Scottish Clans and Castles

13/01/2025

The ‘Rest and be Thankful Pass’ 48 hours ago! So named by the soldiers who built it in 1753 as part of the network of military roads built across the Highlands. They placed a stone at the highest point commemorating their efforts .

09/01/2025

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0026gc0/fergie-the-ceilidh-king Great to see this tribute to the wonderful musician Fergie Macdonald who died last year. We at Clans and Castles are big admirers of him and his family who run a superb hotel, Mingarry Park in his native Moidart in the West Highlands. Fond memories of Fergie showing us and clients nearby Castle Tioram and telling us folk tales and history of the area.

Mingarry Park Luxury Accommodation and Restaurant Clan Ranald Tioram Castle

A’ dèanamh luaidh air am fear-ciùil Fergie Dòmhnallach à Loch Abar a chaochail na bu thràithe am-bliadhna. Tribute to Lochaber musician Fergie MacDonald who died this year.

06/01/2025

Happy Epiphany! Today marks not just the end of Christmas but the anniversary of the naval battle of Epiphany in 1156, when the great Highland hero Somerled, ancestor of the Macdonald and Macdougall clans, defeated the Vikings and brought Islay and the southern Hebrides under his control.

05/01/2025

Queen Mary of Denmark has a new coast of arms this New Year referencing her Scottish roots. They are a blend of the Danish royal arms and the Macdonald crest of a black ship backed by a red eagle. Queen Mary’s maiden same is Donaldson, and her parents emigrated to Australia from Scotland in the 1960’s. Congratulations your Majesty! https://www.kongehuset.dk/nyheder/nye-kongelige-flag

History ScotlandUnited Scottish Clans of OklahomaClan Donald USA HeraldryClan Donald USAClan Donald USA Southeast RegionClan Donald Society of NSW, Australia Inc.Clan Donald USA-Pacific Northwest RegionClans And Scottish Societies Of Canada (CASSOC)Council of Scottish Clans & Associations Clan Donald Society of NSW, Australia Inc.

I forbindelse med det nye kongevåben, er det blevet besluttet at ajourføre de kongelige flag. Kongeflaget har det nye kongelige våben i spunsen (midterfeltet), mens et nyt flag er indfør...

31/12/2024

19/12/2024

Lovely to be featured in this weeks Economist Magazine, article below-

Here’s a pub-quiz question: which is Britain’s most-visited battlefield? No, it is not the site of the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror triumphed in 1066, but that of the Battle of Culloden, where in 1746 the Duke of Cumberland squashed the remnants of the Jacobite uprising within Scotland. Culloden had twice as many tourists as Hastings last year. It also had a 76% rise in visits over the year before.
That is partly thanks to a surge in ancestry tourism. Matthew Alexander of the University of Strathclyde says genealogy apps like Ancestry.com are making it easier for people with Scottish roots to trace the villages and towns of their forefathers. Culloden has become a pilgrimage site for such visitors.
The trend in heritage travel goes beyond battlefields. A partnership between Airbnb, a home-rental site, and 23andMe, which provides at-home genetic testing kits, will enable customers to browse through offerings of rentals and experiences in their “native” country. The Scottish government has developed a search engine called Scotland’s People to help travellers trace their ancestors. Private genealogists are on hand to help those arriving in Scotland track down their forebears. Tour operators are offering bespoke itineraries for travellers wishing to combine golfing and whisky-tasting with a visit to great-great grandma’s grave. Tom Miers, director of Scottish Clans and Castles, a customised tour company, reckons that about half of his (mostly American) clients have links to Scotland.
A recent survey from VisitScotland, the country’s tourism organisation, found that 70% of long-haul visitors claimed Scottish ancestry and 34% cited it as a motivating factor for their visit. Fortunately for the Scottish economy, there are plenty of foreign Scots. In the century after Culloden, as many as 70,000 emigrated. Some 40m Scottish descendants now live in the diaspora. Luring more of them, above all Americans who spend the most, could further boost a thriving industry. Last year long-haul tourists spent £3.6bn ($4.5bn), a 41% rise over 2019. Prices have also risen: between 2019 and 2024 the cost of summer hotel rooms grew 74% more in Edinburgh than in London, according to Amadeus, a travel-data firm.
Mr Alexander notes that Scottish-ancestry tourism stands out because of its link with the clan system and a romanticised idea of Scottish culture: “If a tourist comes along and says they are descended from Robert the Bruce, what are you going to say?” he observes.

30/11/2024

Happy St. Andrews Day, Scotland-lovers!!





St. Andrew's Society of Toronto Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis

21/11/2024

On this day in 1835 James Hogg, Scotland's most unlikely novelist, and famous author of Confessions of a Justified Sinner, died.





Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis Scotland's People Historic ScotlandSt. Andrew's Society of Toronto

15/11/2024

Anniversary of Greyfriars Bobby's statue today, commemorating the 14 years he sat by his master's grave! Now one of the must see tourist attractions in Edinburgh.

14/11/2024

Amazing to see!

30/10/2024

Congratulations to Achnacarry Estate which is the seat of the chiefs of Clan Cameron!

A tree on the estate, the Skipinnish Oak, has been named UK Tree of the Year in the The Woodland Trust competition. First discovered by experts at the 2009 gathering, it is thought to be at least 400 years old, and potentially up to 1,000 years old.

It is named after the well known Scottish band Skipinnish, who were playing at the gathering. They knew of the tree and led the conservationists to where it was hidden.

Have you seen the tree? Let us know your stories of it!

United Scottish Clans of OklahomaClan CameronClan Cameron NZClan Cameron MuseumClan CameronNorthern Lights Branch, Clan Cameron Association North America Clans and Scottish Societies of CanadaClans And Scottish Societies Of Canada (CASSOC)

14/10/2024

Today in Scottish History:

1322 - Robert the Bruce defeats (proud) Edward II's army at the Battle of Bannockburn, forcing England to accept Scottish Independence!




Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis Historic Scotland Scotlands Genealogy group Scotland

13/10/2024

Today in Scottish History: Allan Ramsay, famed Scottish portrait painter, was born in 1713.

He was famously posted as "painter in ordinary" to King George III (painted by Ramsay below)




History Scotland Historic Scotland History of Scotland Historical Scotland Group VisitScotland

10/10/2024

When you you put a Duke (and Clan Chief of the Campbells) and a Knight (who is a singing sensation) in a castle celebrating whisky on a Monday night....you get a great start to the week! 😀

United Scottish Clans of OklahomaClans and Scottish Societies of CanadaCLAN CAMPBELLThe Stewart SocietyClan StewartRod StewartAtholl Estates and Blair CastleScottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. LouisThe Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America

The Duke of Argyll, Grand Master of the Keepers of the Quaich is joined by Sir Rod Stewart CBE as he is made an Honorary member of the society at Blair Castle on Monday.

Congratulations Sir Rod! 🥃🏰

07/10/2024

Nessie just sighted on sonar!

According to The Telegraph, a local 30 year old man spotted the outline on his ship's sensors.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/04/sailor-finds-loch-ness-monster-sonar/






Visit Inverness Loch Ness VisitScotland

03/10/2024

Sad to hear that Michael Ancram, the Marquess of Lothian and Chief of the Kerr Clan, has passed away. RIP.

Scottish Clans United Scottish Clans of Oklahoma Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada Scottish Genealogy Society North Coast Scottish society Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis St. Andrew's Society of Toronto

28/09/2024

What a journey!

26/09/2024

Just to remind our clients that the new ETAs (Electronic Travel Authorisations) are coming into force, which means that all travellers to Scotland who do not have a visa, will need one. Very easy to apply and only £10. See info below

The UK Government has announced the next phase in the roll out of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs).