Kilted fortnight holiday in scotland & france

[kiltimabar]

I was among those lamenting the ruin of the grand Poltalloch House; then after seeing and reading about the Arichonan clearance, I wonder if some cosmic justice was involved. Like we say today, "What goes around, comes around."

[Jock Scot]

I was among those lamenting the ruin of the grand Poltalloch House; then after seeing and reading about the Arichonan clearance, I wonder if some cosmic justice was involved. Like we say today, "What goes around, comes around."

I do see your point, but we can not and should not have to apologize for what our ancestors did, or, might have of done, or let what was done unto our ancestors, fester. The past is the past, yes we should learn from our history and then go forward. Yet again great pictures, even if the content is rather sad.

[Ancienne Alliance]

I do see your point, but we can not and should not have to apologize for what our ancestors did, or, might have of done, or let what was done unto our ancestors, fester. The past is the past, yes we should learn from our history and then go forward. Yet again great pictures, even if the content is rather sad.

Yes, exactly.


Best,

Robert

[Sir William]

I do see your point, but we can not and should not have to apologize for what our ancestors did, or, might have of done, or let what was done unto our ancestors, fester. The past is the past, yes we should learn from our history and then go forward. Yet again great pictures, even if the content is rather sad.

Totally agree. As I've been doing geneological research I've come across things my ancestors did that were, at best, embarrassing, and sometimes by our "modern" standards morally offensive. I don't judge them. They lived in a different time and had their own problems to deal with as best they could.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Totally agree. As I've been doing geneological research I've come across things my ancestors did that were, at best, embarrassing, and sometimes by our "modern" standards morally offensive. I don't judge them. They lived in a different time and had their own problems to deal with as best they could.

Aye ! We always like to think of our ancestors as "the good guys"...

I guess they were simply humans after all. Not some idealized celtic gods.


Best,

Robert

[Redshank]

Granted these old ruined and deserted homesteads tug at the very heartstrings of our humane emotions, people evicted from their homes, cleared out of the way, only to be replaced by more economically viable stock by the landlords.
But lets not forget or loose sight that these times where so very hard,
I doubt very much few could tollerate these conditions today,
four strong walls, probably a turf roof, no running hot and cold water, no sanitation, a megre diet, living hand to mouth, making as best a living as they could from a very poor soil, unable to pay the rent, always cold and damp (and that would be in the summer )
It's human nature to dislike change, especially changes forced upon us, but in the case of the peoples from Arichonan, it is now regarded by some of the descendants of those cleared, that it was a change for the better, they where able to start a new and better life.
So in my opinion, one should regard these old ruins simply as evidence of a simple and very harsh way of life that is no more, and could be no more.

[Jock Scot]

Granted these old ruined and deserted homesteads tug at the very heartstrings of our humane emotions, people evicted from their homes, cleared out of the way, only to be replaced by more economically viable stock by the landlords.
But lets not forget or loose sight that these times where so very hard,
I doubt very much few could tollerate these conditions today,
four strong walls, probably a turf roof, no running hot and cold water, no sanitation, a megre diet, living hand to mouth, making as best a living as they could from a very poor soil, unable to pay the rent, always cold and damp (and that would be in the summer )
It's human nature to dislike change, especially changes forced upon us, but in the case of the peoples from Arichonan, it is now regarded by some of the descendants of those cleared, that it was a change for the better, they where able to start a new and better life.
So in my opinion, one should regard these old ruins simply as evidence of a simple and very harsh way of life that is no more, and could be no more.

Good points there Chris. Had I been around at that time and had I had the wit to do so, I would have been the first one on the first boat out!

[JSFMACLJR]

Good points there Chris. Had I been around at that time and had I had the wit to do so, I would have been the first one on the first boat out!

You touch on an interesting point, Jock. My ancestor Donald McLean, left Creich, on the Ross of Mull, in 1829, and with his wife Janet McCallum and with 9 of their children (leaving two behind, no less), emigrated to Quebec. The Duke of Argyll had not cleared Mull at this time, but living conditions were very, very harsh. Rents were high, food was meagre, weather was rotten, disease was rampant. Donald wanted a brighter future for his family, so moved to a land that had even harsher weather to start over. The land, and climate, and the Duke of Argyll did not break the spirit of men like Donald and so many others who left Scotland.

[Mael Coluim]

On our way to Crinan for lunch, Chris told me he had an Aussie come to the Tourist Office in Inveraray and said he had come to see the black sheep. Sure enough here they are. The flock is reversed from the usual as in this flock of sheep there is one white sheep!





We encountered this fellow on a fence by the roadside. I took this photo from the car. Chris says he is here all the time; winter and summer.

[/IMG]

[Mael Coluim]

Crinan is an interesting town. It’s on the Loch Crinan and at the end of the Crinan Canal. These steamers called puffers were built to negotiate the canal. They are rather famous. I would say the frequent traffic on the canal are pleasure boats.