Stones and Buildings

I was impressed with Scotland and it’s towns. It’s wonderful to be led around and informed with a good guide, but it’s even better to discover places on your own. I was glad we were given this special time.

One of the first things I noticed about this country was the building construction. In America, most residences are made from wood. Some are covered with aluminum siding, or may be covered with a brick façade, but they’re (for the most part) cheap and “box like”. In Scotland, (and most other parts of the United Kingdom we visited), everything seemed to be made of stone.

They build their structures to last a LONG time.

As a matter of fact, the are castles and stone walls all over the UK. Some are several centuries old. They’re impressive to view. But after visiting several of them, I began to view them as only fortresses with the goal of making sure those with wealth kept it, and making sure those without it, were kept from stealing it. That’s not a harsh criticism. You got’ a protect yourself from your enemies or you’ll find yourself serving them and being on the outside looking in. It’s a wise choice to do much most of your construction with stone, and it’s abundant here.

On the whole, I found the entire country to be more ecologically and environmentally conscious than the United States. I was impressed with their transportation, their 220 volt electrical system, their sanitation methods, and the general mindset of the common Englishman.

For instance, the streets were clean, despite a high population density. Transportation was well managed. We found it easy to get around in the big cities by cab, bus, or subways (the tubes). Bicycling was common and all the automobiles were compact and fuel efficient. (gasoline cost between $7.50 and $8.00 a gallon) Scooters were common, although the climate is wetter. The general population was very adaptable and the people were a pleasure to be around. I admire those qualities in a society.

I’m sure my American readers will not like this comment, but I think we’re the most wasteful people on the face of the earth. America is such a young country. We haven’t been forced to make difficult decisions concerning limited resources and over population.