Spring Fling - An Arty Roadtrip

Drumlanrig Castle, Fling Catalogue, Printmaker Silvana McLean, Village of Durisdeer

Our Scottish friends Tam and Don gave us a rare treat this past weekend: a daylong meander through the countryside to visit artists’ homes and studios. Called “Spring Fling,” the annual open studio event crisscrosses Dumfries and Galloway, a district southeast of Glasgow. About 100 artists participate, showcasing their painting, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, bookmaking, sculpture, photography, furniture, fashion, and jewelry. There’s even a category for “willow” artists and the odd violin-maker and milliner. Perhaps more delightful than seeing the wide range of work is having the chance to drive down narrow, hidden lanes in a veritable treasure hunt, chat with artists, and poke around in their amazing homes, work spaces, and gardens. From a country cottage abutting a 16th century graveyard to the stables of Drumlanrig Castle to a former shepherd’s barn, all the places we visited were magical. One very nice surprise was to come up over a rise and see a Goldsworthy Cairn on the top of a hillock in the middle of a cow pasture. When we got back to Glasgow we discovered that pasture was right outside the village where Goldsworthy lives and works. Just as well, he probably wasn't at home.

Durisdeer 's parish church (1597), Goldsworthy Cairn, downtown Moniaive

Just Wait 15 Minutes, The Weather Will Change

Our fourth floor bay window allows us to see the weather rolling in like waves

As Simon and Garfunkel said, “I get all the news I need from the weather report.” In Glasgow, chances are that the report will reflect overcast skies, intermittent showers, and sunbreaks all in the same day and in no predictable order. We’ve learned to be prepared for every possibility and to embrace any rays of sunshine that come our way. Tales of sheep blowing past the window on Outer Hebrides islands and summers lasting all of 2-3 days in August lend credence to the reply I received from a workman when I once complained about the rain – “Aye, could always be worse.”

Was the Modern World Invented by the Scots?

David Hume, Adam Smith, Sir Walter Scott, James Watt

Scots think so, and there is considerable evidence to back them up. The ideas and inventions that emerged from tiny Scotland in the 17^th and 18^th centuries are truly mind-boggling. Crucial contributions in philosophy, law, education, medicine, and commerce make a compelling argument for recognizing the Scots as shaping the modern world. Beginning in 1696, they formed  the first literate society by requiring public education so everyone could read the Bible. Thinkers like David Hume and Adam Smith colored modern cultural thought. Early émigré to the U.S. and minister John Witherspoon, whose students included James Madison and Aaron Burr, created the modern American university system. Witherspoon also helped develop the underlying philosophy of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution; in fact, one-third of the signers of the Declaration were also of Scottish ancestry. Sir Walter Scott created the historical novel. In science, William Hunter and Joseph Lister lend credence to the claim that Scotland invented modern medicine, while Lord Kelvin unified physics and James Maxwell discovered electromagnetism. Inventors like James Watt and John McAdam helped create modern transportation systems. Later émigrés to the U.S. such as Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie helped create modern industry while John Muir was a visionary who foresaw the need to preserve the natural world. Scots also invented the bicycle, color photography, television, the refrigerator, and the flush toilet. The debts modern society owes to such a small, impoverished country are incredible.

John Witherspoon, Lord Kelvin, Joseph Lister, Alexander Graham Bell, Andrew Carnegie

The King's Stones, Glasgow's Celtic & Viking Past

Govan is a slightly down at the heels, working class Glasgow neighborhood, but once it was the seat of power for the kings of Strathclyde. The southside community hugging the river was the region’s most important Christian stronghold in the 6^th century. As Viking conquerors ousted the Celts, they established their own holy sites and they left behind remarkable vestiges of their culture. The Govan Old Church was built in 1888 over the Vikings’ church and burial site. Archeological digs unearthed 31 intricately carved monuments from the 9–11^th centuries, including a massive sarcophagus and “hogback” stones. The Govan Stones are displayed throughout the church, which has a small but loyal congregation that acts as the guardians of this ancient treasure. Every afternoon, people like us can just wander in and see the stones, which you’d expect to find in a place like the British Museum rather than a neighborhood church steps away from a struggling commercial district.

Glasgow & Portland: much more than brewpubs, beans, and bikes

Portland's Willamette River & Glasgow's River Clyde

Part of my Fulbright time at the Mackintosh School has been spent helping to teach a seminar class on the “Creative City.” Along with a half-dozen students, my Scottish colleague and I have closely examined the urban fabric of Portland and Glasgow – two cities widely famed for their creative identities. Stories about them in the popular press are ubiquitous: The New York Times and Guardian clearly have soft spot in their journalistic hearts for both sites. Both are river cities with the same size population and a certain energetic buzz, but they are certainly two different places. Glasgow is older by about a dozen centuries and far denser. Portland is growing, while the number of residents in Glasgow has been steadily declining. Both are working to (re)invent themselves as places for innovation, culture, and hipster coolness. On May 21 the class showcased its work at a symposium that compared Glasgow and Portland’s take on creativity along with public spaces, café culture, and street food, which help define the urban fabric, its culture, and a sense of quirkiness. The projects will be exhibited at the school’s end-of-year degree show in late June and a wee book documenting the work will be published at that time.

Willamette River Scale, Portland Built Form, Population Trajectories, Glasgow Built Form, River Clyde Scale

Both cities are close to nature; the Columbia River Gorge and Loch Lomond are only 45 minutes from each city's center.

Residents of both cities are passionate about their cities.

Which is Portland and which is Glasgow?

 

Kilts, Kilts and More Kilts

Even though we’re lucky if it gets up to 50 degrees (still), it’s not that unusual to see men with bare legs here. Kilts are the attire of choice for wedding parties (rather than tuxedos)—even at Orthodox Jewish ceremonies where a yarmulke completes the outfit. Bartenders sport utility kilts in khaki or black. And, guys on the street or grocery store can be found showing off their clan colors and flashing a naked calf. The first kilts were full-length garments with the upper half sometimes draped over the shoulder as a cloak, so today’s version is actually the bottom half of its predecessor. Kilts virtually disappeared (except for Highland regiments) when the British government banned them and other signs of Scottish nationalism in 1746. The ban was lifted some 40 years later but it wasn’t until Sir Walter Scott came along that kilts and tartans became popularized—both in the Highlands and Lowlands. Scott, who not only was a great novelist but also a PR genius, organized festivities to mark King George IV’s visit to Scotland in 1822 and convinced the men to wear kilts in tartans that became associated with their clans (rather than with regions of the country). After that, there was no turning back.

Over the Loch and Through the Woods - a Semple Ramble

For a taste of the countryside, we took our Portland friends Jonah and Deirdre on a hike in the Castle Semple recreation area. Starting at Howwood, about a 25-minute train ride from Glasgow, our five-mile ramble cut through a cowpie-laden pasture, around an 18th century folly that was used as a hunting lookout, past the ruins of a church built in 1504 by the Laird of the original estate, through the woods, and eventually to a 1.5-mile loch. Slogging through the mucky farmland under the inhospitable gaze of a herd of cattle, we wondered if this was really such a good idea, but a picnic overlooking the lake made it all worthwhile. 

So Easy to Go By Train

Go by Train says the sign on Portland's Streetcar Lofts, and we've totally embraced that idea here. The ScotRail system is cheap, comfortable, efficient, and reliable. It's allowed us to travel far and wide at the drop of a hat, from the seaside of Helensburgh to Renaissance Stirling to northern villages like Pitlochery and Aviemore and south to the birthplace of Robbie Burns. Arriving for a journey at Glasgow Central or Queen Street Station fills us with a sense of adventure and connects us back through the centuries to travelers who couldn't dream of more modern ways to get from here to there.

City Slogans: People Make Glasgow

Most people are familiar with city slogans like The City That Never Sleeps (NYC), Sweetest Town on Earth (Hershey, PA) and, of course, What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas. Cities big and small feel a need for some type of slogan to brand and differentiate themselves. People Make Glasgow is the city’s latest effort in place branding. Replacing Glasgow’s Miles Better, the current slogan is meant to set the city apart, alter external perceptions, and instill pride in its residents. After appropriating Austin’s Keep Austin Weird, is it time to rethink Portland’s The City That Works?

UK Election 2015 - Tories Rule

Despite all predictions, the Conservative Party pulled off a huge victory in Thursday’s national election and won a majority in Parliament for the first time since 1992 (meaning they won’t have to share power in a coalition government).  Although most Scots were disappointed to see David Cameron remain in office, the Scottish National Party came away with an incredible show of strength, winning all but one contest for a total of 56 seats. As The Guardian observed, “Although Scotland may look as it did the day before, it has become a very different country, a psychological change has taken place, part of a process that began with the referendum and was reinforced by the Scottish National Party’s sweeping general election triumph. The thought of independence is no longer scary.”  Besides Cameron and the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon, there was one other big winner in the vote: A Glasgow pensioner had bet £30,000 (in small bills) that the Conservatives would win a majority. The bookies paid £210,000 on that wager!

A "Dramble" Through the Woods

The River Spey

Picturesque villages with equally charming names like Craigellachie and Knockando dot the Speyside Whisky Trail and each comes up with events to contribute to the annual whisky festival. We stayed in Grantown-on-Spey and joined several dozen locals and tourists for a Friday night dramble: a two-mile walk through the woods bordering the iconic River Spey with multiple stops to hear “kilted heroes” spin tales of witches, harlots, and murders and to quaff drams of aged whisky paired with artisanal chocolates. Everyone was in good spirits (and well-oiled by spirits) and it was a perfect opportunity to chat with local folk about the landscape and living in this quiet northeastern corner of Scotland. Watching the sun go down over the river with a shot of fine whisky and in lively company was an incomparable experience….something that should be replicated back home.

On the Whisky Trail, A Pilgrimage of Sorts

Wee Drams; The Glenlivet Distillery; Educational Activity

Scotch whisky contributes almost £5 billion to the British economy each year, making it bigger than the iron and steel industry, shipbuilding, textiles, and computing. It’s no wonder then that there’s an annual festival in Speyside, the heart of whisky-making country, to celebrate this top export. With more than 50 distilleries it’s hard to sample the full range of spirits in Speyside, but together with our friends John and Martha we toured two of the oldest producers: Macallan and Glenlivet. Both were started in 1824, when the government clamped down on illegal distilleries and enacted an excise tax on whisky. Today, that tax accounts for 80% of the price of scotch, which is why it costs about the same to buy a bottle in the local OLCC shop as it does at the source. Only three things go into creating single malt whiskys: water, barley, and yeast. And, it turns out that Oregon plays a supporting role, supplying the lumber for giant pine vats that hold the mash before it’s transferred to copper stills and then into bourbon or sherry casks for aging. It doesn’t take much labor to run a distillery: with 25 people, Macallan has the largest staff while Glenlivet operates with half that many workers. Another thing that doesn’t seem quite right: the French company Pernod Ricard owns most of Scotland’s distilleries and Diageo (Seagrams & Guinness) owns another big chunk. We sampled wee drams of 10, 12, and 18-year-old vintages—each helping to take the chill off a snowy day in the Highlands. More research may be needed.