Scotland : Her Stamps And Sundries.

Yes, I have seen early family trees on circular vellum.

I think "Robert the Bruce" comes from a family something like "Robert de Bruisse"

Close, Rod. Robert de Bruse. Of course, back then spelling was a very fluid art.

The de Brus family are believed to have been named after the small town of Brix in Normandy.

Scotland was a mainly Gaelic speaking country at the time but quite a few noble families had Anglo-Norman ancestry.

Robert's heart had an adventure of its own, being taken by knights to Spain, recovered from battle there and returned to Scotland where it was buried in Melrose Abbey, a few miles from my home village.

Fascinating Nigel. I had no idea you were a Scot

I was reading (monograph 1925) he may have had "beaker people" genes.
Perhaps Frank has "Beaker People" genes ?

Love these stories, surrounded by mystery, history and legend.
myself, coming from King Arthur's area.

Bib: Jstor

"Connie"
Beautiful Super Constellation coming into land, (American Overseas Airlines)
from the documentary "Becoming Marilyn" (Monroe)
Flagship Scotland

Staffa.
Ships : Ocean Liners.

First stamp uncertain,
The rectangular House Flag "MM" (Mes Mar)
Messageries Maritimes was a French merchant shipping company. It was originally created in 1851 as Messageries nationales, later called Messageries impériales, and from 1871, Compagnie des messageries maritimes, casually known as "MesMar" or by its initials "MM". Its rectangular house flag, with the letters MM on a white background and red corners, was famous in shipping circles, especially on the Europe-Asia trade lanes .

Seeking : SHUNA stamps, (from 1949) esp the 2d and the £2


HESTON ISLAND (sic)

Hestan Island, is in the Solway Firth
wiki
Hestan Island is a small coastal island at the southern foot of the River Urr estuary in the Solway Firth, in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. This small island measures approximately 460 by 270 metres (1,510 by 890 feet) and at its highest elevation sits at just over 50 metres (160 feet) above sea level.

The isle of Hestan lies at the mouth of Auchencairn Bay[2] in the region of Dumfries and Galloway in the former county of Kirkcudbrightshire. A lighthouse was built on the eastern side of the island by Alan Stevenson in 1850.

At certain conditions of low tide the island is accessible on foot as there is a natural causeway of shingle and mussels from Almorness Point to the northern tip of Hestan. The island can also be reached on foot from Rockcliffe during the time of spring tides, but requires wading (knee to thigh deep) across the lowest parts of the river Urr out on the mudflats. It is a two-mile walk and, unlike other parts of the Solway mudflats and, say, Morecambe Bay, you can walk faster than the incoming tide if you leave Hestan a bit late.

At the southern tip of the island is the notably-named "Daft Ann's Steps", a series of pinnacles where, legends say, a girl of lesser intelligence attempted to lay stepping stones ahead of her to reach the Balcary Point and drowned.

There are ruins of a manor house built for Edward Balliol near the north of the island.

Carriage Label.

Scotland : Carrier Stamps

1: Mutter, Howey & Co., Edinburgh. 1834 >
2. J & P Cameron 1834 >
3. Cowan & Company LNER Agent