Samuel Johnson on Scotland and the Scots, as Reported by Boswell

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The Battle of Culloden: David Morier, 1746

"He would not allow Scotland to derive any credit from Lord Mansfield; for he was educated in England. 'Much may be made of a Scotchman, if he be *caught* young.'"

"Mr. Arthur Lee mentioned some Scotch who had taken possession of a barren part of America, and wondered why they would choose it. Johnson: 'Why, Sir, all barrenness is comparative. The *Scotch* would not know it to be barren.'"

"Your country consists of two things, stone and water. There is, indeed, a little earth above the stone in some places, but a very little; and the stone is always appearing. It is like a man in rags; the naked skin is still peeping out."

"What enemy would invade Scotland, where there is nothing to be got?"

"Knowledge was divided among the Scots, like bread in a besieged town, to every man a mouthful, to no man a bellyful."

"Asked by a Scot what Johnson thought of Scotland: 'That it is a very vile country, to be sure, Sir' 'Well, Sir! (replies the Scot, somewhat mortified), God made it.' Johnson: 'Certainly he did; but we must always remember that he made it for Scotchmen.'"

From James Boswell: The Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791

Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh: Joseph William Mallord Turner, c. 1819 (National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh)

Serpentine heath, Virda Field. Serpentine heath, a sedge-rich heath growing on basic serpentine rocks, on the southern slopes of Virda Field, looking towards the islands of Balta and Huney: photo by Mike Pennington, 21 June 2003

The Flow country in Sutherland. A very small part of the 4000 sq km blanket bog in Sutherland and Caithness taken from near the top of Maovally. The drizzle encourages the feeling of total saturation! The lochans seems to follow the line of the watershed. The ridges seem to be bog "stretch marks" as it flows down the slope in the foreground to Glen Cassley and in the background to Loch Shin: photo by Graeme Smith, 5 September 2008

Heather Moorland, Meall Reamhar. Photo taken near the southwestern top of Meall Reamhar where the heather is 'thinner' and there are occasional outcrops of exposed rock: photo by Robert Bone, 23 April 2007

Glacial Erratics. A number of erratic rocks are scattered here by Allt a' Bhealaich Dhuibh: photo by OLU, 17 October 2006

Glacial Erratics. Glacial erratics photographed at evening across Gorm Loch Mor: photo by AlastairG, 22 March 2005

Stream on Ben Killilan by Creag Mhor. Looking toward Loch Carron in the distance: photo by Paul Farr, 16 December 2005

Coast of Lunna Ness south of Neegirth, near to Hamnavoe, Shetland Islands. The large stones on the hill, just in the adjoining square, are named Stofast: photo by Mike Pennington, 30 April 2010

Inhabitants of St. Kildans sitting on the village street: photographer unknown, 1886 (National Trust of Scotland)

Northwest Highlands of Scotland, empty land in the northern part: photo by Manfred Heyde, 1995