I haven't read this particular tome yet, but on first impressions the author has a point. What passes for nationalist fact in
most countries is usually a collection of 19th century folklore with a few genuine facts thrown in to thwart accusations of making it all up. The French have Vercingetorix, the Germans Charlemagne, and we Scots have everything before
and after the Act of Union! There's another good book on the same point-
The Myth of Nations by Patrick J. Geary- though that focusses on Europe generally and not just Scotland.
The trouble with books like these are that they instantly infuriate 'nationalists', who tend to be tossers with no real appreciation of history. A few examples; it's not unusual for forums on Scottish papers like
The Scotsman to be full of idiots proclaiming themselves 'real' Scots because they support independence, and who slander everyone else as 'Quislings' or 'Unionist Uncle Toms'. They tend to be either bitter ex-pats, or 5th generation foreign wannabes. A few months back
The Herald had to temporarily close down it's forums because they had been well and truly hijacked by the afore-mentioned twats.
Yesterday the BBC website carried a story on a nationalist think tank report from 1985 which urged Scots to start a campaign of civil disobedience, since Westminster's laws "didn't count". One of the authors was current Scottish justice minister Kenny MacAskill, others included a well-known history professor and one of
The Proclaimers. Unsuprisingly they all claimed selective amnesia when interviewed by the Beeb.
Other nationalist fanatics-usually from well-heeled middle class urban areas-are adamant that they will proclaim Gaelic Scotland's national language after independence, and outlaw English.
Now less than 60,000 Scots currently speak this language, and most of them are in the North and North West of the country, but the fanatics are demanding bilingual road signs across the
whole country. While I appreciate Gaelic is a constituent British language and value it's historical significance, I'm buggered if I'm going to be
made to speak it.
I actually live on the field of Bannockburn, one of the most famous mediaeval battles. I'm proud to be a Scot, but all we locals get well and truly fed-up with the annual farce that is the Bannockburn Day Parade. Every year on the closest Saturday to the battle's anniversary (24th June) a massive nationalist parade snakes through the city of Stirling to Whins of Milton, along every main road we have. It is FULL of superannuated gits in kilts which don't get worn the other 364 days of the year. Any other organisation trying to organise a Saturday parade gets a firm 'no' from the local council, since they can't condone "disruption to trade and traffic".....
Trevor-Roper and Scotland
