Scotland-msg - 12/17/14

Scottish culture. Who lived where. Medieval points of interest. The Orkney Islands.

NOTE: See also the files: fd-Scotland-msg, cl-Scotland-msg, cl-Scot-fem-art, cl-Scot-male-art, haggis-msg, SI-songbook1-art, names-Scot-art, names-Scot-msg, Scot-fem-nam-lst.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: nusbache at epas.utoronto.ca (Aryk Nusbacher)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Scottish persona
Date: 4 Oct 1993 22:35:11 -0400
Organization: EPAS Computing Facility, University of Toronto

aamiller at zebu.cvm.msu.edu (MILLER, AARON) writes:
>Help!! I am a supporter of Robert the Bruce yet have not had any luck 
>uncovering much information on Scotland of that time period (particularly 
>clothing).  With regard to clothing, it seems most sources start before or 
>long after my time period (apparently Scots did not wear anything during the 
>late 12th and early 13th centuries).  If any one has information on this 
>subject please let me know.  Thanks good gentles.

First of all, I assume that by Robert the Bruce you mean the sixth
Robert of that name, who was also the first Robert Bruce to be King of
Scots.  This means you're after the late 13th and early 14th
centuries.  If it's the early Robert Bruces you're after, then I can't
help you much, except to say that it was a damned shame the first R
the B earned Saint Malachy's curse.

Second, king Robert and most of his followers were Anglo-Norman barons
like their colleagues in England.  They were, as far as we know,
culturally nearly indistinguishable.  Robert Bruce VI, Earl of
Carrick, sometime King of Scots, was born in England and spent most of
his younger years at the court of King Edward I "The Hammer of the
Scots" Plantagenet.  His wife was the daughter of the English Earl of
Ulster.  His brother-in-law was Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester
and Hertford, which meant that he was related by marriage to King
Edward II, Piers Gavaston, and a host of other illustrious
Anglo-Normano-Scoto-Frenchmen of the time.  These were people with
names like James "The Black" Douglas, Ingraham de Umphraville and
Marmaduke Thweng; not like MacClear.

Third, Robert did hang around with one bunch of Irish (Highland)
types:  his friend Angus Og was a Macdonald, and he was the son of the
chief Macdonald.  These were Islemen, and I have no idea what they
wore.  If you want to be an Irish isleman, that's the direction to
search.

Aryk Nusbacher


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: hwt at bcarh11a.bnr.ca (Henry Troup)
Subject: Re: Scottish persona
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 14:04:56 GMT

In article <aamiller.1.2CB08F6A at zebu.cvm.msu.edu>, aamiller at zebu.cvm.msu.edu (MILLER, AARON) writes:
 
|> clothing).  With regard to clothing, it seems most sources start before or 
|> long after my time period (apparently Scots did not wear anything during the 
|> late 12th and early 13th centuries).  If any one has information on this 

Well, the lowland Scots were pretty much dressed like the English. The
Highland Scots were noted for discarding shirt and kilt on the way into
battle. During the Covenant Wars (later, I know) one English soldier
recorded that the avalanche of naked men with swords was quite terrifying.

The shirt, great kilt, and belt school of highland dress has great adherence
in the SCA. It's actual historical period is a matter of controversy.

-- 
Henry Troup - H.Troup at BNR.CA (Canada) - BNR owns but does not share my opinions


From: odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Scottish persona
Date: 12 Oct 1993 20:15:56 GMT
Organization: The Stuffed Animal Trauma Team  (We're Trained Professionals)

In article <oghTcR_00iV3QAPXpv at andrew.cmu.edu> Gretchen Miller <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>Excerpts from netnews.rec.org.sca: 7-Oct-93 Re: Scottish persona by
>Henry Troup at bcarh11a.bnr 
>> The shirt, great kilt, and belt school of highland dress has great adherence
>> in the SCA. It's actual historical period is a matter of controversy.
>
>Actually, it's historical period is not a matter of controversy.  It's
>period, but only just (I believe 1550 is the earliest anyone's been able
>to document this style, just after the banning of the "Irish dress").

  Right answer (There's no controversy), but wrong date.  I'm in the middle of
  researching/writing a series of articles (possibly a CA) on Highland matters,
  and the earliest few references to period Highland dress I have thus far
  are from Magnus Barefoot's Saga ("A.D. 1093.  It is said when King Magnus
  returned from his expedition in the west, he adopted the costume in use in
  the western lands [The northern British isles] ... That they went about
  bare-legged having short tunics and also upper garments..."), a book called
  De Vita Sua by Guibert of Nogent written between 1104 and 1112 ("You might
  see the Scots ... barelegged with their shaggy cloaks, a [pouch] hanging
  'ex humeris'...") and various other letters and book references, usually 
  far more detailed (some intimately so), dozens of which are earlier than
  1550.  There are even stone and ivory carvings depicting Scots in the
  "Great Kilt, tunic and belt" {tm} get up starting from about the thirteenth
  century.

  [In all fairness, the earliest really clear description I have of Highland
  dress is from a book from 1521, but that still beats 1550 by a good few
  decades.]

  -Iain Odlin, who underlines and stresses the point that, until the 18th
   Century, the kilt was not worn in the Lowlands.  Also, folks:  I have been
   thouroughly unable, thus far, to document the little kilt (what is today
   meant by the word "kilt" and is commonly seen at SCA events) to period.
   The best I can do is a painting from 1645.  And since most "authorities"
   credit an Englishman in 1728 with its invention, the chances of finding
   earlier docs are not good.  If they even exist at all, of course.
--
 ------------------------- Iain Odlin, odlin at reed.edu -------------------------
                  10 Crosby Street, Level 3, Portland ME 04103


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: dlc at fc.hp.com (Dennis Clark)
Subject: Re: Scottish persona
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 16:53:50 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Site

MILLER, AARON (aamiller at zebu.cvm.msu.edu) wrote:
: Help!! I am a supporter of Robert the Bruce yet have not had any luck 
: uncovering much information on Scotland of that time period (particularly 
: clothing).  With regard to clothing, it seems most sources start before or 
: long after my time period (apparently Scots did not wear anything during the 
: late 12th and early 13th centuries).  If any one has information on this 
: subject please let me know.  Thanks good gentles.

  There is a book in the Osprey series called "The Scottish and Welsh wars of
Independence" that has some stuff on the time period.  Mostly fighter-type
stuff though.
  I am assuming you mean the time of King Robert the Bruce which would be late
13th - early 14th century.  Lowland Scots were apparently mostly Norman/Scots
so wore what the English did.  There is very little information available that
I have been able to find on the Islanders or Highlanders of that time 
unfortunately.  I myself usually wear French/English garb with a Scottish
"touch" like a plaid under-tunic or Trews.

Good Luck
Kevin MacKinnon (14th C Scots Islander under The Bruce)


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: uu632 at freenet.Victoria.BC.CA (George E. Godwin)
Subject: Re: Celt Tents Info
Organization: The Victoria Freenet Association (VIFA), Victoria, B.C., Canada
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 06:05:11 GMT

In a previous article, donan at ecst.csuchico.edu (Donan) says:
>
>I am looking for a design of tent which is period to the Scottish Celt
>tribes from 10th - 12th Centuries.
>
Good m'lord,

I am afraid you start with a faulty premise that may be affecting your
ability to find answers.

There are no people in Scotland in the 10th - 12th Centuries that could
be identified as "Celts".

By this period the Highlands of Scotland are inhabited by a mixture of
pict, celt, norsemen and minor amounts of other peoples.  The main part
of Scotland was inhabited by a mixture of pict, celt, norman, english
(whatever "english" might be) and others.

The answer to the tent question is that highlanders slept in the open
or in somebody's barn while on the march.  Perhaps the wealthy and
powerful might have had tents but there was little baggage other than 
what each man would have carried.  The tents would have been the same
as those found anywhere else in Western Europe as the wealthy and 
powerful would only be copying the more wealthy and powerful.

The answer is basically the same for the "main" part of Scotland except
that there were probably more tents as the "lowlanders" were slightly
wealthier on average.

One other thing to keep in mind is "Who used tents?" - the answer 
is usually soldiers on campaign and in some places those participating
in tournaments.  As late as the English Civil War, armies campaigning
in domestic actions did not have tents and officers would have 
comandeered whatever shelter was available.

In the tournament situation, ostentation and fashion are important 
concerns.  Use whatever you can find on the French.  They have been
setting the standards of fashion for centuries.

I hope this was helpful,

Sgt Duncan Macquarrie
Seagirtshire, An Tir


From: redvers at enterprise.CA (Redvers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: re:  suggestions for trip to UK
Date: 23 May 1996 12:07:27 -0400
Organization: The Internet

Greetings from Colgar,

        If you are going to be in Scotland, there is a castle near Inverness
that does B&B.  I stayed there last year and it was wonderful.   For 30 quid
each we stayed in the upper tower room, had dinner and breakfast, and access
to the grounds of the castle( there is an exotic tree garden and the whole
place is beautiful).  The tower was built in the twelve century and the
rooms in the tower are enormous, beautifully decorated, and have ancient
portraits of the family hanging in them.  Call well in advance, as the tower
rooms especially, are extremely popular.
        The place is called Kilvarock Castle,in Croy, near Inverness, the
ph. # is 01667 493258.

The address is     Kilvarock Castle 
                                 Croy  Inverness
                                 1V12PJ
                                  Scotland

It is out of the way, but it within a mile or two of the Culloden Moor and
Cawdor Castle and is a short drive to Urquhart castle on loch Ness(Another
little hint, go to Urquhart after 6:0opm, when it closes, avoid the crowds,
avoid the admission fee, climb the turnstile, aqnd enjoy the wonderful
sunsets Ness is famous for.  We did this accidentally, well, getting there
late, we trepassed on purpose, but we gathered from talking to locals that
this is tolerated by whoever runs the castle.)


Colgar


From: "Michael S. McCollum" <eadric at visi.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: suggestions for trip to UK
Date: Thu, 23 May 1996 14:13:59 -0400
Organization: Suo Marte

Redvers wrote:

>         If you are going to be in Scotland, there is a castle near Inverness
> that does B&B.  I stayed there last year and it was wonderful.   For 30 quid

Info about Kilvarock Castle deleted

> It is out of the way, but it within a mile or two of the Culloden Moor and
> Cawdor Castle and is a short drive to Urquhart castle on loch Ness(Another
> little hint, go to Urquhart after 6:0opm, when it closes, avoid the crowds,
> avoid the admission fee, climb the turnstile, aqnd enjoy the wonderful
> sunsets Ness is famous for. 

While I'm sure Colgar means well, I was slightly offended by this advice. 
I retain a paid membership in the National Trust for Scotland for a 
couple of reasons. It gives me a discount on many admissions, but more 
importantly, it helps to provide funds for the maintenance and upkeep of 
many historic buildings and sites. This is why admission is normally 
charged. The upkeeps costs are horrendous. I would offer the alternative 
suggestion to purchase a membership at one of the many historic sites you 
visit. The discount will more than save you the the 6 pounds you'll 
"save" by jumping turnstiles.

                              Eadric


From: s.krossa at aberdeen.ac.uk (Sharon Krossa)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Scottish Information of All Sorts
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 04:31:23 +0000
Organization: Phuture PhuDs

Greetings!

I am not going to be able to keep up with the Rialto until I finish my PhD
(deadline is looming), so I thought I'd let you know about my new Web site
that addresses a lot of the questions I often answer on the Rialto:

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/medieval_scotland.html

It has information on Scottish Names, Scottish Clothing (including a basic
leine pattern), and a reference list of Scottish history books (including
references for handfasting and marriage).

I'd also truly appreciate it, while I am away toiling on the dreaded
thesis, if people could direct those who ask questions on the Rialto about
these Scottish topics to my website.

Effric neyn Kenyeoch vcralte
mka Sharon Krossa, who's going to miss you all over the next month!

Sharon Krossa: skrossa at svpal.org (permanent)
-or- s.krossa at aberdeen.ac.uk (until November 1996)


From: lordberwyn at aol.com (LordBerwyn)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Robert the Bruce's Heart
Date: 2 Sep 1996 22:14:41 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)

LONDON (AP) -- Just call him Braveheart II. 

Scottish conservationists think they have found the mummified heart of Robert
the Bruce, the legendary 14th-century Scottish king who heroically resisted
the English and won independence for his native land. 

Discovered in a medieval casket, the heart proves that Bruce's supporters
honored his dying wish to be buried at Melrose Abbey in the southeastern
corner of Scotland, conservationists said Monday. 

``It is a very important artifact,'' said Doreen Grove, inspector of ancient
monuments at Historic Scotland, the government conservation group that
investigated the find. 

Grove said the king who took up the independence battle from William
``Braveheart'' Wallace will finally get a proper memorial in the abbey
grounds, 667 years after he died. 

``This has not been a waste of time if we can perform the burial of one of
Scotland's heroes,'' she said. 

Until now, there has been only a sign stating that Bruce's heart had been
buried somewhere on the abbey's grounds. Bruce's bones are buried at
Dunfermline, 15 miles north of Edinburgh. 

Although the find is not considered momentous in archeological terms,
Historic Scotland says it is highly significant for Scotland's heritage. 

A relic of one of Scotland's favorite sons could also provide another
rallying point for Scottish nationalists, already elated by Prime Minister
John Major's announcement in July that England will return the Stone of
Scone, the cherished symbol of Scottish power. 

Scotland's heroes already are a boon to tourism. 

Tourism officials reported a bumper year in 1995, thanks partly to two 1994
movies: ``Braveheart,'' Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning epic about Wallace, and
``Rob Roy,'' about 18th-century Highlands clan leader Rob Roy MacGregor,
which starred Liam Neeson. 

On Thursday, archeologists undertaking a $450,000 excavation of Melrose
Abbey's chapter house dug up a modern, cylindrical lead casket. 

In a painstaking, two-hour operation Monday, two conservationists from
Historic Scotland drilled through one end of the 10-inch casket to reveal a
slightly smaller, cone-shaped medieval casket, also made of lead. 

Inside the outer casket there was also a note written by the archeologists
who unearthed it in 1921: ``The enclosed leaden casket containing a heart was
found beneath Chapter House floor in March 1921 and reburied by His Majesty's
Office of Works.'' 

Those scientists reburied the casket inside the modern casket, probably for
protection, but its location was lost, according to Historic Scotland. 

Grove said there was no way of verifying that it was Bruce's heart, but his
was the only heart reported to have been buried at Melrose. There are no
plans to open the medieval container, she said, because the 1921 study
verified that it contained a heart. 

Born in 1274, Bruce was crowned king of Scotland in 1306 after he led an
uprising against King Edward I of England. 

Known for his doggedness, said to have been inspired by watching a spider
painstakingly weaving its web, he led the defeat of the army of England's
King Edward II in 1314. In 1328, a year before his death, he signed the
treaty of Northampton that recognized both his kingship and Scottish
independence. 

Bruce had asked that his heart be buried at Melrose Abbey, but on his
deathbed, he asked a close friend, Sir James Douglas, to take it first on the
Crusades, as Christians fought to recover the Holy Land from Muslims. 

Douglas fell fighting the Moors in Spain and, according to legend, hurled the
casket at the enemy as he died. 

Bruce's supporters recovered it and buried it at Melrose, a Cistercian abbey
founded in 1136 that was badly damaged in Scotland's wars of independence. It
was extensively rebuilt in the 15th century. 

Bruce has not had the same big screen success as Wallace and Rob Roy: ``The
Bruce,'' a low-budget film about his life that starred Oliver Reed, was a
flop. 


From: Craig Cockburn <craig at scot.demon.co.uk>
Newsgroups: soc.history,rec.org.sca
Subject: Scottish history info
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 13:02:05 +0100
Organization: Mo dhachaidh

Lots of info on Scottish history in the new soc.culture.scottish FAQ
launched this week. Available by FTP, E-mail or WWW and over 230K of information
address is 
http://www.scot.demon.co.uk/scotfaq.html
-- 
Craig Cockburn ("coburn"), Du\n E/ideann, Alba. (Edinburgh, Scotland)
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~craig/  


From: Quin Hinrichs <flyhrse at goodnet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: re:Scottish Personas Help!!!
Date: 1 Oct 1996 01:12:06 GMT

Keep in mind that during the period you described, and for most of the 
time after that until way out of SCA period, the Scots and the English 
did not get along at all.  The only Scots that got along with the English 
at all were those that were playing up to the English Kings to keep from 
being beaten into submission.  Your basic highland Scot would not have 
much contact with the English at all, unless he was a mercenary, and then 
he was killing them.  The chances of "love conquering all" in this case 
would be pretty slim.  A lowland Scot (those living near the English 
border) would have had more contact with his English neighbors, but it 
would likely not have been a friendly relationship.  His goal would have 
been to make their lives miserable by raiding and plundering, murdering 
when necessary.  The English would have been quite happy to murder the 
Scots right back.  An English woman would have been kept away from the 
Scottish as much as possible, and would have stayed safely in her village 
or castle keep.  The only exception to this would be in the case of a 
child of Scottish nobility who due to the family's English affiliations 
would dress and behave like an Englishman, and not much like a Scot at 
all and that means NO PLAID.  If you watch the movie Braveheart, you will 
see the basic relationship between the Scots and English during the 
period you've mentioned.  to see how it all turned out, watch Rob Roy.  
In a nutshell the Scots and English did not get along and were each 
considered awful, uncivilized, dishonest and repugnant by the other.  So, 
it is likely that you will want to dress as a Scottish woman for the 
wedding.

Anyway, here are some answers to your questions about Scottish women.  
The religion would have been basically Catholic, with many pagan 
traditions and superstitions thrown in.  The wedding would have been an 
old Catholic ritual (once again for a little idea, watch Braveheart).  
The clothing is very hard to describe but here's an idea.  A very upper 
class Scottish woman (nobility or "English suck-ups") would have dressed 
as the English did, and as I said before that includes no plaid.  The 
traditional garb, however, is quite simple to make and exotic to look at. 
 The basic underdress is called a 'leine' or linn.  It is either white, 
off-white or a shade of saffron (yellow to gold).  It is a loose-fitting 
chemise with raglan sleeves and a very large neck that is gathered on a 
draw string at the neckline.  It has huge, wide sleeves that are pleated 
or gathered until they hang to the wrist.  Over this is worn a bog dress 
which is a well-fitting bodice that laces up the front.  The skirt is 
attached at the waistline, but is left open in the front.  The whole 
thing is lined in a contrasting or complimentary color.  Under the bog 
dress may be worn an additional skirt to add color.  Over this is the 
woman's version of the plaid.  It is called an arasaid.  It is about 4-6 
yards of tartan that is belted at the waist and draped and pinned over 
the shoulders.  The feet are traditionally bare, but to accomodate modern 
tastes, leather mocassins or slippers are acceptable. Celtic embroidery 
all over the bog dress and skirt is appropriate.  The headwear would be 
the kertch (a triangular piece of fabric wrapped around the head with the 
middle point hanging down the back -- sort of like a gypsy scarf crossed 
with a small turban).  Also acceptable for a woman is the veil and linen 
headroll (although more Irish than Scottish).

If you want more information on Scottish garb, or pictures or patterns, 
E-mail me directly at flyhrse at goodnet.com.

Best of luck!
Mar sin leat an-drasda,
Mairi NicMorgan of the Clan MacAodh
(Mundanely -- Quin Hinrichs)


From: sweetsheep at aol.com (Sweetsheep)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Date: 7 Jan 1997 23:35:23 GMT

Yes!!!!  I made a pilgrimage last summer (late June)!!!!  It was
wonderful!!!!  Even my Lord husband (a Sassenach from the War of the
Roses) fell in love with Scotland.  He's currently living and working in
London and has been for about a year.  (GTE subcontracted to Mercury
Communications)  I went for a visit last summer and  we took a trip to
Scotland.  We spent some time in Edinborough and then wandered the
Highlands - I had to recreate my life as a MacPherson you know!  ;-) 
We're going back this summer.

I don't know what kind of deals you're looking for, but have you contacted
the Scottish Tourism Board?  I called a 1-800# that I got off the travel
channel last year (Jan. '96) and they sent me quite a bit of info.  I
don't have the number anymore, but the travel chanel still runs the ad
occasionally, plus an operator or 1-800 directory should be able to find
it easily.  I used the official tourist information to identify the
historic sites that I wanted to visit and their admission costs and
affiliation.  Some places are free, but less than half the sites I visited
in Great Britain were.  The rest are (usually, but not always) members of
either the English Heritage, National Trust or National Trust for
Scotland.  Most of those accept the British Heritage Pass which is
available from travel agents and British Airlines.  The pass seems pretty
expensive but it gets you in free to 600 some sights, and sometimes gets
you a discount to others.  Contact someone for information about the pass
and a list of sites that accept it - if you are planning on visiting lots
of them then it's definately worth it, if you're only interested in a
couple of the sites it's not.

You may also get a better deal on airfare if you fly in to Heathrow.  It
seems really far away, but a round trip (called Return Ticket in England)
train fare to Edinborough was only about 40 pounds and the trip took about
4 hours.  I went to Scotland right away after arriving in London - I
arrived at Heathrow, did some sight seeing at the Tower of London and then
caught the train to Edinborough.  Cab fare from Heathrow to the Tower is
around 20-5 pounds.  You can also take the Tube, which is much cheaper,
but travel light and try to get someone to explain the system _before_ you
get there.  It did make for a long day, I admit, but it was well worth it.
 Travel agents can make train reservations for you.  You could also time
it so that you have enough time on your return to London to visit the
Victoria and Albert Museum - an absolute _must_ for SCAers!!!!!!!!!!  Just
a suggestion.

Some helpful hints:  Take layers to Scotland - I think we saw the sun
_once_, lots of drizzle, highs in the mid 50's to low 60's in Edinborough
and _COLDER_ in the highlands; RENT A CAR if you want to do much traveling
around - trains connect major cities only and buses are few and far
between.  The only way to tour the highlands is by tour group or rental
car.  Also, gas is VERY expensive - currently about $3(American) per
gallon.  If you want to see Holyrood House, check to see when the Queen
will be in residence and don't go then!!!!  She was occupying the palace
while I was there and it was consequently closed.  
There are bank machines in every town of any size ( and even some of "no
size") and they accept bank cards from Amican banks.  USE THEM!!!!  They
will give you, by far, the best exchange rate and you don't have to carry
a huge wad of bills or travelers checks (which, incidentally, will be
accepted at most places, but are also subject to _their_ exchange rate!). 
Check with your banking institution before you go to find out what
account(s) will be accessed by the overseas machines and/or if there is a
phone system set up to allow transfers and such.  (Our check card/bank
card withdraws from CHECKING when used from overseas - luckily we have a
phone transfer system.

I'm sure that there are other tips that I could think of.  Feel free to
email me directly.

Lady Dulcia MacPherson, Barony of Wyvernwood, Trimaris
(mka Libby Brown)


From: mongoose at yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Conrad Leviston)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Date: 7 Jan 1997 22:26:03 GMT
Organization: Monash University

Lord Whoever (deadpool at phoenix.net) wrote:
: I am in the middle of a slight (and mundane) crisis and maybe some of
: you could help. My lady and I are getting hitched in June and she has,
: much to my delight, agreed (willingly, even!) to go to Scotland for
: the honeymoon. We want to see Glenfinnan Monument, Bannockburn, Lock
: Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, and a few other required things, as well as
: pick up some tartan (so I can avoid paying $60 a yard for it in the
: future). Here's the problem, I am running out of places to look for
: information. Has anyone been to Scotland and can give some advice or
: point me to someone IN Scotland that can? I will be talking to a
: travel agent, but I get rather good deals on most vacation stuff
: through my father (Captain for an airline). I really hope I don't
: start another arguement with this plead though :)

        I went to Scotland for the first time last year and believe me, 
you won't run out of things to do. What we did was to hire a car, and 
drive around with an AA road atlas of the U.K., which worked really well. 
The map had sites of interest marked (battle fields, castles, stone 
circles etc.), so if we were passsing near something, we knew we could 
take a look.
        Don't believe all the stuff about "You'll get bored with castles" by 
the way. We spent three weeks in the Brittish Isles seeing as many as we 
could, and were only disappointed by Blarney.
        Other places worth seeing are Edinburgh, Inverness, Gretna Green 
(a must for honeymooners, although eloping there is more romantic) and 
Dunvegan castle. If you enjoy hiking the Isle of Skye is fantastic, and 
if you enjoy whiskey apparently the other Inner Hebridean Islands are 
rather good.
        I also recommend staying at Bed and Breakfasts. They're cheap, 
and you only require a sandwich for lunch afterwards.
        You may be disappointed with some of the shops in Scotland. In 
the main they sell the same stuff you can get anywhere ("Know your family 
tartan" and other similar rubbish), but you can still stumble across 
something wonderful.
        Enjoy the trip (I'm sure you will, barring injury or illness).

Conrad Leviston | 'Quotation is the refuge of the lame mind'- Confucius
http://yoyo.cc  | 'It takes a thief to catch a thief, and for the same 
.monash.edu.au  | reason it takes a mongoose to catch a snake in the
/~mongoose/     | grass'- Herbert Frond


From: rmacdonald at microd.com
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 97 11:16:37 GMT
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Lord Whoever <deadpool at phoenix.net> wrote:

> We want to see Glenfinnan Monument, Bannockburn, Lock
> Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, and a few other required things, as well as
> pick up some tartan (so I can avoid paying $60 a yard for it in the
> future). Here's the problem, I am running out of palces to look for
> information. 

> Laird Collin MacLean.
> Ravensfort, Ansteorra
> deadpool at phoenix.net
> www.phoenix.net/~deadpool

I've been to most of these places with my parents back in 1980, so I can't give 
you anyone to talk to directly.  Try contacting your local Caladonian or Clan 
Societies and see if they have any contacts.  Also if you plan to visit 
Glencoe, stay up at the King's House on Rannoch Moor, a lovely quaing sprawl in 
the heather.  To see most of the spread you are looking at you will probably 
need to rent a car and get used to driving on the left side of the road, don't 
forget an international drivers liscense, I was lucky at the time and had my 
USAREUR liscense. A recommendation for maps is to pick up the appropriate Royal 
Ordanance Survey maps for the Eastern and Western Highlands, they make good 
road maps as well as show you what to expect in terrain around you.
--
Richard A. Macdonald
SSG Ret, USA, ADA
dedicated follower of Fr. Luca Pacioli, master juggler.

"No S**t there I was." is the past tense of "Oh S**t, here they come!!!"
--
Iain of Rannoch  ~);^) (Found in Fiach Ogan, Trimaris)
Cadet to Duke(Don) Aaron Brech Gordon


From: Morgoth <morgoth at nome.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 23:48:54 -0800

Good places to go? Isle of Skye, I missed it the last time. Stop
by Iverness and the Loch. I forget what battle was fough near
there, but... there was a few.. My ancestors (mundane and one of
my personas') were from there). Also go north to John O'Groats
and catch a ferry to the Orkeney, though not a part of Scotland,
they are a nice place to visit (especially if you catch the last
small ferry of the season, just as the seas start to storm, it
can be way fun to ride the prow of the ferry in 30 or so foot
swells (grin).

Fr. Morgoth, Cyberabbey of St. Cyril


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: tip at ai.chem.ohiou.edu (Tom Perigrin)
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Organization: Ohio University
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 17:19:00 GMT

Morgoth <morgoth at nome.net> wrote:
> Good places to go?

If you love the pre-iron ages (a bit pre-SCA) and you want to reaaaaally
travel, go all the way to the North End of Scotland, and keep going.  Go to
the Orkneys.  There are burial mounds, standing stone circles, tombs, and
such ALL over the Orkneys.  And since so few people get there, most of the
sites (except Mayes Howe) are not only open to the public, they are free
and unattended and generally unvisited.   Especially if you get off of the
main island, and get out to Rousey, Wyre, etc...   Occasionally you have to
stop at a local house or shop to sign out a key.    Mind you, if you go to
these lesser islands you will have to watch the ferry schedual very
closely.

Stonehenge is closed, except to stand at 100 feet and go "oooh aaah" (and
on a few very frozen ground days mid-winter).  But in the Orkneys you can
spend an hour, generally without other people around, sitting in the
burials, looking at the rocks, looking at the tooling marks,  and thinking
about times-gone-by.

There are a few "modern ruins"...  There are a few ruined monasteries and
churches from the 1000's,   and some of the grafitti in Mayes Howe is
Viking Runes ("Ole was here.  It was cold, and there was nothing to
steal").  There are a few iron-age ruins as well.

Go before it becomes a tourist attraction, and the things are put behind
fences and they charge admission.

You can fly to Kirkwall, the main town on the main Orkney island.  Other
than that, expect to spend a FULL day driving from Aberdeen...  the roads
are small, narrow, winding, and frequented by sheep who do not see a need
to move all that rapidly when you approach.

By the way... the B&B on Rousey (there is only one) had really really great
food!   And if you get to Wyre, go to the house of Ian Flaws (there are
only three houses), and remind him of the time in late 80's when three
tanks helped him put some stones on his garden wall, and then spent the
afternoon in his kitchen, drinking tea, eating cookies, and swapping jokes
and stories about life in the USA.

Lovely friendly people, and a blasted desolate landscape.  Plan on "cold",
even midsummer.


From: norseman at voicenet.com (Chip W.)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 23:26:47 GMT

tip at ai.chem.ohiou.edu (Tom Perigrin) wrote:

>In article <Pine.SUN.3.93.970114234609.17181B-100000 at dwarf.nome.net>,
>Morgoth <morgoth at nome.net> wrote:
>> Good places to go?

>If you love the pre-iron ages (a bit pre-SCA) and you want to reaaaaally
>travel,

(info about the Orkneys  snipped)
>Stonehenge is closed, except to stand at 100 feet and go "oooh aaah" (and
>on a few very frozen ground days mid-winter).  But in the Orkneys you can
>spend an hour, generally without other people around, sitting in the
>burials, looking at the rocks, looking at the tooling marks,  and thinking
>about times-gone-by.

Another great place to for *old* sites is the Isle of Lewis and
Harris.  The Callanish Stone circle is amazing, older than Stonehenge,
not quite as large, but fully accessible and very dramatic.  Carloway
Broch is an Iron Age tower, a lot larger than you might think they had
then, and while remote and not overrun with tourists, also accessible.
Other stones are sprinkled around the island (the inhabitants call it
two islands but they are connected), and there's a lovely little
church (the church of the MacLeod family) in the southern tip of
Harris.  There's also the Butt of Lewis (tall headland facing into the
sea), a castle (we didn't get to see it, don't know if it's open to
the public but I heard it was nifty on the outside), several
blackhouses and displays from more recent times, and a lot of crafters
who are more affordable than those on Skye.  It's not nearly as far as
the Orkneys, the climate is remarkably mild for so far north (Gulf
Stream influence) and the people are lovely.  And the entire island(s)
lend themselves wonderfully to sitting and contemplating and absorbing
the ancient atmosphere.   I highly recommend making the ferry ride
from Skye!

Linette de Gallardon


From: s.krossa at aberdeen.ac.uk (Sharon Krossa)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Scotland?
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 12:30:54 +0000

In article <Pine.SUN.3.93.970114234609.17181B-100000 at dwarf.nome.net>,
Morgoth <morgoth at nome.net> wrote:

>Good places to go? Isle of Skye, I missed it the last time. Stop
>by Iverness and the Loch. I forget what battle was fough near
>there, but... there was a few.. My ancestors (mundane and one of
>my personas') were from there). Also go north to John O'Groats
>and catch a ferry to the Orkeney, though not a part of Scotland,
>they are a nice place to visit (especially if you catch the last
>small ferry of the season, just as the seas start to storm, it
>can be way fun to ride the prow of the ferry in 30 or so foot
>swells (grin).

You can't go far wrong, no matter where you go. Don't plan to spend all
your time in the cities, though. Get out of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen,
etc., and you'll run across all sorts of great ruins, non-ruins, castles,
battlefields, etc. The cities are pretty good for museums, of course, and
there are some nice museums in the middle of nowhere, as well.

I would like to point out, however, that Orkney is indeed part of Scotland,
as is Shetland, and has been since 1468/9.

Eafric niin Kenyoech Vc Ralte
mka Sharon Krossa, who lives in Scotland, actually ;-)
skrossa at svpal.org (permanent) -or- s.krossa at abdn.ac.uk (until Dec 1997)
Medieval Scotland Web Page (including information on names & clothing):
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/medieval_scotland.html


From: "AJ" <aj at lothene.demon.co.uk>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Golf ?
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 12:45:13 GMT

Glen Marshall <glenmarshall at worldnet.att.net> wrote in article

> Yes.  Check-out references to the Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh.  This is
> a park that is the remains of an ancient golf course - some say the oldest
> in Scotland and, possibly, elsewhere.  It is maintained as a small (3-hole,
> I think) course, with grass at the height that sheep would graze it to. 
> The equipment was a leather ball stffed with bird feathers and one club
> that is not unlike today's woods.  The object was to hit a series of
> flagpoles, much like the flags in the holes today.  You can still play this
> ancient form at Bruntsfield Links.  And there is the Old Golf tavern next
> to the links, dating from 1495.  Personally, I don't play golf but I *did*
> get drunk at the tavern back in 1980.

Hi there. I am writing this in Edinburgh just before going out to our
weekly Fighter Practise on Bruntsfield Links. The course there is a "Pitch
& Putt" or very short hole course, with no bunkers. The total area of it is
probably about 200 by 200 yards. It has got many more than 3 holes, though.
I've never actually counted. The grass is mown short as on a normal golf
course, but with the usual style of greens. (I'm not a golfer myself, I
just know the place well.)  It's part of a public park on the south side of
the city which was originally just outside the city walls. The low-lying
part was originally marsh, now drained, which ran up to the wall &
protected it on that side. It is still a bylaw that it is forbidden to
cross the park in a boat after dark, allegedly! Originally the only reason
to do this would have been to sneak in or out of the city. The other
interesting historical aspect of the area is the large number of
depressions which I have been told are old Plague Pits, where the bodies
were disposed of. We keep our Tetanus shots up to date...

I saw an article in a local newspaper a few years ago in a series on "The
History of Your Neighbourhood" which said that the Scottish army was
mustered on Bruntsfield Links before marching south to their eventual
defeat at Flodden. There are apparently letters from the Army Commanders
complaining of their difficulty in getting the troops to drill because they
were all off playng Golf! Let this be a warning to anyone planning on
setting up a golf course at a war!

The Old Golfe Tavern is a very good Pub, with decent real ales. I have
frequently imbibed there.

Hope this was interesting to someone. Other pub recommendations availiable
to anyone planning to visit!
-- 
Cheers
AJ
aj at lothene.demon.co.uk
Alastair Saunders


From: Larry Johnson <ljohnsn1 at idt.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: hetairos/courtesan question
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 22:45:06 -0700
Organization: IDT

If you want some real Scottish history, go to
http://members.aol.com/sconemac/index.html and
http://members.aol.com/skyelander/index/html both web sites are chock full of
the correct historys of Scottish affairs. SconeMac has about 55 articles now
and Skyelander has almost as many, and is the history editor of U.S. Scot on
line. It is a fine place to start any Scottish research.

Yours aye,
Labhruinn MacIain an Mor

John Wilson wrote:

> Bryan J. Maloney wrote in message <353224D4.16AB at cornell.edu>...
>
> >Yeah!  And you can use "Braveheart" to research 13th-14th century
> >Scottish history, too!
>
> This maybe a joke but the sad thing is ..many people in the SCA do use this
> movie as a research source.


From: gkirk at pe.net (Gregory Kirk)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: hetairos/courtesan question
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 04:40:44 GMT

>If you want some real Scottish history, go to
>http://members.aol.com/sconemac/index.html and
>http://members.aol.com/skyelander/index/html both web sites are chock full of
>the correct historys of Scottish affairs. SconeMac has about 55 articles now
>and Skyelander has almost as many, and is the history editor of U.S. Scot on
>line. It is a fine place to start any Scottish research.
>
>Labhruinn MacIain an Mor

 I'd be exteemely leery of using those sites.  I've visited both, and
neither had, at the time I visited, any refereces, foot notes, or even
a bibliography.  I was, for a time on their mailling list, and frankly
found it to be pretty weak on the historical reaserch front.

Greg


From: Larry Johnson <ljohnsn1 at idt.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: hetairos/courtesan question
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 22:24:13 -0700
Organization: IDT

>  I'd be exteemely leery of using those sites.  I've visited both, and
> neither had, at the time I visited, any refereces, foot notes, or even
> a bibliography.  I was, for a time on their mailling list, and frankly
> found it to be pretty weak on the historical reaserch front.

I know Lady Nancy Gunn MacCorkill and she is the Clan Gunn Official Historian with a lot of credit to her name.  She communicates with the Lord Lyon on occasion to clarify Scottish heraldry, and other topics as well.  I would think she would give you her footnotes and or bibliography if you asked her.  I don't think U.S. Scot magazine would print her and her son Robert Gunn's articles if they weren't right on.

Labhruinn MacIain an Mor


[Submitted by: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>]
Subject: Fwd: Scottish history.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 13:56:57 EST
From: EoganOg at aol.com
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org

> In preparation of a new persona, could those with similar Scottish
>  personas point out some sources of Scottish history?  In particular the
>  time around the 1100-1300s.  Especially the status of the country with
>  its neighbor England.
[snip!]
>  ---Eogan I know you can, but I don't want to occupy you too much.

No bother at all, lad!

I have put together a good annotated bibliography for the reign of King
Robert the Bruce and webbed it.  The URL is:
http://www3.wcu.edu/~mn13189/brucebib.htm

Eogan


Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 17:22:54 -0500
From: mermayde at juno.com (Christine A Seelye-King)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Scottish Source?

>A Book of Historical Recipes by Sara Paston-Williams
>The National Trust of Scotland, 1995 ISBN 0-7078-0240-7;
>Posted by Paul Macgregor
>> >
>This book _is_ available from Amazon, BTW. I ordered a copy, but >there
wasn't much information available about it. We will see, eh?
>
>Adamantius

Please do let me know.  When we were in Scotland, two of our party stayed
at a reconstructed castle.  It was a small one, and it had been bought as
a pile of rubble destined for the wrecking ball.  Peter Gillies is the
man who bought it and reconstructed it, and he and his partner now run it
as a B&B.  He gave us the grand tour, and was thrilled with folks who
were interested in the trials of period re-construction.  (My favorite
example was of him hiding Georgian-era plasters under piles of rubble so
the Scottish Trust wouldn't see them.  If they had, they would have made
him preserve them, when he wanted to restore the building to it's
original 1585 glory.  They did a FANTASTIC job of restoring everything,
including a heraldic ceiling, but I digress....)  He has a chef who comes
in to do weddings and other large dinners, and he was interested in
finding sources of period Scottish recipies.  We talked for a while, and
he asked me to send him any information I could find.   I said that it
felt kind of like sending 'Coals to Newcastle', but that I would do what
I could.  So, this book sounds like just the thing.  Please give us a
review when you get it, would you?
Thanks,
        Mistress Christianna MacGrain (who has selfish reasons for
wanting period Scottish recipies as well :)

P.S. For those of you who might be interested, the name of the place is
Ballencrieff Castle, and the web site for it is -
www.scotland-info.co.uk/ballencrieff.htm


Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 07:22:38 -0600
From: Tim Weitzel & Wendy Robertson <timwendy at avalon.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Pictish Stone [SCA]

>What was the Pictish "Inverurie Stone", where was it found, what period was
>it dated to...blah blah blah...<grin>
>
>Basically, what can anyone tell me about this stone in 100 words or less?
>
>Gwen

Inverurie is a town in North East Scotland (not too far from Aberdeen). I
would guess the stone was found there. The Ordnance Survey map of Ancient
Britain states for Inverurie "Pictish symbol stones in churchyard.
Brandsbutt, a symbol stone with Ogham inscription." When I was in Inverurie
(Sept. 1986) I saw one stone with an Ogham inscription on it (8th c). It
had been broken up earlier to be used for building other items. It had
since been reassembled and was now in the midst of a modern housing
development. It is decorated with a crescent and V rod and a snake and Z
rod. If you are interested in this stone and can receive attachments, I can
send you a picture of it to you.

Ailene ingen Aedain
Shire of Shadowdale, Calontir


Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 07:23:13 -0600
From: Robar <mortis at ctwok.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Help needed with Scottish Marriage Customs

Greetings Mikhail,

There is a book called "City, Marriage, Tournament: Arts of Rule in Late
Medieval Scotland" by Louise Olga Fradenburg 1995 isbn 0299129543. I'm
not sure how well it will help your daughter in her research since I
haven't been able to get hold of it yet. It's on my list of books to
get.

Moira nic Kissock


Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 12:07:56 +0000
From: "William T. Fleming" <gorp at erols.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Help needed with Scottish Marriage Customs

> My daughter (who currently lacks access to the net) is doing research on
> Scottish marriage laws and customs.  She's focusing on the similarities and
> differences between Roman Catholic and Protestant practices in the late
> medieval and renaissance periods.  Any help or pointers to available
> materials would be appreciated.
>
> Mikhail

I recomend glancing at Scottish Lore and Folklore by Ronald MacDonald
Douglas.  Scotland still recognizes ancient "irregular" forms of
marriage which other nations outlawed after the Council of Trent.  For
irregular marriage, no clergy is neccesary all one needs to do is to
declare mariage in front of two witnesses, promise marriage before
intercourse, or live with someone as man and wife and gaining the repute
of marriage.

--Ruaidhri


Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 12:12:23 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Help needed with Scottish Marriage Customs

Luznicky wrote:
> My daughter (who currently lacks access to the net) is doing research on
> Scottish marriage laws and customs.  She's focusing on the similarities and
> differences between Roman Catholic and Protestant practices in the late
> medieval and renaissance periods.  Any help or pointers to available
> materials would be appreciated.
>
> Thank you
>
> Mikhail

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/social/sh7.html Scottish Weddings
http://www.scot.demon.co.uk/scotfaq.html
http://www.spu.edu/~kst/bib/bib.html
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/5160/weddings.html
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/idxweddings.html
http://metalab.unc.edu/gaelic/
http://www.dalriada.co.uk/site.htm  search under weddings (3)
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed-new?id=DunMari&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/mideng-parsed
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/medieval_scotland.html
http://search.miningco.com/scripts/query70.asp?terms=Weddings&Action=+go+&TopNode=3783&Site=Scottish+Culture&Trail=2544%2B2725%2B2745&SUName=scottishculture&COB=home
http://reenactment.miningco.com/msub29.htm?terms=Weddings&COB=home
http://www.spu.edu/~kst/bib/mrwed.html
http://www.spu.edu/~kst/bib/faqintro.html
http://www.spu.edu/~kst/bib/faq1.html

Magnus


Subject: Re: BG - Rapier Melees
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 99 06:47:01 MST
From: ldcharls at swbell.net
To: bryn-gwlad at Ansteorra.ORG

David & Sheryl Marsh wrote:
>  What were the weapons of the
> Wardens of the Border ( English-Scotish border)? Did they may have had
> skimishs with rapiers? I hope so but I fear it is wishful thinking.

According to the book "The Steel Bonnets" which deals with the Border
Rievers, the favorite weapons in the Marches were basket-hilted
broadsword, lance, pistol, and sometimes musket or blunderbuss.
  Sorry, no rapiers.

Charles


Subject: Re: BG - Rapier Melees
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 99 21:21:10 MST
From: keandbc at ix.netcom.com (Keith Ewing)
To: bryn-gwlad at Ansteorra.ORG

>David & Sheryl Marsh wrote:
>>
>>  What were the weapons of the
>> Wardens of the Border ( English-Scotish border)? Did they may have
>> had skimishs with rapiers? I hope so but I fear it is wishful 
> thinking.
>
> According to the book "The Steel Bonnets" which deals with the Border
>Rievers, the favorite weapons in the Marches were basket-hilted
>broadsword, lance, pistol, and sometimes musket or blunderbuss.
>  Sorry, no rapiers.
>
>Charles

An excellent book. I remember it as small crossbows more often than
pistols. Hard to keep powder dry on horseback in Southern
Scotland/Northern England.

Kein


Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 10:17:47 +0100
From: "Melanie Wilson" <MelanieWilson at bigfoot.com>
To: "LIST Sca-arts" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Fw: Ancient Stones of Scotland website

Might be of interest to Scots personas out there !

>Dear friends,
>The "Ancient Stones of Scotland" website - the result of more than 
>two years' work in collaboration with SCRAN (Scottish Cultural 
>Resources Access Network) - is finally available online:
>
>http://www.stonepages.com/ancient_scotland/
>
>It is a comprehensive guide to the ancient stone monuments of 
>Scotland, ranging from the earliest stone circles and rock carvings 
>to the Iron Age brochs and souterrains. On these pages you can find 
>the photographs (high and low-resolution) of 182 ancient sites, along 
>with descriptions, maps, 50 panoramic movies, a complete glossary and 
>an extensive bibliography.
>
>As always, we welcome comments, suggestions and criticisms
>
>Paola Arosio & Diego Meozzi
>Stone Pages
>http://www.stonepages.com
>
>P.S.
>If you have time, visit our message board 
><http://www.stonepages.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro> too!


Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 08:38:59 -0500
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler at chesapeake.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Holidays

Gwendolen Lambert wrote:
> I have been offered an invitation to spend the Christmas holidays in
> Scotland, which I've accepted (since it's a gift from a friend).  We are
> also planning to travel to England to visit my family, as well as Paris and,
> possibly, Amsterdam.  I was wondering if anyone can make recommendations as
> to what books I could look for with respect to period cooking that are
> difficult to obtain here in the U.S.
>
> Although I lived in the UK twenty-something years ago, I don't remember
> what's there or how it has changed.  Any recommendations as to shops or
> historical sites that are a "must see" would also be appreciated.
>
> Gwendolen

It's been a very long time since I've been there, but remember a wonderful wool outlet shop in St. Andrews...not to mention that St. Andrews is a lovely town.  I got some wonderful buys there, including fabric for a cloak that I'm still using...for over 15 years!  It was so tightly woven, almost to the point of being felted, that I didn't need to put a warm lining in it...and it's water-resistant!  I think I paid about $4.50/yard
for it!

Kiri


Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 20:39:32 -0400
From: johnna holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Scottish food

Johnnae llyn lewis sends greetings:

I have gone back through my files and located
an article on medieval Scotland that those
interested in such things might want to look up.
It's by Peter Yeoman, who is Fife's Regional
Archaeologist. He is the author of Medieval Scotland.
The two introductory paragraphes are below:

Dispelling medieval Scotland's gloom
The modern Scots have tended to look back on
their medieval centuries as a time of unmitigated
misery. It is certainly true that periods of
intermittent warfare, pestilence and famine,
coupled with a climate which was even worse than
today, would not seem like a recipe for a Golden Age.
And yet for Scotland the Middle Ages were in fact a
period of growth; growth in towns, in trade, and in
standards of living.

Scotland embraced urbanism from a standing start in
the early 12th century, through the granting of `burgh'
status by David I and his successors to numerous
settlements such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, Stirling,
Berwick, Perth, and St Andrews; and archaeology has
shown that the creation of burghs was rapid and successful.
Urbanism acted as a spur to the spread of innovation and
the creation of a mercantile trading economy, which in
turn stimulated an increase in agricultural production
and fundamentally altered the subsistence way of life
that had formerly prevailed throughout much of the country.

Find the rest of the article at:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba11/BA11FEAT.HTML

This was found at Council for British Archaeology
Internet Information Service
** the gateway to British archaeology online **
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/index.html

It's a neat website for a number of reasons.

Johnna Holloway


From: StCurrie at ix.netcom.com (Steven Currie)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Books & New Scottish History Magazine
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 04:57:46 GMT

There is a new magazine "History Scotland" that has just come out.  I
purchased the premiere issue.  You can go to 
www.historyscotland.com   to check it out.

Subcribtion is $40/year for 6 issues.

The magazine reviewed three period books:

1.  "An Antidote to the English:  The Auld Alliance" by Norman
Macdougall -   Describes the long time alliance between Scotland &
France between 1295 and the first decade of the1600's (when James VI
became king of England)

From the review: "The book deals with the military and diplomatic
aspects of an alliance that spanned nearly three centuries. It
concentrates on the interraltionship between Scotland and France, and
the role that England played in strengthening or weakening it, whether
consciously or not, at various times."  Dr. Cathart, of the University
of Aberdeen, the reviewer, says it is short on the economic factors of
the Alliance.

The reviewer reports that there is an absence of footnotes or
bibliography, but there are suggestions for further reading.  

Overall, I would say Dr. Cathart's review is a positive one.

2.  "Medieval Scotland" by A.D.M. Burrell  - Heavily covers the period
1300 and later.  The book is a synthesis, and does not have much
original research.  The medieval Church is covered well according to
the reviewer.  

3.  "The Black Death and the History of the Plagues 1345-1730" by
William Naphy and Andrew Spicer - From the reviewer: "This was one of
the  most enjoyable history books that I had read in a long time.  It
was that rare commodity that eludes most historians - a good read! It
was difficult to put down because you wanted to find out what happened
next, even though you already knew."

These should be available at Amazon UK (these were published in Great
Britain.)

Etienne of Burgundy
Barony of Calafia
Kingdom of Caid


Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 05:40:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: mark zawadzki <zawadzki at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Things to bring from/taste test in Scotland (was Wales)
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Just went to Scotland in August. Do have a dinner in a
real pub. Haggis, black pudding, fresh bannocks, steak
pie.


Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 15:02:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] RESOURCE
To: <herbalist at ansteorra.org>, <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>,

sorry for duplication but hey look wow:

On oxbow books:

Plants and People in Ancient Scotland
by Camilla Dickson and James Dickson

An authoritative and interesting study of the exploitation of different
plant species by the people of Scotland, from the earliest Mesolithic
people, through to the medieval period. Camilla and James Dickson look at
both wild and cultivated plants and their wide-ranging uses not only as
food, but also as fuel, in construction, dyeing, in medicine and for
producing alcohol. From the Yellow Iris found at Skara Brae to the hidden
delights of the sewage-filled ditch at Bearsden Fort, this is an important
archaeobotanical study written for the general reader as much as the
specialist. Includes a large section on noteworthy plants which is packed
full of information and is a great source of reference. 320p, 171 b/w
illus (Tempus 2000)
ISBN 0752419056. Paperback. Publishers price US $39.99, DBBC Price US
$16.98

-- Pani Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika   jenne at fiedlerfamily.net


Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 18:20:45 -0400
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Food In England OOP
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Come to think of it...one of the best meals I had was at Scone
Palace...the restaurant is in the old kitchen...and I had salmon that
had been caught in the river that runs by the property. GREAT stuff!

Kiri

PS: If the woolen mills are still in St. Andrews, be sure to visit them.
I'm still wearing the cloak I made from the wool I purchased there for a
song a very long time ago...about 18 years ago!


From: tmcd at panix.com
Date: January 12, 2005 3:34:38 PM CST
To: Barony of Bryn Gwlad <bryn-gwlad at ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Bryn-gwlad] Braveheart (hochkhkhk PTUI)

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 Brian_Martin at dell.com wrote:
> [tmcd at panix.com, Daniel de Lincoln]
>> On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 kmarsh at cox-internet.com <bryn-gwlad at ansteorra.org>
>> wrote:
>>> Re: "Bravesmith"...good one.
>>
>> The word "good" doesn't belong anywhere near an allusion to
>> _Braveheart_ (hochkhkhk PTUI).
>
> And I thought that I was the only one who felt that way about
> Braveheart. Freeeedooooomm!!! Give me a break.

To address the second point: I suspect that "freedom" was a potent
word in the Middle Ages, even if they weren't nationalistic in the
same way as today.

But as for loathing _Braveheart_ (hochkhkhk PTUI): there's a reason
why soc.history.medieval calls it TFWNSNBU, or "That Film Whose Name
Shall Not Be Uttered".  Sharon Krossa discusses / disses it briefly at
<http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotbiblio/braveheart.shtml>.

     Basically, as an historian, my opinion of Braveheart is that it is
     a work of fantasy, not history. Any resemblance to actual persons
     or events, in other words to real history, appear to be purely
     accidental. My best advice, for anyone interested in the real
     story of William Wallace, Robert Bruce, and the Scottish Wars of
     Independence, is not to believe anything, whether major or minor,
     depicted in the film, but instead read some reliable history books
     about the period. Enjoy the film as a fantasy film, by all means
     -- just as one enjoys Star Wars or any other work of the
     imagination -- simply do not mistake it for history. The events
     aren't accurate, the dates aren't accurate, the characters aren't
     accurate, the names aren't accurate, the clothes aren't accurate
     -- in short, just about nothing is accurate.

     Admittedly, the film does have a few elements that coincide with
     real history. However, there isn't one of these elements that I
     feel I can mention without having to explain all of the many
     associated elements leading up to and/or inextricably intertwined
     with it that do not coincide with real history. And once started
     explaining the inaccuracies, there is no stopping -- they are so
     very numerous. (See Braveheart Errors: An Illustration of Scale.)
     And, of course, unless one already knows the details of the true
     history of William Wallace and the Wars of Independence, there is
     no way from just watching the film one can determine which aspects
     of which elements are those few that coincide with real
     history. It is far safer, and far more efficient, to just ignore
     the whole film, as regards history, and read a good Scottish
     history book instead.

She then goes on to link to some bibliographies.

<http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotbiblio/bravehearterrors.shtml> is
four pages (on my screen) of explanations with

     So, in the [first] two and a half minutes (of which a full 50
     seconds is nothing but movie title graphics and a further 45
     seconds is nothing but aerial scenery), the film manages to cram
     in the following errors:

and lists 18 errors, some major.  "The sons of knights did not dress
in rags."  "Edward I was a Christian."  "There is no reason at all to
think that late 13th century Scottish men had 'mullet' haircuts from
the 1980's. There is no reason at all to think they braided their
hair. There is no reason at all to think they tied bits of fur or
feathers in their hair. Further, there is no reason at all to think
they hadn't ever encountered a comb..."

_Braveheart_ (hochkhkhk PTUI) is just another hatchet job by Mel
Gibson, who has a massive hate-on against the English and is willing
to lie through a nine-inch plank to blacken them.  If you're going to
be bigoted and hate the English, at least hate them for things that
they actually did.

Daniel de Lincolia


From: Authentic_SCA at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: 15th century Lowland or Gaelic Scottish Resources for Garb
Posted by: "Sharon L. Krossa" skrossa-yg at medievalScotland.org   slkrossa
Date: Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:09 pm (PDT)

At 3:54 PM +0000 9/14/08, Elisabeth Hänsler wrote:
>I am trying to help a friend out that is newish to the SCA and needs
>help researching. I am looking for resources on 15th century Scottish
>garb. Her husband wants to do the kilt thing, so I would guess (I need
>to research it) it means they are Lowland or Gaelic.

For clothing, and other aspects of period 
Scotland, you may find my Medieval Scotland web 
site useful:
http://MedievalScotland.org

Regards,
Africa, mka Sharon
-- 
Sharon Krossa, PhD - skrossa-yg at MedievalScotland.org
Resources for Scottish history, names, clothing, language & more:
Medieval Scotland - http://MedievalScotland.org/


Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:50:29 -0600
From: "Daniel & Elizabeth Phelps" <dephelps at embarqmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] scottish recipes
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

This tangental to the main question but if you want to get an idea of the 
late period political/social/economic interplay between Scotland and England 
along their common border take a look at George McDonald Frasier's book 
"Steel Bonnets".   Wild west with claymores... lots of cattle, horse and 
sheep thieving plus burglary, arson, kidnapping, extortion and murder. 
Favorite form of murder was to drown the victim as it was considered 
polite to leave a tidy, i.e. unmarked, corpus.  Got to be some food 
references in the primary sources as there was quite a bit of "social" 
interplay on trucial days.

Daniel 


From: Alexandria Doyle <garbaholic at gmail.com>
Date: June 6, 2010 9:33:25 PM CDT
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Ansteorra] Period sources of Ireland, Scotland and England

There are some interesting period sources, electronically entered that
include "Annals of Scotland" "Descriptions of Ireland" and "The
Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the
English Nation" that I thought some might like to check out.

There are also some classic sources on other pages of this site as well.
<https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Renaissance>

alex


From: Anne <orionsdaughter at gmail.com>
Date: January 12, 2011 4:22:57 PM CST
To: the-triskele-tavern at googlegroups.com
Subject: {TheTriskeleTavern} Scottish database

and on a different note.....  
http://www.medievalists.net/2010/12/27/medieval-scotland-database-launched/


Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:26:25 -0400
From: "Garth G. Groff" <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] BBC: First Scottish census

Noble friends,

BBC offers an interesting look at Scotland's first census: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/first_census_scotland.shtml . The 
Senchus for nAlban was apparently first written in the 7th century and 
concerns only the kingdom of Dal Riata in Western Scotland. No questions 
about the number of bathrooms here, but rather a sort of muster list for 
the king's army/navy.

And speaking of Dal Riata, the Scottish re-enactment group Swords of Dal 
Riata does this period (as well as other times). Check their web site 
at: http://swordsofdalriada.com/index.html .

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot


Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:33:24 -0400
From: "Garth G. Groff" <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Declaration of Arbroath

Finally I get to write about a Scottish anniversary! Today is the 691st 
anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. This document, a letter 
to Pope John XXII, was sealed by various Scottish nobles on 6 April 1320 
(actually, it was probably sealed by most after that date). It affirmed 
Scottish independence from England and self-sovereignty. The text 
contains the stirring passage (in modern translation) " ...for, as long 
as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be 
brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, 
nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom ? for that alone, 
which no honest man gives up but with life itself." You can read about 
the Declaration of Arbroath at: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Arbroath .

Today is also Tartan Day throughout Scotland, the US, Canada, and 
Argentina.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan_day . I remembered to 
put up my Saltire flag this morning, but never even considered wearing 
one of my kilts to work. (Sigh!) Next year for sure!

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot


Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 07:39:44 -0400
From: "Garth G. Groff" <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] BBC: Restored Stirling Palace

Today BBC is featuring a slide show tour of the restored Stirling Royal 
Palace: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-13527714 . 

The recreation is stunning! Scotland was not all hovels and drafty 
castles. Its later rulers hosted a vibrant Renaissance court where arts 
and learning were greatly encouraged. The views of the Hunt for the 
Unicorn tapestry, which apparently features contemporary costumes, and 
the clothes of the reenactor/tour guide are definitely worth seeing.

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot
(aka Garth Groff, whose real Napier ancestors sometimes served in this 
court)


Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:20:10 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Digitized Scottish Book

My favorite kilt store, Celtic Croft, posted a link on their news page 
to a digitized book called THE BOOK OF THE CLUB OF TRUE HIGHLANDERS 
complied by Charles Niven McIntyre in 1881: 
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/club/index.htm . Much of it 
seems to be out of period, or typical Victorian romantic drivel. Quite a 
bit is Irish or Britanic, and has nothing to do with Scotland (including 
a horny helmet; yes, it says this was actually found in the Thames, so 
somebody must have actually worn these things). However, there are some 
gems among these pages which might be useful to anyone interested in a 
Scottish or Irish persona. Among the images of possible interest are 
weaponry, household items, brooches, harps and other musical 
instruments, and some sheet music. Reading the text might take a while, 
but you can view the 100 or so pages of each volume via thumnails, and 
thus select whatever pages which might seem of interest.

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot


Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:58:22 -0500
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Stirling Heads in Full Colour

At last! All 37 of the reproduction Stirling Heads are available as full 
colour images on line. These heads are bas relief carvings in oak, 
brilliantly painted. Many depict Scottish courtiers from the early 16th 
century, with some mythological figures and Roman emperors (one seems to 
be in Scottish dress) thrown in.  These are a great source for clothing 
of the Scottish court.

http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/home/experience/palaceproject/stirlingheadszoom.htm

The original heads were bosses which decorated the palace ceilings. How 
many of the heads originally adorned the palace is not known. The 
survivors were badly cracked, and their paint had mostly flaked away. 
Now all have been duplicated, including two lost to a fire and known 
only from drawings.

Other sections of the Stirling Castle web site are sure to be 
inspirational to Scadians, including the section on court life which 
features photographs and video clips of the costumed re-enactors who 
portray various historical figures: 
http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/home/experience/courtlife.htm

This web site is a wonderful resource you could spend hours exploring. 
Have fun.

Lord Mungo Napier, Whose Real Napier Ancestors Were Courtiers To 
Scottish Royalty


Date: Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:23 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Scottish Independence

On this day in 1328, the English Parliament ratified the Treaty of 
Edinburgh-Northampton, recognizing Scottish independence and ending 32 
years of war. King Robert the Bruce signed for the Scots. Envoys acting 
under the English Regent and dowager Queen Isabella signed for England. 
Alas, this was short-lived. The English monarch, Edward III, was a 
underaged king, but when he came into his full power Edward abrogated 
the treaty and resumed war against the Scots in 1333. Scotland's full 
independence had to be won again, and was finally recognized in 1357.

You can read a short Wikipedia article about the treaty at: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Edinburgh-Northampton and about 
the First Scottish War of Independence at: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_War_of_Scottish_Independence .

On a more sour note, 1 May is also the day in 1707 when the Scottish 
Parliament voted for the "Union of the Flags" with England, and thus 
gave up their hard-won independence. Since 1603, Scotland and England 
had shared monarchs, but the two countries were separate states, and 
often at odds with each other. In particular, Scotland was frozen out of 
trade with England and her colonies, and many wealthy Scottish merchants 
pushed for the otherwise very unpopular union. England pushed for the 
union in fear that Scotland would invite the Stewarts back when the 
childless Queen Anne died.

Sorry to bring this up, since it is out of our period, but the dates are 
an interesting historical oddity. If you're curious, here a Wikipedia 
article about that too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707 .

And now it starts all over again as Scotland prepares for an 
independence referendum in 2014.

Lord Mungo Napier, Both Proud and Ashamed Today


Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2012 07:19:49 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: isenfir at virginia.edu, atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [MR] The Auld Alliance

Noble Friends, Especially Scots,

This day in 1295 was the beginning of "The Auld Alliance", a military 
relationship between Scotland and France, that was to bring few 
benefits, and many hardships, to the Scots.

The Auld Alliance began with a treaty between the Scottish king John 
Balliol and Philip IV of France against Edward I of England. Edward had 
placed Balliol on the Scottish throne, and considered him a vassal. For 
this treason, Balliol was stripped of his heraldic arms by Edward and 
sent into house arrest in English-held France. Edward began his conquest 
of Scotland, opposed by Sir William Wallace and later by self-proclaimed 
King of the Scots Robert the Bruce.

The Alliance continued to be invoked by Scotland or France, often at the 
request of the French as a diversionary tactic during the Hundred Years 
War. The result was usually a crushing defeat for the Scots at the hands 
of the English. After the massacre of its best army at Agincourt in 
1415, the French relied on a hired Scottish army fighting for them in 
France itself until they could slowly rebuild their forces. Only 
occasionally did the French send help to Scotland. Some French troops 
were provided James IV in 1513 when he invaded England, again at the 
request of the French who were fighting against Henry VIII. James, the 
best of the Stuarts, was killed in battle at Flodden along with all the 
French (mostly massacred by the angry Scots).

Within Scotland itself, the Alliance was divisive, and frequently 
resulted in "assured Scots" (Scots in the pay of the English) rising 
against the pro-French factions.

Even after the Union of the Flags in 1707, when Scotland was officially 
joined to England to form Great Britain, France continued to meddle in 
Scottish affairs. The Jacobite risings were partially bankrolled by 
France, and even some troops were sent to assist Bonnie Prince Charlie's 
army in 1745/46.

You can read more about The Auld Alliance at: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Alliance .

Lord Mungo Napier, Who Thinks the Alliance Was a Crock for the Scots


Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:34:35 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Stirling Castle siege

Today was a black day in Scottish history. On 20 July 1304 Stirling 
Castle surrendered, the last stronghold of resistance to King Edward I's 
conquest. For four months Edward's siege engines threw murderous weapons 
into the castle. Finally he had a giant engine built, The War Wolf. When 
the Scots offered to surrender, Edward stubbornly used the monster 
anyway so he could show it off to his queen and her ladies. With the 
castle walls breached, the Scots again offered to surrender, and were 
taken prisoner by the English.

I am very proud to say the 30 Scots survivors included at least one of 
my real-life ancestors, John de Napier of Kilmahew. He was fined three 
years rent from his estates and eventually released by Edward.

Edward soon had more trouble when Robert the Bruce had himself crowned 
King of the Scots and raised the flag of rebellion again in late 1305. 
The Bruce eventually chased the English out of Scotland and secured the 
country's independence.

Here's a brief Wikipedia page on the siege: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Stirling_Castle . There's more 
about Stirling Castle at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Castle . 
The official castle web site, including some great video clips, is at: 
http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/ .

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot


Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:34:10 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Lost Medieval Scottish  Gardens Revealed

Noble Friends, and Especially Fellow Scots,

This BBC article discusses a pending book on lost Scottish gardens: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-19434712 . 
Included are gardens "reconstructed" from spy maps Henry VIII had drawn 
during the "Rough Wooing", an invasion designed to force the Scots to 
marry off the infant Mary (as in "Queen of Scots") to his son Edward. 
This new book, SCOTLAND'S LOST GARDENS, looks like a very interesting 
look at history. Sadly, the book is not on OCLC yet.

Although it isn't period, the story about the bottom of the page "What 
Britain Used to Look Like from the Air" is a fascinating serious of 
historical aerial photos from England, presented as a slide show with 
commentary. It is really delightful.

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot


Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:04:36 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: [MR] Wikipedia: The Auld Alliance, Scotland & France

This day in 1295, the Scots signed a major treaty with the French 
without consent of their King John Balloil. Called the Auld Alliance, 
the treaty called for mutual defense should the English attack either 
Scotland or France. This got the very weak Balloil in a lot of trouble 
with the English King Edward I, who had put Balloil on the Scottish 
throne and considered him to be a vassal (he was also Edward's 
brother-in-law). Edward immediately invaded Scotland, kicking off the 
Scottish Wars of Independence. In 1296 Balloil abdicated, was publicly 
stripped of his regalia by Edward, and eventually exiled to his estates 
in France.

The Auld Alliance continued to be a torn in the sides of all three 
countries. The Scots frequently raided into England in support of the 
French, usually dying in large numbers before superior English armies. 
During the Hundred Years War, the Scots sent many troops to the French 
after their main battle army was destroyed at Agincourt in 1415. Few 
returned alive. Scottish King James IV invaded England again at the 
behest of the French in 1513, and he and Scotland's best knights were 
wiped out  at the Battle of Flodden.

The French occasionally sent small groups of soldiers to Scotland. The 
French often took whatever they wanted from the impoverished Scots, and 
were soundly hated. At Flodden, the angry Scottish survivors massacred 
their French advisors.

Here is a brief piece on the Auld Alliance: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Alliance

You can read about John Balliol here: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Balliol .

Lord Mungo Napier, Who Has Nothing Against the French


Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:51:13 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, isenfir at virginia.edu
Subject: Re: [MR] Wikipedia: The Auld Alliance, Scotland & France

Oops! Balliol was not Edward's brother-in-law. That was John Comyn. 
Balliol, however, was also a brother-in-law of Comyn.

Lord Mungo


Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 11:24:27 +0000
From: "Groff, Garth (ggg9y)" <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: "atlantia at atlantia.sca.org" <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>,
	"isenfir at atlantia.scalists.org" <isenfir at atlantia.scalists.org>
Subject: [MR] Striling Castle

On 20 July 1304 Stirling Castle surrendered, the last major Scottish stronghold held against Edward I of England. At that point there were but 37 starved men left (some sources say 50 or 30) of the original 200: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieges_of_Stirling_Castle .  Edward ordered most of the garrison back into the castle so he could test out Warwolf, his giant trebuchet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwolf . After pounding the castle for several more days, he took the garrison captive and packed them off to prison.

I am proud to say that John le Nae Peer (probably Sir John Napier), one of my direct ancestors, was among the surviving defenders of Stirling. He was imprisoned in Carlisle by Edward, and only freed when he has forfeited three years income of his lands.

Lord Mungo Napier, The Archer of Mallard Lodge


Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 14:31:44 +0000
From: "Groff, Garth (ggg9y)" <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: "Merry Rose (atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org)"
	<atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>, "Shire of Isenfir
	(isenfir at atlantia.scalists.org)" <isenfir at atlantia.scalists.org>
Subject: [MR] BBC: The Stuarts of Scotland

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots.

BBC Scotland is currently airing a series on the history of the House of Stuart, the family which ruled Scotland for over 300 years, and also ruled England concurrently for over 100, providing a total of 15 kings and queens. Sadly, the program is not available here in the U.S., but the Beeb did give us a nice summary story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/25870789 .

And were the Stuarts a success? In Scotland, at least, they were terrible, but maybe no more so than most of the other Scottish monarchs. They frequently knocked off their rivals (and sometimes friends they felt were a threat), were caught in factional internal wars, and generally bungled the frequent wars with England. Two of them were murdered by their own people. However, the Stuarts were arguably dealt a poor hand. Scotland was a poor country with few exports or resources, frequently bullied by their neighbor to the south, plagued by powerful earls who constantly scrapped with each other or the crown, and the early deaths of several Stuart kings left Scotland in the hands of rapacious regents who ruled until the rightful child sovereign grew up (sometimes having the regent executed). And then there was that pesky treaty with France, The Auld Alliance (which predated the Stuarts). This mutual defense pact repeatedly drew the Scots into the almost unceasing wars between Fra
nce and England, with the Scots almost always being the biggest losers.

Arguably, the best of the Stuarts was James IV, who kept a somewhat uneasy truce with Henry VII and Henry VIII, even marrying princess Margaret Tudor (the key to the Stuarts later inheriting the English throne). Under James, Scotland flowered intellectually, became a center of renaissance culture, the earls were largely tamed, a fine navy was built, and Scotland became a respected (if secondary) European power. Sadly, that Auld Alliance once more drew the Scots into conflict, and in 1513 James and most of the Scottish nobles died tragically at the Battle of Flodden. James was a far better king than he was a general.

The James are shown in order at the head of the story. James I is on the left. My favorite, James IV is near the middle (with the soft bonnet), and James VI & I (of England) is at far right. James I and James III were killed by the Scots themselves. James II (James of the Firey Face, due to a large birthmark) was blown up by one of his own guns. James V was probably dying of natural causes, but turned to wall and with his last breath lamented the birth of this only child, a daughter (Mary Queen of Scots). James VI & I hated Scotland, and couldn't wait to get his butt on the English throne.

There's more on the Stuart line at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Stuart for those who might be curious.

By the way, the Stuarts are still around. Duke Francis of Bavaria is the current senior member. He has no comment on Scottish independence.

Lord Mungo Napier (whose real ancestors were frequently in the Stuarts' service)


Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 05:32:20 -0400
From: Garth Groff via Atlantia <atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>
To: Merry Rose <atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>
Subject: [MR] Scotland's Independence Vote

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

It can hardly have escaped anybody's attention that Scotland is moving 
toward a vote on whether to became independent of Great Britain. In the 
last month, a comfortable lead by the "No" camp has evaporated, and on 
the eve of the election, polls show the two sides running neck and neck. 
The actual vote will take place tomorrow, with the results possibly 
known by Friday. Many people have already voted by mail.

Why is this important to us as re-enactors? This is history. Period. And 
it is the results of past history. The uneasy relationship between 
Scotland and England goes way back into the dark ages, but it burst into 
flames in the 1290s when Edward I was asked to decide the contested 
succession of Scotland. Edward had already conquered Wales, and was 
planning to take Scotland as well. The opportunity to put a puppet king 
on the Scottish throne, John Balliol, was almost a gift. It was a gift 
with thorns like the Scottish thistle, and ignited years of open warfare 
between the two countries.

Scotland remained an independent country with a separate parliament 
after 1603 when James VI of Scotland was crowned as James I of England. 
Despite sharing a king, they two countries remained at loggerheads on 
many issues. The Catholic James II (and VII of Scotland) was chased into 
exile in 1688, and both countries were ruled the the last two female 
(and Protestant) Queens. In 1707, Queen Anne was clearly dying, and 
after 17 pregnancies, she had not produced an heir that survived to 
adulthood. There was great fear in England that the Scottish parliament 
would invite the Catholic Stuart pretender James VIII back from France. 
England opened negotiations for a full union of the two countries.

Sadly for the Scots, the country and many of their leaders in parliament 
were bankrupt after the Darien Affair, and attempt to set up a colony in 
what is now Panama (without Spanish permission). England again saw an 
opportunity, and bagmen bearing lots of money bought the votes of the 
key cash-strapped Scottish lords, and they sold out their independence 
for personal gain. The vote was very unpopular in Scotland, and led to 
three major uprisings in support of the Stuarts, all crushed by English 
(and some Scottish) troops.

The point of all this is that the independence vote is a result of 
actions that began many, many years ago and have continued to play 
themselves out through history. Yes, there are other causes here too, 
but many Scots still smart from the old injuries. History isn't 
something that was over in the past. It goes on and on, and actions 
today that will be "history" next year will continue to play themselves 
out for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot


Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 09:03:03 -0400
From: Grazia Morgano via Atlantia <atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>
To: Garth Groff <sarahsan at embarqmail.com>,	Garth Groff via Atlantia
	<atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>,	Merry Rose
	<atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>
Subject: Re: [MR] Scotland's Independence Vote

I think a fun thing to note about the Scottish parliament selling out their country is that when they gathered to sign the treaty, they were chased off by an angry mob. Everywhere they tried to gather, the mob followed. Finally, they each feigned being tired and going home. The mob did not post guards. Each slipped out again and went to sign the treaty then run for London. They weren't waiting to see the mob in the morning.

(Citation: "How the Scots invented the modern world" pg 53)

Grazia Morgano

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Edited by Mark S. Harris	Scotland-msg	Page 35 of 35