Welcome to New Scotland, 1830!

Isn't he a lovely little highland coo'!

He is a direct descendent of the cows that were brought over from Scotland when they began to settle in this area.  We did a trip to Iona today, and the Historical Highland Village.  It recreates the lives of Scottish settlers from the 1830's until the early 1900's.  

The house below is called a black house.  It was what their first homes looked like and had an interior space for their animals to live in through the winter, as winters here were much harsher than in Scotland.  They had a dirt floor, and the

fire in the middle was used for heat and cooking.

Along one wall of the house were built-in 

cupboards, that were about 4 feet high

and 4 feet deep.  They were called boxbeds

and that is where the family slept
 - kids in one and parents in the other.

We learned that since they are a very

superstitious lot, they slept sitting up.  Only 

dead people lay flat, and they did not want the

fairies to think they were dead and take their

souls away.  David stuck his head in one and it

gave him the willies!

Further down the village road (and in time)

there was a woman who showed us how she

was weaving on her loom.  It was amazing how

similar it was to the vikings who showed us

how to do it 1000 years ago!!

This was an especially interesting visit for us, as our family backgrounds lie in this area.  It was yet another historical village.... but there is so much to learn at each of them that they are never boring!