85th Anniversary of St Kilda being evacuated

85th Anniversary of St Kilda being evacuated

August 29th is the 85th anniversary of the last people leaving St Kilda.  For most people, St Kilda is remote and mysterious, a windswept outcrop in the North Atlantic which against all odds supported human habitation for more than 2,000 years (some say this is more like 4,000 years).  This lonely island sits in the outermost […]

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Top 5: Whisky of the Clans

Top 5: Whisky of the Clans

Intrinsically linked like bread and butter, whisky and the Clans are about as all things Scot as you’re going to get. Here are our top five links between the water of life and Scotland’s oldest families. 1. Dalmore In 1263, an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by […]

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Map Reveals Scots Modern-Day Surnames

Map Reveals Scots Modern-Day Surnames

A map of Great Britain’s most popular surnames shows the dominance that clan areas still hold in Scotland, while other areas show the effects of modern-day immigration. Created by experts from three English Universities, Uncertainty of Identity uses surnames listed on the electoral roll to find the three most popular names in each electoral ward. […]

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From Norway with Love

From Norway with Love

When asked to give the name of his nearest mainline rail station on a Parliamentary expenses questionnaire, former liberal MP for Orkney Jo Grimond gave his reply as Bergen, Norway. This facetious response turned out to be correct, as Bergen’s rail station is situated 340km from the Orkney constituency, compared with the Highland Main Line […]

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The Wars of the One Eyed Woman

The Wars of the One Eyed Woman

In the western isles of Scotland two great clans were locked in a long running feud. The MacLeod’s who occupied parts of Skye and Harris and their neighbouring MacDonalds from Skye and Uist. Over centuries the two clans had a number of pitched battles as dominance of the area swung to and fro. These ‘tit […]

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