THE former Scotland international believes expectations are too high on manager Craig Levein.
Mary, Queen of Scots, 1620 at Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse Edinburgh Scotland
Discover some of the best preserved chambered cairns in Scotland at Cairnholy (in the South) - photos and info to plan your visit
While Edinburgh may be the capital of Scotland, the remote northern regions can feel a world away - which is why Inverness is best known as the capital of the Scottish Highlands. The locals are charming, the whisky is strong, and the history and highlander culture is palpable.
Most Scottish travel dreams are set in the Highlands, the rugged and remote northern fringe of Great Britain. The Highlands are the most mountainous, least inhabited, and most scenic and romantic part of Scotland. In the Highlands, grizzled islanders man drizzly ferry crossings, intrepid Munro bagge
This article gives an overview of the clans' role in the 1745 Jacobite rising.
Just outside of Inverness lay Culloden Moor - site of one of the most infamous battles in Scottish history - and Clava Cairn - a Bronze Age cemetery site full of standing stones.
As I am busy painting my first Highlanders for the Royalist Army, I thought I would add a short post on the Stettin Print of 1631. The print, made from a woodcut, is important because it is one of the few contemporary illustrations of highland soldiers dressed in highland fashion of the time. It is also one of the earliest depictions of recognizable highland attire in Scotland, such as kilts and tartan. The print shows four scottish mercenaries in the service of the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years War. The fortified town in the distance is thought to be the Baltic town of Stettin (Szczecin) mentioned in the header, and from where the print gets it's name. Stettin is located in Northern Poland near the modern German border. The Stettin Print, 1631 (Public Domain) The heading above the print reads in German "Irish Soldiers In solchem Habit Gehen die 800 In Stettin angekommen Irrlander oder Irren" which translates "The 800 Irish, or fools, that have arrived in Stettin are marching in this habit (clothing style)". Although the author called these soldiers Irish, they appear to be scottish highlanders. It may be that the highlanders use of the gaelic (Irish) language led many germans to believe they were Irish. Their clearly different appearance to contemporary lowland scots, also serving in Germany in lage numbers, may have added to the confusion. Note the pun in the headline, where the word "irren", meaning fools or those who are in error, is used as an alternate word for the Irish. "Irrlander oder Irren" = Irish or numpties. Thanks to Anonymous for pointing this out in the comments section below. From left to right a description of each figure: A bearded highlander clad in what appears to be a sleeveless tartan long coat which closes at the front. This is worn over shirt and possibly trews, although the figure may also be bare-legged. Scots bonnet (presumably blue). Armed with long bow and quiver. The long coat is quite controversial and many believe that this is a badly drawn belted plaid (the more traditional highland attire). However the right-most two figures (3 and 4) are clearly wearing belted plaids so it seems like the artist knows what a belted plaid looks like and is drawing what he saw. Clean-shaven highlander wearing knee-length tartan breeches and tartan hose. Sleeveless round-necked doublet (must fasten to rear or shoulders?) over a shirt. Scots bonnet. This is the only figure armed with a musket, and he also wears a short sword, which is most likely a scots dirk. Bearded highlander wearing a belted plaid. The plaid is pulled over both shoulders like a blanket or cloak against the weather. Again, a scots bonnet is worn on the head. This figure is armed with a longbow and quiver, and dirk. Interestingly, this figure is barefoot. The final bearded figure on the right is wearing a belted plaid wrapped in a more familiar fashion, and worn over a shirt. The ubiquitous scots bonnet on the head. He is armed with a dirk or sword and a deadly walking stick! In the near distance is a regiment of highland soldiers wearing plaid. This is also contentious as it is believed most scots mercenaries would have been (re-) clothed and (re-) equipped in a more conventional manner for the german wars, although there are references to units of "red-shanks" (bare-legged) highlanders in Germany. Regardless of how they dressed once established on the continent, or how quickly highland attire was abandoned, these prints give a rare insight into the highland dress of the time. The original print can had some accompanying written description. The original Stettin Print with German text, 1631 (Public Domain) The german text immediately below the illustration reads: “They are a strong, hardy race, contenting themselves with little food, if they have no bread they eat roots and carrots; in case of necessity they are able to walk twenty German miles in a day; they have besides muskets, their bows and quivers and long knives. 1631” The same woodcut also features on a contemporary broadside (a one-sided, single sheet newspaper). Stettin Print featured in German broadside, 1631 (Public Domain) In addition to its value to the historian, the text on this broadside contains a few nuggets for both the war-gamer and the modeller/painter, on the fighting prowess and hardiness of the highlanders, as well as their appearance. But reading it, you can't help but feel a little sorry for the poor burghers of Stettin, who on top of the hardship of war, are descended upon by a horde of bare-arsed, whisky swilling cheuchters... "In these latter wicked days among other calamities - God has inflicted this upon us - that foreign nations interfere with us, increase from day to day, desolate our fields, lay waste our land, and commit great and shameful sins. More especially they impose this retribution upon our a-la-modish people, many a-la-modish folk, quite unknown before, now invade our country to avenge our a-a-modish sins. Great numbers arrive from distant Ireland, called Hibernians from that Island. This people are hardy and strong, dark-coloured like Gipsies, short in stature, eager to fight, furnished with muskets and quivers, skilful in the use of bows and arrows ready, to cut their way with long knives, they run fast so that they can make sixteen miles a day. Their clothes and caps have a barbarous appearance almost all black, all their sheep being as is well known, of a dark colour; their shoes are chiefly made of and tied on with bark of trees. They make shift with little food; if they have no bread and are hungry they dig roots out of the earth, with which they are easily appeased. Because, then, God has sent such people into our land on account of our great sin and shame, let us cease from sin, that he may again take pleasure in us, and restore peace to the land, and every one may follow his honest calling." There is another surviving German broadside, also from 1631, with a very interesting woodcut which shows "Der Irlander" (an Irishman - but most probably a highlander), "der lappe" (a Laplander), and "der Finlander" (a Finn). This is basically a small sample of the terrifying, strangely clad northmen that descended on Germany for the wars. German broadside featuring highland soldier, 1631 (Public Domain) However, what is most interesting about this woodcut, is the way the highlander is clothed. A close-up of the scot shows he is wearing a sleeveless tartan long coat. A garment that is clearly not a belted plaid. Now it is always possible that the artist copied figure (1) in the Stettin Print and propagated what could be an error, but with the detail in this print, and the seemingly large numbers of highlanders that were around, I reckon the artist was drawing exactly what he saw. The sleeveless tartan long coat is closed to the front, belted with a cloth or scarf, and worn over a shirt. Unfortunately it is difficult to tell if he is bare-legged or wearing trews under the coat. I suspect that trews were worn with this garment for warmth as there is not near as much cloth in this coat as there is in a full belted plaid. This well armed chap is carrying a musket, longbow and quiver, and a dirk or short-sword. And of course the outfit is completed with an unfeasibly large Scots (blue) bonnet. These prints were the principle reference I used to request the range of 28mm English Civil War Highlanders that were produced through the Eureka 100 Club back in May of 2007. The figures can be seen on the photos of articles on highlanders (see labels) on the blog. They have also inspired a couple of Osprey artists including Angus McBride (Highland Clansmen, Warrior 21) and Graham Turner (Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars, MAA 331), both of whom include a highlander wearing sleeveless long coat in their illustrated plates. I would love to see a photograph of a re-enactor wearing one of these sleeveless tartan coats. If you come across one, please let me know via the comments below.
Here are a few tips for going beyond the obvious and making your next visit to Edinburgh a little more special.
I love doors. Whereever I go I take pictures of them and Scotland was no exception. It says quite a bit about the architecture in a country.
Brown highland cow at the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Driving to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Sights to see along the way: Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, Glencoe, Mallaig Ferry.
Just outside of Inverness lay Culloden Moor - site of one of the most infamous battles in Scottish history - and Clava Cairn - a Bronze Age cemetery site full of standing stones.
Here's the perfect Edinburgh itinerary to help you plan the perfect 3 days in Edinburgh. Including all the top sites in Edinburgh, Scotland!
Top 10 Spooky Places to Visit in Scotland: Ghosts, ghouls and murderous secrets held in the terrifying Edinburgh Vaults & Outlander's Culloden Battlefield.
A guide to some of the best day trips from Inverness including details on how to get there and best tours available.
Ferry to Orkney Scotland - Discover the views of the Orkney islands from the boat and tips to plan you journey from Scrabster to Stromness
Explore PlanetJilly's 154 photos on Flickr!
Guide to things to do in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. There are many things to do in Loch Lomond, and it is a popular weekend destination for locals from Glasgow and Edinburgh in search of nature and outdoor activities. Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park was Scotland's first national park, designated in 2002. Loch Lomond itself is the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain by surface area, and the park contains a diverse geography that includes 21 munros (Scottish mountains), two forest parks, 22 lochs, and over 50 designated special nature conservation sites. Visitors can go cruising on a lake in a historic steamship, rent a canoe or kayak, spend a day visiting small villages, see Rob Roy's gravestone, have fun at an aerial adventure park, or go climbing or biking. If you enjoy hiking, there are a number of short and moderate hiking paths to enjoy here, and a few of Scotland's popular long distance paths such as the West Highland Way and The Three Lochs Way run through here. If you are visiting Glasgow or Edinburgh and are looking for scenic landscapes or outdoor adventure, you might consider a day trip to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. We'll share our top things to do in Loch Lomond and provide tips about visiting the area based on our own visits.
Clans of the Scottish Highlands. Illustrated by appropriate figures, displaying their dress, arms, tartans, armorial insignia.
OS grid ref: HY 4882 5270. At the far north-west corner of Papa Westray overlooking the cliffs of Runnapitten, about half a mile north of the hamlet of Holland and a little to the west of Kirk hous…
L’Écosse deviendra-t-elle indépendante ? Un chapitre nouveau dans une longue lutte pour...
If you want to visit one of Scotland's isles but don't want to run into many other tourists, head to the Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides.
Last chance to save $260. Summer sale ends soon. Book now to save 10% on Scottish Genealogy Research Trip to Edinburgh. Gain access to records not available online. Book now at www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca Read about the 2012 research trip on this blog under May posts.
There are few things more inviting in the cold days of winter than the Danish concept of hygge. Last year’s surge in interest in hygge - and the possibility of an increase in tourism - led Visit Scotland to launch their own version but it's a possible mistranslation that has made headlines instead. According to...
While Edinburgh may be the capital of Scotland, the remote northern regions can feel a world away - which is why Inverness is best known as the capital of the Scottish Highlands. The locals are charming, the whisky is strong, and the history and highlander culture is palpable.
