The Scottish Highlands form the highest mountains in the British Isles,
a broad arc of rocky peaks and deep glens stretching from the outskirts
of Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen to the remote and storm-lashed Cape Wrath
in Scotland's far northwest. The Romans never conquered the region, and
in the Dark Ages the island of Iona became home to a Celtic Church that
was able to pose a serious challenge to the Church of Rome. Few
travelers ever ventured there, however, disturbed by the tales of wild
beasts, harsh geography and the bloody conflicts of warring families
known as the clans. But after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the
Battle of Culloden the influence of the clans was curbed and the
Scottish Highlands became celebrated by poets, writers and artists for
their beauty rather than their savagery. In the nineteenth century,
inspired by the travel reportage of Samuel Johnson, the novels of Walter
Scott, the poems of William Wordsworth and the very public love of the
Highlands espoused by Queen Victoria, tourists began flocking to the
mountains--even as Highlanders were being removed from their land by the
brutal agricultural reforms known as the Clearances. With the popularity
of hiking and the construction of railways, the fate of the Highlands as
one of the great tourist playgrounds of the world was sealed. Andrew
Beattie explores the turbulent past and vibrant present of this
landscape, where the legacy of events from the first Celtic settlements
to the Second World War and from the construction of military roads to
mining for lead, slate and gold have all left their mark. - Disputed
Land: From Rob Roy, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce to Bonnie
Prince Charlie and the clansmen who participated in the notorious
massacre at Glencoe, the Highlands have provided the arena for centuries
of conflict. - Folklore and Tradition: The wildness of the mountains has
inspired a unique popular culture, from legendary tales of water-beasts
and people with "second sight" to popular gatherings such as ceilidhs
and the Highland Games. - Scenic Inspiration: From visiting English
poets such as Wordsworth and Byron to native Scots writers such as Neil
Gunn and Hugh MacDiarmid; from Turner to Mendelssohn; the scenery of the
Highlands has inspired novelists, composers, poets, filmmakers and
artists through the centuries.
