This is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. It has been referred to as the “Iona of the East”. If you are passing it is a nice place to visit on any tours of Scotland. It can be easily visited with a short boat trip. The island...
Speculation continues concerning the derivation of the name Gigha (pronounced ‘gee-a’, with a hard ‘g’), but one suggestion is that it comes from old Norse and means ‘Island of God’. To discover for yourself if this is appropriate means taking the ferry from the Kintyre mainland across the Sound...
The Yarrow and the Ettrick waters meet just a mile or so south-west of the town of Selkirk, and at their junction stands this rambling Georgian mansion, started by the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch in 1795 and worked on by several hands, including William Atkinson and William Burn. Until...
This small town in County Galway has always been an important centre for church affairs. It’s worth looking at on any Ireland tours for a number of reasons. “Saint Jarleth” founded a monastery here in the 6th century, and the ruins of “Temple Jarleth” date from about 1360 AD. In the...
The pretty fishing village of Portsoy has an atmospheric 17th century harbour and maze of narrow streets lined with picturesque cottages. An ornamental stone known as Portsoy marble – actually a beautifully patterned green and pale pink serpentine – was quarried near Portsoy in the...