The Heart of Scotland

[Pretty Boy]

I was listening to an old episode of Radio Scotlands Out of Doors the other day. They were on a quest to find the true 'heart of Scotland'.

A few options were put forward. Harthill which proclaims itself the 'heart of Scotland' was quickly dismissed.

There are several candidates for the geographical heart of Scotland. If you only include the mainland it's a point about 5K east of Schiehallion, close to Aberfeldy. If you include Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles it's a point near Ullapool. Including Rockall throws a spanner in the works though and moves the heart of Scotland to a point on the ocean floor west of the Western Isles.

Another option was the romantic heart of Scotland. A case was put forward for Loch Katrine. This was due to the scenery, the Lady in the Lake by Scott, the paintings by Nasmyth and it's proximity to the birth place of Rob Roy.

The Tinkers Heart was suggested due to it's importance to the travelling people of Scotland. A commemorative monument to the tinker people who joined the Jacobite rising. It was also were travellers went to baptise their children and marry.

Siccar Point was suggested for several reasons. As the intellectual heart of Scotland as it was where James Hutton formulated many of his radical ideas about geology. It was also suggested from a romantic viewpoint as there is a theory that it inspired Burns when he wrote a Red, Red Rose.

Finally a few sites linked to the Covenanters were suggested as the radical heart of Scotland as a nation of politicos with a rebellious nature.

In the end the presenters reluctantly agreed to name Faskally Stone Circle as their 'heart of Scotland'. Their reasoning was it was close to the geographic heart of mainland Scotland, it 'looked right' and it's position close to both the A9 and the train line provided a contrast between ancient and modern Scotland. They All agreed it was hard to pin down a definite answer though and it would always be subjective to what worked for the individual.

I thought it was an interesting topic and I wondered if anyone had any thoughts in what their heart of Scotland is? Also is it possible to answer such a question objectively? I daresay people from Edinburgh and Glasgow would have quite different arguments for what constituted the cultural heart of Scotland for example.

[Moulin Yarns]

OK, living in pitlochry I can tell you that there is a woodland near Aberfeldy called the heart of Scotland, and that there were calculations done that the furthest point on the mainland from the coast is near Tenandry, to the north of pitlochry. The faskally stones are not that far away.

[WeeRussell]

Definitely agree with Harthill being dismissed as a starting point… now to think of my actual suggestions 😁

[Hibbyradge]

At the moment, North York is the heart of Scotland for me! 😊

I know it's not even close to being the actual centre of the country, but Glencoe has everything to be the heart of Scotland for me.

The history, symbolism, romance, geography, the songs and poems, and the scenery, make it as deeply Scottish for me like nowhere else.

I love many places in our country, Skye, Plockton, Edinburgh, Islay, Fort William to name but a few, but none have the same emotional power and effect on me as Glencoe.

[Moulin Yarns]

At the moment, North York is the heart of Scotland for me! 😊

I know it's not even close to being the actual centre of the country, but Glencoe has everything to be the heart of Scotland for me.

The history, symbolism, romance, geography, the songs and poems, and the scenery, make it as deeply Scottish for me like nowhere else.

I love many places in our country, Skye, Plockton, Edinburgh, Islay, Fort William to name but a few, but none have the same emotional power and effect on me as Glencoe.

My wife might agree, being from Campbell stock 😉

[Pretty Boy]

At the moment, North York is the heart of Scotland for me! 😊

I know it's not even close to being the actual centre of the country, but Glencoe has everything to be the heart of Scotland for me.

The history, symbolism, romance, geography, the songs and poems, and the scenery, make it as deeply Scottish for me like nowhere else.

I love many places in our country, Skye, Plockton, Edinburgh, Islay, Fort William to name but a few, but none have the same emotional power and effect on me as Glencoe.

I thought about Glencoe as well but I'm not sure if it's just a bit too obvious for me.

The funny thing is I found it far easier to dismiss places than I did to make arguments for others.

I'm not keen on the idea of going with a geographic centre point, it's just too easy. In Scotland in all likelihood it's going to be somewhere quite pretty and evocative, and so it proved, but there's a chance in many places that it will be a chunk of ugly motorway or an industrial wasteland. I also dismissed anywhere claiming to be the heart or centre of Scotland, again it just seems too easy.

I thought about Scone because of it's historical importance as a seat of religious and royal power in Scotland, it's use as a base for the rising of 1715 and it's part in the schism of the reformed church in Scotland. I'm not sure though, it's a bit centered around quite a small section of Scottish society, how important was it to the workers and poor of Scotland through the ages?

I think both the presenters of the show and you are right. It has to be somewhere that has an emotional impact and has to feel 'right'. I'm just not sure I know where that is for me.

[ABZHFC]

From a transportation point of view, I'm going to suggest Broxden Roundabout outside Perth, and indeed Perth railway station itself. Not only are they in one of Scotland's seven cities, but they provide good connections to the other six from these points

[Pretty Boy]

From a transportation point of view, I'm going to suggest Broxden Roundabout outside Perth, and indeed Perth railway station itself. Not only are they in one of Scotland's seven cities, but they provide good connections to the other six from these points

Transport links is an interesting one.

There was a challenge set to members of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society a few years back to produce a map of Scotland based on travel times between destinations. The reason being that 40 miles on motorways and A roads is a different beast from 40 miles on single track roads with passing places. It was seen as a good measure of remoteness. I can't find anything to suggest a finished article was ever produced sadly.

I think Crianlarich was always considered the most disproportionately signposted place in the UK relative to it's size. Maybe it's a contender?

[Moulin Yarns]

Transport links is an interesting one.

There was a challenge set to members of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society a few years back to produce a map of Scotland based on travel times between destinations. The reason being that 40 miles on motorways and A roads is a different beast from 40 miles on single track roads with passing places. It was seen as a good measure of remoteness. I can't find anything to suggest a finished article was ever produced sadly.

I think Crianlarich was always considered the most disproportionately signposted place in the UK relative to it's size. Maybe it's a contender?

Again, living in pitlochry I can get to every city in Scotland in 2 hours by car.

[AltheHibby]

From a transportation point of view, I'm going to suggest Broxden Roundabout outside Perth, and indeed Perth railway station itself. Not only are they in one of Scotland's seven cities, but they provide good connections to the other six from these points

I agree.

If I talk to anyone in England who is planning a visit to Scotland I always suggest staying at Broxden Travelodge because transport wise it is pretty much the centre of Scotland.

Obviously no undercover Jambos are posting as Tinycastle hasn't been mentioned yet.

[JeMeSouviens]

Transport links is an interesting one.

There was a challenge set to members of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society a few years back to produce a map of Scotland based on travel times between destinations. The reason being that 40 miles on motorways and A roads is a different beast from 40 miles on single track roads with passing places. It was seen as a good measure of remoteness. I can't find anything to suggest a finished article was ever produced sadly.

I think Crianlarich was always considered the most disproportionately signposted place in the UK relative to it's size. Maybe it's a contender?

Tyndrum has a great chippy and 2 stations! It must be the smallest place in Scotland with that honour?

I think I'd probably nominate Stirling which has both the mediaeval history, the mix of urban and rural. You're at the foot of the mountains but the central belt's post industrial mess is close by (although apparently Longannet is about to be blown up?) And it's got an ace castle.

Glencoe, and anywhere else in the Highlands really, is just too far from the population centres to be considered Scotland's heart, imo.

[Pretty Boy]

Tyndrum has a great chippy and 2 stations! It must be the smallest place in Scotland with that honour?

I think I'd probably nominate Stirling which has both the mediaeval history, the mix of urban and rural. You're at the foot of the mountains but the central belt's post industrial mess is close by (although apparently Longannet is about to be blown up?) And it's got an ace castle.

Glencoe, and anywhere else in the Highlands really, is just too far from the population centres to be considered Scotland's heart, imo.

I think Tyndrum is the smallest settlement with 2 trains stations by quite some distance.

On a somewhat related note I only found out recently that Dingwall was once a hugely important station on the UK rail network with 8 lines running through it in it's heyday. The rich farmland served Edinburgh, Glasgow and as far afield as London with meat and it was also a key point on the commute for naval servicemen to and from Scapa Flow both in the lead up to and during the Great War.

[Keith_M]

Stirling



It's at the junction of the Highland and the Lowlands
Was the ancient capital of Scotland during much of our turbulent history
Retains the castle and other historic places of interest from those times
Is connected to places of historic significance, e.g. Bannockburn.
Has decent transport connections (Motorways, 'A' roads and Rail) to all major cities in Scotland.
Is surrounded by beautiful scenery, such as the nearby Ochil Hills, the Campsies, Ben Vorlich & Ben Ledi.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Not one of you jealous Hobo peg sellers has yet mentioned THE only answer to the Heart of Scotland: Tynecastle Park, replete with the greatest new stand in world football. The Heart of Midlothian is the also in Scotland's capital - double whammy. It isn't rocket science, Hobos. 400,000 people can't be wrong.

[Jack]

Too many here are thinking with their head and not their heart.

Home is where the heart is.

There is no geographical point, so talking as people who have made their home in Scotland, the whole country is the heart and its the people of Scotland make it beat.

[Keith_M]

Too many here are thinking with their head and not their heart.

Home is where the heart is.

There is no geographical point, so talking as people who have made their home in Scotland, the whole country is the heart and its the people of Scotland make it beat.


Fair enough..... but it's still Stirling.



:wink:

[WeeRussell]

Stirling



It's at the junction of the Highland and the Lowlands
Was the ancient capital of Scotland during much of our turbulent history
Retains the castle and other historic places of interest from those times
Is connected to places of historic significance, e.g. Bannockburn.
Has decent transport connections (Motorways, 'A' roads and Rail) to all major cities in Scotland.
Is surrounded by beautiful scenery, such as the nearby Ochil Hills, the Campsies, Ben Vorlich & Ben Ledi.


A fair case for me 👍

[AltheHibby]

Not one of you jealous Hobo peg sellers has yet mentioned THE only answer to the Heart of Scotland: Tynecastle Park, replete with the greatest new stand in world football. The Heart of Midlothian is the also in Scotland's capital - double whammy. It isn't rocket science, Hobos. 400,000 people can't be wrong.

Go back to your post, go 4 posts above it.