The Trip

The Stuarts page relates the migration of the Stuarts from Ireland to America in the mid 19^th century. And how, in our search for our Irish roots in County Armagh, Ireland, we discovered that the Stuarts had originated in Scotland. So this is the story of how I, along with my sister, Cissy and brother John, ventured once more abroad - this time to Scotland, in search of our Scottish roots.

I should say that I was not surprised to find that the Stuarts of Armagh, Ireland had originally come from Scotland. After all, many folk in and west of the Appalachian Mountains claim Scots-Irish (called Scotch-Irish by my mother) as their origin. However, this term is often used without a clear understanding of just what the Scots-Irish heritage is. The Scots-Irish were Scots that were relocated from their land in Scotland, mainly in the Borders and Lowlands regions, to Ulster in Northern Ireland. Known as the Plantation of Ulster, it began in the early 17^th century and continued for over a hundred years.

In this same time period, a religious dispute arose and our ancestor, John Stuart (my 6^th great grandfather), who was a Presbyterian living in Ayershire, Scotland, became caught up in the fray and, unfortunately, was on the wrong side of the winner. These were known as Covenanters (a biblical term for a bond or agreement with God) and were given two choices - forfeit everything and migrate to Ulster or forfeit everything including their lives. This became known as the Forfeiture. So John moved on to Ireland and settled in County Armagh, continuing his Presbyterian worship.

The only information I could find on John was that he was born at Drumley House in Mossblown, Ayrshire. I have identified his father, James Stewart (not sure why the name change), also of Drumley House, and his mother Margaret MacDougal and James' mother Katherine McDowell. Here the trail grows cold leaving us little to find of our ancestors. But we are determined to visit the area where they dwelt and, who knows, may even unknowingly step in their footsteps.

Our quest begins HERE.

Epilogue

Our Royal Connection

Before launching into a rant that will probably leave many people yawning, let me first take a moment to explain our familial connection to ancient Scottish royalty which I refer to throughout my trip. I'm not referring to a connection to Robert the Bruce through some undocumented bastard son. Rather, I am referring to ancestral connections that derive from our Curtis line and is documented in my page "...of Cabbages and Kings". Perhaps a future expedition will be raised to investigate the Curtises.

Driving in Scotland

Now that I have had a week or so to look back on our trip, I have several observations. First what started as a search for our ancestors evolved into an opportunity to visits sites I have not seen before and also to revisit some of my favorites. Here are some statistics on the trip.

• Drove 1684 miles!
• Visited 8 castles
• ...2 stone circles
• ...4 churches/chapels
• ... and 2 lighthouses!
• Crossed the Queensferry Crossing & Firth of Forth twice!

The Peugeot 2008 VTI

Driving on the wrong side of the road is always a challenge. Driving a straight stick adds a layer of complication but not a serious one. However, driving a subcompact SUV Peugeot 2008 VTI DID prove to be a challenge. First, the pedals were small and rather close together. It was easy with my EE feet to actually hit two pedals at once. And then some designer (I hesitate to actually call them an engineer) placed a foot rest just to the left of the clutch pedal.This resulted in regularly hanging my foot on the foot rest when I depressed the clutch. Then I had to adjust the steering column to an awkward position in order to even see the speedometer. And getting out of the Peugeot...I had to slide the seat all the way back and then release the steering column which I then pushed forward and up. Getting back in required dance moves that I have not used since high school.

I also felt like I was sitting on the floorboard. The Peugeot had manual seats so I could not find away to raise the seat. That is until about four days into the trip, I discovered that the handle on the side of the seat that I assumed was for adjusting the seat back was actually a jacking device to raise and lower the seat. This not only resulted in a more comfortable ride, but allowed me to adjust the steering column to a more drivable position. It even made entering and exiting Peugeot easier...that's easier, still not easy.

Scottish Roads

Before launching into a general tirade of driving on the roads in Scotland, first we should review the official types of roads that we encountered.

• M-roads - These are the high speed roadways inking major cities. Normally 2 to 3 lanes in each direction with either a median, or more ofter, barrier between the traffic each way. Quite similar to our Interstate network. (I never really found an official definition of an M-road. However they do exist and the definition here is based on my observation.)
• A-roads - Major roads intended to provide large-scale transport links within or between areas. (These are a the main roads connecting major cities, usually 1 lane in each direction but sometimes 2 lanes. There is no divider other than a white line. However, this line can be a God send.)
• B-roads - Roads intended to connect different areas, and to feed traffic between A roads and smaller roads on the network. (A lower class, often narrower, roadway, less well maintained, sometimes with a white dividing line. B-roads generally link A-roads.)
• Classified Unnumbered roads – Smaller roads intended to connect together unclassified roads with A and B roads, and often linking a housing estate or a village to the rest of the network. Similar to ‘minor roads’ on an Ordnance Survey map and sometimes known unofficially as C roads.
• Unclassified roads - Local roads intended for local traffic. The vast majority (60%) of roads in the UK fall within this category. (So is an Unclassified road numbered? And wouldn't that make it a higher grade than Unclassified Unnumbered?)

I have driven on B-roads that linked two A-roads. Somewhere near the middle, they went from paved to graveled and back again.

Driving Scottish Roads

Now I've driven on Scottish Roads before, but for some reason, the roads in southwest Scotland seem to be narrower and,well, more challenging. (Though there is the possibility that I am just older and more challenged!) While narrow roads can be overcome, when stone walls are close enough for a manicure, it raises the bar considerably.

There are many concepts in highway design that I find somewhat vexing. For instance, in the middle of nowhere on a narrow road,I often encountered a CURB! Now, this in itself is questionable, but often it was in a CURVE! So, when meeting an oncoming car, especially in a curve, I move to the edge of the pavement and, when necessary, onto the shoulder. But not with a curb! In fact, when encountering a curb at a decent rate of speed, the tendency is to BOUNCE back into the on-coming lane! Not exactly the outcome I am looking for. I mean, is this a wise use of highway funds when there are so many potholes to be filled, not to mention the single lane bridges?

Give Ways

The ubiquitous Give Way! Throughout our travels we encountered two, maybe three, Stop signs. You know, the red octagonal signs with the large white letters STOP! Most often we encountered the Give Way. Give Way best translates to our American Yield sign. However, it is often employed where a Stop sign would be used in the US. For instance, when a road tees into another road, even with limited sight in both directions, a Give Way is employed. I blew through a Give Way where my road crossed a major roadway. Fortunately, there was no traffic on the major road, but when I realized what I had done, I momentarily had the shakes.

What I consider to be the most onerous Give Way is when the curb bumps out into my lane with a Give Way sign. There will be a matching bump out and Give Way several hundred feet down the road. According to the Dept for Transport, this is to reduce the speed in long straight sections of road, such as is shown in the image.

Single Lane Bridges

Speaking of single lane bridges, they are everywhere on the B-roads. Often with steep approaches or curves leading into the bridge, I had to stop to make sure that the way was clear. In some cases, they did not exactly align with the road and it required zigzagging to get through without scraping. On A-roads, they sometime will add traffic signals on either side of the bridge to assure no conflicts.

Pedestrian Crossings

And then there are pedestrian crossings. Out of no where, what is known as a pedestrian refuge appears. This is an uncontrolled crossing with two dropped curbs and a central island protected by curbs. The results is that the roadway suddenly narrows creating pinch points in the roadway. The concept is twofold - it is obviously safer for the pedestrian but it also slows vehicle speed. And I won't even get into crossings combined with speed humps. While these are seldom seen in rural areas, their location doesn't always have an apparent need. All I know is that it caused momentary anxiety and resulting expletives.

Cows

One final comment on driving in Scotland - Cows! I'll not go into detail, just watch the video. (Notice the Give Way at the end of the video. This intersection had limited sight distance on both approaches.)

Driving Through the Countryside

As bleak a picture that I've painted of driving through the Scottish countryside, it is often quite rewarding with the vistas and the colors. Like Ireland, Scotland is subject to the benefits of the Gulf Stream and the regular rainfall that makes the landscape GREEN!