Scottish myths, folklore and legends
Scotland is a land of myths and legends. The stories of Scotland have inspired writers, artists and poets for centuries. Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson both recalled as adults the tales of ghosts, magic and witches they had heard as children.
Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh
Designed by the late Enric Miralles, the Parliamentary complex is actually a campus of several buildings, reflecting different architectural styles, with a total floor area of 31,000 square metres.
Scottish Photography
Most people know that television, telephones and penicillin were invented by Scots, but did you also know the first colour photograph was taken in Scotland?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
We remember Burns for many reasons, but we remember him most of all because he asked us simply and poignantly in poem and song to remember and celebrate our common humanity.
Sir John A. Macdonald: Son of Scotland, Father of Canada
It's impossible to write about the history of Canada without mentioning Sir John A. Macdonald. A proud Scotsman, Macdonald served as Canada's first (and third) Prime Minister.
St Andrew’s Day Tales and Traditions
There are many tales and traditions from across the world that exist around St Andrews Day, here are some of the most famous.
The Celtic roots of Hallowe’en
As the world goes ‘Trick or Treating?’, it’s worth remembering that today’s commercialised candy fest was born out of an ancient Celtic festival, one whose roots run deep in Scotland
The CPR: The Four Scotsmen Who Blazed A Trail Across Canada
On the 7th November 1885 in Craigellachie, British Columbia, Scotsman Donald Smith was given the honour of driving in the last spike on the newly-formed Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The track united British Columbia, isolated in the west of Canada, with the east and remains a popular symbol of national unity in Canada to this day.
The Gaels: Alive and Kicking
From the century old Mod, through the more recent Feisean nan Gaidheal and Hebridean Celtic Festival to the imminent publication of The Great Book of Gaelic, this ancient, indigenous culture is thriving and enjoying a marvellous new flowering in Scotland.