The celebration of Christmas Day in Scotland was abolished in 1640 by the Parliament of Scotland, and only became a public holiday in 1958, so that makes a regimental Christmas Dinner a wonderful and surreal fusion of 18th century dress and modern tradition. The Christmas ban was officially repealed in 1712, but the Church frowned celebrations. PunishmentsContinue reading “Alan Breck’s Regimental Christmas Dinner 2018”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Dunbar Harbour Re-enactment
By autumn, the main re-enactment season starts to draw to a close: the cold damp Scottish weather of autumn and winter is not conducive to pleasant outdoor events. So we were lucky to get a late event on the 20th October 2018, to celebrate the rich history and heritage around Dunbar Harbour. With fingers crossedContinue reading “Dunbar Harbour Re-enactment”
Battle of Prestonpans 2018
From August onwards, the excitement for the Battle of Prestonpans 2018 re-enactment was palpable. With re-enactment groups coming from far and wide to attend, and big numbers of public expected, everyone was keen to put on an impressive spectacle. With a somewhat growing sense of how wide and diverse the re-enactment community was, I wasContinue reading “Battle of Prestonpans 2018”
The Prince at Traquair Re-enactment
On the 17th August 2018, I set off for the Scottish Borders for a reenactment I was really excited about and potentially a big change in what I did for living history. I had assumed that I would represent a lady on the Jacobite side of the reenactment group but had found strong friendships growingContinue reading “The Prince at Traquair Re-enactment”
The Battle of Killiecrankie Re-enactment
For my next reenactment, I didn’t travel back to 1745, but went even further back, to 1689 in Perthshire for the Battle of Killiecrankie. After only three reenactment events, I’d been thoroughly bitten by the bug, and would become a multi-period re-enactor and doing my first event with many different groups coming from all overContinue reading “The Battle of Killiecrankie Re-enactment”
Newtonmore Folk Museum
June 2018 was hot, hot, hot, hot (for Scotland). Temperatures were easily reaching the 20s (unheard of in some years) and I had been able to spend time outdoors painting and making a new canvas bag for reenactment. With more stunning weather forecast, I was really excited about my first re-enactment with a full livingContinue reading “Newtonmore Folk Museum”
How to be a girl in the 18th century: making soap
In June 2018, I was starting to think a lot more about developing my character for living history. It is a subtle shift when you start to move from the books about the rebellion, with detail on battle movements and overviews and historical discourse to thinking about the lives of everyday people. I was enjoyingContinue reading “How to be a girl in the 18th century: making soap”
Jacobites and Redcoats at the Black Watch Museum
19th May 2018. After such an atmospheric and exciting first foray into reenactment at Braemar Castle, I was really looking forward to my second period outing: a one day event at the Black Watch Museum in Perth for Jacobites and Redcoats with my group, the Alan Breck’s Volunteer Regiment. I felt I could really getContinue reading “Jacobites and Redcoats at the Black Watch Museum”
My First Re-enactment: Braemar Castle
On Friday the 13th April 2018, having packed and re-packed, and packed and repacked again, after rereading my Jacobite history timelines again and again, I set off into the Cairngorms to do the 2 hour drive to Braemar to do my first re-enactment with Alan Breck’s Volunteer Regiment. It was one of those elemental springContinue reading “My First Re-enactment: Braemar Castle”
How to be a girl (in the 18th century): Broken toe and shoe shopping
At the beginning of March 2018, with just over a month to go before my first reenactment, feeling a tiny bit smug that all my 18th century clothes were ready to go, apart from a cap and set of period shoes, I managed to ‘slightly’ break my pinkie toe. Totally my fault. I was standingContinue reading “How to be a girl (in the 18th century): Broken toe and shoe shopping”
Time Traveller's Guide to Re-enactment 