Historic Scotland, Spring 2013

TAKE A STEP OUTSIDE AND GET BACK TO NATURE

From the medicinal power of plants to spectacular landscapes, we celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland 2013

28

great EVENTS INSIDE

The Magazine for Historic Scotland Members | Spring 2013 | £3.95

Visit some of Scotland’s most amazing views

Great locations right across the country

✛ WONDERFUL WALKS TO KICK OFF YOUR SPRING

✛ CRIME WRITER’S SHETLAND CONNECTION

✛ TAKING THE TOUR OF ANCIENT TAYSIDE

➸ ON THE TRAIL OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

The Perfect Whisky Experience  Beautiful location - The heart of Highland Perthshire  Traditional working distillery  Atmospheric heritage exhibition  Unique warehouse experience  Café serving local produce  Exclusive brand store bottlings  Check our website for admission prices & opening times

Discover the spirit of Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2EB Tel 01887 822010 www.dewars.com

Welcome

INTRODUCE A FRIEND

As we step assuredly towards brighter days and lighter wardrobes, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to our first issue of 2013. The best way to greet spring is to let wanderlust take hold, and this year promises to be a special time to see many Historic Scotland attractions.

We’re especially proud to be associated with the nationwide Year of Natural Scotland 2013 campaign, celebrating the great Scottish outdoors everywhere, from shoreline to mountain summit.

With this in mind, we’ve highlighted some attractions situated in particularly beautiful locations, including Kilchurn Castle, Fort George and Castle Campbell. Each is distinct in character but their surroundings all illustrate how history and drama are not merely bound to the confines of a property’s walls. We also find out that Mary Queen of Scots would likely have had an appreciation for Scotland’s landscapes. Historian Chris Tabraham reveals how the charismatic monarch travelled the length and breadth of her realm, with an impressive entourage in tow.

The intrigue and tragedy of Mary’s life may not appear out of place in the stories crafted by another individual featured in this issue. We were lucky to speak with crime writer Ann Cleeves about her successful Jimmy Perez novels, where the brochs and castles of contemporary Shetland become stages for murder most foul.

Elsewhere, author David Bishop is rewarded with an insight into Tayside’s distant past when he takes a trip around Arbroath Abbey, Ardestie Earth House, Broughty Castle and Claypotts Castle. On his travels he still finds time to pick up a few of Arbroath’s finest culinary exports – the famous Smokies.

Of course, we have all the usual news and events, which I hope will inspire you to embark on your own travels to discover fascinating history amongst outstanding scenery and wildlife.

Do you know someone who should be a Historic Scotland member?

See page 48

Contributors

ADRIAN LOBB Adrian is a freelance television and music journalist and has written for Time Out, Radio Times, The Guide, Daily Mirror and TV Times

Ian Walford Acting Chief Executive

CHRIS TABRAHAM A medieval archaeologist, Chris retired in 2010 as Historic Scotland’s Principal Historian

THE five 5 BIGBIG THINGS TO SEE DO THIS THE THINGS TOAND SEE AND DO ISSUE THIS ISSUE

Follow in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots at our properties, see page 22

1

Walk through stunning designs in the landscape, see page 28

2

Uncover awardwinning mysteries in Shetland, see page 34

3

Discover the role of Arbroath Abbey in the nation’s story, see page 8

4

Head down the Road to Bannockburn at Stirling Castle, see page 51

5

DAVID BISHOP A freelance scriptwriter and author, David is also a part-time lecturer at Napier University

historic scotland | spring 2013 | 1

Spring 2013

contents The quarterly magazine for Historic Scotland members Headquarters Historic Scotland Longmore House, Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH www.historic-scotland.gov.uk Membership enquiries 0131 668 8999 hs.members@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Editorial enquiries 0131 668 8692 hs.magazine@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Membership & CRM Manager Morag Paterson Assistant Membership Manager John Martin Membership Co-ordinator Pauline Brews Editor Jack Kibble-White jack@thinkpublishing.co.uk Deputy Editor Andrew Cattanach Design Matthew Ball, Dom Scott Sub-editors Indira Mann, Andrew Littlefield, Mark Jardine, Sian Campbell, Anne Boyle Advertising Sales Simon Bryson simon.bryson@thinkpublishing.co.uk 0203 962 2959 Publisher John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk Think,Woodside House, 20-23 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QF 0141 582 1280 Photography

All images provided by Historic Scotland Images unless otherwise stated. For access to images of Scotland and our properties, call 0131 668 8647/8785, email hs.images@scotland.gsi.gov.uk, or visit www.historicscotlandimages.gov.uk Historic Scotland is an Agency within the Scottish Government and is directly responsible to Scottish Ministers for safeguarding the nation’s historic environment and promoting its understanding and enjoyment.

Historic Scotland is published four times a year.

The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Historic Scotland. All information is correct at the time of going to press. Š Historic Scotland. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without prior agreement of the Membership and CRM Manager and Historic Scotland.

Cover Threave Castle, Shutterstock

2 | historic scotland | spring 2013

40

St Kilda

36

Jarlshof Prehistoric And Norse Settlement

14

Stanley Mills

in this issue St Kilda P40

Mousa Broch P39

Stanley Mills P14 Kilchurn Castle P17

Haddo House P30 Arbroath Abbey P43

Tantallon Edinburgh Castle P9 Castle P24

r egul A r s 4 NEWS Earth Hour, tapestries on tour and more

48 MEMBERSHIP 49 LETTERS 51 EVENTS 56 VIEWFINDER fe at ur es 14 SPOTLIGHT ON… Stanley Mills

16 AMAZING LOCATIONS

A selection of Historic Scotland properties set in stunning surroundings

30

the landscape of haddo house

22 MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS SLEPT HERE Chris Tabraham embarks on a journey charting the ill-fated queen’s travels around Scotland

28 IT’S GOOD TO WALK

corbis, SHUTTERSTOCK

Julie Candy recommends exploring gardens and designed landscapes to get spring off on the right foot

32 VERY IMPORTANT PLANTS The flora of Iona

34 A MAGICAL MURDER MYSTERY TOUR Crime writer Ann Cleeves tells Adrian Lobb how Shetland has shaped her work

40 OUR WORLD HERITAGE… ST KILDA

The first in a series looking at Scotland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

42 TAKEN WITH TAYSIDE

A day along the River Tay gives David Bishop an appreciation of the deep past

i nc lu di ng

NEWS

New chapter of research at Gretna Tantallon welcomes an alien star Discover more on our special tours

ATTRACTIONS, people, RESEARCH, COMPETITIONS

£400k

Lights out for Earth Hour A nocturnal event held worldwide to reduce energy use

T

housands of landmarks across the globe are set to vanish into the night as WWF’s Earth Hour returns for another year.

Historic Scotland is again supporting the initiative that sees hundreds of millions of people turning off their lights for one hour, on the same evening, in

a symbolic show of support for action on climate change.

Last year, Edinburgh Castle, Glasgow Cathedral and Stirling Castle were just a few of the Historic Scotland buildings that switched off the f loodlights.

They joined a record 152 countries and 6,895 towns and cities participating in what has become a global phenomenon calling for a more sustainable future. This year’s Earth Hour is

£300k

celebrating the power of nature – the way renewable energy can move us away from fossil fuels and help reduce global carbon emissions. This is especially important in Scotland with our wealth of wind, tide and waves. l Switch off your lights at

8.30pm on Saturday 23 March 2013 and get involved at www.wwfscotland.org.uk/ earthhour

£200k £100k (2009)

(2012)

Castle curtails energy use There was a 27 per cent reduction in Edinburgh Castle’s fuel bill in the last three years (down from £400k to £291k)

Celebrating Lights

shutterstock, alamy

i n t his y e a r 19 01

Lewis Grassic Gibbon author of Sunset Song and Grey Granite is born in Auchterless

Irn-Bru is first produced in Falkirk. The drink contains 32 different ingredients

4 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is established in Glasgow

Queen Victoria dies on 22 January at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She was aged 81

The minimum working age is raised to 12 with the arrival of the Factory and Workshop Act

£0k

The fourth tapestry in the Stirling project, entitled The Unicorn is Found

competition We have three copies to give away of Douglas Corrance’s Scotland: Five Decades of Photographs and three copies of Scotland: History of a Nation by David Ross.

Corrance’s book is a unique photographic journey, while Ross chronicles 4,000 years of our nation’s riveting past.

The threads of history Textile masterpieces to be displayed south of the border

A

nyone who happens to be in London during the spring will have an opportunity to see a mythical beast galloping in from Scotland.

The Fleming Collection in the capital’s West End is presenting the magnificent Hunt of the Unicorn series of tapestries, recreated by West Dean Tapestry Studio for Stirling Castle.

Finding the Unicorn – Tapestries Mythical and Modern is an exhibition showcasing the skills of contemporary artist/craftworkers, who combine traditional techniques with modern technology to interpret and recreate original

works of art and craft. It’s taken West Dean Tapestry Studio 12 years to weave all seven tapestries, and the project is now getting close to completion.

Visitors to the exhibition can also expect to discover more about Historic Scotland’s recent project at Stirling Castle’s Renaissance Palace.

Palace inventories from 1539 show that the Scottish royal collection included a set depicting ‘the historie of the unicorne’. These new versions are based on tapestries from around that period from the Low Countries and which are now on display in the Cloisters Museum, at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

PRIZE QUESTION: Musician Jimmy Page used to own Boleskine House, Loch Ness, but which occultist and poet previously resided here?

l Visit www. flemingcollection. co.uk/future exhibitions.php for more information

For a chance to win, post your answer and details to Decades and History Competition, Think Scotland, 20-23 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QF, or email hs.comps@ thinkpublishing.co.uk (with ‘Decades and History Competition’ in the subject line). The closing date for entries is 26 April 2013.

Top ac c ol a de for l i v e his tor y spec tac u l a r

Fort George event picks up much-coveted award Celebration of the Centuries, which takes place at Fort George, near Inverness, has been awarded Best Cultural Event at the Highland and Island Tourism Awards.

Gillian Urquhart, Historic Scotland’s Events Manager, was presented with the award at a ceremony in Inverness. ‘I am really delighted that we have won such a prestigious award,’ she said. ‘Celebration of the Centuries presents visitors with a colourful, lively and enjoyable introduction to history. It involves a cast of over 250 performers, and their commitment has really contributed to the success of the event.

Planning is already under way for this year’s event, which promises to be even bigger and better. historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 5

“Co m spl fam bin en ou ing did s a set arch jou tin ae r n gs olo ey is gic thr the al ou Th spe sites gh t e cial , w im Ti i t y i t h e a m es of A rela nd v nd xat isit an ion ing te Tra in vel s.”

The Roman theatre at Mérida, originally constructed in the 1st century BC, with many subsequent additions and renovations throughout antiquity. © Pedro Oliva - Fotolia.com

rome in spain & portugal THE PROVINCE OF LUSITANIA Highlights

{ preserved Imperial Roman

Mérida! Extraordinarily wellprovincial capital - its remains still dwarf the later town.

World Heritage city of { Delightful Cacares - grew rich under the

Conquistadores and the New World.

remote and exciting Roman { Two villas deep in the countryside of

Merida is the focus of our unusual peregrination through World Heritage monuments and tiny rural sites, enjoying the wonderful, wide landscapes of Iberia with cork oak forests, olive groves and wide, rolling countryside.

Portuguese Alentejo.

{

The Roman province of Lusitania lies in both Portuguese Alentejo and Spanish Extremadura, two beautiful and rather remote rural regions of the Iberian peninsula.

The capital was at Mérida, today a modest Spanish country town, which is dwarfed by the monumental remnants of its Roman imperial past. This is one of the last “little-known” great cities of the ancient world - with all the comforts of the new Empire: theatre, amphitheatre and temples, decorated town houses, roads and bridge.

Staying in a castle Pousada in Palmela and a monastery Parador in Merida (and one other good hotel).

“A very variable and interesting programme and practically all of the sites were uncrowded, some virtually deserted.”

“Sun, wild flowers, birds and Roman sites. What more could you ask for?”

Day One Fly to Lisbon; drive to the Pousada hotel in Palmela.

Day Two Tróia, the largest fish-sauce production centre (major Roman export!) from the Roman world. Dos Almendres is the largest group of megaliths in Portugal. Visit Anta Grande do Zambujeiro, a famous prehistoric burial chamber. Continue to Évora.

Day Three Two major Roman Villas - Pisões and São Cucufate. Afternoon exploring Évora, formerly Ebora Liberalitas Iulia, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What’s Included • Scheduled flights to Lisbon with BA. • Meals are included (dinners with wine & water) except lunch Day 5.

• Private a/c coach.

Aqueduct at Los Milagros

Day Four Moorish Badajoz: Alcazaba Museum, with its major collection of warrior stelae. On to the huge arches of the Roman aqueduct known as Los Milagros, standing over 100 feet high.

Day Five All day exploring Roman Mérida, a simple Spanish provincial town still dominated by the remains of its glorious past. The Roman remains are outstanding, including the bridge over the River Guadiana, a large amphitheatre, splendid theatre and fine circus.

Day Six The Roman dam of La Proserpina, which stored water for Roman Mérida - best-

Temple at Evora

Dr Andrew Fear is lecturer in Classics at Manchester University, and author of Rome and Baetica and Lives of the Visigothic Fathers.

“Andy Fear's presentation of the sites was eye-opening and his command of the historical context illuminating.”

Dates & Prices 8 DAYS £1875 SGL SUPP £245; (NO

FLTS

£1660)

MON 1ST - MON 8TH APR SUN 8TH - SUN 15TH SEP

preserved of Roman date in the world. The old town of Cáceres is a perfectly preserved example of a Medieval town. On to Alcántara, home of one of Spain’s crusading orders, with its remarkable Roman bridge.

Day Seven Visit the castle and Roman theatre at Medellín. Return to Mérida for further exploration: Visigothic basilica of Sta Eulalia and the well-preserved Roman circus.

Day Eight Drive to Lisbon via the fortress town of Elvas; fly home.

Hotels: 1 night in a 4* Pousada hotel in a converted convent/castle, on the hillside at Palmela; 2 nights in a 4* hotel in the historic centre of Évora (World Heritage Site) with garden and swimming pool; 4 nights in a Parador, former convent, in Mérida.

• Specialist Guide Lecturer.

• Entry to all sites in programme; tips included.

• Fieldnotes specially written for the tour.

Depictions of boar hunting

Expert Guide-Lecturer

Alcantara, Roman bridge

Travel with expert Archaeologists all over the world Call 01722 713800 - tours@andantetravels.co.uk - www.andantetravels.co.uk

Parador at Mérida

news

Gretna’s explosive origins Arm yourself with the history of this unique town through a new publication, website and short film

Women working in the wash house at Gretna munitions factory

G

retna Green may be best known for romance and weddings, but the nearby town of Gretna would not exist had it not been for the First World War, as a recent Historic Scotland project reveals.

An accompanying booklet entitled Gretna – A Munitions Town shows how the wartime need for artillery shells led to a frantic construction programme to house workers in 1915.

Masterminded by the renowned town planner Raymond Unwin, Gretna, in Dumfries and Galloway, was laid out as a self-contained community characterised by terraced and semi-detached houses, all in red brick.

The munitions factory that gave rise to this huge task was itself a major undertaking - it stretched for nine miles along the edge of the Solway Firth.

The new booklet provides a fascinating introduction to Gretna’s ambitious foundations and architecture. It is fully illustrated with attractive modern and historical images, and a detailed map gives visitors an excellent overview of Unwin’s grand scheme. A short

film released alongside the publication also takes a wider look at the area and the lives of the workers, with commentary

by Elizabeth McCrone, Head of Listing and Designed Landscapes at Historic Scotland. l The booklet and film can be viewed at www.historic-scotland. gov.uk/gretna

Gretna’s Anvil Hall

Highlanders’ Museum re-opens mary evans, SCIENCE & SOCIETY

Museum at Fort George opens its doors after refurbishment project On 26 March HRH The Duke of Edinburgh will re-open the Highlanders’ Museum at Fort George. The museum closed its doors to the public in September 2011 to undergo a £2.9 million refurbishment.

Set in what was the Lieutenant’s House, the museum documents 300 years of the Highland regiments. The project has

included conservation work and the upgrading of interpretation, education, access and retail facilities.

‘We are confident we are creating a superb, “must-see” Highland military heritage centre,’ says Museum chairman, Major General Seymour Monro. l For further information visit www.thehighlandersmuseum.com

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 7

news Find out what life was like in 1607 at Huntingtower

Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170.

Arbroath Abbey is best known for the Declaration of Arbroath, arguably the most famous document in Scottish history.

Thursdays at 2pm from April to September l For more details and to book a place call 01241 878 756 Huntingtower Castle

The Servant’s Tour takes you back to when plague was rife in Perth and Huntingtower’s Sir Mungo Murray was in need of servants. Find out more about life in 1607, from toilet chutes to poisoned wine.

Tours in time

Centr al Arbroath Abbey

The Monk’s Tour will give you an insight into the story of Arbroath Abbey at a very particular time in its history.

Arbroath Abbey is a testament to the dynamic piety of Scotland’s medieval monarchs.

It was founded in 1178 by King William I ‘the Lion’ as a memorial to his childhood friend Thomas Becket,

A great way to discover more about a selection of our properties

H

istoric Scotland is offering a number of specialist guided tours at attractions across the country. The tours are free for members, but make sure you book yourself a place in advance.

Protecting Orkney’s past Heritage of the islands set to receive a fresh appraisal This May, Historic Scotland’s Scheduling, Marine and Battlefields Team will be visiting more than 100 sites in Orkney as part of its work to schedule monuments of national importance across Scotland.

Orkney is rich in history and archaeology – and home to some of Scotland’s finest sites. Around 8,500 of these have been recorded to date. Over 350 of these are already scheduled, which means

8 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

they are legally protected. To ensure Orkney’s impressive archaeological monuments are properly safeguarded for the future, the team will reassess many sites and update mapping and documentation as necessary.

They will also consider some places that may be scheduled for the first time, including those with connections to the First and Second World Wars.

‘Orkney is perhaps best known for its rich early prehistoric

Tuesdays at 2pm from July to August l For more details and to book a place call 01738 627 231 Rowallan Castle

A hidden gem in East Ayrshire, and once home to the creative Muir family, Rowallan is also one of Scotland’s least modified Renaissance mansion houses.

Tours take place on 14 April, 12 May, 9 June, 14 July, 11 August, and 7 and 8 September (Doors Open Weekend) l For more details and to book a place call 0131 550 7603.

Noltland Castle on Westray, Orkney

news North

This neolithic settlement lies near the beach of the Bay of Skaill. Skara Brae is the best preserved group of prehistoric houses in Western Europe.

Uncovered by a storm in 1850, it presents a remarkable picture of life around 5,000 years ago.

A one-hour tour takes visitors from the replica house along the changing coastline to the site itself, where the focus will be on life in Neolithic times.

Fridays at 3.30pm in April, May and September, and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3.30pm from June to August l For more details and to book a place call 01856 841 815 Dallas Dhu Distillery

This one-hour tour tells the story of Dallas Dhu and the importance of whisky in Moray.

There will also be a chance to sample a dram.

Daily at 2.30pm from April to September l For more details and to book a place call 01309 676 548

remains,’ says Designations Officer, Rachel Pickering.

‘But the Orkney landscape is scattered with chambered cairns, barrows and brochs.

The islands also have an impressive Norse heritage and important military sites from the 20th century.’

While there, the team will host a series of talks about scheduling, the islands’ marine heritage, and Historic Scotland’s role in championing Scotland’s historic environment.

To explore for yourself, visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ index/places

On location at Tantallon Castle

Tantallon filming captures alien star at historic castle

Film producer reveals why this popular attraction is set to feature in a sci-fi movie

H

istoric Scotland is reaching out to the far corners of the galaxy, it appears, after an extra-terrestrial visitor was filmed accosting strangers at Tantallon Castle.

A closer look, however, might have revealed a familiar face and a camera or two. At this brooding East Lothian castle, the juxtaposition of beauty and gloom was a purely cinematic invention.

Here was Scarlett Johansson, filming Under the Skin, a British production directed by Jonathan Glazer and loosely based on the Whitbread-shortlisted novel of the same name by Dutch writer, Michel Faber.

Producer Jim Wilson explains that Under the Skin was a road movie unlike any other.

‘The exciting thing is that it takes the genre elements of science fiction, noir and the femme fatale, and twists

Above, Tantallon Castle; below, Scarlett Johansson

them into a context that has never been seen before,’ says Jim, who is best known for his work on critically acclaimed films Sexy Beast and Shaun of the Dead.

Under the Skin had already been filmed in Glasgow, Glencoe, and at Auchmithie near Arbroath, before arriving at Tantallon.

‘We researched hundreds of castles,’ he reveals, ‘and made numerous location visits, before deciding on Tantallon. We wanted something with a remote coastal aspect, but still somewhere that people could be expected to visit.’

When the film crew arrived at the castle, Jim says they were ‘prepared for anything’ – and over the next nine hours, they witnessed squalling rain, gales and sun. ‘We’ve had it all!’ he laughs, ‘but some of this weather has been exactly what we were looking for.’ historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 9

getty, shutterstock

Skara Brae

May 2013

Let’s get baking to beat MS!

Get together! It’s as simple as inviting friends and family round, providing plenty of cake and then watching the donation box fill up.

Sign-up now for your FREE Cake Break fundraising pack

Please quote Historic Scotland when registering

www.cakebreak.org.uk Text CAKE followed by your name to 82727 (texts cost your standard network rate*). or just give us a call – 0845 481 1577 *For full terms and conditions visit www.mssociety.org.uk/sms.

Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity numbers 1139257 / SC041990. Registered as a limited company in England and Wales 07451571

news

What I do

The apse mosaic in Santa Pudenziana

Name: Katy Firth Job Title: Community Ranger Where: Holyrood Park Although I’m a Ranger at Holyrood Park, I have special responsibility for our team of volunteers. They help us patrol the park, meet and greet the public, report any problems, tell us about interesting wildlife sightings and much more.

I support the volunteers by developing their roles and helping them take on projects. For example, one has recently updated a comprehensive report about the kinds of birds you can see at Holyrood Park. He has also produced an interactive map of the park with points of interest.

We have a wide age range of volunteers – a mix of students, retired people, parents – everyone, really.

Some people volunteer every week and others come during the summer. One gentleman carries out a three-hour walk around the park every week.

Quite a lot of my time is also taken up with planning and delivering our educational tours. We do quite a lot of these, looking at subjects such as geology, archaeology and wildlife. We get all kinds of groups, from the Brownies to photography clubs.

We also work with special needs groups. At the height of the season, we see at least a couple of community groups and school groups a week.

Perhaps the part of my job I enjoy the most is when I’m outside on a sunny day. It’s great when you spot something of interest, like a kestrel.

To find out more about volunteering at Holyrood Park, email Katy at Katy.firth@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Historic Scotland from Iona to Roma A research trip unearths parallels between the Eternal City and one of Scotland’s most sacred sites

T

hey say all roads lead to Rome, and for Historic Scotland’s Head of Cultural Heritage Peter Yeoman this was certainly the case in January when he took part in a study tour of early Christian Rome.

While leading the research for interpreting Iona Abbey, he became aware of how the Columban monks were inf luenced by the Roman ecclesiastical landscape. And while in Rome, he made an astonishing discovery – that the forecourt of Iona’s abbey church had been planned as a ‘Paradiso’, a recreation of heaven on earth.

The Iona monks created their

own version of the Holy places, as a new Eden with an ancient holy well, a paved Roman road (Street of the Dead), Columba’s shrine, and a group of high crosses to evoke the Crucifixion.

Yeoman’s findings coincide with the anniversary of the Edict of Milan, proclaimed by Emperor Constantine in AD313 allowing Christianity to f lourish. He also invested in building glorious churches.

Being the emperor, Constantine kept his options open and was baptised only on his deathbed.

The Iona Abbey redisplay project will be completed for summer 2013.

Yeoman’s study tour was supported by the Mackichan Trust, the Russell Trust and the Historic Scotland Foundation.

Community comes to aid of ailing castle In 2005, Tarbert Castle was in a poor condition. Its most prominent feature, the tower house, which was reinforced and extended by King Robert Bruce, seemed beyond saving. Eight years later and

the future is much brighter.

Since ownership transferred to Tarbert and Skipness Community Trust in late 2005, extensive work has been carried out by more than 100 local volunteers, with help from Historic

Scotland and the Scottish Government, including a £748,000 grant to consolidate the ruins. There are now plans to celebrate the castle’s renewed fortunes with a festival, tentatively titled ‘Medieval Melee’.

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 11

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news c om pe t i t ion

Scotland’s creatures great and small

Linlithgow Palace and, inset, the Great Hall at Stirling Castle

Restaging the Satire

A two-year project supported by Historic Scotland is set to throw the spotlight on a satirical political drama penned more than 400 years ago

F

unding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council is allowing researchers from the universities of Edinburgh, Oxford Brookes, Southampton and Glasgow to delve below the surface of Sir David Lyndsay’s A Satire of the Three Estates, which was first staged in its earlier form in 1540.

The earliest completed Scottish play to survive airs fundamental questions about Scotland’s politics and cultural identity during the early days of the cultural renaissance and reformation of the Church in Scotland – it’s a comedy but with a sting in its tail.

The earlier version, known as Interlude, was performed at Linlithgow Palace in 1540. Set indoors, it used the grandeur of the Great Hall to wonderful effect.

Performances of the Satire in Cupar and Edinburgh in 1552 and 1554, respectively, were very much larger in scope and were designed to be performed outdoors for the whole community. Researchers taking part in the two-year project are keen to explore how far each play may have been shaped by the spaces it was performed in.

To that end, in June this year, the play will return to Linlithgow. Interlude will be staged in Linlithgow Palace and again at Stirling Castle’s renovated Great Hall. The Peel at Linlithgow will provide the setting for an outdoor performance of the full Satire.

The performances mark a final phase of research lasting until 2014, which will seek to determine how the staging of Lyndsay’s work affects our understanding of Scottish history and national identity.

l To get involved contact Joe Gallagher, Community Outreach Officer, by emailing outreach@stagingthescottishcourt.org.

If you miss the June performances you can still contribute to the project via a website that will host a film of the production.

You can also follow the project’s progress on Twitter @Satire3Estates and at www.stagingthescottishcourt.org

A complete companion to Scottish wildlife, Fauna Scotica: Animals and People in Scotland features a wealth of information on hundreds of species, and even a few mythical beasts. copies to give away PRIZE QUESTION: What species of bird is St Mungo said to have restored to life?

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l For your chance to win, post your answer and details to Fauna Scotica Competition, Think Scotland, 20-23 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QF, or email hs.comps@thinkpublishing.co.uk (with ‘Fauna Scotica Competition’ in the subject line).

Stately homes hardcover We have a copy of The Scottish Country House by James Knox and The Scottish Family Tree Detective by Rosemary Bigwood to give away.

PRIZE QUESTION: What is the name of the family who have resided in Ballindalloch Castle since 1546? l For your chance to win, post your answer and details to the address above, marking your entry ‘Country Family Competition’.

Or email hs.comps@thinkpublishing.co.uk (with ‘Country Family Competition’ in the subject line).

The closing date for both competitions is 26 April 2013.

LAST ISSUE’S COMPETITION ANSWERS AND WINNERS Are aS FOLLOWS: BRAVE COMPETITION The answer was Edinburgh, as correctly answered by Shauna Dunbar

SCOTLAND’S HERITAGE The answer was Sir Walter Scott.

Books are going to J Pirie, S Goldie, Katherine Grieve, Shauna Robson and Ian Hunter

GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL The answer was 1883, as correctly answered

by Bob MacDougall, Anne Upton and Jackie O’Neill

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 13

sarah hanson

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tanley Mills stands as one of the best-preserved relics of the 18th-century Industrial Revolution. It was a giant of Scottish manufacturing and constantly adapted to new trends and technologies. The mills went through many different iterations over the years as buildings were added, destroyed by fire, rebuilt, shut down or demolished.

Although textiles continued to be produced here until 1989, this year marks the 200th anniversary since the second closure of Stanley Mills and what could be described as the end of the early years.

Local merchants from Perth established the mills in 1786 with support from English cotton baron Richard Arkwright, considered the father of the modern factory system. It was an ambitious endeavour, with each of the seven partners investing £1,000 and some 80 families recruited from the Highlands as workers.

spotlight on

Harnessing the tremendous water power provided by the River Tay, the mills produced linen and cotton for burgeoning markets at home and abroad. Fortunes nevertheless took a turn for the worse when the Napoleonic Wars resulted in an economic downturn. After the East Mill burned down in 1799, Stanley Mills closed altogether.

James Craig, a Glasgow muslin manufacturer, revived the site in 1801 with the financial assistance of David Dale, founder of the New Lanark mills. Regrettably, the restored mills failed to prosper and closed down again in 1813, with debts of over £40,000.

TIMELINE

STANLEY MILLS

200 years ago this textile-producing giant silenced its looms

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200 YEARS OF COTTON PRODUCTION The oldest building on the site, the Bell Mill is a rare surviving example of a cotton mill from the early industrial period. Built in 1786-87, it displays an early use of brick for this part of Scotland and the design takes cues from Richard Arkwright’s pioneering mills. Heavy machinery was housed in the basement and was used to transfer power from the water wheel to the machines.

1729 The first tunnel is dug to provide water power for a corn mill at Stanley

1784 The Stanley Company is formed

THE CARDING ROOM Carding was originally a manual process that involved combing cotton to straighten the fibres into a long rope called a sliver.

Mechanisation made the task less arduous but it filled the air with cotton fibre and the loud noise of the machines made verbal communication very difficult. As a result workers adopted their own form of sign language to convey simple messages.

WORKING IN THE MILL The village of Stanley nearby was built to house the influx of people coming to the area to find work, many of whom had been evicted from their homes during the Highland Clearances.

The mills offered quality housing and employment but the work was gruelling and dangerous, for adults and children alike.

Men undertook many of the heavy and clerical tasks, while the women ran most of the machinery in the mill, including the power spinning machines and looms. Children worked at jobs such as winding bobbins and repairing broken threads, where their sharp eyes and small, dexterous hands were valued.

1787 The Bell Mill opens.

Business flourishes and the workforce reaches 350 within a decade

1799 A fire destroys the East Mill, causing the closure of the mills

1801 James Craig purchases the mills for ÂŁ4,600

1813 Economic hardships force Stanley Mills to close once again

historic scotland | SPRING 2013 | 15

Amazing locations

Remarkable landscapes and environmental diversity are being celebrated as part of the Year of Natural Scotland 2013. Now the green shoots of spring are here, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a fresh look at some Historic Scotland properties set against the most beautiful and striking of scenic backdrops, as ALEC MACKENZIE reveals.

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landscapes

Kilchurn Castle

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Legenda ry Loch Awe At 25 miles from end to end, Loch Awe is Scotland’s longest freshwater loch and also, arguably, one of its most picturesque.

A number of intriguing islands sit within its waters, including Innis Chonnell, home to the ivy-clad Ardchonnel Castle, and Inishail, where the remains of an old parish church can still be found.

A local story claims that lights, or will o’ the wisps, seen around Loch Awe are the spirits of sinful women, and that their appearance is a foretelling of bad events.

Paranormal activity aside, keen anglers are drawn here for the first-rate trout fishing and the chance to catch the occasional cantankerous pike. It’s also possible to hire boats for family adventures.

than clan squabbling and uprisings brought about the eventual demise of Kilchurn Castle. Already empty by the 1750s, fire ravaged the stronghold after it was struck by lightning some time before 1769.

Among the highlights of any trip to Kilchurn Castle is a walk around the shore of Loch Awe – which provides an important habitat for waterfowl – while admiring the almost spectral appearance of this ruin that seems to rise out of the still waters.

Getting there At the north east end of Loch Awe, 2.5 miles west of Dalmally off the A85

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 17

shutterstock, corbis

mountain backdrop theatrically frames Kilchurn Castle, a former Clan Campbell stronghold, which clings to a peninsula at the north eastern end of Loch Awe. Its secluded location was once even more isolated when construction began in the 1450s, as the original site was an island with a hidden underwater causeway. The loch’s water levels were lowered in the 1800s, connecting the island to the shore and making safe access on foot possible.

Kilchurn Castle started life as the five-storey tower residence of Sir Colin Campbell, first Lord of Glenorchy. Like many fortifications of the period, the castle was remodelled over the years and an additional range and a hall were added to the south in the early 1500s.

Enjoying relative peace and security, there was little conf lict to assail the walls of Kilchurn Castle other than a clan dispute with the MacGregors in the early 17th century. The MacGregors had been appointed keepers of the castle before a violent feud brought this arrangement to an end and the Campbells took possession again. A further siege occurred in 1654, but the castle suffered little, if any, damage.

Kilchurn Castle’s most notable transformation capitalised on political tensions, and it became Scotland’s first purpose-built barracks, which were used by government troops during the Jacobite Rebellions.

Only the shell of this structure remains but visitors can get some sense of the stern discipline that would have been meted out.

Arguably a much greater force

Castle Campbell

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emmed in by two precipitous ravines and ensnared by the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow, the setting around Castle Campbell couldn’t be more dramatic. Standing in solemn isolation above Dollar Glen, appropriately this mysterious fortification and residence dating from the 15th century was originally named Castle Gloom.

An impressive Lowland seat at the heart of the realm, around 1465 it passed through marriage to Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, who gave his clan’s name to the castle in 1489.

A clear declaration of its lord’s wealth and power, Castle Campbell is an outstanding exercise in architectural elegance as well as defensibility.

During the 18th and 19th centuries its ruins and dramatic setting came to be increasingly appreciated for their romantic beauty, stirring visions of faded grandeur from many artists and

Castle Campbell in its dramatic setting within lush woodland 16 | historic scotland | Spring 2013 above Dollar Glen

writers. It is easy to see why Castle Campbell remains so inspirational as you enter the well-preserved tower and explore its stonewalled rooms and chambers – a storage cellar at ground level, a hall on the first f loor and private chambers on the two upper f loors. Those with a head for heights should ascend the staircase to the top for stunning views to Glen Devon, the River Forth and the Ochil Hills.

The 1st Earl’s descendants added the south and east ranges to the castle, to suit changing fashions and circumstances.

Archibald, the 2nd Earl moved in royal circles and this obviously inf luenced the design of his splendid residence in the south range. Its style bears a striking resemblance to the King’s Old Building in Stirling Castle, built for James IV in the 1490s.

The terraced gardens are thought to be another addition by the 2nd Earl, giving visitors past and present an opportunity

Getting there At the head of Dollar Glen, 10 miles east of Stirling on the A91

to enjoy the landscape while smelling the sweet fragrance of the f lowers and herbs. Legend tells that fiery Protestant advocate John Knox preached to a large congregation from the castle garden’s south-west corner.

With green woods below and bracken-clad hills above, Castle Campbell is undeniably an evocative fortress that offers a superb perspective on Scotland’s wild outdoors and at times tempestuous past.

In the shadow of the Ochils Dwarfing Castle Campbell’s presence in Dollar Glen, the Ochil Hills are one of Scotland’s great ranges of hills and finest geological features.

Popular with hillwalkers, they undulate across 25 miles from the Firth of Tay in the north east right down to Stirling in the south west.

Historically, the Ochil Hills contributed to Stirling’s importance as a gateway to the Highlands and, tapping into available water power, the rise of mill towns such as Tillicoultry and Alva during the Industrial Revolution. They remain a popular destination for hill walkers.

landscapes

Fort George

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tterly dominating a spit of land jutting into the Moray Firth at Ardersier near Inverness, Fort George was designed to be an impregnable military fortress that could repel all attacks. Its time as a base from which to quell potential Highland uprisings has passed, but it still houses a functioning army barracks, while also welcoming visitors into its forbidding ramparts.

Fort George is a 42-acre complex that provided all the facilities of a small town, including a bakehouse, brewhouse, chapel and accommodation for a 1600-strong infantry garrison.

All mod cons came at a price, however, and it was well over budget when it was completed in 1769, an equivalent cost today of nearly £1 billion.

A place readied for action that never came, you’ll notice when walking around Fort George that little has changed throughout its

history, and the barrack rooms reveal evidence of the soldiers’ day-to-day routine and rigorous training. It is interesting to note that a location viewed as beautiful in its remoteness today was not seen as favourably by some of the soldiers posted here, who scornfully nicknamed it ‘Fort Misery’.

For those on sentry duty, Fort George’s well-chosen defensive position offers superb views all around, across the North Sea and to the rolling hills

of the Black Isle. The only invading force you should keep a keen eye out for now are the many bottlenose dolphins that play in the nearby waters.

As a Highland stronghold, Fort George was a bold attempt to control a populace and tame a rugged wilderness. The spectacular architecture of warfare keeps watch over some of the best of Scotland’s landscapes, while within its walls lies a wealth of fascinating stories and historical artifacts.

Getting there 6 miles west of Nairn, 11 miles north east of Inverness off the A96

Sea life at Fort George High up on the ramparts at the tip of Fort George, the Point battery is where Redcoat soldiers used to

fish for salmon.

Today, it’s an excellent place from which to view bottlenose dolphins as well as harbour

porpoises and minke whales, which frolic in the Moray Firth.

Your best chance to see them is on a

calm day between April and September, about one hour before and after the high and low tides. historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 19

landscapes

Threave Castle

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ituated alongside the lush banks of the River Dee, Threave is a unique island castle that juts imposingly into an otherwise gentle rolling skyline. Its excellent defensive position means that, even today, this mighty castle is an adventure to get to.

Built for Sir Archibald Douglas in about 1369, Threave comprised a five-storey tower house surrounded by a large complex of buildings, which would have

Getting there 3 miles west of Castle Douglas on the A75

formed a secure village covering most of the island. Breaching the stronghold is now a much simpler affair than it would have been in the 14th century. Ring the bell by the jetty and the custodian will safely ferry you across to the island in a small boat.

Once inside, take time to admire the impressive scale of the fortifications that overlook miles of pleasant, low-lying farmland and pasture. The tower you see today is the product of minor

modifications in the 18th century to convert the site into a prison during the Napoleonic Wars.

Like his castle, Archibald was no understated character. His natural father, ‘the Good Sir James’ of Douglas, had been a close ally of Robert I (the Bruce) during the Wars of Independence with England. Archibald continued the fight, earning for himself the intimidating title for which he is best remembered – ‘the Grim’.

By the time of his death in 1400, Archibald was the most powerful magnate in southern Scotland. When James II took steps to overthrow the Black Douglases in 1455, it was Threave that staged the final act in the drama. After a two-month siege, the castle was annexed to the crown, marooning it thereafter on the relative margins of Scotland’s history.

As the first great castle to be taken into state care, Threave is an awe-inspiring sight well worth pushing the boat out for.

Dirleton Castle

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n elegant fortress in East Lothian, Dirleton Castle has sat on its rocky perch since the 13th century. For the first 400 years of its existence it served as the attractive residence of three noble families – the de Vauxs, Haliburtons and Ruthvens – who ruled over the rich agricultural lands encompassing the barony of Gullane and Dirleton.

As much a place for gracious living as it was for defence, each family is ref lected in the fanciful patchwork of styles you can see in the surviving ruin, and it’s quite a challenge to tour the castle in any chronological sense.

Looking over its distinctive warm yellow sandstone you’ll see the large sections that are courtesy of John de Vaux – an Anglo-Norman knight, who

built the multi-towered keep in the mid 1200s. The robust gatehouse was an improvement following the First War of Independence with England, when the battered remains of Dirleton passed to the Haliburtons. An even more intimidating feature added by them was the dank and gloomy pit prison.

The last keepers of Dirleton were the Ruthven family, who acquired the castle in 1510 and brought a touch of Renaissance f lair to its stormy medieval roots.

Immediately striking when visiting are the enchanting gardens that now embrace the battlements. To the west, the reconstructed gardens perfectly capture the refined formal planting of the Victorian period, while the beautiful north end is

Getting there In Dirleton village 3 miles west of North Berwick

a riotous Arts and Crafts f loral palette. Here, you will also find the celebrated fragrant herbaceous border, especially noteworthy as it has wound its way into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest.

Dirleton Castle may no longer be a family residence but it has blossomed once more with an immaculately designed landscape alongside the legacy of an impressive aristocratic seat. historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 21

history

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Mary Queen of Scots slept here

Tradition has it that this medieval monarch slept pretty much everywhere in Scotland.

Chris Tabraham tells us about some of our properties she actually stayed in

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Illustration by LISA BRAWN

ary Queen of Scots lived for 44 years (1542-87), with 13 of these spent in France, 19 in England, and just 12 in Scotland.

In fact, Mary spent more years as a prisoner in Sheffield Castle than she did living in her native land.

Mary spent two spells in Scotland. For her first five years, she enjoyed the surroundings of just four residences – Linlithgow Palace, where she was born on 8 December 1542; Stirling Castle, where she was crowned queen on 9 September 1543; Inchmahome Priory, where she lived for three weeks following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Pinkie on 10 September 1547; and Dumbarton Castle, to which she was taken for her better safety on 22 February 1548 and where, five months later, she was betrothed to four-year-old François, the French dauphin. It was from Dumbarton that Mary set sail for France on 7 August the same year.

It was a very different story following Mary’s return to the land of her birth, on 19 August 1561, to begin her personal 22 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

reign as Queen of Scots, for it seems she was forever travelling around her realm. By now aged 18 and already a widow, Mary chose to take up residence at Holyrood Palace, in Edinburgh, the principal city of her realm.

Holyrood would have made the young queen feel very much at home, almost as if she were back in her adopted France, thanks to an upgrade carried out by the father she never saw, James V. The great residential tower at the northwest corner of the complex, with its circular angle-turrets, tiered upper works and steep conical roofs, surely brought to mind happy memories of her time at the royal chateaux at Blois, Fontainebleau and elsewhere.

But as comfortable as Holyrood was, Mary realised that, to win the hearts of her subjects, she would need to travel among them – no television or Twitter in those days. So, barely had she settled in at Holyrood than she was on the move, on the first of numerous ‘royal progresses’ that would take her to all four corners of her realm – almost, as she got no further than Dingwall in the north and Inveraray in the west. From Glenluce Abbey, in deepest Galloway, to Arbroath Abbey by

history

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the North Sea, and from Hermitage Castle, hard by the Craigmillar English border, to Spynie Palace, in distant Moray, DUMBARTON castle CASTLE Queen Mary rode about the country, meeting and 1566 1548 greeting her people and undertaking official duties, as well as holidaying away from prying eyes – much as our present queen does. Sometimes she would be on the road for months. By this author’s estimates, she may have covered some 4,000 miles in her six-year reign.

When she could, Mary stayed in her official royal residences. The Palace in Stirling Castle, built by her father, was by far the most popular, and Mary may well have recalled it from her childhood. It was also the only royal residence with a chapel royal still fitted out for Catholic worship, which may explain why Mary chose Stirling as the venue for her son Prince James’ baptism on 17 December 1566, with full Catholic rite. That ceremony heralded three days of elaborate celebrations, culminating in a huge fireworks display in front of the castle – the first ever seen in Scotland. (Her son, who became King James VI, had the Edinburgh chapel demolished in 1594 and replaced with the present castle Chapel Royal, where his eldest son, Henry, was baptised.)

1561, 1566, 1567 Of her other royal residences, Mary used Falkland Palace (now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland) chief ly as a hunting lodge – it was her ‘Balmoral’ – while Linlithgow Palace was a convenient stopping place between Edinburgh and Stirling. But Mary only used Dunfermline Palace once, with Lord Darnley, her second husband, during their honeymoon in the late summer of 1565.

She also only used the royal castles at Dumbarton, Linlithgow Palace Inverness and Lochmaben once, and Blackness, Doune 1542 and Rothesay not at all.

There was one other royal residence, but Mary used it solely for prestige or necessity – Edinburgh Castle. Her first Despite the difficult birth, Mary was soon resting on her of three visits came within a fortnight of returning to day-bed – which was richly hung with blue velvet and taffeta Scotland in 1561. She rode out of Holyrood and, skirting the – and receiving visitors. They included Darnley, by now city on its northern side, entered her principal royal fortress estranged from Mary but allowed a brief sight of his son. by a back gate. At noon she dined in the castle’s great hall During the audience, Mary is alleged to have told him: with her leading nobles before proceeding in state out of the ‘My Lord, here I protest to God, and as I shall answer to castle’s main east gate to enter her capital city and there Him at the great day of judgement, this is your son, and no receive the acclamation of her people. The castle guns fired other man’s son.’ a ceremonial salute as 50 young men, gaudily dressed as Her third stay at Edinburgh Castle was in 1567 prior to Moors, their bodies blackened and bedecked with jewellery, her third and final marriage, to the Earl of Bothwell – formally welcomed their monarch into her kingdom.

Darnley’s reputed killer – at Holyrood on 15 May. Bothwell The second occasion came five years later, in the spring of himself led Mary’s horse by the bridle up from Holyrood to 1566, when Mary, by now heavily pregnant, took up Castlehill. Within the month, the newlyweds were separated residence in the palace for her confinement. There, in the at the Battle of Carberry Hill, and were doomed never to see cramped seclusion of the tiny closet off her bedchamber, on each other again. Mary stayed in many other places around the morning of 19 June, she gave birth to Prince James. her realm too, mostly the stately residences of her leading

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shutterstock, bridgeman, istock

➸ TIMELINE: A queen’s progress 1542 (8 Dec) Mary is born at Linlithgow Palace, six days before her father James V’s death at Falkland

24 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

1543 (27 July) Mary arrives at Stirling Castle with her mother, Mary of Guise, and stays in her late father’s new palace

1547 (Sept) Mary is taken to Inchmahome Priory for her safety during the English invasion

1548 (Feb–July) Mary resides in Dumbarton Castle prior to being taken to France

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BALVENIE CASTLE 1562

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HERMITAGE castle 1566

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SPYNIE PALACE 1562

nobles and clergy. Many of these are now in the care of Historic Scotland, including the castles of Balvenie, Cadzow, Castle Campbell, Craignethan, Crichton, Edzell, Hailes, Hermitage, Huntingtower (then known as The House of Ruthven), Lochleven, Lochmaben, St Andrews, Spynie and Tantallon, and the monasteries of Arbroath, Dundrennan, Glenluce and Whithorn.

It was mainly for business that Mary visited Sir David Lindsay’s Edzell Castle in August 1562, where she chaired a meeting of her Privy Council.

But it was solely for pleasure that she came to Bothwell’s Crichton Castle in January 1562, and the Earl of Argyll’s Castle Campbell in January 1563, where she attended the wedding celebrations of relatives. At Crichton, Mary enjoyed ‘much good sport and many pastimes’, while the festivities at

Bothwell himself led Mary’s horse by the bridle up from Holyrood to Castlehill. Within the month, the newlyweds were separated at the Battle of Carberry Hill, doomed never to see each other again

1561 (19 Aug) Mary returns to Scotland and takes up residence in Holyrood Palace

1562 (17–19 June) Mary stays at Spynie Palace. Its tower house is one of the largest in Scotland

Holyrood Palace 1561

1566 (19 June) Mary gives birth to her only child, the future James VI and I, right, in Edinburgh Castle

1567 (June) – 1568 (May) Mary is imprisoned in Lochleven Castle, where she abdicates, and also miscarries twins

1568 (15–16 May) Mary stays at Dundrennan Abbey before crossing the Solway Firth into England

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 25

history Castle Campbell included a masque in which the guests dressed up as shepherds playing lutes.

Hermitage Castle is best remembered for the visit Mary made to meet Bothwell on 16 October 1566, following which she almost died after falling from her horse on her journey back to Jedburgh. By contrast, few today know of the banquet Mary and Darnley attended in the Gothic grandeur of Lochmaben Castle’s great hall on 14 October 1565 to celebrate the f light from Scotland of her rebellious half-brother, the Earl of Moray, which brought the near farcical two-month ‘Chaseabout Raid’ to an end.

By then, Mary was pregnant, but history had not divulged in which of the numerous residences Mary and Darnley slept during this episode, when the future James VI and I was conceived, though leading candidates include the Historic Scotland properties of Dunfermline, Huntingtower and Lochleven.

Perhaps the most well-known of the non-royal properties associated with Mary are the castles of Craigmillar and Lochleven. Craigmillar was the home of Sir Simon Preston,

bridgeman

She remained at liberty for just a fortnight, during which time she sought shelter at two Hamilton strongholds, Cadzow and Craignethan, and finally at Dundrennan Abbey, from where she set sail for England on 16 May. The rest is, of course, history one of Mary’s most loyal supporters who had accompanied her to France. ‘Little France’, an area south of the castle (where the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary is situated), is said to take its name from its use by Mary’s household, almost all of whom were French, during her several stays at the castle. It was at Craigmillar that Mary sought solace in November 1566 at the end of a traumatic year.

She was to be disappointed for, during her three-week stay, the plot to murder Darnley – the infamous ‘Craigmillar Bond’ – was hatched.

By the time of the Battle of Carberry Hill, Mary and Preston were on opposing sides, and it was he who escorted her to the Douglases’ island stronghold of Lochleven. The story of Mary’s year-long imprisonment there is well-known – her enforced abdication, her miscarrying of twins (perhaps fathered by Bothwell) and her eventual escape on 2 May 1568. Thereafter, her life spiralled out of control.

She remained at liberty for just a fortnight, during which time she sought shelter at two Hamilton strongholds, Cadzow and Craignethan, and finally at Dundrennan Abbey, from where she set sail for England on 16 May. The rest is, of course, history.

26 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

MARY ON THE MOVE Keeping Queen Mary on the move as she progressed around her realm was a colossal undertaking. She didn’t just travel with her ‘four Marys’ – the Ladies Beaton, Fleming, Seton and Livingston – but took most of her personal household of over 200 servants, and a vast amount of luggage.

She normally travelled on horseback for, as her contemporary Sir Thomas Eliot observed, ‘To ride surely and clearly on a great horse undoubtedly importeth a majesty and dread to inferior persons’. Only when pregnant did she agree to be carried on a litter.

Accompanying her by horse were her Master of the Royal Household, Lord Seton, her 16 femmes de chambre (personal maids) and her bodyguard. The remaining household and all the luggage went by cart and, if travelling any distance or for a lengthy period, that baggage train would have been huge.

Mary also travelled with her dressmaker, furrier, shoemaker, perfumier, apothecary, master cook, jester and others, as well as

all the accoutrements she couldn’t possibly live without – her 62 dresses, a jewellery collection that was the envy of western Europe, a library of more than 300 books, her beloved musical instruments, sports gear and so forth. Then there were the tapestries, bedhangings, favourite items of furniture – an endless list.

Just imagine the chaos when Mary and her train arrived at their destination.

Pity, for example, the poor Earl and Countess of Argyll at Castle Campbell in January 1563, having to vacate their own apartments in the south range to make room for her majesty and her immediate household, and the ensuing disruption as everyone else in the Argylls’ household ‘moved over’ to make room for their lord and lady in turn. And all those chests containing Mary’s ‘essentials’ being carried in, while her French master chef did his best to convey the queen’s dietary requirements. All this for a two-night stay.

Fortunately, the whole operation didn’t cost the poor Scots anything, for Mary paid for everything from her French dowager income of £30,000 per year – the equivalent of several million pounds today.

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YEAR OF NATUR AL SCOTLAND

It’s good to walk

Designed landscapes offer a little bit of everything, as Historic Scotland’s Julie Candy explains

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f your boots are made for walking then you could do far worse this year than setting out to explore some of Scotland’s finest designed landscapes. The great outdoors has more to offer than traditional munro-bagging or hill-walking routes. Urban parks and botanic gardens promise intriguing networks of paths, while many large, historic country estates are traversed by longer-distance public trails that offer a decent physical challenge with the chance to enjoy fascinating buildings, gardens and landscapes along the way.

Some of these paths are themselves of historic interest, following as they do grand 18th or 19th-century entrance drives, winding

carriage routes, or long tree-lined avenues. A good spring walk can also bring us into the heart of Scotland’s most beautiful mixed woodlands, parks and gardens, and offer that heady rush of contact with nature and the outdoors.

The good thing about designed landscape walks is that they offer a little bit of everything – as you will see from this selection of ideas based on different themes from around the country. All of the sites mentioned are included in our Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland on account of their national importance You can find out more at our website: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/gardens

Winding routes among exotic plants and trees

j taggart, shutterstock, alamy, borders journeys

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esigned landscapes celebrated for their plant or tree collections make for fascinating walks. Also, we now know that many woodland environments promote better health and well-being. The Japanese call it shinrin-yoku or ‘forest-bathing’ – a Shinto and Buddhist-inspired practice that lets nature enter the body via the senses, and which has been linked to improved physiological markers, including lower blood pressure and reduced stress levels.

Linn Botanic Gardens in Cove, Argyll and Bute, (www.linnbotanicgardens.org. uk) is the latest addition to the Inventory and a beautiful location for a spot of therapeutic forest bathing. Thousands of plants and trees from around the 28 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

Linn Botanic Gardens offer a variety of garden spaces

world can be found in this compact, coastal designed landscape. It was first established in 1971 and is notable for the tempering inf luence of the Gulf Stream, which helps tender shrubs and plants to f lourish.

The short walk around Linn will lead you through a variety of different garden spaces, including the Old Top Garden, planted with exotic trees, a New Zealand heath, the Bamboo Garden and a rockery. The steeper walk up the Glen, with rocky slopes, exotic climbers and rhododendrons, is redolent of scenes from plant-hunting expeditions.

If meditating on the concept of shinrin-yoku here, seek out a native Japanese species – the ornamental Katsura tree recently named as the UK and Ireland champion.

For similar experiences, try one of the four Scottish Royal Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh, Dawyck (Scottish Borders), Benmore (Argyll and Bute), or Logan (Dumfries and Galloway).

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e have 23 nationally promoted, longdistance routes in Scotland, providing a total of over 1,500 miles of largely off-road, waymarked paths.

Some of these lead across large country estates where the variety of landscapes enrich the overall experience of a long walk.

St Cuthbert’s Way through the Scottish Borders (see their website for more information, www.stcuthbertsway.net) is one such example. The first leg from Melrose follows Dere Street, a Roman road that traverses Ancrum Moor. From here, the trail descends to the 19th-century designed landscape

Above left, St Cuthbert’s Way; right, Monteviot House

of Monteviot House (their website is www.monteviot.com).

With fresh moor winds still tingling on their faces, walkers enter sheltering mature woodland, pass by a listed, red sandstone model estate farm (now the Harestanes visitor centre), and take in swathes of riverside parkland.

Meanwhile, short and enticing deviations from the trail bring you deeper into the intricate arrangement of garden spaces, including a mid-19th century arboretum, an Oriental water garden and a sunken rose garden.

Memories of the landscape experience at Monteviot must surely enrich the remainder of the long distance walking experience through the open hills of the eastern Borders towards Lindisfarne on the Northumbrian coast. historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 29

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ealthy landowners in the 18th and 19th centuries were united by a desire to impress. Long carriage drives and paths afforded the means of displaying the extent and drama of their domains. Where country estates retain accessible, historic routes, walkers can marvel at the ambition and scale of past landscape design.

Haddo House in Aberdeenshire (www.haddoestate.com) is an outstanding example. Valued as a ‘triumph’ in the Victorian era, the extensive grounds continue to make an impression. Much of the design stems from the personal vision of the 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784-1860), an energetic laird who counted landscape theoretician Uvedale Price among his friends.

During the first half of the 19th century, woodland trees were planted in their millions

Balgay Park observatory

Urban Jaunts

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cotland’s towns and cities also boast complex and attractive designed landscapes in the form of historic public parks ‑ and they too have trails through gardens and woods, leading to interesting monuments and buildings.

Such landscapes provide breathing spaces within an urban setting that can help combat stress and sedentary lifestyles.

On a hill to the south west of Dundee’s city centre, Balgay Park 30 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

and virtually all of the main landscape components were improved, transformed, staked out, built, planted, or excavated – including parks, drives, paths, a terrace garden, avenues of trees, a walled garden and lakes.

One of the most spectacular walks within Haddo Country Park is the straight, tree-lined avenue from the house to a tall urn monument on the opposite hillside. Laid out in the earlier 18th century, and further embellished in the 1840s, it forms a highly effective visual statement in the landscape, channelling sightlines and emphasising the scale of the estate.

For a short but dramatic walk, meanwhile, it is difficult to beat the Hermitage by Dunkeld (www.nts.org.uk/Property/ Hermitage). Developed mainly in the second half of the 18th century by the Dukes of Atholl, the tree-planting, buildings,

continues its long tradition of public recreation. It was opened as a public park in 1871. Deep, mature woods of beech, oak and Scots pine, winding carriage drives, footpaths and fine views over the Firth of Tay have attracted Dundonians ever since.

Take the central ‘Windy Glack’ valley route, with its role in folklore as an 18th-century smugglers’ path, or ascend the hill towards the elegant Mills Observatory, opened in 1935 and still functioning as Britain’s only full-time public observatory (download a map of park walks at dundeecity.gov.uk/ environment/balgayvictoria).

For more urban jaunts, try Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park, Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh or Duthie Park in Aberdeen.

Top, the Hermitage; above, Haddo House within its grounds

paths and viewpoints were carefully located to reveal the drama of the natural landscape.

Today, you can follow in the footsteps of Wordsworth, Turner and Mendelssohn along the wooded River Braan gorge and admire the same sights and sounds. Majestic Douglas Firs soar high above the gorge while key 18th-century landmarks include Ossian’s Hall, a gazebostyle viewing pavilion over the Black Linn Falls, the Hermitage Bridge and Ossian’s Cave.

IDENTIFYING SCOTLAND’S FINEST GARDENS AND DESIGNED LANDSCAPES The Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland is compiled and maintained by Historic Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.

It contains 391 sites – from the policies of historic country houses to botanic garden collections, urban parks, small plants-

man’s gardens, and even some cemeteries.

The older sites in the Inventory incorporate the earthwork remains of medieval gardens, while the most recent are innovative 20th-century gardens.

The purpose of the Inventory is to identify gardens and designed landscapes of

national importance, as well as provide information about them to assist in their sustainable management in the future.

It is published online with accompanying site details, maps and images, and can be accessed at www.historicscotland.gov. uk/gardens.

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nature

Very important plants

Herbalists have used the rich flora of Iona and its surrounding islands for centuries, explains Historic Scotland’s Bob Tevendale

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he spotlight is on Iona just now because of the new museum displays presenting the carved stone collection. Last year I had the pleasure of spending a day on the island of Eileach an Naoimh, in and around the old monastic site, 24 miles away across the Firth of Lorne.

A survey of the plants close to the site discovered a number of species that are relatively uncommon. Early monks were well-educated and had knowledge of plant use, not only for food but also as medicines and a source of pigments – for dyeing cloth and producing inks for writing and illustration.

The beautifully illustrated Book of Kells, produced on Iona around AD800, is a superb example of what can be produced by mostly plant-based pigments. It recorded that one of the first uses of St John’s wort was by St Columba, to cure a young boy’s disturbed mind.

St John’s wort

Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet

Wild angelica

Purple loosestrife

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St John’s wort

The plant’s association with St Columba gave it its Gaelic name Achlasan Chaluimchille (armpit package of St Columba).

32 | historic scotland | spring 2013

St Columba is said to have placed a bunch of St John’s wort under the boy’s left armpit as a cure!

The plant contains Hypericin, a powerful anti-depressant that is still used today.

Just to the south of the old monastic site on the island of Eileach an Naoimh is a small, damp area of ground where many notable plants are found, including St John’s wort, meadowsweet, angelica, purple loosestrife and yarrow.

Yarrow

Meadowsweet has long been considered a bit of a cure-all due to the presence of salicylates, substances similar to aspirin.

This makes it effective in the treatment of pain and swelling, so it would be used to treat arthritis. The fresh f lowers are still collected by herbalists for use in tablets and tinctures to cure various gastric complaints.

Meadowsweet is used as a preservative and ‘bittering agent’ in the production of ale. And some archaeologists believe evidence of the plant on Bronze Age sites points to its use as a f lavouring and preservative in a form of the alcoholic drink, mead.

Meadowsweet also produces an excellent black pigment and in Shetland, where it is known as ‘blacknin girse’, it is used as a black dye.

Wild Angelica

Wild angelica is a bittersweet aromatic herb that acts primarily as a tonic, especially for the liver, but also as a mild laxative, sedative and painkiller. Angelica was one of the most widely employed medicinal herbs during the 15th century. The roots were used to produce a black dye that, along with meadowsweet, would have been a source of pigment available to the monks. The closely related Angelica archangelica is still used as a medicinal plant.

The ruins of the medieval nunnery on Iona

No shr ink ing v iolet A plant found on Eileach an Naoimh but not on the nearby island of Iona is a beautiful small white flower called Grass of Parnassus. Its flowers are the symbol of the Clan MacLea, and it’s said to have been the favourite flower

Purple loosestrife

The colourfully named purple loosestrife has been used as an astringent medicinal herb to treat diarrhoea and dysentery, and to control bleeding. Its Latin name, Lythrum, is derived from the Greek word for blood (lytron), the f lowering spikes thought to resemble blood or gore from a wound! Its astringency also made it useful for tanning leather.

Yarrow

This was another popular medicinal plant, also known as soldier’s woundwort or ‘nosebleed’, or in Gaelic as lus chasadh na fala (the plant that staunches bleeding). Yarrow has many beneficial properties and is effective for lowering blood

pressure, relaxing spasms and arresting haemorrhage.

Many other plants that grow on the island could have been used as pigments. Blaeberries, for example, can produce a purpleblue dye. The f lowering tips of heather can give grey or green,

island by severing his thumb and throwing it onto the shore.

St Moluag was instrumental in bringing Christianity to the Picts of Argyll, and tradition says that his remains were buried on Lismore after he died.

of St Moluag, the Irish missionary whose staff now belongs to the clan chief.

According to legend, St Moluag raced St Columba to

the Isle of Lismore, 25 miles further up the Firth of Lorne. Legend has it that they were neck-andneck. However, St Moluag claimed the

Above, St Columba as depicted on stained glass; right, a page from the illuminated Book of Kells

and yellow can be obtained from birdsfoot trefoil. Red was a difficult colour to produce, but it’s possible that the monks could have made it by using a variety of lichen named crottle.

Such was the value of red dyes that a pigment made from the non-native plant madder was widely traded in the Early Medieval period. Madder is unusual in that it produces a pigment that can be stored for long periods. But the seasonality of local plant pigments may have affected when the monks could work on their manuscripts.

Meadowsweet has long been considered a bit of a cure-all due to the presence of salicylates, substances similar to aspirin. This makes it effective in the treatment of pain and swelling

Please check with an expert before eating any wild plant. Follow Bob’s Year of Natural Scotland 2013 blog at yearofnatural.historic-scotland.gov.uk historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 33

shutterstock

16 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

Shetland stories

A magical murder mystery tour

Crime fiction writer Ann Cleeves’ Jimmy Perez novels have been adapted for BBC One. She talks to Adrian Lobb about Perez’s – and her own – special connection with Shetland

back to 1975, when she took a job as an assistant cook at the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle. She met her husband Tim there, returned the following summer (as cook – a promotion!), and has been a regular visitor ever since.

‘What I love about Shetland is that it is not a Disney-fied place. People still work and make their living there, and there’s a real mix of different communities,’ says Ann, when we meet to talk about her relationship with the islands. ‘You get people in the oil industries, native Shetlanders who are passionate about the place, and incomers who are learning some of the native crafts – and then take the knitting styles and turn it into something wonderful and new and exciting.

‘I like that it is still growing and dynamic, it is not fossilised. A lot of places are geared up towards tourists, but the fire festival, music festivals and parades are there for Shetlanders – if visitors want to come in and look, that is fine, but they are not put on just for them to look at.’

in black and white

One of Historic Scotland’s properties in Shetland, the Clickimin Broch near Lerwick, was staring the writer in the face when she came up with the initial idea for Raven Black – her 20th novel, but the one that established her as a crime fiction A-lister.

‘Yes, it all began at Clickimin,’ she recalls. ‘We knew Shetland quite well by then, and had many friends there. It must have been 2005, and this very rare bird turned up. My Christmas present to Tim, who is a very passionate birdwatcher, was to get the ferry out there for a day trip. Crazy! The idea was

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here are a million reasons to visit Shetland – the birdwatching, the walking, exploring the Historic Scotland attractions and Nordic settlements, the vibrant music festivals, the famous Up Helly Aa fire festival or even the fabulous local cuisine.

But novelist Ann Cleeves, while enjoying many of the above, also has murder in mind when she makes her regular trips north to the islands.

And, recently, an increasing number of visitors are being enticed to Shetland by her tales of bodies in the snow, buried secrets unearthed during archaeological digs, or simply cold, calculated murder as a result of simmering feuds in small communities – all of them to be investigated by Detective Jimmy Perez.

Ann’s crime fiction novels have regularly featured on bestseller lists since she hit the big time with Raven Black, the first of her Shetland Quartet of novels, back in 2006. Not only did it win the coveted Gold Dagger for Crime Fiction Book of the Year but it also introduced millions of readers to Shetland. The story evokes the islands’ stunning scenery and way of life so vividly that readers feel a real affinity with the place long before they’ve set foot on the ferry from Aberdeen or boarded the plane to Sumburgh Airport.

Now Ann is set to introduce millions of television viewers to the islands as Scottish actor Douglas Henshall stars as Perez in Shetland, a new BBC One drama.

Although she originally hails from Herefordshire and currently lives in Whitley Bay in North Tyneside, Ann’s association with Shetland goes

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 35

Shetland stories

Clickimin Broch inspired Ann Cleeves to write Raven Black

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One of Historic Scotland’s properties in Shetland, the Clickimin Broch near Lerwick, was staring the writer in the face when she came up with the initial idea for Raven Black – her 20th novel, but the one that established her as a crime fiction A-lister to see the bird then come back on the ferry. But it had snowed, and that’s where the inspiration for Raven Black came from – seeing all these black birds against the snow. Being a writer, I just imagined there being lots of blood as well! It is tricky to get to the broch itself, but it is visible from all around.

It is a lovely place, and a fine backdrop, because from every position you can see it.’

If Clickimin inspired the first Jimmy Perez book, nearby Scalloway is one of the locations for the TV series. Scalloway Castle, built in 1600 by the notoriously cruel Earl of Orkney, Patrick Stewart (no relation to the Shakespearian actor and former Star Trek favourite, sadly), is another of Historic Scotland’s jewels on Shetland Mainland.

Red Bones, which is the book that has been adapted for TV, is about the Shetland Bus – the small f leet of fishing boats that carried resistance fighters to Norway during the war,’ explains Ann. ‘Scalloway Castle is such a great place to visit, and if you are visiting, there is a lovely new, modern 36 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

The third book of the Shetland Quartet is the basis for BBC One’s new TV crime series

museum right next door, which tells the history of the castle and the Shetland Bus. I’ve been to Scalloway quite often and it is great for seafood because there is the fisheries college there, which has a fantastic restaurant.’

a novel approach

While many visitors to Shetland are perhaps looking to escape to the peaceful countryside, or to leave their stressful jobs behind for a week or two, Ann is never completely off duty on her trips to the islands. Even a visit to another Historic Scotland site, the Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement – a stunning place, which provides insight into life during the late Bronze Age, Iron Age, the Pictish era, Norse era and the Middle Ages – has Ann plotting up gruesome crimes of passion.

‘It’s true,’ she laughs. ‘I’m always thinking “Can I set a short story here? What could I do with this setting? Perhaps I could have someone falling – or being pushed – from the top of that broch!” I’m always on the lookout for new settings.

‘The Jarlshof settlement is an amazing bit of archaeology, and really gets you thinking. It’s also really near the airport, so anyone arriving into Sumburgh will drive past it, right at the south end of Mainland. It is fantastic.’

Fort Charlotte – a five-sided artillery fort with bastions projecting from each corner, built in 1665 to protect the Sound of Bressay from the Dutch – is another place with a connection to Jimmy Perez and the Shetland novels, as it features in the upcoming TV adaptation. ‘It’s such a great place to walk to from Lerwick,’ says Ann. ‘In fact,

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Shetland stories

Mousa Broch, a favourite haunt

Ann Cleeves has a special bond with Shetland

alamy, shutterstock

everywhere in Shetland you can get to – one of the wonderful things about it is that there aren’t many fences or signs saying “Don’t walk here!”. Another of my favourite places to walk are the cliffs at Eshaness.’

A new chapter has just begun for Ann Cleeves and her Shetland detective, with the release of Dead Water, which was published in January of this year.

‘It is a bit more political, about the gas that is coming ashore in Shetland and tidal energy, and the big battle in Shetland about the windfarm that has been developed there.’

Ann will be in Shetland – at the Mareel Arts Centre in Lerwick – to launch the book, and will return to the islands later this year to plot the second book of her latest quartet on Unst.

‘I’m planning the new Shetland novel now,’ she says. ‘And I’m going to set it on Unst, so I will be spending some time there, to get a feel for the place, get in tune with the voices.

‘I just love spending time in new places. I have visited Unst, but I’ve never stayed there – so Muness Castle will definitely be on my to-do list, it sounds fantastic.’

Mousa Broch is a very special place to visit. A broch is a double-walled tower, and you can still walk between the two walls even though it is so old.

It is amazingly intact

midsummer magic

Even though Ann may be dreaming up brutal murders when she visits these wonderful locations, including Historic Scotland’s Mousa Broch, she does still appreciate arguably the finest surviving Iron Age broch tower of them all. It stands at a whopping 13.3 metres and is in remarkably good nick (although watch your back if you are visiting, lest anyone has read Ann’s novels).

‘It is a particularly great thing to do at midsummer if you get the ferry to Mousa, which is a little island just off the east side of Shetland Mainland,’ she says.

‘It hardly gets dark at midsummer, so if you go around midnight it is still just light. The storm petrels start to come in, because they breed in the walls of the broch. So you actually see these lovely birds coming in as the sun starts to slide down towards the horizon. Then just as it gets to dusk, it starts to get light again. It is a lovely thing to do at that time of year.

‘It really is a very special place to visit. A broch is a double-walled tower, and you can still actually walk up between the two walls even though it is so old. It is amazingly intact. And there is a fantastic view from the top – and yes, try to come at dusk when these tiny birds come around.

‘From my books, Mousa is just over the water from where I imagine Fran Hunter’s house to be.

Promote Shetland are plotting all the key places on a map, so you can do a sort of Jimmy Perez trail…’

Dead Water, published by Pan Macmillan, is out now.

Shetland begins on BBC One in spring 2013 historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 39

St Kilda

habitat for wildlife. Immediately noticeable when approaching World St Kilda are the huge numbers heritage of rare species of birds that circle site the tall cliffs. These one million This remote and awe-inspiring archipelago once seabirds, including the world’s largest colony of northern gannets, home to a hardy community is protected as a come to the islands each spring to cultural and natural gem, writes Alec Mackenzie breed and to raise their young.

Species such as puffins, gannets and fulmars were once the main staple for the small population of people who ituated at the westernmost lived here over several millennia. edge of the Outer While the native St Kildans did grow Hebrides, the archipelago crops, and farm sheep and some cattle, of St Kilda is at once it was products from seabirds and their spectacularly beautiful eggs on which they mainly subsisted. and intensely unforgiving.

Fishing at sea was considered too The remotest part of the dangerous due to heavy seas and British Isles is made up of the main unpredictable weather that could easily island of Hirta, the smaller islands of capsize a small boat, though they did Dun, Soay and Boreray, accompanied fish from rocks. by a scattering of seemingly The men would catch their feathered inaccessible giant rock stacks. prey in the spring and summer months St Kilda has been uninhabited for by scaling down steep cliff faces on over 80 years but despite the island’s ropes, plucking young birds and eggs isolation it still looms large in the St Kildans of the 19th century head for from their nests as they went. The imagination, as a place of cultural home with the day’s catch of fulmars remnants of these fowling activities can significance and an outstanding natural

corbis, aberdeen university

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40 | historic scotland | AUTUMN 2012

OUR WORLD HERITAGE

still be seen in the numerous stone structures, known as cleits, that dot the landscape of Hirta. They were vital stores of cured bird meat, eggs, feathers and crops to last through autumn and winter when the migratory seabird population left St Kilda.

Good climbing skills were much admired in the St Kildan culture and were ref lected in the tradition that took place at the ‘Mistress Stone’, a natural doorway high in the rocks.

In order to prove themselves worthy of taking a wife, young men undertook a ritual where they balanced on the edge of this protruding crag, on one leg and in a bowing position. The embodiment of ‘faint heart never won fair lady’, it was a test of courage and agility to show that they were able to provide for a family.

Life for the community, which numbered around 180 people in better times, was typified by such extremes, and contact with life on the mainland was extremely limited even in the early 20th century. Lines of communication were primitive and unreliable, ranging

from signalling passing ships with bonfires to the later use of the ‘St Kilda mailboat’. Expanding on the idea of the message in a bottle, the islanders would enclose letters in a tiny wooden boat with an inf lated sheep’s bladder to act as a f loat. The mailboats would be carried on the Gulf Stream to the coast of Scotland and sometimes, less conveniently, Scandinavia.

The arrival of travellers to the islands from the 16th century onwards brought new pressures. An increasing dependence on the mainland led to the gradual decline of St Kilda’s human

population and, with the loss of selfsufficiency, the remaining 36 islanders asked to be evacuated in 1930.

St Kilda is nevertheless far from deserted. Ever since the first summer cruises brought tourists to the islands in the 1870s, there has been a regular stream of visitors, who have revelled in the wonderful cultural remains that stretch back to the Bronze Age. And a walk down the street in Hirta cannot fail to transport you right back to the last time St Kilda was home to a thriving community, just before they decided to leave for good.

Treasured Islands

St Kilda has long been acknowledged as remarkable but it wasn’t until 1986 that UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation – formally designated it a World Heritage Site for its exceptional natural beauty. To fully protect and preserve St Kilda, this status was extended in 2004 to include the surrounding marine environment, and the following year its cultural importance was also recognised. It is therefore one of only 29 sites around the globe that UNESCO has awarded Dual World Heritage Status, sharing the honour with natural and cultural wonders, such as Machu Picchu in Peru and Mount Athos in Greece.

magdalen green, david bishop

Taken with Tayside Native New Zealander David Bishop and his wife explore Gothic ruins and trace ancient footsteps close to Scotland’s longest river

Main image, Broughty Castle is an imposing presence on the River Tay 42 | historic scotland | AUTUMN 2012

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cotland is a landscape rich with reminders of an often turbulent history.

But after living here for 12 years, I’ve seen little of the country and know even less of its history.

How to remedy that?

A daytrip following the path of the River Tay while visiting four different historical sites seems a good start. It’s certainly a better prospect than another day beached on the sofa between Christmas and Hogmanay. First stop is the Historic Scotland website to make sure all the planned destinations are open, at least externally. I also take a careful note of directions, which will end up proving particularly useful for one property.

My wife and I set off early from Lanarkshire. Light traffic and mild weather mean we reach Arbroath by 10 in the morning. The first car park we try is free and empty – another good omen. Now, to find our first destination…

out and about

ARBROATH ABBEY

We see the abbey long before we reach it, the red stone of the south transept towering above the nearby buildings. We head for the visitor centre by the abbey’s west front and discover that being indoors for a few minutes is a welcome relief from steady rain outside. But the visitor centre is well worth a longer stay, with family-friendly displays about the abbey’s history to enjoy. The staff members are welcoming and generous with their knowledge too, offering lots of helpful tips on how to make the most of our visit.

Upstairs we find a gallery of windows offering a glorious view across the abbey grounds. Many historic sites struggle to be accessible for people with limited mobility, but there are no such problems at the visitor centre. I could have happily spent longer exploring the displays, including an exhibit of local photographs, but the abbey beckons.

The author at Arbroath Abbey

We stroll out into the remains of this massive medieval church, home to some of the finest early Gothic architecture in Scotland.

Foundations that once supported huge columns rise up from the grass like broken sentinels. I can’t help but picture what this magnificent place of worship looked like in the 13th century, monks moving about its corridors and cloisters. We venture into

the sacristy, where priests prepared for services. Added to the building in the 15th century, it remains remarkably intact. On a personal recommendation from the visitor centre staff, my wife sings a few notes and her voice resonates warmly around the walls, bringing the old stone to life.

It is said that long after monks departed the abbey, local people declared as lunatics were kept in a small chamber at one corner of the sacristy. I step inside this tiny, cold cell and imagine being held captive there.

It’s a chilling experience, and not for those with claustrophobia. I’m happy to escape back outside to freedom.

We walk where the cloisters used to stand and take photos of the empty circular window in the south transept’s gable, which locals call the ‘Round O’.

Visible from out at sea, it was a navigational landmark for centuries.

Sadly, the original window is long gone and the ‘Round O’ we can see is

Foundations that once supported huge columns rise up from the grass like broken sentinels a replica built in 1809 by the grandfather of novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. But the original abbot’s house still stands, albeit with various additions over the centuries.

Many such residences were destroyed in the post-Reformation era, but the abbot’s house at Arbroath survives as one of the most complete examples in Britain. Inside is a range of fragments rescued from the abbey alongside religious relics from other sites.

Last but not least, we visit the guesthouse opposite the abbot’s residence. Inside is a replica of the Declaration of Arbroath, sent to Pope John XXII from the abbey in 1320 asking him to recognise Scottish independence. This letter cements the importance of Arbroath and its abbey in British history.

With an independence referendum planned for autumn 2014, seeing this famous declaration – even in replica form – underlines the circularity of history. Nearly 700 years have passed, but the debate about independence for Scotland still exercises the hearts and minds of many.

In my native New Zealand, none of the buildings are more than 200 years old. As we walk back to our car, I find myself envying the wealth of Scotland’s history. The next destination on our daytrip will certainly emphasise that.

Arbroath Abbey holds a significant place in the history of Britain

ARBROATH SMOK IES A trip to Arbroath isn’t complete without buying a local delicacy – the Smokie.

This haddock dish enjoys protected name status from the European Commission, ranking it alongside such glamorous food and drink as Parma ham and Champagne.

Ironically, the hot-smoked method of cooking haddock actually originates in Auchmithie, a small fishing

village to the north of Arbroath. But nobody quite knows who came up with the idea of smoking haddock over a fire.

Some say that Vikings left the method behind.

Others tell of an accidental fire at a cottage with

haddock hanging up to dry inside.

Whatever the truth, an Arbroath Smokie is only official if made within five miles of the town.

After seeing the abbey, we go in search of Smokies.

I fret about our chances, as we are

visiting just after Christmas and many shops are shut. But finding a pair of Smokies proves easy, with several fishmongers open.

In fact, we have a harder time locating a fish and chip shop open for lunch.

Returning home from our daytrip, I flake the succulent fish from my pair of smokies into a carbonara sauce and serve it with pasta – the combination is delicious.

shutterstock, istock

➸ TIMELINE: ARBROATH ABBEY 1178 King William I invites Tironensian monks to establish an abbey at Arbroath

44 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

1214 After William I dies, his body is interred at Arbroath but the church is still unfinished

1233 The church at Arbroath Abbey is finally dedicated for worship

1267 The eighth abbot at Arbroath, Robert, is expelled by his own monks

1320 Declaration of Arbroath sent to Pope John XXII (right), to seek recognition of Scottish independence

out and about

ARDESTIE EARTH HOUSE

Even though it’s within sight of the busy A92 road between Arbroath and Dundee, finding the Ardestie Earth House is not easy. Spying a Historic Scotland sign for it, we turn on to the B962 and head north. But there are no signs, forcing us to turn sleuth in our quest to see the Iron Age oddity.

I stop in an unmarked lay-by, not far from the A92. The earth house is close, according to Historic Scotland’s website – but where? Looking west toward Dundee, I notice a fully fenced, and rather well-kept pathway disappearing into the middle of a field.

Could this incongruous track be a clue? We set off along the slowly rising path. A minute later, we are standing amid prehistory.

Ardestie Earth House occupies the middle of a grassy enclosure, but its name is misleading. Earth houses were actually stone-lined underground passages, dug out by people during the first and second centuries AD. Historians believe the passages were most likely cold stores for keeping

grain and other produce dry. Remains of earth houses can be found along the eastern coast of Scotland from the Lothians to Shetland, and also in Cornwall, Ireland and Brittany (the French call them ‘souterrains’).

I remember playing as a child in the neglected, forgotten ruins of a Maori fort on Auckland’s One Tree Hill in New Zealand. It’s clear from the wellkept site at Ardestie that Scotland pays rather more care and attention to preserving history.

The earth house is open to the elements so visitors can stroll down into the 26-metre passage. We take advantage of this, brushing our hands across the stone-lined walls. Even with a constant hum of traffic from the nearby A92, it is remarkably evocative

Here visitors can touch history, not just look at it through a glass case

David walks in the footsteps of the Iron Age people of Ardestie

1446 Local families battle over lucrative secular post running the abbey estates

1470 The Bishop of St Andrews imprisons Abbot Malcolm Brydy in a dispute over the abbey’s wealth

1693 The neglected abbey falls into ruin as townsfolk take stones for new buildings

to walk in the footsteps of people from nearly 2,000 years ago. Here you can touch history, not just look at it through a glass case.

CLAYPOTTS CASTLE

A 10-minute drive towards Dundee brings us to Claypotts Castle, a structure so quirky it resembles an outlandish creation from the TV show Grand Designs. Where the Ardestie Earth House is hard to find, Claypotts Castle is almost impossible to miss.

This wonderful example of 16th-century Scottish architecture stands by the A92, at the turn-off for Broughty Ferry. The striking stone structure juts up into the air as we approach it, demanding attention.

The castle is a mixture of curves, squares and diagonals. Two towers projecting from the top f loor of the building are so abrupt they almost make it look like Lego.

We park in a small street beside the castle grounds and walk round the perimeter, looking for a way in.

Claypotts looms above us as we get closer, becoming ever more imposing.

Just as impressive is how well-preserved the building appears. You would never guess it is more than 400 years old.

Claypotts comprises a central rectangle with two round towers at opposite corners, rising up through four f loors. Atop these are the two square garret chambers projecting outwards. The castle does not cover much space on the ground, but its height and compact design mean there are 16 rooms inside.

Visitors can go into Claypotts, but only by prior arrangement with Historic Scotland. Alas, our

1815 Conservation work begins to preserve the remains of the abandoned abbey

1951 Stone of Destiny taken from Westminster Abbey found wrapped in Saltire flag on abbey’s high altar

Broughty Castle

The quirky structure of Claypotts Castle

spontaneous daytrip makes that impossible for us, but does provide a good excuse to make a return visit one day. We walk around the castle instead, admiring its unusual structure and studying the shot-holes embedded in its walls to ward off attackers.

Wet weather finally closes in, forcing us to cut short this part of our excursion. With one historic site left on our itinerary, we drive south towards the River Tay.

shutterstock

BROUGHTY CASTLE

Our final destination before heading home is an imposing presence on the northern bank of the Tay, watching over the settlement of Broughty Ferry.

Built in the 15th century to defend against English naval activity, Broughty Castle now houses a museum run by Dundee City Council.

We walk up a narrow, cobbled road and cross a small wooden drawbridge to enter the castle grounds. Inside the entrance are chains, pulleys and two mighty weights to raise the drawbridge, should invaders attempt an attack. The structure now standing at Broughty Ferry bears limited resemblance to the original castle, 46 | historic scotland | Spring 2013

Two towers projecting from the top floor of the castle are so abrupt, they almost make it look like Lego completed in 1495 by the Gray family.

They surrendered their home to the English in 1547, after the Scottish Army lost at the Battle of Pinkie.

Fierce battles at Broughty Castle did much damage to the original tower, but the English did not give up the building until 1550.

The Gray family rebuilt their home but eventually sold Broughty Castle in 1666. It fell into decay and was a ruin by the late 18th century. The castle was rebuilt yet again by the War Office in 1861, this time as a defensive bastion against attack from foreign powers.

Three cannons still guard the perimeter wall – but these days their barrels point towards Dundee.

Volunteers were responsible for laying mines across the Tay to deter or

destroy enemy naval vessels. The expected attacks never came, but decommissioned relics from that era still remain outside the castle.

Inside, the museum offers a journey through the history of Broughty Ferry, along with displays of historic Scottish paintings, child-friendly facts about local wildlife and a selection of weapons from centuries past.

Emerging from the museum, we clamber up on to old battlements that form the castle’s coastal defences. There we enjoy a spectacular view out to the North Sea, across the Tay to Tayport and Tentsmuir Forest and sands.

We head home at last, passing Claypotts Castle on our way back.

Hopefully, we will get a look inside it one day. In the meantime, I feel as if I know a little more about the history of life alongside the Tay.

e x plor e

Arbroath

1

2

3 Dundee

Carnoustie

4

1 ARBROATH ABBEY is in Arbroath town centre on the A92 2 ARDESTIE EARTH HOUSE is 0.25 miles north of the A92 off the B962 to Monikie 3 CLAYPOTTS CASTLE is off the A92 east of Dundee at Claypotts Junction 4 BROUGHTY CASTLE is on the shores of the Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, off the A933

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reasons to become a member

1 Free entry to more than 70 of Scotland’s top heritage attractions.

2 A personal copy of Historic Scotland magazine posted out four times a year direct to your door.

3 A chance to take part in member activities – including tours, lectures and lunches.

4 Half-price entry into 500 heritage attractions in England, Wales and the Isle of Man. 5 Discounts on Historic Scotland products and dining events.

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f you enjoy your Historic Scotland membership, now’s the time to tell your friends and family. They can enjoy great days out all year round, and our Member Get Member scheme means they’ll save 20% on their membership fee when they join. Paying by Direct Debit is great value too, and with 20% off the annual cost a concession membership is only £2.43 a month.

Terms and conditions apply. For new annual membership only. Not available for renewals, life or gift membership. See www.historicscotland.gov.uk/member for details.

Enjoy trips to top attractions and some great events, left

MEMBER GET MEMBER SCHEME There are two ways to take advantage of the Member Get Member scheme: 1 Go to any staffed Historic Scotland attraction with your friend or family member and show your membership card. Your friend can sign up at the discounted rate. 2 Ask your friend or family member to call 0131 668 8999. Tell them to quote your membership number and mention the ‘Member Get Member’ offer. We can then process their discounted rate membership over the phone.

letters

get in TOUCH Write to The Editor, Historic Scotland, Room 3.1, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH email hs.magazine@scotland.gsi.gov.uk tweet @hs_members and @welovehistory We are sorry that, due to the volume of mail we receive, the editor cannot reply to every letter personally

More on Madeleine Smith

In the winter issue of Historic Scotland there is an article, ‘Dead Interesting’ by Allan Burnett. On page 26 he writes about the murder case of socialite Madeleine Smith, stating ‘in the wake of the scandal, Smith emigrated’. Other sources agree that Madeleine Smith did emigrate - but many years after her trial.

It's commonly accepted that Madeleine Smith emigrated to New York but not until some time around 1905-10 and that she died in 1928.

She certainly left Scotland almost immediately after the trial but went no further than London. In 1861 she married George Wardle, ‘a talented young artist and designer’ who became William Morris’ factory manager. She moved to New York to join her son Tom either immediately after or a few years before her husband’s death.

John Crombie

MARY EVANS, ROSE KIBBLE-WHITE

Allan Burnett writes: The article does imply

Madeleine Smith, acquitted of the crime of poisoning her lover, Emile L'Angelier

Signalling an error?

Your article ‘Signalling a new era’ (winter 2012 issue) was a really interesting glimpse into the history behind Scotland’s many signal boxes.

As a result, I will certainly be paying a lot more attention when I see these interesting constructions in the future.

However some captions for the photographs would have been useful, particularly for the steam locomotive. Is it perhaps Chinese? It certainly didn’t look as if it belonged to the Highland Railway or the North British Railway.

Glasgow Necropolis is attracting more and more visitors

Madeleine emigrated quite quickly after the scandal, which is not correct. I should have chosen my words more carefully.

A friend of Glasgow Necropolis

I would like to congratulate and thank you for the excellent article on Glasgow Necropolis on page 25 of the winter issue.

Our tours of the Necropolis, led by volunteer guides, become more and more popular each year and by gathering donations from these and our presentations we have already provided Glasgow City Council with £49,000 towards the restoration of the main gates, Buchanan Mausoleum and the Egyptian Vaults.

There is much more to be done and thanks to the agreed Glasgow Necropolis Management Plan, we hope to see a lot of work done in the cemetery over the years.

At our AGM earlier this month, it was reported

that this year, our website had attracted over 25,000 hits from 114 countries.

In the year to 31 May 2012, we conducted 36 tours for 868 people and demand just seems to keep on increasing.

Graham Brown

Nigel Willis, Deputy Chairman, The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis

Thanks to a number of readers who contacted us to point out that the illustrations for the ‘Signalling a new era’ feature contained elements that weren't in keeping with the time period covered in the article.

your t w eets Beautiful view from Stirling Castle @Satire3Estates Great to see the Rothesay Pavilion awarded a Historic Scotland grant.

Stunning art deco building in need of some love. @RobMcDougall We had a fantastic time at Stirling Castle at the beginning of Jan. @StokerHelen

The Rothesay Pavilion

Waking up to the view of the sun coming up behind Edinburgh Castle makes waking up slightly better. @Penny_OBrien

I like my life memberships for National Trust & Historic Scotland, can take guests in on my card. @_Polyhymnia

historic scotland | Spring 2013 | 49

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events

lots of exciting things to do right across scotland

Pick up your events guide at any of our properties or visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/events for full details.

Daytime events are free to members, unless otherwise stated.

Road to Bannockburn Stirling Castle Sat 1-Sun 2 June 12pm-4pm 0131 668 8885 hs.events@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Get the true story on the turbulent events that led up to the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Hear about the real Robert the Bruce, and watch demonstrations of combat by re-enactors with authentic arms and armour of the period.

you say Having been to Stirling Castle for lunch recently, I really enjoyed the view from the car park looking out over Stirling and across to the Wallace Monument.

We were lucky – the day we visited the sky was clear and the air was crisp so you could see for quite some distance. Looking over to Bannockburn gave me a real sense of this part of the world’s place in our history.

Emma Whitaker

Key to icons Toilets Restaurant/café Gift shop Parking A Year of Natural Scotland 2013 event

Re-enactors bring the past to life in Stirling

Reasonable wheelchair access

Dogs not permitted

historic scotland | SPRING 2013 | 51

events

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/events

Ladies of the Renaissance

Artist in Residence Exhibition

Meet two ladies of the 16th-century royal court and discover how they dressed, as well as the extent of French influence on their fashions.

A display of artwork inspired by Jedburgh Abbey, created as part of the Artist in Residence project. Three local artists have used a variety of different mediums to produce their own artwork and help groups from the local community to learn new skills. The exhibition will display artworks produced by the artists alongside those by the community groups.

Edinburgh Castle Sat 16-Sun 17 March 11am-4pm 0131 225 9846 www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

Kilts & Captivity

Edinburgh Castle Sat 23-Sun 24 March 11am-4pm 0131 225 9846 www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk A Jacobite soldier explains his part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, part of a series of military campaigns which sought but ultimately failed to restore the Stuart kings to the thrones of Scotland and England.

A Satire of the Three Estates A Satire of the Three Estates Linlithgow Peel Fri 7-Sun 9 June

Interlude

Linlithgow Palace Mon 10-Tues 11 June Stirling Castle Thurs 13-Fri 14 June Each performance will be ticketed. Members receive 10% discount on ticket price. To purchase tickets, members must log into the membersonly area of our website www.historic-scotland.gov. uk/member

52 | historic scotland | SPRING 2013

Toilets

Restaurant / café

Jedburgh Abbey Tues 26 March-Mon 27 May 11am elaine.johnston@scotland.gsi. gov.uk

Lady Euphemia

The Renaissance ladies will be dressed to impress at the castle what life was really like for a woman living in Scotland during medieval times.

Easter Event

children’s tours, activities and fun. Complete our special Easter Trail for your chance to win a prize.

Easter Event

Edinburgh Castle Sat 30-Sun 31 March 11am-4pm 0131 225 9846 www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

Stirling Castle Sat 30-Sun 31 March 12pm-4pm 0131 668 8885 hs.events@scotland.gsi. gov.uk

Edinburgh Castle Sat 30-Sun 31 March 12pm-4pm 0131 668 8885 hs.events@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Visit the castle this weekend and find out from Lady Euphemia

For a great day out join us over Easter weekend for special

Visit Edinburgh Castle for a special programme of activities Linlithgow Palace is one of the regal settings for Sir David Lyndsay’s drama

Gift shop

Reasonable wheelchair access

Dogs not permitted

Parking

A Year of Natural Scotland 2013 event

Cheer on your champion at the Grand Tournament of Foote

A cannon at Edinburgh Castle for Easter weekend. Complete our special Easter quiz for your chance to win a prize.

William McTaggart Exhibition Duff House Daily from Sat 6 April 11am-5pm 01261 818 181 www.duffhouse.org.uk

From the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, an exhibition of work by one of Scotland’s best-loved artists.

McTaggart was a landscape painter, who later in life focused on rugged seascape paintings.

He has sometimes been called ‘the Scottish Impressionist’.

Gun Salute

Edinburgh Castle Mon 22 April, Mon 3 June, Mon 10 June, Sat 15 June 12pm 0131 225 9846 www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

Grand Tournament of Foote

Holding the Rock for Scotland

Our armoured knights clash in a series of colourful and lively bouts. Visit the living history camp to discover how squires would prepare their knight for battle and how armour was made.

See and hear the muskets fire as you relive the Scottish civil wars of the 17th century. Gain an insight into the significance of Dumbarton Castle during these wars and find out about the lives of the Scottish soldiers at this time.

Urquhart Castle Sun 5-Mon 6 May 11am-4.30pm 0131 668 8885 hs.events@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Dumbarton Castle Sun 28 April 12pm-4pm 0131 668 8885 hs.events@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Royal Pursuits

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Bothwell Castle Sun 16 June 12pm-4pm 0131 668 8885 hs.events@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Enjoy the exclusive company of King James IV and his court for a day of royal revelry. Relive the spectacle of knights clashing in combat, see the ladies parade the fashions of the day and try your hand at archery.

The soldiers will be getting fired up at Dumbarton Castle

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events

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/events

Toilets

Restaurant / café

Ranger Events For details of Ranger events on Orkney, call 01856 841 732. For Holyrood Park, 0131 652 8150 and Linlithgow Peel, 01506 842 065

Standing Stones of Stenness and Barnhouse Village

Standing Stones of Stenness Every Wed March to May. Every Mon, Wed and Fri from 1 June to the end of August 10am orkneyrangers@scotland. gsi.gov.uk A guided tour of our oldest stone circle, exploring the fascinating links with the nearby Neolithic village of Barnhouse. Meet at the entrance to the Standing Stones of Stenness.

Ring of Brodgar Walk Ring of Brodgar Every Thurs from March to May. Daily June to August 1pm orkneyrangers@scotland. gsi.gov.uk

Guided walk around one of Scotland’s most iconic stone circles in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney’s World Heritage Site. Meet in Ring of Brodgar car park.

Kings and Queens of the Royal Park Holyrood Park Sun 17 Mar, Sun 2 June 12-3pm Booking essential

Step back in time and join King David I of Scotland, Queen Victoria and other royals for a gentle stroll in Holyrood Park. Find out how these

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The circle of life at the ancient Ring of Brodgar

influential sovereigns were responsible for changing the face of the Royal Park.

Dark Skies

Holyrood Park Sat 30 March 8pm-9.30pm Booking essential Come along to the Education Centre to discover more about the night sky from Holyrood Park. Join the rangers and experts from Edinburgh Royal Observatory to learn how to locate and identify planets, stars and galaxies. Even if the sky is cloudy you can still observe the stars in our planetarium.

Arthur’s Secrets

Holyrood Park Every Tues from 2 April 1pm-3pm Booking essential Come along on a guided walk to learn more about Arthur’s Seat’s turbulent past. Find out about the people who lived in Holyrood Park 7,000 years ago.

more about wildlife and the countryside. Run by the Historic Scotland Ranger Service, Young Rangers welcomes children from five to 15 accompanied by an adult. Activities range from jellyfish surveying to bird box building. Meet at Linlithgow Palace car park.

Young Ranger Morning

Bronze Age and Archaeology activities at Cairnpapple Hill

A fun way for youngsters to learn

Join Historic Scotland to go back in time 4,000 years at

Linlithgow Palace Tues 9 April 10am-12pm Booking essential

Cairnpapple Hill Sat 27 and Sun 28 April 12pm-4pm

Reasonable wheelchair access

Cairnpapple burial mound, with drop-in activities for all ages, including Bronze Age pot-making and arts activities relating to the ancient Beltane Spring festival. There will also be demonstrations of both historical skills and tools and modern archaeological investigation, including aerial photography with kites.

In a separate event, test your tracking and other ancient skills on a short guided walk for families.

Not suitable for those with limited mobility.

Walks 1pm, booking necessary. £6 adult, £5 concession, £4 child, members half price, includes site entry. Please contact Ranger Service for details on 01506 842 065.

All-day Arthur’s Adventure

Holyrood Park Sun 28 April, Sat 29 June 10am-3pm Booking essential Take a more challenging guided walk to discover all about Arthur’s Seat’s turbulent past, created by fire and ice!

Find out about the people who lived and worked in Holyrood Park from 7,000 years ago up until the present day and learn more about the rare wildlife that makes the park so special.

Archaeology and Birds at Brodgar – a two in one!

Ring of Brodgar Thurs, from 2 May to 18 July 10am On this guided walk around the Ring of Brodgar, led jointly by the rangers and RSPB staff, you will learn not just about the archaeology but also all about the amazing birds that can be seen around the Brodgar Reserve. Meet in the car park.

Dogs not permitted

Parking

A Year of Natural Scotland 2013 event

Take a time tour through Holyrood Park

Arthur’s Adventure

The story of the Stones of Stenness

Minibeast – Monsterbeast Holyrood Park Sun 19 May 1pm-3pm Booking essential

Help us mark Edinburgh Biodiversity Week.

Discover all about giant insects and spiders from around the world – you may even get a chance to handle them. Then we’ll go on a minibeast hunt to see what crawls, slithers and wriggles in Holyrood Park. We’ll give you tips on making your own insect hotel for your garden or neighbourhood.

Holyrood Park Every second Wed from 5 June 1pm-4pm Booking essential

Arthur’s Amble

Holyrood Park Every Mon from 3 June 1pm-2.30pm Booking essential Join our guided walk to discover more about Arthur’s Seat’s turbulent past, created by fire and ice!

It’s a fascinating story of prehistory and geology. Find out about the people who lived and worked in Holyrood Park from 7,000 years ago up until the present day.

You will also learn about rare wildlife that makes the park such a special place in a city.

Come along on a more challenging guided walk to learn more about Arthur’s Seat’s volcanic past, and its unique landscape created by fire and ice! Find out about the different communities who lived and worked in Holyrood Park from 7,000 years ago up until the present day. You will also learn more about the rare wildlife that makes the park such a special place in a city.

Wildflower Wander Ring of Brodgar Sun 16 June 11am

On this guided walk around the Ring of Brodgar, you will find out about the many interesting and beautiful wildflowers found in the area, and the work that is being done to preserve them.

Meet in the car park to join the walk.

historic scotland | SPRING 2013 | 55

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Gift shop

viewfinder

GUESS THE MYSTERY LOCATION AND WIN

How to enter If you can identify the mystery location from the clues given below, then visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/viewfinder or post your answer, with your name, membership number and address to Viewfinder, Historic Scotland magazine, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH by 26 April 2013.

See www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/member for terms and conditions.

The winning entry will receive a cheese and wine hamper containing a bottle of Bordeaux and tasty Scottish cheese, plus some flame roasted coffee.

Please note the competition is only open to members who are aged over 18.

The spinning wheel keeps turning and the peat fire keeps burning at the heart of this traditional island thatched house.

The residence of a crofting family and their animals, it’s virtually unchanged since man and beast left in 1966.

Built around 1880, this unique building remains the sole representative of a way of life once so common but now altogether gone.

Last issue Last issue’s location was Castle Campbell. It was correctly identified

by Ronald Paton from Ardrossan

56 | historic scotland | SPRING 2013

If you had the chance to be remembered as a champion would you take it?

Most of us would.

At Age Scotland, we believe that older people are valuable members of society. We also believe that society doesn’t see this value, and that makes life worse for older people as well as the rest of society.

We believe in older people. We know their power.

And so we are unlocking it to change the lives of older people in Scotland.

A legacy gift from you will support initiatives that improve the lives of older people across Scotland. It’s a worthy tribute that will both honour your memory and empower older people.

Speak to your solicitor today and, once you have taken care of your loved ones, remember Age Scotland in your will. Become a champion of older people.

Age Scotland Department HS Causewayside House 160 Causewayside Edinburgh EH9 1PR Charity No: SC010100 Age Scotland is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland. Reg no: 153343 Charity No: SC010100. Registered Office: Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR.

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