Scottish castles
  • History , Latest Feature , Scottish castles

Inverlochy Castle

October 24, 2020
Tucked away in the industrial outskirts of Fort William is this gaunt fortress that once stood at the heart of …
  • History , Scottish castles

Carnassarie Castle in Kilmartin Glen

April 06, 2018
This imposing ruin was once a fine example of Renaissance architecture - home of the 1st Protestant Bishop of Argyll …
  • History , Scottish castles

Blackness Castle

July 22, 2017
There's nothing romantic about this castle on the Firth of Forth: armed to the teeth, with walls 18 feet …
  • History , Scottish castles

Smailholm Tower

November 13, 2016
A 'peel tower' in the Scottish Borders, basking in the autumn sunshine and remembering a colourful history of reiving
  • History , Scottish castles

Old Castle Lachlan: loyalty and loss

October 23, 2016
Ghosts of horses tend to come in different guises, some of them benevolent and some of them more inclined towards …
  • History , Scottish castles

Loch Avich and the Castle of the Red-haired Girl

May 14, 2016
I knew there had to be a story attached to this; I hope you'll find it as spellbinding as …
  • History , Scottish castles

Rosslyn Castle – falling shadows

April 01, 2016
Gaunt and brooding, the battered fragments of a spectacular fortress stand in the woodlands of Roslin Glen
  • History , Scottish castles

Carnbane Castle and a banquet for a bard

February 16, 2016
On top of a little wooded knoll in Glen Lyon, I felt as if I'd stepped straight into a legend... …
  • History , Scottish castles

In a nutshell: Cardoness Castle

February 13, 2016
Ancient seat of the McCullochs, Cardoness Castle has seen some troubled times. Violence, plunder, feuding... it all went on …
  • History , Scottish castles

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

January 20, 2016
At one end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile is this sumptuous palace, with a jaw-dropping list of royal occupants and a …
  • History , Scottish castles

Dunstaffnage Castle: defiant to the last

July 17, 2015
In the 13th century, no one approached Dunstaffnage Castle without a very good reason. It still fills you with …
  • History , Scottish castles

Loch Dochart Castle

March 05, 2015
Not the easiest to see, this ruined tower house stands on a tiny island in Loch Dochart. I thought …
  • History , Scottish castles

Tantallon Castle: symbol of strength

January 27, 2015
The ancient seat of the Douglas Earls of Angus, Tantallon Castle tells a story of power, violence and treason. …
  • History , Scottish castles

Loch Leven Castle

November 16, 2014
A Scottish queen held captive on a tiny island… hope, fear and loss… and a daring bid for freedom. …
  • History , Scottish castles

Drumlanrig Castle: unbridled splendour

October 06, 2014
A Renaissance masterpiece, the 'Pink Palace' of Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries-shire was designed to impress - and it still leaves …
  • History , Scottish castles

Doune Castle: seat of power

July 30, 2014
Is this my favourite castle yet? (It might just take the medieval biscuit!) The setting for 'Monty Python …
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New book - 'Britain's Trees'
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I'm honoured to be Writer in Residence at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. This book celebrates the lives of 50 great explorers......
BRITISH TREES
  • The fire of the ash
  • Hawthorn – bride of the hedgerow
  • The spirit of the alder
  • Wild cherry: the last snow of spring
SCOTTISH CASTLES
  • Dunollie Castle in Oban Bay
  • Castle Sween: still watching for the sails
  • Rosslyn Castle – falling shadows
  • Castle Coeffin: guarding a broken heart
MEGALITHIC
  • Croft Moraig: circle of light
  • A walk to Rí Cruin Cairn
  • The stones of Kilmory Oib
  • The stone circles of Fortingall
CHURCHES, CHAPELS & ABBEYS
  • The Govan Stones
  • Kilmory Knap Chapel – part one
  • Saddell Abbey – in the footsteps of Somerled
  • St Conan’s Kirk
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