A history of warfare and struggle

A History of Warfare and Struggle

Sir Walter Scott, the celebrated Scottish poet and novelist, once wryly described his nationality by saying "I am a Scotsman, therefore I had to fight my way into the world".

The Scots are warriors, fighting against the English, then with the English, and sometimes with themselves. They've had to be, as they were constantly invaded:by the Vikings (although some claim they avoided Scotland because of the fierce Scottish warriors); the Romans (who were unable to deal with the rag-tag, uncivilized Highlanders, and thus built a wall, Hadrian's Wall, to keep them out); and by a succession of English kings. And on top of that the border of Scotland was known as the "Debatable Lands", where there was cross-border raiding, and castle rustling on both sides.

Scottish highlander from Outlander serie

An image of the Battle of Culloden in 1745, when the English slaughtered or hung all the Scots, even the wounded. This battle effectively marked the end of the Highland way of life.

This warrior mentality had an impact, as one author stated that "The history of Scotland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is one of hard-earned triumph and heart rendering tragedy, spilled blood, and ruined lives". -

(Arthur Herman, who wrote the book "How the Scots Invented the Modern World").

But this warrior mentality has made the Scots valuable allies and fighters, even into the 20th century, with World War I and II.

It was also a time of great achievements.