Following on from our look at the historic use of Pewter in the earlier post: Pewter and Outlander, in this blog post we take a look at the history and use of Glass, some of the historic glass objects that appear in Outlander and also the fascinating topic of Jacobite Glasses. A Brief History of…
Continue ReadingOur cozy Christmas at home in Culloden We enjoyed a relaxed Christmas at home after a very busy 2023 and a busy period of reorganisation and home improvements since we finished our tour season at the end of October. Since then, we have reorganised our many antiques and historic books in our large open-plan living…
Continue ReadingYou may think of Pewter as an old-fashioned thing, however, it remains popular and an alternative to china and earthenware and is said to be the fourth most common jewelry metal after gold, silver and platinum. Pewter is a metal alloy and its uses have included: plates and tableware, tankards, pitchers, vases, figurines, candlesticks, buttons,…
Continue ReadingThe pictures above are: Graham McTavish listens to a question from the audience during his panel at the Calgary Expo 2015. Youngjim, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Sam Heughan speaking at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons We continue our review of Men in Kilts Series…
Continue ReadingThe pictures above are: Graham McTavish listens to a question from the audience during his panel at the Calgary Expo 2015. Youngjim, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Sam Heughan speaking at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons With Sam and Graham busy recording and producing Men…
Continue ReadingHappy Tartan Day The 6th April is Tartan Day – a North American celebration of Scottish heritage. It is also the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. Below are some fun facts about Tartan Day, followed by more facts regarding Tartan itself. Tartan Day Facts Different countries have different Tartan…
Continue ReadingSamhain The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (summer’s end), celebrating the end of summer and the harvest. It also marked the start of a new Celtic year and the start of winter. Also known as ‘An t-Samhain’, it is believed that ‘Halloween’ comes from a Scots…
Continue ReadingSex and, to a lesser extent, prostitution feature regularly in Outlander. Diana Gabaldon accurately reflects this side of 18th century society in her plots and her writing. Here, we reflect on some of the research that Diana might have done and the culture of the time that contributed to the storyline. We also uncover a…
Continue ReadingAs Series Five of Outlander unfolds on our TV screens, we wanted to research and share with you what a Fiery Cross actually is/was. Setting the Scene The Fiery Cross book and series five focus on the lead up to the American Revolution, with Jamie ordered to raise a militia and oust the rebellion in…
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