Scottish history in Scotland

[Violet Crown]

Any Scots on the board?

 

For the next 2 months, our Texas homeschooling family is in St. Andrews, Scotland (not far from Edinburgh). We don't have a car available, and my husband is working during the weekdays. We're about a 1/4 mile from the bus stop, and I'm starting to figure out the arcane bus and train system despite only being able to understand 2/3 of what anyone says to me (though to be fair, "y'all" and "fixin' to" don't seem to be part of the local vocabulary :lol: ). The children are 2, 7, and 14, all girls.

 

So given the transportation constraints, what are the must-see places for Scottish history sightseeing? The teenager just finished The Story of Scotland by Nigel Tranter, a light and story-oriented overview of Scottish history. The 7-year-old devoured four little "Corbie" books on William Wallace, Robert Bruce, Rob Roy, and Bonnie Prince Charlie. We're fixing to see (there I go!) Edinburgh castle this weekend with the husband. The local folks are wonderful but keep recommending places like fun parks and aquariums, which frankly we did not cross the Atlantic to see, having plenty of those in Texas.

 

(Addendum: There seems to be some sort of election going on :tongue_smilie: and I would appreciate a link to some teen-friendly explanation of the political system, as I find myself unable to explain how a Prime Minister is different from a president, or how the Scottish parliament relates to the British Parliament, etc. Boy I'm feeling stupid and parochial lately.)

[Jamee]

I'm not sure how far these sites would be for you, but considering how big Texas is and how small Scotland is, probably not far.;) Loch Ness would be a given and if it were me, I'd love to go to Culloden Field.

 

The British Elections are currently taking place.

 

Wishing you a wonderful trip. I'm very jealous. My mother is from Scotland, but I have yet to go there, it's on the list.

[JoyfulMama]

The first time I was in Scotland (years ago) we used only public transportation, and found it to be incredibly improved from what we have here in the US. I have not spent much time in the Lothians (although I do have some golf towels from St Andrews), as I only ever took a day trip there each trip.

Scotland has a great tourism site. You can specify by region and then identify what types of locations you would like to see. Castles were by far my favorite each time I was there (at ages 13 and 22).

 

Also, for more information on Parliament, their website has lots of great information - check out the bottom of the home page for lots of informational links. I believe the focus of this is ages 11-14.

 

Enjoy your visit!

[Laura Corin]

Places that are easy to get to by public transport from St Andrews:

 

 

• Stirling (great castle) by bus (ask at the bus station)
  
• Edinburgh by train - Holyroodhouse is a great day out, with lots of Mary Queen of Scots related history. There's a regular bus from St Andrews to the train station in Leuchars, so getting to Edinburgh is easy.
  
• St Andrews itself: the castle is well worth a visit. I haven't been to the cathedral, but you could give that a try too.
  
• Fife Folk Museum in Ceres (twenty-minute bus ride - ask at the bus station) is quaint. It's very small, but has some lovely items used for old trades: farming, blacksmithing, spinning, etc. Ceres is a pretty village, and there's a nice walk up a valley to a lime kiln in Craighall Den. You could bring a picnic and combine the little museum and the walk.
  
• Dundee is also easy to reach by bus. The Discovery (polar exploration ship) has one of the best museums I've seen for young people. There's also a jute mill museum in Dundee, but I haven't seen it.
   
  
• If you go to the information office on Market Street in St Andrews, they should have a leaflet on the geology coast walk - it's a five mile walk and we found it fascinating, taking you through the geological history of the area as you walk along the beautiful coast. The office may well have other ideas about what you can do by public transport. They'll also be used to dealing with foreigners, so they should speak slowly for you. There are also two or three museums within St Andrews (which I haven't visited) and a botanical gardens. Don't miss the walk along Lade Braes - very pretty.
   
  

 

 

 

 

Quick description of UK democracy:

 

Our head of state is the Queen, so there's no election needed for that position (!). The government is carried out for her by the lower house (the house of commons) and the upper house (the house of lords). The latter is partly appointed, partly hereditary, so no elections.

 

There has to be an election for the house of commons at least every five years, but it can be a shorter period than that, as the prime minister gets to choose when the election will be. You vote for your local representative (member of parliament) - s/he usually belongs to one of the political parties. The head of the party with the most MPs becomes the prime minister. As you may have heard, there is some doubt this time round whether any one party will have a large majority of MPs, which could be interesting.

 

Devolution (partial local rule) from the Scottish and Welsh parliaments is relatively new. Only certain decisions have been devolved. In Scotland's case, it seems to be largely health and education. Everything else is still organised from the main Westminster parliament. There are separate members of parliament of the Scottish parliament (SMPs).

 

Do ask if any of this doesn't make sense. Wikipedia also has a fairly good summary of the UK and Scottish government systems.

 

Laura

Edited May 4, 2010 by Laura Corin

[Harriet Vane]

Definitely go see castles.

 

The transportation system is better than you might think. The island is not that big. Once there I think you'll find it easier to get around than you fear. Keep in mind, though, that Europeans expect to walk quite a bit more than do Americans.

 

Here is a link to the National Trust--it's a group that protects a lot of historic sites in the UK. I think there is another group that is similar, but I cannot remember the name of it.

 

http://www.nts.org.uk/Home/

[Harriet Vane]

Some further thoughts--

 

We loved Stirling Castle.

 

While in Edinburgh, make a point of doing the Mary King's Close tour. It's fascinating, and utterly unlike castle tours. It's one of the most interesting tours I have done in Europe.

 

Also, there are some Roman ruins free in the village of Twecker, not far from Glasgow. The ruins are right next to Hadrian's Wall (or it might be the other wall--I get them mixed up). You can see the wall itself there as well as the foundation of a Roman fort and a Roman bath house. It's small but really cool, and free. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy.

 

Consider an overnight trip to the island of Arran to see the stone circles. It's a major site, having six circles in close proximity. The island is utterly gorgeous, and there are castle ruins there as well. It's high on my personal list of must-see recommendations. There is a ferry to the island and good bus service there.

 

Also consider trying to spend a day on a moor--it's a nifty ecosystem and also has cool ancient standing stones, tors, and stone circles. If you look at a good map ahead of time most of them mark where the ancient features are. If you're really, really lucky you might even see moor ponies. This would definitely be a full day endeavor.

Edited May 4, 2010 by strider

[Violet Crown]

Many, many thanks for the suggestions and links. I can't wait to see all the castles, stone circles, etc. We've just seen the St. Andrews castle ruins and we're still reeling from the marvels of it, particularly the mine and countermine from the siege of the castle, which you can actually go down into.

[Guest amymarine]

Scotland is wonderful!! I second (or third) what was said about seeing Stirling and Stirling Castle - especially if your daughter enjoyed the William Wallace stories. There is a William Wallace monument tower in Stirling. As you climb up the tower there is the story of his life and at the very top you can see his sword.

[LaissezFaire]

Culloden Field

Stirling Castle

Wallace Monument (not far from Stirling)

Rob Roy Museum (Callander)

Edinburgh

Holyrood House

Urquhart Castle

Glenfinnan Monument (a must IMO)

We loved Castle Duone not so much for historical value but because it is just really neat and secluded. Plus Monty Python was filmed there.

 

Definitely get into the highlands and explore some hiking trails. There are a lot of hiking trails in Scotland.

 

ETA: Glamis Castle is a great castle to visit as well, loads of history there (and it was the childhood home of the Queen Mother. Also it's still inhabited.)

Edited May 4, 2010 by LaissezFaire

[Laura Corin]

Falkland Palace is wonderful and not far away. There should be a bus. It has history, gardens, a pretty orchard with picnic tables and a real (royal) tennis court. The village is charming too.

 

Laura

[Violet Crown]

We have taken, or are preparing to take, nearly all of the suggestions offered in this thread. We've seen Stirling Castle, where they were doing some historical reenactments from James V's court (the weapons demonstration was a hit); Edinburgh Castle; and yesterday, Lochleven Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned and forced to abdicate.

 

We really wanted to see the Mary King's Close tour, but they don't admit children under 5, so I would need to wait until my husband could come too. We're also planning on visiting Caerlaverock Castle, as everybody is very anxious to see the life-sized replica of the Warwolf, the trebuchet so terrifying the Scots tried to surrender before it had even been completely built. Another attraction we plan to visit is the Falkirk Wheel, which my kids think may be the coolest thing ever built. In a few weeks, the Orkneys, with high hopes to see the puffins.

 

Public transport has been easy and cheap, and I would recommend to anybody else visiting that they not bother with a car; you can get anywhere if you're willing to walk a little. And ask directions when there aren't signs. And not balk at ferry boats the size of a VW offering to take a dozen tourists across the water, sans lifejackets.

 

The two most useful sites so far have been Historic Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland. The Historic Scotland pass paid for itself by the second castle, and I highly recommend it.

 

Anyway, many thanks again to the great fellow homeschoolers who convinced me I could see Scotland with three children, an umbrella stroller, and a train pass. I don't ever want to go home. :D

 

(Oh, and besides the history actually sticking in little minds--my 7yo dd goes around telling me details of the lives of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace--the elections provided the greatest lesson in the difference between our political systems. I haven't seen an election that exciting since the Florida chad-count.:lol:)

[cathmom]

We are so jealous!!!

[Momling]

We just got back from a trip to the UK and had a wonderful time. Two of the highlights of our trip that aren't mentioned extensively in guidebooks were Vindolanda, along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland (especially relevant if you use Minimus!) and Dunnottar castle outside of Stonehaven. Dunnottar would make an easy day trip for you and is accessible by train, with a 3 mile hike along a public footpath. Vindolanda is also a 2-3 mile walk from the nearest train station, but there is also a bus that stops at tourist sites (leaving from Newcastle). It could make a nice overnight if you stayed at a B&B or hostel... Neither are teaming with tourists and were just really wonderful sites.

 

Also, we enjoyed reading "Scotland: A very peculiar history" (two volumes) before going.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Momling

[asta]

Don't know if this is too late, but for anyone going to Scotland, always buy the ScotRail Family and Friends card at the train station. It is only ₤26 and will save you 1/3 on adult fares and 60% on child fares. It is good for a year. When you combine it with advance purchase discounts, some of your train fares are practically nothing.

 

Oh - and Scots like to be called Scots, not English - they're not English, they're Scottish.

 

 

a

[Violet Crown]

Oh - and Scots like to be called Scots, not English - they're not English, they're Scottish.

 

Aaaaagh! Did I say 'English'?? :willy_nilly:

[swimmermom3]

Sharon, if I could side-track for just a minute. Do you have any other book recommendations other than the ones in your first post for Scottish history and literature for middle school? Thanks so much. I hope you have a wonderful stay in Scotland.

[ktgrok]

I'm so jealous! My husband and I were married and honeymooned in Scotland 2 years ago, and it was the most amazing place. Please do take the train, there are the most adorable trainstops in the highlands! I'd go to Eilean Donnan if you can get there with public transport, or on a weekend. It's great. And unless you have moral objections to alcohol the whiskey heritage museum is great fun, in Edinburgh. There is even a ride! And do tour a distillery, there is tons to learn about chemistry there. And of course Loch Ness. We stopped by the side of the road and picked wild blackberries, while looking for Nesse :) There are castles just everywhere, see as many as you can. OH, and the Isle of Sky is gorgeous, truly breathtaking.

[Violet Crown]

Lisa,

 

My dd14 is actually expected to write a paper after all this, so we can put half a credit of "Scottish History: Wars of Independence Through the Reformation" on her high school transcript with a straight face. She's planning to write something about the importance of technological differences in weaponry at the Battle of Flodden Field. Books she's found useful are Flodden 1513 by Niall Barr, and James IV by Norman MacDougall. Both are part of series: Tempus Publishing also has The Battle of Falkirk 1298 and The Battle of Bannockburn 1314, for those who like things military. The MacDougall is part of a series called The Stewart Dynasty in Scotland.

 

I really do need a reliable general history of Scotland, though. I'm not expecting anything from dd like the rigor that would be expected from a Scottish student for her GCSE--she's only a rising 9th-grader--but I'd be interested, too, to know what text people might recommend for an American high schooler going from zero to sixty in Scottish history.

[asta]

If you go into WH Smith's (I think it was Smith's, not Waterstones...) they will have a whole section devoted to the texts students have to buy for the standard and GCSE exams. They aren't very thick and are reasonably priced (under ₤20). I bet you could find one on Scottish history that would fill in any gaps she would need to flesh out her paper.

 

 

a

[Laura Corin]

Sharon, if I could side-track for just a minute. Do you have any other book recommendations other than the ones in your first post for Scottish history and literature for middle school? Thanks so much. I hope you have a wonderful stay in Scotland.

 

Depending on reading level:

 

Light on Dumyat (fairly easy)

The 39 Steps (harder)

Five Red Herrings (detective story - adult level but not hard)

 

Laura

[Laura Corin]

I really do need a reliable general history of Scotland, though. I'm not expecting anything from dd like the rigor that would be expected from a Scottish student for her GCSE--she's only a rising 9th-grader--but I'd be interested, too, to know what text people might recommend for an American high schooler going from zero to sixty in Scottish history.

 

Horrible History to get her going then this one (fairly easy) and this one (readable but dated). I also found this, but I haven't seen it. This one is used in schools for Scottish children heading for 'higher' exams at age 17. This is used for Standard Grade exams (the Scottish equivalent of GCSEs). The 'high school' history syllabus in Scottish schools doesn't cover the whole of Scottish history - the rest would have been covered earlier.

 

Laura

Edited May 21, 2010 by Laura Corin

[Rebecca VA]

Your younger children might benefit from reading "Our Little Scotch Cousin" online at www.kellscraft.com. The link is http://www.kellscraft.com/scotchcousincontent.html. This little book was written about 100 years ago and may seem dated to modern children, but it contains many valuable historic and cultural tidbits. It's definitely worth an hour of a child's time to read it.

[Laura Corin]

Your younger children might benefit from reading "Our Little Scotch Cousin" online at www.kellscraft.com. The link is http://www.kellscraft.com/scotchcousincontent.html. This little book was written about 100 years ago and may seem dated to modern children, but it contains many valuable historic and cultural tidbits. It's definitely worth an hour of a child's time to read it.

 

that, as far as I have encountered so far, 'Scotch' is now only used to refer to the whisky; 'Scots' is now used for the people and the dialect, not to be confused with Gaelic (pronounced 'gallic') which is a separate language.

 

Laura

[Violet Crown]

Thanks to all for the valuable tips on Scottish history books. I will be dropping by the W. H. Smith in town and checking out Amazon.uk (I'm already ordering books to our temporary address, I'm such an incurable. I think we're going to have to lug a very heavy book bag through the Edinburgh train station on the way out).

 

Dd loved The 39 Steps even before we arrived; great reading suggestion. (And skip the recent BBC remake!) I myself brought Scott's Waverley, for my edification and penance whilst in Alba, hoping I might like it more than I liked The Heart of Midlothian. On page 150 now with no discernible plot in sight. :ack2: My dh more wisely is reading Dunnett's King Hereafter, which he recommends for older high schoolers and parents alike.