Tranquility in the Wild, Wild West of Scotland
Posted by: Chris Hails in Cowboy, Wild West Add comments
The joys of the interweb! I stumbled across this great little video on the BBC website today all about the Northern Rough Riders, the only Wild West re-enactment group in Scotland.
The video is well worth watching to see the fruits of their labours: Tranquility, ‘Scotland’s only wild west township’ with its very own general store, corral and Marshall’s office.
Tranquility is a place where wild west enthusiasts can meet to “chew the fat”, test their skills in old west sports such as shooting, knife & axe throwing, horseshoe pitching, rehearse for upcoming events etc & socialise in the evenings around a campfire or around a card table inside the saloon.
Imagine the fun of knowing you can spend the occasional Sunday shooting it out in your best Wild West get-up, sharing a passion with other history buffs. If I lived closer to Aberdeen I’d be tempted to join up as they’re looking for new members.
I have to be honest and say I never knew that Scottish influences played such a large part in the American cowboy tradition. The Riders website though links to this story on the Sunday Herald newspaper site about how the cattle ride is based on the old Scots tradition of droving.
Cattle, horses and music have always been Celtic passions so it’s no surprise that the Scots and Scots-Irish were among the most significant influences on cowboy lore and culture.
It’s a good read for those with an interest in Scottish cowboys, especially when so many modern day Americans claim a Scottish ancestor.
And did you know that the Scottish-American Mortgage Company was one of a number of Scottish companies set up in the 1870s and 80s with the sole intention of investing in American railroads and cattle farming?
P.S. If you’re staying up late to watch the election results come in overnight I hope you have a nice quiet day tomorrow
