Although Edinburgh has existed as an urban settlement for at least a thousand years, the city only officially became the capital of Scotland when the Parliament resided permanently here in the 1630s. Even that spell of capital status was short-lived, for after the Act of Union in 1707 it merely became the administrative centre for North Britain.
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Archive for June, 2005
The timeless appeal of Auld Reekie
Thursday, June 23rd, 2005Church of St John the Evangelist
Monday, June 20th, 2005King across the Border
Sunday, June 19th, 2005She does so because her enjoyment of the tale is obvious rather than contrived, as some have been. Moreover, she is a good storyteller. The fact that there is little or nothing new to say about this period at the start of the 17th century matters not.
For many years before the death of Elizabeth I, her courtiers, especially the Cecils, were most concerned about the succession. Robert Cecil, her last secretary, had a very clear and simple view: if there was no announced successor then one should be found and the business of putting that person on the throne should be quietly manoeuvred.
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A Leith Family
Friday, June 17th, 2005
This photo was in an old family album. There is no name on the back. I was only given a photo copy of the photo so hence the poor quality. I thought I could at least have it on a Leith site and you just never know who may see it. Maybe one of the ancestors My ancestors who probably it relates to is Robert Buchan who was born in
Edinburgh around 1835. He came to Australia and married Margaret Hannah Bain.
with acknowledgement and thanks Kathryn Lucas Australia
The secrets of the Scots’ success at Bannockburn
Wednesday, June 15th, 2005It is true that Bruce and his forces were severely outnumbered when Edward II sent some 25,000 men north to crush the Scottish insurrection once and for all at Stirling, culminating in the Battle of Bannockburn on 23-24 June 1314. However it is not the case that the smaller force was ill-equipped and unskilled.
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A town like Dallas
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005All over the world, but particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, there are hundreds of cities, towns and villages named after places in Scotland, with literally dozens of Edinburghs, Glasgows, Dundees and Aberdeens. Most, if not all, towns with Scottish names will have been founded by settlers of Scottish descent, although historical records are not always able to prove this.
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Proclamation of Banns 1888
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005
New map brings ancient Britain to life
Friday, June 10th, 2005Aimed at anyone with an interest in the early history of Britain – from schoolchildren through to archaeologists and tourists – the map helps bring the past to life.
Information on the map includes ancient roads and place names – as well as comprehensive features and illustrations on many aspects of life in the period, including land use and settlement sites. Photographs, showing how many of the sites look today, are also used to give context.
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Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig
Tuesday, June 7th, 2005He saw active sevice in the Sudan in 1898 and the Boer War (1899-1902). He served in Egypt, South Africa and India, and on his return to India, was promoted to Colonel and then Major-General – the youngest officer of that rank in the British Army.
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