Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/500

 424 Outlines of Ei trope an History Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland When the German peoples — the Angles and Saxons — con- quered Britain, some of them wandered north as far as the Firth of Forth and occupied the so-called Lowlands of Scotland. The mountainous region to the north, known as the Highlands, con- tinued to be held by wild tribes related to the Welsh and Irish and talking a language similar to theirs, namely, Gaelic. There was constant warfare between the older inhabitants themselves and between them and the newcomers from Germany, but both Highlands and Lowlands were finally united under a line of Fig. 164. Conway Castle Edward built this fine castle in 1284 on the north coast of Wales, to keep the Welsh in check. Its walls are 12 to 15 feet in thickness. There were buildings inside, including a great banqueting hall 130 feet long Scottish kings, who moved their residence down to Edinburgh, which, with its fortress, became their chief town. It was natural that the language of the Scotch Lowlands should be English, but iu the mountains the Highlanders to this day continue to talk the ancient Gaelic of their forefathers. Edward inter- It was not until the time of Edward I that the long series Scotch affairs of troubles between England and Scotland began. The dying out of the old line of Scotch kings in 1290 was followed by the appearance of a number of claimants to the crown. In order