Dear Caroline,
This is well written but romantic nonsense. "animal rights, natural history, and the environment," to quote from Your bio, are all covered, except for 'English Bashing'. Any problems before 1154 are definitely 'not us guv' [Norman who? I don't know try here http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/normans_5.htm ] "Sheep and dairy cows crop the grass north of Hadrian’s Wall." which was built by the Romans, [What have the Romans ever done for us?] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSELOCMmw4A so we must include the wall, built to keep the English out I suppose? Romantic hindsight, but You make money writing books, that is to be admired.
StuartG

Rock on Caroline! Time to get serious about restoring and protecting the natural environment.

Gilbert...I have a MUCH better idea.. restore the CLANS...and revitalize Scottish life world wide along clan lines.

"Multiculturalism" aaah..such a sweet word :)

I can trace my ancestry right back to ...well... better not tell, but it's a big clan.

If the ETU and CFMEU can wage war against society in the name of financial greed and self serving..why not revitalized clans ?

I love articles like this. One long giggle.

There's something uniquely American - perhaps linked to their early introduction to the concept of "show and tell" - in the idea that the more purple the prose, the less actually needs to be said.

"The European elk - known in North America as the moose - was wiped out several thousand years before the Romans arrived; lynx and brown bear were gone by 500AD; wild boar by the end of the 13th century."

Hmmm. There goes the "it was all the fault of those horrid English" excuse.

But what is really quite funny is the complete lack of the author's concept of what the place should actually look like, once her process of "restoration" is completed.

Never mind. Back to the English-bashing.

"In the larger sense, hoofstock also wrought the country’s capitulation to its southern neighbour. In 1707, when the Scottish Parliament dissolved itself, voting for the Treaty of Union with England, it did so to preserve the market for hides, beef, and mutton."

Sorry, I nearly missed that.

The Scots parliament actually voted for the Union? Surely not?

Market considerations were undoubtedly involved. Possibly due to the Darien scheme that the Scots had recently undertaken, that had practically bankrupted the entire country

But more critically, Ms Fraser carelessly omits to mention that by 1707, the two countries had already been ruled by the same monarch for over a hundred years. Since James VI of Scotland (please note) inherited the English throne (please note) from Elizabeth I, in 1603.

Cunning as foxes, those English. Inventing the reverse takeover.

It's a farrago of hilarious tidbits.

"Politically, the country is roiled by nationalism, fully engaged in 'devolution', the process of hedged independence set in motion a decade ago"

"Roiled". Doncha love it. Such a lovely word.

In fact, the country is so "roiled by nationalism", and so "fully engaged in 'devolution'", that nearly one in five Scots voted for the Scottish National Party (the proponents of devolution) in the last General Election.

Imagine that. Nearly one in five. That's roiling for you.

Pericles..'upscope'... the Scots will not have to worry about 'English Bashing'...the English are a dissapearing race anyway...and as a society they have become completely disfunctional.

Clothed in capitalist Union greed.... Covered with the festering ulcers of 'pandering to minorities'(at the expense of the majority).... bleeding profusely from the jugular of national identity, oozing with puss-like creatures like Peter Haine,
decorated with the surreal and disgusting trinkets like Ken Livingstone, who in a moment right out of the twighlight zone said that Gay Activist Peter Tachell was conducting “an Islamophobic campaign” for pointing out that the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, urged violence against gays.

Pericles.. England is already done for...it is sick beyond remedy (other than a divine outpouring of Grace)

Confused about an identity of it's own... it is so weak that it continually promotes 'devolution' so we Scots and the Welsh can enhance our own...

Soon... North Sea Oil will run out, and "Financial Services" will be consumed by global economic meltdowns..and England will be buried.. with much rejoicing by those she has soiled and trodden down along the way... Not least being the descendants of the Highland Clearances and Irish nationalists.

But that's not the end of the story, there is hope... found in only one place... in Christ and national repentance of the most gut wrenching, heart outpouring, grace famished, forgiveness thirsting type.

Then, and only then, will the rot be stayed, the gangrenous social appendages cut off, the vile ideologies of Shaw and ilk relegated to the 'lake of fire' and national renewal take place.

Well may we say "God save the Queen" because the English won't save her.

My goodness, Boaz, we did get out of bed the wrong side today, didn't we.

Such... bile. And on a Wednesday too. Tut tut.

>>the English are a dissapearing race anyway...and as a society they have become completely disfunctional... capitalist Union greed... festering ulcers... bleeding profusely... oozing with puss [sic]... surreal and disgusting trinkets... sick beyond remedy... confused about an identity of it's own... England will be buried... gangrenous social appendages... the vile ideologies of Shaw...<<

Hold on a moment. What was that last bit again?

>>...the vile ideologies of Shaw<<

Oh.

Shaw.

Not George Bernard Shaw, the Irishman?

Ah well, I guess that just about sums up the whole rant, doesn't it, Boaz.

Ironic, really. Right at the very end of your diatribe against the English, you manage to confuse England with Ireland.

Well done.

You really don't think before you write, do you.