S C T L A N D. 



Statistics, chfeftain still calls forth the humility or the affection 

 V -"~Y-"^ of his vassals. In the lowlands of Scotland, the 

 On the people have the same independence of character as 

 LHeStSe' the En lish > and we should be disposed to say, that 

 Arts and' tne Scottish peasantry even surpass their neighbours in 

 Sciences, that respect, in so far as they surpass them in educa- 

 Amiquities, tion and general knowledge, which are the sure foun- 

 &c. dation and the best tests of independence of charac- 

 ter. There is nothing more characteristic of the Scot- 

 tish peasantry than their respect for the Sabbath. In 

 place of spending the Sabbath day in idleness and 

 gaiety, the Scottish peasant accompanies his family 

 to the house of prayer ; and however small be his 

 means, he appears in clean and decent attire. When 

 the service is over, he instructs his children in the 

 duties of religion, reads with them the holy scriptures, 

 and perhaps accompanies them, when these duties are 

 discharged, to some romantic and sequestered scenes, to 

 contemplate the beauties of the material world. This 

 observance of the Sabbath is no doubt the principal 

 cause of the superior information and the sober and 

 moral habits of the people. 



In the lowlands of Scotland, the food of the people 

 does not differ essentially from that of the English 

 peasantry. Animal food is certainly less used than in 

 England, and spirituous liquors are much more com- 

 mon. The lowland Scotch are now better lodged, 

 their houses are kept with a greater degree of clean- 

 liness, and if they do not in these respects rival their 

 English neighbours, they are advancing towards them 

 with accelerated steps. In the Highlands of Scotland, 

 we regret to say, that the cottages are, generally speak- 

 ing, of the worst description, and are as uncomfort- 

 able within as they are squalid without. The diet of 

 the Highlanders is principally oatmeal, potatoes and 

 milk ; fish being much used on the coast. 



The dress of the lowlanders is the same as that of 

 the English. In the Highlands, the bonnet, the hose, 

 and kilt, and the plaid are still worn by the peasantry, 

 and on many occasions by the gentry. The bonnet is 

 made of sky blue felt ; the kilt and the plaid are made 

 of what is called tartan, which is .1 woollen staff 

 chequered with different colours, each clan having its tar- 

 tan formed of a combination of colours peculiar to itself. 

 The hose are stockings which do not reach the knee, and 

 which are made of worsted chequered red and white. 



The diseases most prevalent in Scotland, are con- 

 sumption, rheumatism, the ague, fevers, the croup, 

 and scrofula, &c. Consumptions are now more frequent 

 than formerly among the young, and they carry off 

 the greatest number about the middle period of life. 

 This disease is said to have been formerly very rare, 

 and seldom mortal. Rheumatism, which is now very 



Erevalent in every part of Scotland, is said to have 

 een but little known about eighty years ago. The ague 

 was formerly prevalent over a large part of Scotland, 

 but in consequence of the system of draining -which 

 has taken place, it has been entirely banished from 

 many districts of the country. The fevers which pre- 

 vailed in former times, were generally of the pleuritic 

 and inflammatory species, but those of a low linger- 



Diseases. 



ing and nervous kind are more prevalent. The croup 

 is one of the most alarming of our diseases. It prevails 

 chiefly near the sea, and is most frequent in damp 

 situations, and rainy seasons. By the early applica- 

 tion of leeches, and the use of calomel and emetics, it 

 may be to a great degree prevented from assuming its 

 severest form. Scrofula, which is an hereditary disease, 

 is said to be very common, and to prevail chiefly in 

 cold and damp places, and among people who live on 

 poor diet, and principally vegetables. 



Among the antiquities of Scotland, those of the Ro- 

 mans hold the most distinguished place. The princi- 

 pal of these are the celebrated wall built between the 

 Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde, in the reign of 

 Antoninus Pius, and in the remains of which many 

 interesting inscriptions have been found.* The temple, 

 called Arthur's Oon, a building of the same period, 

 stood near the river Carron, about 1^ mile from Fal- 

 kirk.t Roman camps and pillars are very numerous 

 in different parts of Scotland. Some of them are re- 

 markably entire, and they have all been described in 

 eur description of the counties of Scotland.]: General 

 Roy has followed the common opinion of antiquaries 

 in ascribing those camps, &c. to Agricola, while Mr. 

 Pinkerton is of opinion, that they may be more justly 

 assigned to Lollius Urbicus, A.D. 140, but especially 

 to the Emperor Severus, A. D. 207, who conducted 

 two campaigns in Scotland. Constantine Chlorus, 

 who is said to have made a long progress into Scot- 

 land in A. D. 306, had probably some share in the 

 construction of the camps ; and Statius informs us, 

 that Bolanus erected several works in Britain. The 

 most northerly of the Roman camps is near the source 

 of the river Ythan in Aberdeenshire, and is about two 

 English miles in circumference. A Roman station on 

 a smaller scale has been discovered at Old Meldrum, a 

 few miles to the south-east of the oiher. 



Human roads have been traced to a considerable 

 distance in the east of Scotland as far as Forfarshire. 

 A hypocaust was discovered near Perth and another 

 near Musselburgh. 



The Pictish monuments of Scotland had their origin 

 in the 5th century ; they are generally circular build- 

 ings, and whether they are found in the Highlands, 

 the lowlands, or the Orkney Isles, they have been uni- 

 versally ascribed by tradition to the Picts. Dr. Jamie- 

 son divides them into two classes, viz. those above 

 and those below ground. The first class includes 

 their circular spires and castles, such as the cylindri- 

 cal tower of Brecbin and Abernethy|| and the castle 

 of Glenbeg in Inverness-shire. The class of subter- 

 raneous buildings, and those nearly underground, are 

 generally of the tumular kind. Several of them are 

 described by Pennant, and the greater part of them in 

 the Statistical Account of Scotland. They are most 

 numerous in Sutherland, Ross-shire, Orkney, and Shet- 

 land^ where the Scandinavians are known to have had 

 a permanent residence. These buildings are denomi- 

 nated Picts houses, dans and burghs. 



The antiquities that seem to be of Danish origin 

 may have originated in the ninth century. Accord- 



Stati 

 """"""v 



Arts 



cii 

 Antiq 



& 



Antiq 



p ict . 

 houses 



* A very minute account of this interesting specimen of Roman art will be found under our article AXTONINUS'S WALL, Vol II. 

 p. 225. 



f- A full account of this Roman inscription will be found under our article ARTHUR'S OON, Vol. II. p. 523. 



J Plans and drawings of the most interesting will be found in General Hoy's Work. 



|| See our articles ABERNETHY and BHECHIK. 



$ -?See Statistical Account, Vol. II. p. 56; III. 410, 543, 507; IV. 389, 390 ; X. 32, 3C4; Xll. 163 ; XVI. 64. 



