Scottish Blog

Thurgarstone was a famous rocking stone in Dunlop, East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Beyond its large size, there is nothing out of the ordinary in the appearance of Thurgarstone. At first it appears nothing more than a large stone set in the ground, its visible section measures twelve by eight feet in size. Although with its buried section it is estimated to weigh close to twenty five tonnes. On closer inspection the Thurgarstone is not made of local stone but blue augitic porphyrite, it is thought to have been brought here by glacial action.

Presently, the most impressive aspect of Thurgarstone can no longer be witnessed. It is said that the Thurgarstone was at one point a rocking stone. Due to its unique formation the entire twenty five thousand tonne mass of the stone could be shifted with one hand. This seemingly supernatural action led to the belief that the stone was a central point for witchcraft and other magical activity. The belief led to a number of attempts to find the fulcrum of the stone to explain its rocking. These excavations combined with weather erosion led to the stone no longer being able to rock. The superstitions surrounding the stone itself continued even after it had stopped rocking. It is said that Catholic monks were forced to crawl around the stone on their knees saying “O thou grit stane”. Local farmers would also not work the ground within vicinity of the stone, so as not to disturb the druidic graveyard which they believed lay there.

1824-1905

George MacDonald was a famous Scottish fantasy author.

George MacDonald was born on the 10th of December 1824, in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He received his education at the University of Aberdeen, after which he continued to study at the Highbury College for the Congregational Ministry, in London.

In 1850 George Macdonald was appointed as the pastor of Trinity Congregational Church in Arundel, England. George MacDonald found limited luck in this profession as he questioned some principals of the Calvinist faith that he was preaching. Specifically, he was against predestination and preached according to his belief. As such, his pay for halved by the church. In 1872, George MacDonald began preaching in the United States, where he was met with greater success. After which he returned to the United Kingdom.

While back in England and Scotland George MacDonald wrote his most famous tales, Phantastes, The Princess and the Goblin, At the Back of the North Wind, and Lilith. These were all fantasy themed and had a strong Scottish theme, in some areas incorporating even his own Doric dialect (lowland Scottish). This form of distinctively Scottish writing with a fantasy theme is said to be the beginning of the “Kailyard Tradition” of Scottish writing.

George MacDonald was an important member of the “Inklings” writer’s club, which included famous authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. His discussions and ideas at meeting of this group led to George MacDonald being named by many of the authors as an influence to their work. Chief amongst these is Lewis Carroll who was mentored by George MacDonald.

Saint Cuthbert was a Scottish bishop, who was at one point regarded as the most known saint in England.

Saint Cuthbert was born in 634 in Dunbar, Northumbria, an area roughly thirty miles east of modern Edinburgh. Legend holds that his calling to become a monk came when he was working as a Shepard as a young boy. He is said to have had a vision of the soul of Saint Aiden being carried by angels, which inspired him to become a monk in 651.

Shortly after joining the monastery, Saint Cuthbert left to become a soldier, only to return a few years later. He applied the discipline gained as a soldier to his daily life as a monk and quickly became known for his strong sense of piety and diligence.

In 664, the priory at which Saint Cuthbert served was victim to sickness, where a number of deaths occurred including the prior. This situation saw Saint Cuthbert promoted to prior. In the following years Saint Cuthbert is said to have traveled throughout South Scotland and North England helping the poor and in some instances performing miracles of healing. Eventually this began to lead to Saint Cuthbert leading a more and more reclusive life in his spare time. He constructed a small cell for himself at Dull, which later came to be the sight of the University of St. Andrews.

By 676, Saint Cuthbert was living a hermit life on the island on the Farne Islands. It was recorded that he would not come from his cell but would only open a small window through which he would give blessings. Interestingly enough, he also instituted rules to those visiting him on the island, which were meant to protect the local duck population, this is thought to be the first instance of bird protection laws.

By 684 Saint Cuthbert was convinced to leave his hermit life and become Bishop of Lindisfarne. He left this position within two years and returned to his cell, where he died in 687.

In part, the fame of St Cuthbert can be contributed to an event which passed several years after his death. Legend holds that when the casket of Saint Cuthbert was opened years after his death, it was found that his body had been perfectly preserved, a sign that is believed to indicate that an individual was indeed a living saint.

Pictish Stones are relics of the ancient Pictish inhabitants of Scotland.

There are a number of theories as to why Pictish stones were erected and what the symbols they are adorned with mean. For more information on their nature and classification, read my previous article on Pictish Stones.

There are still a number of surviving examples of Pictish Stones, although the majority no longer stand in their original location as they have been moved to museums or other locations where they can be properly restored.

There are currently over twenty five surviving Pictish Stones. A few prominent examples include:

Eassie Stone is a Pictish stone which stands at Eassie church. It is estimated that the stone was constructed in 601 A.D.

Nigg Stone is an incomplete example of a Class II Pictish Stone. It is a good example of various Pictish designs of animals, as it features both a Pictish beast and an eagle.

Rosskeen Stone is an example of a Pictish stone which stands in its original location, in East Ross. Although it has suffered some deterioration due to its location it is still classed as a Class I Pictish Stone.

The Bank of Scotland is the oldest surviving bank in the United Kingdom.

The Bank of Scotland was established on the 17th of July 1695, by a parliamentary act, specifically the “Act for erecting a Bank in Scotland”. It commenced operations in February of 1696. At the time the Bank of Scotland held a monopoly on the market of private sector banking, as it closest rival, the Bank of England, was established solely with the purpose of funding the English governments spending on national defense.
The Bank of Scotland kept its monopoly for a length of twenty one years.

In 1715, the Bank of Scotland raised large amounts of money to finance the Jacobite Uprising. In retaliation a royal charter was issued allowing the creation of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Heavy competition commenced between the two banks, which led to both an expansion in branches and services from both banks. This was only increased by the arrival of other banks. In coming years a number of these banks were merged into the Bank of Scotland. Of these some of the most prominent were the Halifax Bank of Scotland, along with the Bank of Western Australia and the Countrywide Bank of New Zealand (although this was later sold to Lloyds TSB).

Along with being one of the first banks in the United Kingdom, the Bank of Scotland was also the first to issue their own bank notes, which they continue to do to this day. Presently the Bank of Scotland is beginning to phase out their notes in favor of new designs, which are expected to be in complete circulation by 2010. The new notes feature a collection of Scottish bridges, namely Brig o;Doon, the Glenfinnian Viaduct, Forth Bridge, the Falkirk Wheel and the Kessock Bridge.

The Monymusk Reliquary is a reliquary that is said to holds some remains of Saint Columba.

Presently, the Monymusk Reliquary rests at the Museum of Scotland. Previous to this it was passed down between various owners, holders and army leaders, almost like a Scottish heirloom, although unlike a typical heirloom it was said that the Monymusk Reliquary held the power to call down saintly assistance for its holder during battles.

The Monymusk Reliquary is a small wooden box, with two hinged doors at the top which form a lid. The outside of the box is coated in a thin sheet of silver. There are also a number of cooper alloy hinges and fittings. The Monymusk Reliquary is also interesting in the fact that it is decorated in both a Celtic and Irish style. While the shape and design of the box itself are distinctively Irish, the decorations with depictions of jumping animals are a Celtic design.

The Monymusk Reliquary was constructed in the 8th century, most probably around 750 A.D. As its exact movements were not thoroughly documented it can be hard to discern the exact history and ownership of the Monymusk Reliquary. It is known though that it was passed to Arborath Abbey sometime during the reign of William I. From here it was passed to the Forglen Abbey. It is a thorough belief that the Monymusk reliquary was held by the forces of Robert the Bruce during the Battle of Bannockburn.

The Battle of Mons Graupius was a battle between Roman and Caledonian forces in 83 or 84 AD.

Up until the Battle of Mons Graupius the invading Roman forces had trouble forcing the local Caledonians to face them in open battle. Although they were in the most part outnumbered, the Romans believed that their superior organization would equal out any local benefits to numbers.

Under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola the Roman forces marched upon the recently filled granaries of the Caledonians, in order to force them into open battle. As this resulted in the Caledonians choices being narrowed down to fighting or losing their food supply for the following winter, they chose to fight.

The Battle of Mons Graupius was fought between 20,000 Roman troops and 30,000 Caledonian troops. Of the 20,000 Roman troops, it is believed that roughly 9,000 were legionnaires who did not end up being involved in the battle.

There are no records showing the exact location of the Battle of Mons Graupius, but modern estimates based of the written records have garnered some guesses. The most prominent of the guesses are Gask Ridge, Bennachie or Kempstone Hill.

One critical element in identifying the location of the Battle of Mons Graupius is the description in the records of Ganeus Julius Agricola, who claimed that from the onset of the battle the Caledonians held an advantage in their position on top of a steep hill.

Records of the Battle of Mons Graupius show that after a brief round of firing various missiles at each other the two forces charged. At this point the Caledonians were routed back to the top of the hill where they retreated. In total they suffered an estimated 10,000 losses compared to 360 for the Romans.

Saint Mungo was the founder of Glasgow and a Scottish saint.

Saint Mungo was the grandson of Lleuddun, King of Goddodin. His mother fell pregnant with him before marriage. At this, her father was so enraged that he threw her of a cliff. Having survived the ordeal, she thought refuge with Saint Serf. Upon his birth, Saint Mungo was raised by Saint Serf as his own son. Upon leaving the care of Saint Serf, Saint Mungo began his first missionary tasks. At first he set up on the River Clyde, the encampment from which he preached grew into a community. Later in his life he returned to the area and dubbed it “Clas-gu”, meaning “dear family”, this eventually grew into Glasgow.

It must be said that at this point in time Saint Mungo was not yet a saint, nor called by the name Mungo. His real name was Kentigern, with Mungo being a pet name given to him by Saint Serf (derived from “mo-chohe”, Gaelic for “dear one”).

The life of Saint Mungo was fully chronicled and archived almost six hundred years after his death by Jocelin of Furness. It is claimed that the account is based of Gaelic documents that she discovered and a number of legends that were passed down to her. Because of the nature of her evidence it is hard to believe all elements of her book as legends often tend to grow upon telling over a number of centuries. Also the document does not provide any exact dates to the birth of Saint Mungo. Although the date of his death is clearer, it is believed that he died on January 13th in either 612 or 603.

Saint Mungo is a name that is less recognized amongst the general population than other Scottish religious figures like Saint Ninian, Saint Columba or Saint Andrew. Yet for many, the achievements of Saint Mungo would be more easily recognized and appreciated then that of other saints. Saint Mungo was the founder of what has grown to be modern day Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland.

Caboc is a unique type of Scottish cheese.

Caboc is a soft, cow-milk cheese, most often it is found shaped in a log that has been rolled in toasted pinhead oats. The finished cheese is described as being pale primrose yellow in color. It texture is best described as being thicker and grainer than clotted-cream. Typically a sample of Caboc will range 67% to ^9% in its fat-value, placing it in a similar categories to Mascarpone. Because of its relative richness, Caboc was from its beginning considered to be a “rich” cheese, reserved for the wealthy. Traditionally a Caboc roll is three centimeters in diameter, seven in length and roughly one hundred grams in weight.

Caboc is the oldest cheese originating from Scotland, records of it can be dated back to the 15th century Highlands. It is said that the cheese was first created by Mariota de Ile, of the MacDonald Clan. At the age of twelve she fled Scotland for Ireland, as it seemed that the Campbell Clan was intending to kidnap her and force her into marriage. While in Ireland she learned of their cheese making method, upon her return she created her version of it. This came to be known as Caboc. Since that day, the recipe has been passed on between generations of the family, and only along the females.

There is also a legend surrounding the use of oats on the outside of Caboc. It is believed that a herder was carrying his cheese in a container where he stored oat cakes during the day. The leftover crumbs became attached to the cheese roll. From that day the popularity of this method grew until it became the standard way.

1563-1624

George Heriot was a famous Scottish jewelrymaker and goldsmith) and renowned philanthropist.

In his lifetime George Heriot came to amass a large fortune, be married twice, become the jeweler to the King of Scotland and at the end of it donate a significant portion of his money, via his will, to the building of a orphanage in Edinburgh.

Both the success and generosity of George Heriot have led to his name being immortalized on a number of sites throughout Scotland. Probably some of the best known of thee are the Heriot-Watt University and the George Heriot School, which he funded.

George Heriot was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. As the eldest child in a group of ten he was entrusted with entering the families business of goldsmithing. His skills combined with a loan from his father saw the career of George Heriot rise quickly. By 1597 he was already the jeweler to Anne of Denmark. In 1601, this position rose to that of jeweler to the King. Yet even before this, in 1599, he had amassed enough wealth to become a money lender to the royal crown.

By 1603 George Heriot was sent to London to work as the jeweler to the King of England, James I. His fortune continued to grow. In 1609 he married for the second time, only to see his wife pass away a few short years later. In 1624, George Heriot himself passed away with no legitimate children as heirs. Although he did have two sons by his first marriage, who are thought to have perished in a sea accident on route to London.

It is thought that this situation is what drove George Heriot to donate roughly half his estate into building an orphanage. The rest of it was spent on his family and donations to his two illegitimate daughters.

Arbroath Abbey was the historical signing place for the Declaration of Arbroath.

The Arbroath Abbey dates back to 1178 when it was founded by King William I. The permission to build an abbey were granted to a group of Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. Along with the rights to build the Arbroath Abbey itself, the monks were granted a number of other very lucrative assets and rights. Most impressive amongst these were the new churches right to operate separately from its mother church, the right to build a market and a harbour which would be able to trade with all English towns but London without any tolls. It also received land in each royal burgh of Scotland and income from twenty four different parishes.

Arbroath Abbey was consecrated in 1197, at this point its construction was incomplete. In fact, there is historic evidence which suggest that Arbroath Abbey was still incomplete when King William was buried there in 1214.

The exact date that the Arbroath Abbey was completed is unknown, as with many churches and buildings of the time. This is due largely to the fact that it is difficult to pin point the moment when the church is complete as the length of time it took to finish a building would be long enough for sections of it to deteriorate and have to be rebuilt.
It is known though that the Arbroath Abbey was relatively complete when it was used to discuss, write and sign the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.

Architecturally, the Arbroath Abbey is an interesting exhibit. It is built out of local red sandstone, which gives it a distinctive colour and texture. It is also relatively large, which is befitting as it was the richest church of its time. Arbroath Abbey also features high perfectly circular windows, which were light at night and used to warn mariners of the approaching land.

The National Museum of Scotland is the national museum for Scotland, it comprises of the Royal Museum and the Museum of Scotland.

The National Museum of Scotland stands on Chambers Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is comprised of two separate buildings that are internally connected, the Royal Museum and the Museum of Scotland. While both are museums they fulfill different roles.

The Royal Museum side of the National Museum of Scotland houses exhibits and artifacts from throughout the world. As with most general museums, the subjects of the Royal Museum include natural history, art, technology, geology and science. There are also a range of temporary exhibits, which vary from time to time. The current exhibit is a collection of Picasso paintings.

It could be said that the National Museum of Scotland was first opened in 1861, when its first section, the Royal Museum began construction. Although, as the National Museum of Scotland is comprised of two museums, it could be said that it did not come into existence until 1998, when the Museum of Scotland was built.

The Museum of Scotland is the second section of the National Museum of Scotland. Its exhibits are comprised of various Scottish pieces found in the Royal Museum in 1998 and the collection of the now non-existent National Museum of Antiques of Scotland. To this day the predominant theme in the Museum of Scotland side of the National Museum of Scotland is Scottish history. Some of the most notable items in the displays include the Monymusk reliquary (which were said to house the remains of Saint Columba), the Scottish flag raised over the Battle of Culloden and a collection of paintings from various Scottish artists.

Beyond these exhibits, the National Museum of Scotland is boasted by some to be an exhibit in itself. More specifically, Museum of Scotland is built out of Moray sandstone and in a design brimming with various features in reference to Scottish history.