A learning resource for teachers of Curriculum for Excellence P6/7 S1/2 A nation of planters during the Scottish Enlightenment 1 Trees, People and the Country Estate A nation of planters during the Scottish Enlightenment by Dr Christopher C. Lee and Jacqueline Lee Thank you We are grateful to all who supplied photographs and gave permission for their use: Blair Castle, Castle Menzies, Hopetoun House, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Historc Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Artemis Scotland, Ilustrations by Ian Kirkwood and Forestry Commission Scotland. Front Cover image: John Muray, 4th Duke of Atholl and his family. © Blair Castle. © Forestry Commission / Laurie Campbell O Caledonia! Stern and wild, Meet nurse for a poetic child! Land of brown heath and shaggy wood, Land of my sires! What mortal hand Can e’r untie the filial band, That knits me to thy rugged strand! From The Lay of the Last Minstrel by Sir Walter Scott A nation of planters during the Scottish Enlightenment 1 Contents Page Guidance Notes for Teachers 5 Introduction 14 Further reading and sources 23 Learning Outcomes 24 Suggested Activities 25 1. The Traditional Landowners and the Country Estate 31 1.1 Why was tree planting concentrated on the country estate? 32 1.2 Who were the traditional Scottish landowners? 33 1.3 What brings about this move to tree planting? 34 1.4 Topic Focus 1: The Planting Dukes and the Plant Hunters 41 1.5 Topic Focus 2: The Country House and Estate 51 Notes and References 61 Further reading and sources 63 Learning Outcomes 66 Suggested Activities 69 2. ‘Most Spirited Cultivators’ – New Merchant Landowners and their 78 relationship to Scottish Trees, Woodlands and Forests 2.1 The best of all Improvers? 78 2.2 Who were these colonial merchants and why was this activity centred on the 79 west coast around Glasgow? 2.3 Why were the colonial merchants so interested in buying land? 81 2.4 Why was so much land available for these merchants to buy? 83 2.5 Where were they buying their land? 84 2.6 What and who were paying for all the new trees? 85 2.7 Topic Focus: The McDowalls and Castle Semple Estate 86 Notes and References 94 Further reading and sources 97 Learning Outcomes 100 Suggested Activities 102 3. Aristocratic Women and the Country Estate 109 3.1 The problem with history 109 3.2 Women and the 18th century landscape in Scotland 110 3.3 Topic Focus 1: The strange and eccentric woman, Lady Strathmore 110 3.4 Topic Focus 2: A lady forester, Helen Hope Countess of Haddington 112 3.5 Topic Focus 3: A collector in Canada and India, Christian Ramsay 112 Countess of Dalhousie 3.6 Topic Focus 4: A collector in South America, Maria Graham 113 3.7 Why was there a problem with women in the estate garden 115 3.8 Spaces for men and spaces for women 117 Notes and References 120 Further reading and sources 122 Learning Outcomes 124 Suggested Activities 126 2 Trees, People and the Country Estate 4. Ordinary Scots and their relationship with woodlands, 135 forests and gardens 4.1 Experiencing change and continuity 135 4.2 Change in the countryside a positive experience for everyone? 137 4.3 Was there any protest about the changes to the land? 138 4.4 Wood – a precious commodity 139 4.5 What was the relationship between people and wood? 140 4.6 Working in the landscape 144 4.7 Woodlands, forest and gardens as a source of cultural identity 147 4.8 The importance of coppiced woodlands and the development 152 of Scottish trade and industry in the 18th century 4.9 Topic Focus 1: Leather tanning 154 4.10 Topic Focus 2: The iron industry 157 Notes and References 161 Further reading and sources 164 Learning Outcomes 165 Suggested Activities 168 Finally – ‘A Nation of Planters’ 174 A nation of planters during the Scottish Enlightenment 3 © Crown Copyright,© Crown Commission / Isobel Cameron Forestry Oak by the River Tay, Dunkeld. 4 Trees, People and the Country Estate Guidance notes for teachers Welcome to Forestry Commission Scotland’s Learning Resource on The Scottish Enlightenment in relation to the development of the wooded landscape of this country. The 7 principles of learning which underpin all learning experiences of the 3–18 Curriculum for Excellence will be an integral part of this resource. 1. Challenge and enjoyment © Crown Copyright,© Crown Commission / Isobel Cameron Forestry Learning should be challenging, engaging and motivating. The aim here is that every child achieves his or her potential. 2. Breadth Whatever they are learning should provide a broad range of experiences. This means that subjects will be allowed to overlap more than ever before. 3. Progression Each stage of learning should build on what has gone before and children should be able to progress at a rate that suits them. 4. Depth Naturally this ties in with breadth and enables pupils to draw different strands of learning together and achieving higher levels of understanding. 5. Personalisation and choice What pupils learn must react to their individual needs and abilities. 6. Coherence This reinforces the need for cross curricular work but also highlights that learning activities should pull together different strands of learning. 7. Relevance The relevance of what pupils learn should always be apparent to their lives in the present and the future. A nation of planters during the Scottish Enlightenment 5 Social Studies: Knowledge and Understanding – People and Events in the Past, Primary 6 & 7; S1 & 2 Challenge Breadth Depth Progression Coherence Relevance and Enjoyment Developing an understanding of Give examples of people and events in the Describe some features of life in the past for a Describe the diversity of Describe some features of societies, people Explain the motives or actions of people in particular distinctive features of life and why certain past that are important to them in relation particular topic. lifestyles of people in the and events from the past and suggest why historical situations. people and events are regarded as to their families or their community. past e.g. life of a peasant as they might be significant. Explain the values or attitudes that characterised various significant. Give examples of stories they have heard opposed to a landowner. societies in the past. Learning should be challenging, engaging that give them information about the past Explain why particular societies, people and events from and motivating. and describe what they have learnt. the past are thought to be of significance. Pupils will be inspired to investigate, Stories associated with forests, woodlands, How life was different for the traditional Different lifestyles and work Examine more closely the life in relation to The importance of the Scottish Enlightenment to the question and discuss the evidence and trees and about the people who have lived landowners and merchant landowners; patterns. the use of forests and woodlands. traditional landowners. enjoy the experience of learning. and worked in these areas. the role of women and their influence. The country mansion of the The importance of the slave trade – the use The use of reason as a means for changing old ways of life. Country estates of their locality. The life of ordinary Scots who worked in the landowners and their reliance of the money made from it in creating the Values and attitudes that emerge as a result of the Local stories about woodlands, forests and landscape. on their servants to maintain wooded landscape that we now enjoy today. Enlightenment. their lifestyle. trees in their area. The Age of Improvement. The continuance of the use of slaves on plantations even after abolition of the trade in 1806. Understanding the significance of these events in relation to Scotland and the outside world. Change and continuity, cause and effect: Give some examples of changes that have Describe changes that have led to present Make a comparison Identify important features of a development Events important to Scotland’s woods and forests developing an understanding of change affected theirownandotherpeople’s lives circumstancesinrelation to their own lives; e.g. between present lifestyles/ that have changed over an extended period development in the past with reference to the benefits of and continuity over time, and of cause and and the life of their community. Develop how homes, lighting, clothes etc have changed. circumstances/features of time. today. effect in historical contexts. concepts of before, past and present. Give reasons why these changes took place. – what is different? Explain in simple terms why these features Periods are put Into their historical context and conclusions – what is the same? Learning should be challenging, engaging Give some reasons why these changes took Give examples of continuity in relation to their were important and describe what effects are drawn about whether decisions made in the past and motivating. place. own lives. Give some reasons for the they had on people’s lives. affected our way of life today. differences and for aspects of continuity. Pupils are motivated to compare and Investigate existence of local country estate Opportunity to investigate how the use of Opportunity to investigate The source of the money of the merchant Periods are put Into their historical context and conclusions contrast their lives with those of people and tree planting. Many of these estates forests and woodlands have changed through how the use of forests and landowners, namely slavery, and how they are drawn about whether decisions made in the past they are studying in the past. are the origins of our modern day country time. woodlands have changed used it to develop the wooded landscape we affected our way of life today.