A Scottish Journey: The dichotomy of Scotland
By Nujma Bond
Ask anyone what Scotland is known for, and outside of the television series Outlander, those who have even a cursory understanding of the culture might mention castles, bagpipes, or kilts… haggis, Robbie Burns’ writing, or shortbread. Granted these are some of the best known and most unique things the country has shared with Canada and the world, the Scotland of this century is also about state-of-the-art science and technology.
Have you heard of the Falkirk Wheel? Some years ago, I had seen a short documentary piece about it. I knew I could easily visit it along my drive to Edinburgh, so that’s what I did. Yes, the weather was foul and windy, and the road leading to it seemed deserted but I could not pass up the opportunity to stop by what has been called an engineering marvel. The Falkirk Wheel opened in 2002 and is a rotating boat lift that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It is one of a kind, in fact, the only one in the world.
The rather winding road in central Scotland that leads to the wheel, requires a short journey from the closest town. As I ventured along the quiet narrow route, only an occasional vehicle passed by and the wooded edges of the roadway swallowed up the small SUV, making it feel like I was in another world. It felt like a place steeped in history, a sensation that is hard to describe. Suddenly I was making my way along a more modern road and into what is probably normally a very busy parking lot. But besides someone walking their dog, I was the only one there. I saw what looked like a bridge in the distance and drove further into the lot, parking and then walking towards the area where I knew the wheel would be. To be honest I wasn’t expecting what I saw. I actually gasped and said “wow” when I crested a slight hill and viewed the enormity of this human-engineered creation. It was not in operation that day, but it was still something to behold.
Nujma, in front of the Falkirk Wheel
The afternoon light was waning, and I still had to meander back along that tight roadway to make it onto the main highway to Edinburgh, so I took some more pictures, and left.
Approaching Edinburgh, the traffic was busy but manageable. By now, it was dark and I relied upon my trusty GPS to guide me to the hotel located in the downtown region. As I found my way there, I passed homes and businesses, and then as I made my way down a hilly part of the downtown, the bright lights of modern structures greeted me and I reached my destination.
After a little confusion I found the entry to the nearby parkade which was bright, extremely clean, with well-painted lines on the ground and easy to navigate. While a parkade is not usually something to write about, I had never seen anything like it. Not to mention the elevator I rode that led to the hotel, adjacent to a large and airy outdoor-style shopping centre. As I walked in and the doors closed, an array of colourful video art came to life on the walls, and meditative music started to play. Stepping into what looked like a common elevator, this was a first. It was becoming increasingly clear: Scottish designers remain innovative, and Scotland is ahead of the curve in many ways.
As someone interested in space science, I had completed a course offered via the University of Edinburgh a few years ago. I knew I would be in the city, so I took a chance and reached out to the professor thinking what a neat opportunity it would be to attend a day course or even visit the campus. I was in luck, because this accomplished professor told me about an upcoming campus lecture about Mars and invited me to join if I wished! I could not pass up this unique opportunity and ended up listening to a fascinating talk about the human exploration of Mars one evening, presented by a well-known scholar in the field of aerospace engineering who was visiting from the United States.
On another occasion, I attended a talk at The Royal Observatory and listened to a bright young student explaining some of the latest discoveries related to “dark matter.” It was surreal to be in the audience at such an historic venue.
Scotland is a country of renowned educational institutions, and I experienced that first hand.
But the crux of my visit was related to family. I was intent upon doing some digging, learning about the part of my history that is tied to this land far away from Canada. And for that, I wanted to get my start in Edinburgh, where I could visit archives in person, get some help from on-site experts, and explore.
The morning after I arrived in the city, it was cloudy and raining, but how very close the archives were: barely half a block from where I was staying. On the way out of the indoor-outdoor mall space, I passed a modern chocolate shop making a mental note to visit at some point, then stepped right back in time, gazing up at statues and architecture steeped in history.
As I rounded the corner and entered the historic government archives building, I could hardly believe I was finally there. I walked up to the friendly lady at the information desk, and my quest began in earnest.
What I learned next, would dictate some of the “spontaneous” adventures during my travels.
