#lothian grey

[gobbyteeth]

saying goodbye to those we lost

hello to new beginnings

farewell to old friends

[corallapis]

Edward Clifford, details from A Lunch Party at Ashridge House (1892). Sitters identified below.

Rt Hon. John ‘Yvo’ Vesey, 4th Viscount de Vesci (1844-1903), husband of (3)

Colonel Hon. Sir Reginald Chetwynd-Talbot (1841-1929), husband of (4), brother of (5, 7, 12, 14, 16)

Viscountess de Vesci (née Lady Evelyn Charteris) (1849-1939), wife of (1)

Margaret, Lady Chetwynd-Talbot (née Stuart-Wortley) (?-1937), wife of (2)

Countess Brownlow (née Lady Adelaide Chetwynd-Talbot) (1844-1917), wife of (15), sister of (2, 7, 12, 14, 16)

Miss Pamela Wyndham (later Baroness Glenconner; Viscountess Grey) (1871-1928), daughter of (10)

Hon. Alfred Chetwynd-Talbot (1848-1913), brother of (2, 5, 12, 14, 16)

Lady Alice Gaisford (née Kerr) (1836-1892)

Mr Harry Cust (1861-1917), cousin and heir of (15)

Mrs Percy Wyndham (née Madeline Campbell) (1835-1920), mother of (6)

George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke (1850-1895), husband of (12)

Countess of Pembroke (née Lady Gertrude Chetwynd-Talbot) (1840-1906), wife of (11), sister of (2, 5, 7, 14, 16)

Countess Cowper (née Lady Katrine Compton) (1845-1913)

Admiral Hon. Walter Carpenter (né Chetwynd-Talbot) (1834-1904), brother of (2, 5, 7, 12, 16)

Adelbert Brownlow-Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow (1844-1921), husband of (5), cousin of (9)

Marchioness of Lothian (née Constance Chetwynd-Talbot) (1836-1901), sister of (2, 5, 7, 12, 14)

[scotianostra]

Tollcross.

This is a major road junction to the south west of the city centre of Edinburgh, which takes its name from a local historical land area.

The earliest reference to Tollcross dates from 1439 with Tolcors being the typical early form with the cors ending continuing in use to the late 18th century. Towcroce and Tolcroce appear in the early 16th century. Stuart Harris has pointed out that there were no crossroads until modern times and that there is no evidence for such meaning as "toll at a crossroad". He derives the name from cors with cros as a later form (as in Old Welsh toll cors, meaning a boggy hollow) and that the ending -corse would have aptly described the low-lying area beside the now culverted Lochrin Burn running between the slopes of the Burgh Muir and the High Riggs south of the Grassmarket, High Riggs is the area behind the trees in the middle of the pic.

From the earliest, the name has referred to an area of land. It is called "Lands of Tolcross" in a 1649 Charter of Charles II: "South parts of Tollcross owned by Major James Weir" in 1814: "That part of the village of Portsburgh called Tollcross" in 1836. In an Act of 1771 in the reign of George III, when suburbs outside the royalty of Edinburgh were made into districts, one of the districts was "to be one District called Toll-Cross".

Archaeological excavations by Headland Archaeology in 2012, as part of a planning condition in advance of development, found evidence of occupation of the area during the Medieval period. The excavations found the transformation of the area from an agricultural landscape to an industrial area, including the remains of the Lochrin Distillery, a slaughterhouses, Edinburgh Ice and Cold Storage Company’s unit, an ice rink and a garage, that had been built over each other.

Tollcross is at the end of the road which runs from the West End of Princes Street, up Lothian Road, to Earl Grey Street to one of the busiest junctionsin the citym where t leads straight on to Brougham Stree towards The Meadows, to the right on to Home Street, the road leads to Bruntsfield and Morningside, and to the left along Lauriston Place past Edinburgh College of Art, George Herriots School and The University of Edinburgh at Teviot.

[fineosaur]

url song name

so the rules of the game are to write one song for every letter in your url, and then tag as many people as there are letters in your url.

i haven’t done a tag in a while but i can’t resist music tags. thanks for the tag @salty-wench & @ybbag777 xx

free - florence + the machine

i didn’t know - skinshape

needle in the hay - elliot smith

electricity - riley pearce

old and grey - harrison storm

she hangs brightly - mazzy star

angel in lothian - sam fender

u&me - alt j

rome - solann

i pretty much just shuffled my liked songs till i got songs so enjoy this chaos.

i don’t know which of my mutuals are actually very active since i myself am not the most active person on tumblr. i’m more of a erratically active blogger so i’ll tag the ones I KNOW are still on tumblr.

@stompandhollar my beloved, @wexpyke , @go-catch-a-chickn, @cloudshapedfalls , @nalgenewhore, @catb-fics

[pacifymebby]

what’s ur fav sam song babe

i feel like i think it’s something really depressing like wgo 😭😭

Hahaha that's definitely one of them!

My top 5 are probably

Angel in Lothian

You're Not The Only One

The Borders

All Is On My Side (or wild grey ocean it's mostly depending how sad I am)

Greasy Spoon

I know you only asked for my favourite but they all swap around so often I can't choose just one

[fendercapaldi]

What is your favorite song by Sam 😊

Probably "The Borders" but also Angel in Lothian and Wild Grey Ocean are up there ❤

[maypoleman1]

6th March

St Baldred’s Day/ Uncle Tom Cobbley And All

Old uncle Tom Cobley and all. Source: Devon Heritage’s postcard collection

On this day in 1794, Thomas Cobbley a prosperous yeoman from Crediton in Devon died. Cobbley was the inspiration for the drinking song Widdecombe Fair which tells the repetitive story of Cobbley and his mates piling onto an unfortunate grey mare to get to the fair. Perhaps the rhyme was knowing mockery of the local squire because Cobbley was a landowner who possessed several horses and had no need to borrow his steed from Tom Pearce. At least two of Cobbley’s gang are mentioned in church records, including Pearce, and Cobbley himself was buried in the churchyard at Sprayton where his grave can still be seen. Apparently Cobbley and his crew, including the long suffering mare, haunt the roads in and out of Widdecombe in eternal search of the fair, which still takes place every September.

Today is also St Baldred’s Day. Baldred’s most noteworthy feat was to remove a dangerous reef between Bass Rock and mainland Lothian by the power of prayer and deposit it on the coast near North Berwick where it still resides.

[nic0-r0bs]

Ok, it's time for part 2!

Let's talk about some things I wanted to change regarding the lore.

WORLDBUILDING

- The Supreme Deity and the Demon King are not "original deities". Chaos created the Power of Light and the Power of Darkness and bestowed them to two individuals they created, and this power can be passed down from one person to the next, who will then become Supreme Deity/Demon King. It's mainly hereditary, and it's also the reason why Goddesses and Demons are Fighting since Forever: they don't even remember why, it's a legacy, at this point. A burden for the two peoples and for their rulers as well.

- Also, this power is too much for a single individual to handle, that's why the Supreme Deity created the Graces and the Demon King created the Commandaments. The power is linked to its possessor, like a hive mind. Through it, the SD/DK can control the Archangels/Commandaments, which are forced this way to behave like they do. I mean they're genocidal and war criminals, let's not forget it, but it's not actually their nature.

-I prefer "Angels Clan" to "Goddesses", because I see both demons and goddessed as just another race, nothing divine about them. Also, I wanted to give every people and every race their own gods. Also because I'm putting Vikings as well with their own mythology and gods, just to make things more complicated.

- The Angel Clan, then, would be structured with different social groups taking their names after Pseudo-Dyonigius De coelesti hierarchia, except they're not in the same hierarchy (since archangels are second to last). Dominions and Authorities are the soldiers, while the Archangels are the generals. The Potestas are the philosophers, and the Cherubims are the researchers. Principalities are the politicians, while Angels are the common people. Seraphims are the nobilty, while Goddesses are royalty. The Thrones are like the Demon Clans Indura.

-Something similar with the Demons, also linked to how many hearts they have. (Can you say I've been studying demonology? Well, it was for another project, but since it's there…)

- Red Demons, Grey Demons, Albions and similar are not actually demons, they are former Humans, Fairies and Giants turned into demons by means of the same ability Grayroad and Estarossa have: turning creatures into demons. They were thus cannon fodder for the Demon Clan, that's why they are portrayed as mindless. I like to thing that they tryed to create their own society, then, as shown in 4KotA.

- There is the Holy Grail: it's the cup from the Fountain of Immortal life, which was lost when the Fairy forest was burnt down. Arthur is looking for it to make every Human immortal so that they will never suffer.

Now to the CHARACTERS

- Maliaron is one of the main protagonists. She's the fusion of Bors the Elder and Hector de Maris, and she's also a WereBeast like Zhivago because YES, WEREBEAST FOUND FAMILY.

- With her we also have Marrock, who was a knight od the round table and a werewolf.

- MORGANA! Her look is based on "BBC Merlin" Morgana, and she is, of course, a Fairy. After the Red Demon destroyes the Fairy Forest, Ban plants the seed of the Holy Tree and a portal opens again. A Fairy pops up and decides to go and travel Britannia: this Fairy is Igraine. Igraine has triplets, one of them named after Elaine to honour her. Then poor Gorlois ends like he does and she marries Uther Pendragon, but won't survive Arthur's Birth.

Uther gives Igraine's three daughters in marriage to three kings when they're still litle girls. Morgause to Lot of Lothian, Elaine to Nentres of Garlot and Morgana to Urien of Rheged. Urien is really old, and Morgana doesn't want to marry him, so she manages to bargain to be trained by Merlin at her half-brother's court until she turns 20. So at the beginning of the story she is at Camelot, and when the Ten Commandaments attack she is taken prisoner by Zeldris' Commandament. When she's freed, she manages to get Urien's army to fight alongside Lyonesse (if you look at the map, Lyonesse should be in Strathclyde and Rheged is just South of it).

- Mordred: after the Holy War, Morgause and Arthur… you know. Mordred is born, and since they're half Fairy from both maternal and paternal side, they still have no gender (I think it was stated as canon that a fairy can be genderless until they fall in love?). Lot wants to drown the child, but Morgana intervenes to save them, and raises them far from any court because she's sick of it. Their look is based on Fate Apocrypha Mordred.

- Lionel and Bastiel Bors: Maliaron's sons. I wrote their story as very similar to Arthurian legends. Lionel was named after Escanor (which was perfect, since he's half Angel and angel names end with -el). For his brother I had to come up with an alternative name xD

During their war with Claudas, Bastiel saves a girl instead of helping his brother. This causes… bad things, and Bastiel forsakes his name and becomes Bors, a celtic druid. He has twins, Elyan and Elaine the White, to honour his step-grandma. She'll be called by another name, but in Italian I chose "Bianca" ("white"), which is a name, and I was looking for translations in Old English or Irish. Well, in Irish, "white" is "bán". I'm starting to see a pattern here…

- Kayley: Lionel's daughter. From "Quest for Camelot".

And… ok, someone please stop me I've been yapping for hours now.

I am writing my 7DS fanfiction about the other Arthurian knights and legends.

But since I have to tie it up with NNT, I am re-writing some of the canon scenes. And since it got me thinking, I've decided to change a thing or two:

CHARACTERS

- Meliodas won't be groping Elizabeth every other second because SHE IS A MINOR AND HE'S KNOWN HER SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD, I DON'T CARE IF THEY'VE MET IN A HUNDRED LIVES, IT'S GROSS. I will have him respectfully keep distance, looking at her with love more than lust, partly because he doesn't want Elizabeth to get her memories back so soon by falling in love with him. When she will get her memories back, he'll be touchy as he wants (which is, a lot).

- He'll look a bit older too. I understand that he was supposed to represent the usual shonen teenage protagonist, but I don't see the issue, actually. He'll still be a short king, of course, because we need short kings.

- Diane won't be portrayed as a 15-year-old girl mentally. Just… no. She's 1500 Years and a mercenary, I refuse to have her behave like a child (and then having seven children). Her crush on Meliodas will be more mature, too.

- Elaine will look a bit older. I mean, like Meliodas, short people who look younger exist and are totally valid, but she's p3do bait and just… no.

- Mael will be central because I find that his character arc had SO MUCH MORE potential but they kinda just... forgot him? But it would have been so interesting to see him dealing with PTSD and paranoia, not knowing if what he sees and experiences is real or not, and all the moral dilemma lf finding out that he's been raised to be a weapon but everything he believed in was a lie. Also he never truly wanted to fight and k1ll, but then he committed atrocities while being Estarossa and... I don't know, I think it would have been great seeing him having a proper development and healing. Because I fell in love with 7DS because everyone there is a sinner, everyone is evil somehow, everyone committed something terrible (with the only exception of Howzer), but we learn to love and root for those characters because they're complex... Or at least used to be.

- Also it would be nice to explore Gowther gender identity and expression and make it more complex, wouldn't it?

WORLDBUILDING

- Since all my OCs are described wearing things that would be common in the VI century (around Arthurian period, "historically" speaking) (btw, I've had fun seeing what Celts were wearing during that time… Women were fighters and would also wear trousers), or, at least, in a fantasy setting, the original characters clothes will be a bit different, too. The Boar Hat uniform will be different, because I refuse to let Meliodas lewd on an innocent and clueless sixteen-year-old Elizabeth.

- Regarding the lore… I had a bit of fun. In my fanfiction, the Sacred Tree will be a "spawn" of Yggdrasil. I imagine Chaos creating the Universe with different worlds and the Yggdrasil connecting them. It just happens that one of its roots developed its own tree in Britannia, opening portarls to other realms: the Demon realm (in Cornwall, since in Arthurian era there were the Dumnonii, whose name resemble the word "Demon"); the Sky realm (both of Goddess clan and of the Celestials); the Fairy realm (the Tree being a portal) and the Giants realm (Megadoza stone being a portal).

- Also, there are the Ragnarok chapters in the mobile game, so that's the perfect excuse to put them there as well.

- Since there's different "parallel universes" I've also thought that time will pass differently in different realms. Faster in Britannia and slower anywhere else (since also in Purgatory time flows differently). This is mainly because this Whole "I'm three thousand Years old dating a literal child in my eyes" gives me the ick. I'm talking about Meliodas, King and Elaine especially. I also find that in some cases the math doesn't add, if you look at some character's official age (I'm looking at you, Estarossa/Mael, you're even 20cm taller when you're a Demon).

- And yeah, since I like history and mythology a bit too much I may include a bit of geopolitics of the British isles in the IV century and Celtic culture as well.

Anyway, this project has been fun until now, but since I'm not writing it in a linear way, it's time to work into the canon to tie everything together.

I may write a part 2 about my OCs, in the meantime let me know if you have some headcanons which you want to share!

Also hopefully I'll post some new drawings

[gobbyteeth]

Midnight! Lothian drip, dropped

[xmalereader]

Kylo Ren X Jedi! Male Reader

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|| Masterlist ||

@fanficsforheartandsoul

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Requested: Oh my god, I just found your blog and I'm already in love with your stories!!! Could I request a Kylo x male! reader story where the reader is a jedi that was trained a few years before Kylo, which means he's older and they meet and fight and Kylo is disturbed by the fact that the male is stronger than him and he feels attracted to the reader? You are a blessing my friend! There are not enough star wars x male reader stories ;/ But you just made my day :D Thank you so much!

Warnings: Jedi reader, some fluff. All Badass reader.

-

-

He thought Luke was the last Jedi. Rey was still in training and wasn’t even close to becoming a Jedi. Yet, here he is standing in front of a Jedi that should’ve died a long time ago. He doesn’t remember him ever being at the Jedi temple during his training as a youngling but he can feel the strong force that radiated off him, it was far stronger than his or his uncles and he wants to know why.

“Your younger than I thought you would be.” He hears the older Jedi say as he swings his saber in his hand with a grin on his face. Kylo was standing far away from him with his own lightsaber lit and by his side as he grips the handle, tight in his hands. Kylo was training in the forests of Lothian, where he accidentally met the long lost Jedi. Upon meeting the Jedi he was at first shocked to see an older man standing in front of him as he watched him train.

Kylo didn’t know how to react so he ignored the man’s presence, but as he trained he spotted a few loth cats around that annoyed him. Causing him to lose his rage and try to kill the little pests. This caused the Jedi to react and used the force to stop kylo fro, hurting the poor creature. “Stop!” He shouts and makes his way over to kylo.

Kylo swings his saber and points it towards the Jedi. “Don’t get any closer or I will kill you.” He warns out with a glare as the older man glared back and holds out his own lightsaber. “Try before I decide to kill you myself.” This earns a chuckle from Kylo. “You don’t kill, it’s against the Jedi code.”

“Grey Jedi.” The stranger corrects him. “We stand between the light and dark, making our own choices as we go.” He ignited his yellow saber and slams it against kylos red one. He catches him off guard and is able to knock it off his hand, pinning Kylo down. “Now, what are you doing on my planet?”

“Your planet?”

“Yes, lothian is my home and if you are going to be terrorizing around then best you leave before I decide to kill you myself.” He warns. His saber still pointing down at Kylo who pants softly and struggled against him. “It won’t belong to you for long.” He hisses out and uses the force to reach out for his own lightsaber.

Glancing over to his right to see his saber coming to him he grins. Reaching out to take it, but before it could reach his hand the saber turns towards a different direction and lands into the hands of the grey Jedi. Kylos eyes widen as he stared up at the other. No other person with the force was able to do such thing, not his uncle and clearly not Rey either.

“How—?”

“You’re a weak one.” Said the older man as he shoves Kylo away and grips both sabers. “I’ve heard of you—“ he starts to say. “You’re Kylo Ren.” He eyes Kylo up and down and chuckled. “Your shorter than I thought.” He mocks as Kylo glared.

“What’s a Grey Jedi like you doing here? Stranded on a planet that has nothing.” Kylo watches the other closely as the grey Jedi circles around him. His lightsaber still in hand as he swings it around, watching Kylo closely as the two stare each the down. “This is my home. I’ve been here for years.” He finally says.

Kylo doesn’t want to believe him at first but he does. “In the middle of nowhere?”

“You Can y’all badly about my home but that won’t get you anywhere. I can hear and read your thoughts, no wall will stop me from hearing you.” Kylo gasps and takes a few steps back as the other Jedi approaches him. A grin appears on his lips as the Jedi chuckled. “You scare easy.” He doesn’t hesitate to toss Kylo his saber back.

“Since you’ll be staying for awhile, I might as well and introduce myself.” He turns his amber off and clips it back into his holster. “My name is Y/n, I’m a grey Jedi and lothian is my home. If you dare as try and destroy this place then I won’t hesitate to kill you and it won’t be pretty.” He threatens out in the end.

Kylo takes his saber back. He clips it back into his own belt as he listens to the other speak and introduce hismelf. “Y/n.” He says, trying out the name as it rolled out of him. “How long have you been a Jedi?” He asks suddenly getting curious. “I’ve been a Jedi all my life, but from the looks of it I’m three years older than you which give me three years more of experience.”

Y/n chuckled at his own pride before turning around and walking away from Kylo. Already knowing that the other will follow him around, their was nothing here in lothian besides the Loth-cats and maybe a hidden Jedi temple that only y/n knew how to get too. He was probably one of the strongest grey jedis out of all of the others, he trained at a very young age and is a quick learner. He likes challenges and is willing to accept them; so having Kylo around was another challenge of his.

“If your going to be following me around then you might as well and promise me that you won’t hurt the Loth-cats.”

“I make no such promises.” Kylo says back as he continued to follow the other.

Y/n sighs in defeat and lets it slide. “Then I promise you that you won’t leave this place alive.” He reminds him once again before he enters a cave where he usually visited to meditate. Y/n sheds off his robes and lies the robes down on top of a rock. Finding a comfortable space for himself he sits Indian style and lets outa deep breath. “If you are going ot be here then might as well and be quiet. I have to meditate and if you interrupt me—“

“You’ll kill me, I get it.” Said Kylo as he watches him and frowns a little before finding his own self a spot to join him. He knows that he too needs to mediate as well in order to get stronger. The two remained silent for the rest of the day as the two meditate together, it was strange having another person join him even though he’s been on is own for a couple of years. He has heard of kylo ren since he was able to feel him through the force, he usually gets an odd feeling everytime he felt him close and now that he’s finally here, in person, gives him the opportunity to train him properly.

“You don’t have a teacher.” He randomly blurts out, surprising kylo with his sudden statement. “I would ask how you knew but you seem to be strong enough with the force to know that.” Said kylo. He shifts around his spot as Y/n opens his eyes and glances over to him. “I can teach you?” He offers. “But I must warn you, I’m a strict teacher.” He sends him a grin before standing up and grabs his robes again and slips them on.

“Why teach me? You already know who I am and what I’ve done. So, why teach me?”

Y/n adjusts his saber onto his belt and smiles. “Because I can sense your light side, their stil light in there and I’m willing to help you.” He began to explain. “I’m not saying that ill fully turn you into the light. As you can see I’m not even there either.”

“I dont much about grey jedis, but I do know that they balance out both dark and light.” Said kylo as y/n smiles in return and nods. “So, will you allow me to train you?” Y/n properly asks this time.

It takes kylo awhile to figure this all out, so far he’s become supreme leader but he wants as powerful as this grey Jedi. He was able to break through his walls and read his mind like it was nothing and he easily sensed him near. He was able to take his saber away and pin him down. He was stronger than him and kylo wanted that strength and power, he wanted to feel powerful.

“I’ll allow it.” He softly said as the other nods in agreement.

[ Sorry that it came out really short I’ve just been very busy on finishing up some series on times, so I’m sorry if it doesn’t sound like something you wanted and if was too short! ]

[scotianostra]

30th May 1889 saw the birth near Kirkliston of Isobel Wylie Hutchison.

Another of those strong willed Scottish women, Isobel overcame the constraints that the age, her class, and her own personality placed upon her, to become a solo adventurer in the far North, an accomplished plant collector and a successful poet and writer.

Carlowrie "Castle", a Scots baronial mansion near Kirkliston in West Lothian, was the comfortable upper-middle class home into which Isobel Wylie Hutchison was born in 1889. It was there her father, Thomas Hutchison, a successful wine merchant in Edinburgh, looked after his gardens, and passed on to Isobel his fascination for plants and his habit of meticulous note-taking. I put the commas round castle as, although it is known as a castle by it's name in the old sense of things, having only been built in the mid 19th century, to me a castle needs to have a lot more history than that, Isobels grandfather had it built from scratch, nowadays it is top wedding venue and voted one of the top three venues under 200 bedrooms in Europe.

Back to the lady in question, three deaths were to shatter Isobel’s youth. From 1900 she went to school in Edinburgh where she studied a curriculum suited for a young Victorian Lady. After her sister married a naval officer and saw very little of him for long periods Isobel decided that marriage would restrict her life.

Three deaths were to shatter Isobel’s youth. Her father died suddenly, shortly before her 11th birthday; and her two brothers when she was in her early twenties – one in a climbing accident in 1912, and the other during the First World War. The deaths however meant she has an independent lady of means, affording her the luxury of leading her own life without restrictions.

She travelled to the Arctic, filming the things she saw around her, the landscape and the wildflowers growing there and the daily lives of the indigenous people. Other travellers of the time who wrote of their discoveries did not dwell on the domestic detail that makes Hutchison's work unique. Her first exploration was to East Greenland in 1927, followed in 1928 by a year in Umanak, North Greenland. She filmed eskimos collecting ice for water and hunting seals from a kayak, the wild flowers of Umanak and the Governor's coffee party! Scottish whalers had taught reels and other dances to the locals, Hutchison filmed them a century later still dancing with enthusiasm.

In 1934 she set out for Alaska, travelling by coastal steamer from Vancouver to Skagway and then overland to Nome. Here she found a very small freighter to take her along the north coast of Alaska, ending with 120 miles by dog sledge and returning on mail plane to Alberta. Hutchison brought back samples of the plant life for the Royal Horticultural Society and the Natural History Museum. She had a long connection with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society as Honorary Editor of the magazine and as a fellow and Vice President.

She was awarded the Mungo Park Medal as a tribute to her explorations and in recognition of her original and valuable researches in Iceland, Greenland and Arctic Alaska. She wrote several travel books including 'North to the Rime-Ringed Sun' and 'Stepping Stones from Alaska to Asia' and four volumes of poetry.

In later life she gave frequent lectures, using films and lantern slides, describing her travels for film-making and writing articles for National Geographic' magazine. She died in 1982.

Of her poems I have chosen one I can resonate with, having spent my childhood on the doorstep of the Pentland Hills, south of Edinburgh:

LAMENT FOR THE PENTLAND MEN.

Oh early grey of morning-time! Oh Pentland Hills! The bracken white with frosty rime, The brown peat rills, Home of the wild-bird wet with dew, Heard ye the sunrise yearning For the eager beat of Pentland feet No more, no more, no more returning?

Up from the city’s clustered spires, Up from the glen, The thin sweet bugle-call inspires The Redford men. Home of the wild-bird wet with dew Heard ye the bugle yearning For the eager beat of Pentland feet No more, no more, no more returning?

From high Caerketton’s pebbly ridge, From Kips to Castlelaw, From Loganlee to Redford Bridge, From Dunsyre to Cobbinshaw, Braes where the sheep-dog watches lone Fling wild the echo, yearning For the eager beat of Pentland feet No more, no more, no more returning.

Oh fallen hearts of Pentland gold! Oh bleeding feet that roam The long grey silences that fold The Hills of Home! Hear ye no sobbing faint and far? The grey old Pentlands yearning For the wistful beat of children’s feet No more, no more, no more returning.

You can read more about this little know Scottish explorer and her poetry here https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/isobel-wylie-hutchison/?fbclid=IwAR1xQBXLm5Z020id-

[swixtern]

In attempt to get back into writing, here's

A bit about my Arthurian anthology (retelling) that nobody asked for:

Whispers: it's going to be a mess... sorry... It's also long and out of order...

Ambrosius was poisoned by Uther, his brother by their father’s second wife

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Uther is a shape-shifter and Gwrlais studied magic while fostering under Consul Aurelius

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Igraine is Jewish. I don’t know; it just feels right. And she’s a proven warrior (her sisters, too).

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Anna is Gwrlais’ eldest, then Elaine, then Morgan

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Merlin puts Arthur in a brothel (I’m sorry, but I really enjoyed that idea from King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)

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Uther’s next, and only other child, was named Anna, and she is not to be confused with Anna of Orkney

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Arthur leaves the brothel at 14 after he turns Cai (who is 17) in to the city guard for whatever crime he’s committed; Sir Ector comes to inquire after him, intrigued by the boy, and takes him away with him when his secret heritage is made known

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Cai is acting out due to his father, Cynyr Ceinfarfog, and mother, Sir Ector’s currently unnamed sister (probably named Elaine 😂 *shot*🙃), being killed; Sir Ector is his uncle, and he loves him, but he’s frustrated and grieving

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Arthur is called “Boy Rivers” until Sir Ector takes him in, giving him back the name Arthur; Cai calls him Wart every chance he can

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Bedwyr is black and two handed at first; he and Arthur meet in battle against the Saxons and they become fast pals. Griflet is mixed race

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Arthur stole pigs belonging to Mark, King of Cornwall; finds it hard to trust Arthur after that, even after Arthur pulls the sword Clarent from The Anvil™️

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The sword Clarent is pulled from an anvil on a stone

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There are three Guineveres: G1 mothers Arthur’s daughters; G2 dies within the first year; G3 mothers Amr and much later Loholt.

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Arthur marries G2 when he becomes King of Logres after pulling Clarent; he’s approximately __ years old (I really need to find the timeline that I did... I think he was, like, in his thirties?)

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Lancelot tries to repress his homosexuality. Galehaut encourages his exploration (but never pushes) but his duty to King and Country™️ keep him away a lot; the longer Lancelot is around Arthur, the more he falls in love with him, the more he represses it, the more he needs to convince himself he loves Guinevere. He’s a confused mess.

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Lot is not the name of the King of Lothian (anymore; he dies), it’s Uen; when Mordred is 13, he curses his ‘father’ so that the world will forget the man’s name

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May Day Massacre totally happened and that’s when Gawain uncovered his sun-powers

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Geheris has Moderate-ID

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Mordred spends his 14th birthday on a ship to Norway; he doesn’t see his family again until he’s 17 and he returns with strong Viking-ties

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Most of the Orkney Clan look next to nothing alike: Gawain is big and strapping with red hair and freckles galore; Ywain has auburn hair and light freckling, he’s a bit narrow and willowy; Gravaine is built like a barn and pale like his father with black hair; Clarissant, Agravaine’s twin, shares his black hair and stocky build but she has freckles that covered her face; Soredamor has medium-brown hair, she’s the tallest and thinnest of the lot, but physically frail with a chronic cough; Geheris is stocky with black hair, a red beard, a ruddy skin tone, and freckles; Cai the Grumbler, or Calogrenant, has light brown hair and green eyes; Gareth is albino with mismatched eyes (one brown, one pale); Mordred’s hair is long and dark brown and his eyes match Arthur’s grey; Yvain has freckles and Urien's black hair and short stature; Morfydd has pale blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and is short and curvy

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Tristan and Mordred are bros who adopt each other almost immediately

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Gay Squad: Dinadan, Galehaut, Lancelot, Ywain, Calogrenant

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Bi-Team: Galahad, Gawain, Lamo (Mordred’s servant), Bertilak, Mabon ap Modron

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Aces: Morgan le Fay, Mordred, Ambrosius Aurelianus

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Magic users: Uther Pendragon, Gwrlais, Morgan, Guinevere the Third, Myrddin, Mordred, Cwyllog, Iseult (Queen of Cornwall, Princess of Ireland), technically Tristan via harp, Gawain via solar power, technically Cai because giants

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Tristan seems drunk when he’s sober and he knows elf-tunes; the court learned that the hard way when they heckled him one too many times and he magicked those of them who weren’t sent out of the hall into an orgy they never speak of

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As much as Cai honestly loves being a knight, he's also got this secret passion for cooking and all things culinary; despite all his outward protesting of being Seneschal, he actually jumped at the chance, seeing it as a way to indulge his "little selfish interest" and to sort out all the riffraff trying to get in with Arthur

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I’m about convinced that the Orkneys as a unit lean Slytherin and Pellinore’s family leans Griffindor; this is not the cause of the feud but a participating factor in why it keeps escalating as it does

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G3 is technically a low(low low)-level earth goddess tied to the land (family of Welsh giants), and that's part of the reason she feels drawn to the men she's drawn to but her actions towards --and with-- them are her own

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Guinevak is G3's twin in every way but mothering, magic, and looks; she's the rejected bastard who spends a lot of time with Mordred, Galahad, Calogrenant, and Tristan; envious of G3, Lynette, and Cwyllog --each for different reasons

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Urien was first married to Modron (the relationship deteriorated after Mabon's abduction and she returned to Annwn) before patiently pressing suit to Morgan who eventually yields as "friends in matrimony". After Morgan chooses Accolon for a lover, Urien is upset but allows this, naming him as her personal knight

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Urien does not do comfort. Ask Morgan and Anna about when they found out Uen had sent Mordred away and the mother was distraught

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Bedwyr loses his right hand as penance for Arthur stealing King Mark's pigs.

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Yvain is a bastard child sired by Urien on his steward's wife after Morgan and Accolon are... happy together

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Anna of Orkney is... twisted up. She loves her children (a little... too much sometimes) and tries to do right by them but... well... yeah... it's... it's no bueno

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Cai has super powers. Access giant-size, extra endurance, impervious to hot or cold, and heat-radiating hands

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Uther is... terrible. He's the sorta worst, really. Seriously, the things he does

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Eigyr is not passive in captivity; that does not mean things go well for her

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Morgan was learning magic from Gwrlais and took his scrolls and books on the subject hostage after his death

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Gwrlais' daughter Elaine (the one who marries Nentres) is devotedly Jewish like her mother and raises her children as such (such as Galeshin and Hoel).

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Nentres adores Elaine in marriage and even before that took his vows as her knight and betrothed seriously; he carries whipping scars on his back (from Uther) for trying to rescue Morgan from a monastery in her name. He tells Arthur later that he bears them proudly

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Cai's parents are dead because of Uther (I can't remember how) and Sir Ector's father was a Roman soldier who stayed behind

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Mordred is technically Melehan's step-father (he's a bastard by rape) but only Mordred and the mother know. They don't talk about it

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Elaine of Garlot has psychological damage from the things Uther has done to her family and others in front of her. She has no tolerance for violence and aggression.

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Tristan has PTSD and severe depression; he's also an alcoholic

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Nentres slowly poisoned Uther over the years with hemlock

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Mordred's first wife is a Lothian common girl-turned-slave-turned-servant that he's known from childhood. Her name is Julianna, and her family name is Ruricius, coming from a Roman-merchant connection

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Morgan has been locked in a monastery twice; she escapes the second time after Uther's death and runs into Urien for the first time

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Urien owns the first claymore. His father had it made for him as joke but he's a pro now so, well, guess who has the last laugh?

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Agravaine killed a Unicorn as a child; it's okay, Unicorns are kinda evil here and will straight-up murder you

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Urien doesn't age, eat, or drink (he hasn't since Modron); he still looks super young, roughly 16-17. His younger brothers and later on his own children look older than him

[pacifymebby]

what’s your fav Sam song?

Angel in Lothian I think, Wild Grey Ocean is also one of my favourites and You're Not They Only One. But Angel in Lothian always comes out on top!!

[of-forossa]

✿ ;3c [right back at ya bro ahaha]

@lockawayknight // this is our journey to share, by night or day together we'll fare // not accepting.

// i told you in ims that i was gonna nail all three of your lovely muses, and i am nothing if not a man of my word! 

let’s start with magerold, one of the most pleasant people brom has had the pleasure of running into during his journey into drangleic. when your common fare of sane people are either stern warriors types with deep personal issues or frustrating pseudo-riddlemasters that talk in circles about crowns or souls, stumbling into a trader just chilling out in a castle sitting right in the middle of a lava lake is almost a godsend. i imagine brom has been exceptionally talkative to the lanafiran (as much as he can be rofl) and is always keen on bringing some new trinket or weapon found during his journey back for the trader to examine for himself... and as for a plot, i can easily imagine brom showing him the memory of the time of grey skies where you fight the duke’s dear freja-- when the skies were still grey, when the ancient dragons still flew... should the trader ever tire of his dragons and pursuits, when forossa is a place worthy of magerold’s person, brom will have a place waiting for him.

brom and ornifex are next and my god does he respect the crow woman, not just for the quality of her blacksmithing work or even her ability to turn greater souls into weapons worthy of legend but for the kinship that only those who no longer have a place to call home can have with one another. imagining days spent sitting near to her smithy, cleaning and sharpening his sword or maintaining his armor while exchanging stories with her about forossa and listening intently to her own tales of ariamis should she become comfortable enough to share them... for plotlines and headcanons, i definitely imagine that brom took his sword to her when he found a titanite slab-- who else could he trust to forge his longstanding companion into the annals of history? i also think that brom returned to her many times after leaving drangleic to converse and offer her a place in forossa once he’s reclaimed her from the god of blood... and that he came back one last time on the day before his battle with wolnir: to commission her in the forging of a shield from the soul of king vendrick, and to say goodbye to his dear friend.

we’ve arrived at your boy creighton, and i honestly don’t even know where to start with this stubborn but so earnest knight of yours bud. we’ve talked at length and traded asks and plotted on things i can just viscerally feel happening in a sense, from brom fighting alongside him and seeing how he carries himself past the bloodshed and wanton violence to that growing bit of faith he has begun to nurture for the people he’s met since entering drangleic-- those who have been battered down and bloodied by their circumstances, curse or not, yet still seek to make something of themselves despite it all... people that brom resonate with, and with creighton fiercely so. so brom puts that faith into creighton. entrusts the weight of forossan memory better or worse in lothian’s axe to his grandson. fights tooth and claw against the decay of this world that his kinsman (his kinsman, his brother-of-the-sword, his fellow forossan not fallen or broken, not yet, never--!) in creighton will find a place to belong... a place that may very well be his ancestral home, if creighton would take his hand after their journey in drangleic is complete. he would kneel before him, he would set his sword upon the earth, and he would ask his kinsman to come home with him. to take back their land, to see the country lothian once wielded that axe in the defense of, to be welcomed back not with scorn or malice but with the kinship he so rightly deserves... and without looking that far into the future, you know i’m hella down for brom showing him how lothian was through lothian’s eyes, that the truth be revealed to him of the love his grandfather had for him.

[artwayswinchburgh]

Aerial photo credit Gary Baker

Thankyou to everyone for your lovely comments about the mural I really appreciate your kindness. A very big thankyou to everyone who helped and supported making the mural design and install happen Winchburgh Developments, Winchburgh Community Development Trust and West Lothian Council. Wonderful photo's from Gary Baker Photography and John West from Winchburgh Community Growing Group for great mural maintence advice. I really enjoyed being part of the Winchburgh community and chuffed to be part Wincburgh's first artist in residence in phase 1 of the Big W Art community public art strategy for the village.

Here is my inspiration and idea behind the design of the mural:

Our colourful path takes everyone on a joyful journey through Winchburgh’s evolving landscape. We begin below ground, a mosaic of pink, red rock hues, echo the past industries of working and mining the land, featuring the silhouettes of the miner’s rows, at the heart of the community and Winchburgh’s industrial history. The rows like steps, lead us up to the horizon to a spectrum of colour celebrating locals love of capturing the sunrises and sunsets.We then step forward into a nature trail of colourful abstraction of all the unique plants that adapt and evolve in the local landscape from the bings to its woodland’s species like: greater knap wood, corn marigolds, chicory, knotted pearl wort, crowberry, tall melilot, grey field speedwell, greater butterfly orchid and a silver birch woodland - echoing the adaptiveness of the land and its people. Celebrating a community that is growing with a shared interest to explore and nurture the evolving green havens that make Winchburgh a green gateway for West Lothian adventures.

[jamesginortonblog]

He may be the frontrunner to replace Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, but James Norton is currently back in the 1930s shooting a new dramatic thriller on the streets of Edinburgh.

The Happy Valley and McMafia star is the lead role in Gareth Jones – playing a British journalist who exposed the genocide-famine in Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union.

The Capital will recreate London in the 1930s with the production crew taking to Cafe Royal, Freemasons Hall in George Street, Lothian Chambers on Royal Mile, Moray Place and Hill Street in New Town, Hopetoun House and Medical Quad at Edinburgh University, during five days of filming. East Neuk will also been showcased on the big screen, becoming Barry in Wales.

Angus Lamont, co-producer on the film, told the Evening News: “Everyone had a great time in Edinburgh. It’s an enchanting city that helped us bring the Gareth Jones film to life. We all had a great time on and off the set and felt very privileged to film in this beautiful city and in Fife.

“The footage has been incredible, and it was a very bittersweet moment to end the film in Scotland after such a long journey. One of the highlights included Hopetoun House where we happened to be shooting on Lord Hopetoun’s birthday and celebrated by surprising him with a cake and candles and singing Happy Birthday in both English and Polish.

“The film has been shooting for 41 days and is now wrapped. All went smoothly, the various authorities, local businesses and the public were all welcoming and helpful.”

While in Russia, Jones is tipped off by a fellow reporter, Ada Brooks (played by The Crown actress Vanessa Kirby), about the Soviets’ oppressive policies towards Ukraine.

Norton wore a period flannel grey suit in keeping with the drama’s 1930s setting as he prepared to shoot his latest scenes as late journalist Jones in the Capital.

The film, by Oscar-nominated Polish director Agniezska Holland, will explore how the reporter from the Western Mail newspaper in Wales uncovered an international conspiracy after setting out to interview Stalin. It will chart his “clandestine” mission to Ukraine to witness the atrocities of the man-made famine in 1933 which were thought to have claimed more than three million lives and his encounter with a young George Orwell, which would lead him to write Animal Farm.

Supported by Creative Scotland, cast and crew have been in Edinburgh having shot scenes in Ukraine, where temperatures dropped to -25C, and Poland.

Rosie Ellison, film manager for Film Edinburgh said: “It’s always great to see Edinburgh used as a filming destination for big-screen productions and the recent filming of Gareth Jones will help showcase Edinburgh’s beauty and charm.

“From superhero fantasy franchises like the Avengers right through to period dramas like this, it proves just how adaptable our capital is for filming and the contrasting atmospheres that can be created across the city.

“We’re confident the city will look positively stunning in the film and can’t wait to see it when it’s released.”