Caledonia Heritage

Kirkoswald Old Church dates back to 1244 when the monks of Crossraguel Abbey built a stone church to replace the shrine commemorating the great battle fought by St Oswald in 634 AD against the Welsh king, Cadwallon at Heavenfield, near Hexham. The word “kirk” means “church”. It is also possible that Robert the Bruce [...]

Since Ayrshire is Burns country and I’ve just returned from there, I thought I’d add more to the Burns theme by introducing you to the cottage of Souter Johnnie in Kirkoswald, Ayrshire. Souter Johnnie was a character from the famous Tam O’Shanter poem which Burns wrote in 1790 and is based on one of [...]

William Burns, the father of Robert Burns, leased a small piece of land in 1757 in Alloway where he built the little cottage that is now famous the world over as Burns Cottage. William married his sweetheart, Agnes, in December of that year and a year later, their first son, Robert, was born on 25 [...]

Skara Brae is one of the oldest neolithic places in Europe and although I haven’t actually been there, it’s one place I’d definitely love to visit some day because it is just so fascinating.

Skara Brae is on the southern shore of Sandwick in Orkney and was discovered in 1850 when a great storm battered the [...]