As I stood there spellbound listening to the various piper bands, taking in the diverse colors of the tartans, and all the accoutrements that made up the highland dress, something stirred deep within me. Can't explain why; it just happens!
Did you know there was a time when it was illegal for the highlanders to wear their tartan's? It was after the Battle at Culloden in 1746 where Bonnie Prince Charlie (who was desperate to put the Stuart's back on the throne) and his Jacobite (clans of the Highlands) supporters were finally routed by the royal army of England. After that the Dress Act 1746 was instituted to punish the highlanders who had supported Charles. However, it was repealed in 1782.
Ever wondered about the significance of the details of the highland dress? I will attempt to briefly explain.
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| the Kilt |
The kilt is a knee-length garment of a tartan pattern of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. (Most clans had their own tartan patters)
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| the Sporran |
The sporran (a Gaelic word for purse) is a pouch that functioned as a pocket since the kilt had no pockets. It is attached with a leather strap or chain.
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| the Ghillie brogues |
The ghillie brogues are traditional thick soled shoes with no tongues and long laces. Why? The laces wrapped & tied above the ankles kept them from getting pulled off in the mud. No tongues so the wearers feet could dry more quickly in the damp Scottish weather. BTW, a ghillie is a traditional Scottish gamekeeper and outdoorsman.
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| the Sgian-dubh |
The sgian-dubh (don't ask me to pronounce it) is a small single-edged knife tucked in the top of the hose. Traditionally it was used as protection or for the cutting up of food.
Now for the bus tour:
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| Pamphlet for the tour |
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| Route of the tour |
The piper competition concluded close to lunch time and since no one was interested in breaking up the company just yet, we walked over to a pub/restaurant nearby to continue our visit. At this pub people were just standing up to the bar while they chatted and drank. There were a few tall tables nearby that served the same purpose as the bar.
Sarah scouted for a table for us. Fish and chips were ordered while Francis and I ordered a jacketed potato (that's a baked potato) with chili. Just a good ole American meal as far as I was concerned.
Well, we finally had to part and Bob, Sarah, and I decided we would take the bus tour after all. The double decker bus was opened at the top and we first opted to take a seat in the rear. Yet, after we fought the chilly wind, we decided we needed to move up front to the covered area.
Glasgow isn't as clean cut looking as American cities. I suppose it is due to the fact that some buildings are quite old and still bore the smog stains of earlier days. Glasgow has made a successful effort in cleaning things up though. There isn't as much consistency of architecture since you have a mixture of buildings from the 1800's and even a couple from the 15th century, right along with modern buildings.
I found it wasn't fair to compare Glasgow or Edinburgh to cities here in the U.S. These cities have a character unique to their long, long history, and that only led to their charm, in my opinion. Being tired and a bit cold, we left the tour early and got on the commuter train to return to Larkhall.
We arrived back and enjoyed a lovely fellowship with a couple who were close friends of the Wadsworth's, Steve and Evon. They were former missionaries with Pioneer Missions who now lived in Larkhall and were close friends of the Wadsworth's. As it turned out they had studied at the same language school in Paris as Bobby & Maridith. Small world, right!
Shared a tasty Scottish meal of haggis, with mashed potatoes, turnips, and gravy and afterwards packed up to leave the next morning. It is good to know that we will return here after our visit to the Isle of Arran, for Larkhall had become 'home' to us.
