Fraser MacDonald
@frasermacdonald.bsky.social
Geographer, historian.
I’d call this look “Lord Burton’s Premier League great grandson returns to Amhuinnsuidhe Castle to find it community-owned”.
Tweed shown is ‘Rustic Gunclub’. Also available in ‘Mahogany Puppytooth’ and ‘Oatmeal Herringbone’.
Tweed shown is ‘Rustic Gunclub’. Also available in ‘Mahogany Puppytooth’ and ‘Oatmeal Herringbone’.
November 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I’d call this look “Lord Burton’s Premier League great grandson returns to Amhuinnsuidhe Castle to find it community-owned”.
Tweed shown is ‘Rustic Gunclub’. Also available in ‘Mahogany Puppytooth’ and ‘Oatmeal Herringbone’.
Tweed shown is ‘Rustic Gunclub’. Also available in ‘Mahogany Puppytooth’ and ‘Oatmeal Herringbone’.
This crew features ‘Benji the Bear’ … ‘a warm yet light-hearted knit with serious countryside character’ which is not the same as “I have a Chair at Princeton and also a sippy cup”.
November 16, 2025 at 9:40 PM
This crew features ‘Benji the Bear’ … ‘a warm yet light-hearted knit with serious countryside character’ which is not the same as “I have a Chair at Princeton and also a sippy cup”.
This lambswool crew features ‘Beatrice the Bear – our country-loving Bruar mascot’ … ‘she is sure to generate many compliments’.
November 16, 2025 at 9:37 PM
This lambswool crew features ‘Beatrice the Bear – our country-loving Bruar mascot’ … ‘she is sure to generate many compliments’.
The model has the right number of fingers but the whole rigout seems … not quite real? Are the trousers out of focus?
“Guaranteed to earn second glances”. Yes.
Tweed Baseball Cap is in ‘Blue Lovat Windowpane’.
“Guaranteed to earn second glances”. Yes.
Tweed Baseball Cap is in ‘Blue Lovat Windowpane’.
November 16, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The model has the right number of fingers but the whole rigout seems … not quite real? Are the trousers out of focus?
“Guaranteed to earn second glances”. Yes.
Tweed Baseball Cap is in ‘Blue Lovat Windowpane’.
“Guaranteed to earn second glances”. Yes.
Tweed Baseball Cap is in ‘Blue Lovat Windowpane’.
These trews are as bold in 2025 as they were in the late 18th c.
The slippers. Well. Barthes would call them the ‘punctum’ of the image.
The tartan is ‘Campbell of Cawdor’ but you can also get ‘Muted Red Stewart’ (I first read it as muted Rod Stewart, which is the best Rod Stewart).
The slippers. Well. Barthes would call them the ‘punctum’ of the image.
The tartan is ‘Campbell of Cawdor’ but you can also get ‘Muted Red Stewart’ (I first read it as muted Rod Stewart, which is the best Rod Stewart).
November 16, 2025 at 9:32 PM
These trews are as bold in 2025 as they were in the late 18th c.
The slippers. Well. Barthes would call them the ‘punctum’ of the image.
The tartan is ‘Campbell of Cawdor’ but you can also get ‘Muted Red Stewart’ (I first read it as muted Rod Stewart, which is the best Rod Stewart).
The slippers. Well. Barthes would call them the ‘punctum’ of the image.
The tartan is ‘Campbell of Cawdor’ but you can also get ‘Muted Red Stewart’ (I first read it as muted Rod Stewart, which is the best Rod Stewart).
Evening folks, I'd love some help with this pic. Forget the people, can anyone identify the plants?
Is this a potato crop, partially coming into flower on the left? Or are these wild flowers?
Context: this is a coastal plain at the village of Inver, Easter Ross, 1915, south of the Morrich More.
Is this a potato crop, partially coming into flower on the left? Or are these wild flowers?
Context: this is a coastal plain at the village of Inver, Easter Ross, 1915, south of the Morrich More.
November 11, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Evening folks, I'd love some help with this pic. Forget the people, can anyone identify the plants?
Is this a potato crop, partially coming into flower on the left? Or are these wild flowers?
Context: this is a coastal plain at the village of Inver, Easter Ross, 1915, south of the Morrich More.
Is this a potato crop, partially coming into flower on the left? Or are these wild flowers?
Context: this is a coastal plain at the village of Inver, Easter Ross, 1915, south of the Morrich More.
It's been a few years since I've seen the remnants of the 1788 Portobello harbour exposed. As you'd expect, there's an interesting thread on this export infrastructure of pottery and bricks by @threadinburgh.scot: threadinburgh.scot/2022/09/30/t...
October 26, 2025 at 10:00 PM
It's been a few years since I've seen the remnants of the 1788 Portobello harbour exposed. As you'd expect, there's an interesting thread on this export infrastructure of pottery and bricks by @threadinburgh.scot: threadinburgh.scot/2022/09/30/t...
Working with students at 40 George Square today and och it’s not a bad view at all.
October 23, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Working with students at 40 George Square today and och it’s not a bad view at all.
If you’re not making cold brew with a garden fork, what are you even doing?
October 8, 2025 at 8:10 AM
If you’re not making cold brew with a garden fork, what are you even doing?
I’ve started a new method of composting, and it’s … quite hot. Consistently over 70° and today over 80°C (176F). I have to fork it over daily + adding ~15kg of coffee grounds every week.
October 7, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I’ve started a new method of composting, and it’s … quite hot. Consistently over 70° and today over 80°C (176F). I have to fork it over daily + adding ~15kg of coffee grounds every week.
The foreman mason for the old PO was my grandfather’s cousin, James MacDonald of Abriachan. (He tried contracting on his own but went bust over a school in Harris; in 1900 he went to Egypt as masonry overseer on the Aswan Dam, where he died of typhoid age 42). Must pass on some archives to you!
September 29, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The foreman mason for the old PO was my grandfather’s cousin, James MacDonald of Abriachan. (He tried contracting on his own but went bust over a school in Harris; in 1900 he went to Egypt as masonry overseer on the Aswan Dam, where he died of typhoid age 42). Must pass on some archives to you!
On strike again.
We’ve had to do this for so long that our primary school kids who joined us on snow day picket lines are now students themselves.
Utterly ridiculous way to run a university.
We’ve had to do this for so long that our primary school kids who joined us on snow day picket lines are now students themselves.
Utterly ridiculous way to run a university.
September 8, 2025 at 7:28 AM
On strike again.
We’ve had to do this for so long that our primary school kids who joined us on snow day picket lines are now students themselves.
Utterly ridiculous way to run a university.
We’ve had to do this for so long that our primary school kids who joined us on snow day picket lines are now students themselves.
Utterly ridiculous way to run a university.
That’s pretty great, though I’d probs need planning permission for that in Embra. My hols hausen is less monumental.
August 28, 2025 at 7:38 PM
That’s pretty great, though I’d probs need planning permission for that in Embra. My hols hausen is less monumental.
Sure, I’d like a 1st ed of Marion Milner’s A Life of One’s Own with vg dust wrapper but…. £1400. Seriously, what?
August 25, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Sure, I’d like a 1st ed of Marion Milner’s A Life of One’s Own with vg dust wrapper but…. £1400. Seriously, what?
I’m excited for these little guys.
August 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I’m excited for these little guys.
Some of Edinburgh’s scaffolding is so old, it should be listed. No one alive can remember what’s underneath.
August 5, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Some of Edinburgh’s scaffolding is so old, it should be listed. No one alive can remember what’s underneath.
The groundhog politics of British decline.
This was 28 years ago today, 30 July 1997.
This was 28 years ago today, 30 July 1997.
July 30, 2025 at 7:32 AM
The groundhog politics of British decline.
This was 28 years ago today, 30 July 1997.
This was 28 years ago today, 30 July 1997.
This is my first time sowing what is probably Scotland’s oldest extant vegetable variety – Shetland kale. 🥬
Anyone else grow this?
Anyone else grow this?
July 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
This is my first time sowing what is probably Scotland’s oldest extant vegetable variety – Shetland kale. 🥬
Anyone else grow this?
Anyone else grow this?
Harvesting rainwater is such a happy thing – like making compost, it feels like security rather than wealth.
July 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Harvesting rainwater is such a happy thing – like making compost, it feels like security rather than wealth.
I love how Bonxies invert the social relations of birding so that aim is to get as far away as possible.
Binoculars become, at best, a poor weapon for self-defence.
Binoculars become, at best, a poor weapon for self-defence.
July 10, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I love how Bonxies invert the social relations of birding so that aim is to get as far away as possible.
Binoculars become, at best, a poor weapon for self-defence.
Binoculars become, at best, a poor weapon for self-defence.
Genuinely terrifying.
July 10, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Genuinely terrifying.
Late night jaunt to the Mousa broch yesterday for some Storm Petrel action, returning after 1am.
Shetland simmer dim is something else.
Shetland simmer dim is something else.
July 8, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Late night jaunt to the Mousa broch yesterday for some Storm Petrel action, returning after 1am.
Shetland simmer dim is something else.
Shetland simmer dim is something else.
I’ve only just come across this outstanding book – a workers’ history of gardening in Scotland (pub: @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social, 2022).
Readable, fascinating, original… if anyone knows the author, I’d love to be in touch.
Readable, fascinating, original… if anyone knows the author, I’d love to be in touch.
July 5, 2025 at 8:47 AM
I’ve only just come across this outstanding book – a workers’ history of gardening in Scotland (pub: @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social, 2022).
Readable, fascinating, original… if anyone knows the author, I’d love to be in touch.
Readable, fascinating, original… if anyone knows the author, I’d love to be in touch.
It's quite the resemblance! I'm guessing that it isn't a lingering trace of Shepherd's sympathies ... AND YET I'm not sure I've seen any NS scholars make reference to this talk in 1944...
May 9, 2025 at 9:38 AM
It's quite the resemblance! I'm guessing that it isn't a lingering trace of Shepherd's sympathies ... AND YET I'm not sure I've seen any NS scholars make reference to this talk in 1944...