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Place to Visit Myths
Thomas the Rhymer
Thomas was a poet and someone that could predict the future. His home was in Earlston in the Scottish Borders. The legend tells that Thomas fell asleep beneath a tree at the foot of the Eildon Hills. When he woke he saw the vision of a shining Lady on a Grey horse, this was the Queen of the Fairies and she entranced him
and took him away to Fairyland.
He remained there for what he thought had been three days, but was actually 7 years.
When he left, the Queen gave him the
gift of speaking the truth and told him many
prophecies of great events in Scottish history.
One of the events he prophesied that there would be a bridge over the River Tweed which would be visible from the Eildon Tree. The Fairy Queen also told Thomas that she would return one day, so if you feel weary rest under the tree and you never can tell what will happen next. Thomas was a real person and lived in the 1200s and his rhymes have been popular for hundreds of years. His rhymers are the earliest examples of Scottish Poetry. Look in the Poetry Library of the Royal Mile for some examples. Stand by the stone and look for the Bridge or take a nap and see what happens.
James Gregory's
Meridian Line
St Andrews
James Gregory’s Meridian is now marked on South Street by a brass marker across the pavement outside the University of St Andrews’ King James Library together with a plaque on the wall.
In 1673, almost 200 years prior to the international adoption of GMT, a Scottish astronomer named James Gregory laid down Europe’s first meridian on the floor of his laboratory at the University of St Andrews. He used this line in conjunction with a metal sight fixed outside one of the windows, which he lined up with a post on the horizon exactly due south, to make astronomical observations.
Gregory's Scottish meridian runs almost twelve minutes behind Greenwich meridian time, as it is several degrees to the west which, explained Dr John Amson of St Andrews University, means the world could have been running on a different time scale: 'The world could today be running on STAMT (St Andrews Mean Time) and not GMT.
Cairngorms
National Park
The Cairngorms is made up of over 4,500sq km of wild countryside and is twice the size of the Lake District National Park, the Cairngorms National Park covers a large part of the eastern Highlands and west Aberdeenshire and is the largest National Park in the UK.
It contains 5 out of the 6 largest mountains in the UK mountains, rare and sub-arctic habitats, ancient forests, rivers, lochs, wildlife hotspots, friendly villages and attractions than you could hope to explore in a lifetime.
Cairngorms
Dark Sky Park
Star Gazing - Cairngorms National Park
Richmond Hall, Tomintoul
The Great Glen
Tobar Nan Cean
Well of the Heads
Near the shore of Loch Oich outside a local shop you can see the Well of the Seven Heads. A fascinating column at the pinnacle a hand holding a large dagger and around it seven stone carved heads. The story goes that on 25th September, 1663 the Chieftain of Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, Alexander MacDonald, and his brother Ranald, were murdered by rivals within their clan. Two years passed with no just handed out for their killers. At that time the Privy Council in Edinburgh, issued letters of “Fire and Sword” against the murderers. Ian Lom and the MacDonald’s of Sleat sought “ample and summary vengeance”. They caught the seven murderers and decapitated them.
Ian Lom on his journey, taking the seven heads to Invergarry Castle, he stopped to wash the blood from the heads to make them more presentable to the clan chief of the MacDonald’s of Glengarry. The Heads were then taken to Edinburgh, where they were displayed on Pikes at the Gallows between Edinburgh and Leith. The story has been ratified, when the seven graves with headless bodies were exhumed. In 1812 the monument was erected by the clan chief of the
MacDonnell (Clan MacDonnell of Glengarry is a Scottish clan and is a branch of the Clan Donald) to remember the crime and punishment handed out.
Lochaber
Commando Memorial
Dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II. Situated around a mile from Spean Bridge, it overlooks the training areas of the Commando Training Depot established in 1942 at Achnacarry Castle. Unveiled in 1952 by the Queen Mother, it is one of Scotland’s best-known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering views of
Ben Nevis and Aonach Mòr.
Neptune's Staircase
Banavie
A staircase lock comprising eight locks on the Caledonian Canal. Built by Thomas Telford between 1803 and 1822, it is the longest staircase lock in Britain. The system was originally hand-powered
but has been converted to hydraulic operation.
Loch Lomond & Trossachs
National Park
Loch Lomond a true sight to behold.
The scenery that can not be surpassed anywhere in the UK
Forest, Hills, mountains, wildlife, a natural fresh water loch that is the boundary between the highlands and lowlands of Scotland. Part of the Trossachs National Park.
A body of water that is over
500 feet (153m) deep
and covers an area of over
27 square miles (71 km²)
Pitlochry Scotland
Pitlochry the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland.
World Famous Pitlochry Salmon Ladder,
Dam and Visitor Centre
Fonab Castle
The beautiful countryside Loch Faskally and Ben Vrackie
Edradour Distillery Village.
The smallest traditional distillery in Scotland dating back to 1825, the last of the handmade single malt whisky from a farm distillery.
Port Na Craig Inn
Established in 1650, Located on the banks of the river Tummel at the Rob Roy Way,
a famous walk from Drymen to Pitlochry.
Port Na Craig ferry
Established in the 12th Century by
the monks of Coupar Angus,
who were gifted the land of Fonab.
There was a ferry crossing over the river
to the village of Moulin. To ensure a safe crossing,
from Moulin people would drop a coin in to
St Brides Wishing Well (now closed).
The ferry no longer runs, The Port-Na-Craig Bridge was built and the last ferry crossing was on Empire Day 1913 when the bridge was opened by the Duchess of Atholl.
Dunrobin Castle and Gardens
Golspie
Scotland
KW10 6SF
+44 1408 633177
Dunrobin Castle is the seat of Clan Sutherland. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 14th century.
home to the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland,
The castle resembles a French château with its imposing spires. Dunrobin Castle overlooks the
Moray Firth. The Gardens are over 150 years old and were designed on the gardens of Palace of Versailles in Paris.
the Castle is opened to visitors.
John O Groats
Dunnet Head
Caithness
KW1 4YR
John O Groats on the north east point of Scotland’s mainland follow the A9 from Stirling or Perth through Inverness to Latheron in Caithness which then joins the A99, then follow the A99 to the end of the road and mainland Scotland you are at John O Groats.
The Brahan Seer
Scottish Nostradamus
The Brahan Seer was the Nostradamus of Scotland.
He was gifted with the ability of seeing events in the future. His prophecies are still quoted to this day.
To have “Second Sight”, or two sights, is an ability to see both into two worlds at the same time. Always thought by the folks of Scotland as an affliction or curse.
The Brahan Seer, Coinneach (a variant transcription of the name Kenneth) Mackenzie, was born at Baile-na-Cille on the Isle of Lewis, circa 1600 and lived at the shores of Loch Ussie near to Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands.
Legend has it that it was his mother that passed the sight to his son (Coinneach) Kenneth.
At a graveyard one night when ghosts were known to roam the earth, his mother encountered the ghost of a Danish Princess on her way back to her grave. In order to allow her to pass back into the grave, Kenneth’s mother demanded that the Princess should pay a tribute, and asked that her son should be given the second sight.
The legend goes that later that day, Kenneth found a small stone with a hole in the middle, through which he would look and see visions.
The prophetic visions that have come true
in the years after his death
The Battle of Culloden (1746)
He spoke on the moors, and his words were recorded. “Oh! Drum Ossie, thy bleak moor shall, ere many generations have passed away, be stained with the best blood of the Highlands. Glad am I that I will not see the day, for it will be a fearful period; heads will be lopped off by the score, and no mercy shall be shown or quarter given on either side.”
He predicted,
The lochs in the Great Glen would become one.
This became fact when the Caledonian Canal was constructed in 1822.
He talked of great black bridle less horses
belching fire and steam.
This became fact in the 1860’s when railways with steam trains were built throughout the Highlands.
The North Sea oil fields were foretold:
When Kenneth said “A black rain will bring riches to Aberdeen.”
He also spoke of;
When Scotland would once again have its
own Parliament.
But it would only come to pass when men could walk dry shod (without wetting ones boots) from England to France.
First men to travel from England and France under the sea.
On 1 December 1990, Englishman Graham Fagg and Frenchman Phillippe Cozette
The Scottish Parliament reconvened on 12 May 1999 after it was dissolved on the 28th April 1707.
He spoke of how fire and water would run beneath the streets of Inverness
and into every dwelling.
Gas and water pipes were laid down in Inverness circa 1825.
Kenneth made a prediction that was to
cost him his life.
The Earl of Seaforth’s wife Isabella, was said to be one of the ugliest women in Scotland asked Kenneth for news of her husband, who was visiting Paris. Kenneth confirmed that the Earl was in good health but refused to elaborate further.
This enraged Isabella, who demanded that he tell her everything or she would have him killed.
Kenneth told her that her husband was with another woman, fairer than herself, and he foretold the end of the Seaforth family line. Isabella was so incensed by this that she had (Coinneach) Kenneth seized and thrown head-first into a barrel of boiling tar.
The Brahan Seer
Stone Slab
There is a stone slab near the light house at Chanonry Point on the Moray Firth, near Fortrose, that is said to mark the spot where he died. The inscription reads: “This stone commemorates the legend of Coinneach Odhar better known as the BRAHAN SEER – Many of his prophesies were fulfilled and tradition holds that his untimely death by burning in tar followed his final prophecy of the doom of the House of Seaforth.”
The Brahan Seer
Celtic Stone
A Celtic stone stands at the bridge across the Black Water River at the Rogie Falls, Strathpeffer Ross-shire
The Seer said that if the stone fell down three times, then Loch Ussie would flood the valley below so that ships could sail to Strathpeffer. The stone has fallen down twice: it is now set in concrete.
Fonab Castle
Pitlochry Scotland
Once home to the Sandeman Family the leading
Port and Sherry wine businesses in the world.
In 1790 when George Sandeman (1765-1841), the
25-year-old son of a Scottish cabinetmaker asked his father for money to set up as a wine merchant in London.
Fonab Castle beside Loch Faskally and Ben Vrackie, on the once Port-na-Craig Estate which was purchased by
George Glas Sandeman in 1890 who built a magnificent Home. History of the name Fonab can be seen as early as the 12th century.
Fonab Castle was completed in 1892.
The house transferred through the family and in
1915 till the war end in 1918 the house was a British Red Cross hospital. From 1928-46 Colonel and Mrs Kinglake Tower were occupants until they sold Fonab Castle to North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board who renamed it 'Port-na-Craig House'. The House was left by the SHEB abandoned until in 2002, when the Clark family purchased the property and changed the name back to its origin name of Fonab Castle. After many years of conservation and rebuilding the Clark family opened Fonab Castle as a luxury hotel in 2013.