Dunblane Cathedral Whenever I’m abroad I like to visit churches and cathedrals. Travelling around Scotland, it’s no different. Generally speaking, they are not as grand and ornate as some I’ve visited across Europe, but they have their own distinct character and presence. Visiting churches is not a religious thing on my part. I love history … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 113
Auchinbaird Windmill This structure is located just off a modern housing estate, so it’s good to see that it hasn’t fallen foul of misguided planning decisions. I take a lot of photographs, usually every day. I’m so pleased with the image I took that day which accompanies this blog post. There were two good ones … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 110
Sauchie Tower I’m always astonished how such buildings can survive for so long, often tucked away in odd corners, in many instances hidden off road, away from the main thoroughfares. Decades pass, centuries even, and despite politics, battles, climate change and misguided planning decisions, such structures weather everything life throws at them. According to the … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 109
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
Queen Mary’s Bath House Scotland never fails to amaze me with its many historical treasures tucked or hidden away in the most unexpected of places. In Edinburgh, Queen Mary’s Bath House is one of these buildings which has survived the almost inevitable destruction of the surrounding area that comes from modernisation. If you ever make … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 99
Dunfermline Abbey and Palace One of the great things about living in Scotland is, no matter where you stay, you are never far from an exciting and impressive site, steeped in tradition and history. It’s often remarked that many of us don’t appreciate what is on our own doorsteps, and for folk living in Central, … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 98
Linlithgow Palace In Part 90 of this blog series, I noted I often have the impression I’m following in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots. In keeping with this I decided to take a trip out to Linlithgow Palace, which is in fact the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. It is a bit … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 97
House of the Binns The House of the Binns has been the family home of the Dalyells for the last 400 years. Set in magnificent Scottish countryside outside Linlithgow, it provides a great view of the River Forth from the grounds. You can see Blackness castle from there and across the water Limekilns and Culross … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 93
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
The Fiction Factory 