soc.culture.scottish FAQ
| There are reader questions on this topic! Help others by sharing your knowledge |
Message-ID: <cultures/scottish/scottish-faq_1217566989@rtfm.mit.edu> X-Last-Updated: 2008/07/31 From: Craig Cockburn <craig@siliconglen.com> Newsgroups: soc.culture.scottish, soc.culture.celtic Subject: soc.culture.scottish FAQ Keywords: FAQ,Scotland,Scottish,Scot,Gaelic,Scots,Music,Culture,History,Travel Summary: FAQ for the soc.culture.scottish newsgroup Date: 01 Aug 2008 05:04:21 GMT Version: 4.42 URL: http://www.siliconglen.com Archive-name: cultures/scottish/scottish-faq Posting-Frequency: 4 months Last-modified: 1-Aug-2008 The Internet's first guide to Scotland and Scottish culture. Foreword -------- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the soc.culture.scottish usenet newsgroup and Scottish information likely to be of general interest. news:soc.culture.scottish was created on 24th May 1995. The proposer was Brian Atkins and the group charter is located at the start of this FAQ. The information here is copyright (c) Craig Cockburn 1994-2008, please ask me if you want to use any material here for any purpose. The idea for an on-line reference source for Scottish material came to me in 1989 when I started the Scotland notesfile when working at Digital (now Compaq/HP). This FAQ first appeared in May 1994. FAQ Information --------------- The latest version of this FAQ, together with FTP sites for the FAQ and details of how to get it by mail is at http://www.siliconglen.com/ There are details there of the FAQ in Text, HTML and Zip formats as well as a full search engine. There is also an associated e-mail list for the newsgroup. This FAQ is a living document, if there's any corrections, additions or comments you'd like to make, please send them to me for the next edition. The usual major updates for the rtfm.mit.edu archive are :- 25-Jan (Burns night) 1-May (Beltain) 1-Aug (Lammas) 30-Nov (St Andrew's day). Thanks to all those who have contributed articles, comments and corrections to this FAQ. Craig Cockburn, Editor and main author. mailto:craig@siliconglen.com WWW: http://www.siliconglen.com/ Scotland (Alba). Please don't e-mail me with questions which can be answered by posting them in soc.culture.scottish or other related newsgroups or mailing lists mentioned here. I already get too much mail to be able to answer it all. For tourism questions, contact visitscotland.com mailto:info@visitscotland.com tel: +44 1506 832121 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ================================ Gaelic: Ceistean Minig a Thig Scots: Aften speirit quaistions Some sayings: "Is truagh nach ta\inig Minig Nach Tig Leath cho minig 's a tha\inig Minig a Thig" <It's a pity that the things which don't come often don't come half as frequently as the things which do"> (adapted from an Irish story) "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation" (Voltaire). FAQ Contents ============ (full index follows after this summary) 1. General Information, Scottish society 2. Celtic culture and language information 3. Scots language information 4. Scottish music 5. Literature and Poetry 6. Festivals 7. Gaelic information 8. Gaelic song and music 9. Song lyrics 10. Scottish dance 11. Historical information 12. Traditions and Culture 13. Food, drink and pubs 14. Travel, Tourism and What's on 15. Areas and Places of Scotland 16. Sport and Recreation 17. Education 18. Media and Broadcasting 19. Government, Politics and Sovereignty 20. Internet and Computing information 21. Sources of Further information 22. Links in this FAQ General Information, Scottish society ------------------------------------- [1.1] Charter of soc.culture.scottish [1.2] Scotland's name [1.3] The Saltire (Scotland's flag) [1.4] Geological Information [1.5] Scottish saints and towns [1.6] Scotland's population [1.7] Currency and legal tender [1.8] Legal questions [1.9] Scottish books [1.10] Business start-up information [1.11] Scottish import shops [1.12] Scottish exporters [1.13] Scottish inventors [1.14] Scottish business links [1.15] Getting a job in Scotland [1.16] Scottish Yellow Pages [1.17] Scottish White Pages [1.18] Getting Scottish addresses and phone numbers [1.19] Buying a house, letting accommodation [1.20] Women's issues [1.21] Community information [1.22] National holidays [1.23] Sheep [1.24] City status Celtic culture and language information --------------------------------------- [2.1] Celtic background [2.2] Celtic art and font links [2.3] The Celtic cross [2.4] Postgraduate courses in Celtic studies [2.5] The history of language in Scotland [2.6] Celtic knotwork [2.7] Pan-Celtic organisations in Scotland [2.8] Imbas mailing list Scots language information -------------------------- [3.1] What is the Scots language. Who do I contact for more info? [3.2] On-line Scots language info [3.3] Scots Language Society / Scots Leid Associe [3.4] Lowlands-L mailing list Scottish music -------------- [4.1] Introduction to Scottish Music [4.2] Suggestions for a Scottish National Anthem [4.3] Scottish Music record labels [4.4] Folk Events Listings [4.5] Folk and Traditional Music Record shops [4.6] Primary folk music pubs and sessions [4.7] Folk Clubs [4.8] Scottish music information [4.9] Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) [4.10] Scottish Groups, Folk Groups, Artists and Bands [4.11] Fiddle styles [4.12] Books for learning the fiddle [4.13] Where can I get a piper? [4.14] Where can I get bagpipes? [4.15] Early bagpipe references [4.16] Learning to play the harp (clarsach) [4.17] Scottish Arts Council [4.18] Living Tradition [4.19] Traditional Scottish Music and Culture List [4.20] Cape Breton music mailing list [4.21] Reference material for Scottish music [4.22] The Piano film music Literature and Poetry --------------------- [5.1] Primary literary figures [5.2] Info on Robert Burns [5.3] Address to a Haggis - Robert Burns [5.4] Robert Burns links [5.5] The Celtic muse in Scott's 'Waverley' [5.6] Scottish Poetry Library [5.7] The Saltire Society [5.8] Women's writing [5.9] Scottish literature and writers [5.10] Literature magazines and newsletters [5.11] The Selkirk Grace [5.12] Obituary of Sorley MacLean [5.13] Sunset Song Festivals --------- [6.1] Scottish folk festivals [6.2] Edinburgh Festival Fringe [6.3] Edinburgh Folk Festival [6.4] Gaelic festivals / Feisean nan Gaidheal [6.5] Festivals in Edinburgh [6.6] Scottish and Celtic festivals worldwide [6.7] Hebridean Celtic Festival Gaelic information ------------------ [7.1] How can I learn Gaelic? [7.2] Gaelic links [7.3] Where can I get Gaelic books? [7.4] Scots Gaelic products and catalogue [7.5] Where can I get Gaelic music and lyrics, info on Gaelic songs [7.6] The National Mod and Local Mods [7.7] How mutually intelligible are Scots and Irish Gaelic? [7.8] Gaelic playgroups [7.9] Gaelic newspapers [7.10] Gaelic Arts [7.11] Info on Scots Gaelic accents [7.12] Scots Gaelic translation services [7.13] Dog commands in Gaelic [7.14] Census figures for Gaelic speakers Gaelic song and music ------------------- [8.1] Learning Gaelic song [8.2] Waulking songs and information [8.3] Puirt a beul [8.4] Gaelic psalm singing [8.5] Piobaireachd, Pibroch and Piping [8.6] Oldest datable Gaelic Song [8.7] Information on Runrig [8.8] Information on Capercaillie Song lyrics ----------- [9.1] Scottish songs on-line [9.2] Scottish song books [9.3] Frequently requested songs Scottish dance -------------- [10.1] Understanding Scottish Dance music [10.2] What is a Ceilidh [10.3] Article on Scottish Step Dancing [10.4] What is Scottish Country Dancing? [10.5] Scottish Highland Dancing [10.6] Books on Scottish dancing Historical information ---------------------- [11.1] How do I trace my Scottish ancestry? [11.2] Scottish Monarchs [11.3] Declaration of Arbroath [11.4] History and Archaeology information [11.5] The Picts [11.6] Antiquarian books [11.7] Historical re-enactments [11.8] Museum of Scotland project [11.9] The story of Glasgow's emblem (fish and ring) [11.10] Scottish historic buildings and sites [11.11] William Wallace / Braveheart [11.12] Clan Links [11.13] John MacLean [11.14] Robert Tannahill [11.15] Robert the Bruce [11.16] Thomas Muir [11.17] John Paul Jones [11.18] The Auld Alliance [11.19] The Clearances [11.20] Battle of Culloden [11.21] Knights Templar [11.22] Freemasonry [11.23] Vikings [11.24] Scots emigration/immigration to the US [11.25] The fairy flag of MacLeod legend Traditions and Culture ---------------------- [12.1] Learning and studying Scottish Culture [12.2] Cultural Newsletters and websites [12.3] Kilts and their history [12.4] Plaid [12.5] Tartan and Tartan Day [12.6] Where to buy/hire a kilt and Highland accessories [12.7] Kirking of the tartans [12.8] Scotch [12.9] Scottish Wedding Information [12.10] The Church of Scotland [12.11] Choosing a Scottish name for your child [12.12] Couthie on the Craigie - Hyperreal Scottish culture [12.13] Burns night / St Andrews Day / Tartan Day [12.14] Saint Andrew's society [12.15] Christmas Customs [12.16] Hogmanay Customs [12.17] New Year Fire Festivals [12.18] Ba' game, Orkney [12.19] Halloween [12.20] Use of Mc Vs Mac in Scottish Surnames [12.21] What is worn under the kilt? Food, drink and pubs -------------------- [13.1] Haggis information [13.2] Scottish cooking and recipes [13.3] Best Scottish pubs [13.4] Whisky (whiskey) [13.5] Ale (Beer) [13.6] Irn-bru [13.7] Traditional bread recipe (Gaelic and English) Travel, Tourism and What's on ----------------------------- [14.1] What's on [14.2] Scottish Guide books [14.3] VisitScotland / Scottish Tourist Board [14.4] Travel information [14.5] On-line maps [14.6] Scottish and UK Virtual Reality Map [14.7] Arts information and events [14.8] Mary King's Close [14.9] Photographs of Scotland [14.10] Gift and Tourist shops [14.11] Scottish Youth Hostels Association [14.12] Dynamic Earth exhibition [14.13] Museums [14.14] Travel companies Areas of Scotland ----------------- [15.1] Aberdeenshire [15.2] Bonnyrigg [15.3] Central Scotland [15.4] Cromarty [15.5] Dalgety Bay [15.6] Dunblane [15.7] Easdale Island [15.8] Edinburgh [15.9] Falkirk [15.10] Fort William and Lochaber [15.11] Galnafanaigh [15.12] Glasgow [15.13] Highlands and Islands [15.14] Kinlochleven [15.15] Knoydart [15.16] Loch Ness [15.17] Melrose [15.18] Midlothian [15.19] Montrose [15.20] Oban [15.21] Queensferry and Forth Bridges [15.22] Road to the Isles [15.23] Shetland and Orkney [15.24] St Andrews [15.25] Stirling [15.26] The Trossachs [15.27] Linlithgow Sport and Recreation -------------------- [16.1] Football [16.2] Rugby [16.3] Camanachd (shinty) [16.4] Golf [16.5] Highland Games [16.6] Curling [16.7] Fishing and Angling [16.8] Cricket [16.9] Cycling [16.10] Skiing [16.11] Walking and Rambling [16.12] Books for hillwalkers [16.13] What is a Munro, Corbett or Graham? [16.14] Diving [16.15] Horse riding holidays Education --------- [17.1] Intro to Scottish Education [17.2] Scottish Qualifications Authority [17.3] Books and information on studying Scottish culture [17.4] Learning and Teaching Scotland [17.5] SCRAN - Historical and cultural on-line resource [17.6] League tables of Scottish schools [17.7] Research papers Media and Broadcasting ---------------------- [18.1] Newspapers [18.2] Radio [18.3] Television [18.4] Scottish and Celtic broadcasting on the Internet [18.5] Scottish music radio programmes [18.6] Gaelic TV and radio information [18.7] Attitudes towards Gaelic TV in Scotland [18.8] Scottish film industry [18.9] Scottish film locations Government, Politics and Sovereignty ------------------------------------ [19.1] Scottish Government [19.2] Sources of political information [19.3] Scottish politics e-mail lists [19.4] Government publications [19.5] Scottish sovereignty [19.6] Scottish and English oil and energy reserves [19.7] Political Quotations [19.8] Quangos [19.9] Local Councils [19.10] 1997 General Election results [19.11] Devolution Referendum Results [19.12] The Scottish Parliament [19.13] How the Scottish Parliament might work [19.14] Scottish Elections [19.15] Understanding Parliament [19.16] The Monarchy [19.17] OBEs, honorific titles, "gongs" etc [19.18] Scottish Independence information [19.19] Article on Independence [19.20] Contacting MPs, MSPs by E-mail [19.21] Health and the NHS Internet and Computing information ---------------------------------- [20.1] Silicon Glen - Technology in Scotland [20.2] General Internet information [20.3] Creating a top level domain for Scotland [20.4] Scottish usenet newsgroups [20.5] How to get scot.* hierarchy groups [20.6] Getting hooked up to the Internet [20.7] Internet Cafes and Public Internet Access Points [20.8] How can I find someone in Scotland on the Internet? [20.9] Faxing Scotland by E-mail Sources of Further information ------------------------------ [21.1] Scottish links [21.2] Mailing lists [21.3] Celtic information and Celtic FAQs Links in this FAQ ----------------- [22.1] Alphabetic list of links in this FAQ [22.2] Links to pages of this FAQ [1.1] Charter of soc.culture.scottish Charter ======= The news:soc.culture.scottish newsgroup will be open to discussion of all subjects specifically referring to Scotland or Scottish culture. This newsgroup will be created for reasons including, but not restricted to, the following: * To encourage understanding and discussion of Scotland and Scottish culture, in the many ways people wish to define it. * To act as a focus for the Scottish Diaspora (Scottish people, including emigrants and their descendants) and to draw together the global threads of the Scottish nation. * To act as a resource for Scottish people who wish to use the Internet and for people who wish to encourage the development of the Internet in Scotland. * To provide a forum for the use and support of the Scots and Scots Gaelic languages and the Norse influenced dialects of Orkney and Shetland. The following exceptions should be noted: * Matters referring to broader British issues should be posted to news:soc.culture.british * Matters referring to the broader Celtic issues should be posted to news:soc.culture.celtic. * Matters referring to Scottish Celtic folk music may have a more appropriate forum in news:rec.music.celtic. Rationale ========= Millions of people worldwide are of Scottish descent, and there is sufficient demand for a forum to discuss specifically Scottish topics. Many new Usenet users are at a loss when they fail to find a group with Scottish or Scotland in the title. This group's name will act as a signpost for these people. Previously, many people have used either news:soc.culture.british or news:soc.culture.celtic, but this situation is increasingly difficult. As the Scots are a small minority amongst the British peoples, many who would post and/or read articles on uniquely Scottish topics in the soc.culture.british newsgroup are inhibited from doing so by the overwhelming number of non-Scottish posts to that group. The group soc.culture.celtic also tends to be dominated by posts about Ireland which are not related to Celtic matters and are not of interest to the group's traditional readers. The soc.culture.celtic newsgroup is also not particularly suitable for discussing Scottish issues as a great many Scots do not view themselves as Celts. The Scottish culture is unique. The Scots are a British people who have been influenced by a number of different cultures. The main cultural influence has been an Anglo-Saxon one similar but distinct from that of England. The Gaelic culture of the Highlands is indeed a part of the wider Celtic culture. The culture of Orkney and Shetland has been deeply influenced by Scandinavia. This unique fusion of diverse cultures means that there is currently no newsgroup that can serve as a forum for all Scottish people to discuss uniquely Scottish issues. The motivation for the creation of a soc.culture.scottish newsgroup is not separatist. The new newsgroup will serve the distinct needs of the Scottish people in the same way as say the existing news:soc.culture.quebec and news:soc.culture.berber newsgroups serve the distinct needs of the Quebec and Berber peoples. Charter authors: Brian Atkins, John Mack, Craig Cockburn. Control and Summary =================== One line summary ---------------- The newsgroup line for soc.culture.scottish is: "Anything regarding Scotland or things Scots." Control Messages ---------------- ftp://ftp.uu.net/usenet/control/soc/soc.culture.scottish [1.2] Scotland's name Scotland gets its name from the Scots, or Scotti who first arrived in Argyll in the late 3rd to mid 4th centuries AD. It was not until about 500AD that they built up a sizeable colony though. The Scots spoke Irish, not Scots. Scots is a Germanic language like English, described later. "Scotti" is what the Romans called them. We don't know what they called themselves! Some info on the Romans is available at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/genhist/ [1.3] The Saltire (Scotland's flag) Background ---------- Scotland has two flags - the Saltire or St Andrew's cross (white on blue) and the Lion Rampant (yellow and red). The Lion Rampant is the Royal flag and is supposed to only be used by royalty. The Saltire is the oldest flag in Europe. The St Andrew's Cross according to legend is that shape because the apostle Andrew petitioned the Roman authorities who had sentenced him to death not to crucify him on the same shape of cross as Christ, and this was granted. Origins ------- Anyway, legend has it that the saltire flag has its origins in a battle near Athelstaneford in East Lothian, circa 832AD when Angus mac Fergus, King of the Picts, and Eochaidh of Dalriada defeated the army of Athelstane, King of Northumbria comprising Angles and Saxons. There is a saltire flying there near the church with an explanation regarding the origin of the flag. The night before the battle, the Scots saw a cross formation of clouds in the sky resembling a St Andrew's cross - the patron Saint. They took this sign as an omen and indeed they were successful in battle the next day. Thus the colours in the flag are supposed to be white to represent the clouds and azure, the colour of the sky towards the end of the day. Sky blue is not the right colour, it is too light. The Scottish Parliament has debated this matter and decided on Pantone 300 as the recommended colour http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=210112003 If you want this colour on your PC, the RGB Value on the colour sliders for Pantone 300 should be 0, 132, 202. The web value for fill colours should be "#0084CA". The saltire was later incorporated in the union flag and union jack although the colour of blue there is different. In those flags it is navy blue which is used. The union jack is the version of the union flag used on the jack staff at the front of a ship. This difference of colour between the saltire and the union flags has resulted in some confusion over the correct colour of the Scottish flag - so insist the you get one which is azure and white and not anything else! William the Lyon who adopted the Lion Rampant (in 1165) to replace the previous symbol of Scots Sovereignty, which was a Boar. This has led to some humorous speculation as to what the present title of the Lord Lyon King of Arms might be had the change not been adopted. Further, it was a heraldic symbol (or a Lyon rampant gules) far before the charge of the Earl of Galloway. I forget what bloodline used the charge just now, but I know that it predated the adoption of the Saltire in the 9th century. I've got the reference somewhere and I'll have a look about for it. The most modern change to the standard occurred in 1165 with the addition of the gules bordure tressure fleury-counterfleury, which is entirely distinctive and to my knowledge not emblazoned on any other arms anywhere. Purchasing ---------- Reputable places to buy flags include: James Stevenson Flags Ltd 75 Westmoreland Street Glasgow G42 8LH Tel: 0141 423 5757 James Stevenson Flags Ltd 16 Millgate Cupar, Fife 01334-656660 The Scottish National Party 107 McDonald Road Edinburgh EH7 4NW Tel: 0131 525 8900 http://www.snp.org.uk/ (on-line shop) Scots Independent, 51 Cowane Street, Stirling FK8 1JW Tel: 01786 473523 http://www.freescotland.com/si.html Please state size (length) required - from half a yard to 5 yards. Use of Saltire and Union Flag ----------------------------- It is the case of course that it is NOT permissible for the ordinary citizen of the UK either Scottish, English, Welsh or Irish to fly the Union Flag. It is only permissible for Government offices, Royal Navy ships on their foretop and certain other military uses (and recently certain royal dwellings in the absence of the monarch). It is the flag of the Union only. The common citizens should be flying their own national flags - the crosses of St George, St Andrew, St Patrick and of Cornwall and the dragon of Wales, unless they are on board ship when these flags may be flown on the foretop but the red ensign is mandatory. Scots should not even be flying the lion rampant which is the sign reserved to the monarch of Scotland. The question is as to what flag should fly in front of the Parliament of Scotland, the Assembly of Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly and over the buildings housing the official administrations of these. This should be a matter for each body to chose for itself (for instance the Scots should have the right to change their saltire or its background to pink if they so wish). Further information ------------------- http://www.fahnenversand.de/fotw/flags/gb-scotl.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Scotland There is a Heritage centre at Athelstaneford and it is open daily between 10am and 5pm from April to September. Admission is free. The Scottish Flag Trust, PO Box 84, Edinburgh, Scotland. [1.4] Geological Information The landmass known today as Scotland was once connected to the area of the Torngat Mountain range of Labrador, Canada. This mountain range was part of the Grenville province, named for the Grenville orogeny during which it was created when the landmass now known as North America collided with Gondwanaland during the late Proterozoic Period (about 2 billion years ago). At that time "Scotland" was located nearly equidistant between the northern tip of Newfoundland and the southern tip of Greenland, situated northeast of the former and southeast of the latter. The Great Glen is a strike-slip fault similar to the San Andreas fault of California (US). Because of compressional tension along faults, the rocks along such features are prone to developing fractures. Where such faults and their consequent fractures meet the surface of the land, water infiltrates the fractures. Freezing and thawing of this water, couples with its flow down slope, contributing to the acceleration of erosion that causes the development of the lochs of Scotland which display the characteristic southwest to northeast relative trajectory. This type of loch formation should not be confused with the coastal lochs which display a predominance of glacial melt erosion features. As the glaciers melt, the newly unburdened lithosphere uplifts due to isostatic rebound in the dense, semifluid asthenosphere layer below. The resulting increase in the slope of the land surface accelerates meltwaters down slope, and the consequent saltatory transport of sediments increases, deepening the loch seaward. Scotland and England were originally separated by a sea known as the Iapetus Ocean. The suture of Scotland to England occurred along the area of Hadrian's Wall. The two "parts of Scotland" however might be considered to be demarcated by the Lewisian (gneiss) deposits (of the Isle of Lewis, for instance) in the Northwest Foreland (The northwestern coast from River Donard south to encompass Coll and Tiree Islands and down to the southwestern most tip of the Isle of Mull--including Rum, Skye and the lesser inner Hebrides) and the landmass characterised by the Moinian surficial deposits of the Highlands north of the Great Glen fault. These surficial deposits converge along the Moine thrust faults - a fault line that runs from the southeastern most boundary of Skye and the Isle of Mull north, north east just east of Durness and the River Donard (also listed as the River Hope according to my maps). Anyway, you get the area of the basic line of the suture, I'm sure. Suffice to say that the entire area represents a convergent plate boundary where the basaltic oceanic plate is being subducted beneath the continental plate and the ancillary Island Arc of the Outer Hebrides is being rafted along towards a collision with the mainland (if one can call it that). Further reading --------------- For info on Scotland, see the Scottish information on this page http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/geobrit.htm A formidable understanding of geological terms will be necessary to get the most out of the above paper. To that end, for education on geological technical terms one would do well to consult: http://www.ul.cs.cmu.edu/books/cont_techtonics/cont001.htm For an informative elaboration of Scotland's geological history in terms understandable to most folks not particularly well versed in geological information consult: http://www.iprs.ed.ac.uk/edit1/09/articles/06.html A recommended book is Craig, G Y (ed.) "The Geology of Scotland", now in its 3rd edition, and full bibliographic details available from http://www.blackwell.co.uk/ [1.5] Scottish saints and towns St Andrew: Scotland and St Andrews More details below on St Andrew Towns/Cities/Places in alphabetic order St Nicholas: Aberdeen St Blane: Dunblane St Mary: Dundee St Margaret: Dunfermline St Giles: Edinburgh St Mungo/Kentigern: Glasgow St Molaise: Holy Isle off Arran St Columba: Iona (formerly Scotland as well). St Cuthbert: Kirkcudbright St Magnus: Kirkwall St Baldred: North Berwick St Mirren: Paisley St John: Perth St Ninian: Whithorn Sources: Scottish Traditions & Festivals, Raymond Lamont-Brown, W & R Chambers, Edinburgh, 1991 St Andrew --------- St Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland as the result of a foreign monk/hermit (Greek if my memory serves) named Rule or Regulus coming to what is today the town of Saint Andrews in 732 bearing with him the purported bones of St Andrew. The religious foundation which grew up around these relics was not originally Catholic, but Culdee. Even this association with St Andrew is tenuous as there are other places which claim to possess the bones of St Andrew. In any case, the town of St Andrews became in consequence the premier religious site in the east of Scotland and remained such when the Catholic Church attained ascendancy over the Celtic Churches. In the west of Scotland, less importance was attached to St Andrew than to the various local saints such as Columba, Mungo, Maelrubha etc. Ultimately when the Scottish court became dominated by Scots speakers, St Andrew became their principal patron while the Gaelic areas chose Columba as their principle champion and I don't think that they ever held St Andrew in great esteem. There has always a lot of obscure politics going on in Scotland over the selection of national saints and symbols and I suspect that the medieval kings were delighted to have St Andrew, an apostle, as the patron of Scotland which vicariously made Scotland "superior" to England who only had St George, a popular but rather mythological patron and gave the east coasters a chance to sneer at Strathclyde's St. Mungo as small potatoes. [1.6] Scotland's population Census figures for Scotland as a whole from 1811 onwards are available at http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/Scotland/pop.html They show a steady rise in population, summarised as follows: 1811.........1,805,864 1861.........3,062,294 1911.........4,760,904 1961.........5,179,344 and a further slight rise to 1971.........5,228,963 and a slight drop to 1981.........5,130,735 and another (this time attributed to poll tax avoidance) 1991.........5,102,400 Figures from the General Register for estimates of Scotland's population on 30 June for the following years. Figures in thousands. 1992.........5,111.2 1993.........5,120.2 1994.........5,132.4 1995.........5,136.6 1996.........5,128.0 The numbers of births are currently at the lowest level since civil registration was introduced in 1855. Highlands --------- Here are the figures for the seven Crofting Counties, as posted by Michael Paterson: Argyll Caithn Invnss Ross&C Sthrld Orkney Zetlnd Total 1755 66,286 22,215 59,593 48,048 20,774 38,591 255,543 1801 81,277 22,609 72,672 56,318 23,117 24,445 22,379 302,817 1811 86,541 23,419 77,671 60,853 23,629 23,238 22,915 318,266 1821 97,316 29,181 89,961 67,762 23,840 26,979 26,145 361,184 1831 100,973 34,529 94,797 74,820 25,518 28,847 29,392 388,876 1841 97,371 36,343 97,799 78,685 24,782 30,507 30,558 396,045 1851 89,298 38,709 96,500 82,707 25,793 31,455 31,078 395,540 1861 79,724 41,111 88,888 81,406 25,246 32,395 31,670 380,442 1871 75,679 39,992 87,531 80,955 24,317 31,274 31,608 371,356 1881 76,468 38,865 90,454 78,547 23,370 32,044 29,705 369,453 1891 75,003 37,177 89,317 77,810 21,896 30,453 28,711 360,367 1901 73,642 33,870 90,104 76,450 21,440 28,699 28,166 352,371 1911 70,902 32,010 87,272 77,364 20,179 25,897 27,911 341,535 1921 76,862 28,285 82,082 70,818 17,802 24,111 25,520 325,853 1931 63,014 25,656 84,930 62,802 16,100 22,075 21,410 293,139 1951 63,631 22,710 83,480 60,508 13,670 21,255 19,352 285,786 1961 59,390 27,370 83,480 57,642 13,507 18,747 17,812 277,948 Of course there are other definitions of the *Highlands* that one could come up with but the Crofting County figures were carefully maintained and monitored from the time of the Crofting Act (1880s ISTR). Please bear in mind that Ross and Cromarty included Lewis and Inverness-shire included the rest of the Western Isles, Skye and the Small Isles. These figures were taken from a personal Memorandum to the Minister of State, Scottish Office, about the Highland Development Bill then before Parliament, written in 1965 by Mac Mhic Iain, the Earl of Dundee, P.C., later MP for West Renfrewshire, becoming Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. He was later Minister of State in the Foreign Office and Deputy-Leader of the House of Lords. 1991 census ----------- This info from the 1991 Census shows the population of 'localities', i.e. the name used by the General Register Office for Scotland Info also available at http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/road/aa383/scotloc.shtml Localities are cities, towns and villages with a population of 500 residents or more. I won't go into the details of how such areas are defined but they were drawn up in consultation with local authorities. Hence, the boundaries and names should reflect local usage. You can differentiate between towns and cities as you wish - GRO don't. Note that Glasgow is apportioned between two local authorities. Figures in thousands --------------------------------------------------- Local Authority Locality Pop 1991 --------------------------------------------------- Glasgow......................Glasgow (Pt)...606.8 Edinburgh....................Edinburgh......401.9 Aberdeen City................Aberdeen...... 189.7 Dundee City..................Dundee........ 147.0 Renfrewshire.................Paisley........ 75.5 South Lanarkshire............East Kilbride.. 70.4 South Lanarkshire............Glasgow (Pt)....56.0 Fife.........................Dunfermline.....55.1 Inverclyde...................Greenock........50.0 South Lanarkshire............Hamilton........50.0 North Lanarkshire............Cumbernauld.....48.8 South Ayrshire...............Ayr.............48.0 Fife.........................Kirkcaldy.......47.2 East Ayrshire................Kilmarnock......44.3 North Lanarkshire............Coatbridge......43.6 West Lothian.................Livingston......41.6 Perthshire and Kinross.......Perth...........41.5 Highland.....................Inverness.......41.2 Fife.........................Glenrothes......38.7 North Lanarkshire............Airdrie.........37.0 Falkirk......................Falkirk.........35.6 North Ayrshire...............Irvine..........33.0 Dumfries and Galloway........Dumfries........32.1 North Lanarkshire............Motherwell......30.7 Stirling.....................Stirling........30.5 North Lanarkshire............Wishaw..........29.8 West Dunbartonshire..........Clydebank.......29.2 East Dunbartonshire..........Bearsden........27.8 East Dunbartonshire..........Bishopbriggs....23.8 Angus........................Arbroath........23.5 West Dunbartonshire..........Dumbarton.......22.0 North Lanarkshire............Bellshill.......21.6 East Dunbartonshire..........Kirkintilloch...20.8 Renfrewshire.................Renfrew.........20.8 East Lothian.................Musselburgh.....20.6 Inverclyde...................Port Glasgow....19.7 East Renfrewshire............Newton Mearns...19.5 Moray........................Elgin...........19.0 East Renfrewshire............Clarkston.......18.9 Clackmannanshire.............Alloa...........18.8 Aberdeenshire................Peterhead.......18.7 Falkirk......................Grangemouth.....18.7 Renfrewshire.................Johnstone.......18.6 South Lanarkshire............Blantyre........18.5 Falkirk......................Polmont.........18.0 East Renfrewshire............Barrhead........17.3 Midlothian...................Penicuik........17.2 Fife.........................Buckhaven.......17.1 Falkirk......................Stenhousemuir...16.7 East Renfrewshire............Giffnock........16.2 Argyll and Bute..............Helensburgh.....15.9 Scottish Borders.............Hawick..........15.8 North Ayrshire...............Kilwinning......15.5 South Lanarkshire............Larkhall........15.5 South Ayrshire...............Troon...........15.2 North Lanarkshire............Viewpark........14.9 Falkirk......................Bo'ness.........14.6 West Dunbartonshire..........Alexandria......14.2 Scottish Borders.............Galashiels......13.8 West Lothian.................Bathgate........13.8 Midlothian...................Bonnyrigg.......13.7 South Ayrshire...............Prestwick.......13.7 Renfrewshire.................Erskine.........13.2 Angus........................Forfar..........13.0 South Lanarkshire............Carluke.........12.9 Aberdeenshire................Fraserburgh.....12.8 East Dunbartonshire..........Milngavie.......12.6 Fife.........................Cowdenbeath.....12.1 Midlothian...................Mayfield........12.1 North Ayrshire...............Saltcoats.......11.9 West Lothian.................Linlithgow......11.9 Inverclyde...................Gourock.........11.7 Midlothian...................Dalkeith........11.6 West Lothian.................Broxburn........11.6 West Lothian.................Whitburn........11.5 Angus........................Montrose........11.4 Dumfries and Galloway........Stranraer.......11.3 Falkirk......................Denny...........11.1 Fife.........................St Andrews......11.1 North Ayrshire...............Largs...........10.9 North Ayrshire...............Ardrossan.......10.8 Angus........................Carnoustie......10.7 Highland.....................Fort William....10.4 North Ayrshire...............Stevenston......10.2 Renfrewshire.................Linwood.........10.2 West Dunbartonshire..........Bonhill.........10.1 East Dunbartonshire..........Lenzie...........9.9 North Lanarkshire............Kilsyth..........9.9 East Ayrshire................Cumnock..........9.6 Aberdeenshire................Inverurie........9.6 Aberdeenshire................Stonehaven.......9.4 Argyll and Bute..............Dunoon...........9.0 West Lothian.................Armadale.........9.0 Dumfries and Galloway........Annan............8.9 Edinburgh....................Queensferry......8.9 South Lanarkshire............Lanark...........8.9 East Lothian.................Haddington.......8.8 North Lanarkshire............Shotts...........8.8 West Lothian.................East Calder......8.7 Aberdeenshire................Ellon............8.6 Moray........................Forres...........8.5 Highland.....................Thurso...........8.5 Aberdeenshire................Westhill.........8.4 Moray........................Buckie...........8.4 Fife.........................Leven............8.3 East Lothian.................Tranent..........8.3 Argyll and Bute..............Oban.............8.2 North Ayrshire...............Kilbirnie........8.1 Perthshire and Kinross.......Blairgowrie......8.0 Highland.....................Nairn............7.9 West Dunbartonshire..........Duntocher and Hardgate....7.9 Fife.........................Dalgety Bay......7.9 Angus........................Dundee (Part)....7.7 Highland.....................Wick.............7.7 Angus........................Brechin..........7.7 Fife.........................Cupar............7.5 South Ayrshire...............Girvan...........7.4 Stirling.....................Dunblane.........7.4 Shetland Islands.............Lerwick..........7.3 Moray........................Lossiemouth......7.2 Scottish Borders.............Peebles..........7.1 Fife.........................Lochgelly........7.0 East Lothian.................Prestonpans......7.0 Clackmannanshire.............Tullibody........6.9 North Lanarkshire............Newarthill.......6.6 South Lanarkshire............Bothwell.........6.5 East Lothian.................Dunbar...........6.5 East Ayrshire................Stewarton........6.5 Orkney Islands...............Kirkwall.........6.5 Fife.........................Ballingry........6.4 South Lanarkshire............Strathaven.......6.4 Aberdeen City................Dyce.............6.4 North Ayrshire...............Beith............6.4 Aberdeenshire................Banchory.........6.2 Aberdeenshire................Portlethen.......6.2 West Dunbartonshire..........Faifley..........6.1 Perthshire and Kinross.......Crieff...........6.0 Falkirk......................Bonnybridge......6.0 Fife.........................Inverkeithing....6.0 Scottish Borders.............Kelso............6.0 North Lanarkshire............Moodiesburn......6.0 Western Isles................Steornabhagh (Stornoway)....6.0 Fife.........................Burntisland......6.0 Scottish Borders.............Selkirk..........5.9 Midlothian...................Gorebridge.......5.9 North Lanarkshire............Newmains.........5.9 North Lanarkshire............Holytown.........5.8 Stirling.....................Bannockburn......5.8 North Ayrshire...............Dalry............5.7 Argyll and Bute..............Campbeltown......5.7 Highland.....................Alness...........5.7 East Lothian.................North Berwick....5.7 Midlothian...................Loanhead.........5.7 Angus........................Kirriemuir.......5.6 Renfrewshire.................Houston..........5.5 Fife.........................Kelty............5.5 East Ayrshire................Hurlford and Crookedholm.....5.4 Renfrewshire.................Bishopton........5.4 Fife.........................Cardenden........5.4 Dumfries and Galloway........Locharbriggs.....5.4 South Lanarkshire............Uddingston.......5.4 South Lanarkshire............Stonehouse.......5.3 Renfrewshire.................Elderslie........5.3 Clackmannanshire.............Tillicoultry.....5.3 Argyll and Bute..............Rothesay.........5.3 East Renfrewshire............Neilston.........5.3 Highland.....................Dingwall.........5.2 Clackmannanshire.............Alva.............5.2 East Ayrshire................Galston..........5.2 Renfrewshire.................Bridge of Weir...5.2 West Lothian.................Blackburn........5.0 [1.7] Currency and legal tender All Scottish banks have the right to print their own notes. Three choose to do so: The Bank of Scotland (founded 1695), The Royal Bank of Scotland (founded 1727) and the Clydesdale Bank (owned by National Australia Bank). Only the Royal Bank prints pound notes. All the banks print 5,10,20 and 100 notes. Only the Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank print 50 pound notes. Scottish bank notes are not legal tender in Scotland. English bank notes of denomination less than 5UKP were legal tender in Scotland under Currency and Bank Notes Act 1954. Now, with the removal of BoE 1UKP notes, only coins constitute legal tender in Scotland. English bank notes are only legal tender in England, Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. In Scotland, 1 pound coins are legal tender to any amount, 20ps and 50ps are legal tender up to 10 pounds; 10p and 5ps to 5 pounds and 2p and 1p coins are legal tender to 20p (separately or in combination). 2 pounds coins and (if you can get hold of one) 5 pound coins are also legal tender to unlimited amounts, as are gold coins of the realm at face value (in Scotland at least). Northern Irish notes are not legal tender anywhere, a situation similar to Scottish notes. Whether Scottish notes are legal tender or not does not change alter their inherent value but it dictates their legal function. Credit cards, cheques and debit cards are not legal tender either but it doesn't stop them being used as payment. Only a minuscule percentage of Scottish and British trading is carried out using legal tender. Just because something is not legal tender certainly doesn't imply it's illegal to use. The lack of a true legal tender in Scotland does not cause a problem for Scots Law which is flexible enough to get round this apparent legal nonsense, as was demonstrated some time ago when one local authority tried to refuse a cash payment (in Scottish notes) on the grounds it wasn't "legal tender", but lost their case when the sheriff effectively said that they were obliged to accept anything which was commonly accepted as "money", and that should their insistence on "legal tender" have been supported, it would have resulted in the bill being paid entirely in coins, which would have been a nonsense; stopping short of saying that the council would have been "cutting off their nose to spite their face", but seeming to hint at it. For tourists: You can spend Scottish notes in England and they are exactly equivalent to their English counterpart on a one for one commission free basis. If changing Sterling abroad, do not accept an inferior rate for changing Scottish notes than is being offered for English notes as the two are equivalent. You are very unlikely to encounter problems spending Scottish money in England, I did it for many years and was never refused. The definition of legal tender is something which is acceptable as payment of a debt. If you pay using legal tender, the other person has no recourse to chase you for payment. As part of the Skye Road Bridge tolls protest, people have paid in small coins using the greatest number of small denomination coins which constituted legal tender. Using entirely 1ps for instance would not have been legal tender and could have been refused. (This definition is a simplification, see the Currency section of "Halsbury's Laws of England" for a full legal definition.) Britain came off the Gold Standard more than 60 years ago. The Scottish banks are allowed to issue a relatively small amount without backing, and the remainder of their issue has to be backed by Bank of England notes to the same value. So the BofE goes bust, the others go with it. There is some info on monetary history at http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/other.html More info on legal tender is at http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/faqs.htm pictures of Scottish currency are at http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/ The following discussion with the Secretary of State for Scotland occurred on 23rd Jan 2008 re Scottish Banknotes and should be available via Hansard. Banknotes Malcolm Bruce (Gordon) (LD): What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the acceptance of Scottish banknotes outside Scotland. [179988] 23 Jan 2008 : Column 1481 The Secretary of State for Scotland (Des Browne): I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Malcolm Bruce: May I suggest that the Secretary of State impress on the Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England that it is high time Scottish banknotes were fully legally acceptable throughout the UK? They are authorised by the Bank of England and should have exactly the same status. If dollars and euros are acceptable to traders in England, surely Scottish notes can and should be, too. Will the Secretary of State endeavour to ensure that this anomaly is brought to an end? Des Browne: I am delighted to have the opportunity to expand a little on the status of Scottish banknotes. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock) (Lab): And Irish ones. Des Browne: And, indeed, banknotes from Northern Ireland. One of the great successes of the very successful financial services sector in Scotland is the privilege enjoyed by commercial banks to publish banknotes when other banks, including commercial banks in England, do not. The fact is that under the law Scottish banknotes enjoy exactly the same status as all other methods of payment throughout the United Kingdom, although that is not widely known. They are perfectly legal, and people should know and respect that. I know that on occasion some of my countrymen have had their banknotes refused, but I have been in London a great deal over the past 11 years, and in connection with my ministerial responsibilities have periodically had Northern Ireland banknotes in my wallet. No one has ever refused to accept one of them. 23 Jan 2008 : Column 1482 Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): The Secretary of State says it is a matter of fact that Scottish banknotes can be accepted throughout the United Kingdom, and he is right, but it is also a matter of fact that often they are not. That was highlighted in an excellent article in the Sunday Mail on 6 January. The paper conducted a random sample, and found that it was difficult to get notes accepted in Liverpool, Tadcaster, Coventry, Manchester, Ashton-under-Lyne and London, where even the railway ticket vending machines would not accept them. Will the Secretary of State acknowledge that although this may not be a massive problem, it is a source of embarrassment and irritation to many of our constituents every year, and will he use his office to address the problem? Des Browne: I welcome the opportunity to repeat what I have already said. Scottish banknotes are legal, and enjoy exactly the same status as any other method of payment. The fundamental problem is that the law of contract throughout the United Kingdom allows people not to engage in a transaction at the point of payment if they do not wish to do so. I should be happy to join the hon. Gentleman and his party in a discussion about reforming the law of contract if that is what he wishes to do, although I suspect that we would find it difficult to obtain the necessary legislative time or the necessary support. But he is right: in the 21st century, this irritation should not exist for people who are tendering legal notes in payment. I think the best thing for us all to do is to take every opportunity to tell people that those notes are as good as anyone else's, and should be accepted. More info on the Scottish legal system in general is at [1.8] [1.8] Legal questions The Law Society of Scotland --------------------------- http://www.lawscot.org.uk/ Scottish Law Information ------------------------ http://www.scottishlaw.org.uk/ Statutory instruments of the Scottish Parliament ------------------------------------------------ http://www.scotland-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/ Scottish Law Commission ----------------------- Te statutory body concerned with updating and reforming the law of Scotland. http://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/ Books ----- Scotland has its own legal system and its own laws. Answers to most common Scottish consumer questions can be found in: Your Rights and Responsibilities, A personal guide for Scottish Consumers. Published by HMSO and the Scottish Consumer Council. ISBN 0 11 495205 1, 4 pounds 95p Telephone orders: 0171 873 9090 Also, "The Legal System of Scotland" also published by HMSO. Related ------- For information on legal tender, see [1.7]. There is also a newsgroup news:scot.legal Solicitors on-line ------------------ http://www.blaircadell.com/ http://www.georgesons.co.uk/ http://www.highlandlaw.co.uk/ The Law Society of Scotland, http://www.lawscot.org.uk/ provides a search facility to find contact details of Solicitors firms, including their websites. Making a will ------------- http://www.scotwills.co.uk/ A site specifically for Scots to make their Will:- Without a Solicitor and completely legally. Only takes a few minutes and site is a member of Which? webtrader. You can also print it off and sign it - all online See the site for more info. Introduction to Scots Law ========================= Article by Angus MacCulloch mailto:msrlsam@fs1.ec.man.ac.uk Scotland has a completely separate legal system from that of England and Wales. Although it does share some institutions, the legislature and the House of Lords (sitting as a Court). This stems from Scotland's independence before 1707 and is enshrined in the Act of Union. Scots law stems from two main sources, enacted law and common law. Enacted law has the authority of a body with legislative powers. Enacted law can come from many sources, some include Royal proclamation or order, Acts of Parliament (either the old Scots Parliament or the UK Parliament), the European Community Treaty or European legislation, or local authority bye-laws. Common law derives it authority from the courts and is based on Scots legal tradition. Both forms of law have equal authority and often operate in the same areas. Under the theory of the "supremacy of Parliament," as partially recognised in Scotland, enacted law will override common law, but common law cannot override an enacted law. Common law develops through the judgements of the courts. To predict how it will deal with a given situation one must examine the decisions of the courts in similar cases. Common law initially derived from the Roman law, as codified under the Emperor Justinian, and canon law, the law of the church. One of the other sources of law was the writings of eminent legal scholars such as Lord Stair, Erskine and Bell, Hume, and Alison. The Scottish courts separate into two streams, those which deal with criminal cases, and those that deal with civil cases. The criminal law regulates the relationship between the individual and the state. Civil law regulates relationships between individuals. The criminal courts are, in ascending order of authority: The District Court, the Sheriff Court, and the High Court of Justiciary. The civil courts are, in ascending order of authority: The Sheriff Court, the Court of Session, and the House of Lords. The doctrine of "precedent" means that the decision of a higher court will be binding on a lower court. The High Court of Judiciary and the House of Lords are not bound by their own decisions. The decision of an English court is never binding upon a Scottish court. The decisions of the House of Lords sitting as an English court will be of a persuasive nature in a Scottish case. There are also specialist courts which deal with particular areas, such as industrial disputes, land matters, criminal charges against children, and heraldry. The courts have a long history. The Sheriff courts date back to the 12th century, the Court of Session was established in 1532, and the High Court of Justiciary was established in 1672. Scottish judges will sit on both criminal and civil courts, although some may be seen as specialising in particular areas. The judges are appointed by the Crown from practising lawyers, both solicitors and advocates. The Not Proven Verdict ---------------------- Scots law is unusual in allowing three alternative verdicts in a criminal trial. Although the "Not Proven" verdict is known, incorrectly, as the third verdict, it has a 300 year history in Scotland. Even though it has a long history it has been the subject of criticism since 1827 when Sir Walter Scott, novelist and Sheriff, described the not proven verdict as "that bastard verdict, not proven." The verdict of not proven is essentially one of acquittal. In all respects the verdicts of not guilty and not proven have exactly the same legal effects. In practice it is thought that a verdict of not proven simply means that the judge or jury have reasonable doubt as to the accused's guilt. It is interesting to note that the not proven verdict is used in one third of acquittals by juries, and in one fifth of acquittals in non-jury trials. Because of the higher number of non-jury trials ninety per cent of all not proven verdicts are returned in such cases. It is generally thought that the verdict gives juries, and judges, an option between not guilty and guilty where they feel that the charges have not been proved but they equally cannot say the accused is "not guilty" because of its moral connotations. Current challenge to the verdict stems from the dissatisfaction and feelings of injustice suffered by the families of victims of crime. Political influence has also been apparent, in 1993 George Robertson tabled a Private Members Bill to abolish the verdict. The legal profession has been divided over the issue most of this century. A number of eminent judges have attacked the verdict. One saying that it was theoretically and historically indefensible, Lord Moncrieff in 1906. Others have supported it. In 1964 Lord Justice General Clyde stated that "for upwards of 200 years a not proven verdict has been available . . . and no convincing argument has been advanced to justify its elimination from our law." One view from England helped to explain the reason for the not proven verdict, Judge Gerald Sparrow wrote, "I have often thought that the distinction typifies the different spirit of Scottish and English law: the Scottish being the more logical, the English more sporting." The original verdicts in Scots law were "culpable" and "convict"; or "cleanse". Guilty and not guilty were introduced by Cromwell during the Usurpation, when he imposed English judges on Scotland. After the reformation the Scots courts reverted to asking judges to find whether the facts in the indictment were "proven" or "not proven." The "not guilty" verdict was reintroduced in 1723 in the trial of Carnegie of Findhorn for the murder of the Earl of Strathmore. In 1975 the Thomson Committee which examined Scottish criminal procedure recommended that the three verdict system be retained. In 1993 the Scottish Office said that "it was not convinced that there was enough groundswell of dissatisfaction from the public and, crucially, from the legal profession" to justify any scrutiny of the not proven verdict. Most recently in 1994 the Government in a White Paper, Firm but Fair, dealing, inter alia, with the verdict made no proposals for any changes as in the absence of "a considerable weight of informed opinion against the verdict" the three verdict system should be retained. It would appear that there is no immediate prospect that there will be any change in the current three verdict system. Trespass -------- It is a perpetual myth that there are no trespass laws in Scotland. Even before the recent Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, trespass has long been a delict (civil wrong) which is remediable by the remedies of interdict and damages. However, The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 amends the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 and establishes a statutory right of access. Certain types of trespass have been criminal since the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 was passed, an Act no-one has ever heard of. Section 3 makes it an offence for any person to lodge in any premises, or occupy or encamp on any land, being private property, without the consent of the owner or legal occupier. Admittedly this section envisages a degree of permanency which will not be present in every situation of trespass. Land Reform ----------- The Feudal System of land holding was abolished in Scotland by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Act 2003, with effect from 28th November 2004. Prior to that date the rights to land were split between dominium utile (right of use) belonging to a "vassal", and the dominimum directum belonging to a "superior". The vassal was liable to give a "feu duty" to the superior: originally this could have been military service, a quantity of grain or other obligations; in the C18th these were all converted to payment of sums of money. In 1975 legislation introduced rules for voluntary and compulsory redemption which required feu duties to be redeemed by the payment of a one-off lump sum. Since the 2003 Act, superiorities have been eliminated, and all former vassals are now "owners". Provisions were also included to redeem all feu duties still in existence, and to transfer the right to enforce certain feudal title conditions from the superior to the owner of neighbouring land. Following the final counties of Scotland becoming operational on the Land Register of Scotland, Registers of Scotland are working on ARTL (Automated Registration of Title to Land), and consideration is being given to the closure of the Register of Sasines. Readers interested in Land reform may be interested in the book "Who Owns Scotland Now: Use and Abuse of Private Land", by Auslan Cramb, ISBN 1851589643. List price 9.99 UKP (paperback) 14.99 (cloth). More info --------- http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/scottishoutdooraccesscode.html http://walking.visitscotland.com/ [1.9] Scottish Books The following are all recommended as good places to look for Scottish books on-line (alphabetic by URL) Scotland/UK =========== Amazon ------ http://www.amazon.co.uk/ Blackwells ---------- http://www.blackwell.co.uk/ Books From Scotland ------------------- http://www.booksfromscotland.com/ Has lots of info on Scottish books, literary figures, writers and associated info. Canongate --------- http://www.canongate.net/ Canan ----- http://www.canan.co.uk/ Gregory's Books --------------- http://www.gregorysbooks.com/ John Smith's ------------ http://www.johnsmith.co.uk/ Scottish Publishers Association ------------------------------- http://www.scottishbooks.org/ Scottish FAQ Books ------------------ http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/books/ Thistle Press ------------- http://www.thistlepress.co.uk/scotbooks/ Waterstones ----------- http://www.waterstones.co.uk/ National Library ---------------- The National Library of Scotland is at http://www.nls.uk/ Others ------ http://www.diverseworld.com/stuart/stuart1.html http://www.nwp.co.uk/ http://www.scotlandonline.com/entertainment/ http://www.scottishbooks.com/ Worldwide ========= Amazon ------- http://www.amazon.com/ Searches ======== For book searches and price comparisons, try http://www.addall.com/ (highly recommended) [1.10] Business start-up information Enterprise/Business start-ups ============================= Enterprise Agencies (national) ------------------------------ Scottish Enterprise http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/ Highlands and Islands Enterprise http://www.hie.co.uk/ Young Enterprise Scotland http://www.yes.org.uk/ Business shops http://www.leel.co.uk/bloo.html Networking groups for Entrepreneurs =================================== Now Business http://www.sharedbiz.net/ We entrepreneurs http://www.weentrepreneurs.com/ Approx 50 pounds per meeting. Scotland's only Innovation Consultancy http://www.uk-idea.com/ The Entrepreneurial Exchange http://www.entex.co.uk/ Business Links ============== In Scotland ----------- Angels Den http://www.angelsden.co.uk/ Scottish Development Finance http://www.scottishdevelopmentfinance.co.uk/ IRC Scotland http://www.ircscotland.net/ They can help find new products or technologies from across the UK and Europe. They can also promote technologies and innovations for commercialisation or further development Targeting Innovation http://www.targetinginnovation.com/ Deliver business support services to a broad range of companies and organisations in software, innovation, biotechnology, e-business and intellectual asset management. They have a key role in helping start-ups, established businesses and organisations in these sectors based throughout Scotland. Scottish Financial Enterprise http://www.sfe.org.uk/ ICASS is a government initiative, supported by European Funding, which provides specialist advice and counselling for Scotland's inventors and small innovative companies http://www.icass.co.uk/ Centre for Entrepreneurial finance (Scottish Enterprise) http://www.equityfinance.org/ Scottish Equity Partners http://www.sep.co.uk/ The Queen's awards for Enterprise http://www.queensawards.org.uk/ National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts http://www.nesta.org.uk/ In the UK --------- Grantfinder is the most comprehensive database of UK and EU funding, including grants, loans, subsidies and other incentives. http://www.grantfinder.co.uk/ British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) http://www.bvca.co.uk/BVCA/Welcome.html Working Model http://www.workingmodel.co.uk/ Help with building prototypes. Highly recommended. Baylis Brands http://www.baylisbrands.com/ From the inventor of the clockwork radio Techcrunch UK http://uk.techcrunch.com/ Organised know how http://www.organisedknowhow.co.uk/ LKT Business Solutions http://www.lktbusinesssolutions.com/ Non UK sources -------------- Venture Finance http://www.tpsite.com/tp/vf/ American Inventor http://www.americaninventorspot.com/ Other links =========== Scotland -------- E-commerce Scotland http://www.ecommerce-scotland.org/ Scottish IS - the trade body for IT in Scotland http://www.scotlandis.com/ Useful info on company startups http://www.startupweb.com/ Patent Attorneys http://www.hindlelowther.com/ http://www.murgitroyd.co.uk/ http://www.marks-clerk.com/ http://www.ip-g.com/ http://www.kennedyspatent.com/ http://www.fitzpatricks.co.uk/ Legal information ----------------- http://www.pinsentmasons.com/ http://www.out-law.com/ UK oriented ----------- Federation of Small Businesses http://www.fsb.org.uk/ http://www.bba.org.uk/ British Bankers Association. Has a useful search engine to compare business bank accounts http://www.cssa.co.uk/ CSSA is the trade association for the IT services and software sectors, representing the interests of companies in these sectors since 1975. CSSA currently has over 600 member companies representing approximately 80% of the industry by turnover with combined revenues of more than 14 billion pounds in 1998. In addition CSSA's business growth service provides support and advice to a further 700 young, hi-tech companies. Patent search ------------- http://gb.espacenet.com/ Information for exporters ------------------------- See [1.12] [1.11] Scottish import shops United States ============= Scottishcrofters.com -------------------- http://www.scottishcrofters.com/ Scottish Crofters is a web-based import store. They sell tartans, kilts and accessories, crafts from the Highlands, handmade bears dressed in custom tartans, and a broad range of traditional Scottish and Celtic jewellery. Dunedin Scottish ---------------- Dunedin Scottish 5402 Airport Boulevard Tampa, FL 33634 (813) 885-5880 Order line- 1-800-237-5836 mailto:dmcdonal@cftnet.com Great Scot ---------- Great Scot has a web site with secure on-line shopping at http://www.greatscotshop.com/ We rent kilts and also have an easy payment plan for kilt purchases. Our kilts are made at the Lochcarron Mill in Scotland. We ship world- wide. We carry tartan ties, sashes, scarves, clan crest badges and key fobs, kilts, bagpipes, maps, books, music and videos, chanters, sporrans etc. We also have jewellery we order through several different sources in Scotland. David and Sally Fay Great Scot P.O. Box 1817, Nashville, IN 47448 Tel:800-572-1073 Fax:812-988-8094 mailto:greatscot@bigplanet.com Scottish Lion ------------- http://www.scottishlion.com/ The Scottish Lion Import Shop is located in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA, where, for the last 27 years they have been offering fine Scottish, Irish and British imported items. They are the largest mail order catalogue and store in the eastern U.S. Gael Force Imports, Inc. ------------------------ http://www.psnw.com/~gforce/ Music, Gifts and Jewellery, Books and Videos, Resources and Information. P.O. Box 26445 Fresno, CA 93729-6445 US or Canada Toll Free 1-800-905-4268, other (209) 438-9661 Fax (209) 438-8813 mailto:mail@gaelforce.com Norway ====== The Norwegian Import Shop in Norway is: House of Scotland Elisenbergveien 35 N-0265 Oslo Norway Tel: (47) 22 55 37 86 They specialise in Scottish Import Products: Clothes, shoes, etc. It is also possible to order items like bagpipes and practice chanters etc. through them. They are also specialists in Burberries. [1.12] Scottish exporters Scottish Exporters Virtual Community ------------------------------------ A site to help Scottish companies promote themselves internationally through the Internet. The site provides a lot of free information: export and market research information with country guides; information on how to do business in these countries and a library section has some papers on marketing. http://www.catalyse-int.com/ Exporters may also be interested in http://www.netbanx.com/ for secure on-line card clearance See [14.10] for gift/tourist shops in Scotland and info on Scottish shops which export. [1.13] Scottish inventors and inventions See here http://www.scottish-inventions.org.uk/ has info on famous inventors, inventors in history. If you're currently inventing things, contact: Inventors Helpline Scotland Mike Brown mailto:mike@inventors.demon.co.uk [1.14] Scottish business links Shopping ======== Major Shopping Centres: Buchanan Galleries, Central Glasgow http://www.buchanangalleries.co.uk/ Braehead, about 5 miles west of Central Glasgow http://www.braehead.co.uk/ The Gyle, western outskirts of Edinburgh http://www.gyleshopping.co.uk/ McArthurGlen, Livingston Desginer outlets, discount prices http://www.mcarthurglen.com/centres/home.cfm?centre=livingston Stirling Thistle Centre, Scotland's first covered shopping centre unfortunately no website Falkirk Howgate no website For general high street everyday shopping (ie food, electrical goods, clothes etc) I can highly recommend the site Fixture Ferrets http://www.fixtureferrets.co.uk/ Finance ======= http://www.financescotland.com/ Banks ----- Bank of Scotland http://www.bankofscotland.co.uk/ Royal Bank of Scotland http://www.rbos.co.uk/ Clydesdale Bank http://www.cbonline.co.uk/ Insurance/Assurance ------------------- CGU Group http://www.cgugroup.com/ Scottish Amicable http://www.scottishamicable.com/ Scottish Provident http://www.scotprov.co.uk/ Scottish Widows http://www.scottishlife.co.uk/ Standard Life http://www.standardlife.com/ Utilities ========= British Energy http://www.british-energy.com/ Scottish Hydro Electric http://www.hydro.co.uk/ ScottishPower http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/ ScottishTelecom http://www.scottishtelecom.com/ The Scottish Water and Sewerage Customers Council http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/ [1.15] Getting a job in Scotland Printed media ============= The Scotsman and The Herald carry job adverts most days, although Friday is the best day for both. The Scotsman has an Edinburgh bias to the jobs in it, the Herald a Glasgow bias. However, sometimes jobs in Edinburgh are only advertised in the Herald. I've also seen Highland jobs only advertised in the Herald. Best to get both if you're not fussy about location. If you live outside Scotland, the best paper with a UK wide circulation and with a focus on Scottish jobs is Scotland on Sunday. Can't say much about the journalism though, after all it is from the Andrew Neil propaganda machine. The Scotsman is at http://www.scotsman.com/ The Herald is at http://www.theherald.co.uk/ Scotland on Sunday is at http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/ Online resources ================ Note: Many of the on-line resources are biased towards jobs for those in the computer industry. Job metasearch -------------- http://www.jobs.co.uk/ Meta search for jobs. Potentially a great (although rather obvious) idea but has some way to go to be a useful search as there are limited search options and the integration between the jobs.co.uk site and the others is very lacking in places. One day they may all get their collective acts together and create a common API which produces something useful. Alternatively, contact us as we are interested in developing such an interface and are looking for funding/sponsors/partners. Jobsite ------- Similar to Jobserve although some jobs may appear on one and not the other. Send an e-mail to mailto:jobsite@jobsite.co.uk or visit their website at http://www.jobsite.co.uk/ Tel: 01243 641141 Very flexible search which actually seems to work, unlike many other sites. Highly recommended. They have launched a Scottish flavoured version at http://www.scotrecruit.com/ which is highly recommended Jobserve -------- Jobserve allows to to filter jobs by location so you can receive a mail whenever a job in Scotland comes up which matches your criteria (e.g. technical skills) For more information about JobServe, please send a blank e-mail to mailto:help@jobserve.com or visit their website at http://www.jobserve.com/ Unfortunately, you can't filter by salary so you often get back a load of irrelevant dross. Unfortunately also only agencies can use the service. This means that vacancies with many smaller companies are not to be found here as such companies cannot afford the 30% of first year's salary which agencies charge, often for a few hours work (not bad work if you can get it!). This is the original online job matching service and it shows. It doesn't look like they've updated their search facilities since launching in 1994, c'mon guys when is the salary filter going to arrive? Website is noted as PANTS here: http://www.siliconglen.com/usability/jobserve.html careerjet --------- http://www.careerjet.co.uk/ Covering all job sectors and the whole UK, this useful job search has a wide range of jobs and a detailed geographic filter but no salary search and no option to multiselect various locations. TipTopJob --------- http://www.TipTopJob.com TipTopJob.com is a general job board. Search through thousands of jobs across 34 different industries and apply online. Set up email alerts and add your CV to help yourself get recruited. Scottish Jobs on the Net ------------------------ http://www.scottishjobsonthe.net/ No nonsense Scottish Job board with no annoying pop ups just thousands of jobs throughout Scotland Scottish Jobs ------------- http://www.scottishjobs.com/ One of the most flexible searches going, highly recommended. Killer Jobs ----------- http://www.killerjobs.com/ A decent website with a reasonable number of results. No salary search though. Keywords are mandatory (so no browsing for just the top paid jobs, irrespective of keywords) IT Job Board ------------ http://www.theitjobboard.com/ Monster ------- http://www.monster.co.uk/ Apparantly the market leader, although unfortunately they can't email you the actual details of jobs which match your requirements! TotalJobs --------- http://www.totaljobs.co.uk/ IC Scottish Recruitment ----------------------- http://www.icscottishrecruitment.co.uk/ Search by salary doesn't work One of the worst job websites for usability Website is noted as PANTS here: http://www.siliconglen.com/usability/icscottish.html Scottish IT Jobs ---------------- http://www.ScottishITjobs.com/ Jobs in Academia ---------------- For jobs in academic circles http://www.jobs.ac.uk/ http://www.AcademicCareers.com/ S1 Jobs ------- http://www.s1jobs.com/ Allows filtering by salary (hooray) The Appointments Section ------------------------ http://www.taps.com/ ScotlandJobs ------------ http://www.scotlandjobs.com/ - Domain available http://www.movejobs.com/ - Domain also available Agencies -------- http://www.best-people.co.uk/ Best People http://www.careercare.com/ CareerCare http://www.computerpeople.co.uk/ Computer People http://www.elan.co.uk/ Elan http://www.headresourcing.com/ Head Resourcing http://www.hudson.com Hudson http://www.search.co.uk/ Search Search are Scotland's largest independent recruitment Agency and have the largest online database of jobs covering Scotland. http://www.tps.co.uk/ Technology Project Services http://scotland.efinancialcareers.co.uk eFinancialCareers Scotland - Scotland's Financial Job Marketplace Software Academy ---------------- The Software Academy, mailto:software.academy@scotent.co.uk, is a Scottish Enterprise venture to provide support and advice on recruitment and skills projects including: assistance with the recruitment process, Training Needs Analysis and access to the Graduates into Software programme. Rules and regulations ===================== If you are not a European Union citizen, then there are complex laws around obtaining a work permit and residency or being a student. You are strongly advised to consult the British Embassy or Consulate in your country for official advice. There is some information at from the Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ entitled "Naturalisation as a British Citizen - A guide for applicants" which should help. and http://britain-info.org/ regarding immigration rules to the UK [1.16] Scottish Yellow Pages Scotland.org - the first and only public-sector sanctioned yellow pages of Scotland http://www.scotland.org/ there is also a "white pages" service from this address businesses can also be found in http://www.yell.co.uk/ "Yellow Pages" is a registered trademark of BT in the United Kingdom See also Scottish entries in http://www.ukdirectory.com/ The US gateway for Scottish Tourism is at http://www.toscotland.com/ Friends of Scotland http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/ Highlighting the best that Scotland offers the world [1.17] Scottish White Pages The Scotweb scottish store http://www.scotweb.co.uk/ [1.18] Getting Scottish addresses and phone numbers If you have an incomplete address and want the full address, there is a lookup service for all UK addresses available at http://www.royalmail.com/ For "Yellow Pages" information, see [1.16] For "White Pages" information, try http://www.192.com/ once you have the postcode, you can get a local map via http://www.multimap.com/ (see [14.5]) To locate people, try http://www.whowhere.lycos.com/ [1.19] Buying a house, letting accommodation Property websites ================= Solicitors ---------- http://www.sspc.co.uk/ Essential viewing - select the local site for your area Solicitors and Estate Agents ---------------------------- http://www.scottishproperty.net/ http://www.s1homes.com/ Scottish property and real estate throughout Central Scotland. This site and the SSPC site have more listings for Scottish properties than any of the sites below and both are well worth a look. Mostly estate agents -------------------- http://www.your-move.co.uk/ http://www.propertyfinder.co.uk/ http://www.propertywindow.com/ http://www.property.scotsman.com/ http://www.thehousehunter.com/ http://www.fish4.co.uk/ http://www.itlhomesearch.com/ http://www.assertahome.com/ http://www.rightmove.co.uk/ Note that many of the above are dominated by purely estate agents and the same property will likely appear on many of the above sites. Solicitors tend to only put their properties in the SSPC guides, so there is minimal overlap with other sites. http://www.edinburghnews.com/ (Edinburgh Evening News, Edinburgh area only) New Homes --------- http://www.new-home-locations.net/ Essential viewing if you want a brand new house, the other sites and publications are generally hopeless at distributing information on new homes. Lettings -------- http://www.lettingweb.com/ Mortgages ========= The following sites are good places to look for a mortgage Easiest to use -------------- http://www.moneyextra.com/ (personal favourite) http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ http://www.ukmortgagesonline.com/ http://www.charcolonline.co.uk/ (the search engine behind Tesco Finance, Interactive Investor) http://www.moneysupermarket.co.uk/ Also worth trying ----------------- http://www.firstmortgage.co.uk/ http://www.yourmortgage.co.uk/ http://www.mortgageseekers.co.uk/ http://www.moneyfacts.co.uk/ (search has to be started from the beginning if you change anything) Solicitors ========== The majority of property in Scotland is sold through solicitors offering an estate agency service. The Scottish Solicitors Property Centre site at http://www.sspc.co.uk/ has links to the various local centres around Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Tayside, Highlands, Perth, Aberdeen, etc) which cover properties for each particular area. Each site has a convenient computerised matching service. This system is really convenient but is so efficient it can lead to a large number of people chasing after a small number of highly desirable properties. You can sometimes pick up a bargain by specifying you are interested in all areas. Estate Agents ============= Solicitors have a particularly high market penetration in the cities, and sell over 92% of Edinburgh properties for instance. However, in more rural locations and in smaller towns, the balance is not so one sided and may be around 50/50 split between estate agents and solicitors in these places. Timber Frame Houses ------------------- There is information on buying a timber frame house at http://www.scotframe.co.uk/ Free house prices for Scotland, no need to register either! http://www.nethouseprices.com/ Property for sale ----------------- View this property for sale http://www.siliconglen.com/house/ [1.20] Women's issues Engender -------- http://www.engender.org.uk/ described as: "...a Scottish site for women.... Engender is our own research and campaigning organisation for women in Scotland, committed to greater visibility, influence and yes...power for women." Quine ----- http://www.quine.org.uk/ Quine Online - Scottish Women Has everything from rape crisis centres to traditional quilting. Lots of organisations have sites housed within this one. Glasgow Women's Library ----------------------- http://www.womens-library.org.uk/ mailto:gwl@womens-library.org.uk [1.21] Community information http://www.mbn.co.uk/ascc/ Association of Scottish Community Councils To be on a community council, you generally need to be on the electoral roll for that council's area. Because the electoral roll is compiled in November, but the elections to the community council are in September, this means you must have been living in the community council's area for between 10 and 22 months in order to be eligible to stand. http://www.slainte.napier.ac.uk/ISC3815 Scottish community information [1.22] National holidays The usual 8 Scottish holidays are: 1 Jan Ne'ers day (for traditions see [12.16], [12.17]) 2 Jan Scottish New Year holiday Good Friday May day holiday (First Monday in May) Spring Holiday (Last Monday in May) August holiday (First Monday in August) 25 Dec Christmas day (for traditions see [12.15]) 26 Dec Boxing day These holidays differ from England as follows: England gets Easter Monday instead of 2 Jan. England's August holiday is at the end of August. There are also "harmonised" Scotland holidays in which Scotland gets the holidays listed above except the August holiday is the English one rather than the Scottish one. Scottish School holidays are generally the end of June to the middle of August; about 2-3 weeks ahead of the holidays in England. Scotland also has local holidays at various times of the year, (eg September) and also trade fairs fortnight. Edinburgh's is the first two weeks in July, Glasgow's is the 3rd and 4th weeks in July. Although it is called trades fortnight, the first day of the fortnight is widely taken as a local holiday across many businesses, particularly public sector. During this time, local travel may operate a cut down timetable. [1.23] Sheep http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/ Everything you ever wanted to know about breeds of Sheep. Common Scottish types are Cheviot, Shetland, Boreray, Hebridean, Orkney, Scottish Blackface. [1.24] City status This one has provoked much heated argument, not least because the official definition of a city is now out of step with the traditional definition of a city and there is a certain amount of politics associated with what is a city and what isn't and historically differs from the use of the term in England. From the time of David I (12th C) the term city (or civitas) was introduced from England initially from the association with episcopal seats. However unlike England, the word city was conferred on every town with a cathedral no matter what its importance, trading rights or size. Later a city might acquire burgh status (e.g. Dunblane) or Royal Burgh status (Elgin), however the two are independent - there were 68 Royal Burghs in Scotland at the time of their formal abolishment in 1975. There is no indication that at any time from the 12th century up to the 21st century when city status was conferred on Stirling and Inverness, that the title of city confers any special rights, privileges or status. It appears to have been exclusively an honorific title and a matter of civic pride for the inhabitants of the town and recognition by the monarch. It also gave a certain importance to towns that were not burghs or royal burghs and differentiated them from ordinary villages. There is a claim that Dunblane was granted city status by James IV in 1500 when he ruled Scotland from the nearby Royal burgh of Stirling. I welcome evidence of how this was conferred as it has so far been difficult to trace. There is a possible explanation that 1500 was about the time James IV spent quite a lot of time with Margaret Drummond, possibly marrying her in private. However, in order to block this and make way for his marriage to Princess Margaret of England, Margaret and her two sisters were poisoned in 1501 and all three got a magnificient send off in the Cathedral where they lie to this day. So perhaps Margaret was Dunblane's reason for being made a city and equally for evidence being hard to find. This story does not explain why in 1150 when Dunblane's Bishopric was founded that the town was not granted city status then and had to wait 350 years. A much more plausible explanation is that of the 13 pre-reformation cathedral sites in Scotland, 11 of which were in towns, the term city was often used to refer to the town - see the letter from Pope Benedict XIII of Avignon, September 10, 1403, which refers to "the people of the city and diocese" (of Dunblane). The "rank" of medieval Scottish towns was thus: Village (lowest); City (village with a cathedral, honorific title), Burgh (legal status) and finally Royal Burgh (legal status) The 11 towns, some of which use the term city today were: Old Aberdeen, Brechin, Dornoch, Dunblane, Dunkeld, Elgin, Fortrose, Glasgow, Kirkwall, Saint Andrews and Whithorn The remaining two cathedrals were at Iona (seat of the Bishopric of the Isles) and Lismore. It is unclear whether initally city status was conferred by the monarch or whether it was simply a term to describe the seat of a bishop. However, over time, city status is something granted by the monarch and there is not only a gap between a cathedral being founded but also the creation of cities where there is no cathedral. By the time of the 17th century there is a clear documented gap. Charles I founded the Bishopric of Edinburgh in 1633 but the earliest recorded instance of Edinburgh being called a city dates from 1687. There is also Stirling which became the first Scottish city, historic or modern, to not have a cathedral. By the 19th century a number of Scottish towns are calling themselves cities but it appears that there is no record of how this was officially conferred. The first record appears to come via a Royal Charter granted to Dundee, on 26 January 1889. The 1929 Local government Act created three different categories of burgh one of which was cities and this list was Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. Only Dundee seems to have a Royal Charter, the rest are Royal Burghs which have been known as cities since medieval times. So much for the smaller towns which had equal claim to the title. By 1972, the "Municipal Year Book" gave the list of Scottish cities as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth and Elgin. It is unclear why Perth appears in this list when Perth has never been a cathedral city and why Elgin is listed and none of the other cathedral cities are. By 1975 the former Burghs and Royal Burghs lost their ancient rights. Thus city status which formerly served to differentiate a village from a place with a cathedral now became the most sought after honour which could be bestowed on a town. The situation we have today is thus: Two places with a cathedral which were never a city (Iona, Lismore) 11 places with a cathedral and associated settlement which became known as cities from the 12th century. Old Aberdeen, Brechin, Dornoch, Dunblane, Dunfermline, Dunkeld, Elgin, Fortrose, Kirkwall, St Andrews, Whithorn. Many of these places still use the term city in various contexts, e.g. "City and Burgh of Dunblane", "Brechin City (Football)". Perth which is refered to as "The fair city" although it is unclear when the city term originated. 3 major towns (Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen) which hold city status from medieval times and which enjoy official city status today. 3 towns which have been granted city status by a Queen: Dundee: Royal Charter, 26 Jan 1889. Inverness: Royal Letters Patent, 18 December 2000, for the millenium. Stirling: Royal Letters Patent, 14 March 2002, for the Golden Jubilee. There are no further plans to grant city status for the time being. These latter 6 form the Official List of Cities as recognised by the Scottish Executive. However it is unclear what the grounds are for this list when only 3 appear to have documentary evidence of city status. It is also unclear why as recently as 1972, Perth and Elgin were recognised as cities but are no longer and why the ancient cathedral towns are not recognised as cities. However, any town which historically called itself a city is still free to do so. The only difference is that they are not on the government's Official List Of Places We Officially Acknowledge As Cities. It is also expecially odd as Dunfermline discovered that in Medieval times it was called a city and on 16th September 2000 pulled out of the competition to award millenium city status on the basis that it already was one, a fact recognised by the executive. Why it should then be excluded from the official list simply seems strange. As a result, the 6 Official Cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling and Inverness now seem to have an elite club and whilst fine for those places does seem to play down the important Scottish tradition and status accorded to many other towns and there is no clear explanation as to how this list was arrived at other than a mixture of recent Royal charter or letters patent, or being a big town with a cathedral. The only Scottish towns today with an Anglican cathedral that don't have city status are Oban and Perth. The OED ------- I wrote to the OED regarding the use of the term "City" and the term "High School" which I also felt to be wrong as regards Scotland: Oxford University Press wrote back to me and said: "I agree with you that the definitions of 'High School' and 'city' may be misleading in respect to Scotland, and we will consider revising them at the earliest opportunity." Some definitions ---------------- Cathedral: The principal church of a diocese in which is to be found the bishop's throne or cathedra Civitas: The name civitas was applied by the Romans to each of the independent states or tribes of Gaul; in later times it adhered to the chief town of each of these states, which usually became afterwards the seat of civil government and of episcopal authority. The term later meant "a centre of civilized living". Burgh: Conferring Burgh status gave a town self-government. Burghs had special trading privileges, which were very important to the prosperty of the town and its inhabitants. Burghs were represented in parliament. Royal Burgh: (or King's Burgh). Had no superior above them except the King. This was the highest status which could be conferred on a town. Royal burghs had a monopoly on foreign trade. They also had more representation in parliament than non-royal burghs. Often the Royal Burghs were sea ports or had some close connection with royalty (e.g. Linlithgow and its palace) The Burghs' trading rights were abolished in 1832 and the Burghs themselves in 1975. [2.1] Celtic background It is incorrect to think of Scotland as a wholly Celtic country. Since the first millennium BC, Scotland has been a place of multiple languages and this tradition continues today. First of all it was Pictish and British; then Gaelic, Norse and Scots came and today it's English, Scots and Gaelic. Nearly all of Scotland was once Gaelic speaking except Orkney, Shetland and Caithness which had a variety of Norse until recent times and East Lothian which was settled by the Angles. Galloway had a Gaelic community which became separated from the Gaelic speaking Highlands and Gaelic was still in use until about the 17th century in Galloway. Gaelic is a Celtic language, like Irish, Scots is a Germanic language like English. "Poets, scholars and writers in Lowland Scotland up until the 16th century readily acknowledged Gaelic to be the true and original Scottish language. As we know, though, it was an incomer just as much as Anglo-Saxon! For Walter Kennedy 'it suld be al trew Scottis mennis lede': ('Flyting with Dunbar' c.1500)" section quoted from "Gaelic: a past and future prospect", Kenneth Mackinnon. Other notable reads include anything by the late Prof Kenneth Jackson, particularly "A Celtic Miscellany", any of John Prebble's books (eg "1000 years of Scottish History") or Nigel Tranter ("The Story of Scotland"). The book "The Lyon in Mourning" about the Jacobite uprising is online here: http://www.nls.uk/print/transcriptions/lyon/vol2/ Particularly recommended is Michael Lynch's "Scotland: A new history" ISBN 0712698930. 517 pages, published 8-October-1992. The Michael Lynch book is particularly excellent - I have a copy myself and it was also recommended by a friend with a degree in Scottish History. Vast in scope with 25 chapters spanning 18 centuries, from the Picts to the 1980s and aimed at the general reader. However, will miss out on anything related to The Scottish Parliament. More info here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0712698930/scottishmusiccom The author is Professor of History at Edinburgh University and President of the Historical Association of Scotland. For the most up to date recommended guide on Scottish History, take a look at The Oxford Companion to Scottish History edited by Michael Lynch. Hardcover - 758 pages, published October 2001. The Oxford Companion to Scottish History has more than 170 expert contributors. It interprets history broadly, including archaeology, architecture, climate, culture, folk belief, geology, and the langauages of Scotland. It covers more than 20 centuries of history, including immigrants, migrants, and emigrants. It extends from Orkney and Shetland to Galloway, the Western Isles to the Borders. It deals extensively with Scots abroad, from Canada to Russia to New Zealand. It includes entries on historical figures from Columba, Macbeth, and William Wallace to James (Paraffin) Young. It covers Burns Clubs, curling, and shinty. It ranges from clans to Clearances and Covenanters. More information and related books at the following link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0192116967/scottishmusiccom If you're interested in Celtic mythology, an excellent online reference is at http://irelandnow.com/ulstercycle/frame.htm [2.2] Celtic art and font links Clip art etc ============ http://celticknots.atspace.com/ http://home.ctnet.com/drew/celthome.html http://home.ctnet.com/drew/knotwork.html http://home.pi.net/~siteklj/cornwall.htm http://members.aol.com/Cyrion7/celtic/ http://members.aol.com/ragnarok/artype/celtic/ http://people.wiesbaden.netsurf.de/~kikita/ http://webclipart.miningco.com/msub6.htm http://webclipart.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa020698.htm http://wvnvm.wvnet.edu/~cna00104/ http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/5872/graphics.html http://www.dickalba.demon.co.uk/ http://www.iserv.net/~scottish/ http://www.ceolas.org/clipart.html http://www.celticlady.com/ http://www.planet.net/celtart/ http://www.siliconglen.com/joscelin/ http://www.siliconglen.com/craig/gaidhlig.html http://www.underbridge.com/market/walker/ http://www.highlandersoftware.com/ Fonts ===== http://members.aol.com/ragnarok/artype/celtic/ http://www.celticvoice.com/readings/gaeil1.htm http://www.evertype.com/ http://www.indirect.com/www/engard/runes/runefont.html http://www.ragnarokpress.com/artype/celtic/ http://www.ragnarokpress.com/scriptorium/2faces.html http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~smacsuib/fonts/ http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~bigted/celtica/ http://www.vintagetype.com/ http://yeats.csufresno.edu/GAELIC-L.HTML FTP sites --------- ftp://ftp.winsite.com/pub/pc/win3/fonts/ Newsgroups ---------- See also the newsgroup news:comp.fonts Information on Celtic fonts --------------------------- Gaelic script is not based on Irish Uncial, but Irish miniscule, 8th century style. The Anglo-Saxon miniscule of the tenth is exactly the same script, plus thorn, wyn and edh (as exemplified by the 9th-century gloss to the Linsfarne Gospels), so much so that some academics argue that Gaelic script is derived from Anglo-Saxon miniscule, rather than the other way round. It's an old quibble, arising from the similarity of these two scripts. If you are looking for a definition of Gaelic script, either could serve as a source. Gaelic script is characterised by a triangular letter A, and leans towards Italic rather than the round upright majuscule, or uncial proper. The book of Durrow is a particularly good reference source. [2.3] The Celtic cross It isn't Christian nor Celtic. The oldest examples of the "Celtic" cross are those engraved or painted on flat pebbles, dating from 10,000 BC and found in a cave in the French Pyrenees. These "ancestor stones" were believed to contain the spirits of the dead. In Scotland, The stones at Callanish are laid in the shape of a Celtic cross. Callanish also predates Christ. It is possible the Christians took the cross symbol from the Celts or Megalithic peoples but certainly not that the Celts took the symbol from the Christians. Links ----- Information on megalithic sites is available at http://www.placedirectory.com/stones/stones1.htm Callanish info at http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2621/callanis.htm [2.4] Postgraduate courses in Celtic studies There are three Celtic departments in Scotland Edinburgh University, Glasgow University and Aberdeen University Edinburgh --------- Dept of Celtic, The University of Edinburgh, 19/20 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD Fax: 0131 650 6536 Tel: 0131 650 3622 contact: Professor William Gillies http://www.arts.ed.ac.uk/celtic/ Degrees available: PhD (min 3 years); MLitt (min two years); MSc/Diploma (one year/nine months) Entrance qualifications for all three is a good Honours degree in Celtic studies or a related or relevant discipline, but I understand each case is considered on its individual merits. The MSc/Diploma is based around a series of prescribed specialisms including literary, linguistic and historical options of which candidates choose one. There isn't much specific info on the content of the other courses The Dept of Celtic was founded in 1882 and is the oldest in Scotland. Current members include Prof William Gillies (head of dept), Ronald Black and Roibeart O Maolalaigh. Allan MacDonald also takes part in teaching. Nerys Ann Jones, Kenneth MacKinnon and Cathair O Dochartaigh are Honorary Fellows of the Faculty of Arts in the field of Celtic Studies. Aberdeen -------- Roinn na Ceilteis / Celtic Dept University of Aberdeen Taylor Building King's College Old Aberdeen AB9 2UB Tel: 01224 272549 Fax: 01224 272562 http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~lng014/celtic_dept/ Glasgow ------- Roinn na Ceilteis / Celtic Dept Glasgow University Glaschu G12 8QQ Tel: 0141 339 8855 mailto:celtic@arts.gla.ac.uk Cathair O'Dochartaigh is the head of department at Glasgow and Thomas Clancy (British Academy Post-Doctoral fellow) teaches there. It is said that Aberdeen, then Edinburgh then Glasgow give their students the best opportunities to leave as fluent Gaelic speakers. Edinburgh also has the School of Scottish Studies which is the world centre for Scottish ethnology, folklore, traditions, customs etc (covers the whole of Scotland, not just the Highlands). The School of Scottish Studies offers courses in ethnology and has strong links with the Dept of Celtic (both part of Edinburgh University) http://www.pearl.arts.ed.ac.uk/SoSS/ mailto:Scottish.Studies@ed.ac.uk There may eventually also be courses on offer at the University of the Highlands and Islands http://www.uhi.ac.uk/ There is also a Celtic studies dept at St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Ken Nilsen teaches at St FX, used to teach in the Boston area see Dr Ken Nilsen's homepage at http://www.stfx.ca/people/knilsen/ For info on summer courses in Nova Scotia, see http://www.ceilidhtrail.com/ There is also a Masters program at U. of Wales, Cardiff in Welsh Ethnology Jordanhill offers courses for people wishing to become Gaelic teachers Jordanhill College 45 Chamberlain Road Glaschu G13 1SP Clydebank College also offers Gaelic courses Clydebank College Kilbowie Road Clydebank Siorramachd Dhun Breatann G81 2AA There are also Celtic Studies departments at Harvard College and Stonehill College (in Easton, Massachusetts) and the University of California at Berkeley. There is an Irish Studies Program at Boston College. See also -------- http://www.yahoo.co.uk/Social_Science/Celtic_Studies/ [2.5] The history of language in Scotland In Britain (including Scotland), Brythonic Celtic predates Gaelic by almost 1000 years or so. Being spoken from Kent up to Glasgow and across to Wales. Some people even suggest that Brythonic was spoken in Ireland before Gaelic, but this notion begs the question... Where did Gaelic come from and when? But that's another story. Pictish (possibly Celtic) would probably predate even brythonic. As to Gaelic and English in Scotland, The Highlands of Scotland were occupied by Picts and the Lowlands were occupied by Brythonic Celts. The Romans occupying the Lowlands during this time and when the Romans left in 407, they left a weak kingdom, but still brythonic. The Scots (Gaelic speaking) extended their region of Dalriada into Argyllshire, between 500 and 550. The Angles extended the Kingdom of Northumbria into Lothian, Berwick, Selkirk, Peebles and Roxburgh. As far as I am aware these areas are in present day Scotland. The Angles spoke a dialect of what is know today as "Old English". The Angles moved into this area about 540 -600, these are rough dates. As time went on, Scotland was left with 4 distinct areas. Dalriada, Pictland, Strathclyde and Lothian (Northumbria). In 625 the Northumbrian Kingdom stretched from the Humber to the Forth and was ruled by Edwin. In 685 the Northumbrians decided to try and extend Northumbria into Pictland and hence invaded the Picts, but this was a big mistake. The Northumbrian army was defeated by the Picts and eventually Northumbria lost supremacy to the Southern Saxons. (Also why RP is based on Southern English and Not Northumbrian ???). The Picts became the supreme overlords of the Scots in Dalriada and the Brythonic Celts in Strathclyde. About 785, Pictland started to receive attacks from bands of Norse invaders and these lead to Pictish defeats and in the 830 (approx), the Norse invaders made permanent settlements. In 843 Dalriada threw off Pictish control, where upon the Scots King Kenneth MacAlpine laid claim to the Pictish throne through the Celtic law of Tanistry. Followed by the union of the Picts and the Scots. The now "United Kingdom" tried to oust the Northumbrians from Lothian but were unsuccessful. At this time the Norse people occupied the Western Isles, Northern Isles and Caithness. The Scots allied themselves to the English to get rid of the Norse Invaders and sometimes allied themselves with the Norse to get rid of the English. It was not until 1018 that the Scots Kingdom managed to remove Lothian from the hands of the Northumbrians and in 1034 the Scots, Angles, British and Picts were a United Kingdom of Scotland. As far as I am aware MacBeth was the last of the Gaelic Kings, and he himself was followed by Malcolm, whose wife (an English lass) moved the royal court to Edinburgh around about 1070. At this time many persecuted English people moved into Lothian from England due to Norman Conquest. The English who were persecuted in England flourished in Scotland. The real point of all the above is that English has been spoken since the 6th Century in Scotland. Not all of it but quite a large piece. Modern Scots dates back to the first Angle invasions at this time. Incidentally whilst parts of Scotland were English speaking, parts of England were still Celtic speaking eg West Yorkshire Kingdom of Elmet and part of Cumbria. To sum up English has been spoken for longer in Edinburgh than in Leeds. Nick Higham has written an excellent book on the history of Northumbria. (The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350-1100) [2.6] Celtic knotwork Article by S Walker (mailto:swalker706@aol.com) Celtic knots or Celtic interlace are ornamental patterns that first became associated with Celtic people in the early Celtic Church where they were used to decorate Bible manuscripts, monuments (notably Celtic crosses and cross slabs) and jewellery. They probably were used in other media such as wood carving and textiles but these have not survived. Knotwork tradition in manuscript painting probably came to Ireland with displaced Coptic monks from Egypt by way of St. Martins monastery at Tours (in what is now France) in the 4th or 5th century. This is not a settled issue as far as the art historians are concerned but the best evidence I have seen points to Coptic prototypes. From Ireland the style spread to Scotland (then Pictland and Dalriada), Wales and Northumbria and with missionaries of the Celtic Church to Europe. Viking raiders later appropriated some of the design concepts into a more chaotic style of animal interlace. Celtic knots are complete loops with no end or beginning. Celtic animal interlace is similar in construction but the cords terminate in feet, heads, tails etc. The animal designs are very much influenced by an older Saxon tradition of abstract beast forms that when combined with the new more sophisticated knotwork of the Celtic designers became known as Hiberno-Saxon. A good Celtic artist will never end a strand that is not stylised into a zoomorphic element or spiral. Rather pure knots should always be unending. On this point of ornamental grammar you can distinguish much that is made to look like Celtic design by designers who do not really know the tradition. The Coptic examples of knotwork that pre-date the early Irish work are consistent this way while the Roman and Germanic examples of knotwork that sometimes are cited as possible sources often have loose ends. The way that ribbons are coloured in some of the early Irish work, particularly the BOOK OF DURROW is the same as the Coptic preference and there is a parallel evolution in Moorish design. Do not get the idea that all Celtic art is borrowed and souped up from other cultures. Celtic spiral designs are an older design form and have been practised by the Celts since the dawn of their existence. Very difficult and sophisticated spirals exist in the same early works where the knotwork and animal designs are relatively crude. The Book of Kells is the best known source of Celtic knots as well as other types of Celtic ornament. The Book of Kells is a fantastic collection of paintings that illuminate the four Gospels in Latin, penned circa 800 AD The incredible degree of ornament and detail caused Giraldus Cambrensis in the 13th century to call it: "the work not of men, but of angels" or as Umberto Eco wrote in 1990: "the product of a cold-blooded hallucination" In recent years Celtic Knots have enjoyed a revival however way too much of this has amounted to copies of historical knots used in tourist type craft goods. Fortunately there are a few artists who take the subject more seriously and are creating new and exciting knots. Check out Patrick Gallagher at http://www.planet.net/celtart/ or Walker Metalsmiths at http://www.celtarts.com/ Alexander Ritchie made quite a lot of pretty good silver jewellery incorporating knotwork on the Isle of Iona from 1900 to his death in 1941. George Bain wrote an excellent book titled CELTIC ART THE METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION that is great if anyone is serious about learning how to create new knots in the Celtic tradition. Bain's book was first published in 1951 but appeared as a series of booklets before that. Aidan Meehan has a series on Celtic design with an entire volume titled KNOTWORK. As for symbolism: knotwork designs are emblematic in modern times of the Celtic nationalities. The symbolism that has come down through the ages is as obscure and indirect as much of the speech and literature of the Celtic people. How then can we understand it? If that which is not prose must be poetry, knotwork's meaning defies literal translation and should be sought at a deeper level. the repeated crossings of the physical and the spiritual are expressed in the interlace of the knots. The never ending path of the strand represents the permanence and the continuum of life, love and faith. Particularly recommended material for artists interested in knotwork is any of the books by Aidan Meehan. [2.7] Pan-Celtic organisations in Scotland The Celtic League ----------------- The Celtic League publishes 'Carn' which is in all 6 of the Celtic languages as well as English. There is also a Scottish edition "Stri" which is in Gaelic and English. For more information on the Celtic league in Scotland, contact: Iain Ramsay 22 Denholme Gardens Greenock/Grianaig Scotland/Alba PA16 8RF Telephone/Fon: 01475 785843 http://alba-branch.tripod.com/ Membership is 10 pounds (15 for two people at the same address) For general information, see http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague/ Celtic Congress --------------- http://www.evertype.com/celtcong/ A' Cho\mhdhail Cheilteach, mailto:seonag@cnag.org.uk Barry John Steen, 7 Grebe Avenue, Inverness IV2 3TD [2.8] Imbas mailing list IMBAS ===== The list focuses on Celtic Reconstructionism and wishes to support the remaining Celtic languages and people as possible, and to better understand the beliefs and customs of the Celts throughout history. There are two ways of signing onto the list. You can do it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/imbas-public/ or by sending an email to imbas-public-subscribe@yahoogroups.com [3.1] What is the Scots language. Who do I contact for more info? The Scots language is a Germanic language related to English. It is not Celtic, but has been influenced by Gaelic, as Scottish Gaelic has been influenced by Scots. "Briogais", "gaileis", "baillidh", "snaoisean", "burach", "sneag", etc etc. For more info, contact: Scots Language Society Blackford Lodge Blackford Perthshire PH4 1QP tel: 01764 682315 fax 0870 428 5086 mailto:mail@lallans.co.uk Membership is 7 pounds a year. More details in [3.3] There is also some info in the following section: "The Pocket Guide to Scottish Words: Scots, Gaelic" by Iseabail Macleod. Published by W&R Chambers, Ltd. 43-45 Annandale Street, Edinburgh EH7 4AZ (ISBN 0-550-11834-9). Widely available at bookshops and airports US distributors Unicorn Limited, Inc. P.O. Box 397 Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 (304) 379-8803 It has "Place names, personal names, food and drink. Scots and Gaelic words explained in handy reference form." There are 30 pages of Scots words explained. No grammar. It does list a number of interesting sounding books: Scots is not slang. If you want to know about slang, see here http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/ Scots Language Dictionaries --------------------------- "The Concise Scots Dictionary". Mairi Robinson, editor-in-chief. Published 1985, (Aberdeen University Press) 862pp, a comprehensive one-volume dictionary covering the Scots language from the earliest records to the present day; based largely on: William Grant, David Murison, editors "The Scottish National Dictionary" 10 vols., 1931-76, the Scots language from 1700 to the present day, and: Sir William Craigie, A J Aitken et al "A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue" published up to Pr- in 5 vols., 1931-, the Scots language up to 1700. Alexander Warrack, "Chambers Scots Dictionary" 1911, 717pp. "The Scots School Dictionary", ed. Iseabail Macleod and Pauline Cairns, Chambers 1996, 370pp. The best two-way dictionary currently available. General Scots Books ------------------- A J Aitken, Tom McArthur, eds "Languages of Scotland" 1979, 160pp., a collection of essays on Scots and Gaelic. David Murison "The Guid Scots Tongue" 1977, 63pp "The New Testament in Scots" 1983, by W L Lorimer A Scots grammar : Scots grammar and usage : Scots that haes David Purves (Saltire Society, 1997). Just to add to the list of books of/about Scots, one should mention the reprint of P Hately Waddell's The Psalms: Frae Hebrew Intil Scots (orig 1871, reprinted with modern introduction 1987 by Aberdeen Univ Press). I would love to see some instructive writing about the Scots tongue, more than just word-lists. Especially pronunciation, intonation, cadence, etc. as well as grammar. Recommended reading ------------------- There are two books that are essential reading on the subject of Scots. The first is "Scots: the Mither Tongue" by Billy Kay. This is available both in hardback and paperback. The second is "Why Scots Matters" by J. Derrick McClure. This is more of a booklet than a book, and is an inexpensive paperback. Colin Wilson has written a book to learn Scots called "Luath Scots Language Learner - an introduction to contemporary spoken Scots". This book was launched on 9th September 2002. Published by Luath Press Ltd, ISBN 094648791X. you can buy the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/094648791X/scottishmusiccom There's also George Kynoch, Teach Yourself Doric, Scottish Cultural Press; published in 1995, I think. Links ----- The relevant Scottish Office department covering the Scots language is at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Arts-Culture [3.2] On-line Scots language info Links ----- Scots language corpus. Highly recommended. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/ http://www.umist.ac.uk/UMIST_CAL/Scots/ is the URL of Clive Young's "Scots on the Wab", the best "wab steid" about Scots. Clive Young his screived a buik titled "The Scots Hanbuik" (1995) an his pit it on the WWW at: http://www.umist.ac.uk/UMIST_CAL/Scots/haunbuik.htm The Scots National Dictionary Association http://www.snda.org.uk/ A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue http://www.arts.ed.ac.uk/dost/ http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/CAMP22.html is the web site of the Univairsitie o Aiberdeen Scots Leid Quorum. Links to various resources concerning Scots: http://babel.uoregon.edu/yamada/guides/scots.html Scots Teaching And Research Network http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/www/english/comet/starn.htm Scots language resource centre http://www.pkc.gov.uk/slrc/index.htm mailto:slrc@sol.co.uk 'Wir Ain Leid - An Innin til Modren Scots' an is anent Scots eidiom an gremmar. The URL is http://www.scots-online.org/ See also http://www.paidmyre.demon.co.uk/ E-mail and newsletters ---------------------- There is a newsletter "The Gliffden". Contact Dauvit Horsbroch for more information. mailto:cel016@abdn.ac.uk There is also an excellent newsletter "Scots Tung Wittins". mailto:rfairnie@sol.co.uk for more info. Tel: 0131 665 5440 Newsgroups ---------- news:scot.scots FTP Sites --------- ftp://jpd.ch.man.ac.uk/pub/Scots/ScotsFAQ.txt [3.3] Scots Language Society / Scots Leid Associe Whit's Scots? ------------- jouk, gulravae, stech, fushionless, ill-setten, nieve, orrals, pley, incomin, havers, clamihewit, murlin, upbring, hant, pleesure, bravity, fantoush, smeddum, scunner, gilliegaupus, thrawn, glaikit, airtit, bogshaivelt, flouers, eedjitm lintie, champit, pauchtie, dour, nainsel, pech, haun, .... It's our ain tung! ------------------ The Scots Language Society exists to promote Scots in literature, drama, the media, education and every day usage. Since Scots was once the state language of Scotland, it is a valid part of our heritage and the Society recognises that it should be able to take its place as a language of Scotland, along with Gaelic and English. As well as promoting the language and lobbying education authorities and the media for greater use of Scots, the society publishes the twice-yearly "Lallans", the magazine for writing in Scots (free to society members) plus a newsletter in Scots. It holds an annual conference, which has been addressed by eminent writers, actors, journalists, musicians, television presenters, scholars and others, and runs competitions encouraging both adults and children to write in Scots. The society can provide advice on the language to theatre companies, schools, etc. The society is a registered charity. Did ye ken? ----------- The Anglo-Saxons said "Hoose" for "House", "Sang" for "Song" and "Maist" for "Most" In Scotland, even speakers of Standard English use Scots words, idioms and grammatical constructions without even realising it. Think about "Janitor" (care-taker) or "I've got a cold" (I've a cold) or "Outwith" (Outside) Scots was once the state language of the kingdom of Scotland, used by all classes for all purposes Many of Scotland's greatest writers have used the Scots language to express many of their most profound thoughts and ideas. eg. Robert Henryson (c 1430-1506), Robert Burns (1759-1796), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Hugh MacDiarmid (1892-1978). A