Vital we know about our past

IT has always intrigued me that some political commentators insist that Scotland welcomed the political Union of 1707. They usually go on to say that Scotland was not oppressed by her bigger neighbour and has no cause for complaints of bullying.

It is a view I held for much of my political life, although I was always haunted by oral tales among family and friends about Culloden and its aftermath of Clearances. Trips to the empty glens of the north with their uncultivated fields and broken-down cottages tell a visual tale of loss and abandonment.

I have been reading Maggie

Craig’s account of the women of the ‘45, Damn Rebel Bitches, which takes its narrative from letters, reports and many contemporary accounts. I feel ashamed that it has taken me so long to find this book alongside the work of historians, such as Jim Hunter, who have produced their own fine accounts of these terrible times.

Many at Westminster insist that Scotland has no right to work towards independence. It makes me wonder if any has studied Scotland’s historical journey.

I have always said to my daughters, nephews and nieces it is necessary to educate yourself about our past, at home and internationally. It is impossible to make sense of current world affairs if you have not studied how we arrived here.

Maggie Chetty,

36 Woodend Drive,

Glasgow.