseamagazines.com
© The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2023, part of the Telegraph Media Group. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers. The information contained in Scotland magazine has been published in good faith and every e ort has been made to ensure its accuracy. However, where appropriate, you are strongly advised to check prices, opening times, dates, etc, before making final arrangements. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by contributors to Scotland magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.
I hope you enjoy the issue, and as always, please do send me your feedback or stories of your recent trips and planned travels – I love to hear from you.
ISSUE 129
14 We’ve got mail
Your letters and stories of Scotland
16 Enlighten yourself
We discover Edinburgh’s best attractions, from the Gothic atmosphere of the Old Town to the Georgian grandeur of the New Town and beyond
28 The greatest show in Scotland
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is renowned the world over for its spectacle. Here, we learn its story
33 When Britannia ruled the waves
Our writer explores how the Royal Yacht Britannia became one of Britain’s best-loved attractions
42 Olympic grade
Jeremy Flint meets the craftsmen making the best curling stones in the world in Ayrshire
46 The House of Dunkeld
In the next part of our series on the kings and queens of Scotland, we pick up the story with the family of Macbeth
50 Living in the great garden
Our writer travels to Lismore to hear what life is like on this small, but beautiful, west coast island
56 Travels with Tom
Our guide visits the Hebridean island of Colonsay and the neighbouring Isle of Oronsay
58 Lockhart
Ancestry expert Dr Bruce Durie tells us the story of one of Scotland’s great Lowland families
62 A Stirling stay
Our writer explains why Scotland’s only lake has always been one of his favourite places to visit
67 Wind, earth and fire
We learn how a new whisky tasting room on Orkney Mainland is paying homage to the heritage of the Orkney Islands
72 The mighty frontier
Author John H Reid suggests that the resistance and threat of the Caledonians to the Roman Empire has been played down by historians
79 Clan events
Our pick of the best Scottish themed events and clan celebrations taking place across the world — start planning now
80 The story behind...
Scottish fiddler Iain Fraser explains how his new album tells the remarkable story of 800 Highlanders who crossed the globe in search of a better life
Take a teatime break with us
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Besides farming, much of the work the islanders do is to ensure the smooth running of island life
A Roman fort is discovered, and a Scottish baker celebrates international success
Three of Scotland’s most iconic heritage attractions can be visited this summer using a special discount ticket.
The Treasure Ticket gives holders 10% off visits to historic Blair Castle, Scone Palace, and Glamis Castle – all of which are within an hour’s drive of each other – between now and the end of October 2023.
Steven Cumming, general manager at Glamis Castle, called the ticket “an absolute must for tourists visiting the area.”
See more about what’s going on at each of these beautiful stately homes in our editor’s pick of stately home and castle events on page 10.
atholl-estates.co.uk/blair-castle; glamis-castle.co.uk; scone-palace.co.uk
A Scottish baker is celebrating huge international success after his book, My Scottish Island Kitchen, hit the best-selling list in Canada in its first week of release there, while his promotional tour of North America has won him legions of new fans.
Coinneach MacLeod’s book is inspired by family recipes and the food he enjoyed growing up in the Outer Hebrides, from Empire biscuits to mince & tatties, all of which he brings together in one beautifully illustrated book that o ers a peek into island life.
hebrideanbaker.com
The buried remains of a Roman fortlet, one of up to 40 that are believed to have once lined the Antonine Wall have been uncovered by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
The fort was found in a field near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire, and it is believed it would once have resembled Watling Lodge fortlet (see artist’s impression of that fortlet, pictured) and would probably have been occupied by 10 to 12 Roman soldiers who were stationed at a larger fort nearby, likely to be Duntocher.
In 1707, antiquarian Robert Sibbald, wrote that he had seen a fortlet in the area around Carleith Farm, but although excavation teams looked for it in the 1970s and 1980s, its exact location remained unknown until now when the survey team were able to employ gradiometry — a geophysical surveying technique that allows teams to look under the soil without the need for excavation.
Riona McMorrow, deputy head of world heritage at HES, said: “Archaeology is often partly detective work, and the discovery at Carleith is a nice example of how an observation made 300 years ago and new technology can come together to add to our understanding.”
Turn to page 72 for more on the Romans in Scotland.
A film that celebrates the legacy of the Ulster-Scots or Scotch Irish (Scots Irish) in the US is looking for funding to bring it to screen.
AMERICA’S OTHER IRISH —
A MUSICAL JOURNEY documents the arrival of the first Irish immigrants in great numbers in the US in the 18th century, blending compelling narrative with traditional music to explore how they helped to shape Western democracy, including playing a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War.
For a 100-year period beginning in 1717, more than half a million people – largely Presbyterian descendants of Scottish settlers who had colonised the north of Ireland for the British Crown in the 1600s –left Ireland’s northern province of Ulster for new lives in America.
American folk singer John McCutcheon, who narrates the film and will lead an ensemble of musicians in performing some of the songs on its soundtrack, said: “The film will interweave the narrative with Scottish, Irish, and American traditional ballads that illustrate and emotionally reflect on the stories told in the narrative. As the late Irish traditional singer and song collector – and my friend – Frank Harte wrote, ‘Those in power write the history, while those who su er write the songs.’”
The film is being produced by two award-winning filmmakers based in Atlanta, Georgia – Chris Moser and David Hughes Duke – who are seeking both major sponsors and small crowdfunding donors to fund the film. americasotherirish.com
[SHOPPING]
Hamilton & Inches, which has been making jewellery in the heart of Edinburgh since 1866, has launched a timeless collection of 18ct Scottish Gold fine jewellery made up of two di usion lines: Fleur-de-lys and Star Fleur-de-lys. Using gold extracted from Scotland’s first and only gold mine, Scotgold Resources’ Cononish Gold Mine in Tyndrum on the edge of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the 10-piece collection is handcrafted in the jeweller’s goldsmith shop above the Hamilton & Inches showroom in the capital. The company is now also making its beautiful engagement collection
available in Scottish Gold and taking commissions for bespoke orders for 18ct Scottish Gold fine jewellery.
Victoria Houghton, CEO of Hamilton & Inches, said of the collection: “We are conscious of the growing importance customers are placing on the origin and provenance of the items that they are buying, which is why we are proud to showcase this new collection which boasts a single mine origin status from Scotgold’s Cononish gold mine, emphasising our dedication to sustainable making”.
hamiltonandinches.com
home of the Stone of Scone (or Stone of Destiny), which controversially starred in the recent coronation of King Charles III. Visitors this year can see a replica of the stone and walk in the footsteps of Scottish monarchs from Robert the Bruce to Macbeth, or if you can wait until spring 2024, then you can visit the palace and then head to Perth where the stone will be housed in its new permanent home of Perth Museum. scone-palace.co.uk
3The Georgian House, Edinburgh
In the grand setting of Charlotte Square in the capital’s New Town, this stately museum o ers a glimpse into life during Edinburgh’s Enlightenment era year-round, and until November 2023 it will also host a special exhibition on one of the period’s most prominent painters. Raeburn’s Edinburgh brings together 18 portraits and engravings by Henry Raeburn (see left) from across the National Trust for Scotland’s collection to mark the 200th anniversary of the artist’s death. It will reveal insights not just into the artist himself but the people who sat for him and the society and attitudes of the time nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house
This year, Glamis Castle sees the return of its guided tours after a three-year hiatus, while the Children of Glamis exhibition features photographs, childhood dresses and toys belonging to Queen Elizabeth II from when she visited the castle – her mother’s childhood home – when she was a little girl. glamis-castle.co.uk
1 Blair Castle, Perthshire
This year, Blair Castle, the ancestral home of the Stewarts and Murrays of Atholl and a beautiful example of a lived-in castle, continues its Castle Couture exhibition, which is displaying historic garments from the castle’s
attics. Three new exhibition rooms have been added for 2023 and include treasured items from the wardrobe of Scotland’s first female Member of Parliament – the 8th Duchess of Atholl. atholl-estates.co.uk/blair-castle
2 Scone Palace, Perthshire
Scone Palace, the crowning place of Scottish kings, has been at the forefront of people’s minds this year as it was the historic
If you’re visiting Scotland this summer, you may still be able to get booked onto one of the season’s special tours at Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull. You’ll learn about castle residents throughout history – including clan chiefs – and hear all about the wrecks of the Cromwellian invasion fleet, plus discover hidden treasures, such as the mysterious ‘Green Man’. duartcastle.com
Each issue, our editor pinpoints some of the things that have her circling her calendar. This issue, she is looking forward to some special events across Scotland’s stately homes andMrs James Gregory (née Isobella Macleod) by Henry Raeburn (1770-1847)
Words by KATE
So - miracles do happen. As I write this, sunlight glitters on the gold bangle my beloved Douglas gave me for a wedding present, 64 years ago, which, as I’ve mentioned before, I lost before Christmas.
It was restored to me nearly four months later, on the exact anniversary of the day that he put it on my wrist. A local dog-walker found it soon after I’d lost it, on the track above my house. Because it looked so warped and tarnished, he didn’t think it was of any value, so he took it home, put it on a shelf and forgot about it. On its 64th birthday, his wife went to the village shop and read the lost card on the door, which she hadn’t noticed before. She rushed home and phoned me. I was in their garden within minutes – in tears of joy. I had been petitioning my patron saint, Francis, and one of my kind readers, who is a priest, had been petitioning St Anthony, so we’ve agreed that it was a two-saint project and I’m sure Douglas had a hand in it too.
Due to an error in the booking of my ferry across the Minch on Maundy Thursday to join the family in our Hebridean home for Easter, I arrived at Uig, Skye, to nd that it had already sailed and the next one, on Good Friday, was fully booked. I drove sadly home, another three hours, and there I found a message from my daughter Victoria saying that there was a cancellation on the next day’s ferry, and she’d booked me in. This entailed setting off again at 3am and, though I was
exhausted by the time I arrived, I was truly glad I resisted the strong urge to chicken out.
That dawn drive was beautiful: no traf c, enough light to enjoy the wonderful scenery and a feeling of great relief that I’d overcome my feebleness.
You don’t go to the Outer Hebrides for the weather, you go for the magical atmosphere, the beauty, and the close community. In howling wind and bitter cold, we did a two-and-a-half-hour climb over the hill above the house and had a barbecue picnic on the beach on the far side: despite the weather it was a perfect afternoon.
All the family, except me, braved the icy water below the house every morning before breakfast. The days passed far too quickly and I returned home refreshed and elated.
I also want to draw your attention to Fairburn Tower, which brilliantly demonstrates the skills of Scotland’s Landmark Trust. A true treasure of the Scottish Renaissance, it was built around 1545 for Murdo Mackenzie, a favourite of King James V.
Located about 20 miles north-west of Inverness, it stands on a hill above the River Orrin near Muir-of-Ord in the parish of Urray, with splendid views across to Ben Wyvis and the Black Isle.
Each oor consisted of just one room, connected by a spiral staircase in the corner; then, around 1600, a stair turret was added onto the outer wall, with a door into each room.
The tower was built as a dwelling and as a fortress against
Our friend has some good news to report, plus she uncovers a hidden treasure…
FRANCIS