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| Tuesday 13th May 2008 |  | |||||||||||||
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Scotland Magazine author John HannavyMedieval treasuresJohn Hannavy embarks on a new series exploring Scotland's many historic churches, abbeys and cathedrals. Could Dan Brown have had any idea of the effect his brief mention of Rosslyn Chapel in his bestseller The da Vinci Code would have on the little church a few miles south of Edinburgh? In the months following the publication of the book, the number of visitors making their way to the 15th century bui... Scotland Churches from Issue 36 published on 14/12/2007 It has to be HarrisIn the last of our series on Scottish islands, John Hannavy turns to the Hebridean Isle of Harris I know Lewis and Harris are really two parts of the same island, and now know that the isthmus [a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses, bordered on two sides by water] at Tarbert is not the dividing line between the two that I always assumed it was. But they are so different in cha... Scottish Islands from Issue 35 published on 15/11/2007 Legendary LewisJohn Hannavy captures the beauty of the Lewis, the northern part of the largest Hebridean Island Despite have travelled extensively throughout Scotland with my camera for more than 40 years, there are still countless places I want to visit before I check out. One of those, until recently, was Callanish, Scotland’s most famous and stunning group of standing stones. A visit to Lewis and Harris in... Scottish Islands from Issue 34 published on 30/08/2007 Secret island escapeColonsay and Oronsay are two bleak but beautiful islands just south of Mull on Scotland’s west coast. John Hannavy reports It was an oasis of light against the darkening night sky – Caledonian MacBrayne’s ferry making an evening departure from Scalasaig Pier on the Hebridean island of Colonsay. Generating more electric light than all the houses on the island put together, the bright shape of the departing ship could sti... Scottish Islands from Issue 33 published on 22/06/2007 An island of contrasts (Isle of Mull)The Isle of Mull in Scotland's Inner Hebrides is more than just a coach ride to Iona. John Hannavy reports Iona is the day-trip centre of the Hebrides. The CalMac ferry MV Isle of Mull leaves Oban mid-morning, every morning, packed with visitors bound for the tiny island. They arrive at Craignure on Mull and are met by a fleet of coaches which snake their way down the single track roads to the south west... Scottish Islands from Issue 32 published on 13/04/2007 Now who be ye, would cross Loch Gyle? (Ulva)John Hannavy visits Ulva, a tiny island off the west coast of Mull My title this time comes from a line in a traditional Scottish poem by Thomas Campbell entitled Lord Ullin’s Daughter, a story of forbidden love, and the tragic efforts of the girl’s father to part the young couple. A Chieftain to the Highlands bound Cries ‘boatman, do not tarry! And I’ll give the... Scottish Islands from Issue 31 published on 16/02/2007 A changing SkyeJohn Hannavy visits the beautiful island of Skye To many people, the opening of the Skye Bridge a decade ago did something irreparable to Skye’s island status. Before 1995, there were only three ways of getting there – and they all required getting on a boat and sailing across a stretch of water. Arriving on Skye across the bridge, it is almost p... Scottish Islands from Issue 30 published on 01/12/2006 Enticing islesJohn Hannavy visits the west coast islands of Islay and Jura Islay and Jura are more directly reached from the mainland by the short sailing from Kennacraig on Kintyre, but they came into our itinerary as part of a round trip island-hopping voyage from Oban via Colonsay. It was a relatively short sail south from Scalasaig on Colonsay to Port Askaig on Islay ... Scottish Islands from Issue 29 published on 25/10/2006 Northern land of wonderIn the latest of island features by John Hannavy, we look at the Orkney Islands A long drive to Scrabster prefaced our crossing of the Pentland Firth to Stromness, our port of entry into the Orkney Islands. We sailed past Hoy, with its amazing rock stacks, which draw so many intrepid climbers to the islands, and in to the harbour at Stromness on the west of Orkney’s largest is... Scottish Islands from Issue 28 published on 20/09/2006 Lismore's long historyIn the latest in his series on lesser known islands, John Hannavy visits Lismore My first sight of the island of Lismore was from Duart Castle on Mull in early summer 1991 – a blue grey pencil of land just visible in the distance, and lying quietly beneath a spectacular low rainbow on Loch Linnhe. Less than a week later, back in Oban, my young son and I were boarding the little... Scottish Islands from Issue 27 published on 09/06/2006 Idyllic EasdaleThe first in a new series of island features. Written and photographed by John Hannavy Across the ‘Atlantic Bridge’ over Clachan Sound to Seil Island, 10 minutes in what was probably the only traffic jam the island had ever experienced as water mains were replaced, and a short journey on the twisting B844 brought us down to the hamlet and harbour at Ellenabeich – itself once an island... Scottish Islands from Issue 26 published on 21/04/2006 Scotland's lonely lakeScotland has plenty of lochs but just one lake. Written and photographed by John Hannavy No one seems quite clear as to why Menteith is a lake rather than a loch. It has been suggested that it was given the title because it “looks English” – but the steep mountains which partly surround it make it unmistakably Scottish. Another suggestion for the English name style is the abundance of ... Scottish Waterways from Issue 25 published on 17/02/2006 A glimpse of scott's EdinburghPart six of our journey through Scott’s Scotland. Written and photographed by John Hannavy When Henry Fox Talbot published Sun Pictures in Scotland in 1845 – the first picture book dedicated to the life and works of Sir Walter Scott – he concentrated almost exclusively on Scott’s beloved border country and the Trossachs settings of several of his most popular works. Despite the importanc... Scottish Landscapes from Issue 24 published on 05/01/2006 Illuminating landscapesThe fifth part of our series walking in the footsteps of Scott. Written and photographed by John Hannavy In the introduction to the first edition of The Bridal of Triermain, Scott wrote a brief essay on the role of the poet, the different styles of poetry, and the expectations of the reader. In it, he suggested that “in a word, the author is absolute master of his country and its inhabitants, and ever... Scottish Landscapes from Issue 23 published on 14/10/2005 Epic tales & Border balladsJohn Hannavycontinues his series tracing the footsteps of Sir Walter Scott Any writer will tell you that writing about what you know is easier than making it all up! Using locations with strong personal ties draws on your own memories, and helps you weave your own emotional responses into the narrative. Sir Walter Scott was no exception. Scott’s family associations with t... Scottish Landscapes from Issue 22 published on 10/08/2005 In the footsteps in Scott part 3In the latest chapter of Walter Scott’s travels in Scotland we travel to Rob Roy country. Words and pictures: John Hannavy Weaving historical facts and figures into his writing was one of Walter Scott’s recurrent strokes of genius – legend meets literature against that beautifully drawn landscape for which Scott’s writings are renowned. It was that marriage of fact and fiction which caught the Victorian imagination – an... Scottish Landscapes from Issue 21 published on 10/07/2005 More wanderings in Scott’s stepsJohn Hannavy on the trail of Sir Walter Scott’s landscapes One of the most enduringly appealing aspects of Sir Walter Scott’s writings was his ability to evoke the various faces and moods of the Scottish landscape in his works. Read some of his descriptions – actually they go beyond mere description – and you can see the places, experience the terrain, feel... Scottish Landscapes from Issue 20 published on 10/04/2005 Not all castles are castlesWhen is a castle not a castle? John Hannavy looks at some buildings that don’t qualify as castles but aren’t far off. For this, the last, of my journeys around the castles of Scotland, I have been much further north than before – the most northerly location this time is Kirkwall, capital of Orkney, while the most southerly is near Kingussie. I am also being somewhat perverse, because not one of the buildings featur... Scottish Castles from Issue 19 published on 20/3/2005 In the footsteps of ScottJohn Hannavy picks sites linked to the great Scottish poet and novelist, Sir Walter Scott The Chatelaine of Abbotsford, Miss Jean Maxwell-Scott, took a few minutes to decide which key from the massive keyring would open the elaborate cabinet, but eventually she retrieved the 160 year old Visitor’s Book. Opening it on the page for October 24th 1844, there was the signature I had been look... Scottish Castles from Issue 18 published on 8/1/2005 Castles that are still aliveMany of Scotland's finest castles are still thriving. John Hannavy picks his favourites While it is the romantic turreted ruin sitting on a high rock which typifies most people’s image of Scotland’s castles, many of the countries most impressive buildings have been maintained and lived in for centuries. Others, sketched and painted as romantic ruins in Victorian times, have been loving... Scottish Castles from Issue 17 published on 29/11/2004 You take the low road...John Hannavy visits some of the spectacular castles to the south of Edinburgh and Glasgow While many of the country’s most immediately recognisable castles are located around the central belt, you don’t have to travel very far into Scotland before some spectacular castles and towers come within easy reach. CASTLE KENNEDY Castle Kennedy is one of a number of impressive castles in Dumfrie... Scottish Castles from Issue 16 published on 15/9/2004 Royal castles and palacesJohn Hannavy’s castle trail takes him to the very best royal castles and palaces Our subjects this month are Scotland’s two greatest castles, and the country’s three finest palaces. Between them, they have embraced centuries of Scottish history, and visiting them today presents a unique picture of Scotland’s past all within a relatively few miles’ driving. To many visitors to S... Scottish Castles from Issue 15 published on 18/7/2004 The scars of age and battleJohn Hannavy taps in to the special atmosphere created by many ruined castles Looking at the ruins of so many of our country’s great castles, the visitor today can often still pick up some of the resonance which lingers from the great sieges of Scotland’s turbulent past. That is very much the case with most of the castles in this issue’s selection. The battle scars worn with ... Scottish Castles from Issue 14 published on 2/5/2004 Mary's Royal ProgressMary Queen of Scots got around a bit, so John Hannavy decided to take another look at sme of her residences In the second feature in this series (in Issue 10 of Scotland Magazine), we looked at some of the Scottish castles associated with Mary Queen of Scots, and as there are so many of them, visiting a second selection seems appropriate. We start at the spectacular Castle Campbell, perched high on the h... Scottish Castles from Issue 13 published on 25/3/2004 Standing GuardJohn Hannavy looks at fortress castles on Scotland's coastline Sailing up the River Forth in mediaeval times, be you welcome guest or unwelcome foe, the sight that greeted you as you approached Blackness would have sent a chill through even the hardiest sailor. Blackness Castle – shaped unmistakably like a ship, its prow towards the prevailing winds off the est... Scottish Castles from Issue 12 published on 19/1/2004 Covert Castles on the coastJohn Hannavy discovers some lesser-known gems Probably no more than five per cent of Scotland is well visited and well known, and no more than five per cent of Scottish castles are instantly recognisable. It follows therefore that 95 per cent of Scotland must be little known or unknown to most people, and the same must go for the castles strew... Scottish Castles from Issue 11 published on 17/11/2003 Mary Queen of Scots was hereA GUIDE TO THE HISTORIC HOMES OF THE GREAT MONARCH. WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN HANNAVY The history of some of Scotland’s most spectacular castles is inexorably linked with that of Scotland’s most famous queen – Mary Queen of Scots. The romantic ruins and the tragic queen are what makes exploring Scotland’s history special, and what keeps drawing us back again and again to the remote ... Scottish Castles from Issue 10 published on 5/9/2003 Land of a thousand castlesWRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN HANNAVY Scotland, in the minds of most of us, is defined by its rugged mountains and lochs, and by its spectacular castles. Just how many of them there actually are, probably nobody knows – and few have to time to count them all. After spending several decades photographing the well-known, and some of the ... Scottish Castles from Issue 9 published on 20/7/2003 To that dark inn The GraveThe village churchyard is an accurate map of the common man from years gone by in danger of disappearing. Words and pictures by John Hannavy The village churchyard seems a quintessentially British creation. It figures strongly in literature, the frequently chosen setting for a variety of liaisons far removed from those which necessarily took place at the graveside. It has played host to scenes of horror, and romance – both fictional and... Scottish Churchyards from Issue 3 published on 5/7/2002 |  | ||||||||||||
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