Scottish Clans and Castles

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).

03/09/2024

Jamie, 21st Lord Sempill, provides a personal view of the Forbes of Craigievar Castle. William Forbes of Menie and Craigievar was the younger brother of Patrick Forbes, Bishop of Aberdeen. They were descended from the Forbes of Corse, cousins to Lord Forbes, Chief of one of the most powerful families in the North East. William, nicknamed “Danzig Willie”, went on to make a substantial fortune as a merchant, trading timber in the Baltic. In 1610 he bought the barony of Craigievar with a simple tower house which William radically improved. His son, Sir William Forbes, had the advantage of inheriting the estates at the age of 24, including his father’s fortune. This enabled him in 1630 to purchase a Nova Scotia Barontecy. His son, Sir John Forbes, “Red” Sir John inherited the estate and the baronetcy in 1648 at the age of 12. His sixth son, Sir Arthur Forbes, 1709-1773, 4th Baronet of Craigievar, inherited the estate in 1725 at the age of 12. He became the MP for Aberdeenshire from 1732 until 1747. His grandson Sir William Forbes, 5th Baronet of Craigievar, inherited at the age of 23. Little is known about his heir, Sir Arthur Forbes, 6th Baronet of Craigievar. Sir Arthur’s death in 1823 resulted in the inheritance by his brother Sir John Forbes, 7th Baronet of Craigievar. In his will he split the estate and leaves Corse to his youngest son James Ochonar Forbes. Today the Corse estate is still owned by his descendants. His other son, Sir William Forbes, 8th Baronet of Craigievar, also became the 17th Lord Sempill, which was passed down through his mother. His son John Forbes-Sempill, became the 9th Baronet of Craigievar & 18th Lord Sempill. He became a Representative Peer of Scotland from 1910 to 1934. The final laird was William Forbes-Sempill, 10th Baronet of Craigievar & 19th Lord Sempill. On his death in 1965, Craigievar was gifted to the National Trust of Scotland.

Learn more here: https://www.clan-forbes.org/post/forbes-of-craigievar-personal-view

14/08/2024

Amazing! How did they transport it?

Stonehenge's famous Altar Stone came from Scotland not Wales as previously thought, new analysis shows.

06/06/2024

Wonderful photos from D-Day commemorations today. One of our hero's was Billy Milin who was Lord Lovat’s piper. He went in to action on the beachhead in Normandy, without a weapon, just his pipes. One of thousands of Scots involved on that historic day.

Here is a picture of him in 1944 practising with his fellow solders.
He survived D- Day and lived to the ripe old age of 88.

📸War Office official photographer, Evans, J L (Capt)