–PAGE_BREAK–Oh Scotia! My dear, my native soil! Robert Burns
Scotland is a country of great variety with its own unique character and strong tradition. Its cities offer a mixture of designer lifestyle and age old tradition, while the countryside ranges from Britain’s highest mountains and waterfalls to the most stunning gorges and glens.
Scotland’s national tradition is rather intense and much alive even now and is rather rare in the modern world. Scotland is part of Britain. But it is not England. The Scottishness is a real thing, not an imaginary feeling, kind of picturesque survival of the past. It is based on Scot’s law which is different from the English. Scotland has its own national heroes fought in endless battles against the English ( William Wallace, Sir John the Grahame, Robert Bruce and others).
1.’A wee dram’
Scots have their own national drink, and you need only ask for Scotch, and that’s quite enough, you get what you wanted. More than half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries are in the Grampian Highlands, and thus a third of the world’s malt whisky is distilled here. A combination of fertile agricultural land, a sheltered, wet climate and the unpolluted waters of the River Spey and its tributaries, combined with the obvious enthusiasm of the locals for the work (and the product!) mean it is an ideal place to produce malt whisky. Many distilleries are open to visitors, and often offer samples!
The Scots are fond of the following joke about scotch:
A young man arrives in a small village situated near Loch Ness. There he meets an old man and asks him:
– When does the Loch Ness Monster usually appear?
– Usually it appears after the third glass of Scotch, — answered the
man.
2.Scottish national dress.
There is also a distinctive national dress, the kilt. Strictly speaking it should be warn only by men; it is made of wool and looks like a pleated skirt. The kilt is a relic of the time when the clan system existed in the Highlands. But its origin is very ancient. The Celtic tribes who fought Ceasar wore kilts. When the Celts moved north up through Cornwall, and Wales, and Ireland, and eventually to Scotland, they brought the kilt with them. A thousand years ago, there was nothing specially Scottish about it. Now it has become the Highland’s national dress and is worn in many parts of Scotland. It is probably the best walking-dress yet invented by man: there is up to 5 metres of material in it; it is thickly pleated st the back and sides; it is warm, it is airly, leaves the legs free for climbing; it stands the rain for hours before it gets wet through; it hangs well above the mud and the wet grass; briefly it is warm for a cold day, and cool for a warm one. And, what is more, if a Highlander is caught in the mountains by the night, he has but to unfasten his kilt and wrap it around him – 5 metres of warm wool – he’ll sleep comfortably enough the night through.
3.A few words about tartan.
Every Scottish clan had its own tartan.[19] People in Highlands were very good weavers. They died their wool before weaving it; the dyes were made from various roots and plants which grew in this or that bit of land. Therefore one clan dyed its wool in reddish colours, another in green, and so on. And they decorated them differently so as to distinguish the clansmen in battle (especially between neighboring clans which happened rather often).
On the subject of shopping for tartan, the choice is wide. Some designs are associated with particular clans and retailers will be happy to help you find “your” own pattern. By no means all tartans belong to specific clans – several are “district” tartans, representing particular areas. The fascinating story of the tartan itself is told at the Museum of Scottish Tartans.
The museum possesses lots of rare exhibits. One of them is the remarkable woman’s Plaid or Arisaid, the oldest dated in the world: 1726. The Arisaid, worn only by women, reached from head to heels, belted at the waist and pinned at the breast.
The oldest piece of Tartan found in Scotland dates back from about 325 AD. The cloth was found in a pot near Falkirk[20], a simple check in two shades of brown, a long way from the checked and coloured tartans that came to be worn in the Highlands of Scotland in the 1550s. There are now over 2,500 tartan designs, many of them are no more than 20 years old.
4.The national musical instrument of the Scots.
Scotland has its own typical musical instrument, the pipes (sometimes called the bagpipes). The bagpipe was known to the ancient civilizations of the Near East. It was probably introduced into Britain by the Romans. Carvings of bagpipe players on churches and a few words about them in the works of Chaucer and other writers show that it was popular all over the country in the Middle Ages.
In Scotland the bagpipe was first recorded in the 16th century during the reign of James I, who was a very good player, and probably did much to make it popular. For long it has been considered a national Scottish instrument. Even now it is still associated with Scotland.
The sound of the bagpipes is very stirring. The old Highland clans and later the Highland regiments used to go into battle to the sound of the bagpipes.
The bagpipe consists of a reed pipe, the “chanter”, and a wind bag which provides a regular supply of air to the pipe. The wind pipe is filled either from the mouth or by a bellows which the player works with his arm. The chanter has a number of holes or keys by means of which the tune is played.
5.Highland’s dances and games.
You can also find in Scotland its own national dances, Highland dances and Scottish country dances; its own songs (some of which are very popular all aver Britain), its poetry (some of which is famous throughout the English-speaking world), traditions, food and sports, even education, and manners.
Speaking about sports I can’t but mention Highland Gatherings or Games held in Braemar. They have been held there since 1832, and since Queen Victoria visited them in 1848 the games have enjoyed royal patronage. The Games consist of piping competitions, tugs-of-war (a test of strength in which two teams pull against other on a rope, each trying to pull the other over the winning line), highland wrestling and dancing, and tossing the caber.[21]
6.The famous Loch Ness.
Fact or fiction, the Loch Ness monster is part of Loch Ness’s magnetic appeal to visitors. But there is much more to do and see around the shores of this famous waterway than just monster-spotting, and a pleasant day, or even longer, can be spent exploring the many activities. 24 miles long, a mile wide and up to 700 feet deep Loch Ness is a land-locked fresh water lake lying at the eastern end of the Great Glen[22], a natural geological fault which stretches across the width of Scotland. The loch forms part of the Caledonian Canal completed by the celebrated civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757 – 1841), in 1822. Telford took 19 years to build the canal, which spared coastal shipping and fishing vessels a voyage through the waters of the Pentland Firth[23].
The story of Nessiterras Rhombopteryx or Nessie for short in Loch Ness has persistent down the centuries. The monster was first mentioned in AD 565 when St Columba allegedly persuaded it not to eat someone. Since records began, in 1933, more than 3000 people have claimed to have seen it, but others are skeptical. They point out that no good photographs exist of the monster, that there have been no eggs found, no dead monsters (can it really be 2563 years old?) nor any other compelling evidence. Believers think the monster is a plesiosaur, an otherwise extinct sea-dwelling reptile. Anyone who did prove conclusively the monster’s existence would be hailed as a pioneer, so it is no surprise to learn that monster-spotting is a popular pastime!
The Official Loch Ness Monster Centre is opened all year round and has exhibits showing geology, prehistory and history of Scotland, along with SONAR records and underwater photography relating to the monster.
The Original Visitor Centre offers a half hour video of the monster detailing the research that has taken place, along with a video about Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The loch has been surveyed for decades, by the RAF[24], eminent scientists, cranks, crackpots, mini-submarines and millions of pounds worth of high technology, including NASA[25] computers. And still there is no proof…
7. Saint Andrew’s cross.
The Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian[26] denomination, is the official state church. The Roman Catholic church is second in importance. Other leading denominations are the Episcopal Church in Scotland, Congregationalist, Baptist, Methodist, and Unitarian. Jews are a small minority.
St. Andrew’s cross is the national flag of Scotland. It consists of two diagonal white stripes crossing on a blue background. The flag forms part of the British national flag (Union Jack).
The flag of Presbyterian Church differs a little bit from that of Scotland. It is also St. Andrew’s cross but with a little addition: it has a burning bush centered, which signifies presbyterianism.
The symbol comes from the motto of the Presbyterian Church, nec tamen consumebatur (neither was it consumed) referring the bush that burnt, but was not consumed, so will be the church that will last for ever.
St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. He was a New Testament apostle who was martyred on an X-shaped cross. He was said to have given the Pictish army a vision of this cross at the battle of Athenstoneford between King Angus of the Picts and King Authelstan of the Angles. St. Andrew was foisted upon Scotland as its patron when the old Celtic and Culdee centres were superseded by the new bishopric of St. Andrew’s. His feast-day is 30 November. On this day some Scotsmen wear a thistle[27] in the buttonhole.
One of the greatest treasures of Huntly House Museum (Edinburgh) is the national Covenant, signed by Scotland’s Presbyterian leadership in 1638. Covenanters are 17th-century Scottish Presbyterians who bound themselves by covenants to maintain Presbyterianism as the sole religion of Scotland and helped to establish the supremacy of Parliament over the monarch in Scotland and England. Early covenants supporting Protestantism were signed in 1557 and in 1581. In 1638 the covenant of 1581 was revived, and its signatories added a vow to establish Presbyterianism as the state religion of Scotland.
II.Scotland for every season.
If you hunt for the real Scotland, there will be many times when you know you have found it: when you hear your first Highland Piper with the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle; on some late, late evening on a far northern beach as the sun sets into a midsummer sea; or with your first taste of a malt whisky, peat-smoked and tangy; or when you sit in a café with the real Scots. By the way, the Scots are very sociable people. They like to spend their free time together, drinking coffee or scotch and talking. Scottish people are fond of singing at the national music festivals in chorus, at the fairs and in the parks. Most of Scotsmen are optimists. They don’t lose their heart and smile in spite of all difficulties.
The real Scotland is not found in a single moment – nor is it contained in a single season. Though the moorlands turn purple in summer, Scotland in spring is famed for its clear light and distant horizons, while autumn’s colours transform the woodlands… and what could be more picturesque than snow-capped hills seen from the warmth of your hotel room?
Scenery, history, hospitality, humour, climate, traditions are offered throughout the year.
Even if you can feel it now you should visit Scotland all the same, and see and enjoy this magic country with your own eyes!
Appendices
Scotland: its early peoples.
The chronology of the main events in the history of Scotland.
1st century Picts prevented Romans from penetrating far into Scotland.
5th – 6th centuries Christianity was introduced into Scotland from Ireland.
9th century Kenneth MacAlpin united kingdoms of Scotland.
1263 Haakon, King of Norway, was defeated by Scots at Battle of Largs.
1292 – 1306 English domination:
in 1292 – 1296 Scotland was ruled by John Baliol;
in 1296 – 1306 Scotland was annexedto England.
1314 Robert Bruce defeated English at Bannockburn.
1328 England recognized Scottish independence.
1603 James VI became James I of England.
1638 Scottish rebellion against England.
1651 Cromwell conquered Scotland.
1689 Jacobites were defeated at Killiecrankie.
1707 Act of Union with England.
1715, 1745 Failed Jacobites risings against Britain.
1945 First Scottish nationalist member of British Parliament was elected
Practical part:
1. Who in Scotland consider themselves of purer Celtic blood?
2. When was a new Scottish Parliament elected?
3. What was the Beaker civilization famous for?
4. Why was it so difficult to control the Highlands and islands?
5. To whom does Scotland owe its clan system?
6. Why did Edward I stole the Stone of Destiny?
7. What do the words written on Edward’s grave mean?
8. Can you explain the name of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh?
9. What giant thing can Edinburgh Castle boast?
10.What did the Military Tattoo originally mean?
11.Who brought St. Giles’ Cathedral into great prominence?
12.What is the emblem of Scotland? Where can it be seen?
13.Why are the Royal Museum and the Museum of Scotland worth visiting?
14.Which museum in Scotland is the “noisiest” in the world? Why?
15.Why do they call Edinburgh “the Athens of the North”?
16.What is Edinburgh’s answer to London’s Oxford Street?
17.Where did the national Scottish dress come from?
18.Why was it so important to decorate wool differently?
19.What is the real origin of the bagpipe?
20.What does the motto of the Presbyterian Church mean?
Literature
1. “Discovering Britain” Pavlozky V. M., St Petersburg, 2000.
2. “Britain in brief” Oshepkova V. V., Shustilova I. I., Moscow, 1997.
3. “Across England to Scotland” Markova N. N., Moscow, 1971.
4. “Pages of Britain’s history” Kaufman K. I., Kaufman M. U., Obninsk,
1998.
5. “An illustrated history of Britain” McDowall D., Edinburgh, 1996.
6. “Robert Burns country” Swinglehurst E., Edinburgh, 1996.
7. “English for intermediate level” Part I, Moscow, 1995.
8. “Welcome to Edinburgh”, guide-book 1998/99.
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