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OUTLANDER Links, Part III: All Things Scottish

Here are some links related to Scotland, Scottish culture, and the Gaelic language.

Please note: I don't have a drop of Scottish blood myself, I don't speak Gaelic, and I've never attended a Gathering or Highland Games, much less visited Scotland myself. So I can't guarantee the authenticity of any of the information below. Thanks to everyone who's been sending me links. I really appreciate it! <g>

1) Bodhran player - Thanks to my sister Alice for this one! I think he's terrific.
2) Scottish Place Names Around the World - It's amazing to think how widespread Scottish influence is, all over the world. (Has anybody read "How Scots Invented the Modern World" by Arthur Herman? I haven't, yet, but I keep meaning to. The title intrigues me.)
3) Beag air Bheag - a BBC site that teaches simple Gaelic vocabulary (with pronunciations!)
4) Fraser Clan site - thanks to Jari Backman for this link.
5) How to Wrap a Great Kilt - this one comes from Elsa, and I can't let it pass without quoting the scene in FIERY CROSS where Roger wears one:

"All right," he said with resignation. "Laugh if ye must." Getting into a belted plaid wasn't the most dignified thing a man could do, given that the most efficient method was to lie down on the pleated fabric and roll like a sausage on a girdle. Jamie could do it standing up, but then, the man had had practice.

(From The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 23 ("The Bard"). Copyright© 2001 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.)

6) Frasers of Lovat - note how much of the history of Simon Fraser, Jamie's grandfather ("the Old Fox"), described in DRAGONFLY, is documented historical fact. Including how he took wives by force and treachery.
7) Dictionary of the Scots Language - thanks to Atrevista for this one! Very useful for those of us who've never heard of the many Scots words used in the books, from "broch" to "hochmagandy" to "oxter". <g>
8) Scottish Wedding Accessories - Actually, this site has a lot more than just wedding-related items, but I heard about it first from Diana Gabaldon, in a post on Compuserve a few months ago.
9) Caithness Paperweights - I fell in love with these paperweights, manufactured by a Scottish company called Caithness, on a visit to Replacements near Greensboro, NC, about a year ago. I've started a collection (well, OK, so far I only have two, but every collection has to start somewhere, right?) In all honesty, I loved the paperweights even before I found out they were made in Scotland, but still....[UPDATE 3/20/2010: I have four of them now, and you can see my current collection here.]

If you have any more Scottish-related sites, please let me know!

If you find these links interesting, check out my other "OUTLANDER Links" blog entries:

OUTLANDER Links, Part 14: 18th Century Clothing
OUTLANDER Links, Part 13: Plants and Herbs
OUTLANDER Links, Part 12: Standing Stones
OUTLANDER Links, Part 11: Science and Technology
OUTLANDER Links, Part 10: Weaponry
OUTLANDER Links, Part 9: Historical Events
OUTLANDER Links, Part 8: 18th Century Medicine
OUTLANDER Links, Part VII: Gemstones
OUTLANDER Links, Part VI: Wildlife
OUTLANDER Links, Part V: Castles and Palaces
OUTLANDER Links, Part IV: Native Americans
OUTLANDER Links, Part II: Colonial North Carolina
OUTLANDER Links, Part I: Culloden
What Do These Things Look Like?
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  1. author-avatar
    Diane M. October 26, 2008 at 8:05 PM
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    Karen,

    Thanks for posting these. Lots of fun to be had delving into these sites. It may take me awhile, but seeing as we are having a day of rain/snow mix here in MN, I've not been motivated to do much else!

    I found the site of Scottish place names to be very interesting. I grew up in a suburb with a Scottish name and my neighborhood in particular had all Scottish names for the streets. It is so much a part of how I grew up, I never really thought about it until now! Duh! There were both Scottish and Irish settlers in this community, but it seems that the Scots may have won out in the naming category! Stubborn maybe? {g}

    I can call Scots stubborn because I do have significant Scottish ancestry. I can lay claim to the Douglass, Pitblado and Christie names. There are great links in the Fraser Clan site to genealogical resources for Scotland. That should keep me occupied for while!

    I do already know that my 5x great grandfather,Edward Douglass, served as a lieutenant in the North Carolina line during the American Revolution. He later achieved the rank of Colonel and received a large grant of land in the western portion of the territory of North Carolina, which is now Sumner County, Tennessee. I like to think that he knew Jamie Fraser from his NC days! {vbg}
  2. author-avatar
    Jari Backman October 28, 2008 at 12:37 PM
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    Karen,

    The Bodhrán player was great. I couldn't believe, how he could make the music so colourful and change the pitch. <applause>

    I had earlier looked for Bodhrán and found out that it became on the sixties as an music instrument.

    History of Bodhrán

    So Roger took it just at the right time with him back to the 17th Century.
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