The Luckenbooth Brooch!

The Luckenbooth Brooch!

The Royal Mile, one of the most famous streets in Edinburgh, runs from the castle all the way down to Holyrood Palace. When Edinburgh castle was first established this was the only accessible route, a natural ramp formed thousands of years ago gave access to a castle otherwise impregnable from the east. With the establishment […]

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The Battle of Baugé

The Battle of Baugé

Throughout Scottish history there have been many battles fought on Scots soil, many have been fought on English soil, however a few battles between Scotland and England have taken place on French soil. Few have been as important as this one though; the Battle of Baugé Background: The Battle was part of the ‘Hundred Years War’ […]

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Johnnie Armstrong and the Border Reivers

Johnnie Armstrong and the Border Reivers

Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie was once one of the most popular, powerful, and feared clan chiefs in the Scottish borders. However, after his execution in 1530 by order of James V, Clan Armstrong have been without a chief for over 450 years. The Border Reivers were a band of raiders along the Scottish-English border from […]

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Who Was St Ninian?

Who Was St Ninian?

Scotland is to welcome Pope Benedict XVI for his first visit to Britain on 16 September, which is St Ninian’s Day. The Pope begins his visit in Edinburgh, where a St Ninian’s Day parade will welcome him to the city. But who exactly was Saint Ninian, and what was his historical significance? The precise details […]

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Border Reivers-Kinmont Willie Armstrong

Border Reivers-Kinmont Willie Armstrong

The capture and rescue of Kinmont Willie Armstrong brought together three of the most colourful characters in the history of the Border Reivers. The impasse that existed between Sir Walter Scott, probably the most notable person to live on the sixteenth century Border, and Thomas Lord Scrope, English West March Warden, is a story of a clash of personalities of awesome proportions. Kinmont Willie? He was lost in the diplomatic wrangling. His capture changed nothing. He went on to reive until his death in about 1603.

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Stewart Stamp Series Issued by Royal Mail

Stewart Stamp Series Issued by Royal Mail

A new series of stamps by the Royal Mail have been issued, depicting the Stewart monarchs who ruled Scotland between 1406 and 1603, the year of the Union of the Crowns. The series starts with James I (1406-1437) and stops at James VI (1567-1603) who went on the become the king of England, uniting to […]

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