Closed borders
It was striking to note the restrictions between Scotland and England over the festive season, and to highlight that it was almost 70 years ago to the day that the border between the two nations was closed for the first time in 400 years.
That, of course, was due to the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland, when four student nationalists removed the ancient artefact from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day in 1950.
The incident happened nearly seven centuries after the stone was taken from Scone by King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence and placed under the monarch’s chair in the abbey.
When news of the stone’s removal broke, the authorities closed the border between Scotland and England. It was ultimately recovered from Arbroath Abbey, where Scottish nationhood had been asserted with the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. It was returned to Westminster Abbey
“Siud i a’ falbh ’s tha chead mhòr aice!” Air starsaich bliadhn’ ùr, agus a’ gabhail beannachd le tèile! Mar a dh’èirich dhan mhòr-chuid aig deireadh na bliadhna 2020, tha mise cuideachd glè thoilichte gum bheil crìoch air bliadhna air am bi cuimhne air sgàth a’ choròna-bhìorais.
Gu tròcaireach cha do dh’fhuiling a h-uile duine an tinneas, ach a dh’aindeoin sin cha deach aig duine san dùthaich air a buaidh a sheachnadh, eadar glasadh agus bacaidhean. Rinn sinn gàirdeachas ris an fhiosrachadh gun robh banachdach ùr ceadaichte, agus bu nàdarra dhuinn misneachadh fhaotainn à toiseach lìbhrigidh oirre.
Ach mar dhearbhadh air meud an t-srì a tha romhainn fhathast tha sinn a’ dol dhan bhliadhn’ ùr fo riaghailtean ìre 4 air tìr-mòr Alba, agus a’ chuid eile de Bhreatann cuideachd a’ neartachadh ìrean dìona gus sgapadh riochd ùr den bhìoras a cheannsachadh.
Tuigidh sibh gum bheil mi a’ sgrìobhadh seo beagan làithean ro àm foillseachaidh, agus an- diugh tha fios air nochdadh gum bheil An Fhraing air aontachadh leigeil le làraidhean siubhal à Breatann a-rithist fhad ’s gum bi dearbhadh aig dràibhearan gum bheil iad saor bhon bhìoras.
Tuigear an seòrsa sgàig a chuir naidheachd mun dreach ùr ghabhaltach seo den bhìoras ann an ceann a deas Bhreatainn air Riaghaltas na Frainge, agus gu dearbh air caochladh dhùthchannan feadh an t-saoghail, agus cha b’ iongnadh gun do dhùin iad a’ chrìoch le Breatann. Ach cionnas, an dèidh eòlas fad faisg in 1952. This action also coincided with attacks on postboxes in Scotland in a dispute over the title of the new British monarch, Elizabeth II, there being no Elizabeth I of Scotland.
Interestingly, it has recently been revealed that James Stuart, Conservative Secretary of State for Scotland recommended in 1953 the stone be returned to Scotland, but Churchill’s government vetoed this seeing it as rewarding a small minority of hardline nationalists.
Alex Orr, Edinburgh.