Drowning the sorrows of Scotland’s virulent nationalism

There is a more depressing subject than the lockdown. The evening began with a bottle of 18-year-old Glenmorangie. It was subtle and relatively gentle, but also powerful. Alas, this true flower of Scotland lured our talk towards disaster. We started discussing contemporary Scottish politics. Instantly, we were transported to Macbeth: ‘Alas, poor country, almost afraid to know itself.’ My friend said that this was unfair. Nicola Sturgeon was not as bad as Macbeth (though she would make a good Lady Macbeth). I disagreed. She is worse. It was relatively easy for Scotland to recover from Macbeth. He just needed to be slain. There is no such simple cure for the curse of the SNP. Although la Sturgeon may not have killed anyone, planning to kill a nation’s future is a far greater crime.

Why has Scottish nationalism become so virulent? There is no rational explanation. In the 1690s, Scotland was a poor, backward and divided country.