Summer Boat Trip On History Visit To River Tay By Perthshire And Fife Scotland

Tour Scotland 4K Summer travel video of the sight and sounds of a boat trip on the River Tay on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit and trip to Perthshire and Fife, Britain, United Kingdom. The River Tay, Scottish Gaelic: Tatha, is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui mountain, Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laoigh, then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochart, Loch Iubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay, in the centre of Scotland, then south easterly through Perth, where it becomes tidal, to its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee in Tayside. The Tay has a rich natural heritage, and is home to a variety of wildlife. It boasts a number of sites of special scientific interest, and is noted for its extensive sand and mudflats. It’s been a valuable source of resources for the Highlands and east coast of Scotland throughout history, and provided trade opportunities for a number of historic settlements, including the cities of Perth and Dundee. The name Tay comes from the Scottish Gaelic Tatha, which in turn is believed to come from the Brythonic word Tausa. The name is thought to mean Silent One, Strong One or Flowing One. This is also the name of a Pictish deity, the river goddess. It’s still traditional in some parts of the country to break a bottle of whisky over the bow of a boat at the start of the salmon fishing season! This is believed to be a means of gaining the favour of the ancient goddess of the river, the Silent One. The story of the River Tay begins with the formation of the Tay valley. Scotland was covered with ice for thousands of years before, in 16,000 B.C.E., the climate began to warm, causing the great glaciers of ice to retreat into the sea. The movement of the these glaciers carved out the valley through which the River Tay flows today. The Romans invaded the Tay valley in the first century C.E., establishing forts and fortresses at key strategic points along the river’s banks. The arrival of the Romans seems to have been devastating for the native Tay communities, with evidence of a severe drop in farming activity during the period. The area around the Tay came under Pictish influence after the Romans left, and many of the places along the Tay still bear Pictish names. Perth, for example, comes from the Pictish pert, meaning ‘woodland’. The Picts merged with the Scots in the ninth century, establishing the kingdom of Alba, the heart of which was the Tay valley. At Forteviot, not far from Perth, stood the royal palace where Kenneth McAlpine, seen as the first Scottish king, died in 858 C.E. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. The date for astronomical Summer in Scotland is Tuesday, 21 June, ending on Friday, 23 September. @tourscotland All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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