More of Scotland’s ’stories’…

Posted on | September 26, 2006 | No Comments

And the next three ’stories’ from Gerry Hassan:

Educational Scotland – the importance of the democratic intellect, the lad o” pairts, the Kirriemuir career and so on. These add up to a belief that Scots education is part of an egalitarian Scotland where people from the most humble background get on.

Calvinist Scotland – the nation as God’s chosen country, shaped by the theocracy of the Reformation which has percolated down through the years, and can still be seen today in the Scots” sense of unease about sex, the body and emotions.

Tartan Scotland – the world of kilts, heather and tartan dress and symbols, and the Highlands as romantic, defiant and ultimately defeated. This is a problematic iconic story – used to sell Scotland to the world, but filled with ambiguity and a sense of unease about the history invested in it, and its relation to modern Scotland.