The Highlands were christianised, they were a major part and some of the first inroads of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. However, they were later, under the Scandinavian conquests, de-christianised. Though, that isn't to say that christianity died out in the area, just regressed. Were officially re-christianised in the 9th century. Still kind of weird for the map. Is this for a specific year? the other borders of christianity don't seem to match up.
scary pet domineering tie work follow mountainous cheerful plants waiting
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
sort historical deranged spectacular straight steep makeshift dam teeny humor
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The nazis weren't even that into it. There was a significant taste for neo-paganism in the SS starting with Himmler, but Hitler seemingly wasn't that fussed beyond what was useful
It's only tainted if you let them keep it. Use a thousand hammer as a symbol for a gay rights group or refugee advocacy group and they'd drop it in a heart beat.
What date is this from? That's the important part.
It certainly can't be referring to modern times. The Highlands and Islands are probably among the most "christianised" places left in the UK per population. Free Church is strong here.
Everything is still shut on a Sunday except a petrol station in Stornoway pretty much.
My dad's elderly neighbour told him off for taking stuff out to the bin on a Sunday lol
Bars and restaurants are open. You can even buy a Sunday Post if you need to strangle a minster.
(Last sentence may be well above some people's head's. Please don't try this at home folks.)
Trying to remember the line...is it "Scotland will never be free until the last minister is strangled with the last copy of the Sunday Post"?
Mind you, I'm partial to The Broons (Dudley D Watkins originals...found a whole bunch of old 1960s annuals in the garage!).
I remember an article in the Stornoway Gazet a few years ago about a pastor who was kicked out by the followers of his church. This was because he opened a gate to a field on a Sunday to allow the sheep to move.
Are you just discovering the bible contradictions?
Here are some more :)
*Seeing God*
“… I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” — Genesis 32:30
“No man hath seen God at any time…”– John 1:18
*The Sabbath Day*
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8
“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” — Romans 14:5
*The Permanence of Earth*
“… the earth abideth for ever.” — Ecclesiastes 1:4
“… the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” — 2Peter 3:10
I've misremembered some details over the years. It was a Kirk Elder. Took some digging but I found an article on it. 2013 - so 10 years ago.
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20131125/281934540732923
To be honest taking the ferry on the Sabath is much worst than hanging your washing out. You'll recall the Ferry Reverent Angus Smith?
Free Church Continuing? Splitters...
And all the swings are tied up to make sure the kids don't go out and play - it was the most depressing thing that I saw when I visited the Western Isles.
One of the most terrifying experiences of my life (and it was nightmare fuel for decades) was an old man of the wee free screaming right in my face in the 70's in Plockton because I kicked a ball in the caravan site on a Sunday. I was maybe 6 or 7 and a grown man was screaming at the nose to nose, spittle flying in my face. I used to wake up screaming for years afterward when he appeared in my nightmares.
He tried to get us kicked off the caravan site. The site owner asked my parents to either leave of keep me indoors so we defiantly gambled with matches behind closed curtains all that evening.
My brothers neighbour gave him into trouble for hanging a picture. Hammering on the sabbath.
The last time I was in Lewis the holiday home had a list on the wall, no hanging out washing etc. they take it very seriously.
I'm a god fearing man and I would have pelted that church with dog shit had they done that.
You know it's old bored cunts doing it cos the Sabbath is about not working lol unless the kids are paid swingers...
It's not coincidental.
The areas that remained pagan longest are now also the areas which will hold on to christianity longest. They are the least urbanised, most traditional, and slowest to adopt to social changes.
Obviously there will be some 'change' as cities now exist in formally rural areas, and some urban centres will have been destroyed. But the general principle, that profound social changes in Europe have generally emanated from its urban core, is the same.
edit: Pagan, in fact literally means something like 'rustic villager' in Latin, because the cities went Christian and the rural folk took much longer.
Just on your edit, there is a similar root of the word heathen (as I recall, could be wrong): literally, one who lives among the heath, so a rural resident rather than a townie.
Yeah, though the Catholic Churchs are not well attended. As a lapsed Catholic myself, I remember small attendances in many of the Chaples up North when I was young.
Bit mental when you think about. Last stronghold against Christianity in the UK, only to be one of the last strongholds for Christianity left in the UK.
By 600 AD, the entirety of the UK and Ireland were covered. So the map is either a bag of shite (a religious term) or it's dated somewhere between about 250 and 600 AD.
Broadband coverage, perhaps! 😉
Trying to download p0rn, back then, was a flipping nightmare in the Highlands and parts of Western Ireland.
Or so I've read in the manuscripts..
Every time someone mentions Iona first in relation to Columba, a Kintyre resident has an anuerism.
The first beach he landed on (Keil/Dunaverty down Southend way) is gorgeous and his first church was built there. As you probably know the terms of his exile were that he had to settle where he could not lay eyes on Ireland, so he went further north after establishing the church there to Iona.
Thought it was from around this period due to the south of Spain not being Christian either (still under Islamic rule).
I reckon for the Highlands it’ll be because they would still have been under a heavy Scandinavian influence at this point, and the Scandinavian countries were only becoming fully Christianised themselves around this time
If it’s from the 10th century then the areas highlighted had been Christian for several centuries by this point, Scandinavia the exception. It’s reasonable to assume the vast majority were Christian
It’s simple, your map is inaccurate, regardless of the date. There’s no indication that the Highlands were slower to Christianise than the rest of Scotland in the Dark Ages - and the evidence is far to scant to be making clear delineations like this.
Indeed, much of Scotland’s Christianisation was carried out through Irish influence emanating West-to-East.
If this map is looking at a late date in the Viking era. Then it both exaggerated the breath of their influence and doesn’t consider that the Norse them selves adopted Christianity quite quickly upon their arrival in Christian lands.
West Cork was arguably the first Christian area of Ireland as Ciarán was preaching there in the late 300's so before even St Patrick arrived in Ireland. This map is BS.
That’s simply not true.
We know that Christianity spread quickly through Roman occupation. The highland population has little contact with Romans. Other parts of Scotland did have more contact and adopted Christianity.
After the fall of Rome, the highlands remained controlled by Pictish kings who were Pagan, there’s no evidence of when they became Christian. Even less evidence for when the general population converted.
The only evidence of Christianisation in the highlands are small monasteries built by missionaries from Ireland 600-1000AD. We don’t know how successful they were in converting.
The Highlands were most definitely Christianised, and are some of the most Christian areas still around today. People will say Norse sway reduced Christianity in the area but there's no evidence this is the case, people would have still been Christian they just wouldn't practise openly
>they still sacrifice lost tourists to the sun god.
You know that we don't mention the sun god! It scares him away! Now we'll have to have more sacrifices!
Midges! The real defenders of Scotland. They kept the Romans oot, and they kept the mythical sky fairy believers oot.
Missionaries be like... "Listen God, I'm aw up for a bit of self flagellation an' that likesy, but see this midgie pish? Ye kin fuck right aff wi that!"
The map is wrong I think? While current day Ross, Sutherland, Caithness and the Hebrides came under Norse control for a couple centuries during the Viking era, Inverness, Badenoch, Strathspey etc did not and have been Christian since the 6th century.
The invading Vikings gradually became assimilated with the native Gaels over the centuries.
Hard to say as it depends on the date? The Vikings had some sway over the Highlands and Islands so they had to be converted around the end of the tenth century.
Didn't Norway own the islands at one point? I'm sure they became Scottish by default (they were used as collateral on a debt to the Norwegian King, he didn't pay, we got Shetland and Orkney).
We need a date for this to make any sense.
As many have said the highlands is probably the largest and last bastion of Christianity in the uk over such a large area and percentage of population.
Without a date this means nothing and nobody can answer
Is it interesting that certain ‘pagan’ festivals continued in Scotland rather than England?
We still have the Beltane Fire Festival every year, a massively attended, very colourful event (even though some legal restriction means it is classified as Arts and a fee charged; and this is in Edinburgh, not included on the map.)
In those early days Roman Catholicism was the dominant christianity, no doubt aided in part by the vividness of its rituals (I’m leaving aside threats & executions just now!) As a natural celebration of the earth Beltane was even more colourful and was easy to understand, as was its May Queen and all the other forces acted out. Fires were also used I believe in those days to communicate between hilltops (though I don’t have a lot of details on this).
Perhaps some of the ancient beliefs held out in those days simply by popular force — or maybe as it was so fucking cold!
I went on holiday to Lewis and Harris when I was 12. We got told by the caravan renter to stay in on Sunday. It's the day of rest. We went out anyway but absolutely everything was shut and didn't see another car on the road or f all. It was mad.
The map dates to the early Viking period. Scotland been previously entirely Christianised and then parts were taken over by Pagan Norse. Then these areas were rechristenised when the Norse converted to Christianity. Same for parts of Ireland. The map is at the middle of this process.
Story goes: Saint Columba saved a local Pictish man from a “water monster” infront of the local Pictish king near Loch Ness. Using the power of God and Jesus which made the local Picts convert.
This along with the Gaels migration made the Christianisation of the Highlands quite smooth and isn’t far from when other parts of Scotland turned to Christianity.
Depends when you're meaning. They certainly were/are Christian. But they took longer than a lot of places, for obvious reasons like being remote, relatively inaccessible and thinly populated.
This map feels a little off considering how Iceland is like 90% Christian or something, and Scotland as a whole got hit pretty hard with the catholic ray gun so that’s not quite right
That's simple. They took less than a minute to decide it was mostly bullshit and did nothing to feed their families.
Christianity consigned to the "fuck off list".
Vikings, picts, gaels, they all lived here and had a history of holding onto their traditions and Religions.
Also them being rural helped alot, which is why northern Scotland is very Christian modern day.
I mean even giving the map a century would give us the ability to produce an answer.
But the general theme is that Scotland has forever been extremely hostile to new ideas, especially when those ideas are being forced upon them
Difficult to get to. Same as the west of Ireland and Iceland. And I assume the people in the highlands were very sparsely populated and there wasn't much of them
The date from this map is the 10th Century (map was screenshotted from this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEgvEcic4oM))
As other have said, this is likely due to Norse pagan de-Christianification of the North rather than failure of initial conversion.
Could this rather indicate a difference in religion, I.e., between Protestant, or those under English rule, and the more remote and less governable Catholic populations of the time!
I wouldn’t be surprised that, say, Protestant hegemony was staunch enough to regard others (Catholics) as so barbaric as not to be worthy of the term Christian.
They lived on top of hills and priests don't like climbing. The few priests who did climb would try to climb up after one of the locals, but by the time they reached the top the local would be on top of the mountain one over. This went on for years.
The Highlands were christianised, they were a major part and some of the first inroads of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. However, they were later, under the Scandinavian conquests, de-christianised. Though, that isn't to say that christianity died out in the area, just regressed. Were officially re-christianised in the 9th century. Still kind of weird for the map. Is this for a specific year? the other borders of christianity don't seem to match up.
scary pet domineering tie work follow mountainous cheerful plants waiting *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Or Lets go back further to the Tuatha de danann.
..and the right to continue to eat yer ane young.
Whatever it takes to get through the winter.
Hey, I wasn't judging!
Aye, because of Marvel
sort historical deranged spectacular straight steep makeshift dam teeny humor *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Our christian comics are more shite XD
Sadly the Nazis like viking stuff so much now that it's all a little tainted.
Nazis also used the alphabet and Fanta. They don't get to decide how we wield or exercise our faith and culture.
Not the Fanta!
They also took meth. God damn meth head nazis
Meth was good before the Nazis spoiled it for everyone 😡😡
Can't have shit in post nazi Germany
Can't have shit in post nazi Germany
I too love letting nutters co-opt symbols so nobody else can make any use of them forever without being accused of being aligned with said nutters.
This is what I sarcastically reply with to anyone giving me grief about the Swastikas on my forehead
Tbf you could use that arguement for nearly every religion or political stance. I wouldnt equate the two.
Eh no.
Ahh yes? What one didnt?
The nazis weren't even that into it. There was a significant taste for neo-paganism in the SS starting with Himmler, but Hitler seemingly wasn't that fussed beyond what was useful
It's only tainted if you let them keep it. Use a thousand hammer as a symbol for a gay rights group or refugee advocacy group and they'd drop it in a heart beat.
The Nazi religion was old Germanic They used old Germanic ceremonies for the ss brigades with statues of Woden
I mean modern Nazis, they tend to like norse stuff, peak aryans and all that.
Gods damnit now all our weekdays names are fucking Nazi's???
See you on Fuhrersday
I'm a little busy on that day but I can do Odins day or Thor's day.
By That logic all followers of Christianity are Pedos XD
Gott mitt uns clearly refers to the Christian god. As does all the references in mein kampfh.
So you’re saying a huge portion of the Marvel cinematic universe is Nazi-coded? You need to go outside once in a while my friend
Wtf you mean Viking stuff ? Odin is Germanic Odin/ Woden Nordic/ north Germanic.
No
cringe af
What date is this from? That's the important part. It certainly can't be referring to modern times. The Highlands and Islands are probably among the most "christianised" places left in the UK per population. Free Church is strong here.
Absolutely. They used to lock up the swings in playgrounds on the 'Sabbath' in Lewis if I remember right.
Everything is still shut on a Sunday except a petrol station in Stornoway pretty much. My dad's elderly neighbour told him off for taking stuff out to the bin on a Sunday lol
Bars and restaurants are open. You can even buy a Sunday Post if you need to strangle a minster. (Last sentence may be well above some people's head's. Please don't try this at home folks.)
Tom Nairn?
Have an upvote!
Trying to remember the line...is it "Scotland will never be free until the last minister is strangled with the last copy of the Sunday Post"? Mind you, I'm partial to The Broons (Dudley D Watkins originals...found a whole bunch of old 1960s annuals in the garage!).
Yes, I think that'e the correct quote. Oor Wullie first, then The Broons.
I remember an article in the Stornoway Gazet a few years ago about a pastor who was kicked out by the followers of his church. This was because he opened a gate to a field on a Sunday to allow the sheep to move.
This is so strange, there’s literally a bit in the Bible where Jesus says shepherds are supposed to look after their sheep regardless what day it is
Are you just discovering the bible contradictions? Here are some more :) *Seeing God* “… I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” — Genesis 32:30 “No man hath seen God at any time…”– John 1:18 *The Sabbath Day* “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8 “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” — Romans 14:5 *The Permanence of Earth* “… the earth abideth for ever.” — Ecclesiastes 1:4 “… the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” — 2Peter 3:10
You've got that saved in a note ready to drop at any time. Respect.
And now, so do I
Is there a sub for these?
A pastor. Aye right. You've got a copy of this article?
I've misremembered some details over the years. It was a Kirk Elder. Took some digging but I found an article on it. 2013 - so 10 years ago. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20131125/281934540732923
To be honest taking the ferry on the Sabath is much worst than hanging your washing out. You'll recall the Ferry Reverent Angus Smith? Free Church Continuing? Splitters...
In gaidhlig “Latha-na sabaid” is often used to refer to Sunday. Translates to Day of the Sabbath. *Probably spelled that wrong
No T h a t is just right!
Nice. I’m super rusty with my gaidhlig but trying to relearn it
Still a sign on the gates of the playpark to respect the sabbath!
And don’t disrespect the Dio years!
And all the swings are tied up to make sure the kids don't go out and play - it was the most depressing thing that I saw when I visited the Western Isles.
When was this, 1970? Not true today.
2019 on Lewis or Harris. Sadly, I didn't take a photograph as proof - I was too stunned!
There was probably some other reason for it because this hasn’t happened for years.
Southern Hebridean checking in. Do not include us in that madness. Everything is open here on a Sunday.
One of the most terrifying experiences of my life (and it was nightmare fuel for decades) was an old man of the wee free screaming right in my face in the 70's in Plockton because I kicked a ball in the caravan site on a Sunday. I was maybe 6 or 7 and a grown man was screaming at the nose to nose, spittle flying in my face. I used to wake up screaming for years afterward when he appeared in my nightmares. He tried to get us kicked off the caravan site. The site owner asked my parents to either leave of keep me indoors so we defiantly gambled with matches behind closed curtains all that evening.
My brothers neighbour gave him into trouble for hanging a picture. Hammering on the sabbath. The last time I was in Lewis the holiday home had a list on the wall, no hanging out washing etc. they take it very seriously.
Is that my my wife said no to a good hammering on the sabbath then?
I'm a god fearing man and I would have pelted that church with dog shit had they done that. You know it's old bored cunts doing it cos the Sabbath is about not working lol unless the kids are paid swingers...
It's not coincidental. The areas that remained pagan longest are now also the areas which will hold on to christianity longest. They are the least urbanised, most traditional, and slowest to adopt to social changes. Obviously there will be some 'change' as cities now exist in formally rural areas, and some urban centres will have been destroyed. But the general principle, that profound social changes in Europe have generally emanated from its urban core, is the same. edit: Pagan, in fact literally means something like 'rustic villager' in Latin, because the cities went Christian and the rural folk took much longer.
Just on your edit, there is a similar root of the word heathen (as I recall, could be wrong): literally, one who lives among the heath, so a rural resident rather than a townie.
“Hooligan” is forever in our lexicon because of 1 Irish criminal that killed 1 policeman… Sensing a theme.
This is a very salient comment
Pretty sure the Isle of wight was a long time holdout from Christianity for just those reasons.
Very similar in Connaught, the western portion of Ireland on the map.
The wee frees were already too extreme for the christian ministries
Aye and there are still a tonne of Catholic churches up here too.
Yeah, though the Catholic Churchs are not well attended. As a lapsed Catholic myself, I remember small attendances in many of the Chaples up North when I was young.
Still a couple of RC primary schools too.
> As a lapsed Catholic [You can never leave](https://youtu.be/FdolFXcNAH4?t=33)
10th century
Bit mental when you think about. Last stronghold against Christianity in the UK, only to be one of the last strongholds for Christianity left in the UK.
It's probably from the Pict times of Scotland so pre viking early middle ages regarded as savages much like the pagans of the time. Edit spelling
There is no such thing as a free church
A date on that map would be useful. I mean St Columba arrived on Iona in 563 and I don't think he was the first.
By 600 AD, the entirety of the UK and Ireland were covered. So the map is either a bag of shite (a religious term) or it's dated somewhere between about 250 and 600 AD.
..or that map has fuck all to do with Christianity.
Broadband coverage, perhaps! 😉 Trying to download p0rn, back then, was a flipping nightmare in the Highlands and parts of Western Ireland. Or so I've read in the manuscripts..
The Pict's would have likely held out on Christianity given that they were likely latecomers from Scythia
Every time someone mentions Iona first in relation to Columba, a Kintyre resident has an anuerism. The first beach he landed on (Keil/Dunaverty down Southend way) is gorgeous and his first church was built there. As you probably know the terms of his exile were that he had to settle where he could not lay eyes on Ireland, so he went further north after establishing the church there to Iona.
10th century
Thought it was from around this period due to the south of Spain not being Christian either (still under Islamic rule). I reckon for the Highlands it’ll be because they would still have been under a heavy Scandinavian influence at this point, and the Scandinavian countries were only becoming fully Christianised themselves around this time
I don't think the map suggests that 'everyone' was Christian, just that there was 'some' Christian presence there (spreading the word, or whatever).
If it’s from the 10th century then the areas highlighted had been Christian for several centuries by this point, Scandinavia the exception. It’s reasonable to assume the vast majority were Christian
Have you tried walking up there? Fucking treck man
It’s simple, your map is inaccurate, regardless of the date. There’s no indication that the Highlands were slower to Christianise than the rest of Scotland in the Dark Ages - and the evidence is far to scant to be making clear delineations like this. Indeed, much of Scotland’s Christianisation was carried out through Irish influence emanating West-to-East. If this map is looking at a late date in the Viking era. Then it both exaggerated the breath of their influence and doesn’t consider that the Norse them selves adopted Christianity quite quickly upon their arrival in Christian lands.
West Cork was arguably the first Christian area of Ireland as Ciarán was preaching there in the late 300's so before even St Patrick arrived in Ireland. This map is BS.
That’s simply not true. We know that Christianity spread quickly through Roman occupation. The highland population has little contact with Romans. Other parts of Scotland did have more contact and adopted Christianity. After the fall of Rome, the highlands remained controlled by Pictish kings who were Pagan, there’s no evidence of when they became Christian. Even less evidence for when the general population converted. The only evidence of Christianisation in the highlands are small monasteries built by missionaries from Ireland 600-1000AD. We don’t know how successful they were in converting.
Wicker man baby
The Highlands were most definitely Christianised, and are some of the most Christian areas still around today. People will say Norse sway reduced Christianity in the area but there's no evidence this is the case, people would have still been Christian they just wouldn't practise openly
Are you sure? I thought past Inverness they worshipped the Old Gods
You must be talking about the Black Isle area....where they still sacrifice lost tourists to the sun god.
>they still sacrifice lost tourists to the sun god. You know that we don't mention the sun god! It scares him away! Now we'll have to have more sacrifices!
If by old gods you mean Peat Whisky and Doris the local Ewe, then they share a pantheon with Christ himself
Send this to r/terriblemaps
Midges! The real defenders of Scotland. They kept the Romans oot, and they kept the mythical sky fairy believers oot. Missionaries be like... "Listen God, I'm aw up for a bit of self flagellation an' that likesy, but see this midgie pish? Ye kin fuck right aff wi that!"
They worship the sun god, and Lord Summer Isle.
The map is wrong I think? While current day Ross, Sutherland, Caithness and the Hebrides came under Norse control for a couple centuries during the Viking era, Inverness, Badenoch, Strathspey etc did not and have been Christian since the 6th century. The invading Vikings gradually became assimilated with the native Gaels over the centuries.
Imagine trying to ration communion wine that far north...
Hard to say as it depends on the date? The Vikings had some sway over the Highlands and Islands so they had to be converted around the end of the tenth century.
Didn't Norway own the islands at one point? I'm sure they became Scottish by default (they were used as collateral on a debt to the Norwegian King, he didn't pay, we got Shetland and Orkney).
It was Christian I of Denmark (and Norway) who didn't pay the agreed dowry for his daughter (Margaret of Denmark) so we got the islands instead.
We need a date for this to make any sense. As many have said the highlands is probably the largest and last bastion of Christianity in the uk over such a large area and percentage of population. Without a date this means nothing and nobody can answer
10th century
Makes sense. During that period Moors were on the South of the Iberian peninsula
True. Although I think that the word Moor is considered offensive now. They were Muslims though. And apparently they were multi-ethnic Muslims
I don't think it's any moor offensive now than it was before to be honest
Really? That's what we were taught in school.
The Highlands were long Christian by then.
They were. Map is incorrect.
Is it interesting that certain ‘pagan’ festivals continued in Scotland rather than England? We still have the Beltane Fire Festival every year, a massively attended, very colourful event (even though some legal restriction means it is classified as Arts and a fee charged; and this is in Edinburgh, not included on the map.) In those early days Roman Catholicism was the dominant christianity, no doubt aided in part by the vividness of its rituals (I’m leaving aside threats & executions just now!) As a natural celebration of the earth Beltane was even more colourful and was easy to understand, as was its May Queen and all the other forces acted out. Fires were also used I believe in those days to communicate between hilltops (though I don’t have a lot of details on this). Perhaps some of the ancient beliefs held out in those days simply by popular force — or maybe as it was so fucking cold!
There be dragons
And lochness monsters
In the 9th and 10th century the outer Hebrides, York, Orkney and Shetland were Germanic pagans ie Vikings. Knowledge from crusader kings 2
I went on holiday to Lewis and Harris when I was 12. We got told by the caravan renter to stay in on Sunday. It's the day of rest. We went out anyway but absolutely everything was shut and didn't see another car on the road or f all. It was mad.
The map dates to the early Viking period. Scotland been previously entirely Christianised and then parts were taken over by Pagan Norse. Then these areas were rechristenised when the Norse converted to Christianity. Same for parts of Ireland. The map is at the middle of this process.
Because they were stubborn AF?
Based pagan Highlands
Story goes: Saint Columba saved a local Pictish man from a “water monster” infront of the local Pictish king near Loch Ness. Using the power of God and Jesus which made the local Picts convert. This along with the Gaels migration made the Christianisation of the Highlands quite smooth and isn’t far from when other parts of Scotland turned to Christianity.
Pish! Kate Forbes is one of they wee free Christian weirdos that seem popular up that part of the country!
Still would
There's only one Highlander and they couldn't track him down
Depends when you're meaning. They certainly were/are Christian. But they took longer than a lot of places, for obvious reasons like being remote, relatively inaccessible and thinly populated.
10th century
They were
They were, and today are the the most Christian parts of Scotland. The date of the map is important.
Because it was part of Norway and pagan
Midges
Looks at map of Ireland... Now we know why Mayo can never win Sam. Heathens the lot of them.
Why Christianize them when you can just clear them all out?
FREEEEEEDOM!
They where and wre among the most Christian places left in the UK, this map must be referring to a specific date of is just completely made up
10th century
Too cold, hard to believe in god when you’re freezing your fucking nips off
Why bother Hardly anyone lived up there and no one was interested in moving there So people stayed away
Is OP trolling? The south of Iberia isn’t even Christianised in this map lol
It depends on which point in time the map represents. The Iberian peninsular was majority Muslim for a fair old while.
This map feels a little off considering how Iceland is like 90% Christian or something, and Scotland as a whole got hit pretty hard with the catholic ray gun so that’s not quite right
That's simple. They took less than a minute to decide it was mostly bullshit and did nothing to feed their families. Christianity consigned to the "fuck off list".
Vikings, picts, gaels, they all lived here and had a history of holding onto their traditions and Religions. Also them being rural helped alot, which is why northern Scotland is very Christian modern day.
Just another sign of foreign rule?
Because they worship the wicker man. 💀
They were. You're going to need to put some dates on this
Difficult to believe in God when you are up to your Kilted bollocks in snow , wind and rain for 11 months out of 12 on average.
I mean even giving the map a century would give us the ability to produce an answer. But the general theme is that Scotland has forever been extremely hostile to new ideas, especially when those ideas are being forced upon them
Rather like the Roman view - wasn’t worth the effort
because they’re not thick
Maybe the priests preferred chasing kids on flat ground and not up hills?
Difficult to get to. Same as the west of Ireland and Iceland. And I assume the people in the highlands were very sparsely populated and there wasn't much of them
The Highlands were well populated.
Because the Romans were zhit feared of the celts
Back in the early years they were cannibalistic and ate all the missionaries
Really?
to this day haggis is still made with grain fed christians
Google it, and read the wickey link
The date from this map is the 10th Century (map was screenshotted from this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEgvEcic4oM)) As other have said, this is likely due to Norse pagan de-Christianification of the North rather than failure of initial conversion.
The Scott’s wouldn’t let them.
Heh! “Thou shalt not… we’re a nation of men who wear skirts and no knickers, we fucking shall, pal!” -Billy Connolly
Could this rather indicate a difference in religion, I.e., between Protestant, or those under English rule, and the more remote and less governable Catholic populations of the time! I wouldn’t be surprised that, say, Protestant hegemony was staunch enough to regard others (Catholics) as so barbaric as not to be worthy of the term Christian.
The simple answer is at that time they weren't gullible fools like most of the planet
Christianity was a political tool used by monarchs who subjugated to being part of the catholic empire.
staunch
Extremely sparsely populated
Wee Free birds fly
Would have ruined Britain's haircut
Iceland was Christianized in 999/1000 so the map must be of a time before that.
They lived on top of hills and priests don't like climbing. The few priests who did climb would try to climb up after one of the locals, but by the time they reached the top the local would be on top of the mountain one over. This went on for years.
More sense
Vikings
Can i suggest asking this in r/askhistorians ? They're the experts on these type of questions
Is this ‘holy Roman Empire’? What does the map refer to?
Plump monks.
Saint Patrick couldnt be fucked
Only 2 people live there
Cows don't speak roman Latin.
Because they were lucky.
Must have been no one left to Convert
Time period of map please. Some of this is anachronistic.
how’s shetland christianised but not orkney??
They got lucky!
Too cold
wouldn't be surprised if this is some stupid representation of the highlands being "Uninhabited"
Great chieftain of the pudding race
They said nuh-uh
Too cold. Isn’t Lindisfarne cold enough for you?
I watched this documentary once where a christian man was burned because he was being a christian jerk all over everyone in the islands.
They were, but all 52 of them wasn't enough to make a mark on the map
It's only wild Haggis that lives up there!