Scottish Geography - San Diego Scottish Highland Games

What Are The Kelpies In Scotland?

SD Highland Games — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:02:29 +0000

A Brief Overview

The Kelpies are a pair of 30-meter high horse head sculptures located in Falkirk, Scotland. They were designed by Scottish sculptor Andy Scott and completed in 2013. The sculptures were built as a monument to the horse-powered heritage of Scotland, which played a significant role in the country’s economy and culture for centuries.

The name “Kelpies” comes from the Scottish legend of water horses that could transform into human form and lure people to their deaths in the water. The sculptures themselves are made of steel and have a striking appearance, with their heads and necks curving gracefully upwards. The Kelpies are now a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from all over the world to marvel at their size and beauty.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal, the Kelpies also serve a practical purpose. They are part of The Helix, a parkland project that includes a network of paths and cycleways. The Kelpies act as a gateway to the park, welcoming visitors and providing a focal point for the surrounding landscape. Overall, the Kelpies are a stunning example of public art that celebrates Scotland’s rich cultural heritage while also serving a functional purpose in the community.

Horse-powered Heritage of Scotland

Scotland has a rich history of using horses for various purposes. The country’s rugged terrain made it difficult to travel by any other means, and horses were essential for transportation. Horses were also used for agriculture, as they were able to plow fields and pull heavy loads. In addition, horses played a significant role in Scotland’s military history, with cavalry units being an integral part of many battles.

The Clydesdale horse is a breed that originated in Scotland and is known for its strength and size. These horses were often used for heavy work such as pulling carts and plowing fields. They were also used in the transportation of goods, particularly in the brewing industry. Today, Clydesdales are still used in agriculture, as well as in parades and other public events.

Scotland’s military history is also closely tied to the use of horses. The Scots Greys, a cavalry regiment, played a significant role in many battles, including the Battle of Waterloo. The regiment was known for its distinctive grey horses, which were bred in Scotland. The use of horses in battle declined with the advent of modern warfare, but the Scots Greys remain an important part of Scotland’s military heritage.

In conclusion, horses have played a significant role in Scotland’s history, particularly in transportation, agriculture, and military operations. The Clydesdale horse and the Scots Greys are two examples of how horses have shaped Scotland’s heritage. Today, these animals continue to be an important part of Scotland’s cultural identity.

The Legend of the Kelpies

The Scottish legend of water horses is a fascinating tale that has been passed down through generations. These mythical creatures are said to inhabit the lochs and rivers of Scotland, and are known for their beauty and danger.

According to legend, the water horses are shape-shifting creatures that can take on the form of a horse or a human. They are said to lure unsuspecting travelers into the water, where they drown them and devour their flesh. Despite their deadly reputation, the water horses are also known for their beauty and grace, and many Scottish poets and artists have been inspired by their legend.

While there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of water horses, the legend continues to capture the imagination of people around the world. Whether they are seen as dangerous predators or mystical creatures of beauty, the Scottish legend of water horses is a testament to the power of storytelling and the enduring appeal of folklore.

Scottish Sculptor Andy Scott

Scottish sculptor Andy Scott is a renowned artist known for his large-scale sculptures. Born in 1964, he studied at Glasgow School of Art and has since gone on to create numerous public art installations across the UK and beyond.

Scott’s sculptures are often inspired by the natural world, with many of his pieces featuring animals such as horses and stags. His most famous work is perhaps the Kelpies, two 30-meter high horse head sculptures located in Falkirk, Scotland.

In addition to his public art installations, Scott has also created smaller sculptures for private collections and exhibitions. His work has been widely exhibited and he has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the field of sculpture.

The Creation of The Kelpies

The Kelpies are a pair of 30-meter-high horse head sculptures located in Falkirk, Scotland. They were designed by artist Andy Scott and completed in 2013. The sculptures were inspired by the mythological water horses of Scottish folklore, known as kelpies.

The Kelpies are made of steel and weigh 300 tonnes each. They were constructed on-site in just 90 days, using a combination of traditional and modern construction techniques. The sculptures are a stunning example of modern engineering and artistry and attract over a million visitors each year.

The Kelpies are not just a tourist attraction but also serve as a symbol of Scotland’s industrial past and its connection to the natural world. They are located on the Forth and Clyde Canal, which was once a vital transportation route for goods and people. The Kelpies pay tribute to the horses that once pulled barges along the canal, and to the workers who built and maintained it.

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Scottish Bens

SD Highland Games — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:53:23 +0000

What Is A Ben In Scotland?

A ben in Scotland refers to a mountain peak that is over 3,000 feet high. There are 282 such peaks in Scotland, and they are collectively known as Munros. The term “ben” comes from the Gaelic language and is often used interchangeably with the term “mountain” in Scotland.

The first recorded ascent of a Scottish ben was in 1689 when Sir Hugh Munro climbed Ben Wyvis. Since then, climbing Munros has become a popular activity for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers. Many people attempt to climb all 282 Munros, a feat known as “Munro bagging.”

In addition to their popularity among hikers, Scottish bens also hold cultural significance. They are often featured in Scottish literature and folklore, and many have Gaelic names that reflect their history and mythology. Overall, bens are an important part of Scotland’s landscape and heritage.

What Are The Tallest Bens In Scotland?

Scotland is home to some of the tallest mountains in the United Kingdom. Known as “bens,” these peaks offer breathtaking views and challenging hikes for outdoor enthusiasts. The three tallest bens in Scotland are Ben Nevis, Ben Macdui, and Braeriach.

Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Scotland and the entire United Kingdom, standing at 1,345 meters (4,411 feet) tall. Located in the Grampian Mountains, Ben Nevis attracts thousands of hikers each year who come to tackle its challenging trails and take in the stunning views from the summit.

The second tallest ben in Scotland is Ben Macdui, which stands at 1,309 meters (4,295 feet) tall. Located in the Cairngorms National Park, Ben Macdui is known for its rugged terrain and unpredictable weather conditions. Despite the challenges, many hikers are drawn to this mountain for its stunning views and sense of adventure.

Finally, Braeriach is the third tallest ben in Scotland, standing at 1,296 meters (4,252 feet) tall. Located in the Cairngorms National Park, Braeriach is known for its remote location and challenging hikes. However, those who make the journey are rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding landscape and a true sense of accomplishment.

Overall, Scotland’s tallest bens offer a unique and challenging experience for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re an experienced hiker or a beginner, these mountains are sure to leave a lasting impression.

The First Recorded Ascent of a Ben

In 1689, Sir Hugh Munro recorded the first ascent of a Scottish ben. The mountain in question was Ben Wyvis, located in the Scottish Highlands. Munro’s achievement was the beginning of what would later become known as “Munro bagging,” the pursuit of climbing all of Scotland’s mountains over 3,000 feet.

Ben Wyvis stands at 3,432 feet and is a popular hiking destination to this day. Munro’s ascent was a significant achievement at the time, as mountain climbing was not yet a widely popular activity. His accomplishment paved the way for future climbers and helped establish Scotland’s reputation as a destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

Today, there are 282 Munros in Scotland, each with its own unique challenges and rewards. Climbing them all remains a popular pursuit for hikers and mountaineers alike, with many using Munro bagging as a way to explore Scotland’s stunning natural beauty.

What Does It Mean To Bag A Munroe?

Bagging a Munroe is a term used by hillwalkers and mountaineers in Scotland. It refers to the act of reaching the summit of a mountain that is over 3,000 feet high. The term was coined in the 1980s by Sir Hugh Munro, who created a list of all the mountains in Scotland that were over 3,000 feet. This list is known as the Munros.

There are 282 Munros in Scotland, and many hillwalkers and mountaineers make it their goal to “bag” as many of them as possible. Bagging a Munroe requires physical fitness, proper equipment, and knowledge of the terrain. Many people enjoy the challenge of bagging Munros and use it as a way to explore the beautiful Scottish countryside.

Bagging a Munroe is not just about reaching the summit. It is also about experiencing the journey and appreciating the natural beauty of Scotland. Many people find that bagging Munros is a great way to stay fit and healthy while enjoying the great outdoors. If you are interested in hillwalking or mountaineering, bagging a Munroe is a great goal to set for yourself.

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Scottish Highlands

SD Highland Games — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 22:26:24 +0000

Scottish Highlands

In ancient history of Scotland, the Scottish Highlands were dominated by the Gaels and the lowlands belonged to the Scots. The dividing line between these two lands was every West of the Great Glen and about 50 miles East of the Great Glen. Though there isn’t a conflicted divide between these two lands anymore there is still a significant cultural difference between the Highland and Lowlands.

The Highlands are commonly pictured as the most romantic part of Scotland. With the stunning rolling hills of green and unspoiled nature with beautiful and dangerous mountains framing the scene, ocean blue fjords and empty gorges where you can see herds of Red Deer run free. The second that you see the hills, take it in quickly because just like that they can be gone again with the landscape. The Highlands and the castles that lay within are favorite locations for brides wanting a destination wedding.

Though this is area is thought to be one of the most romantic areas of Scotland there wasn’t all beauty and light surrounding this area of Scotland. Have you ever heard of the “Highlands of the Clans”? There were years of battles, massacres, bloodshed power struggles between chieftains. There was an ugly time in history that set place in The Highlands.

Well-known places in The Highlands:

The Caledonian Forest: This woodland, made up of Scots Pine, rowan, birch oak and juniper is one of the largest forests in Scotland. Since there is dramatic climate changes around Scotland – a lot of the forests have withdrawn from the original landscape lines but this is still an abundant forest to visit that is full of wildlife!

Loch Ness: If you haven’t heard of Loch Ness before I would be surprised. This is a fjord that has been surrounded by myth and fable for years. This is Scotland’s largest and most famous lochs which is known around the world thanks to the elusive monster “Nessie”. This stretch of water is 23 miles long and dives to depths as far as 700 feet at its deepest point.

The Jacobite Steam Train: This beautiful and historical railway is known as the greatest railway journey in the world. The track runs 84 miles round trip that will trek you through some of the most beautiful sights of the Highlands. Rounding through tiny towns, historic forts, and castles.

Eilean Donan Castle: This is one of Scotland’s most photographed and well recognized castles. It makes its appearance on shortbread tins and calendars more than any other throughout Scotland! This is an icon that shouldn’t be missed in The Highlands. Sitting out on its own little island overlooking the Isle of Skye, the point where three seas and the lochs meet with the mountains of Kintail set in the landscape, it doesn’t take long for you to see why this is where tourists flock hand over fist year after year. This is truly a breath taking sight to behold, be sure that you come with fresh batteries in your camera!

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The Shetland Islands

SD Highland Games — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 21:23:38 +0000

The Shetland Islands

The Shetland Islands, also called Zetland or Shetland, with a group of 100 islands and fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland. It is 130 miles (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom. They constitute the Shetland Islands council area and the historic county of Shetland, and after the settlement of the mainland, Scalloway, a fishing port, is the largest island.

Whalsay and Bressay are the Eastern Islands of the Mainland. The Northern Mainland lies the Islands of Yell, Feltar, and Unst at a northerly point in the United Kingdom, Muckle Flugga- a lighthouse and group of rocks. Fair Isle is 24 miles (39 km) from the southern Mainland, belongs to the National Trust for Scotland, and has an important ornithological observatory. The scenery of the Shetland Islands is wild and beautiful, with deeply indented coasts of the sea lochs, or fjords, called Voes, enclosed by steep hills. Winds on these Islands are nearly continuous and strong; trees are sparse but have a mild climate at high latitude, only 400 miles (640 km) south of the Arctic Circle, due to the North Atlantic Current warming influence as an extension of the Gulf Stream system.

The main form of agriculture is crofting, having a few acres of arable land and the right to graze sheep on the “scattald” or common grazing. The Shetland sheep produces fine wool that is spun and knitted by the Island workers in distinctive patterns known as Shetland and Fair Isle. Many of the crofts cannot adequately support their families, so people from islands seek work in the North Sea oil industry, abroad or in the Royal Navy. Fishing has always been important, and crofters fish to supplement their diet or their income.

The herring fishery centred on Lerwick declined in the 20th century, and fishing for other species is now more important; only after the oil discovered in the North Sea northeast of Shetland was long-persisting depopulation slowed. Shetland’s traditional way of life was built in 1970 when the oil was discovered at Sullom Voe in the North of the Mainland. Pipelines extended from the North Sea fields to the depot, which is approached by tankers using the sheltered deep water provided by the Yell sound, and it increased the importance of Sumburgh Airport in the southern tip of the Mainland and Shetland’s economy by supplying goods and services to the oil industry.

Shetland Island has circular stone towers with stone circles and brochs as evidence of prehistoric settlement by Picts. During the 7th and 8th centuries, missionaries from Ireland or western Scotland began the conversion of the population to Christianity. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Shetland was invaded by Norsemen, who ruled the islands until the 15th century. The principal language of the island until the 18th century was Norn, derived from Old Norse, and customs survive. In 1472, with Orkney, the islands were annexed to the Scottish crown and stood outside the Scottish history and traditions.

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Scottish Lowlands

SD Highland Games — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 21:10:08 +0000

Scottish Lowlands

We have discussed the Scottish Highlands and now it is time to discuss the Lowlands. No these lands are not the complete opposite of the Highlands but there are several landscape differences that you will notice about this region.

Found where the line is drawn in the “sand” from the Dumbarton to Stonehaven the Lowlands were known by the use of their dialect “Scots Language” which is different to the Scottish Gaelic that is spoken in the Highlands. The language of Lowland Scots is not Gaelic but is rather a modified form of English which was introduced by Germanic settlers in the region in the early sixth century. The uniqueness of what is now called “Scots” or Northern English, once called “Inglis,” is great enough to merit its treatment as a language. Scots is a language with a long legendary tradition, dating back to the 1300s.

Then in the early 1700s when English was made the official language, at least with regards to administration, for all of Britain, and Scots suffered a loss of respect for a time. However, the language tradition remained strong. It lived on in ballads, verse, and folk songs and preserved in the mid-seventeenth-century poetry of Robert Burns, perhaps the most famous of writers associated with the tongue.

There are two main topographic regions in the Lowlands of Scotland, The Midland Valley and the Southern Uplands. The term Lowlands is a misconception when people talk about the entire region of the Lowlands, most people know the Lowlands in relations to just Midland Valley.

The Midland Valley was known historically for having the best agricultural soil and terrain for farming. During the 19th and 20th centuries coal deposits were found and mined which helped urbanize the Midland valley, which funny enough is where more than 80 percent of the Scotland population lives today.

Into the mid-20th century coal mining declined when the source of fuel was introduced as the primary fuel source which replaced coal throughout the world. This also means that there was a heavy decline in the regions economics until decades later when electronics, computer manufactures and finance departments took root in the Midland Valley which helped bring the local economics back to a sustainable level.

The Southern Uplands are the least populated area of Scotland, still to this day. They lie south of the Southern Uplands Fault line which runs from Girvan to Dunbar on the East coast of the country.

The cities that lie in the Scottish Lowlands are Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and Dundee, which is why you now know why most of the Scottish population lives in the Lowlands.

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The Orkney Islands

SD Highland Games — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:31:21 +0000

The Orkney Islands is a group of more than 70 islands and islets, from which only 20 islands are inhabited in Scotland and lying about 20 miles (32 km) north of the Scottish Mainland, across the strait known as the Pentland Firth. The Orkney Islands constitute a council area and belong to the historic county of Orkney.

There is pre-historic evidence such as underground houses, circles, standing stones, and earth houses. Skara Brae is an underground village on the west coast of the island Mainland. It is the complete European relics of the late neolithic period and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. In the late 8th century, Norse raiders arrived, and in the 9th century, the islands were colonized. In the 12th Century, Kirkwall’s cathedral was built by Norsemen to dedicate St. Magnus. Orkney and Shetland passed into Scottish rule in 1472 to compensate for the non-payment of the dowry of Margaret of Denmark.

The Orkney Islands were fashioned by glacial erosion of the sandstone, limestone, and igneous rocks into low, undulating hills covered extensively by glacial deposits. Westerly winds and gales account for the scarcity of trees. Pomona is the largest island on the Mainland, divided into East and West Mainland, connected with a narrow strip of land about 2 miles (3km) wide between Kirkwall and Scapa Flow. To the south of the East Mainland, the small islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay are now joined by causeways constructed during World War II to prevent enemy submarines from entering the naval base at Scapa Flow. The second largest of the Orkney Islands, Hoy, lies south of West Mainland, such as Graemsay, Flotta, and South Walls.

Orkney is a prosperous farming area despite its fragmentation. Its farms are small and owner-occupied, averaging about 35 acres (14 hectares) and using modern mechanical methods to achieve high productivity. More land is claimed for agriculture each year, but much peat and moor remain. The main agricultural products are beef, cattle and eggs, although the raising of pigs and the production of milk (largely for cheese) have significantly increased. Some fodder crops are grown, but much is imported.

Orkney has an abundance of wildlife, specifically grey and common seals and seabirds such as puffins, kittiwakes, black guillemots, ravens, and great skuas. In the coastal areas, whales, dolphins, and other sea birds. There are five different varieties found on Sanday, Westray, Rousay, and South Ronaldsay islands. The coastline is well known for its colourful flowers, including sea aster, sea squill, sea thrift, common sea lavender, bell, and common heather. The Scottish primrose is found only on the coasts of Orkney and nearby Caithness and Sutherland. In the 20th century, Happy Valley found a small forest with 700 trees and lush gardens.

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