The Scots

[Roberta Ann]

Of all the settlers in Cape Breton\Nova Scotia, there seems to be no doubt that the Highland Scots had the most difficult time. The Acadians made friends with the Micmacs, from whom they learned a great deal about survival in a strange land; the English and the Germans received rations, weapons and tools from the British Government; the New Englanders were armed with the knowledgeable experience of colonial life.
With the Scots, it was another story. They were Poverty-stricken, having been driven from their lands by the fall of the Clan System and the outrageously high rents imposed upon them by the landlords. They had no money and few personal effects, other than the clothing they wore. Futhermore, they were uneducated and had the added disadvantage of not being accustomed to the type of hard work they now faced in clearing the land, building shelters and planting crops. Though their very lives depended on it, the axe was awkard in the hands of the Highland crofters. to be continued

[Roberta Ann]

At first they were forced to subsist on the most meagre fare, digging shellfish - clams - and gathering wild strawberries, currants and blueberries: in the spring they picked the young tops of the common nettle and boiled them for greens. One aged gentleman recalled now, as a child, he rebelled when his father tried to force him to eat boiled beech leaves which, he said, his "stomach refused".
Nevertheless, being endowed with a strong personal and family pride, as well as an unmatchable strength of purpose, the Scots accepted the challenge before them and soon improved their circumstances. After cutting the timber and burning it on the land, they planted potatoes among the stumps and were rewarded with a plentiful return.
In winter, they would cut a hole through the ice, which was often a foot thick, in order to obtain a supply of fish. they learned to hunt the moose and other game, the meat of which they froze in the snow, thus providing a little varity to their meals. But they longed for the oatmeal that is so much a part of the Scottish fare.
The only bread to be had in the earliest days was made from grain, ground on the quern or hand-mill, but this was so laborious an operation that it was resorted to only when the direst necessity impelled it.

[Roberta Ann]

With the building of the grist mills, some years after these difficult beginnings, life changed of the Scots; for now they could have their beloved oatmeal, as well as flour in abundant supply. Bread was now something that could be enjoyed at every meal and the women began to create their reputation for delicious oat cakes.
Of the Scots it can be truly be said that hospitality is a national characteristic. Be it feast or famine, they shared what they had with others and thought nothing of it. As soon as company entered the door, the Scottish housewife would begin to mix-up a batch of oatcakes or scones and set her table for a light repast. Indeed, she considered it an insult if this privilege was denied her. No apology was ever made for the food they offered, it being a tradition among them that they always gave the best of what they had.
The "cleilidh" or social visit was a favourite means of entertainment, even though this often entailed a long walk through dense woods with a "fire-brand" in hand to light the way. Seated before a blazing fire, they exchanged a little gossip, told stories of Celtic folklore and sang the old Gaelic songs.
But nothing was so gay as the "Frolic". almost every chore served as an opportunity to have one. There were "tucking frolics", "spinning frolics", "stumping frolics", "cutting frolics" and other frolics.
According to the chore at hand, these frolics were held either by day or night, but best of all were the night frolics when, after the work had been duly dispensed with, the young folk would dance their reels and "flings" to their hearts content. to be continued

[Roberta Ann]

There were other celebrations that are particulary Scottish, including Hogmanay; the Scottish New Year's Eve, when tradition calls for the serving of Shortbread: then there is Hallowe'en when a dish of Forach becomes the central attraction, but of later years; it can be well and truly said that no celebration can compare with that of St. Andrew's Day when a great fuss is made over the Haggis.
Their intense pride in their race is sometimes considered by others as being the worst kind of conceit, for who; other than a Scot could possibly issue this proclamation: "Ye Kings, Princes and Potentates of all the earth, be it be known unto you that McNeil of Barra has dined--the rest of the world may dine now"

I read this in a cookbook. Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens by Marie Nightingale; eight printing November 1975.

I hope you enjoyed this reading as much as I did. My 4th greatfather John Livingstone, b 1784/86 d Aug. 24, 1859, settled on Low Point, Cape Breton 1806 along side his in-laws the McPhee's.

Regards;

Roberta Ann

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Roberta,
It is hard to imagine just how difficult and challenging life must have for the Livingston pioneers in Canada, but these highlanders were a tough and able to indure a great deal of hardship. They seemed to adapt well to life in the wilderness. That being said they must have home sick for Scotland from time to time. In Cape Breton,Nova Scotia you can see that the Scottish settlers brought their old traditions to their new home which would have been of some comfort to them.

regards,
Donald

[Kyle MacLea]

What a delightful little story. You should send this to Greg--he can maybe use some of this for our "Clan Cookbook" which we are considering putting together to sell at Highland Games events, etc. We would love the involvement of all interested parties!

Kyle=

[Greg Livingston]

Hi Roberta,

If you don't mind, I can just copy from here to put in the cookbook.

Thanks for the idea, Kyle. Ginger has been sending me some great recipes to put in it. I'll have the PDF put together this weekend and print it out right away so it will be available for us and for Ginger next weekend.

[Kyle MacLea]

Excellent. I've asked Roberta to create a new Clan Recipes thread and we can maybe use that as a focus for recipe submissions.
(And have people discuss other stuff elsewhere to keep it just about the recipes).

Kyle=