Swiss Rolls, Gooseberries and Hippos were all parts of the pre-fabricated Mulberry Harbours that were towed across the channel as part of the D-Day fleet, and constructed in situ on Gold and Omaha Beaches. Scotland played a large part in the production and testing of the Mulberry Harbours. Two Mulberry Harbours were built – Mulberry […]
Tag: maps
D-Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration
I remember the day, soon after I started as a Map Assistant in the Map Library, while searching for maps of France I opened a drawer and saw five aerial photos taken by the RAF after D-Day sitting beside large scale maps of the five D-Day landing beaches. I was, and still am, fascinated by […]
Introducing our Virtual Reading Room – another way to view the collections
Whether you are scholar, learner, or just a little curious – the virtual reading room allows you to immerse yourself in the Library’s collections anywhere. We have added quotes from readers throughout this blog. “Great opportunity for people who cannot visit the library…“ Our new virtual reading room allows you to explore our collections without […]
Zoom Into Edinburgh City
What do you think of when you think of the city of Edinburgh? Perhaps the ancient castle looming over the city from Castle Rock. Or the plethora of festivals that take place in the city’s streets every year. Maybe you know Scotland’s capital city best as the seat of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. But what else has taken place within […]
Zoom into South Lanarkshire
The former county of Lanarkshire was covered by North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and Glasgow. The county has historically also been called Clydesdale after the River Clyde. In 1975, South Lanarkshire separated, and currently borders the City of Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, the Scottish Borders and West Lothian. The larger […]
Zoom into Aberdeen City
Aberdeen City sits on the north-east coast of Scotland, north of the River Dee and south of the River Don. Aberdeen is often referred to the Granite or Silver City as the buildings were built with granite that has a high mica content (mica is a natural mineral that is typically very shiny or shimmery). […]
Zoom into Perth and Kinross
The county of Perth, formerly known as Perthshire, sits at the heart of Scotland, and its vast geographic size has seen it called ‘the big county.’ It existed as an administrative county from 1890 until 1930, when it was linked with Kinross-shire which, in direct contrast to its neighbour, is one of Scotland’s smallest counties. The county town is Perth, and a large number […]
ZOOM INTO DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY
The unitary region of Dumfries and Galloway was created in 1975, following a reorganisation of Local Government in Scotland. It brought together the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Wigtownshire and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. Though now part of Scotland, the region was once part of the ancient Northern Brittonic Kingdom of Rheged and later the Kingdoms […]
Zoom Into Angus
The Modern-day council area of Angus traces its name to an eighth century Pictish king, Óengus son of Fergus (ruled 732-761). Óengus (Angus) hailed from Circinn, one of the four principal Pictish kingdoms roughly coextensive with the modern county of Angus. The signing of the Declaration of Arbroath at Arbroath Abbey in 1320 marked Scotland’s establishment as an independent nation, and so Angus has become known as the birthplace of […]
Zoom into Na h-Eileanan Siar
Time to step into the rich history and culture of Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles or Outer Hebrides). Na h-Eileanan Siar is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The inhabited islands of the Western Isles include: Lewis and Harris, South Uist, North Uist, Benbecula, Barra, Great Bernera, Berneray, Vatersay, Baleshare, North Grimsay, […]