My favourite city in the world. I'm a Tasmanian descended from a Scottish convict born in Edinburgh. I felt so at home as I wondered around the Royal Mile a few years back. Looking forward to another Scottish sojourn in 2024. Thanks for your wonderful videos.
Been watching your videos for years, and its always great when you upload something about Edinburgh where I live! You've helped me grasp the Scottish culture for the past 5 years. I moved here 15 years ago from America. I am of carribean descent myself, my parents are originally from Dominican Republic but emigrated to America via NYC, and the hospital I was born in the New York Prysbetrian Hospital, which if I am not mistaken was founded by Samuel Bard, an american man who came over and got his M.D. at, you guessed it, University of Edinburgh Medical School! anyway your channel has the double whammy of letting me learn about scottish history but also is interesting to see how it overlapped with carribean history. Cheers pal!
I am an ex soldier of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, so it was great to hear about Ensign Charles Ewart. The Scots Greys and the 3rd Carabiniers were amalgamated in 1971, forming the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The Regiments museum is located inside Edinburgh Castle next to the Regimental HQ. Also an interesting fact, The Ensign Ewart, despite being named after one of Scotlands most famous soldiers, bars soldiers from entry!
They didn't stop me from entering, but I'm from the Colonies, so they might have given me a pass. I sincerely hope I have this seasonal greeting correct. Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Beannaich Dia na h-Albannaich anns a ’Ghàidhlig! ~~ Seas gu cinnteach May the Lord God of the Scots Bless you! ~~ Stand Sure [Anderson family motto]
I was fortunate to visit the Canongate Kirk in 2018; it's beautiful inside. I tried to visit again in 2023 but it was not open (I tried on two different days). I asked someone in the Museum of Edinburgh across the street and was told that the Kirk openings during the week were staffed by volunteers, most of them older folk, and sadly there aren't many of the volunteers left after the dark days of Covid lockdown. PS the Museum of Edinburgh is great too - it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
A'reyt Bruce. A reminder of how well you tell tales. I started watching the channel early enough to binge watch them all. Others might have time over the holidays in anticipation of your tour? You started with the stuff that I loved as a tiny English kid on holiday and finished with the stuff that keeps me watching. Happy Christmas / Holidays to you and all reading this and Happy New Year / Hogmanay too. Next I am watching a video from Benidorm, a reminder of recent trips nearby to my girlfriend's family. I dug holes there for lemon and orange trees to be planted, but typically English ignored a siesta. Finishing the second one I jumped out and stepped back to admire my efforts. Hot and tired I fell straight down the first hole, like a hole in one. An example of pride comes before a fall, as your your pious and learned subject might say?
You have got so good at this story telling you should start a TH-cam channel about the history of Scotland. Oh, wait….. seriously, all the best to you and yours during this festive season and here’s hoping for a healthy and successful 2024. One day Sandra and I will see one of your live shows 🌞
Discovering your videos is on my list of great things that happened this year. Thanks for another enjoyable, enlightening peek at Edinburgh. Wishing you much success on your Canadian tour. I hope you have reserved some time to yourself for checking out some of the sights there.
Robert Fergusson's statue is back! Yay! That spot looked so sad and empty without him last summer when he was getting repaired. Good video, as always! Thanks!
Thank you, brought back great memories of our amazing trip to Edinburgh and Scotland. During that trip, found out my clan was a border reaver. Which explains my dad and his brothers roudyness!
Loving your strong accent my grandfather was born in scotland. He saved a woman who jumped off a bridge and the king gave him a gold coin that was made into a necklace we still have it today
I am Edinburgh born and bred. Royal Mile is my favorite street in Edinburgh. I am luckily enough to work in the City Chambers. Now that is one spooky place. Great video thank you for posting and hope you have a great christmas and a happy new year
Plan to visit Scotland in 2025, can’t wait! I don’t like golf but love history, hiking and Islay whisky- there’s a lot of places to get to, will need a car and at least 10 days
MERRY CHRISTMAS ⛄🌲 Bruce... So I had to look up what a "close" is. It's a term I wasn't familiar with. As always I truly enjoyed the video, thanx. ❤️🏴
I attended Moray House Cokllege of Education as it was called in the seventies. I was lucky enough to live in Edinburgh for three years. It is located in the Canongate on the Mile. Thanks for your tour. I did not know most of what you examined as you made your way down the mile.
Thank you for this video. I've been to Scotland and specifically Edinburg twice in the last two years. I took walking tours of the New Town and the Royal Mile but now feel that I missed so much. I had planned my next trip to perhaps the Western Isles but I may reconsider and go back to Edinburg. I did the Castle at one end and Holyrood at the other and walked in between but there's always more to learn.
Well done 👍 Bruce another great video well done. I'm going to replay this video the history is so good. Oh I wish you and your family a very happy Christmas 🎄. From Elgin ... Scotland
Bruce, I love your videos and your accent. My sons and I were in Scotland for two weeks starting Sept 8, 2022. Date familiar? Loved Edinburgh but we had to dodge a lot of the Queen’s funeral preparations before her body was moved to London. 😢 We missed seeing a lot of the city.
Great video! I’d love to see what you know about Duncan’s close in Edinburgh. My great grandmother was born there and it’s almost impossible to get any info on.
I’ve been to Edinburgh and I really want to go back. My kids haven’t been yet, so that would be an incredible trip! Please bring your show to Brea or Anaheim, California! I’ll be there!
Im going to follow in your footsteps as soon as I get over COVID. Done royal mile many times but as a local (pub crawl) not a tourist. PS cotton lawn so Lawnmarket
I have been a fan and a subscriber of yours for many years. I just got my ticket for your show in Montreal in May. I used to be a tour guide in Quebec City, if ever between shows in Halifax and Montreal you stop by Quebec City let me know I'll show you around.
Having just had our last day in Edinburgh and spent the last few days walking the Royal mile and its streets, closes/courts, trails abd graveyards this was fun to watch. Both me, my wife and our 8 year old lad have Scottish blood in our veins so its fun the think that our ancestors could have lived somewhere around this country. We are going to take our experiences back with us to The PNW in The States. Id we come back we eould love to see the high country a bit more. Anyway thanks for the thoughtful video. Cheers
Merry Xmas nd happy new year to you and your family and thank you for great videos and history lessons looking forward to seeing more in the new year all the best from Ireland
Enjoy Annapolis Bruce. I was there almost thirty years ago as solo vocalist with the Gallovidians Fiddle Orchestra at the invitation of the Robert Burns Society of Annapolis. We got to visit the Naval Academy and saw the Tomb of John Paul Jones (Appropriate as our group was from Dumfries and Galloway). We had day trips to Washington DC and to Baltimore. It's the only long haul journey Ive done and no longer have a passport (and won't until I can get a Scottish one). Love your programmes.
You wont get to the tomb then :-) - shame - you could have compared it to his house at Arbigland. Hope you have a great tour and let us know if you are going to be in Dumfries (the one in Scotland).@@ScotlandHistoryTours
Upcoming Live shows www.brucefummey.co.uk/shows.aspx Take another Scottish history road trip at th-cam.com/video/wdQnlraKyes/w-d-xo.html Buy me coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/ScottishBruce
I love you Bruce family / Crew/ family. You all make my day with Bruce's vids. When you all did Yule vid Yes I did laugh at all the work you all put in. I also cried til my Feb 3 on my birthday same year as Bruce. I love all the work you've given from everyone on the crew too. To clearify a drunking babble ( Man thse people are Wack O noodles in my country Yes Yes I do blame those crazy Scottish for make American Noodle to the Wall friendly. . I love you all like the Scottish thistle. What does that smell like?
Growing up in the suburbs of Auld Reekie, my parents occasionally took us to the Castle (which was free at the time and you could park on the Esplanade) or elsewhere in the Royal Mile but it wasn't until I went to Edinburgh University that I really became familiar with the Old Town. I haven't lived in Edinburgh for 40 years now but was amazed how commercialised the High Street has become. That's tourism for you, I suppose. It pays the rent. I found Gladstone's Land a bit of a mess, to be honest, when I finally visited it for the first time eight years ago but I understand it has had a revamp since. I far preferred the Georgian House, which somehow I had never visited before either.
Hope you'll pass through Hamilton, Bruce, while on the Toronto/Fergus part of your Canadian tour. It was founded largely by Scots, and Dundurn, the 1832 mansion of pre-Confederation Upper Canada premier Sir Allan MacNab, is now a museum here. I can imagine one of your videos being made there...Sir Allan was related to current British Queen Consort Camilla, and then-Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla visited Dundurn a few years ago.
And the Bay City Rollers were from there! Probably the most important thing to ever come out of Scotland in all of history.Good thing they changed their name from the Saxons. What were the lads thinking?
Really enjoyed this video and learned a lot that I didn't know. I do though have an Edinburgh question unrelated to the video content. After the great Johnny Cunningham passed away (many years ago now), I read that the City of Edinburgh Council had provisionally given the name Cunningham Square to a square in Portobello, Edinburgh in his honor and memory. Was that made a permanent name? Hope so. Le meas.
Hi Bruce, Another interesting video, many thanks for that. I was a student at Heriot-Watt, then in Chambers Street, in the late 1960s early 1970s I spent quite a lot of time in some of the hostelries on the Royal Mile. In my opinion The Old Town is ignored by the Main Stream tourism, The Castle, Holyrood or go to the Tattoo/Festival buy some tartan and you've done Edinburgh. Despite that time in Edinburgh and being a Sinclair I was unaware of William Sinclair's claim to fame. All I can say is I've got Argyll roots not Caithness.
'Skat' is a Scandinavian word for tax or payment and the word migrated to Britain and mutated into 'scot' as the name of a redistributive taxation, levied as early the 10th century as a form of municipal poor relief. 'Scot' as a term for tax has been used since then in various forms - Church scot, Rome scot, Soul scot and so on. Whatever the tax, the phrase 'getting off scot free' simply refers to not paying one's taxes.
1:05 Before that carbuncle was chosen as the "Scottish Parliament" I wrote to the Planning Dept. suggesting they join the old "Royal High School" 15:23 to the other classical building, almost opposite, "St Andrew's House" (formerly The Scottish Office) with a below street level building like "Waverley Market". A big open area with mezzanine floors overlooking. It wouldn't matter what the outside looked like being underground. (I'm sure it would not have cost anything like that thing they did build) The offices around these floors, instead of windows, widescreen TV's could be used [with any Google Map vista desired. -This was a recent afterthought]. Also there's a disused railway tunnel which could be made a walkway (mobile) from it to the station. On the ground people would see classic built-to-last Scotland while just below the surface Hi-Tec modern Scotland. It would suit just about everyone. I also wrote that it would please the folks who think all our politicians belong down a big deep hole in the ground. Sadly the reply they chose to send was a blank sheet of A4 except for the the Planning department headline.
This video is absolutely fantastic you are absolutely brilliant in the way you present your video's you give more insight than any book can thank you so much for your time and effort you put into them but tell me do you have any information on the fountain at holyrood palace as I'm very Interested in the carvings on it in as who designed it and carved it thank you again
The original was James IV, but hugely extended for Charles II after restoration. That extension was designed to match the left hand tower by William Bruce
Enjoy all the videos but I direct this comment to Alan Smithee just below. As A Smithee on the west side of the pond it's great to see someone on the other side with the same spelling of our last name. Here in the U.S. anyone spelling the name this way is going to be a cousin. Don't know the reason but John Smithee (born 1772) changed Smithey to Smithee. He married Sarah Carmichael and as they say, the rest is history! Wonderful to meet another Smithee. Cheers Alan !
I suspect that "Alan Smithee" isn't a real Smithee, but is using the name as a reference to the famous pseudonym used by filmmakers. I could be wrong, though!
Nice history of the Royal Mile Bruce. Scot free, I recall a programme back in the 90’s called “what’s in a word” they said the origin was 17th century and to do with rent payment. They said when the tenants, and think this was small farm tenants paid their rent called a Scot then the landowner gave them a free meal hence Scot free meal. I could be wrong nothing at all to back this up and it was a long time ago. Anyway it was channel 4 I believe round about 1999.
Thank you Bruce for all of the many videos that have entertained and enlightened me for the past year as well as years before that! Your video was so packed full of things this time that I had to watch it twice but I think I got it all in now. Curiosity question, can you actually walk to all that in a day or is transportation to another part of the city involved? So many things that are so cool!😮 Hope you and yours have a marvelous Christmas and a great Hogmanay! 🎄🎅🎊🎆😵💫 I look forward to your videos in the new year to come!😊
30 years ago, my son and I walked the royal mile and climbed a bunch of stairs to a tower that had a concave mirror that reflected all the people on the street and surrounding area. Can you tell me the name of it and if it’s still there?
The fumester strolling down the royal mile. Class
What is a fumester? Thanks, from an American whose grandfather was Scottish. ❤
He's the guide
My favourite city in the world. I'm a Tasmanian descended from a Scottish convict born in Edinburgh. I felt so at home as I wondered around the Royal Mile a few years back. Looking forward to another Scottish sojourn in 2024. Thanks for your wonderful videos.
Hopefully I'll be back in Tasmania in 2025
@@ScotlandHistoryTours Excellent!
Been watching your videos for years, and its always great when you upload something about Edinburgh where I live!
You've helped me grasp the Scottish culture for the past 5 years. I moved here 15 years ago from America. I am of carribean descent myself, my parents are originally from Dominican Republic but emigrated to America via NYC, and the hospital I was born in the New York Prysbetrian Hospital, which if I am not mistaken was founded by Samuel Bard, an american man who came over and got his M.D. at, you guessed it, University of Edinburgh Medical School!
anyway your channel has the double whammy of letting me learn about scottish history but also is interesting to see how it overlapped with carribean history. Cheers pal!
Brilliant
Hope you’re enjoying Edinburgh :D
l love this town. Thank you, Bruce!
You are very welcome
Brings a tear to my eye! I lived on the Royal Mile!
I love the stories and how well you tell them.
I am an ex soldier of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, so it was great to hear about Ensign Charles Ewart. The Scots Greys and the 3rd Carabiniers were amalgamated in 1971, forming the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The Regiments museum is located inside Edinburgh Castle next to the Regimental HQ. Also an interesting fact, The Ensign Ewart, despite being named after one of Scotlands most famous soldiers, bars soldiers from entry!
😧
They didn't stop me from entering, but I'm from the Colonies, so they might have given me a pass. I sincerely hope I have this seasonal greeting correct.
Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Beannaich Dia na h-Albannaich anns a ’Ghàidhlig! ~~ Seas gu cinnteach
May the Lord God of the Scots Bless you! ~~ Stand Sure [Anderson family motto]
I was fortunate to visit the Canongate Kirk in 2018; it's beautiful inside. I tried to visit again in 2023 but it was not open (I tried on two different days). I asked someone in the Museum of Edinburgh across the street and was told that the Kirk openings during the week were staffed by volunteers, most of them older folk, and sadly there aren't many of the volunteers left after the dark days of Covid lockdown. PS the Museum of Edinburgh is great too - it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
🤔Interesting Not Blue is it?
The pews in the CHURCH are blue
A'reyt Bruce. A reminder of how well you tell tales. I started watching the channel early enough to binge watch them all. Others might have time over the holidays in anticipation of your tour?
You started with the stuff that I loved as a tiny English kid on holiday and finished with the stuff that keeps me watching.
Happy Christmas / Holidays to you and all reading this and Happy New Year / Hogmanay too.
Next I am watching a video from Benidorm, a reminder of recent trips nearby to my girlfriend's family. I dug holes there for lemon and orange trees to be planted, but typically English ignored a siesta. Finishing the second one I jumped out and stepped back to admire my efforts. Hot and tired I fell straight down the first hole, like a hole in one.
An example of pride comes before a fall, as your your pious and learned subject might say?
Yay boy
Happy Sunday Bruce 😊
Hola
You have got so good at this story telling you should start a TH-cam channel about the history of Scotland. Oh, wait….. seriously, all the best to you and yours during this festive season and here’s hoping for a healthy and successful 2024. One day Sandra and I will see one of your live shows 🌞
Fantastic video of a truly magical city. Would love to see your shows, hope you come down to England sometime soon
Who knows
Lovely to see wonderful Edinburgh.
Indeed!
Man, I love this channel.
Discovering your videos is on my list of great things that happened this year. Thanks for another enjoyable, enlightening peek at Edinburgh. Wishing you much success on your Canadian tour. I hope you have reserved some time to yourself for checking out some of the sights there.
Brilliant
Robert Fergusson's statue is back! Yay! That spot looked so sad and empty without him last summer when he was getting repaired. Good video, as always! Thanks!
Thank you, brought back great memories of our amazing trip to Edinburgh and Scotland. During that trip, found out my clan was a border reaver. Which explains my dad and his brothers roudyness!
Another great video🌟💯 So much great history info. Thank you for taking us there🏰🍃🍃🍃
God bless✨️
Loving your strong accent my grandfather was born in scotland. He saved a woman who jumped off a bridge and the king gave him a gold coin that was made into a necklace we still have it today
But I don't have a strong accent
@@ScotlandHistoryTours it's nice
@@ScotlandHistoryTours I was complianting you sir ❤️
Bruce - Thank you for another spectacular tour, and even more interesting history too!
Your Bruce fummey Scotland history encyclopedia, comedian and top man. Scotland had no rain for 5 days does that record still stand?
I'm glad you mentioned that St Giles is the High Kirk. My Uncle Joe always called it that. He grew up playing in the Royal Mile.
Love your videos! Thanks so much 💙👍🏼
You are so welcome!
Merry Christmas Bruce and youtube gang
Thanks
So excited to be see Bruce in my home town of Fergus next year! Couldn’t believe he made it a stop on his Canadian tour.
Everyone recommended it. I still haven't managed to get a bar for the venue, so hopefully it won't be dry
3:10 - a simpler explanation is that "lawn" was the term for plain-weave cloth, particularly linen.
There ye go
I am Edinburgh born and bred. Royal Mile is my favorite street in Edinburgh. I am luckily enough to work in the City Chambers. Now that is one spooky place. Great video thank you for posting and hope you have a great christmas and a happy new year
...and a great 2024 to you too
Wonderful video. I love learning Scottish history. My ancestors are scottish so i love to learn all i can about who i am. Thanx ❤😊
Plan to visit Scotland in 2025, can’t wait! I don’t like golf but love history, hiking and Islay whisky- there’s a lot of places to get to, will need a car and at least 10 days
MERRY CHRISTMAS ⛄🌲 Bruce... So I had to look up what a "close" is. It's a term I wasn't familiar with. As always I truly enjoyed the video, thanx. ❤️🏴
"...sometimes Scottish stories are happy..." Classic Bruce, ya got me giggling on that one. 😂❤
😜
Always educational . . . and interesting, Bruce. Looking forward to the next video. ☕
“Sometimes, Scottish stories are happy” 😂
Thank you.
You're welcome
Thanks for a great year. Looking forward to the next adventures. Season's Greetings, Bruce and have a very merry Hogmanay . 🎄🍻🎅🍾🤩😍
One more video to come before the year's out
Great video. We will see you in Toronto in the spring!
Brilliant
I would love to hear about Saint Giles. ❤. I really appreciate how you join up bits of history because I actually have difficulty with time lines. 💓
I attended Moray House Cokllege of Education as it was called in the seventies. I was lucky enough to live in Edinburgh for three years. It is located in the Canongate on the Mile. Thanks for your tour. I did not know most of what you examined as you made your way down the mile.
You tell a good story. Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2024.
I'm an Edinburgh native and I'm always finding out new things about this city
I was there is 2016 it was an awesome visit! My Great grandparents were married 1874 at 7 Prince Regent Street, North Leith..
Thank you for this video. I've been to Scotland and specifically Edinburg twice in the last two years. I took walking tours of the New Town and the Royal Mile but now feel that I missed so much. I had planned my next trip to perhaps the Western Isles but I may reconsider and go back to Edinburg. I did the Castle at one end and Holyrood at the other and walked in between but there's always more to learn.
Great Bruce My fellow Craigie man, I also lived in Edinburgh from 66 till 91. Great city but I miss Perth.
My wife and I will be in Edinburgh at the end of June next year. This is a great video for us to see. Thanks big yin.
Have fun!
Well done 👍 Bruce another great video well done. I'm going to replay this video the history is so good. Oh I wish you and your family a very happy Christmas 🎄. From Elgin ... Scotland
THANK S
You're welcome
You've helped me grasp the Scottish culture
Bruce, I love your videos and your accent. My sons and I were in Scotland for two weeks starting Sept 8, 2022. Date familiar? Loved Edinburgh but we had to dodge a lot of the Queen’s funeral preparations before her body was moved to London. 😢 We missed seeing a lot of the city.
Again hugely informative videos .
Thanks again!
Great video Bruce, Merry Christmas 🎄👍👍
Thanks
Great video! I’d love to see what you know about Duncan’s close in Edinburgh. My great grandmother was born there and it’s almost impossible to get any info on.
Hey Bruce have a magnificent Christmas 🎄 and a prosperous New year fella
Same to you!
Love your channel.
Thank you!
Visited Edinburgh years ago ,Got to be the cleanest city I've been in ,in the UK ,really enjoyed my visit there .
Edinburgh😎
@@ScotlandHistoryTours my error ,fat fingers here
I’ve been to Edinburgh and I really want to go back. My kids haven’t been yet, so that would be an incredible trip! Please bring your show to Brea or Anaheim, California! I’ll be there!
Really enjoy your historical journeys Bruce, best of luck on your Canadian tour 🇨🇦.
Im going to follow in your footsteps as soon as I get over COVID. Done royal mile many times but as a local (pub crawl) not a tourist.
PS cotton lawn so Lawnmarket
I have been a fan and a subscriber of yours for many years. I just got my ticket for your show in Montreal in May. I used to be a tour guide in Quebec City, if ever between shows in Halifax and Montreal you stop by Quebec City let me know I'll show you around.
I plan to spend a couple of days in Quebec City and make a video if possible
Excellent! Essential information for visitors to Auld Edina. (And for some of we residents).
Merry xmas, all the best for next year and the tour goes well.
😘
LOVE YOUR CHANNEL. Love from Chicago.I want to visit Scoootland so bad. 😊. Thanks for all you do
You should!
"English Spoken- American Understood"! 🤣My favorite is still "Fresh Caught Haggis".
Thank you! Merry Christmas 🖤
Having just had our last day in Edinburgh and spent the last few days walking the Royal mile and its streets, closes/courts, trails abd graveyards this was fun to watch.
Both me, my wife and our 8 year old lad have Scottish blood in our veins so its fun the think that our ancestors could have lived somewhere around this country. We are going to take our experiences back with us to The PNW in The States. Id we come back we eould love to see the high country a bit more.
Anyway thanks for the thoughtful video. Cheers
Another great story Bruce! Ta!
Merry Xmas nd happy new year to you and your family and thank you for great videos and history lessons looking forward to seeing more in the new year all the best from Ireland
Same to you!
I wish my late Mother could have watched these videos. She may have helped with with stories
😢
Enjoy Annapolis Bruce. I was there almost thirty years ago as solo vocalist with the Gallovidians Fiddle Orchestra at the invitation of the Robert Burns Society of Annapolis. We got to visit the Naval Academy and saw the Tomb of John Paul Jones (Appropriate as our group was from Dumfries and Galloway). We had day trips to Washington DC and to Baltimore. It's the only long haul journey Ive done and no longer have a passport (and won't until I can get a Scottish one). Love your programmes.
Aye , but I'm going to the one in Canada😂
You wont get to the tomb then :-) - shame - you could have compared it to his house at Arbigland. Hope you have a great tour and let us know if you are going to be in Dumfries (the one in Scotland).@@ScotlandHistoryTours
Thanks
Ah thanks Peter
Upcoming Live shows www.brucefummey.co.uk/shows.aspx
Take another Scottish history road trip at th-cam.com/video/wdQnlraKyes/w-d-xo.html
Buy me coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/ScottishBruce
I love you Bruce family / Crew/ family. You all make my day with Bruce's vids. When you all did Yule vid Yes I did laugh at all the work you all put in. I also cried til my Feb 3 on my birthday same year as Bruce. I love all the work you've given from everyone on the crew too. To clearify a drunking babble ( Man thse people are Wack O noodles in my country Yes Yes I do blame those crazy Scottish for make American Noodle to the Wall friendly. . I love you all like the Scottish thistle. What does that smell like?
Merry Christmas to you and yer family Bruce
Merry Christmas Bruce! And a happy Hogmanay!
Have a great time
Growing up in the suburbs of Auld Reekie, my parents occasionally took us to the Castle (which was free at the time and you could park on the Esplanade) or elsewhere in the Royal Mile but it wasn't until I went to Edinburgh University that I really became familiar with the Old Town. I haven't lived in Edinburgh for 40 years now but was amazed how commercialised the High Street has become. That's tourism for you, I suppose. It pays the rent. I found Gladstone's Land a bit of a mess, to be honest, when I finally visited it for the first time eight years ago but I understand it has had a revamp since. I far preferred the Georgian House, which somehow I had never visited before either.
Hope you'll pass through Hamilton, Bruce, while on the Toronto/Fergus part of your Canadian tour. It was founded largely by Scots, and Dundurn, the 1832 mansion of pre-Confederation Upper Canada premier Sir Allan MacNab, is now a museum here. I can imagine one of your videos being made there...Sir Allan was related to current British Queen Consort Camilla, and then-Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla visited Dundurn a few years ago.
I approached a few theatres in Hamilton to try to put on the show, but with no success
Finally got a venue sorted in Hamilton www.thewestdale.ca/event/stories-of-scotland/
Merry Christmas,Sir, to you and yours, and a Happy and Blessed New Year.
Same to you!
Excellent stories ❤
Glad you like them!
And the Bay City Rollers were from there! Probably the most important thing to ever come out of Scotland in all of history.Good thing they changed their name from the Saxons. What were the lads thinking?
I wish I had seen this last summer when there.
Really enjoyed this video and learned a lot that I didn't know. I do though have an Edinburgh question unrelated to the video content. After the great Johnny Cunningham passed away (many years ago now), I read that the City of Edinburgh Council had provisionally given the name Cunningham Square to a square in Portobello, Edinburgh in his honor and memory. Was that made a permanent name? Hope so. Le meas.
Hi Bruce,
Another interesting video, many thanks for that.
I was a student at Heriot-Watt, then in Chambers Street, in the late 1960s early 1970s I spent quite a lot of time in some of the hostelries on the Royal Mile. In my opinion The Old Town is ignored by the Main Stream tourism, The Castle, Holyrood or go to the Tattoo/Festival buy some tartan and you've done Edinburgh.
Despite that time in Edinburgh and being a Sinclair I was unaware of William Sinclair's claim to fame. All I can say is I've got Argyll roots not Caithness.
'Skat' is a Scandinavian word for tax or payment and the word migrated to Britain and mutated into 'scot' as the name of a redistributive taxation, levied as early the 10th century as a form of municipal poor relief.
'Scot' as a term for tax has been used since then in various forms - Church scot, Rome scot, Soul scot and so on. Whatever the tax, the phrase 'getting off scot free' simply refers to not paying one's taxes.
Thank you. ❤ It.
1:05 Before that carbuncle was chosen as the "Scottish Parliament" I wrote to the Planning Dept. suggesting they join the old "Royal High School" 15:23 to the other classical building, almost opposite, "St Andrew's House" (formerly The Scottish Office) with a below street level building like "Waverley Market".
A big open area with mezzanine floors overlooking. It wouldn't matter what the outside looked like being underground. (I'm sure it would not have cost anything like that thing they did build)
The offices around these floors, instead of windows, widescreen TV's could be used [with any Google Map vista desired. -This was a recent afterthought].
Also there's a disused railway tunnel which could be made a walkway (mobile) from it to the station.
On the ground people would see classic built-to-last Scotland while just below the surface Hi-Tec modern Scotland. It would suit just about everyone. I also wrote that it would please the folks who think all our politicians belong down a big deep hole in the ground.
Sadly the reply they chose to send was a blank sheet of A4 except for the the Planning department headline.
Of course
This video is absolutely fantastic you are absolutely brilliant in the way you present your video's you give more insight than any book can thank you so much for your time and effort you put into them but tell me do you have any information on the fountain at holyrood palace as I'm very Interested in the carvings on it in as who designed it and carved it thank you again
The original was James IV, but hugely extended for Charles II after restoration. That extension was designed to match the left hand tower by William Bruce
Thank you for the information those stone masons were great at their jobs real artists
Merry Christmas when it comes Brucie boy 🎊 🎉 thanks for the vids 👌🏻👍
Same to you!
So enjoy your videos.
I'm so glad!
Hope to visit one day
Loved it
Cheers Bruce, cracking video as usual. Any videos planned about loch leven?
th-cam.com/video/g9icTI_wbQ0/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy all the videos but I direct this comment to Alan Smithee just below. As A Smithee on the west side of the pond it's great to see someone on the other side with the same spelling of our last name. Here in the U.S. anyone spelling the name this way is going to be a cousin. Don't know the reason but John Smithee (born 1772) changed Smithey to Smithee. He married Sarah Carmichael and as they say, the rest is history! Wonderful to meet another Smithee. Cheers Alan !
I suspect that "Alan Smithee" isn't a real Smithee, but is using the name as a reference to the famous pseudonym used by filmmakers. I could be wrong, though!
Thanks!
No, thank you
Seasons Greetings Brother 🏴
😘
Nice history of the Royal Mile Bruce. Scot free, I recall a programme back in the 90’s called “what’s in a word” they said the origin was 17th century and to do with rent payment. They said when the tenants, and think this was small farm tenants paid their rent called a Scot then the landowner gave them a free meal hence Scot free meal. I could be wrong nothing at all to back this up and it was a long time ago. Anyway it was channel 4 I believe round about 1999.
I thikn they wer probably right to be fair
Thanks 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I love to watch you show my home land I'm only part Scott but my name is Scott and your a great guy thank you
One additional word of eduction. You are part Scot, but called Scott. Count the 't's
Been there ...great place x
Thank you Bruce for all of the many videos that have entertained and enlightened me for the past year as well as years before that! Your video was so packed full of things this time that I had to watch it twice but I think I got it all in now. Curiosity question, can you actually walk to all that in a day or is transportation to another part of the city involved? So many things that are so cool!😮
Hope you and yours have a marvelous Christmas and a great Hogmanay! 🎄🎅🎊🎆😵💫
I look forward to your videos in the new year to come!😊
Och aye, we filmed it in an afternooon
30 years ago, my son and I walked the royal mile and climbed a bunch of stairs to a tower that had a concave mirror that reflected all the people on the street and surrounding area.
Can you tell me the name of it and if it’s still there?
Camera Obscura. You saw me walk past the mirrors on the wall on the way down the hill
Wish we had seen this before our visit in 2022. Some of this we saw but there is so much more. However, we did drop in a few of the whiskey shops😅
😜