On my father’s side of the family – namely his mother’s side – I am Scottish. I am a Buchanan.
So…
The Scottish clans of the Highlands were gatherings of
families, relatives, allies and neighbors for mutual protection against rivals
or invaders. And there were plenty of invaders – Vikings, Romans, the English,
etc. Who knew about the Romans? I didn’t until this trip. We even visited a
wall built by the Romans in the year AD 142 with the intent of keeping the
native Highland Scots out. To see the “wall” today, you can’t help but wonder
whatever made them think a nine-foot wall with a five-foot ditch would keep
anyone out; especially the big Scottish Highlanders. Visit http://www.antoninewall.org/ to learn
more.
This is the Antonine Wall at Falkirk, just outside of South Queensferry.
See what I mean? How could this keep anyone out? I don't know, but it was 40-miles long!
Anyway, back to the clans. They were formed around tribal
lands in the glens (valleys) and other areas. Scotland became divided into the
Highlands, where they spoke Gaelic, and the Lowlands, where they spoke Scots
and English. The Highland culture was very different, but highly respected for
its rich story-telling, poetry, piping, and more.
The story of Clan Buchanan goes something like this:
“Clarinch,” the battle cry of the Buchanans, comes from the
name of the small island in Loch Lomond, along whose eastern shore is where the
clan’s lands originally clustered, which is about 60-miles northwest of
Edinbrough. Although we were docked in South Queensferry, just outside of
Edinbrough, we didn’t go to Loch Lomond – ‘though I do wish we had had the
opportunity.
Buchanan, or The House of Canon, was first led by Absalom
and then Morris Buchanan was named chief by the Earl of Lennox. The power and
wealth of the Buchanans increased and soon their land included Stirlingshire.
The Buchanans actively fought to make Scotland an independent country, siding
with King Robert the Bruce. As one of Scotland’s most important nobles, Sir
Alexander Buchanan traveled to France in
1421 to lend support to the French in the Auld Alliance and the fight against the
English. Sir Alexander killed the English Duke of Clarence.
Sounds like the Buchanans are some great people, doesn’t it?
Well, don’t get ahead of yourself, because the successor to
Alexander was one Sir William Buchanan, who had a reputation of misconduct and
lawlessness. So much so that he was beheaded in 1425, and at that point, all of
the heirs lost all rights and became disinherited – losing their royal
connections.
Such a shame, too, because they all had a great future in
front of them. Luckily, though, there was only one bad fish and the family was
able to continue to carry a very positive influence over their Stirlingshire
territories – so much so that they earned the title of Kings of Kippen, a town
at the Lake of Menteith just southeast of Loch Lomond. They even enjoyed a
royal visit from King James V.
In the mid-16th century, George Buchanan became an advisor to Mary, Queen of Scots, and later became tutor to her only son, James, the future King James VI. (You can visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Buchanan to read much more about the very interesting George.)
From this point, the Buchanans began to spread their wings and relocated to other parts of the country and to other countries. James Buchanan, Sr., father of James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, emigrated from Donegal, Ireland after his family left Scotland.
So, what does all of this mean?
It means I found a tiny piece of me that I didn’t know much
about. It means I belong to a country filled with pride; a country of
natural beauty and geological interest; a country that is quite small in area
yet diverse in its landscapes and lengthy in its coastline.
It means belonging to a nation that has been broken and
injured in various ways throughout the centuries - divided between Highlanders and
Lowlanders, and between political and religious factions (much like the US); deprived of many of
its fittest and most enterprising people by the clearances of the 18th and 19th
centuries when it was decided to “clean house” and destroy the Gaelic culture.
But it's the pride and compassion that got to me; that left a lasting impression. It's pride that goes far deeper than what you see in those supporting their country's soccer team; passion that goes hand-in-hand with satisfaction and happiness. That's what I saw in the people of Scotland. They know their history and they talk about it with complete knowledge, clarity and dignity. Do we? Here in America, do we speak with confidence about our history? I don't. It's not because I'm ashamed or anything like that. I just don't talk about American history.
And in loving my own country, the United States of America, and the particularities of its culture, I do not deny the value of others' countries and cultures, but rather affirm it, as I recognize that their countries are to them what the United States of America and now Scotland are to me.
Here's a short video of our sendoff from Invergordon, Scotland.
I love you Daddy and Mom. I know you were with me in spirit, but I sure wish you had been with me physically. My honey took me on the #tripofalifetime
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