Text, scholarly version, translated from the 1573 Latin 1st Add/1573 Latin, 1574 Latin, 1575 Latin, 1579 Latin, 1580/1589 German, 1584 Latin, 1588 Spanish, 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612 Latin edition and 1609/1612/1641 Spanish editions:
18.1. {1606E only{Of}1606E only} {1573L1Add/1573L{SCOTLAND
18.2. Scotland, the Northern {1602G instead{Western}1602G instead} part of the isle of Britain, anciently called Albania, is now called by its first inhabitants {1606E & 1608/1612I only{(the wild Scots}1606E & 1608/1612I only} {not in 1606E & 1608/1612I{the farmers}not in 1606E & 1608/1612I}, who live more inland and who still retain their old language, Albayn. It was formerly called Britannia Minor and Secunda by the Romans as Lhuyd gathers from Sextus Rufus. This country is divided into two parts by the rough and craggy Grampius mountains {1606E only{(now Grantzbeen)}1606E only} (which Tacitus mentions).
18.3. This mountain [range] begins at the German ocean, near the mouth of the river Dee along the coasts of Aberdeen, through the middle of the country towards the Irish sea, and ends at Loch Lomond. This mountain [range] was once regarded as the boundary of the kingdoms of the Picts and Scots.
18.4. Scotland is more mountainous and barren than England. Yet it has everywhere many commodious harbours {not 1606E{and the sea is everywhere}not in 1606E}. For this country is so much embraced by the arms of the sea that there is no house in it, as confirmed by John Major, which is more than twenty leagues {1580/1589G & 1602G instead{thirty Welsh miles}1580/1589G & 1602G instead} distant from the salt water. In the valleys there are Lakes, pools, rivers and springs well provided with all sorts of fish. In the mountains you find excellent plains, yielding great store of pastures for cattle, and woods abounding with plenty of venison. By means of which commodities it has been naturally preserved in such a way that so far it has never been an easy conquest. For whenever there is imminent danger, they immediately fly to the woods and bogs, for help and refuge, where they have sufficient venison and fish to provide them with food protecting them from famine.
18.5. Scotland has many wonders to offer, some of which we present here on the basis of Hector Boece. In Galloway, he says, there is a lake called Myrtoun, of which part of the water in winter freezes {not in 1608/1612I{as happens elsewhere}not in 1608/1612I}. But another part of it was never known to be frozen even in the greatest spells of frost. In the country of Carrick there are very large and heavy oxen, whose meat is very tender and of a pleasant and delicate taste. Besides that, their fat never hardens, but is always soft and liquid like oil. The sea that washes the shore of this province is very rich in oysters, herrings, eels, mussels and other such shell-fish.
18.6. In the province of Kyle, about ten miles from the town of Ayr there is a stone, almost 12 {1608/1612I instead{10}1608/1612I instead}feet high, 33 ells {1580/1589G & 1602G only{48 feet}1580/1589G & 1602G only} thick, called by the inhabitants not without reason Surdum, The deaf stone. For however much noise you make on one side, even if you shoot a cannon there, it shall not be heard on the other side, except if you are a good distance away from it, for then the sound will be easily audible. In Lennox, which Ptolemĉus calls Lelgovia {1606E only{(Lelannonia as I read it in Ptolemĉus, but I think our author means Selgovia, which is far from this place)}1606E only} there is a very large lake which they commonly call LOMOND, more than twenty-four miles long and eight miles wide. {after § 7 in 1608/1612I only{It contains more than thirty islands, many of which have well-inhabited villages, with churches, and shrines dedicated to saints}after § 7 in 1608/1612I only}.
18.7. In this, three things are especially worth to be remembered. For the fish here, most wholesome and good to eat, have no fins. Then, even when the winds are very calm and quiet, the water is sometimes so boisterous and rough that it frightens the most hardy sailors from setting out to cross this lake. Even when the winds are weak, the boats drift off to the middle and are tossed about so dangerously that unless some commodious harbour happens to be near, they are often overturned and cast away. Lastly, there is an island in it, providing very good pasture for feeding cattle, which floats and moves every way as the winds push it.
18.8. It has been reported credibly that there is a stone which is found in Argyll {1606E only{(Argathelia or Argile)}1606E only} which, if it is covered for just a while with straw or flax, will set this on fire. At Slanis, {not in 1580/1589G & 1602G{(a castle in Buchan)}not in 1580/1589G & 1602G}, there is a cave of a strange nature. For the water that flows into it in the course of time is turned into a very white kind of stone. And if this had not been taken out within some years, the cave would have been filled up by it a long time ago. In this province, no rats are ever to be seen. And if it should happen that any rats were to be brought there, they will not survive.
18.9. In the country of Fife a great amount of a kind of black stone is dug from the earth {1606E only(we call it sea coal),}1606E only} a most excellent kind of fuel. At the mouth of the river Forth in the main sea there is a very high rock whose top has a spring with sweet water (a great miracle of nature) which flows abundantly. About two miles from Edinburgh there is a spring on the surface of whose waters drops of oil float all the time, of a kind that if you take none of it, there will not be more in time, but if you do take it away, there will never be less. The oil is good against roughness of skin. So far from him {1606E only{as regards strange things from this realm}1606E only}. In the country of Drysdale, Scotland has a gold mine, in which they also find what is commonly called Lazure. It has also Iron and Lead mines.
18.10. The inhabitants who possess the Southern part, on this side of the Grampius mountains, are more civil and humane. And they speak the English language. Those who dwell in the Northern parts are a rough and more hardy kind of people {1580/1589G, 1602G & 1606E only{(they call themselves The wild Scots)1580/1589G, 1602G& 1606E only}. {not in 1580/1589G, 1602G & 1606E{They are called the Scots from the woods}not in 1580/1589G, 1602G & 1606E}. They wear coats and skirts dyed with Saffron after the Irish fashion, and go bare-legged up to the knee. {not in 1606E{Their weapons are bow and arrow, and a sword with a very wide blade. They always wear in their belt on the side a dagger, sharp on one side only}not in 1606E}. They speak the Irish tongue. And like the language of Scotland is of two sorts, likewise diverse are their manners. These Major {1606E instead{Marianus}1606E instead} Scotus calls High-land men, the others, {1580/1589G, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1606E & 1608/1612I only{I mean the wild Scots,}1580/1589G, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1606E & 1612I only} (the Scots from the woods, I mean) they call Low-land men.
18.11. The main city of Scotland is Edinburgh. There is the king's seat, and the castle of maidens often celebrated in histories. Then Saint Andrews which has a university, and Aberdeen also has a university. The city of Glasgow is the archbishop's see. The town of Perth, commonly called St. John's Town is the only town in Scotland with stone city walls. Of the woods of Caledonia (about which Ptolemĉus and other ancient writers have written), there are now scarcely any remnants of to be found, [and those] only at the town of Stirling. So far for the kingdom of Scotland. Now it will not be wrong to say something about the islands which lie around it and which belong to the crown.
18.12. The HEBRIDES, {1606E only{(commonly called the West-iles)}1606E only} both in number and size outperform the rest. Hector Boece says that they are 43 in number. But here he includes the isle of Man as one of them, while it is not subject to the kingdom of Scotland, but is under the allegiance of the King of England. Neither do I think that it was ever by the ancients counted under the Hebrides. The first among the Hebrides is Arran (sometimes called Bute), then Helau and Rothesa. Not far from there is Ailsa, where there are a great many birds which they call Soland-geese, a kind of large ducks. The largest isle of all, and the most famous one, {not in 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{is Islay,}not in 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S} with a fertile soil for corn, and rich in metal. Then there are also Cumbra and Mull.
18.13. Near to these is Jona, memorable for the tombs of kings, buried here a long time ago. Next to this is Lewis, and last of all Hirtha, situated at 63 {1606E instead{43}1606E instead} degrees of elevation. This is what Boece calls them. But John Major the Scot names them like this: Argyla, Aranea, Awyna, Butha or Rothsaya, and Lesivora. On these islands are geese which they call clakes, (Silius Gyraldus calls them Bernacas [barnacles]) which Boece confirms to grow in the sea out of rotten wood, and which are not bred in trees, as others believe and have set forth in their vernacular writings. If you cast a piece of wood into the sea, he says, in due time, there will first be worms breeding in the wood, which little by little will form heads, feet and finally wings with feathers. At last, being full fledged, attaining the size of a goose, they attempt to fly. {1606E only{Sometimes they swim}1606E only}, and they fly in the air flapping their wings like other fowl do.
18.14. Beyond the Hebrides are the ORCHADES {1606E only{(or the Orkney iles)}1606E only} of which the best is Pomonia [now mainland], famous for its bishop see, a great temple and two strong castles. John Major calls one of these Zeland [Shetland]. It is 50 miles long. No trees grow on it, nor any wheat, but they are very fertile with all other kinds of produce. No serpents or other poisonous creatures breed there. In Scotland they sell barrelled salted butter. The inhabitants have an abundance of Barley, of which they brew the strongest kind of drink, and of all people they are the best drinkers {1580/1589G, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only{of the entire world}1580/1589G, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only}. Yet, says Boece, you shall never see a drunk or madman, or one deranged or a natural fool amongst them.
18.15. The same author says the same about the inhabitants of Shetland {1580/1589G & 1602G instead{Scots}1580/1589G & 1602G instead}. But this is no wonder, as most of them drink nothing but water. The wealth and commodities of these Shetland-men {1580/1589G & 1602G instead{Scots}1580/1589G & 1602G instead} consist entirely of stockfish, and animal hides. On the Hebrides they use the Irish tongue. On the Orkneys they speak the Gothic language. Mr. Jordanus on his map of Denmark says that the Orkneys are subject to the kingdom of Denmark. Yet, we know them to belong to Scotland under the title of a dukedom. {1584L, 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only{But see what we have written about this there}1584L, 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only} {1574L, 1595L, 1601L, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1608/1612L only{in the text belonging to the map of Denmark}1574L, 1595L, 1601L, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612L only}. Of Scotland and the surrounding islands, you may read more in authors cited above, such as Hector Boece, John Major}1573L1Add/1573L ends here} {1579L, not in 1580/1589G & 1602G{and John Lesley}1579L, not in 1580/1589G & 1602G}, [all of them] Scots {1573L1/1573L, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here} {1606E only{who have written the histories of this country of theirs}1606E only which ends here}.
Next follows the vernacular version of this text, translated from the editions 1573D1Add/1573D, 1573G1Add/1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598/1610/1613D & 1598F:
18.16. {1573D1Add/1573D{SCOTLAND
18.17. Scotland, the Northern part of the isle of Britain, anciently called Albania, is now called by its first inhabitants, {not in 1598/1610/1613D{who live more inland and}not in 1598/1610/1613D} who still retain their old language, Albayn. It was formerly called Britannia Minor and Secunda by the Romans as Llwyd gathers from Sextus Rufus. This country is divided into two parts by the rough and craggy Grampian mountains (which Tacitus mentions).
18.18. This mountain [range] begins at the German ocean, near the mouth of the river {not in 1573G1Add/1573G{Dee}not in 1573G1Add/1573G} along the coasts of Aberdeen, through the middle of the country towards the Irish sea, and ends at lake Lomond. This mountain [range] was once regarded as the boundary of the kingdoms of the Picts and Scots.
18.19. Scotland is more mountainous and barren than England. Yet it has everywhere many commodious harbours {not in 1598/1610/1613D & 1598F{and the sea is everywhere}not in 1598/1610/1613D & 1598F}. For this country is so much embraced by the arms of the sea that there is no house in it, as confirmed by John Major, which is more than twenty leagues distant from the salt water. In the valleys there are lakes, pools, rivers and springs well provided with all sorts of fish. In the mountains you find excellent plains, yielding great store of pastures for cattle, and woods abounding with plenty of venison. By means of which commodities it has been preserved in such a way that so far it has never been an easy conquest. For whenever there is imminent danger, they immediately fly to the woods and bogs, for help and refuge, where they have sufficient venison and fish to provide them with food protecting them from famine.
18.20. Scotland has many wonders to offer, some of which we present here on the basis of Hector Boece. In Galloway there is a lake called Myrtoun, of which part of the water in winter freezes as happens elsewhere. But another part of it was never known to be frozen even in the greatest spells of frost. In the country of Carrick there are very large and heavy oxen, whose meat is very tender and of a pleasant and delicate taste. Besides that, their fat never hardens, but is always soft and liquid like oil. The sea that washes the shore of this province is very rich in oysters, herrings, {not in 1573G1Add/1573G{eels,}not in 1573G1Add/1573G} mussels and other such shell-fish.
18.21. In the province of Kyle, within ten miles from the town of Ayr there is a stone, almost 12 feet high, 33 ells thick, called by the inhabitants not without reason Surdum, The deaf stone. For however much noise you make on one side, even if you shoot a gun there, it shall not be heard on the other side, except if you are a good distance away from it, for then the sound will be easily audible. In Lennox, {1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F instead{Lemnos}1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F instead} (which Ptolemĉus calls Lelgovia) there is a very large lake which the Scots commonly call LOMOND, more than twenty-four miles long and eight miles wide. It contains thirty islands, many of which have well-inhabited villages, with churches, and chapels, dedicated to saints.
18.22. In this, three things are especially worth to be remembered. For the fish here, most wholesome and good to eat, have no fins. Then, even when the winds are very calm and quiet, the water is sometimes so boisterous and rough that it frightens the most hardy sailors from setting out to cross this lake. Even when the winds are weak, the boats are tossed about so dangerously that unless some commodious harbour happens to be near, they are often overturned and cast away. Lastly, there is an island in it, providing very good pasture for feeding cattle, which floats and moves every way as the winds push it.
18.23. It has been reported credibly that there is a stone which is found in Argyll which, if it is placed on top of straw or flax for a while, will set this on fire. At Slanis, (a castle (in Buchan), there is a cave of a strange nature. For the water that drips into it in the course of time is turned into a very white kind of stone. And if this had not been taken out within some years, the cave would have been filled up by it a long time ago. In this province, no rats are ever to be seen. And if it should happen that any rats were to be brought there, they will not survive.
18.24. In the country of Fife a great amount of a kind of black stone is dug from the earth, a most excellent kind of fuel. At the mouth of the river Forth in the main sea there is a very high rock whose top has a spring with sweet water (a great miracle of nature) which flows abundantly. About two miles from Edinburgh there is a spring on the surface of whose waters drops of oil float all the time, of a kind that if you take none of it, there will not be more in time, but if you do take it away, there will never be less. The oil is good against {1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F only{gall ailments and}1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F only} roughnesses of skin. So far about these matters. In the country of Drysdale, Scotland has a gold mine, in which they also find what is commonly called lazure. It has also iron and lead mines.
18.25. The inhabitants who live in the Southern part, on this side of the Grampius mountains, are more civil and humane. And they speak the English language. Those who dwell on the other side, in the Northern parts, are a rough and more hardy kind of people (they call themselves the wild Scots). They wear coats and skirts dyed with saffron after the Irish fashion, and go bare-legged up to the knee. Their weapons are bow and arrow, and a sword with a very wide blade. They always wear in their belt on the side a dagger, sharp on one side only. They speak the Irish tongue. And like the language of Scotland is of two sorts, likewise diverse are their manners. These according to Major the Scotsman we call high-land men, the others, I mean the wild Scots, we call low-land men.
18.26. The main city of Scotland is Edinburgh. There is the king's seat, and the castle of Maidens {not in 1573G1Add/1573G{often celebrated in histories}not in 1573G1Add/1573G}. {1598/1610/1613D only{In Noch there are}1598/1610/1613D only} Saint Andrew which has a university, and Aberdeen which also has a university. Further, the city of Glasgow is the archbishop's see. The town of Perth, commonly called St. John's-Town is the only town in Scotland with city walls. Of the woods of Caledonia (about which Ptolemĉus and other writers have written), there are now scarcely any remnants of to be found, and those only at the town of Stirling. So far for Scotland which is adorned with the title of kingdom. Now it will not be wrong to say something about the islands which lie around it and which belong to the crown.
18.27. The HEBRIDES, both in number and size outperform the rest. Hector Boece says that they are 43 in number. But here he includes the isle of Man as one of them, while it is not subject to the kingdom of Scotland, but is under the allegiance of the king of England. Neither do I think that it was ever by the ancients counted under the Hebrides. The first among the Hebrides is Arran (sometimes called Bute), then Helau and Rothesay. Not far from there is Ailsa, where there are a great many birds which they call soland-geese, a kind of large ducks. The largest isle of all, and the most famous one, is Islay, with a fertile soil for corn, and rich in metal. Then there are also Cumbra and Mull.
18.28. Near to these is Jona, memorable for the tombs of kings. Next to this is Lewis, and last of all Hirtha, situated at 63 degrees of elevation. This is what Boece calls them. But John Major the Scot names them like this: Argyla, Aranea, Awyna, Butha or Rothsaya, and Lesivora. On these islands are geese which they call clakes, (Silius Gyraldus calls them bernacas [barnacles]) which Boece confirms to grow in the sea out of rotten wood, and which are not bred in trees, as others believe and have set forth in their vernacular writings. If you cast a piece of wood into the sea, he says, in due time, the wood being hollowed, there will first be worms breeding in the wood, which little by little will form heads, feet and finally wings with feathers. At last, being full fledged, attaining the size of a goose, they fly in the air flapping their wings like other fowl do.
18.29. Beyond the Hebrides are the Orkneys of which the best is Pomonia [now mainland], famous for its bishop see, a great temple and two strong castles. John Major calls one of these Zeland [Shetland]. It is 50 miles long. No trees grow on it, nor any wheat, but they are very fertile with all other kinds of produce. No serpents or other poisonous creatures breed there. In Scotland they sell barrelled salted butter. Although the inhabitants have an abundance of barley, of which they brew the strongest kind of drink, and of all people are the best drinkers, yet, says Boece, you shall never see a drunk or madman, or one deranged or a natural fool amongst them.
18.30. He says the same about the inhabitants of Shetland. But this is no wonder, as most of them drink nothing but water. The wealth and commodities of these Shetland-men consist entirely of stockfish, and animal hides. On the Hebrides they use the Irish tongue. On the Orkney isles they speak the Gothic language. Mr. Jordanus on his map of Denmark says that the Orckneys are subject to the kingdom of Denmark. Yet, we know them to belong to Scotland under the title of a dukedom}1573D1/1573D, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598/1610/1613D & 1598F end here}. But see what we have written about this there. Of Scotland and the surrounding islands, you may read more in authors cited above, such as Hector Boece, and John Major, [all of them] Scots}1573G1Add/1573G ends here}.