Scotland - zápisky

1. Prehistoric Scotland

Alba – 12000 B.C. – 400 A.D.

St. Columba – 6th century AD, Irish person, although he was a royal, he chose to live as the poorest, he settled on Iona in a monastery (really small island), but it was not a Catholicism, there were differencies

Kenneth McAlpin

The stone age until the arrival of the romans – first written records

1. The palaeolithic

2. Mesolithic

3. The neolithic – rudimentary proto villages, megalithic monuments of stones

The bronze age (2500 BC to 800 BC)

• Material such as gold, amber or jet to display wealth and status

• Development of burial rituals

• Gifts to afterlife for the deceased

• Extensive agriculture and forestry

• New materials – metallurgy brought in from the south

The iron age (800 BC to 400 AD)

• Celtic culture commences with their arrival

• New types of houses and forts (brochs = originally throught of a fort, double wall, living space inside)

Arrival of the Romans

• 43-87 Claudius conquest

• First written mentions of Scotland

• Caledonians likened to the German tribes of mainland Europe by Tacitus

• Unsuccessful conquest attempts, building a Hadrian Wall, then other unsuccessful conquest

• (Fitzroy Scotland a concise history)

1. A Short History of the Isles

Basic info

• There are hundreds of them, over 100 are inhabited, the main groups: Orkney, Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides, Isles of Bute, Shetland

History of the Hebrides

• (more than 40 islands, most of which are inhabited), depopulation in 20th century due to the lack of economic opportunities – mainly agriculture, fishing, weaving

• Known for their unique natural features

• Originally settled by the Celts (Ebudae original name for the isles)

• Between 8th century and 1266 – target Norse raids, which led to Norse rule

• Fusion of Celts and Vikings = period od high cultural and material well-being in the 11th and 12th centuries

• Then, the islands were ceded to Scotland

History of Shetland

• Stone circles and brochs furnish evidence of prehistoric settlement

• 7th – 8th century missionaries from Ireland, then invaded by the Norsemen (stayed until 15th century)

• Principal language was Norn

• Isles known for clothing industry, oil industry, Shetland sheepdog, Shetland pony

History of Orkney

• Around 70 islands, many inhabited, prosperous farming area, fishing industry is less developed

• Evidence of prehistoric occupation of various periods (circles, standing stones, earth houses)

• Celtic missionaries had arrived in the 7th century

• Norse raiders arrived in the late 8th century, colonized by the 9th century

• In 15th century, passed into the Scottish rule together with Shetland

• Known as a residence of Margaret “Queen of Scots”, and she passed away there at the age of 7 (daughter of Eric II of Norway)

History of Bute

• Fell under the Norse control in the 8th century, possession of the Steward family in the 13th century

• Two attempts of Norwegians to reassert the authority over the isles – successful in 1263

• 17th century – witchcraft

• WW2 – surrounding seas used as training space for a British forces

• Nowadays – golfing, farming, tourism, Syrians families joined the island in 2015