Scotland Magazine section Questions and Answers

Everything you need to know about...Scottish weaponry Part 2: Antique guns and gunnery

Effective siege weaponry employing gunpowder only started to emerge in Scottish warfare during the 15th century. With huge guns capable of hurling stones weighing as much as 350 kilograms over a distance of 25 miles, Scotland’s fortifications, which until then were largely fabricated in wood, requir...

By Sally Toms from Issue 40 published on 15/08/2008

Andrew Bradford's Grampians, Orkney and Shetland

Andrew Bradford, Manager of Kincardine Estate, gives us his views of the region

Q: Why did you choose to live and work in the Grampians? A: I took over the running of my family’s estate in Deeside. I grew up here and anyone who has travelled would appreciate that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and one of the finest places to live. Q: How would you describe th...

By Dominic Roskrow from Issue 11 published on 17/11/2003

Iona Argyll and The Isles

THE DUCHESS OF ARGYLL, WHO HAS LIVED AT INVERARAY CASTLE FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, TAKES US THROUGH THE ATTRACTIONS OF HER HOME REGION

Q: How would you describe the area to those who have never visited? A: I am fortunate enough to live in one of Scotland’s most spectacular regions. From the window of my home I can look out at Loch Fyne, with the town of Inveraray to one side – across the loch is a sweeping vista of hills and the l...

By from Issue 10 published on 5/9/2003

Elspeth King's Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs

ELSPETH KING HAS BEEN DIRECTOR OF THE STIRLING SMITH ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM SINCE 1994, AND SHARES HER LOVE OF THE REGION AND ITS RICH HISTORY

Director of the Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Elspeth King explains: 'The Smith is in the King’s Park of Stirling, the ancient hunting and pleasure ground of the Stuart monarchs. Part of the royal gardens survive in the form of a 15th-century knot garden. The Smith was founded in 1874, and contain...

By Dominic Roskrow from Issue 9 published on 20/7/2003

Josef Tarnowski's Fife

ORIGINALLY FROM POLAND, JOSEF TARNOWSKI TRAVELLED OVER 30,000 MILES IN AN AMAZING JOURNEY WHICH FINALLY ENDED IN ST ANDREWS, FIFE

Q: Tell us a little about your life history, and how you came to settle in Fife. A: I was born in Poland. I joined the underground resistance after the country’s invasion by the Soviet Union in 1939, was arrested and sentenced to 10 years hard labour in a Siberian camp. The average survival period ...

By Dominic Roskrow from Issue 8 published on 17/5/2003

Rosamunde Pilcher's Perthshire and Kinross

BEST-SELLING NOVELIST ROSAMUNDE PILCHER HAS LIVED AND WORKED IN
PERTHSHIRE & KINROSS FOR 57 YEARS, AND GIVES HER IMPRESSIONS OF THE REGION

Q: How long have you lived and worked in Perthshire? A: I have lived in Perthshire for nearly 57 years, and been working writing and selling fiction for just about as long a time. Q: Describe the region to someone who has never visited it. A: Between Dundee and Perth lie the rich arable farmlands...

By Dominic Roskrow from Issue 7 published on 7/3/2003

Sir Iain Noble's Hebrides

BANKER, ENTREPRENEUR AND LANDOWNER SIR IAIN NOBLE, BASED ON THE ISLE OF SKYE FOR OVER 30 YEARS, SHARES HIS IMPRESSIONS OF THE ISLANDS

In 1969, established entrepreneur Sir Iain Noble decided to buy the Eilean Iarmain estate on Skye. There he founded the Gaelic whisky company Pràban na Linne, and made the ultimate commitment to the islands: becoming a fluent Gaelic speaker. Q: What first brought you to the Hebrides? A: I became i...

By from Issue 6 published on 6/2/2003

Jamie McGrigor's Highlands

This issue’s Q&A features jamie mcgrigor, member of scottish parliament for the highlands and islands since 1999 and owner of an extensive hill farm for over 25 years

Q: How long have you lived/worked in the area? A: My parents moved to Argyll when I was six. Although I was educated and worked south of the border for a time, I returned permanently to Argyll 27 years ago where I own a hill sheep and cattle farm. Q: What are the area’s main attractions, in you...

By Jamie McGrigor from Issue 4 published on 9/9/2002

Tony Archer's Speyside

This issue's Q&A features Tony Archer, Manager of the Moray Firth wildlife centre. Also the centre's founder, he has been running the project for five years.

Q: How long have you lived/worked in the area? A: I have lived in Moray for 10 years now, having moved here from the north-west Sutherland coast, where we lived for 10 years after moving up to Scotland from York. Q: How would you describe the area to someone who’s never been? A: Magnificent! Mor...

By Marcin Miller from Issue 3 published on 5/7/2002

Fiona Armstrong's Dumfries and Galloway

The broadcaster and writer manages to combine a high-profile media career with a rural existence

Fiona has worked for ITN and the BBC, helps front Border TV’s evening news and has her own production company, Border Heritage. She has written two fishing books and a cookbook and writes for magazines and newspapers. Q: How long have you lived in Dumfries & Galloway? A: For the past 10 years. Be...

By Marcin Miller from Issue 2 published on 5/6/2002

Gordon Ramsay: My Glasgow

The famous chef takes a few minutes to talk about the city he loves

Famed for his outbursts in the kitchen in the quest for culinary brilliance, the perfectionist chef has returned to the city of his birth, Glasgow, to open a new restaurant, Amaryllis. The restaurant has just earned a Michelin Star to embellish its – and Gordon’s – growing reputation. Q: How long h...

By from Issue 1 published on 5/3/2002

Nick Nairn's Glasgow

Gordon Ramsay is not the only famous chef working in Glasgow - Nick's resturant, Nairns, has been open since 1997. We caught up with Nick to find out about his Glasgow

Nick became a chef after leaving the Merchant Navy in 1983 – and learned his trade quickly. In 1991 he earned his first Michelin Star, and in 1996 was the focus of a BBC series and book, Wild Harvest. Q: How long have you lived and/or worked in Glasgow? A: I’ve lived in Glasgow on and off for 15 ye...

By Marcin Miller from Issue 1 published on 5/3/2002