The Great Tapestry of Scotland

Along with 40,000 other visitors, Grey Granite recently visited the Great Tapestry of Scotland which is currently being exhibited in Aberdeen Art Gallery. This beautiful tapestry, the brainchild of Alexander Macall Smith, stitched by groups from across Scotland tells the history of the nation in 160 panels.

Below is a selection of favourite panels, in no particular order.

Most require no explanation

Fair Isle

Map of Scotland Today, chosen for the lines from VIolet Jacob's poem Wild Geese

Where would we be without OS maps?

Spring blossom at Philorth, formerly known as Bungyietoun

Philorth Woods have this week caught up with trees in the south and have blossom to rival that in the preceding post.

Wild cherry trees fully in blossom

Whilst  walking through the wood towards Mains of Philorth  we suddenly came upon great drifts of snowy blossom. The silver birches in the distance are just starting to green up. The rooks are also aware that it is Spring and are busy querulously nesting, the wood is loud with their chatter. 

A cherry branch against the sky, the blossom is spread along the younger branches

Blackthorn

Blackthorn blossom

Daffodils and the Lesser Celandines which carpet parts of the wood

The old name for the policies at Philorth was Bungyietoun. This name was in use until 1669 when Mains of Philorth replaces it. Bungyietoun is derived from the Gaelic buidhe - meaning yellow place and toun, Scots for  a farm. David Murison states that this probably refers to the colour of vegetation such as broom, Grey Granite likes to speculate that the carpet of celandines contributed to the name.