Nigel's Photo Blog

Introduction In 2025 Glasgow celebrated it's 850th anniversary . This afternoon I am dipping into the early years with information on still extant sites from the medieval times. Information on Medieval Glasgow   This report covers the period roughly spanning the years 1119 to 1492. This was a period during which Glasgow’s medieval ecclesiastical centre, based on the Cathedral , played an important role in the economic development of the town. Although much of the medieval town lies under Victorian architecture, there are visible remains which provide hints to the past, as illustrated below.    WEST PORT  This was the western entrance to the medieval burgh. Image below shows view from the head of Argyle Street towards Trongate.    West Port, Glasgow, Scotland   NEW VENNEL  This was an alley providing access to Bridgegate which was a busy residential and business area.  New Vennel, Glasgow, Scotland   T...

  Introduction This evening, I am providing information on Tarbert Castle which is situated close to the popular tourist village of Tarbert . Location is S.W. Scotland on the southern shore of East Loch Tarbert. Information on Tarbert Castle The name Tarbert and its variants can be found in many places around Scotland. It means an isthmus or crossing place where boats could be hauled out of one stretch of water and transported to another. Usually associated with the Viking/Norse era  A castle was built on the site (overlooking the harbour) during the 13th century with the tower house added in the 16th century. It is the latter which represents the most visible remains.The location also affords views of Loch Fyne and beyond to the Firth of Clyde. In 1494 the castle was captured by King James IV from John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles.Another military event occurred in 1687 when Walter Campbell seized the castle in an action connected with the Monmouth rebellion in England. The ...

Yesterday evening, my wife and myself attended a screening of 'Hamnet'. Hamnet is an excellent film based on a novel by filmmaker and author, Maggie O'Farrell. It focuses on an early stage of William Shakespeare's life, from about age 19 years until around age 35 years.This period covers his marriage to Agnes (Anne) Hathaway, birth of his three children (Susanna followed by twins Judith and Hamnet (Hamlet) ) and the death of the latter at age 11 years from the plague. It is believed that the death of Hamnet inspired Shakespeare to write Hamlet. Latter being a famous tragedy about a prince who seeks revenge for his father's murder. Note that Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable names in Shakespeare's time. The film explores the parents' deep trauma on Hamnet's death set against a backdrop of ( inter alia ) the rich greens of Warwickshire countryside, birthing scenes, deathbed scenes and a performance of Hamlet at London's Globe Theatre. The overwhel...

Introduction This afternoon, I am posting information on a memorial to one of the most infamous events in Scottish history.   MacDonald Massacre Memorial, Glencoe   Information on the Glencoe Massacre On February 13th 1692 a 130 strong unit of British military comprised mainly of men from Clan Campbell massacred approximately 40 members of the Clan MacDonald community in Glencoe. Many members of the clan escaped into the mountains but in the wintry conditions many of these survivors succumbed to hypothermia and starvation. The ultimate death toll may have been in the 90s. The ostensible reason for the massacre was an edict issued by King William III requiring all clan chieftains to sign an oath of allegiance by Jan 1st 1692. The MacDonald chief was 6 days light in signing the required oath. However, long-running tensions between the MacDonalds and neighbouring Campbells combined with the Government’s irritation with the MacDonald chief resulted in a milit...

Currently the Highlands and N.E (e.g. Aberdeen region) are experiencing extensive snow falls. Whilst here in the S.W. we have icy conditions and heavy precipitation but no snow as yet. Tomorrow, strong winds are forecast. Yesterday, an elderly gent died following a fall on an icy pavement (side walk) in East Kilbride.. As I can testify from personal experience the black ice was particularly treacherous. Here is a video clip of local waterfall in full spate reflecting volume of the rainfall.  Black Ice    More information For more information on Glasgow and Scotland in general please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle .      

  Tonight, I am posting a portfolio of nine images of original works by Alasdair Gray (1934-2019), a Scottish artist.   The artwork includes original design for Gray's novel, 'Poor Things'. The portfolio is on display at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum , Glasgow, Scotland until June 5th 2026. The display shows aspects of Gray's artistic practice and how he created artworks for publications      This post connects nicely with Scottish art, architecture and culture . More Information For more information on Glasgow and many other aspects of Scotland please refer to the Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle.