In the final part of our special series ‘This is Scotland – what makes a country?’, Iain Gray raises a glass in celebration of our national drink. It’s known in the Gaelic tongue as usqueba, ‘the water of life’ – a decidedly apt name for what is known more commonly known as whisky or, more
In the next instalment of our special series, Iain Gray looks at the origins and enduring popularity of tartans and our national dress the kilt. Tartans pre-date by many centuries the period of about the sixteenth century that some sources attribute to them, with a history that stretches back not only to the ancient Celts
From the Highlands and Islands to the Lowlands, Scotland is host to a range of habitats that sustain wildlife, while the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) is the registered charity charged with their protection and conservation of the natural environment on which they depend. In the next in our series, Iain Gray makes the acquaintance of
It’s thanks to Scotland’s mixture of temperate environments experienced from the Highlands to the Lowlands that the land not only sustains wildlife but also provides a fruitful bounty of agricultural produce and opportunities for outdoor activities. In the next instalment of our series, Iain Gray offers a guide to both the land and the rich
From churches and abbeys to cathedrals, Iain Gray presents a selection of some of the most iconic and which, in ruins or restored, grace the landscape to this day. It was in 430AD, through the mission of St Ninian to Whithorn and his foundation of a church, that Christianity was first established in Scotland. There
Much of Scotland’s history is etched in the very stones of its castles and palaces. Many survive today only as ruins, silent witnesses to a turbulent past, while others stand intact after careful restoration. In the next instalment of our special series, Iain Gray presents a selection of some of the most iconic. Bought in
