Nigel's Photo Blog

A few days ago I paid a visit to the city of Stirling in central Scotland. This included a walk around the burial ground connected to the Church of the Holy Rude which is adjacent to Stirling Castle . The latter was a British Army base until the 1960s. The church burial ground is popular with visitors. Whilst walking along one of the paths I noticed an eroded and inconspicuous small memorial which refers to various battles and sieges during the Second Boer War which occurred Oct 11th, 1899-   May 31st 1902.I assume the memorial's location is due to proximity to the castle and it's military connections. Several Scottish regiments played an active role in the conflict. The Boer War took place in South Africa when the Boers (descendants of Dutch farmers) were challenging Britain's endeavours to incorporate the region into it's empire.Although the British forces ultimately prevailed such victory came at a huge cost of military and civilian suffering. For ease of reference...

  Introduction This evening, I am focusing on an interesting example of 17th century Scottish philanthropy. This is manifested in Cowane’s Hospital which is located in Stirling Old Town, Scotland. This is close to the Church of Holy Rude and within a short walk of the famous castle . John Cowane Statue at Cowane’s Hospital, Stirling , Scotland  Information on Cowane's Hospital John Cowane ( 1570-1633) was a wealthy and influential businessman of 17th century Stirling who held the position of Commissioner to the Scots Parliament. Cowane left funds for his eponymous ‘hospital’ which in his time meant a refuge or hospice type establishment for members of the local guild (business grouping) who were in need of help. The Hospital was built during period 1637-1649 and was also used as a meeting place for guild members. Today, the historic building is open to the public. Inside can be found a coffee shop, resident artist and herbal soap manufac...