The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-01-11
EBENSBURG, FRIDAY. JANUARY ii,
LAND O. OROUTHIe cRoNIES.
Conyiviai Csledonia's Curious Inns and
Hotels and Some Facts About Them

Conyivial CaIedonia's Curious Inns and
Hotels and Some Facts About Them
Robert kempt has gathered together
many interesting historical items and
quaint anecdotes about the inns and
hotels of Scotland, says the Caterer. 1t
must be confessed the historical side
begins very late. for in olden days inns
were practically unknown over the
border. travellers being received in pri-
vate houses as guests. Consequently
there is no record of such ancient Lon
don hostelries as the Tabard. in south
wark; the Mermaid, in Bread street or
the Blue Boar. in Eastcheap. When
Defoe went to Scotland he had difficult
ty in finding an inn at Aberdeen. and
this in spite of royal edict issued by
James /. in 1924, to the effect that in all
borough towns where there was con-
siderable traffic, hostelries should be
established, but these institutions did
not flourish till very much later. Mr..
iNempt gives some amusing infOrma-
ton as to the pains and penalties en-
acted in the fifteenth and seventeenth
centuries regarding the hours of clos
ing, drunkenness, etc The inns of
Aberdeen are accorded whole chap
ter, for there is much to say about those
of the last century. They practically
formed open clubs for the wits and
learned men of the hospitable city
Over very modest repasts and potations,
grand symposia were held; the philoso-
pliers lived low, but thought and spoke
high.
DIR. johnson seems to have appreci-
ated the Aberdeen inns: he found
them almost as congenial as his haunts
~, g. -
ter than the Scottish houses of enter
tainment. Among other interesting
items of information Mr.. Kempt points
out that whisky is a comparatively
modern beverage. and that in olden
days claret was almost as much drank
as ale. The regent Albany is supposed
to have made claret popular. In 14sO
red Gascony wine sold in Aberdeen at
sixpence pint. and later on claret and
port wine could be had at eighteen
pence a bottle. Indeed claret aud
port in those early days could be pro-
cured cheaper in Scotland than in
most parts of England. In the cities
and country side many inns with
historical interests attached to them.
In the Invercauld Arms hotel. Bracmar.
is the stone on which the standard of
Mar was raised in 17i5. the beginning
of Prince Charities wild escapade. 9th
er inns are associated with names ven
Grated in Scottish history and litera-
ture. There are many inns in the
Highlands closely connected with
Burns, the Ettrick Shephe I'd, Sir
Walter Scott and other kindred giants
of old. Scott mentions that il used to
be the fashion to eat oysters in the
Covenant Close, Edinburgh. and Mr..
kempt has gathered together many de-
tails as to- this once fashiona BILE form of
indulgence. During the eighteenth
century it seems that the best society
in the Scottish capital. ladies and gen
tlemen. used to make parties at one of
the taverns in ''Auld Reekie." there to
partake of oysters and porter. ending
up with brandy and rum punch. with
songs and dancing. Some of these old
Aberdeenian and Edinburgh inns we re
the ancient houses of noble families,
great rambling buildings. with many
rooms. some of remarkably fine pro-
portions. Even few of the country
inns were former mansions of the lairds
of the soil