The history of Scotland is fascinating. It is very long, and really quite complicated. It has a long list of protagonists.
Like almost all history, for most the story of Scotland is a convenient source of snippets that can be picked through for 'facts' to support whatever argument is currently being foisted.
I've only been to Shetland a couple of times and only ever on business. I have a much better and deeper knowledge of Orkney, which is considerably closer to the 'mainland'.
I have also had the opportunity to travel around a great deal of the country. The north-west, the north-east, the borders and the south-west are all significantly different from each other. The islands are different again.
A large percentage of the population lives in the central belt. Mainly in the two population centres of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The differences between the two cities is quite marked and the competition between the two is the stuff of legend.
Scotland also has a remarkable attitude to religion. With a very low attendance to services in stark contrast to the occasionally visiferous sectarianism that we've had to put up to for so long.
With so much diversity it is continually disappointing that our political parties in both Holyrood and Westminster seem to have so much confidence in their assumption that they know what is best for us.
We had a vote and discovered that about half of us have no interest in leaving the Union. The South West have been more conservative than other areas. The mainland has a socialist bias and the islands of Orkney and Shetland.... vote for the third party. How can anyone be even slightly surprised that these Islanders don't feel that they have any representation; that they are not listened to? They are not the only ones.
Scotland has enormous potential but we are continually held back by those whose ambition is centered around them holding control rather than the good of the people. We need a new party; an alternative party. We need an option that is centered around the advancement of the Scottish nation and is willing to listen and include the diversity that our history and geography has bestowed upon us.
There must be an honest politician out there who is prepared to step forward and bring us together. The current options are not up to the task.
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