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Scotland
Some brief Scottish history... Like most of the lands surrounding it, Scotland was originally inhabited by Celtic tribes driven northward by enemies. Documented history begins with the arrival of the Romans in AD 80, who managed to establish themselves despite fierce opposition from united Celtic tribes. However, Celtic “barbarism” eventually got the better of Roman ambitions, and the rulers of the Empire pulled back from Scotland, leaving few visible signs of their presence. It was not until the 6th century, with the arrival of the Gaels from Ireland, that documented evidence of Scotland resumes. The Gaels forged their mark with manuscripts and metalwork that reveal the history of the era. The following centuries were characterized by a constant pummeling from various invading tribes, including the Vikings and the Picts. The pivotal conquest of England by William the Conqueror drove many English noblemen north into the Scottish Lowlands. A series of weak Scottish kings contributed to the period of deterioration and social division that ensured. Gaelic was gradually replaced by English as the primary language spoken, and as the Lowlands increasingly became a refuge for the exiled English aristocracy, the Scottish Highlands were left as the wild, untamed realm of the Gaels, a collection of kingdoms ruled by patriarchal clan chiefs. Tensions between Scotland and England mounted over the next centuries. The late 13th and early 14th centuries witnessed the legendary rebellions of William Wallace, whose quest for Scottish independence from English rule was heralded in the film Braveheart. Following Wallace’s initiative, the more successful Robert the Bruce went on to win the throne of Scotland. A brief period of peace followed, but a succession of weak Stewart kings and the constant warring of clans within Scotland coupled with mounting religious tension left Scotland ripe for ultimate conquest. The two countries, England and Scotland, were eventually and permanently joined under English rule by the Treaty of Union in 1707. It was then that the United Kingdom was established. There were still uprisings and rebellions after that. Even today, there is resentment toward Scottish political and economic dependence on Great Britain and a strong longing for independence. In 1997 the people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly to restore the Scottish Parliament, and in 2000 the new parliament and its first prime minister established home rule from Edinburgh. Geology...Two worlds collide here. The gentle Lowlands end abruptly at the Highland Boundary Fault and give way to rugged terrain. The Highlands are on the North American tectonic plate and the Lowlands are on the European tectonic plate. The geology and rocks on the two sections are decidedly different.
This is Wallace Monument (Braveheart) At the base of the monument is a statue - not of William Wallace but of Mel Gibson. Go figure! I refused to take a picture of it.
This picture is of one of the better jail cells.
T Chorus O ye'll tak the high road while I tak the low road And I'll be in Scotland afore ye, But me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond
Scone Palace, home of the Earls of Mansfield, situated just outside of Perth. Here the kings of Scotland were crowned on the famed Stone of Scone on Moot Hill.
Crieff - Glenturret Distillery. If you pay 100£ for some whiskey, 80£ of that is tax!
We were given samples of five whiskeys. I sampled the whiskeys and didn’t like them. Of course, I don’t drink alcohol anyway, so it all seemed pretty strong..
Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland - has had people in residence for more than 5,000 years. It was an ancient community which began with a small group of people who lived on the “plug” of volcanic rock which is now home to Edinburgh Castle. For centuries the castle rock, with its steep, easily defended sides, natural springs, and strategic vantage points, was coveted and fought over by Picts, Scots, British (Welsh) and Angles.
Edinburgh University, where we listened to a very enthusiastic lecture on current Scottish politics, government, their relationship to the European community, and the ever-present independence movement
The next venture was to the Scottish Highlands. This was a beautiful trail out from Orchy.
Lunch at the Weavers Restaurant at the Spean Bridge Woollen Mill
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness. I looked and looked but did not see the Loch Ness monster.
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In
2004, twenty-five friends traveled with the Objectivist Center
to Scotland. We stayed at the Stirling Highland Hotel in
Stirling (left) and visited Stirling, Loch Lomond, Luss, Loch
Katrine, Scone Palace, the Grouse distillery, Edinburgh, Loch
Ness (of course), and Glencoe. We were entertained by bagpipes
and Highland dancers,
lectures on the history of Scotland, Scottish literature, and
current Scottish politics (government, the relationship to the
European community, and the ever-present independence
movement). We also had local people visit to talk and answer
questions about current life in Scotland.
Stirling
Castle is the most strategically important of all the castles in
Scotland. Hence it has been fought over and changed hands more
than any other Scottish castle. It is at the landward end of
the Firth of Forth, about 250 feet above the valley floor on an
extinct volcano, and controlled movement across the Lowlands and
into the Highlands. He who controlled Stirling effectively
controlled Scotland.
Stirling
is a beautiful town, but for centuries Stirling’s prisoners were
kept in the wretched, overcrowded and disease-ridden Tolbooth
Jail. Men, women, and children were kept in the same room, with
just straw on the floor. Justice (?) was a harsh mistress with
public floggings, beatings, hangings, and banishment
commonplace. By Victorian times, prison reformers demanded
improvements and the Old Town Jail was built. But the reformers
preferred to focus on moral rather than physical correction,
with an emphasis on “coarse food, a dress of shame, hard
incessant irksome eternal labor, a planned and regulated and
unrelenting exclusion of happiness and comfort.”
he
Trossachs is a region of Scotland in the Highlands containing
Loch Lomond and Loch Katrina. This is Loch Lomond.
Of course we had to sing.
