Scotland's Hidden Gems - Darwin and the Parallel roads of Glen Roy
by Iain Lundy
What’s the connection between Scotland and the world-renowned geologist and naturalist Charles Darwin, famed for his book Origin of the Species, and regarded as one of the most influential scientific minds in history?
The answer lies in a remote glen in the west Highlands, where visitors can gaze at an awe-inspiring geological wonder, the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. Darwin himself came to study the formation in 1838 and wrote a lengthy but controversial paper on what he saw.
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The Parallel Roads were formed during the last Ice Age, tens of thousands of years ago. If you stand at a viewpoint overlooking Glen Roy, you can see long roads or terraces along the hills. An ice-damned loch once existed in the glen, and when the ice melted – or deglaciated – the ‘roads’ formed on the hillsides.
As the Ice Age ended and the level of the ice in Glen Roy decreased, it formed three distinct ‘parallel roads’ on the hillsides on either side of the glen. From the viewpoint overlooking the area, they appear like man-made roads built into the hills, or like tide marks on a bath. Geologists and other scientists come from all over the world to study the phenomenon – and perhaps to drink in the awesome west Highland scenery.
Of course you don’t have to be a science buff to appreciate the uniqueness of Glen Roy. It was designated a National Nature Reserve to protect the glen, the ‘roads’ and the stunning view from a planned afforestation project in the late 60s/early 70s.
Darwin visited the place in 1838 and published his findings the following year. In a letter to one of his contemporaries, Darwin wrote, “It is by far the most remarkable area I have ever examined…I can assure you Glen Roy has astonished me.”
He later admitted that the theory he had put forward was a ‘gigantic blunder’. Darwin initially disagreed with the glacial theory, suggesting that the ‘roads’ were raised beaches of marine origin. He defended his paper for several decades but eventually admitted it was wrong.Never mind, the local people seem to have forgiven him. The shop in the nearby village of Roy Bridge is nowadays known as Darwin’s Rest Cafe and Craft Shop. Highlanders will cash in on anything.
The problem for visitors to the area is that the three mile journey from Roy Bridge to the viewpoint car park is by single track road with a lot of twists and turns. A coach will never make it. A small minibus or a car are the only possibilities.
Roy Bridge is 12 miles north-east of Fort William, on the road to Kingussie. It is a charming part of the world and has for centuries been dominated by the Macdonald, Cameron and Mackintosh clans. Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, is visible from all directions, and the drive up to the Glen Roy viewpoint takes you past working farms and crofts, dilapidated old ‘fixer-uppers’, and evokes what you might call a true Highland way of life.
Even if geology is not your thing, there is something quite special about looking out over the Parallel Roads and wondering at nature’s power.
Research Your Scottish Ancestry
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 Genealogy Software
by Robert M. Wilbanks IV, B.A.
Chief Genealogist & Historian, C.S.A.
genealogy@arizonascots.com
I recently hinted at the idea of producing a ‘finalized’ family history story resulting from the extensive time and research you will have put into searching your genealogy. I’m not asking you to become a world renowned or Pulitzer Prize winning author, and you don’t even have to have professional writing skills and abilities. However, in a sense, you are the ‘world renown’ researcher of your family’s history. So, you need to get it out there for all the family to enjoy, creating a presentable story of the exploits, endurances, and experiences of the family that came before.
It should not be too hard
This isn’t necessarily the daunting task that you may be dreading. The genealogy secret to writing a reasonable family history can be summed up in one word . . . Software . . . Genealogy or Family Tree Software to be specific. There are a number of genealogy programs out there, and these programs, such as RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker, and more, have the ability to generate narrative reports (in addition to your basic pedigree charts), with decent sentence structure, citations and footnoting, even creating indexes of names and places. They can also create entire books, and even websites. You can usually have the option to save it as PDF file as a completed document, or you can save it as an RTF (Rich Text File) which will allow you to open it in your favorite word processing software and tweak it, insert photos and documents, change formatting, etc.
So, not only do you not have to fear writing your ancestor’s story and family history, but there are great tools out there that can make it easy and fun. These are also a great tool for organizing and keeping track of your research, and the family and history.
What software we are talking about
Just to clarify, I am not talking about subscription systems online that allow you to build your genealogy, such as Ancestry.com, Findmypast.com, MyHeritage.com, etc. While these are great systems and tools for your research, they can be very limiting in being able to control the information, adding information not found on their sites, writing more stories and history, and some don’t give you the ability to print or save as a PDF or some other format onto your computer outside the online subscription service.
Genealogy or family tree software are independent programs, similar to any other program or app that you would load onto your computer, laptop, notebook, etc., usually for a one-time fee with occasional free upgrades and updated versions every few years. Some of these programs are fairly easy to use, somewhat intuitive, yet can be complex. They are powerful in their record keeping, document and photo storage, citation generating, and many other features. Some now have the ability to interact with your online genealogy subscription accounts, including transferring information back and forth.
What software is right?
There are many programs out there, so the question is “Which one is right for you?” It can vary depending upon your computer skills, your genealogy research skills, if you wish to publish a book, or create a website from your data, etc., oh and if you are a Mac user. I recommend you do an internet search using keywords “top OR best genealogy software” for listings of different programs out there, including sites that compare or review software. TopTenReviews at http://toptenreviews.com annually does comparison reviews, and I found a Wikipedia page titled “Comparison of genealogy software”. And of course, you can also review software individually by name. Also, don’t forget, there are plenty of YouTube videos that review genealogy software, and also are instructional. This way you can see how it works and what you like.
I personally use RootsMagic at http://rootsmagic.com. Other programs include: Legacy Family Tree at https://legacyfamilytree.com; Reunion for MacIntosh at http://www.leisterpro.com; Ancestral Quest at http://www.ancquest.com; and many, many more. There are some free ones out there, and some of the ones above offer a free version to test and learn. It is a personal choice, so you will have to research and learn on your own as to which genealogy program is right for you.
This is another of a series of articles in which I show you the basics of searching for your family history, discussing the use of family records, public records, and online resources nationally and internationally, etc. The previous articles are now available on the Genealogy Section of this website. See “Genealogy” in the menu options at the top of the web page.
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Scottish Royal Titles
by Iain Lundy
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With one stroke of the royal quill pen, the ancient Scottish town of Dumbarton has been propelled on to the ‘must visit’ tourist map, especially for visitors from the US. In case you missed it, a Los Angeles-born actress and her new husband last month became Earl and Countess of Dumbarton.
Meghan Markle is not the first American to hold a royal title of course, but unlike the old Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, Brits seem to have taken her to their hearts.
The announcement was obviously a massive boost to the town. It already has a royal pedigree, having been the seat of the Kingdom of Strathclyde in the 800s. The town is dominated bythe volcanic plug Dumbarton Rock, and was a major center of whisky production and shipbuilding – the world famous Cutty Sark clipper was built there, as was the Delta Queen, until a few years ago a floating hotel on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.
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Not everyone realizes that all senior members of the royal family also have a “Scottish title” which they use when they are north of the Border. Scotland has a separate system of nobility from England and the titles reflect that. Prince Philip is well-known as the Duke of Edinburgh, but the others are a little more obscure.
Charles and Camilla are Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, an historic title dating back to the 1600s. Rothesay is a slightly faded 1950s holiday resort on the Firth of Clyde, just downriver from Dumbarton.
When William and Kate were married, they were given the Scottish titles of Earl and Countess of Strathearn, an area in Perthshire with centuries of royal connections.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is also Earl of Inverness, the Highland capital. His sister Princess Anne, a fervent follower of the Scotland rugby team, has the title Princess Royal of Edinburgh. And their youngest brother Prince Edward, the current Earl of Wessex, will succeed to the title of Duke of Edinburgh on the death of his father.
There are plenty of royal residences in Scotland – Balmoral, Holyrood, Castle of Mey – and shopkeepers in the Deeside town of Ballater hold a number of Royal Warrants for supplying the family over the years. So if you fancy royal-hopping around Scotland, there are a few pointers.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed the content of The Desert Highlander over the past 4 years as we’ve tried to provide a relevant and entertaining platform that goes a bit deeper into the life of the Society than what is highlighted on Facebook.
As it should be, the newsletter is packed with information about past and upcoming events that affect the Society, such as the Scottish Games, and the monthly meetings. It carries articles about Scottish history, culture, and tradition, a monthly feature on genealogy and the easiest ways of tracing Scottish ancestors...and much more.
One of my favorite ad slogans is the watch company’s ‘You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.' That’s the guiding principle I’ve followed in my role of insuring that the Caledonian Society of Arizona will endure for years to come.
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