Omnia tempus habent – All things have their season. Ecclesiastes Here is a medieval rhyming calendar outlining the labours of the months in the fields, dating from 14th century England. The mis-spelling of the words reflects their Old English origins. Discovered via the fun and enjoyable book Weatherland: Writers and artists under English skies byContinue reading “Omnia tempus habent: a delightful medieval rhyming calendar”
Tag Archives: Scottish history
The ancient and elusive fairisle of Hy Brasil
Hy Brasil is a mysterious phantom island that was thought to exist off the west coast of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean for hundreds of years. The area being nautically challenging for seafarers, it was an elusive and mysterious place, hailed in pre-Christian times as being the Celtic Elysium or land of promise. During ChristianContinue reading “The ancient and elusive fairisle of Hy Brasil”
Travel: A weekend trip to the medieval town of Linlithgow: History through the mists of time to today
The beautiful burgh of Linlithgow charmed the pants off me when I went there in 2012. The town sits astride the Forth and Clyde Canal (which I’ve written on extensively) which is around half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow. There’s a train link on Scotrail which goes between cities that takes you there, and there’s aContinue reading “Travel: A weekend trip to the medieval town of Linlithgow: History through the mists of time to today”
Book Review: The Book of I by David Greig
A joyful, cheeky and big-hearted book set in the year 825 AD that is immediately relevant to now. Highly recommend this unconventional novel about the lives of Vikings and Irish settlers on a remote Scottish island.
Book Review: The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard
The Ghost Cat a curious little novel about a spectral cat haunting an Edinburgh townhouse over several generations — is sometimes enchanting, sometimes discombobulating. #Cats #Fiction #AlexHoward #BookReview #Edinburgh #Fantasy #Books #Book #Review #History
Book Review: The Way of the Hermit by Ken Smith
In The Way of the #Hermit, Ken Smith offers a profoundly #human portrait of #solitude—not the performative kind, but the hard-earned, bone-deep kind that comes from living off-grid in the #Scottish #Highlands for over 40 years. #BookReview #Books #introvert #introversion #nature #Scotland #Biography #Autobiography #Philosophy
The far-flung pillars of imagination
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home. When I was in my 20’s I became very ill and almost died. Luckily for me I overcame it. However, it involved a step-change in everything I held dear. Suddenly freedom to experience the world because I survived became the focus. So I traveledContinue reading “The far-flung pillars of imagination”
Book Review: Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg
This is a book about the raw majesty of St Kilda as a place, and about the spirit, community bonds and resilience of its people. But it’s also a tragic tale about the devastation of colonialism and 19th century morality.
Ancient Word of the Day: Stravaig
Stravaig derives from eighteenth-century Scots extravage, meaning ‘wander about; digress, ramble in speech’, in turn derived from Medieval Latin extravagari ‘wander, stray beyond limits’. Stravaig, in various forms, is found in a wide range of Scottish texts from the late eighteenth-century onwards. Read more
Book Review: The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
An engaging and big novel that’s less about wolves, and more about instinct, wildness, independence and sexual connection coupled with big themes like Scottish political independence, class privilege and the UK’s national identity – 4 stars.
Content Catnip 