Rachel with an E

Invigorating Inveraray – Inveraray Castle – Part One

On my most recent trip to Scotland (two trips in one year!) I finally got to visit Inveraray Castle. I had been to Inveraray twice previously and either the castle wasn’t open as it was out of season or I was passing on my way through to Glasgow. This time I was determined to visit the castle and it did not disappoint. Inveraray Castle is set on the breath-taking shores of Loch Fyne and is home to the Dukes of Argyll; head of the Clan Campbell. Inveraray Castle is one of the earliest built in the gothic revival style of the early eighteenth century with building on the castle starting in 1743.

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Addressing Dress – A kind of resource for all things Irish Dress

Pictured above is perhaps the most famous Irish designer of the twentieth century, Sybil Connolly. Famous for dressing Princess Grace of Monaco and Jackie Kennedy amongst a plethora of famous clients. Connolly made her mark in the 1950s and 1960s with her dresses made out linen, tweed, and wool and highly influenced by imagery of traditional Ireland of cottages, shawlie women, the rugged west of Ireland, and other associated images.

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West Coast Splendidness – The West Coast of Scotland

After my trip to Edinburgh (link post) I travelled to Oban via Glasgow. I used public transport for nearly every part of this trip and the beautiful scenery on the bus from Glasgow coupled with a quick and reliant bus service from Citylink made my journey a smooth one.

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Museum Meandering – Top Tips for a Museum Trip

About | National Museum of Women in the Arts

As you may have guessed I love museums, art galleries, country houses etc. A lot. Like a whole heap of a lot. I make my living working in museums and heritage and as an historian of Irish dress. Naturally, I like to visit museums both at home and abroad both to fuel my love of museums as well as provide interesting reading matter for those interested in my blog.

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Dovecot Studios – William Morris Exhibition Part Two

As mentioned in my previous blog post I visited ‘The Art of Wallpaper – Morris & Co’ exhibition at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh in May of this year. To say that this was one of my favourite exhibitions I have seen recently is an understatement – I came away wanting to decorate my future house with everything and anything William Morris designed and made!

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