‘A deadly embrace’: The epic Victorian ‘rap battles’ of Dundee were something to behold
Perhaps the last stand of the ancient art of “flyting” took place in Overgate, Dundee, 149 years ago.
‘A disgrace to civilisation’ – When the bothies of Tayside and Fife were so cold men’s trousers froze solid
They were a disgrace to civilisation, according to critics, but the bothies of Perth, Angus, Fife and Kincardine provided no shortage of material for Courier letter writers in the 19th Century.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: How a pint-sized petty thief faced being transported Down Under with rapists and robbers
One figure stood out among the parade of rogues, rapists and robbers who trooped into the dock at Perth circuit court in October 1851.
Peter Priggins’ nightmare before Christmsas
The demons of Dundee’s nights tormented poor Peter Priggins throughout 1862 and finally drove him to delirium on Christmas Eve.
The day a wealthy merchant strode down the Hilltown…and a mob of ‘thousands’ chased him out
The trolls of Victorian Scotland did not have the internet but they did have an almost telepathic means of communication.
The day the hangman was denied his grisly moment in Dundee
Calcraft was one deflated hangman when he scowled his way out of Dundee in April 1873.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: When William McGonagall vowed to quit Dundee for a fairer city
William McGonagall may have been Dundee’s most infamous poet but in the late 1800s he hatched a plan to defect to Perth.
PICTURES: Power of soul on show in Perth as Lionel Richie gets fans dancing all night long
A huge crowd packed McDiarmid Park for last night’s Lionel Richie concert.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Fair City residents were unwilling to give German gypsy visitors a fair go
United Free minister JW Slater occupies just a footnote in our archives but he was an unsung hero who prevented bloodshed or even the loss of life in Scone.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Wily urban rogues led ploughmen up the garden path
Ploughmen occupied a special place in rural Scotland before the dawn of the tractor. Their skills set them apart from orramen and many guarded their trade knowledge in a secret society. While they held elevated status in the rural hierarchy, that counted for nothing in the cities.