11 May 2009

Media Releases

Dan Moriarty and Madelaine Nelson will marry in Medieval style the weekend before taking part in a huge pageant recalling a great Renaissance royal wedding. The couple are costumed performers in the Fire and Sword historical re-enactment group. This month they will tie the knot dressed in Medieval fashions – including full armour for Dan – at a ceremony near their home, in Montgreenan, Kilwinning.

11 May 2009

Media Releases

Scotland’s rich legacy of historic buildings, monuments and archaeology contributes more than £2.3 billion to the Scottish economy and is a key factor in ensuring sustained economic growth, according to research published today (Monday). A new report from the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS) shows Scotland’s historic environment has a vital role in supporting jobs and promoting tourism. Culture Minister Michael Russell welcomed the research, saying: “For the first time we have clear evidence of just how much our historic environment contributes, not only to our sense of identity and place, but also to our national economy."

8 May 2009

Media Releases

Four great Scottish clans are preparing to clash in a grand tournament at Linlithgow Palace – and fans can vote for which one will be the people’s champions. More than 80 warriors representing the Campbells, Douglases, Hamiltons and Lindsays will do battle on 23 and 24 May during Party at the Palace 1503. The weekend of Medieval pageantry will be among the biggest and most spectacular events of Scotland’s 2009 Year of Homecoming.

8 May 2009

Media Releases

As part of Historic Scotland’s ongoing and extensive Education Programme, Junior Guides have, for a number of years, been delighting primary school groups with tours at various historic sites across Scotland – including Linlithgow Palace, Claypotts Castle, Doune Castle and Stanley Mills. Involving a long-term partnership between Historic Scotland and local schools, the Junior Guides Initiative involves training pupils from primary schools to deliver, in period costume, guided tours of their local historic site to children from visiting primary school groups. The Junior Guides Initiative has grown in popularity over the past few years and continues to expand. The latest development involves a partnership between Iona Abbey and Iona Primary School to form the Iona Abbey Junior Tour Guides.

7 May 2009

Media Releases

Ever since man first walked the earth, volcanoes have both fascinated and frightened him. Today, the Earth’s 1500-plus active volcanoes – and those which are dormant or extinct - still capture the imagination of young and old all over the globe, intriguing scientists and lay people alike. Here in Scotland, we often forget that all around us we can see evidence of volcanoes which shaped our country. And how many of us are aware that our capital city boasts its very own 350 million-year-old volcano? This Sunday, 10th May, there’s an opportunity to learn all about this geological gem in an event at Holyrood Park