Historic Scotland Events Guide 2012

I took this cover shot which appears on the front of the 2012 Historic Scotland Events Guide at the Jousting Spectacular event at Linlithgow Palace last year. I spotted a couple of kids in the crowd who were dressed in medieval costume and after checking with their parents for permission, set up a shot where they were to be chased by one of the performers.

I love the look on the face of the wee boy who can't decide between screaming or laughing.

The full guide can be downloaded here.

Stirling Castle on Tour

Ladies and gentlemen of the Royal Court at Stirling Castle are heading to Glasgow to tempt shoppers to join them.

On Saturday 15th October the Stirling Castle cavalcade will open its doors in George Square, Glasgow between 11am and 3pm to give shoppers a taste of what is on offer at Stirling Castle following the completion of the £12m project to refurbish the Royal apartments of James V.

Hugh and Carol Robertson of the Royal Court take the wonders of Stirling Castle on the road.

More info here.

Crowning Glory for Stirling Palace

A new, hand-woven tapestry depicting the Unicorn at Bay has been unveiled in the recently opened James V Palace at Stirling Castle.

The display of the tapestry also marks a funding milestone for the charitable foundation that made the project possible.

The 3.3m by 3.8m tapestry is the fifth in the series of seven to be specially commissioned to hang in the newly opened attraction within Stirling Castle.

The designs are based on a collection of original 16th century Flemish tapestries titled The Hunt of the Unicorn held in the Cloisters Museum at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as research has shown that the Scottish royal collection also included a series depicting ‘the historie of the unicorne’.

I was up in Orkney at the beginning of the week to photograph sites for next year's Historic Scotland brochures and guide books. Like the previous years, the weather was challenging with only about a minute and a half of sunshine between the horizontal rain. Luckily the second day was better resulting in the shot above taken at the magnificent Ring of Brodgar.

If you haven't been, I would recommend a visit. It is a fantastically varied group of islands with plenty to see and do, including a number of sites cared for by Historic Scotland. More info here.

Fort George Celebration of the Centuries

2010's inaugural event brought the past to life at the awesome artillery fortification of Fort George. Once again, in Historic Scotland's largest event of the year, hundreds of performers will travelled from all over Britain to put on a fantastic show.

Opening with a grand parade, this celebration of history included exciting and interactive shows, demonstrations covering everything from the marching soldiers of the Roman period to the fighting troops of the twentieth century.

HM The Queen officially opens Stirling's Royal Palace

HM The Queen accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh officially re-opened the Royal Palace at Stirling Castle yesterday. Security was tight and the castle was closed to the public for the duration of the visit. My car was even thoroughly checked by a sniffer dog before I could gain access to the esplanade.














On arrival, HM The Queen was presented with the keys to the castle before being shown round the ground floor by Ruth Parsons, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland.

Technically the shoot was quite challenging as we were told that flash was to be used sparingly, if at all and some of the rooms in the palace were pretty dark.










HM The Queen unveiled a plaque carved from oak to commemorate her visit before sitting down to lunch with invites guests in the Great Hall.

Children from the local Raploch area provided entertainment.










HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh appeared to enjoy their visit to the Castle and it was all smiles as they left.

Click here for the Stirling Castle website.

Royal Palace Throws Open It's Doors

Over two and a half thousand visitors flocked to Stirling Castle yesterday to catch the first glimpse of the newly refurbished £12m Royal Palace which opened it door's for the first time. Over 70 performers treated the audience to a parade up the esplanade, led by Mary of Guise on horseback.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop dropped by to drink a toast the Scotland's newest tourist attraction.

The fun continues today from 12 noon and tickets may be purchased at the door. Or draw bridge. Or portcullis.

More info here.

Mary, Queen of Mother's Day

Mary Queen of Scots dropped by the Queen Anne Cafe at Edinburgh Castle this weekend to sample the delights of the special Mother's Day menu of tea and cakes.

First Minister visits Stirling's Royal Palace

First Minister Alex Salmond has revealed details of a weekend of celebrations to mark the opening of Stirling Castle’s Renaissance royal palace after a £12 million refurbishment.
He made the announcement during a visit to the palace where he saw the first of the original 16th-century Stirling Heads being prepared for display in a specially-created gallery on the upper floor.
The royal palace opens to the public on June 4th and 5th 2011.

More images on Facebook.

Historic Scotland Print Suite for 2011-12

Photographing these leaflet and brochure covers for Historic Scotland took me all over the country last year from Orkney in the north to Caerlaverock Castle in the south. Over 2 million guides are printed and distributed.

One of the perks of the job was getting to spend time at some amazing locations. I think the highlight was the Fort George Colossal Event last August which features on the cover of the 2011 Events guide.

Click the image for a closer view.

For more information about Historic Scotland click here.

King of the Castle

Nick Finnigan has been appointed as Executive Manager of Edinburgh Castle, taking over from Barbara Smith.

Nick has worked in Historic Scotland since 1989. His extensive experience within the organisation includes managing corporate hospitality, catering, membership and weddings. In his previous role as Events and Filming Manager, Nick was responsible for the organisation of the packed events programme that entertains the millions of visitors to Historic Scotland’s 345 sites each year.

Royal Palace Comes Alive

Costumed performers will soon be appearing at the newly restored Royal Palace in Stirling Castle when it opens to the public in June.

The images appeared in in local and national media and will be used for Historic Scotland publications.

Read more on the Stirling Castle blog here.

Heads Up For Stirling

I have been following the progress of the Stirling Heads for a couple of years now, photographing master craftsman John Donaldson during the carving of the 37 replica oak medallions.

The heads were masterpieces in themselves and I have to admit that I wasn't sure that I would be so keen on them after I head that they were to be painted. But seeing them positioned on the ceiling of the Kings Inner Hall of Stirling Castle convinced me that it was the right thing to do.

Last month I braved the snow and headed up to Stirling to photograph John and Graciela Ainsworth who led the painting team. The images were used for press and marketing purposes.

I am very much looking forward to June when the project will be complete and the palace will be open to the public.

Five Seasons in One Day

I was up in Orkney last week photographing key sites for next year's Historic Scotland leaflets, brochures and guidebooks. It was a challenging shoot due to the micro climate which Orkney has. We could literally see the rain coming over the hill and within 2 minutes it would be on us and we would have to run for cover.

Scara Brae, the Neolithic Settlement was closed for part of the day we were there due to Force 9 winds. Fortunately there is a replica village built into the excellent visitor centre so we were able to get the shots we needed.

Great fun. Next year I think we should aim for May.

Fort George Colossal Event

In Historic Scotland’s largest event of 2010, hundreds of performers travelled from all over Britain to the impressive military fortification of Fort George.

Commencing with a grand parade into the central arena, the day unfolded with a series of exciting, informative, impressive and interactive shows, displays and presentations covering everything from the marching soldiers of the Roman period to the fighting troops of the twentieth century.

More images here on the BBC site.