A photograph has an amazing power to immortalize a single moment in time, preserving it forever.
At highlandphotoUSA ~ Authentic Scottish Images we take special care to ensure that every photo we offer is an image to be treasured forever, an heirloom documenting the families, clans, and the heritage of ancient Caledonia.
Each photo captures just a bit of the beauty and history of Scotland.
Please browse through our gallery of photos to enjoy the beauty and the majesty of this Magical Land.
At highlandphotoUSA ~ Authentic Scottish Images we believe that serving our customers and preserving the timeless beauty and history of Scotland is a noble and high calling.
In all we do we strive for excellence.
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share the beauty of Scotland's Highlands with you...
Rannoch
by Graham Lumsden 2010
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A Brief History of The Scottish Clans
The Scots ~
The Scotti came from the Kingdom of Dalraida in Ireland, establishing a new kingdom in the area known as Argyll in present day Scotland in about the year 500 AD. At this time, the most dominant group of people in the country then known as Alba were of Celtic origin ~ the Picts. They resided mostly to the north. As the Scotti began to move into Pictish lands, Kenneth MacAlpin, King of the Scots gained the Pictish Crown in 843. It took nearly 300 years longer to extend this kingdom to the borders it occupies today.
The reign of King Malcolm III (1058-1093) brought about a great change in Scottish rule. This marked the beginning of the English and Norman influence in Scotland. It also marked a beginning of Scottish lands and estates being given over to wealthy Anglo-Normans. King Malcolm III was the last Scottish King bear a Gaelic nickname (Ceann Mo'r, meaning "Great Head"). His reign marked the beginning of the growing divide between the Gaelic speaking Scottish Highlands and the mostly English speaking Lowlands.
The Clans~
The Clan System's origin was based in tribalism, and developed roughly around the same time as the feudal system. In Highland Clans, the lands were held for the Clan by the Chiefs, whose members were most often related to him by blood. Early on, the Chiefdom depended to some extent on general consent. Later it became strictly hereditary. Both Land and Blood held the Clans together. Legal titles for land were rare, and often lands were won and lost in battles. The Highland belief was that people had the right to occupy the land on which they lived. It was therefore possible for a Clan to lose its land and its identity to a stronger, more powerful Clan.
Feudalism brought about the beginning of legal land ownership and rights. Many of the Clan Chiefs became vassals to the King. This eventually strengthened the Clans and increased the power of the Chiefs.
The origins of the Clans of Scotland vary widely. Some were pictish or Celtic in origin. Some held their ancestry in the line of Norsemen who invaded the Northern coast of Scotland. Still others hailed from the kingdom of Dalraida. In the north and east of Scotland many clan chiefs came from Anglo-Norman landlords. In this case, the men of the area would adopt the chief's name.
Clan Lands were built up over time by marriage, royal grants and charters, as well as by conquest. No matter the legal title, during this time of the Clans, land had to be held by force. Because of this, the Clan Chiefs were as eager to acquire more men as they were to acquire more land.
The original Clan system was based upon mutual respect between Chief and Clansmen. The social distinction between landlord and tenant present in the feudal system was much less distinct in the Clan System.
Clans were numerous and varied. Some clans grew and prospered, becoming mighty forces to be reckoned with, while others declined and eventually disappeared.
Although the Clan system was an invention of the Highlands, it existed in the borders and lowlands of Scotland as well. There were long-standing blood feuds amongst the clans. Often these feuds proved the deciding factor in which side of a large and important political or religious battle the Clan would fight on.
Today, as in the days of the Mighty Clans of Scotland, each Clan bears its own identity and personality. One of the joys and challenges we face at highlandphotoUSA is to capture these identities and personalities through photos, images and words as we create our Authentic Scottish Clan Seat Packages.
