Saint Andrew's Society of Los Angeles

These are fabulous

In 1070, Margaret of Wessex, sometimes called "The Pearl of Scotland", founded a priory in Dunfermline on the site where she had married Malcom III of Scotland.... She introduced a small community of Benedectine monks from Canterbury, and so laid the foundations of the first Benedectine house in Scotland . David I made the priory an abbey in1128. He had a new church built on a grand scale, of which the magnificent nave survives. The Romanesque pillars are similar to those of Durham Cathedral, and it's likely that the same masons carvd them . In 1250, St. Margaret's remains were moved to an elaborate shrine at the east end of the church. During the winter of 1303 the court of Edward I of England was held in the abbey, and on his departure the following year most of the buildings were burned. During the Scottish Reformation, the abbey church had undergone a first Protestant "cleansing" by September 1559, and was sacked in March 1560 and permitted to fall into disrepair . In 19th century parish church now stands on the site of the old choir and presbitery. This is the location of the tomb of Robert the Bruce and the other royals buried here . . . . #dunfermlineabbey #dunfermline #fifescotland #lovefife #unlimitedfife #visitfife #historicscotland #fiftyshades_of_history #explorescotland #scotlandlovers #scottishhistory #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandshot #icuscotland #ig_scotland #scotlandinsta #scotlandforever #fortheloveofscotland #travelingscotland #thisisscotland #unlimitedscotland #wonderlustscotland #vd_gothika #monumental_world #takeninscotland #discoverscotland #scotlandsites #yourscotland #scotlandmagazine #aroundscotland See more

Feb 17 - the Café au Lait tartan for Café au Lait Day! "I'll have some cafe au lait ... only, um, make mine black." ~ Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966)... Confused by confusing coffee rules and trends? Sneered at by snobby barristas? Well, if you've ever had to wait in line behind a person ordering the following ... "quad long shot grande in a venti cup half calf double cupped no sleeve salted caramel mocha latte with 2 pumps of vanilla substitute 2 pumps of white chocolate mocha for mocha and substitute 2 pumps of hazelnut for toffee nut half whole milk and half breve with no whipped cream extra hot extra foam extra caramel drizzle extra salt add a scoop of vanilla bean powder with light ice well stirred ..." when all you wanted was a cup of coffee, maybe a little milk, you have our caffeinated sympathy. Things are a bit confusing to be sure. Traditionally, café au lait is made of brewed coffee and steamed milk with a 1:1 ratio, instead of espresso and milk (also, no foam as in a latté). However, this distinction only exists in the US; in Europe, café au lait is made of espresso instead. And American café au lait is often made using scalded, rather than steamed milk. And in France, a distinction is made in serving style as well, with café au lait served French style in a white porcelain cup or bow, or Italian style in a glass. Confused? Time for a coffee break! Curious? For more on this special day and associated tartan details and colours, visit the website at: https://www.curiousandunusualtartans.com/dayso/café-au-lait

It wouldn't be Christmas without Santa climbing on to the Duke of Wellington statue

Nov 8 - the Blooming Poppy tartan for Remembrance Day!

Dec 12 - the Gingerbread tartan for Gingerbread House Day! "An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread. ... ~ William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost, 1597 Ginger, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, coriander, star anise, mace, cardamom, and black pepper are classic spicy ingredients for this most favorite of Christmastime treats whether in gingerbread, gingerbread man, or gingerbread house form! The hard gingerbread cookies, sometimes gilded with gold leaf and shaped like animals, kings and queens, were a staple at medieval fairs in England, France, Holland and Germany. Medieval ladies often gave their favourite knights a piece of gingerbread for good luck in a tournament or superstitiously ate a "gingerbread husband" to improve their chances of marriage. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the idea of elaborate decorating of gingerbread cookies after she had some made to resemble dignitaries visiting her court. Gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the 16th century and became linked in people's minds to the Hansel & Gretel fairytale of the Brothers Grimm in the form of the witch's house made of treats! If you enjoy this page and postings, please like or follow. Curious? For more on this special day and associated tartan details and colours, visit the website at: https://www.curiousandunusualtartans.com/daysof/gingerbread

Do yoo think its two early to put my lites on yet?

Dec 11 - the Ben Dubh (The Black Mount) tartan for Mountain Day! "The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth; Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, ... The hills of the Highlands forever I love." ~ My Heart’s in the Highlands, Robert Burns (1759-1796) Scotland's mountain peaks are categorised by heights and other criteria into groups with the following colourful names: Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, Donalds, and Marilyns! In a bit of classification whimsy, the "Marilyn" classification (defined as peaks with a prominence above 150 m, regardless of height) was created by Alan Dawson in his 1992 book, The Relative Hills of Britain, as a punning contrast to the Munro classification (defined as Scottish mountains above 3,000 feet, 914.4 m), being homophonous with the name of iconic actress (Marilyn) Monroe. As of October 2018, there were 2,011 Marilyns in the British Isles, with 1,219 Marilyns in Scotland, including 202 of the 282 Scottish Munros; Munros with a Marilyn-prominence are sometimes called Real Munros. Curious? For more on this special day and associated tartan details and colours, visit the website at: https://www.curiousandunusualtartans.com//ben-dubh-(the-bl

RIP Chief Ru Morrison

Iconic (Buachaille Etive Mòr @ Glencoe) #InternationalMountainDay #ForTheLoveOfScotland

Great post by our friend Whisky and Tartan

Magical world of The Wee White Dug

Thanks for the add Finished doing up my plain lantern, love it now Lest We Forget

Explore the history of the Jacobites.

Looking fine while drinking wine.

Tomorrow is Poppy Saturday which is usually the busiest collecting day of the Poppy Appeal. It’s going to be a little different this year. So, why don’t you mak...e a donation online, download a poppy poster (or get the kids to colour one in!) and display it proudly in your window to show your support. The money donated at this time of year provides vital funds to support those currently serving, veterans and their families too. Download your Poppy here www.poppyscotland.org.uk/ddd #EveryPoppyCounts #DonateDownloadDisplay #BehindThemAlways #LestWeForget See more

In the November edition of the #ScottishBanner: #Clanlands with Graham McTavish From their faithful camper van stars of #Outlander #GrahamMcTavish and Sam Heugh...an recently went on a road trip with a difference, the two #Scotsmen explored a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare. Issue out now! www.scottishbanner.com/subscribe #TheBanner #ScotSpirit #LoveScotland #Scotland #ScotlandIsNow See more

It is time for Your Pictures of Scotland Check out this week's gallery bbc.in/2TYR4gX

On this day in 1314, King Robert held a parliament at Cambuskenneth Abbey (pictured), on the north side of the River Forth, not far from where he had defeated t...he English royal host at the Battle of Bannockburn in June. At this assembly, Bruce forfeited all those who held land in Scotland but who still refused to recognise him as the rightful king. This was one of the defining moments of King Robert’s reign, and is absolutely crucial for helping us to understand the impact of his victory at Bannockburn. The key feature of medieval lordship (at least in theory) was that it should be a reciprocal arrangement. A person was supposed to serve their lord (or their king) faithfully, and in return the lord (or king) was supposed to generously reward that service. The circumstances of Bruce's rise to power limited his ability to fulfil his responsibilities in this regard. Given that he had been at war from the moment he took power in 1306, Bruce desperately needed followers to fight for him. The service he required was extremely dangerous (potentially life-threatening) and so the rewards he would be expected to dish out in return needed to be suitably lavish to reflect this fact. However, initially at least Bruce had relatively little he could offer in terms of material rewards. The main way the Scottish crown rewarded its adherents was in grants of land, but for much of Bruce's early reign large parts of Scotland remained outwith his control - either occupied by the English or held by his Scottish rivals and enemies. Thus for a long tine Bruce had had to rely on the *promise* of future rewards, backed by his personal persuasive talents and (increasingly from 1307 onwards) his reputation for military success, to maintain an armed following that could keep the war going. All this changed with victory at Bannockburn and the Cambuskenneth parliament. Styling himself 'the most excellent prince the Lord Robert by the grace of God illustrious king of Scots' he confidently declared 'that all who died outside the faith and peace of the said lord king in the war or otherwise, or who had not come to his peace and faith on the said day, although they had been often summoned and lawfully expected, should be disinherited perpetually of lands and tenements and all other title within the kingdom of Scotland'. Later Scottish chroniclers claim that a specific ultimatum had been issued a year earlier, to which the part about the individuals being 'often summoned and lawfully expected' refers. However, it seems more likely that Bruce had simply been issuing warnings about possible forfeitures at each major communal event he had held since becoming king (he had held a parliament at St Andrews in 1308, as well as unidentified assemblies at Auldearn in Moray in 1308 and Dundee in 1313) and now finally found himself in a position to be able to carry out this threat thanks to his recent success at Bannockburn. At a stroke, the judgment of forfeiture passed at Cambuskenneth revolutionised Bruce’s position. It forced every Scottish landowner to decide whether they were willing to support Bruce and keep their estates in Scotland, or else throw in their lot with the English and hope that someday their possessions would be restored. This meant that Bruce enjoyed a sudden influx of 'new' support from individuals who had previously been pro-Comyn or pro-Balliol Scots (or who had been hedging their bets by not committing fully to the Bruce cause). For instance, Sir Philip Mowbray, a Scot who had commanded the English garrison at Stirling Castle during the Battle of Bannockburn, submitted to Bruce in the period between the battle and the parliament in order to keep his lands. So too did Patrick Dunbar, earl of March, Sir Ingram Umfraville, Sir Walter Fitz Gilbert and others. More importantly however, it provided Bruce with a significant amount of land (and associated titles/rights) confiscated from those Scots who still refused to acknowledge his rights as king. He was now free to use these lands to reward his most faithful supporters and to pay off some of the 'debts' he owed them for years of diligent and often risky service. In the years after 1314, Bruce proceeded to carve Scotland up among his most trusted and hard-working followers. He richly rewarded his friend Sir James Douglas, who he had knighted at Bannockburn, with lands across southern Scotland. This provided Douglas with a base from which to continue his fearsome military operations against the English but also gave him an income rivalling that of the kingdom's great magnates. Douglas's rise was balanced by further grants in the region to the king's brother Edward Bruce and nephew Thomas Randolph. In the west, King Robert facilitated the rise of Angus Óg Macdonald and his kinsmen in the power vacuum created by the removal of the pro-Comyn MacDougalls, though again Bruce balanced this by also promoting the interests of his own son-in-law Sir Walter Stewart and his allies in the Firth of Clyde and Argyll. In the north-east, previously the heartland of Comyn power, Bruce introduced the Lothian baron Sir Robert Keith (who had played an important role on the second day of the Battle of Bannockburn) and the Perthshire lord Sir Gilbert Hay, both of whom would establish dynasties that would last well into the modern era. The changes Bruce made to the patterns of landownership in Scotland were gradual, continuing for the remainder of the reign, but the Cambuskenneth parliament represents perhaps the most significant single moment in this process. King Robert’s 'resettlement' of the kingdom after 1314 was not without its problems. Since the lands being redistributed had once belonged to people who had refused to recognise Bruce as king, there remained a significant group of lords - known as 'the Disinherited' - who were now effectively exiled to England, where they continued to pressure the English crown to continue the war with Scotland until their lands and rights were restored. In 1332, three years after King Robert’s death, the Disinherited launched an invasion of Scotland, and the year after that they helped to start the Second War of Scottish Independence. Yet even then, it was as a result of Bruce's post-1314 policy that his successor's fortunes were able to survive the initial success of the Disinherited. While there were some Scottish lords who were able to make their peace with the Disinherited and their English allies, there were many whose landed interests were composed exclusively (or almost exclusively) from possessions taken from those forfeited in 1314. It was individuals such as these - Robert Stewart (Bruce’s grandson), John Randolph (Bruce’s great-nephew), Andrew Murray of Bothwell (Bruce’s brother-in-law), William Douglas of Lothian (Douglas's cousin) and others - who fought to ensure the survival of the Bruce dynasty after 1332/3. King Robert had left them little choice, since between 1314 and 1329 he had worked to ensure that they and their families relied on the Bruce regime for their continued prosperity.