Culture
A look at the Scottish play and the real Macbeth
An exploration of Shakespeare’s Scottish play is coming to our TV screens this week. Cathy MacDonald finds the Gaelic roots of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and explores the landscape where the real history happened and she discovers that the real King Macbeth was very different to Shakespeare’s cruel villain. Cathy visits the Birnam Oak, all that remains…
Read MoreThe Scot who has been forgotten in his homeland
Despite having earned a remarkable reputation as ‘the peacemaker’ in Ghana, Banffshire’s George Maclean has long been forgotten in his native land. There are names in history that have been lost in the folds of time, and while George Maclean may be remembered in foreign lands, the same cannot be said for him back in…
Read MoreJohn Stephens-Orr – the snapper to the stars
In the 1950s and 60s, having your portrait taken by dapper snapper John Stephens-Orr bestowed real social cachet. David McNeil shares his experiences of working with the Scottish society photographer. In 1963 I was a 17-year-old trainee commercial artist with an advertising agency in Glasgow. The boss called me in one day and told me…
Read MoreJohn Hunter left a body of work behind him
Self-taught John Hunter was the most famous surgeon of his age – but the man who was the inspiration for Jekyll and Hyde had no qualms about acquiring stolen corpses on which to perfect his skills. Everyone knows the story of Jekyll and Hyde. But few realise that the setting for the gothic tale of…
Read MoreA Scottish top ten of world records
When it comes to world-beating feats we Scots have consistently punched above our ‘small country’ weight . Here we look at some of the brilliant, brave and often bonkers records set and challenged by Scots over the years. 1. Winning the international toss As caber-tossing is one of the most iconic aspects of Scotland, it…
Read MoreCharities benefit from £1million from the Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will donate £1 million to 13 UK military charities and arts organisations this year. This will bringing its total charitable contributions to more than £12 million since the event began in 1950. A sum of £775,000 will be awarded to nine Armed Services beneficiaries including ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, The…
Read MoreSilent classics coming to Scottish cinema
A flavour of cinema from a century is coming to a Scottish cinema. HippFest has launched its third Taste of Silents season at Scotland’s oldest cinema – the Hippodrome in Bo’ness – where HippFest (The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival) takes place each year. A Taste of Silents aims to introduce new audiences to the rich…
Read MoreThe sixth Cumnock Tryst is ready to begin
Sir James MacMillan is opening the 2019 edition of The Cumnock Tryst festival today. It’s the East Ayrshire festival’s sixth iteration and boasts its most diverse musical programme to date. The festival takes place from 3-6 October in and around the village of Cumnock in Ayrshire, where James MacMillan grew up. The most varied festival…
Read MoreThe November 2019 issue of Scottish Field is out now
Scottish Field heads north with the release of our November 2019 issue. Our cover features The Isle of Staffa’s magnificent geological beauty, which acted as the perfect muse for photographer Samuel Hess, in our photo feature. We also feature pretty walks and picnic spots in Moray, Speyside and the Cairngorms. As we explore the north…
Read MoreEarly Monet work to go on show this week
An early painting by Claude Monet, leading light of the Impressionist movement, is to go on display at Duff House in Aberdeenshire from Friday 4 October. A Seascape, Shipping by Moonlight is the latest painting from National Galleries of Scotland to go on display at the Georgian mansion in Banff as part of the annual…
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