Kinneil House I took a trip over to the Kinneil Estate in Bo’Ness over the weekend. I had no idea there was so much history dating over a period of 2,000 years on display here. There is a house, a museum, the Roman Antonine wall, renaissance wall paintings, James Watt’s Cottage, a Roman Fortlet, and … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 165
Inchmahome Priory This has been on my list for awhile, so I was excited to finally head up to the Lake of Menteith and see the Inchmahome Priory for myself. The remains of this Augustinian monastery are located on the largest of three islands in the lake, which means access is by boat. I’m becoming … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 163
St Fillan’s Church Next door to Aberdour Castle is St Fillan’s Church. He was a 7th century abbot of Pittenweem. Coincidentally, I visited Pittenweem last year as noted in Part 134 of this blog. As with all the early Saints, their back-story is scant and surrounded in myth. According to the guide book, St Fillan’s … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 162
Aberdour Castle There are a number of locations that were used in the filming of the Outlander series, and I visited another one recently. Aberdour Castle is one of the oldest in Scotland and well worth a visit. It is a strange combination of preserved buildings and ruins, along with a restored walled garden and … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 161
Glasgow Transport Museum As noted in Part 139 of this blog, I’m a big fan of Dali and always like to view St John on the Cross in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow whenever I can. I managed to fit in another visit, before heading over to the Transport Museum. This is one of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 160
Edinburgh Futures Institute I’ve attended two cyber security in-person conferences this summer as part of my day job. It’s always good to get away from my desk and hear what is current in the industry. Even better when I’m an attendee and not a presenter. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy presenting, but it … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 159
Canine Connection I often cut through the grounds of St Cuthbert’s Parish Church while out and about during my lunch hour. Aside from being a useful shortcut from the bottom of Lothian Road into Princess Street Gardens, it’s a picturesque and fascinating corner of historical Edinburgh and well worth a visit. One feature to keep … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 156
Limekilns If you manage to visit Culross – which I blogged about in Part 67 – it’s well worth taking the time to continue along the coast to the small village of Limekilns. It’s not on the Outlander trail as far as I’m aware so doesn’t draw in the number of tourists that Culross does. … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 102
Wallace Monument Dominating the skyline, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting place for The National Wallace Monument. Built in honour of the Scottish warrior, Sir William Wallace, this 220ft structure was designed by Scottish architect John Thomas Rochead and took eight years to build. The foundation stone was laid on Monday the 24th June … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 91
Alloa Tower I managed to make some time to visit Alloa Tower, which according to the records, is mentioned for the first time in 1495. It occupies the ancestral seat of the Erskine family, then later the Earls of Mar and Kellie, and it is the largest surviving example of a medieval fortified keep in … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 90
