A history of warships built on the River Clyde in photos

Following on from his book on Clydebank Battlecruisers, Ian Johnston has written another using archive photographs showing the ships built by John Brown, a name that is synonymous with shipbuilding on the Clyde. The storied shipyard built some of the finest and most famous ships of the 20th century. Johnston has laid the book out…

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When Scottish steam drove the country forward

Scotland shaped the railway industry; the railway industry shaped Scotland. Respected photo journalist Keith Langston looks at the local and national contributors to Scottish locomotive production, for example, Dübs & Co,  which elevated Scottish steam to the world’s stage. A thorough insight into the different classes of railway that emerged from the late 19th to…

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Toys from the past star in new museum exhibition

A vintage toy exhibition is currently taking place at a Scots museum. Arbuthnot Museum in Peterhead. opened in 1893 and it celebrates Peterhead’s maritime history by displaying model boats, historic photographs, whaling and Inuit artefacts and arctic animals like polar bears. The vintage toys exhibition has been launched by Aberdeenshire Council under their developmental and…

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Scots silver that was kept secret from the Vikings

Concealed underground for over a thousand years, this fascinating haul of elaborately decorated Scottish silverware came to light in the middle of the 20th century during an excavation on St Ninian’s Isle, Shetland. Dated back to 700-800AD, the coveted collection, known as the St Ninian’s Treasure, is the only Scottish hoard of fine metalwork of…

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Just William appears at this year’s Fringe

Just William is one of the enduring fictional characters of the 20th century, and he’s appearing at the Fringe this year. Shedload Theatre is currently bringing Richmal Crompton’s Just William’s Luck to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, running until 26 August, at Underbelly. Crompton’s beloved stories of the invincible William Brown burst to life in an…

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Vega Sicilia: when the taste lives up to the hype

Peter Ranscombe is careful not to get carried away with the excitement of trying Spain’s undisputed top wine and is relieved when the liquid matches its reputation. YOU know a wine is special when it gets its own mention in your old course textbook. The entry for Vega Sicilia in the Oxford Companion to Wine…

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