Historic Scotland

What do you see if you’re asked to picture a young Scottish aristocrat from the turn of the 19th century?

James Duff, who was born in 1758, was a member of one of the most privileged families in Scotland. He was also a disabled man with Black ancestry.

Uncover the story of this man with links to Duff House over on the Historic Environment Scotland blog.

James Duff: Disinherited by disability - Historic Environment Scotland Blog Uncover the story of James Duff, a man who was institutionalised from childhood, who would have stood to inherit land and property in Scotland had it not been for his disability.

This weekend only we have FREE UK delivery and 25% off international delivery at www.stor.scot!

December is here!

If you're looking for a cosy festive film with just the right balance of fairy lights, romance and mercat crosses, Channel 5 have got you covered with "Christmas in Scotland".

The cheesy caper gets a thumbs up from us - mostly thanks to the historic filming locations including Dundas Castle, Limekilns and charming Culross, pictured here.

See more of Culross in the Historic Environment Scotland archives: https://ow.ly/LJjc50Q8irY

Give the past as a present this Christmas with Membership! 🎁

Membership offers your friends and loved ones free access to all our properties and daytime events. From grand castles to beautiful gardens, our members can explore the past like never before.

Buy now at www.giftmembership.scot

We're looking forward to the Dunblane Christmas Extravaganza this Thursday!

Dunblane Cathedral will be open through the evening, where you can try your hand at some soap-carving with our team.

That'll get you on Father Christmas' (smelling) Nice List!

The Map is here for 2023! 😄 There is so much on offer this year our map is practically full. We have 3 performance stages, 5 storytelling pods, we have food on offer, we have shops open late and even non-retail businesses open just to welcome in locals for a warm drink! Check out each individual place to see what they are doing on the evening.

If anyone is missing off the map, or if we have included you as open when you won't be, just comment below to let us know and we'll update the next version of the map we publish 👍

Our Gift Membership is the perfect gift for history lovers this Christmas! 🎄

With membership, your giftee can enjoy free access to all our historic properties and daytime events and help protect Scotland's heritage for future generations.

Find out more at www.giftmembership.scot

🎉This Black Weekend enjoy 15% off across Historic Scotland’s online Stòr.

Treat yourself to exclusive-to-us products that are lovingly made in Scotland and get prepared for Christmas by having a look through our Christmas gift ideas.

You’ll also get free delivery on UK orders over £50! https://ow.ly/GzXP50Qa0mn

Get into the holiday spirit and give the past as a present this Christmas! 🎄

With a Historic Scotland gift membership, your friends and loved ones can enjoy free entry to all our properties and daytime events for a whole year.

Find out more at www.giftmembership.scot

"Never had a man had so weak a company of soldiers given to drinking, eating and slothfulness."

Sir Andrew Dudley wasn't overly impressed by the troops under his command when the English occupied Broughty Castle during the War of the Rough Wooing.

Nevertheless, they held out against 3000 men led by the Regent Arran when the castle was besieged in 1547.

Further attempts also failed, until February 1550 when a Franco-Scottish army forced the occupiers to surrender.

Find out more about the castle: https://ow.ly/gUBZ50Q8RWT

in 1638, a rather rowdy crowd packed into Glasgow Cathedral to witness the beginning of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

It would go down as one of the most significant events in the history of the city and the cathedral 👇

The General Assembly of 1638 - Historic Environment Scotland Blog Held in Glasgow Cathedral from 21 November to 6 December, the General Assembly of 1638 would prove seismic for the Church and Scotland.

Don’t the grounds of Melrose Abbey in summer look very inviting on a dark November day? 😍

We’re looking for Volunteer Visitor Connectors to help our visitors to have an incredible time when they visit this magnificent medieval abbey.

Although parts of Melrose Abbey are undergoing conservation at the moment, it’s still a huge draw for visitors and much-loved by locals. There’s loads to see and do when visiting the abbey and we’d love for anyone with a passion for Melrose and its history to join us in telling that story.

From pointing out the bagpipe playing pig and the burial site of Robert the Bruce’s heart, to sharing the challenges of carrying out conservation on a fragile building that is also home to a number of protected bat roosts, Melrose Abbey is home to many centuries of interesting tales!

When you volunteer with us, you’ll help to shape your own role. This means we’ll look to support you to develop a role that fits around the rest of your life, includes the sorts of activities that you find interesting and helps you develop news skills and build on your existing strengths.

Find out more about volunteering at Melrose Abbey and how to apply: https://ow.ly/GJZP50Q8iok

In November 1093, Queen Margaret of Scotland’s health was fading fast.

According to an account of her life written by the then Bishop of St Andrews, she had spent the previous six months “never able to ride on horseback” and “seldom to rise from her bed.”

By mid-November, Margaret “became sadder than usual.” One day, she is said to have made a grim prediction: she told a priest that “a heavy calamity may befall the realm of Scotland.”

A few days later, Edinburgh Castle was rocked by devasting news. Margaret’s husband, Malcolm Canmore, together with their eldest son, had been killed at the Battle of Alnwick.

Margaret passed away on 16 November, just three days after her husband and son. In his account, the Bishop realises that her talk of a “heavy calamity” was an eerily accurate premonition:

“When I heard these words I paid no great attention to them, but a few days afterwards a messenger arrived who told us that the king was slain on the very day on which the queen had spoken the words narrated.”

In spite of her infirmity and the tragic news, it is said that Margaret passed away peacefully.

Forty years after her death, a chapel was built at Edinburgh Castle in her name.

It still stands as Edinburgh’s oldest remaining building and is home to this stained-glass window depicting Margaret. She was canonised and became Saint Margaret in 1250.

Find out more about St Margaret on our blog http://ow.ly/et9n50xc11D

Here's our recommended reading for ! 📚

From sagas set in Kilmartin Glen to Kisimul Castle's role in a zombie apocolypse, Historic Scotland sites can be found in the pages of many an epic tale!

👉

Read all about it! 6 Historic Scotland sites that have appeared in books You'll find escaped prisoners, time travellers, pirates and pesky zombies in our selection of books featuring Historic Scotland sites!

It's World Nursery Rhyme Week, but how many traditional Scottish children's songs do you remember?

Let's see how many of these questions you can answer!

The Battle of Sherrifmuir was fought between a Jacobite army led by the Earl of Mar and Government army led by the Duke of Argyll in 1715.

The Historic Environment Scotland Battlefield Inventory is THE place to go to find out everything you need to know about Scotland's battles, from historical context to notes on the terrain, tactics and aftermath.

👉 https://ow.ly/PIAF50Q53p7

in 1914, Corporal Sidney William Ware was injured while serving with the Seaforth Highlanders in France.

Within a year, Ware was back in action, having re-joined his regiment in Mesopotamia. On 6 April 1916, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery at Sanniyat, Iraq.

The London Gazette reported how Ware "picked up a wounded man and carried him some 200 yards to cover and then returned for others, moving to and fro under very heavy fire for more than two hours, until he had brought in all his wounded and was completely exhausted.”

Just days later, Ware was severely wounded and evacuated to Rawalpindi Hospital, near Basra. He died from his injuries on 16 April 1916.

The Highlanders’ Museum at Fort George, is dedicated to the history of five of Scotland’s regiments and tells the stories of many soldiers like Corporal Ware.

On the blog, you can find out more about Ware and six other recruits from the Museum's associated regiments who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War.

Most Conspicuous Bravery: 7 stories of the Victoria Cross A guest blog from the Highlanders’ Museum at Fort George highlights Victoria Cross recipients during the First World War.

Which sites are your favourite ones to explore on a dreich autumn morning? 🍂

Huntingtower Castle rolling out its vibrant autumn leaves carpet is definitely one of the top ones for us!
😍

It was at the Palace of Westminster on this day in 1605 that James VI and I was the target of the failed Gunpowder Plot, two years after his coronation as King of England.

In celebration of his survival, bonfires were lit around London. The following year the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.

The ringing of church bells and lighting of fires immediately became part of the tradition. A little later, fireworks were added into the mix.

When Dr Samuel Johnson visited Iona in 1773, he complained that the ruined nunnery was covered in cow-muck, and that he had to resort to sleeping in a barn.

Read more about his turbulent tour of Scotland with James Boswell on the Historic Environment Scotland blog: http://ow.ly/BZVe50x3MMw

Remember, remember...

On Sunday 5 November, our weekend road closures in will be extended. All park roads will be closed to vehicles from 8.15am to midnight.

Our Rangers will be carrying out patrols with colleagues from Police Scotland and Scottish Fire & Rescue Service as part of Operation Crackle.

It is not permitted to set off fireworks or light fires within the Park.

Pumpkins might be flavour of the month, but do you know which foodstuff you'd carve a face in for a Scottish Halloween?!

Test your knowledge in our quiz 👇

Do you know a scary amount about Scottish history?! With Halloween just around the corner, we've created a fiendish quiz based on our favourite scary sites, Halloween traditions and terrfiying tales from Scotland's past. Will you be the ghost who knows the most or a back-to-school ghoul? Watch out for any trick (or treat) questions...

It's easy to see how Cambuskenneth Abbey can sometimes be overshadowed by its famous neighbour!

Founded by David I in about 1140, it was envisioned that the abbey would serve Stirling Castle in the same way that Holyrood Abbey was used by Edinburgh Castle.

It wasn't until the 1200s that building work began in earnest, and most of the surviving structure dates from then. The unique, free-standing bell tower is one of the best examples of 13th-century architecture in Scotland.

The abbey became a royal resting place in 1486 when Margaret of Denmark, wife of James III, was buried in front of the high altar. James was interred beside her just two years later after he was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn, three miles south of Cambuskenneth.

By the mid-1500s, the abbey was in decline, having been ‘ruined and cast down’ by Reformers. It passed into the hands of John Erskine, Earl of Mar, in 1562. He's thought to have built Mar's Wark, his town house in Stirling, using stones from Cambuskenneth.

The bell tower survived the quarrying - probably because it could serve as a useful watchtower.

Download more info on Cambuskenneth Abbey here: https://ow.ly/47KQ50PY3Z7

Elizabeth de Burgh, the second wife and queen consort of Robert the Bruce, passed away in 1327 after falling from her horse on a visit to Cullen Castle.

Parishioners in Cullen took great care embalming Elizabeth’s body before it was transported to Dunfermline Abbey, to be buried beneath the high altar.

A grateful Bruce arranged for an annual payment to be made to Cullen parish church as a way of thanks.

Bruce and Elizabeth had married in 1302 and were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone in 1306.

Just a few months later, Bruce was defeated at the Battle of Methven and sent Elizabeth and other family members to Kildrummy Castle (pictured) for protection.

When Edward I's forces besieged Kildrummy, Elizabeth was captured and sent to England.

She was held under strict house arrest in various castles, abbeys and manors for eight years, before finally being released as part of a deal following the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

📷 Kildrummy Castle and the village of Cullen

Looking for fun Halloween plans this weekend? We have a whole host of events for you to look forward to!

✨ Embark on the Potion-maker's Quest and gather potion ingredients in a fun family-friendly trail (Various sites until Sun 29 Oct)
🎃 Go pumpkin hunting, meet our master of owls and storyteller at Craigmillar Castle (This Sat 28 & Sun 29 Oct)
👻 Take a tour to Urquhart Castle after dark and hear eerie tales from our ghostly guide! (Fri 27 & Sat 28 Oct, 6pm-8pm)

Find out more & plan your perfect Halloween weekend at www.historicenvironment.scot/halloween

Here's New Abbey Corn Mill looking nice and autumnal.

The whitewashed stone mill by the Pow Burn was built at the end of the 1700s, but there may have been a mill for as long as Sweetheart Abbey has existed just up the road. That's why some locals still know it as the Monks’ Mill.

Plan a visit: ow.ly/sSLp50PXLeY

Have you heard about “The More Taubronar” before? 🥁

This , Virginie Chaverot from Living History Scotland tells the fascinating story of the drummer of African ancestry at the court of James IV on our blog. 👇

'The More Taubronar': An African Drummer at the Court of James IV - Historic Environment Scotland Blog Records mention an African drummer at the court of James IV. 'The Black Taubronar' was a skilled musician who travelled to many sites.

Duffus Castle was once considerably harder to get to than it is today.

The Laich of Moray, the fertile plain on which the castle stands, used to be part of a great wetland.

When the castle was built, it held a much more defensive position, with a huge man-made mound required to raise it above the swampy land below.

The builder was a Flemish man named Freskin, who was given the Duffus estate by David I around 1130. There had been an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’, and David hoped Freskin would be able to help restore royal authority.

With Duffus as their base, Freskin’s family did just that. His son William adopted the title ‘de Moravia’ (of Moray) and by the end of the century they'd become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland.

Find out more and plan a visit: https://ow.ly/tAGT50PXMc6

Huv ye heard aboot oor new lug-in guide at Lithgae Palace? 👂🏰

It’s the first time we’ve ivver made yin in Scots!

Jyn Ashley Douglas, the Scots specialist whae helped us pit thegither the tours, ower on the Historic Environment Scotland blog tae tak a wee deek ahint the scenes.

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Have you heard about our new audio guide at Linlithgow Palace? 👂🏰

It’s the first time we have made one in Scots.

👀Join Ashley Douglas, the Scots specialist who helped us to put together the tours, over on the Historic Environment Scotland blog to take a wee look behind the scenes.

Lug-in at Linlithgow - Historic Environment Scotland Blog We've launched our first ever audio guide in Scots, alongside a brand new English tour with a Scots flavour. Scots consultant and translator Ashley Douglas blogs on how we made sure we got the balance right in each of the guides.

Unfortunately due to a power cut, Urquhart Castle will be closed for the rest of the day

🧱 83 busy builders - 17 hours ⏳

That's what it took to build this stunning LEGO model of Arbroath Abbey at our Big LEGO Build event.

It takes real skill to reconstruct the round O in LEGO! 😲 The chapel in the south transept underneath the O was dedicated to St Catherine. Did you know that the O may have been lit as a navigation aid for sailors? It was rebuilt in the 1800s by Robert Stevenson when he constructed the Bell Rock lighthouse.

⚒ You can admire the craftsmanship that went into building the beautiful abbey... or its LEGO cousin!

Visit Arbroath Library to view the detailed LEGO model of the abbey or plan your visit to Arbroath Abbey: https://ow.ly/TyPH50PXNJJ

Hi folks, Huntingtower Castle will be closed today

It's not every day we get to talk about brochs and the Red Planet in the same breath, but today is one of them.

On October 20 2012, a ceremony was held to celebrate the village of Glenelg being twinned with Mars, where there's a geological feature of the same name.

We wonder what the builders of the 2,000-year-old Glenelg Brochs would have made of that?!