IT has always intrigued me that some political commentators in Scotland continue to insist that Scotland welcomed the political Union of 1707. They usually go on to say that Scotland was not oppressed by her bigger neighbour and has no cause for complaints of bullying.
It is a view I held for much of my political life, although I was always haunted by oral tales among family and friends about Culloden and its aftermath of Clearances. Trips to the empty glens of the North with their uncultivated fields and broken-down cottages tell a visual tale of loss and abandonment.
I have just been reading Maggie Craig’s account of the women of the ‘45, Damn Rebel Bitches, which takes its narrative from letters, reports and many contemporary accounts. I feel ashamed that it has taken me so long to find this book alongside the work of historians such as Jim Hunter who have produced their own fine accounts of these terrible times.
Many political leaders at Westminster continue to insist that Scotland has no right to work towards its political and economic independence. It makes me wonder if any of them has considered or studied Scotland’s historical journey. Many at Westminster acknowledge Ireland’s case for independence but refuse to accept that Scotland might also have a case. Is this ignorance or political expediency?
I have always said to my daughters, nephews and nieces that it is necessary to educate yourself about our past, at home and internationally. It is impossible to make sense of current world affairs if you have not studied how we arrived here.
Maggie Chetty,
36 Woodend Drive,
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