Scotland is never far away from their history. Everywhere if you look are visual reminders of their past. Crumbling towers bring to mind a Medieval style of living that we can scarce imagine. Stand in the center of a castle keep and picture yourself drawing water for the only well, scrubbing linen clothing in wood ashes until your knuckles are raw. Ragged openings in meter thick walls give way to vast panoramas of rolling green hills and soaring birds.

These rock piles built in the 900s protected the lord and his servants from the predications of neighboring lords on the lookout for booty and larger possessions. Constantly warring with Cromwell, the castles were built on the steepest hills the Scots could find, surrounding their homes with crenellated battlements and thick oak doors.

Preserved castles reveal more of the way of Scottish life. Intricate tapestries adorn the walls with portraits of the then Queen and her relatives done up in monster oil paintings. Royal bedrooms, however exquisitely furnished, gave hints of the primitive accommodations. Toilets consisted of a hole in the wall leading to the outside court. Running water was non existent and the large kitchen areas must have needed dozens of workers to keep it going.

Aware as the Scottish people are of their heritage, the gray stone buildings hide an up-to-date infrastructure involving the usual TV