Place of interest Archive

Treasure hunting on Edinburgh’s Antiques Treasure Trail

Following the trail of special bargains, we wander Edinburgh’s Antiques Treasure Trail and visit two antique dealers. Will the hunt be a success? You can barely get inside Allan K. L. Jackson’s shop. And I mean that quite literally. Behind the entrance door you can maybe get another metre and a half before a sort […]

The Bostadh Iron Age House

The people of the Iron Age treated themselves to a view of the beach and the sea at Bostadh House. Today, visitors can get a feel for what life was like back then. For a long time it was suspected that something lay slumbering beneath the sand. Time and again, objects were found that seemed […]

Vatersay – Squatting on a Dream Island

A small island right at the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides. Today, Vatersay with its dream beaches is idyllic for visitors. But around the year 1900, a bitter dispute over ownership was raging here. Lady Gordon Cathcart wasn’t a bad person. She simply was never there. And that, in turn, gave bad people free […]

Scolpaig Tower – the Fair-Haired Doctor’s Folly

A tower stands in the middle of nowhere, seemingly with no purpose. And yet Scolpaig Tower on North Uist has a fascinating history – its builder had a real goal in mind. If you came across Scolpaig Tower in the grounds of an English stately home, you’d hardly bat an eyelid. Ornamental follies like this […]

Why I No Longer Book Europcar for Scotland

I used to be an Europcar customer. But a flat tyre led me into the depths of a customer-unfriendly system that, to this day, I still haven’t fully escaped. An experience report on Europcar UK. Europcar and I had good times too: I kept booking with them for my research trips to Scotland, and towards […]

Teampall na Trianaid – Scotland’s First University

The knowledge of the Gaelic world once resided within these walls. Sadly, not much of it survives today. Why the writings of Teampall na Trianaid fell prey to the flames. Teampall na Trianaid translates as “Temple of the Trinity”. But when visitors approach the ruin on North Uist, the few remaining walls give off a […]

Skua Attacks! How Great Skuas Attack Us (and What You Can Do)

SWOOOSH! It’s a terrifying sound as the huge skua sweeps past us at head height, just a few metres away. We’re being attacked – by birds! It sounds a bit like a kite being yanked along just above the ground. SWOOSH. It’s still there, and we’re slowly starting to get properly scared. Skuas – as […]

Eriskay Ponies – Visiting the Last of Their Kind

There are only very few Eriskay Ponies left in the world. We were lucky enough to experience them up close in their home, the Isle of Eriskay. Here’s our story. We were disappointed. It was our last day on the island of Eriskay, and just like the year before, we hadn’t seen a single one […]

Kildonan Museum – the Curse of the Clanranald Stone

Thieves in the graveyard, a mysterious death in London, and talk of a curse. The Kildonan Museum displays the Clanranald Stone, its eerie history, and many artefacts from earlier life on South Uist. Spring 1990, South Uist – Something was missing here … The Reverend Angus MacQueen couldn’t quite put his finger on it at […]

Dunnottar Castle – the Castle on the Cliffs

What need is there for walls? Dunnottar Castle sits on cliffs 50 metres high and is nearly impregnable. That didn’t stop people trying, more than once. And so this Scottish castle has a turbulent history. You’ll need a bit of stamina. Anyone wanting to reach Dunnottar Castle has to climb around 200 steps – and […]