Travel Essays · Chapter
Winter and New Year explained
Stevenson reflects on the harshness of the Scottish winter, its influence on the language and poetry of Scotland, and the contrasting comforts of hearth and tavern.
What happens
Stevenson reflects on the harshness of the Scottish winter, its influence on the language and poetry of Scotland, and the contrasting comforts of hearth and tavern. He describes the gloom of Edinburgh in winter, the resilience of its people, and the festive traditions of New Year's Day, including family gatherings, gift-giving, and carousing. The chapter concludes with a meditation on winter sports like skating and curling at Duddingstone Loch.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and the Passage of Time
The chapter reflects on the cycle of seasons and the passage of another year, with New Year's as a threshold of calamity and hope.
Human Connection and Community
New Year's traditions emphasize family bonds, gift-giving, and communal celebration, drawing people closer together.
National Identity and Patriotism
Scottish winter, language, poetry, and customs like curling and Scotch bun are celebrated as markers of national character.
Characters to notice
- Robert Fergusson
Mentioned as an Edinburgh poet who wrote of winter revelry and tavern life.
- Old Edinburgh
The city itself is a central character, described in its winter gloom and festive cheer.
Key passages
“The Scotch dialect is singularly rich in terms of reproach against the winter wind. Snell, blae, nirly, and scowthering, are four of these significant vocables; they are all words that carry a shiver with them.”
The Scottish language has many harsh words for the winter wind, each evoking a sense of cold and discomfort.
Stevenson highlights the linguistic richness of Scots in describing winter's harshness.
“A Scot of poetic temperament, and without religious exaltation, drops as if by nature into the public-house. The picture may not be pleasing; but what else is a man to do in this dog’s weather?”
A Scottish poet without strong religious feelings naturally ends up in a pub, as there is little else to do in such terrible weather.
Stevenson explains the cultural tendency toward tavern life in winter.
“It is New-year’s weather. New-year’s Day, the great national festival, is a time of family expansions and of deep carousal.”
The snowy weather signals New Year's, Scotland's major holiday, marked by family gatherings and heavy drinking.
The chapter transitions to describing New Year's traditions.