Category Archives: Highland Titles

Sun Standing Still

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Kate Cowie Riley

(Originally posted, December 2013) The word solstice comes from the Latin: sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”).  As seen from Earth, the sun’s highest point for the day is at its lowest for the year and the movement of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry, Auld Lang Syne, Eco-travel, Ecology, Highland Titles, Hogmanay, Land trust, Maes Howe, New Year's Eve, Norn, Orkneyinga Saga, Robert Burns, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Scottish Christmas history, Self drive Scotland tours, Stonehaven, Stromness, Travel, Uncategorized, Winter Solstice, Women Writers, Yule | Leave a comment

Carving the Runes

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Kate Cowie Riley

Here I am, sitting in my room, writing away with classical music in the background, and the announcer says that a guitar quartet will be playing (Sir) Peter Maxwell Davies’s “A Farewell to Stromness” — so I stop writing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry, Eco-travel, Ecology, Highland Titles, Land trust, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Travel, Uncategorized, Women Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Burns By Any Other Name…

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Kate Cowie Riley

Call him Robert, Robbie, Rabbie, or the Ploughman Poet:  Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) is the poet-son of Scotland. He was named the “greatest Scot” in a 2009 popular vote by Scotland’s STV television channel. Of … Continue reading →

Posted in Alloway, Ancestry, Auld Lang Syne, Ayrshire, Burns' Night, Eco-travel, Ecology, Highland Titles, Laki volcano, Land trust, New Year's Eve, Poetry, Robert Burns, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Scottish Dialect, Scottish Folk Songs, Self drive Scotland tours, Travel, Uncategorized, Women Writers | 1 Comment

Sun Standing Still

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Kate Cowie Riley

The word solstice comes from the Latin: sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”).  As seen from Earth, the sun’s highest point for the day is at its lowest for the year and the movement of the Sun’s path comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry, Auld Lang Syne, Eco-travel, Ecology, Highland Titles, Hogmanay, Land trust, Maes Howe, New Year's Eve, Norn, Orkneyinga Saga, Robert Burns, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Scottish Christmas history, Self drive Scotland tours, Stonehaven, Stromness, Travel, Uncategorized, Winter Solstice, Women Writers, Yule | 3 Comments

The Highlands, Day Two

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Kate Cowie Riley

I was still somewhat jokingly (nah, not really) in search of a good cup of coffee.  I was sure I could find one somewhere en route during the trip. I like decaf; I like some teas as well, but there … Continue reading →

Posted in #1 Bistro, Ancestry, Ballachulish, Beauly, Drumnadrochit, Eco-travel, Ecology, Ferry to Orkney, Highland Titles, Land trust, Loch Ness, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Self drive Scotland tours, Thistlestop Tearoom, Travel, Uncategorized, Urquhart Castle, Well of Seven Heads, Wick, Women Writers | 2 Comments

The Saltire

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Kate Cowie Riley

As I write this, St. Andrews Day is drawing to a close in Scotland.  While it is not yet a national holiday, it is a day when the patron saint of Scotland is honored, and is considered to be Scotland’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry, Eco-travel, Ecology, Highland Titles, Land trust, legend of saltire, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Scottish flag, Self drive Scotland tours, St Andrews, Travel, Uncategorized, Women Writers | 1 Comment

The Highlands, Day One

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Kate Cowie Riley

Dunstaffnage Castle stands on a small peninsula three miles north of Oban on the south-west entrance to Loch Etive, Loch Eite, (“little ugly one” ).  It is pronounced Dun-STAF- nidge, from the word dun which means “fort” in Gaidhlig, and stafr-nis  from … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry, Dunstaffnage Castle, Eco-travel, Ecology, Glen Coe, Highland Single Malt, Highland Titles, Land trust, Oban, Oban Distillry, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Self drive Scotland tours, Travel, Uncategorized, Whisky, Women Writers | 3 Comments

Sheep Don’t Know The Green Cross Code

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Kate Cowie Riley

“These Scotch streams, full of stones, and clear as glass, are most beautiful; the peeps between the trees, the depth of the shadows, the mossy stones, mixed with slate, etc., which cover the banks, are lovely; at every turn you … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry, Eco-travel, Ecology, Edradour Distillery, Heathergems, Highland Titles, Land trust, Pitlochry, Queen Victoria, Queen's View, Scotland, Scottish ancestry, Self drive Scotland tours, Travel, Uncategorized, Whisky, Women Writers | 2 Comments