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People

The Celebrated Pedestrian

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Robert Barclay Allardice of Ury, Kincardineshire took any bet when it came to walking.

In 1809, he walked 1000 miles in 1000 hours for 1000 guineas. He stood to lose roughly £100,000 if he failed. Overall ~£5million was wagered on his race.

Field. Saturday 27th May 1854. pg. 9

Thom, W. (1813) Pedestrianism; or, An account of the performances of celebrated pedestrians during the last and present century : with a full narrative of Captain Barclay’s public and private matches; and an essay on training. D. Chalmers and Co., Aberdeen. 286pp

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Place names Rural Life

Abyssinia

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There was a croft (today it’s a bothy) near Arrochar called Abyssinia.

Apparently, a man named Iain Mór (Big John) visited Abyssinia (Ethiopia), perhaps as a soldier, and wouldn’t shut up about it when he got back to Scotland. His friends started calling him “Abyssinia” to tease him and the nickname stuck.

“A’m awa tae Argyll for the day, Abyssinia!”


“No ye’ll no, A’m no leavin Glesca”

Seton Gordon. (1948) Highways and Byways in the Central Highlands. Macmillan and Co., London. pp. 36-37

Sunday Post. 4th August 1935. pg. 7

Categories
Rural Life

Betty Duthie, fishwife extraordinaire

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In 1914, Betty Duthie (1828-1923) had been carrying fresh fish daily between Inverallochy and New Deer (16 miles apart) for 70 years.

Showing no signs of slowing, she had already walked over 300,000 miles. She died aged 95.

Aberdeen Evening Express. Wednesday 21st January 1914. pg. 4

Categories
Rural Life

BETSY McKay, land girl

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The Women’s Land Army was formed to up food production during WWII. By 1945, there were 8000 Scottish members.

In 1940, Betsy McKay was the oldest Scottish “Land Girl”. Her picture in English newspapers was great propaganda.

Birmingham Mail. Saturday 10th August 1940. pg. 3

UPDATE:

I was annoyed I couldn’t find more on Mrs. McKay so I had another look. Her name was Betsy McKay, not “Biddy” as the Birmingham Mail had it.

Betsy McKay (nee Coyne) was born in Perth in 1861 to parents who came from Galway in the 1850s. She did work the land for 60+ years and would have been 79 in the photo. She raised 5 kids. Her husband was a ploughman. In 1903, she got 10 days in the jail for stealing a man’s shirt. She died in 1942. I tried to make the newspaper clipping clearer–shame there isn’t a better photo.

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Rural Life

Scotland’s Skiing Posties

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Founded in 1907, the Scottish Ski club gave postmen and shepherds free skis to promote the sport. For many areas in the Highlands, it was the only way to deliver mail in the winter.

Photos are of Mr N. Michie, Ballater doing his rounds up Glengairn in 1937.

Aberdeen Press and Journal. Monday 20th December 1937. pg. 12

Categories
Food and Drink Uncategorized

3-course meal from OWS

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Suggested menu from the OldWeirdScotland.

Courtesy of Elisabeth Cleland of the Luckenbooths, Edinburgh, 1755.

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Animals Folklore Poetry Words

Cirean-cròin

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For folk in Caithness and Sutherland the largest beast in the ocean was the cirean-cròin, a leviathan sea dinosaur that could eat 7 killer whales at a go. An old Gàidhlig rhyme told of its relative size to other creatures:

Seachd sgadain sath bradain,
Seachd bradain sath roin,
Seachd roin sath mial-mor-mara,
Seachd mial sath Cirein-croin

Seven herrings a salmon’s meal
Seven salmon a seal’s meal,
Seven seals a whale’s meal,
Seven whales the meal of a Cirein-croin.

Tradtional Gaelic rhyme
Categories
Rural Life

Small class sizes in OWS

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In 1936, the Ross-shire school board only required a minimum of 3 pupils to establish a school. This was the school at Carnoch in Strathcarron. The closest child is only 3 years old and started early to make up the numbers.

Aberdeen Press and Journal. 15th September 1936. pg. 12

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Uncategorized

Edinburgh Snowball Riot of 1838

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On Jan 11th 1838, after students at the University of Edinburgh were attacked by locals, a multi-day snowball riot broke out on the quadrangle. Heavily armed, the local police and the 79th Highlanders beat and arrested students. 35 students were apprehended by the police and five students were put on trial. All were acquitted. 

Battle of the Quadrangle
From Left: Charles John Dalrymple, Alfred Westmacott, John Aikenhead, Edward Kellet, Robert Scot Skirving.
  • University of Edinburgh Students’ Committee (1838) Report of the Trial of the Students on the Charge of Mobbing, Rioting, and Assault, at the College, on January 11 and 12, 1838. Andrew Shortrede: Edinburgh. 100pp.
  • Anon (1838) The University Snowdrop: An Appendix to the Great Trial. Richard Weston & Son, Edinburgh. 82pp

Categories
Animals Folklore Words

Every thing has its match

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Fisherfolk across Old Weird Scotland thought every being on land had a “partner” found in the sea.

SEA-FUTRET – cuttlefish (“sea weasel/ferret”)
SEA-COCK – puffin
SEA-PYOT – oystercatcher (“sea-magpie”)
SEA-SOU – ballan wrasse
SEA-PHEASANT – turbot
SEA-GOOSEBERRY – jellyfish