Pictish Nation Scottish History on Line
History of Scotland
Scottish History Pages
Another good site
Story of Scotland
During the reign of Scotland's King Alexander III [1241-1285], King Haakon of Norway tried to conquer Scotland.
One night in the town of Largs, Norsemen, who were barefoot, stepped on some thistles as they tried to sneak into a Scottish camp. As they cried out in pain, the Scots were alerted and the attack was rebuffed.
King Haakon withdrew his army and the thistle became Scotland's national symbol.
Scottish Green Man
Heather Ale, has been drunk since around 2000 BC and one of the oldest styles of ales in the world.
Fern, played an important part in the rural life of Scotland, where the local inhabitants put it to good use. It was found in great abundance in the wooded wilds of particularly the Highlands, where it was in the Gaelic called 'raineach'.
Utilised in the craft of thatching roofs of cottages, it could last between 15 and 20 years before replacement, some homes are still occasionally thatched with fern.
It made good bedding for animals, as well as humans, due to its ability to repel insect pests. When green and in full fruition, ferns were also burned to produce an alkali mixture used in the bleaching process. The burning of ferns also allowed from its ashes; potash, used as an essential ingredient in soap making, and soda, used in the making of glass. The ashes made good fertiliser for potatoes.
Harvesting Ferns
Collecting and bringing in the ferns was heavy, backbreaking work, and as the menfolk were often away either hunting, farming, or sea and loch fishing, this strenuous task was left to the women, as was also the uses of fern within and around the domestic hearth.
We carried great bulks of the ferns from and over the wild landscapes to our homes.
We women also preferred carrying out this task barefoot, because shoes cramped our style, and we found it easier to traverse the rough ground of the heathlands by this method.
