History is very important to the Scots as a nation - it gives them a chance to dream of their country as an independent nation again - although they always had trouble when they were independent with their next door neighbours!
I originally started Scottish History at university as I was ashamed about how little I knew - I caught the bug and ended up with a degree in it! The history of Scotland is littered with good and bad guys, battles (which the Scots had a habit of losing), intrigue, politics, bribery, regencies, poverty, and riches. The history of Scotland does not stand on its own, but is intertwined with that of most of Europe, especially England (the Auld Enemy), Ireland, France (the Auld Alliance), Norway, Denmark, Russia, Iceland, Holland and the Low Countries, and Rome.
Pages with interesting or useful links include:
Skyelander's
Scottish & Medieval History WebSite A good general introduction
to the whole of Scottish History
Rampant
Scotland Basically a list of links to interesting pages to do
with Scottish History, castles, clans, education etc. - basically most
things that you might want to know - links to official and personal sites
(some of which are better than the official ones!)
Scotland
FAQ A collection of links for everything you could possibly want to
know about Scotland, legal system, education, money, history etc.
Work your way down the list of topics, explore and enjoy yourself!
Scotland
the Best! The website version of the bestselling book.
Grades the best places (whether in Scotland, UK or the world!) within categories,
e.g. castles, pubs. places to eat etc.
Stones
of Scotland A personal website by an Italian with a love for
standing stones! A wonderful site - with personal assessments of
all the sites as well as more general travelling information for visitors
- worth a look just to see the site itself.
CLANS
As you
may have noticed from the URL address, my surname is Buchanan. Clans
are an historical association within the highlands of groupings of people
with the same family name - or associated names (septs) who looked to larger
clans for protection in return for certain obligations. Clans really
refer to Highland families, no such grouping as 'clans' as such existed
in the Lowlands, although loyalty to one's own family name grouping - such
as Scott or Armstrong - was equally as important and often led to as many
battles as there were between the clans of the Highlands.
Although
I am a 'member' of the Clan Buchanan, going back a couple of generations
I am also related to the Swansons (clan Gunn), MacDonalds, MacDougalls,
MacNaughtons, Barrs and Thompsons (clan MacTavish). There are strong
clan associations in the USA, many of which are contactable through discussion
lists found through the Gathering of
the Clans website. Although most of these lists are dedicated
to researching genealogy, most of the contributors are willing to help
with any query that may be pertinent to whichever clan you are addressing.
They also make interesting reading!
If
you are more serious about your research, I would suggest you try the Genforum
websites
- there is a discussion list for thousands of surnames (not just Scottish
ones), and for countries as well - if you don't find what you are looking
for, you can always start a discussion list for your own name.
FURTHER READING
A History of Scotland by Sir Fitzroy MacLean:- A very quick and general history of Scotland, but it has lots of pictures!
Scotland by Michael Lynch:- A comprehensive, yet readable introduction to Scottish History in general.
T.C. Smout:- Professor Smout (Historiographer Royal of Scotland) has written a very good series of book pertaining to the economic and social history of Scotland since the 16th century mainly. Although very valuable text books, they are also eminently readable - very unusual for a text book!
James IV by Norman MacDougall:- Although I must admit some bias as having been taught by Dr MacDougall, King James IV of Scotland (1488-1513) is one of my heroes - even though he came to a sticky end at Flodden! He attempted to found the Royal Scottish navy at the beginning of the 16th century - much to Henry VIII's annoyance next door! This book is his 'biography' and also highlights many of the other political problems arising from the many regencies that Scotland underwent.
History of Orkney by W.P.L. Thomson:- The history of the northern isles is fascinating as they were not part of Scotland until the end of the 15th century, and so developed along very different lines. This book also covers the rich prehistoric history of Orkney as well as the 'viking' period for which it is so famous. Another bias here as Orkney is one of my favourite places in Scotland - especially the Ring of Brodgar.
Dorothy Dunnett:- I had to put Mrs Dunnett in here again! Although fiction, her Lymond series of books are based on very well researched historical fact and are a very pleasant way to learn Scottish history of the 16th century!
John Smith & Son (Bookshops) - Scottish booksellers who will help you locate all of the above books, and any more relating to Scotland you may be looking for.
It is a little harder to understand my interest in maritime history as I come from a town about as far away from the sea as you can get in Scotland, and there is no history of sea-faring in our family, yet I have been fascinated by it for years. Perhaps I can blame the Hornblower books for that!
Britain being an island, you would think that maritime history is of great importance to this country, but it is relatively recently that maritime and underwater archaeology has become widespread. There are many good maritime museums around the country, including the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, London; the Merseyside Maritime Museum at Liverpool; Chatham Historic Dockyard, Kent; S.S. Great Britain, Bristol; Anstruther Fisheries Museum, Anstruther, Fife - to name but a select few (not all of which I have visited!)
There are thousands of shipwrecks littering the seabed around the British Isles - including some from the Spanish Armada of 1588 - although they cover the whole range of history from earliest times to the present day. You can dive on many, although some of the more important shipwrecks are protected by law and may not be dived on (for a full listing, see the Archaeological Diving Unit web site).
I have been fortunate enough to be involved with two boat reconstruction projects, both led by Damian Goodburn of the Museum of London, an expert in ancient woodworking techniques.
DUGOUT
The
first was a dugout logboat for the Anstruther Fisheries Museum - the boat
is on display in the museum - during a very cold autumn in 1991.
This was a replica of a prehistoric logboat found in Loch Doon, Ayrshire.
It underwent successful sea trials in Anstruther Harbour following completion
- it is very unstable! We also made a paddle and a bailer to go with
the boat from wood that was removed from the enormous oak log we started
with.
DOVER BRONZE AGE BOAT
The
second project was in Dover, and was a partial reconstruction of a very
important find of a Bronze Age boat. A wonderful few days was spent
hacking away at oak logs with bronze age replica axes and adzes in the
shade of trees on a hill above Dover. The boat is now on display
in the Dover Museum, and you can learn more details about this boat and
its importance to the understanding of seafaring on the Channel coast of
England at the web site below:
Reconstruction
in progress
Photograph by Dover Bronze Age
Boat Trust
Dover
Bronze Age Boat - including pictures of original boat and reconstruction.
FURTHER READING
Encyclopaedia of Underwater and Maritime Archaeology edited by James Delgado:- Exactly what it says it is! Good overview of the subject, although obviously not comprehensive.
Nelson's Navy by Brian Lavery:- An eminently readable and fascinating history of the state of the Royal Navy at the time of Lord Nelson. Covers all aspects of the Navy - shipbuilding, seamen, officers, funding, social affairs, food, and just about anything you could think of!
Ancient Boats in North-West Europe by Seán McGrail:- A comprehensive and scholarly look at the development of water transport up to 1500 AD using archaeological evidence. Very heavy going for the casual reader, but the 'bible' for this period and place in shipbuilding. Recently reprinted in paperback at £25 (was £50 in hardback!)
The Sea Remembers: Shipwrecks and Archaeology from Homer's Greece to the rediscovery of the Titanic edited by Peter Throckmorton:- A collection of articles by the authorities on various aspects of maritime history and archaeology - not just the ships, but submerged settlements and other related items. Very difficult to get hold of unfortunately, so you would probably have to get it through a second hand or remaindered booksellers if unavailable in a library (which it probably is!)- 1991 edition published by Smithmark, ISBN: 0-8317-4477-4
Earliest Ships: The Evolution of Boats into Ships edited by Arne Emil Christiensen and Robert Gardiner:- Another good introduction to the early history of boats - although not so comprehensive or such heavy going as McGrail's.
Ships and Shipwrecks of the Americas by George Bass:- One of the pioneers of underwater archaeology's overview of shipwrecks in American waters - a bit out of date now though, but a good introduction.
John
Smith & Son (Bookshops)
Internet
Bookshop
Scottish history is not the only area that interests me. Most places I visit I try to find out some of the local history - like Gozo and Malta in the Mediterranean. I am not really that involved in Egyptian history, although I enjoy reading the Christian Jacq series of 'factional' biography of Pharaoh Ramesses II. I was also interested in reading the alternative theory of Egyptian dating proposed by David Rohl in A Test of Time - not that I really understand that much of the history, but it was interesting anyway! His follow-up book deals with the history contained in the Book of Genesis - i.e. the location of the Garden of Eden, and the spread of peoples from there...
Following reading the Sharpe series of books (see entry in Books Galore for Bernard Cornwell), as well the Hornblower and Ramage series', I became more interested in the life of the Duke of Wellington, and read the wonderful biography of the 'Iron Duke' written by Christopher Hibbert, which covers his whole life - although perhaps concentrates more upon the post-Waterloo era when Wellington became involved in politics. It is very easy to read and not too complicated!
This is a new section, and I'll be updating it as I find more. There are lots of interesting archaeological websites out there, so some of these sites are very useful just for searching them! Any suggestions for any more you think I might have omitted, send me a note and I'll investigate.
GATEWAY SITES/SEARCH ENGINES
ArchNet - WWW Virtual Library - Archaeology - access to gateway sites covering the whole world - US site.
VL - Archaeological Resource Guide for Europe - a gateway site for archaeology - i.e. exactly what it says it is!
CBA guide to UK archaeology online - Council for British Archaeology - usefully divides its list into categories such as government, trusts, universities etc. - some of the links are a bit out of date, but at least it will encourage you that there is probably a website out there for you!
Council for Scottish Archaeology - not actually much on here, other than aims and objectives, but does have contact addresses etc.
Search UK Archaeology on the Internet - potentially useful, if I can get it to work - put it here on the off chance it will work some day!
ARChaeological Holdings Search System - search for that printed reference that's eluded you - or chase up your latest obsession in print.
British Archaeology on the Internet - a very useful site with lots of useful links.
WWW Virtual Library: Museums around the UK - frequently updated list of British museums with websites - plan your holiday here!
OTHER SITES OF INTEREST
Current Archaeology - magazine for enthusiastic archaeologists - amateur and professional - lots of interesting articles from all over UK
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (IJNA) - the IJNA is the academic journal for reporting on nautical archaeology - this site provide limited access to the articles and details on obtaining a subscription.
Archaeology Information - a personal website that is aiming to build up a fairly comprehensive list of useful sites - much more comprehensive than this!
The Newstead Research Project: Preliminary Report 1993 season - comprehensive archaeological report of the investigations at the important Roman fort of Trimontium. It's in here as nostalgia as I wrote my honours dissertation on Newstead!
Duart Point Archaeology - an enthusiast's website detailing the discovery, recording and possible excavation of the wreck of the Cromwellian ship, the Swan, in the Sound of Mull below Duart Castle, Isle of Mull by archaeologists from the University of St Andrews.
Time Team - Channel 4's very successful archaeology programme - also has a forum, where I spend a lot of time, where everyone just loves to answer your queries about archaeology and history - even the team members drop in occasionally! (If you have trouble accessing the site through this URL, go to the Channel 4 home page - they are playing around with their website at the moment)
World History - this website attempts to provide timelines for all the major historical events around the world - it also includes some maps. DOesn't cover Scottish history too well though!
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