Scotland4me.net Out and About

	Scotland4me.net	'Out and About'
'Scotland'
	Caithness became a local government county, with its own county council, in 1890, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. Officially within the county the burghs of Wick and Thurso retained their status as autonomous local government areas. County and burgh councils were later abolished in 1975 as a result of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and Caithness then became one of eight districts each with its own district council. In 1996 the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 trasnsformed the region to a unitary local government area and the district councils were abolished. As registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area Caithness has a land boundary with the equally historic local government area of Sutherland. Otherwise it is bounded by sea. The land boundary follows a watershed and is crossed by two roads, the A9 and the A836, and one railway the Far North Line. Ferries link Caithness with Orkney and Caithness has also an airport at Wick. The Pentland Firth island of Stroma is within Caithness. In 2001 Caithness had a resident population of 23,866.
	Aberfeldy is a bustling small town built on the south side of the River Tay in Perthshsire. It sits at the point where the road south to Crieff meets the east-west road along the Tay valley and much of its growth is due to the first bridging of the river here in 1733. Aberfeldy spills out in all directions from the Square and offers visitors access to a range of shops, amenities and accommodation. The town also has an industrial history ranging from cotton milling dating back to 1799 to laundry and machine tool businesses in more recent times. Today the most striking and for many the most interesting industrial heritage revolves around distilling.
	The Isles of Lewis and Harris are situated at the north west corner of the group of Islands known as the Hebrides, or Western Isles. Lewis is soaked in history and culture dating from thousands of years ago. Ancient stone circles stand on the same land as modern Stornoway. Gaelic is spoken alongside English, and Otters live alongside Eagles and humans. During the summer months local people can be seen cutting the peats and in the winter the distinctive dry smell of the peat fires drifts in the wind. The name of MacLeod is prominently seen in the area. Sundays are still a very special day with many people observing strict compliance to the "Free Church" traditional values.
	The Burgh of Inverurie was first mentioned in 1190 - 1195, as it was gifted to Lindores Abbey, (founded by Earl David). Inverurie was therefore a baronial burgh and the caput of the lordship of the Garioch. The original location of the burgh is not entirely clear, although it is thought that the settlement was in the area known as the Stanners. It is thought that Inverurie moved to its present location in the early fourteenth century, although factual evidence is only available from the fifteenth century. In 1755 Inverurie's population was 730 falling to 712 by 1791, but it was then noted that Inverurie had no trade nor manufacture except for a few craftsmen. The construction of the canal between Inverurie and Aberdeen in 1805 brought significant economic prosperity to the Burgh. The first rail station, built in the mid nineteenth century, relocated to the present site in the 1870's - 1880's. In the past 30 years Inverurie has grown rapidly, with its population rising to 10,000. One of the factors contributing to the town's expansion has been the oil industry.
	St Andrews - the first people to inhabit the area of Scotland around St Andrews came some 8,000 years ago. They more than likely travelled across country from the south and across the North Sea. When the Romans came to Fife around 82 AD they built camps near St Andrews Cupar, and Newburgh on the south banks of the Tay. There is no evidence about St Andrews being a walled city, but in the earlier times around the 16th century the outer boundaries of all streets and wynds were closed by ports or gates. The rear walls of gardens formed the only defence. The only remaining port today is the West Port on South Street which, however, was remodelled in 1843. The ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots visited St Andrews five times between 1561 and 1565, accompanied wherever she went by crowds of people. It is believed that she stayed in St Andrews in 1562 in a house on the southern side of South Street, now used as a library by St Leonard's School. Queen Mary's House is a fine example of a 16th century Scottish town house.
	North Berwick -The town's history dates from Norman times when a castle which overlooked the East Bay was constructed by the Earl of Fife. The harbour has been here since then, controlled by the nunnery which was paid for by the Earl. For many centuries a ferry carried pilgrims to Earlsferry, near Elie in Fife, making their way to St Andrews. This ferry was recently reinstated between North Berwick and Anstruther, in Fife, to commemorate the original ferry crossing. In the 1300s the castle fell into disuse and North Berwick became a thriving market town. It was not until the 19th century that North Berwick was transformed into a popular holiday resort, sometimes referred to as the "Biarritz of the North". In 1840 an open air swimming pool was constructed which proved very popular until it was closed recently.
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