Scotland is an amazing place, with a population of only 5 million, it has sent people all over the world. I'd guess, off hand that they are a close second to the Irish in that respect, especially to the North American Continent.
The main reason for the emigration, as with Ireland and certain parts of England, was the result of the greed, avarice (and incompetence) of the ruling classes (arrogance, avarice and incompetence defines the ruling class!)-- people who had lived on the land for centuries were dispossessed and kicked out to make way for "modern improvement" (sheep instead of grain).
The Scots were a bit lucky, as they were not pushed out by starvation, as the Irish, where potatoes and grain were sent to England (under armed guard) during the height of the Great Famine -- but unemployment and poverty can also be an incentive...
But let it be for the moment, here is an odd tale:
In St. Andrews, a lovely town between the Firths of Fourth and Tay on the East coast, just south of the ruins of the stone cathedrals, there is a passage down to the harbour. At the side of the passage, there is a small archway.
I was there for a few minutes and saw no one go through the archway. There is a reason:
It has been prophesied that when the "wisest man in the world" goes through
that small archway, it will collapse...
Ummn, this is a conundrum of
sorts. Assuming that I was the "wisest man", I would know that it would fall
down on me when I went under the archway -- therefore, being the "wisest man",
would I go under it...?
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