Scottish Blog

Braveheart

This is the second article in regards to the movie Braveheart and its historical inaccuracies.

The mistakes found in Braveheart range between the totally historically inaccurate and to the relatively unimportant, yet they all add up to paint a misinterpreted picture of the subject which Braveheart is based on.

While in my previous article on Braveheart, I had mentioned that Robert the Bruce and William Wallace did not meet and interact like it was portrayed in Braveheart, what was not mentioned is the fact that when they did stage their rebellions, they were fighting for opposite causes. William Wallace, the main character of Braveheart, fought for the cause of the exiled Scottish king John Balliol. Robert the Bruce on the other hand only supported his own claim to the throne. So, while the movie was accurate in the fact that both men fought against the English, it was inaccurate in portraying why they were doing it.

Another largely inaccurate aspect of Braveheart was its depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. This is largely due to two facts, the battle is not portrayed as being held on a bridge (as it was in real life) and it makes no mention of Andrew de Moray. Both these aspects were important in reality as they both played vital roles to the outcome of the battle. The bridge location was a key role in allowing the smaller number of Scots to win over the English. While Andrew de Moray is by many considered to be an even stronger aspect of that day’s victory than William Wallace, as Moray was a better tactician and had a much higher number of troops following him.

The side story of Braveheart, which features secret meetings between William Wallace and Princess Isabella, and the possibility that Princess Isabella carried his child, are all completely false. At the time of the movie Princess Isabella was only ten years old and still lived in France, making it impossible for the two to meet.

There will be one more article on this subject, which will deal with the smaller inaccuracies found in Braveheart.

Braveheart was a internationally renowned film portraying William Wallace and his fight against the English.

It can be safely said that Braveheart has been one of the most successful movies in modern history, with five Oscar wins, fifteen other prominent awards and gross revenues to date of well over $202,600,000 throughout the world.

While Braveheart was an internationally acclaimed hit, it did not have the same positive effect on Scottish historians. The film is considered to be inaccurate in many ways and completely incorrect in other regards. Some have even gone so far as to proclaim Braveheart to be a work of fantasy with only accidental ties to the history it was meant to portray.

While detailed lists can be found of how Braveheart differed to the true story of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and the Scottish Wars of Independence., but these lists are often so extensive that one would require a considerable knowledge of Scottish history to fully appreciate them.

Yet there are a number of differences between Braveheart and real life that can be appreciated by most.

Firstly, Braveheart was never used to refer to William Wallace as the movie might seem to imply. If it were to be applied to anyone, it would be best to say that Robert the Bruce would have been the recipient of the name. After his death, the heart of Robert the Bruce was carried on a pilgrimage, when the convoy was attacked, the carrier of the heart, Sir James Douglass, three the heart forward and yelled "Onward braveheart, Douglas shall follow thee or die."

Although Braveheart portrays William Wallace and Robert the Bruce as having met, argued and even fought each other, it is in fact an inaccuracy. The two figures had never actually met, and fought for two different causes.

There are further historical inaccuracies in Braveheart, I will cover these in a further article.

David Tennant is a Scottish actor, most famous for his current role as Doctor Who.

David Tennant would currently be considered one of the best known television personalities today, in fact he was recently ranked as the twenty fourth most influential person in the UK’s media, by The Guardian. And he’s a Scot.

David Tennant was born on the 18th of April, 1971, in Bathgate in West Lothian, Scotland. His birth name was David John McDonald. He grew up in Ralston in Renfrewshire, where he attended Ralston Primary and Paisley Grammar School.

At the age of thirteen David Tennant decided to become a professional actor, coincidently encouraged by his love of Doctor Who. He soon enrolled in the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He also changed his name to the current David Tennant as on the British registry of actors the name David MacDonald was already in use. Apparently, the name of Tennat came from the lead singer of the Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant.

David Tennant moved to London in the early nineties, to begin his acting career. He received a number of roles in theater and TV based dramas. In 2005 David Tennant achieved the goal which set him on his acting career, he was cast as Doctor Who. Currently he is slated to appear in three seasons of the popular show.

The Shetland Sheepdog is a breed of dog originating from Scotland.

To the majority of people, the Shetland Sheepdog would like a smaller version of the “Lassie dogs”, or Rough Collies. Although surprisingly, the Shetland Sheepdog is not a selectively bred Collie and a fully fledged breed in its own right.

It is generally accepted that the Shetland Sheepdog originates from the Shetland Island in Northern Scotland. It was first officially recognized as a breed of its own by the English Kennel Club in 1909. Yet, past these two facts there isn’t much definite information as the the history of the Shetland Sheepdog. Theories involve the breed coming to its current form long centuries of various cross breeds, this can be especially hard to trace as many of those breed were in development at the time also and do not necessarily resemble their modern counterparts. The list of possible cross breeds for the Shetland Sheepdog is long and uncertain, but some of the most likely candidates include various Scandanavian herding dogs, local terriers, early Pomeranians, Papillions and relatives of the Corgi family.

The Shetland Sheepdog is not a generally well known breed. As the nature of the breed is somewhat in the shadows of the Scottish Terrier and the world recognized “Lassie dog” which it resembles. In some regards this is unfortunate as the Shetland Sheepdog is a surprisingly good dog. In some tests, the Shetland Sheepdog has been rated as the world’s sixth smartest dog breed. This combined with their affectionate nature makes them an ideal dog for many situations.

The Skye Terrier is a dog breed originating from Scotland.

The Skye Terrier breed is a relatively old one, its Scottish origins date back to the 1600’s. Yet even with such a dated Scottish heritage, they are often overlooked when compared to the figure head of Scottish dogs, the Scottish Terrier.

As the name might suggest, the Skye Terrier originates from the Isle of Skye. Although there are varying estimates as to when and how the breed began. Common belief holds that early in the 1600’s century, a ship was wrecked near the Isle of Skye. Amongst the survivors who were washed up on the land were a number of Maltese dogs, which was only natural since the ship was Spanish in origin. These Maltese dogs bred with the local terriers and came to form what is today known as the Skye Terrier. There is evidence however, that shows that the Skye Terrier was a breed before the shipwreck. This evidence would point to the Skye Terrier being a mix of local terriers as bred by the Celts and the Swedish Vallhund as brought by Vikings.

In appearance the Skye Terrier is similar to other terriers. In particularly they can bare a strong resemblance to Scottish terriers. Skye Terriers are typically black, grey, blue or fawn. Generally they do not have patterning on the body, although a small white spot is allowed on the chest. Their coat consists of a short soft undercoat and a strong, long over coat, generally six inches in length.

Unfortunately, the Skye Terrier has not enjoyed the same popularity as the Scottish Terrier. This extends so far as to some even having fears of the breed becoming extinct. In there were only thirty recorded Skye Terrier births in the United Kingdom.

Kilchurn Castle is a now ruined 14th century castle located on a small island on Loch Awe in Scotland.

The initial stages of Kilchurn Castle were constructed by Clan Campbell in 1450. Initially it consisted of a five storey watch tower and a surrounding wall, it was commissioned by Sir Colin Campbell, the first Lord of Glenorchy. The castle continued to be occupied by Clan Campbell until late into the 16th century. While under their care, Kilchurn Castle received a number of upgrades and expansions. Amongst these was a dinning hall, a number of living chambers along with a hall on the south side of the castle. Occupation of Kilchurn Castle then passed to Clan MacGregor.

Although Clan MacGregor was never the owner of the Kilchurn Castle they were appointed its keepers by Clan Campbell. This arrangement continued until a feud between the two families brought it to an end in the yearly years of the 17th century.

By then, Kilchurn Castle had been commissioned to become a barracks, with enough room to house 200 soldiers. This was made possible by the addition of an extra three storey section. Between 1715 and 1745 the government took advantage of this fact by as a military garrison.

In 1760 a violent storm hit Kilchurn Castle, the damage of which still has not been fixed. This led to the complete abandonment of Kilchurn Castle.

In the present day Kilchurn Castle is under the protection of Historic Scotland, with public access allowed in the summer.

Scotch Whisky is a iconic drink of Scotland.

Any drink or food that has a history as rich as Scotch Whisky can be intimidating to those unfamiliar to the terms used to describe it. Scotch Whisky is susceptible to this problem, with a number possibly confusing labels applied to it.

Similar to wine, Scotch Whisky differs greatly in quality and taste based on where it was produced and by which distiller. Similarly, whether the Scotch Whisky is blended or single malt will make a very large difference to its taste.

In the simplest terms, Scotch Whisky can be divided into two distinct categories, Single and Blended. Single Scotch Whisky is produced in a single distillery, while bended is produced in more than one and then blended. Further, these two groups can be divided further, for greater detail. Roughly speaking the groups are as follows: Single Malt Whisky, Single Grain Whisky, Blended Malt Whisky, Blended Grain Whisky and Blended Scotch Whisky.

Generally speaking, Scotch Whisky that is Single Malt or Single grain is thought to be the best. Single Malt Whisky contains nothing but a whisky made from one type of malted barley and produced at one distillery. Single Grain Whisky is produced at a single distillery but can be made with more than one type grain. Although the majority of grain whisky produced in Scotland is used in the production of blended grain whisky.

Scotch Whisky that is produced in Scotland is predominantly of the blended variety, in fact it is estimated that 90% of the whisky sold is blended. The classifications for Blended Scotch Whisky are relatively straight forward. Blended Grain Whisky is whisky produced by blending various types of Single Grin Whisky. Similarly, Blended Malt Whisky is produced from a number of Single Malt Whisky types. Lastly, Blended Scotch Whisky consists of a mixture of Single Malt Whisky and Single Grain Whisky, from multiple distilleries.

Crappit Heid

Crappit Heid is best described as the fish version of Haggis.

Crappit Heid easily belongs to the list of Scottish food which are thought to sound strange throughout the world. Although this list is headed by the world infamous (yet highly regarded by many) Haggis, Crappit Heid can be though to be thought of as the sea food analogue of Haggis.

In essence Crappit Heid consists of the head of a large cod (or similar sized fish, if available), which is then stuffed with oats, onions, beef fat and white pepper. The opening in the fish head is then blocked with the fish’s own liver, which is skewered into place. This is then boiled in seawater and generally served with potatoes and other seasonal root vegetables. Naturally there might be variations to this basic recipe to suit individual tastes. Some of the most popular include using fish stock and wine instead of seawater.

Crappit Heid is a surprisingly nutritious meal, it is said to be rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fats, not to mention a large amount of cod liver oil. Yet in the modern day it is rare to see Crappit Heid, this is largely attributed to changing tastes and palates of present day diners.

With the relative low cost and nutrisious value of Crappit Heid, it is easy to appreciate that its history hails from a poor fisherman background. Specifically the North or North-Eastern section of Scotland during the 18th century. This dish allowed the fisher folk to sell the expensive fillet of cod at the market, while still eating what they caught.

Lanark Blue is a unique artisan made Scottish blue sheep’s milk cheese.

Lanark Blue cheese is produced at the Walston Brahead farm near Carnworth, Scotland. The sale of Lanark Blue cheese began in 1985 and was limited to Edinburgh, by 1986 the demand had grown so much that it was also sold in England.

Although the official sale of Lanark Blue began in 1985, the idea and test production of it was born three years earlier in the mind of Humphrey Errington. This man settled at the Walston Brahead farm in 1982, after working in shipping. He turned to Jane Galloway for help in bearing his idea of cheese making to fruition.

Lanark Blue is said to be the first British blue sheep’s milk in a number of centuries. As a similar was historically produced in France centuries earlier, Lanark Blue does not hold the honor of being the first. Beyond this, Lanark Blue is unique for a number of other reasons.

The production and ingredients in the Lanark Blue make it suitable for consumption by vegetarians. The entire Lanark Blue production process is done completely by hand. The production, packing, brine dipping and aging takes approximately three months. Lanark Blue is also said to vary greatly at different times of the year. As the Lanark Blue sheep flock consists of only 400 sheep divided into two groups, and the grounds on which they graze are rich in various seasonal herbs, it is understandable that the final cheese is highly influenced by diet. To counter this problem, Lanark Blue is released in two different time frames, one for each the group of sheep, who lamb at different times of the year.

Drambuie is a liqueur of Scottish origin with Scotch Whisky as a main ingredient.

Drambuie is a drink known throughout the world for its distinctive taste of malt whisky, honey, along with herbs and spices. Yet many are not aware of the Scottish origin of this famous drink.

The recipe for Drambuie begins with Captain John MacKinnon of Clan MacKinnon. A popular story is that John MacKinnon was given the recipe to Drambuie by Bonnie Prince Charlie as a reward for offering him sanctuary in 1746 as he fled to the Isle of Skye. Although, there are claims that this story was created purely for the purpose of increasing sales of Drambuie.

Regardless of whether John MacKinnon was given the recipe for Drambuie or whether he created it himself, it is known that John MacKinnon gave the recipe to James Ross. During the 19th century James Ross sold Drambuie and made small improvements to its recipe. After the death of James Ross, the recipe was sold to the MacKinnon family again, with whom it has stayed since.

During its ownership under James Ross the recipe was given the name Drambuie. It is a derivative of the Gaelic “an dram buidheach”, meaning the drink that satisfies. The name was first used in 1893.

Angus Cattle are a Scottish breed of cattle.

Angus Cattle are bred and used throughout the world. In the United States, where they are simply referred to as Angus or Black Angus, they are the most popular and widespread breed of cattle with over 300,000 cattle being registered in 2005.

Simply put, an average sample of Angus Cattle will look like an ordinary black cow to most people, if not slightly more muscular than normal. Yet to those in the industry, the Angus Cattle is a fantastic beef breed. They yield a deliver a larger than normal yield of meat with fine yet strongly prelevant marble. They do not suffer from cutting damage or from hemorrhages in the meat. Although their milk is not directly fit for human consumption, breeding with milking cows will not only produce higher milk yields but more desirable meat. In recent times meat from Angus cattle has been used for not only fine steaks but increasingly in fast-food restaurants, following a campaign a public awareness campaign promoting the benefits of Angus Cattle. In fact, in the United States even MacDonalds began trialing Angus Cattle in their hamburgers.

Although it is used throughout the world, Angus Cattle is distinctively Scottish in origin. The creation of the breed is widely attributed to Hugh Watson. It is said that in the early 1800s he began selecting the finest specimens of black hornless cattle for the Angus Cattle breed. His finest example was born in 1842 and was named Old Jock. It is said that most Angus Cattle of the modern day can trace their heritage back to Old Jock and another example of Angus Cattle, Old Granny (who was born in 1824).

Scotch Ale is a type of especially strong and dark beer produced in Scotland.

Scotch Ale is another item in the extensive list of unique Scottish foods. It is said that although Scotch Whisky is known throughout the world, there are far greater quantities of Scotch Ale consumed throughout the world.

Scotch Ale is a unique beer due to a number of different reasons. Without even tasting it, the most obvious difference lies in its colloquial name, “Wee Heavy”, which means different things to different people but is generally accepted to refer to its higher alcohol content and in some instances stronger taste. Other differences vary between various brewers and regions but as a general term can be described as such. Scotch Ale doesn’t rely heavily on hops for its brewing (if at all), this is due to the costs that were associated with importing hops into Scotland. As a result, the Scotch Ale is characterized by a much stronger malt character. The malt is often caramelized in a the brewing process, this results in caramel and toffee undertones to Scotch ale, along with a distinctively darker color. The beer is also cellared for long periods of time at low temperatures to emphasize its malt character. In previous times, herbs and plants were used to give flavoring to the beer, some even considered such beers to have certain “tonic” properties, although the use of flavoring herbs had decreased in modern times.

Presently, there is a substantial number of Scotch Ale brewers in Scotland, the most popular of these are : McEwan's Scotch Ale, Belhaven Wee Heavy, Old Jock Ale, Jacobite Ale and probably the most popular being Skullsplitter Ale.