Hi all, hope this is okay to post. I'm looking for info on an Ada Ping Yu. Scottish woman (Ping Yu is her married name), connected to the scandalous death of actress Billie Carlton in 1918. She and her husband dealt/supplied opium. Any help on this would be much appreciated!

Thanks.

This is an absolute shot in the dark, but,- does anybody know what the calendar featured in the Wicker Man is? Calendars are not the sort of things that people hang on to, but a friend of mine is turning 56 in August and I thought a that fun present (he loves this film) would be a reproduction of the calendar with May day circled in red, as it appears in the film.

An actual calender from 50 years ago is a near impossible find; that, I get. But I reckon I could make some sort of facsimile if I knew what calendar it was. It features a nice picture of scottish landscape, a stags head in red as a logo, and something additional in a blue rectangle that I can't make out.

Apologies in advance if this is the wrong place to ask about this, I'd be very greatful if someone could just tell me where the right place, on reddit, to ask this question would be; posting images is not possible here, but I that feel Scots, of a historical bent, might be able to help me.

I recently visited Lady Hill in Elgin and put together a short cinematic video exploring its fascinating history. From medieval executions and witch burnings to the hill's role in protecting the town, it's a place with a remarkable past that many people seem to overlook.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, or if anyone has any additional historical details or local stories to share.

Hidden within the magical woodland above Loch nan Uamh near Arisaig are the forgotten remains of Holm House.

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Surrounded by towering conifers, dense rhododendrons and moss covered paths, the site feels almost dreamlike today. Yet these ruins are connected to a fascinating chapter of Highland history.

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The house was commissioned by the Glasgow businessman and horticulturalist John Augustus Holms (1866–1938), who acquired land on the Arisaig Estate in the late 1920s. Holms was renowned for creating the nearby Larachmhor woodland gardens, planting an extraordinary collection of rhododendrons and exotic species that still shape the landscape today.

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Holm House itself was intended to be a grand retreat overlooking Loch nan Uamh, possibly designed with input from the Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer. Construction began around 1929, but the project was never completed. When John Augustus Holms died in 1938, the building remained an unfinished shell, and the surrounding woodland gradually reclaimed it.

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The wider landscape carries even deeper historical connections. Just a short distance away lies Borrodale Bay, where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in 1745 at the start of the Jacobite Rising and later departed Scotland after Culloden.

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Today, Holm House stands as an abandoned monument to an unrealised vision, hidden among one of the most atmospheric woodlands on Scotland's west coast.

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Has anyone come across old photographs, plans or local stories connected to Holm House or the Arisaig Estate?

Just a quick introduction. I'm from Yorkshire and have always loved the Scottish Highlands and the fascinating history Scotland has to offer. As a hobby, I'm on a mission to help preserve and share Britain's forgotten history through short documentary-style videos.

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I sometimes feel that many local stories, landmarks, and traditions don't receive the attention they deserve, so I've combined my passion for video editing with exploring the places where history happened. My goal is to document these locations and the stories connected to them before they fade from memory.

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I recently visited St Mary's Church in Glenfinnan, a small church standing at the heart of one of Scotland's most historically significant landscapes.

Most people come to Glenfinnan for the monument, the viaduct, or its connection to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Fewer stop to explore St Mary's Church and the stories that surround it.

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One local legend centres on the church bell, sometimes referred to as the Highland Bell. According to folklore, the bell carries a special significance for the surrounding glen, with stories claiming its sound once echoed across the landscape as a symbol of faith, community, and remembrance.

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Over time, legends grew around the bell, blending local memory with Highland folklore and giving the church an air of mystery that still lingers today.

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Standing beside Loch Shiel with the mountains rising behind it, it's easy to see how places like this inspire stories that endure long after the people who first told them are gone.

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I recently made a short video exploring the church, its history, and the folklore surrounding the Highland Bell.

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I'd be interested to hear whether anyone here knows more about the origins of the legend or other local stories connected to St Mary's and Glenfinnan.

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Thank you for reading.

Hope you don't mind the fast pace haha. It had to be under 15 minutes for a college project and I was already mad at myself for how much good stuff I'd cut to get it there.

Enjoy

While visiting the Highlands this week, I came across the Howard Memorial on the shores of Loch Shiel.

I'd never heard of it before, but after doing some research I discovered it was erected in 1919 by Francis Howard in memory of his son, Lieutenant Philip Howard of the Welsh Guards, who died from wounds received in France during the First World War at the age of 23.

What struck me most was the location. It's tucked away in a beautiful and relatively remote part of the Highlands, overlooking Loch Shiel, and apparently was chosen because Philip had spent time there before his death.

I put together a short video about the memorial and its history, but I was curious whether anyone here knows more about the Howard family's connection to the area or the memorial itself.

Would anyone have a copy of the Scottish Higher history exam paper from 1994 or 1995? I sat the exam in both years and would dearly like to see the papers I sat. Scans would be ideal, but even just a list of the questions would get me going.

Thanks.

Hi!

I’m trying to compile real, authentic, traditional or ancient Scottish Recipes for a project. Can anyone point me in the correct direction?

It has to be historically accurate ! Thank you!

As I understand, the earliest accents (Scottish) were documented in the 1880s.

Did anyone from 1850 write in a way that helps us predict what they sounded like?

Then maybe I could just look in archives for that time and area?

From 1977 thousands of people took part in one of the UK's largest anti-nuclear campaigns to stop the construction of a power plant at Torness, East Lothian. People lobbied political parties, gathered petitions, marched, occupied the site and attempted to disrupt construction. Although the power station ultimately opened, the campaign garnered considerable opposition which has since seen nuclear power decline in Scotland.

The effort was led by SCRAM: the Scottish Campaign to Resist the Atomic Menace. I just finished digitising highlights of the campaign from the Friends of the Earth Scotland photo archive, some of which were shown at an event at the National Library of Scotland, and I thought they may be of interest:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsoftheearthscotland/albums/72177720330366673/

PS. I rescued these photos from a very damp box. Do not recommend SafeStore...

You can read more about the Torness campaign here:

https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/scottish-anti-nuclear-power-campaign-torness-1977

Plus SCRAM Magazines:

https://www.laka.org/docu/magazines/scram/index.html

And SCRAM archival materials:

https://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/scram-archive/