By James T. Carney
Inverness is a pretty town, and I was glad I stayed there so as not to hold my fellow hikers up (as I said at the end of Part 3). Among the things I saw in Inverness was a monument to the Scots who had died in the two World Wars and in wars since. The number of names from World War I was almost twice as great as the number of names from World War II. In some ways, Great Britain never recovered from World War I, and the memories of it were partly responsible for the appeasement policies the British government followed in the 1930s.
Culloden did nothing for the reputation of the commanders involved. The Duke of Cumberland, brother of King George II, became known as the Butcher of Cumberland because of the brutal conduct of the English toward the fallen Scots. Bonnie Prince Charlie, on the other hand, completely blew it by not knowing what he really wanted to do, leading a night march to attack the British that failed because he couldn’t find them, and consequently leaving his men scattered over all the area and exhausted – a major problem for the Highlanders, who depended on brute strength to get through two volleys of musket fire in order to crash the English line.
When we were hunting for his master’s grave and Bobby’s monument, which turned out to be quite small, a couple of Scots came over and gave us directions and told us a vile canard about Bobby. Allegedly, Bobby had acquired a girl friend who took over the duty of guarding the tomb at night after Bobby became too old to continue. The sculptor who made the model of Bobby’s head was supposed to have gotten confused and modeled not Bobby but the girlfriend.
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.
[“My Heart’s in the Highlands,”
a 1789 song and poem by Robert Burns]
| Copyright © 2020 by James T. Carney |
Thank you so very much, Jim, for writing up your Highlands adventure and sharing it here. And thanks for the history. This is a good way for us to learn it.
ReplyDeleteJames, thank you very much for the history reminder and walking-tour details. I was particularly taken with your words about Bonnie Prince Charlie. Even today it seems most writers discuss him in idealized/romanticized terms, rather than grant him the harsh appraisal he apparently deserves, glad to see you cut to the chase instead of buy into the myth. I've always thought two American warriors--Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson--receive similarly unjustified praise by most who write about them; have you ever pondered any comparisons between them and 'The Young Pretender'?
ReplyDeleteSome questions only somewhat unrelated to your current writings: Have you ever visited the Loch Lomond area in general, or the Village of Luss in particular? My Scottish ancestors lived there for centuries before coming to America in the early 1800s, and I've pondered a "roots" sort of trip there. It seems "okayish" in official Scottish tour literature, but I wondered if you by any chance had personal insight on the region? And...about the food in Scotland...I follow a gluten-free vegan diet: Is there any hope of me finding anything to eat there, or would I need to pack enough crackers and Luna bars to make it through a trip? I lost 10 pounds during a 14-day tour of Iceland, and at times thought I might literally starve: Is Scotland likely to be a similar experience?
Gluten free vegan? In Scotland? Can you live on oatmeal? In 1964 Nancy and two friends were driving through the remote highlands and stayed overnight in a crofters cottage. For breakfast the lady of house opened a bureau drawer which was full of congealed cooked oatmeal. She scoped some out, heated it up, that was breakfast. Gluten free vegan!
DeleteWhen we rode in the van from Glasgow to Fort William we traveled along the west side of Loch Lomand going through the village of Luss. Luss is in the middle of a national park. It is a beautiful area and easily reached from Glasgow, which has one of the two international airports in Scotland. I am not a vegan but I think you would do much better in Scotland than in Iceland, particularly if you spend most of the trip in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The beer is quite good. I am afraid though, as regards haggis, you should suspend your principles briefly and try it, since it is the national dish. Porridge is almost always served with breakfast. Scots eat a lot of eggs and soup, although often the soup mixture may contain some fish.
DeleteBonnie Prince Charley should have turned around in Preston, when it was clear the English Jacobites were not going to rise up, and taken the boat to France, letting his army dissolve peaceably and go back to Scotland like the Army of Northern Virginia after Appomattox. I think both Jackson and Lee were great soldiers and should have followed a better cause. You can see my views of Lee’s actions in “The Great Silence of Robert E. Lee,” in the January 2019 issue of the Journal of Military History.
James, glad to hear my family roots trace to what you deem a beautiful area. When my son is old enough to appreciate such a trip, we may take him there. As for suspending my vegan principles to sample haggis...from what I've read of the dish, wouldn't it be worth pretending to be a vegan as an excuse NOT to eat haggis?
DeleteI will look up your article to see what you have to say about Lee. I'm no historian, but growing up in the Shenandoah Valley and writing about regional history much of my life has forced me to be painfully familiar with the doings of Lee and Jackson. Both had their moments of brilliance, but both also missed opportunities to score what could have been decisive victories. As a layman, Lee's record made me wonder if he was trying to win the war for the South, or if he was a mole trying to make sure the South did not win. He was, after all, offered command of the Union army before he became leader of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. At least that is what I've been told by regional historians.
My good friend, there are two types of people in the world: those who love haggis and those who hate it; there is no middle ground. Given your Scotch ancestry, I am sure that your genes will prompt you to love it.
DeleteMilitary history – and life – are filled with missed opportunities for brilliant victories. Union commanders facing Jackson and Lee won few victories – none of them brilliant.
James, you have been to Scotland and eaten haggis and I have not, so I defer to your opinion. I will add, however, that after decades as a vegetarian, the stench from my neighbors' grills--nearly 100 yards from my home--is about as inviting as the aroma of a restaurant dumpster in August, if I am stuck in traffic near one. So I have strong doubts about any innate affinity for haggis. My genetics suggest I should weigh 50 more pounds than I do and have some serious health issues by now, a fate I have avoided by spending my adult life following a vegan diet, and eating almost none of the foods my family raised me on or that my Scottish ancestors would have eaten.
DeleteSpeaking of health, you mentioned leg issues on your hike--best wishes getting that under control and maintaining your hiking way of life. Maybe a bit less meat and a few more veggies would put the spring back in your step? Food is said to be the best medicine.
I fully agree with you that there was little brilliance of the part of Union commanders. But they were savvy enough to know they had a huge advantage in available numbers of soldiers and in firepower, and they used their meat-grinder warfare tactics to effect. The main question I have about Lee's leadership, is why did he not grasp his disadvantages before it was too late? The northern states had more than twice the population of the south, twice the railroads, and manufactured something like 95% of the country's firearms: if Lee was as brilliant as generally credited, shouldn't he have known to avoid direct confrontation at all costs and use tactics similar to what George Washington employed to wear down the British? Robert the Bruce created a miracle at Bannockburn, but if an outnumbered and outgunned army is foolish enough to get into a fixed formation fight, doesn't it almost always end up like Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden?
Hi Friend,
DeleteI read with interest your comments on the Civil War. I should have limited my remarks about the incompetence of Union commanders to those who commanded the Army of the Potomac. The western armies – the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland – had better commanders and were not dealing with Bobbie Lee. It was only when Grant in effect took command of the Army of the Potomac that it battled Lee on equal terms. Given Grant’s brilliance in the West – his capture of Vicksburg in the Mississippi campaign – Lee’s ability to stalemate Grant in the east is high tribute to his skills.
A couple of facts should be taken into account, however. One, there is no question but that the average Johnny Reb was a better fighting man than the average Johnny Yank. Two, the Army of the Potomac was an ill-fated army whose ranks reflected too much politics and too little competence. In my view, if Grant had been heading the Army of the Tennessee (his original army) rather than the Army of the Potomac, he would have beaten Lee readily. In the battle of the Crater, which represented a real opportunity for the Union to break through the Confederate lines and seize Richmond, the Union’s brilliant plan was thwarted by (1) disagreement between Meade and Burnside, who heated each other; (2) drunkenness on the part of Union General Leslie, who lead the assault and hid out in his tent; and (3) Meade’s refusal on political grounds to use the black assault troops who had been trained for the assault in favor of untrained white troops.
Going to your point about Lee, Jefferson Davis insisted on being the commander and general of the Confederate forces. Lee was limited to commanding the Army of Northern Virginia, although he did give Davis advice about other theatres. The North won the war when Lincoln gave Grant command over all Union armies and Grant arranged for a coordinated attack on all Confederate forces, which, with some misfire due to political commanders, nevertheless resulted in victory.
In fairness to Lee, he recognized that if the Confederacy remained on the defensive, then sooner or later the superior Northern forces would defeat the Confederacy. If one looks at a map as of December 31 of each year of the war, the Union occupied more and more of the South each year. Now, obviously Lee’s strategy did not work, although if the tide of battle had not changed in the fall of 1864, it would have. The basic problem was that the South faced long odds and, given political will (which we did not have in the second Indo-China war), the North, with any competency, would win. The reality is that the generals who won the war – Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and Thomas – were not the ones in command at the beginning. Had they been, the war might have been much shorter.
hahaha...OMG! That is EXACTLY the sort of situation I fear. It is like knowing you are in trouble when you go in a restaurant, tell them you are a vegan, and they say "no problem, we have a great tuna salad." After a week in Iceland we stumbled upon a Thai restaurant, of all things, out in the proverbial middle of nowhere. First vegetables we had seen in a week. My wife and I ate two dinners each, and as I recall, took something like four carryout orders with us after dinner. After a week of Luna and Clif bars and various types of crackers, that Thai restaurant may have saved our lives. I didn't think anyplace could be worse than Iceland for a gluten-free vegan, but it sounds like Scotland might be in the race.
ReplyDeleteSurely you could make for a couple of weeks on whiskey?
ReplyDeleteExcellent thought, Chuck. Since I am a great fan of the Islay scotches, especially Laphroaig, that might almost get me by in Scotland. Iceland, however, didn't offer the greatest choices in drink. Plus, I was there with my new young wife (we were married in Reykjavik) and I was doing a lot of trail running, so I was burning a lot of calories. Alcohol may be good fuel, but not sure it would have carried me the distance.
ReplyDeleteAn Islay drinker. How civilized! I just got a birthday present from Skye. Smokehead (somewhat like Laphroaig), and Talisker Distiller's Edition (not quite like anything else I've tried).
DeleteChuck, civilized, yes: no ice, no water, and sometimes even drink it out of a shot glass rather than the bottle. Civilized indeed! Good luck with that Smokehead: sort of smoky like Laphroaig, but also something akin to pine sap. I didn't know what to make of it. I have strong memories of ending wonderful days afield with a couple of shots of scotch by a campfire; I think that may be why I prefer Laphroaig, because it is so smoky tasting you almost feel like there must be a fire nearby. BTW...I've diversified a bit, and have found Sombra mezcal has qualities remindful of Laphroaig, but with a bit less smoke. It is a pleasing change of pace.
DeleteI should add that I avoid your diet problem by being a dedicated omnivore. I'll eat anything from whale meat to insects to tahini.
ReplyDeleteChuck, if you like whale meat, Iceland might be a place you should visit. And if you like eating insects, Africa might be a place you should visit. I would recommend the fried locusts over the boiled, however. I grew up on a typical 'meat & potatoes' southern diet. While most of my friends and family still cling to such, I can vouch that turning vegetarian and then vegan were the two healthiest decisions I ever made.
DeleteBecause I live outside London, I have been asked what I know about "the state of Scottish cuisine and what's available in a UK supermarket nowadays."
ReplyDeleteI'm flattered that it was felt I might be able to comment meaningfully on the vagaries and subtleties of Scottish cuisine. Though I've traveled off and on in Scotland (my wife is a native of Glasgow) and most recently attended a wedding there, the food I've encountered is what would be called UK standard ... with regional variations, such as porridge and haggis ... and venison. I am fond of venison, eat haggis without demur, and avoid porridge as if it were creamed cardboard.
My primary exposure to the Scottish specialties is at the annual Burns Night in late January at which a traditional meal is the order of the day: fish or fish soup to start, haggis, neeps, and tatties to follow (haggis, mashed swede, mashed potatoes) accompanied by drams of whisky, and finally a range of desserts such as clootie pudding or a raspberry trifle. In addition to the traditional fare, it's the celebration of Burns's life and poetry which forms the theme of the evening, all of which is set off by a piper. Here is a link to try, Wikipedia's article on "Burns supper"."
As to veganism in Scotland: nowadays, food fads – dare I call them that – run along with ethnic diversions, particularly Indian and Chinese. In urban areas, a vegan can be suited quite easily, I surmise, much less so in more traditional, Scots-dominant areas such as the Highlands where in the northwest, Gaelic is the lingua franca. Were I a staunch vegan planning a tour of Scoltand, I would take basics with me and call or write ahead to places at which I wish to stay to seek dietary accommodation. Tourism is an important industry so it is not an unreasonable expectation to find food to one's preference.
I am not at all au courant with the Scots culinary scene so my comments are based on older experiences and simple supposition. But I am quite partial to a nicely-prepared Clootie Dumpling for afters ... and drams of the golden fluid are most welcome, especially if they are of the malt variety.
Thanks Blaine,
DeleteMy recollection from 2004, when our daughter did her Junior year at Glasgow School of Art, is that there was a range of very good restaurants run by Europeans, including Spanish, Italian, Nouvelle cuisine, Asian, etc. I imagine that they have gone on from there. Look what I found: Glasgow Vegan Guide/.