The End of the Silence

If you've been wondering what happened to us over the past couple of weeks, rest assured, we're all doing just fine, we just went off on another excursion this past week. I had meant to post prior to our departure, but things were a bit too hectic, so it never happened.

I'll start with my brief history notes, as usual. Scotland was first populated by tribes and when the Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD, they started in the south with London and worked their way up to Scotland. There they found the wild tribes of the Picts, and decided after several years of fighting to cut their losses by building Hadrian's Wall, cutting off the northern tribes from the conquered Brittania. That was 122 AD. Some years later, the Romans gave it another try, making it slightly further north (just north of Edinburgh) and built another wall - the Antonine Wall. As Roman power seceded, Scotland was left largely as it was before - a bunch of largely unorganised tribes. However, eventually the tribes largely united under a single leader, faced by Viking onslaughts. The Scots maintained their own royal lines for a few hundred years.

The unrest between the English and the Scots came to a head in 1286 - when King Alexander III died, he left no clear heir to the Scottish throne, and the Scots asked the English King Edward I to select the next king. Edward (also known as the Hammer of the Scots), picked the person which he thought he could most easily manipulate. When the Scots rose up against Edward, he led a devastating invasion into Scotland. Enter William Wallace, a man that may be known to you from the film Braveheart, and of course, afterwards, Robert the Bruce, who ultimately defeated the English at Bannockburn, near Stirling, in 1314. Although the wars with England would continue for another 300 years or so, Scotland was free, and it should be noted that the Antonine Wall effectively marks the furthest point that anyone has ever invaded the country.

The royal lineage continued down to Mary, Queen of Scots, one of the more notable personages in history, who gave birth to James VI, and ultimately was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her son. James VI had claims on the English throne as well, and when Queen Elizabeth of England died childless, James VI became James I of England, and united Scotland and England under one throne in 1603. Despite the unison, the countries maintain their separate identities to this day.

As a result of the almost constant warfare through the years, most of the sites are related to war - Edinburgh Castle was, of course, a point for controlling the surrounding countryside, and the country is spotted with similar castles and keeps - but the intervening country is exquisitely beautiful, and gives no indication of the battles fought there in years past. Scotland is known for, among other things, whisky, bagpipes, and haggis - more on all of these in posts to come, and its landscapes, and justifiably so. The Scots themselves are among the friendliest people I have ever chanced to meet, and we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay - and already hope to return.

Coming next: Entry to Edinburgh