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An incredible document from 1526 tells the forgotten story of what Scotland was like in the late 15th and early 16th century. It was written by a man named Hector Boece.
Called the 'Chronicles of Scotland', it was penned in Latin and later translated into Scots and then into English. Boece, a a philosopher and historian, was the first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen.
And his record of life in Scotland makes for astonishing reading some five centuries later. Boece travelled all over the country and set down his impressions of the towns and the people who lived in them. Read on to find out what your home town was like in 1526.
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Edinburgh: "Lothian is most productive ground of Scotland. In it are many abbeys, castles, and towns; as Haddington, Dunbar, North Berwick, Leith: but Edinburgh passes them all, both in administration, improvements, wisdom, and riches: and above it is the castle of the same name, once called the Maiden Castle, and still retains the same name.
"Not two miles from Edinburgh is a fountain, dedicated to Saint Catherine, where gouts of oil spring continually with such abundance, that, although the same be gathered away, it springs immediately with great abundance. This fountain arose through a drop of Saint Catherine's oil, which was brought out of Mount Sinai, from her sepulchre, to Saint Margaret, the blessed Queen of Scotland. As soon as Saint Margaret saw the oil spring continually, by divine miracle, in the said place, she had a chapel built there, in the honour of Saint Catherine. This oil has a singular virtue against all manner of canker and scabs."
Stirling: "In Stirlingshire is the town of Stirling; and above it stands the castle of the same name, sometimes named the Sorrowful Mountain. At this town began the great Wood of Caledonia. This Wood of Caledonia ran from Stirling through Menteith and Strathearn to Atholl and Lochaber...
"In this wood there once were white bulls, with crisp and curling mane, like fierce lions; and, though they seemed meek and tame in the remaining figure of their bodies, they were more wild than any other beasts."
Glasgow: "The principal town of Clydesdale is Glasgow, the archbishop's seat; where a noble church is richly established in honour of Saint Mungo, and built with great magnificence. In Glasgow there is a University, where all liberal sciences are studied.
"In Clydesdale there is a rich mine of gold and blue stone, won without any labour: sometimes there are found in it, several precious stones of various hues. This golden mine was found in the time of King James the Third; who had so many singular virtues, that he would have decorated his realm with infinite riches by this mine, if God had allowed him to have more days. Now, by sloth and negligence of unskilful people, this mine does small profit."
Fife: "In Fife are mined black stones, which have such intolerable heat, when they are kindled, that they soften and melt iron, and are therefore very profitable for operation of smiths. This kind of black stones are mined in no part of Albion, but only between Tay and Tyne. In Fife is made great plenty of white salt. In Fife there are many noble towns; as Saint Andrew's, the archbishop's seat of Scotland, Kircaldy, Dysart, Kinghorn, Cupar, and Dunfermline; where a rich abbey is decorated with the tombs of kings...
"Fife is divided from Lothian by the river of Forth, which runs, by a broad firth, into the German Sea. This firth is very productive of cockles, oysters, mussels, seals, porpoises, dolphins, and whales; with great plenty of white fish."
Argyll: "In Argyll are many rich mines, full of metal; but the people thereof have no craft nor industry to win the same... It was said by Sir Duncan Campbell to us, that out of Garloch, a loch of Argyll, the year of God 1510 years, there came a terrible beast, as big as a greyhound, with feet like a goose, and struck down great trees with the blow of her tail; and slew three men who were hunting with three strokes of her tail: and had not the remaining hunters climbed up strong trees, they had been all slain in the same manner. After the slaughter of these men, she fled speedily to the loch. Several prudent men believed great trouble would follow in Scotland, from the appearing of this beast; for she was seen before, and always trouble followed thereafter."
Carrick: "In this country are many strong castles, very powerful both by nature and craft of men. In this region are many fair cows and oxen, of which the flesh is very delicious and tender; the tallow of their bellies is so sappy, that it freezes never, but by its nature always flows, of itself, like oil."
Kyle: "In Kyle is a stone, not 12 miles from the town of Ayr, 30 foot in height, and three ells in breadth, called by the people the Deaf Stone; for when a man is at the foot of it, he may neither hear what is said nor done on the other side, although a cannon were shot at it; nonetheless, the further away he stands from it, he hears it the better."
Cunninghame: "The third part of Siluria; whose people were most troublesome to the Romans. In Kyle is a loch named Doon, from which descends the water of the same name, and runs into the Irish Sea. In Cunninghame is a loch named Garnock, not unlike to Loch Doon, full of fish; and not far from it is the town of Largs, where once King Alexander the Third fought, with great glory of victory, against the Danes."
Borders: "For not only in Annandale, but in all the dales described above (Teviotdale, Tweeddale, Eskdale and Ewesdale), are many strong and wicked thieves, attacking the country with perpetual theft, robbery, and slaughter, when they see any troubled time. These thieves, because they have Englishmen their perpetual enemies, bordering on them, attack England with continual wars, or else with quiet theft; and live always a poor and miserable life.
"In the time of peace, they are so accustomed to theft that they can not desist, but attack the country, (although they are always miserably put down,) with constant raids. Many rich and productive parts of Scotland lie waste, for fear of their invasion. Not far from Solway are many sinking sands, so perilous, that no people may transport themselves through the same, without great difficulty and danger of their lives."
Dumfries: "In Nithsdale is the town of Dumfries, where much fine and delicate white cloth is made, held in great esteem by merchants of foreign realms."
Inverness: "In the mouth of Ness stands the town of Inverness; where once was great plenty and catch of herring, although they are now vanished, because of an offence that was made against some Saint. The truth is, when avaricious and wretched men fight for the fish that God sends, by his infinite goodness, for the support of the people, and defile the sea by their blood; many years after, no fish swim in that place."
Moray: "In Moray there is not only great abundance of wheat, barley, oats, and suchlike corn, with great plenty of nuts and apples, but in it is great abundance of fish, and especially salmon. In this country there is a crude manner of fishing: for the people make a long basket, narrow at the end, and wide at the mouth, with many pointed spurs inside, made with such craft, that the fish are caught in it, and can not get forth again; and as soon as the sea ebbs, the fish are taken dry in the creels.
"In Moray is a loch named Spynie, where there is a great number of swans. The cause why the swans multiply so fast in this loch, is through an herb named sweetgrass, which burgeons with great fertility in the said loch, and the seed of it is very nourishing and delicious to swans."
Buchan: "Buchan, a profitable land for sheep; for it passes all countries, lying about it, in riches of white and delicate wool. Many waters are in Buchan; all full of salmon, except Rattray, in which there are none.... No rats are seen in this country; and, as soon as they are brought there, they die. In Buchan oats grow without any cultivation or sowing. When the people come intending to reap their oats, they find nothing but empty husks; yet when they come without any premeditation, they find their oats full and well ripened. These things come not by nature, but rather by illusion of devils, for the deceit of blind and superstitious people."
Aberdeen: "The bishop's seat; with a general University, flourishing in all sciences; it was founded by the noble Bishop William Elphinston, with a rich and magnificent college. This city lies between two rich rivers, Don and Dee; in which are more salmon, than in any other part of Albion."
Dundee: "The town where we were born; where there are many virtuous and hardworking people making of cloth. In Angus are many other good towns, as Montrose, Brechin, and Forfar; with such great number of castles, that it were over-tedious labour to write them all."
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