//=time() ?>
Spanish Armada in Scotland in 1588. Wreck off Tantallon Castle. Wreck off St Andrews Castle and El Gran Grifon jammed against the Fair Isle. Watercolour paintings from 1988. #SpanishArmada1588
@1_Curious_Cow Hotspur fought at Otterburn and was captured in 1388. He also fought at Shrewsbury and died.
@SteveTourism Otterburn and Chevy chase are the same. The second name is the speed with which the English withdrew. Ironically The Douglas was killed by his own armour bearer. But his death hidden so Scots rallied to the Dead Douglas banner winning the day with Hotspur as a prize.
Knights in the trenches in WW1 ? Italian armour beside late 1400's sallet, British and Germany troops also had rough copies of medieval looking chest plates.
Cistercian Abbey of Newbattle, Dalkieth (Scotland) watercolour reconstruction suggestion. Abbey still has the chest from the Armada vessel the El Gran Grifon that was wrecked on the Fair Isle. Crew made their way to Fife and Captain's chest left at Newbattle in 1588.
Spanish Armada in Scottish waters 1588. Tantallon Castle. El Gran Grifon jammed on Fair Isle. Crew shipped to Anstruther in Fife. Grifon Captain's chest is still held at Newbattle Abbey in Dalkeith. He may have stayed there for a time. #SpanishArmada1588 #WatercolourPainting
Copied elements of Chris Pine's Bruce shield & vest from NETFLIX's @OutlawKing for the Man at Arms talks at Dirleton Castle this year as movie has created interest in King Robert the Bruce's story. Bruce did slight Dirleton to stop it being used as an enemy base. #DirletonCastle
In 1355 Sir William Ramsay of Dalhousie Castle burnt the lands around Norham to draw out the English troops & led them into a trap at Nesbit Moor. John Halyburton of Dirleton was killed in the Scots charge but the English defeated. #ScottishBattles #NorhamCastle #DirletonCastle
Dalhousie Castle (1980's) & watercolour reconstruction suggestions. Ramsay family were involved in several conflicts. Saving Dunbar Castle 1338, Leading Norham garrison into an ambush at Nesbit 1355, seizing South Berwick castle 1378 & siege of Dalhousie itself by King Henry IV.
Melrose Abbey tour in 2014. Alan Sorrell's great drawing of Cistercian house of Melrose and reconstruction suggestion of Sister site of Newbattle Abbey. @NewbattleTweets with plan in reverse. (Newbattle still has the empty treasure chest from the Armada vessel the El Gran Grifon)