Get out and explore some of Scotland’s lesser known treasures
Aspartof Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, six Scottish archaeological hidden gems have been put in the spotlight.
These lesser-known places are not often featured in travel guides, but are just as fascinating and inspiring as their more famous counterparts. Govan Stones Hidden away in Govan Old Church, Glasgow, are 31 beautifully carved stones, some of which date back to the 900s.
The site on which Govan Old Church is built was once part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, a Brythonic kingdom ruled from Dumbarton, which was later absorbed into the Kingdom of the Scots.
The ancient stones were carved over several centuries, with images such as crosses, warriors, Celtic knots and even a donkey.
One of the most impressive stones is a sarcophagus from the 10th or 11th century. It is likely that it holds the relics of St Constantine, to whom the church is dedicated.
St Constantine may have been the king of Strathclyde in the seventh century, or he may have been Constantine I, King of the Picts and Scots. Ardrossan Castle Although it is now a ruin, parts of the Ayrshire castle’s keep, which dates from the 15th century, remain, as do the vaulted range, containing a kitchen and cellars.
The original castle was owned by Clan Barclay when it was partly destroyed during the Wars of Scottish Independence. During the conflict, an English garrison was slaughtered here in an event known as ‘Wallace’s Larder’.
The castle was rebuilt by Clan Montgomery in the 15th century, but in the following years it fell into disuse. It was then partially dismantled by Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers in the 17th century, who used the stones to help build the Ayr Citadel. The Howff The Howff cemetery in Dundee was established in 1564, and is home to one of the most important collections of tombstones in Scotland.
The site was part of a Franciscan monastery until the Scottish Reformation. Mary, Queen of Scots granted the land to the burgh of Dundee for use of a cemetery in 1564.
As it was frequently used by the Dundee Incorporated Trades, the cemetery became known as the Howff. The final burial to take place there was in 1857.
The fascianting folk buried here, include David Lindsay, First Earl of Crawford, James Chalmer, the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp, and John Glas, the founder of the Glasite religious movement. James Watt’s cottage This ruined cottage is the former workshop of James Watt, the engineer whose innovations helped to start the Industrial Revolution. The cottage, built in 1769, can be found in the grounds of Kinneil House in Bo’ness.
When the cottage was built, Kinneil House was the home of Dr John Roebuck, an industrialist who leased local pits. However, the pits kept flooding, and the early steam engines used to pump out the water weren’t efficient enough.
Dr Roebuck commissioned Watt to help make an improved steam engine for his pits. He gave Watt £1,000 in return for a two-thirds share in his work. Watt used the cottage for a spell in 1769, and another in 1770.
However, Roebuck became bankrupt in 1773, and had to pass his interests in Watt’s steam engine to Matthew Boulton.
The steam engine was perfected far from the cottage in 1774, but the beginnings of its success can be traced back here. Campbeltown Picture House The Picture House in Campbeltown, constructed in 1913, was one of the first purpose-built cinemas in Scotland.
Grade-a listed, its exterior is inspired by the Glasgow school’s art nouveau designs, and its interior is of an unusual ‘atmospheric’ style. Today, the cinema is largely unaltered since it was remodeled in 1935 by Albert V Gardener.
The local Centenary Project aims to restore the building and create a modern cinema for the local community. Lincluden Collegiate Church This impressive ruin was once known as Lincluden Priory. It is situated to the north of Dumfries, and was built on the site of an early castle and tower.
The priory was founded in 1160 by Uchtred, co-ruler of Galloway with his brother, Gille Brigte. It was probably initially inhabited by Cluniac sisters from France or England, with local novices joining the order.
In the late 14th century, the nuns were suspected of breaking their vows of chastity, and were dismissed from the priory.
The Lord of Galloway ordered the construction of a new church on the site, alongside a college of a provost and 12 canons.