Scotland's Glory [antikvár]

IntroductionThe name of Scotland always tends to conjure up images of a land of brooding mountain peaks, often capped with snow; vast tracts of heather-clad moorlands inhabited only by the native wildlife; storm-tossed coastlines and placid but enchanting lochs. In fact, this is the scenery which can be found in many parts of the Highlands, but Scotland is actually divided into two sections - the Highlands and the Lowlands - and it is the Lowlands that make up the largest part of the country.There is a noticeable difference between these two sections, not only in terms of the scenery, which is much less dramatic though no less beautiful in the Lowlands, but also in their ways of life. The Highlands are sparsely populated (although the North Sea oil fields may soon change this) and the ancient traditions are still upheld here. Originally the Highlands were populated by the Picts (a Celtic race) as well as the Scots, who had actually come from Ireland, bringing the Gaelic language with them. Gaelic is still spoken in some of the remoter areas.It was in the Highlands that the clan system originated. A clan was made up from members of the same family, led by a chief who had absolute control. Each clan could be identified by the colour and design of its tartan. Unfortunately, family loyalties led to frequent feuds between clans, and indeed the whole history of the Highlands was turbulent.The romantic Scottish hero Bonnie Prince Charlie (the Young Pretender) gathered the clans together in 1745 in an attempt to proclaim his father, James, the Old Pretender, king of Scotland, but this uprising ended in disaster when they were defeated by the English at the battle of Culloden. After this battle, the clan system was broken up by the Duke of Cumberland, victor of Culloden.In complete contrast to the Highlands, the Lowlands are densely populated, with many bustling towns and cities offering every possible facility that a visitor could desire. The face of the Lowlands is constantly changing, as the grim Victorian tenement buildings are pulled down and replaced by modern housing. Industry is important here, and also agriculture, for the land is much more fertile than that of the Highlands.The whole of Scotland is wrapped in an aura of romance, heightened by the fascinating andhe River Shiel, Glen Shiel, Highland Region.often heroic figures who lived here. Bonnie Prince Charlie was perhaps one of the most colourful characters to emerge from its history, but the tragic Mary Queen of Scots should not be forgotten, nor the Highland outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor who, like a Scottish Robin Hood, made many raids on the richer areas in the south and west of the country. He was often immortalised in ballads, and certainly Scotland has inspired many writers to preserve the country's old songs and legends in verse and in novels. Robert Burns was undoubtedly its greatest poet, his work concentrating mainly on Scottish themes, speech and traditions, and Sir Walter Scott its greatest novelist. Through their works, much of Scottish life in earlier times can be recaptured.3. A Highland piper with his bagpipes.