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NOW WITH NEW PHOTO GALLERIES |
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The area of central Scotland involves a lot of towns and cities, we will try with this album to cover as many of them as possible. We are still visiting and taking images all the time.
Some of the pages are quite diverse in as much as we have cities along with the likes of the Falkirk Wheel.
Athelstaneford is definately woth a visit as it explains about the oldest flag in the world the Saltire of Scotland.
We hope you enjoy these pages. |
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The St Andrew's Cross or Saltire is Scotland's national flag. Tradition has it that the flag, the white saltire on a blue background is the oldest flag in the Commonwealth and Europe. It originated in a battlefought in East Lothian in the Dark Ages.
It is believed that the battle took place in the year 832AD. An army of Picts under Angus mac Fergus, Hig King of Alba and aided by a contingent of Scots led by Eochaidh, King of Dalriada (Kenneth mac Alpin's grandfather) had been on a punitive raid into Lothian (then and for a long time afterwards Northumbrian territory), and were being pursued by a larger force of Anglo Saxons under one Athelstan.
Enjoy a visit to Athelstaneford.
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The stark, ship-like bulk of Blackness Castle has served as a royal residence, prison for Covenanters, ordnance depot, military barracks, and youth hostel. It is sited on a rocky outcrop near the mouth of the Firth of Forth. The tower stands inside a ship-shaped curtain wall of 16th century construction. There is another tower at the landward end, and a rectangular tower bastion in the "bow". The castle resembles nothing more than a large battleship ready to sail out to sea.
Blackness was built in the 1440s by Sir George Crichton. He was governor of Stirling Castle when lord Douglas was murdered there by James II in 1452. In 1453, Sir Crichton handed over Blackness to the king. Seemed a prudent thing to do! The castle was an important part of Linlithgow. It was first mentioned as a prison in 1449, but the lands were owned by the Viponts since 1200. The castle was burned by an English fleet in 1481, and was the meeting place in 1488 between James II and the rebel nobles.
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The former hunting lodge of the Duke of Hamilton, this grand building is called Chaterherault House. Situated near Hamilton, Lanarkshire.
This is a massive complex with long trails for the walking enthusiasts that take you along Avon Water to see the magnificent woodland habitats that are rich in wildlife and human history.
There is also a museum in the house that is free of charge and is well worth a visit, also there is a garden centre that has a Bird of Prey show a few times daily.
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Clydebank is our home town and we are very proud of it. The town is famous for shipbuilding although this industry has now disappeared with the closure of John Brown's Shipyard. Famous ships built there include the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, QE2 and the Royal Yacht Brittania. Clydebank had the largest factory in the world when Singer's sewing machines was active, but unfortunately it closed many years ago. During World War II the town suffered severely from the German Luftwaffe. During 13th & 14th March 1941 the town was blitzed almost beyond recognition. Twelve thousand homes were destroyed. Several hundred people were killed. Although devasted, Clydebank, often called "risingest burgh", reacted to the tragedy with strength, commitment and resolve. The town has rebuilt itself into a modern new one, and is now flourishing.
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Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland , is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. This distinction is partly an accident of Nature, for the city is built upon a jumble of hills and valleys; however, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the natural geography was enhanced by the works of a succession of distinguished Georgian and Victorian architects. The result today is high drama; there are countless spots where Edinburgh looks less like a city and more like a theatrical backdrop. The view from Edinburgh's Calton Hill, across the River Forth to Fife, looks more like a scene from ancient Rome.
Edinburgh incidentally, is named after Edwin, a king of ancient Northumbria; it has been a Royal Burgh since at least the twelfth century, and has been recognised as the capital of Scotland since the fifteenth.
Edinburgh's face is her fortune, for it was this dramatic beauty which, in the first instance, made the Scottish capital's name familiar throughout the modern world. But there are other, less tangible factors involved, for Edinburgh is a city that delights the mind as well as the eye. It is a city where the past lives comfortably with the present. It is a gracious place, in the way that many other cities used to be.
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The Falkirk Wheel boat lift is an exceptional feat of modern engineering and is already being recognised as an inspirational sculpture for the 21st Century.
Designed to reconnect the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals and sited in a natural open amphitheatre at Rough Castle near Falkirk, this remarkable and elegant mechanical marvel is the only rotating boat lift in the world and truly one of a kind that you must visit.
Visitors can enjoy 'The Falkirk Wheel Experience' using barges at the site and the distinctive new visitor centre gives an absolutely sensational viewpoint from which to see the Wheel in action.
The Falkirk Wheel is used to connect the Forth & Clyde and Union canals in central Scotland. This magnificent, mechanical marvel has been constructed to 21st Century, state-of-the-art engineering and it is already being recognised as an iconic landmark worthy of Scotland's traditional engineering expertise.
Designed to replace a series of lock gates built in the 19th Century - long since demolished and replaced by housing - the Falkirk Wheel is the showpiece of the Millennium Link project where coast-to-coast navigation of the canals has been re-established for the first time in over 40 years
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You will never be dissapointed in Glasgow, what with the second biggest shopping centre in the UK, to the friendly wit of the local population.
There is plenty to see in the city too from old and new, including the museums which are all free to the Cathedral and then the redevolopment on the River Clyde.
Glasgow is a busy bustling city and you will never get bored sightseeing here. |
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Situated midway between Stirling and Edinburgh, Linlithgow Palace has been a favourite home to Kings and Queens of Scots since the 12th century, when David I decreed the Town of Linlithgow to be a 'Royal domaine with a residence and a church dedicated to Saint Michael'. This rich lowland country was one the Scottish crown most profitable lordships and would, through many centuries, provide the annual income of several Kings' consorts.
As you walk round the ruins of this old Stewart Palace you have a sense of disbelief that so much of it is intact that it wouldn't have been impossible to spend some money and restore it to it's former glory. It is awesome as you walk through the rooms and old hall to the kitchen, then the fountain and the views are just tremendous.
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New Lanark World Heritage Site, a beautifully restored 18th century cotton mill village in Central Scotland, close to the Falls of Clyde. This is a tremendous attraction just outside Lanark and well worth a visit.
The village first rose to fame when Robert Owen was mill manager from 1800-1825. Owen transformed life in New Lanark with ideas and opportunities which were at least a hundred years ahead of their time. Child labour and corporal punishment were abolished, and villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free health care, and affordable food. |
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Stirling lies at the foothills of the Ochil and Trossachs hill ranges, and the castle raised from the rest of the landscape is a beautiful sight. Further to the north of Stirling you have the Monument of William Wallace a tribute built to honour our national hero. At the old Stirling Bridge you can at low tide see the foundations of the original bridge where the great battle of Stirling Bridge was fought.
Stirling is also a great place to visit and do a bit of shopping. |
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