Kilting at windmills, a trip through the Netherlands

In last week’s diary, I wrote about how this historic Dutch port acted as Scotland’s primary trading gateway to Europe for several hundred years. This week I’m delving deeper into the Scottish merchant community which once thrived here, looking at how they lived, how they traded, and how they lay the foundations for a distinct Scottish presence in mainland Europe.

Old documents reveal how Dutch locals went to considerable lengths to welcome and accommodate the ­Scottish merchant community here from the 15th century onwards, providing them with their own kirk, kirkyard, inn, ­recreational ­garden, water cistern, and warehouses and ­cellars for Scottish goods.

The old Scottish kirk is long gone, but the water cistern is still here, and is itself a charming historical building. This was where the Scots would collect ­rainwater from a reservoir deep underground and wash their highly sought-after wool ­before market.

The Scots were also given an ever-expanding list of privileges including duty relief, sailing assistance in stormy weather, a space on the quay for Scottish vessels, and the freedom to practice their own religion.

The whole set-up was managed by a “Scottish Conservator”, a kind of ­diplomat who governed the Scottish community under Scots law. The ­Conservator was part ambassador, part governor, part judge, part treasurer, part book-keeper, supervising and overseeing the Scottish presence in Veere.

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Authorities back home in Scotland placed the highest standards on the role of Conservator, and expected whoever filled the role to “have a chiefe care of maintaining the credit and reputation of this nation in forraine countreys”.

In an interesting parallel to our own recent times, the Conservator was also given the duty of stopping anyone from plagued areas of Europe travelling on to Scotland by ship.

The Schotse Huizen in which I am ­currently artist in residence were two of the main houses owned by the ­Scottish merchant community. The larger of the two houses, Het Lammeken (The Lamb) was the Conservator’s house, its name making reference to the ­lucrative ­Scottish wool trade. Inside, there are a number of large rooms with tall ­windows ­overlooking the quay. Looking out from the upper windows, you can ­almost ­imagine the Conservator’s outlook, ­keeping an eye out for vessels ­arriving from places like Leith, Dundee and ­Aberdeen with Saltires flying from their masts.

The smaller house next door, De ­Struijs (The Ostrich) was the Scottish inn, ­providing bed and board for ­travelling merchants, artists, artisans, students and diplomats. The local folklore is that the Scots required such a large supply of wine and beer for their inn that they were unable to house it all within their own ­allocated cellars.

Around the corner is another house, De Swane (The Swan) which was an ­earlier Scottish inn, although it is not part of the present museum. One of the interesting things about these Scottish inns, both De Struijs and De Swane, is that they were given the official name of “House of the Scottish Nation”. These were public houses for the Scottish merchants, but they were also the primary centres for Scottish community life in Veere.

The Scots themselves were referred to as the “Scottish Nation” of Veere, as was customary for the time. The language of the “Nation” reminds us that merchants were not solo travellers out purely for their own profit, but were expected to be of service to their community and to uphold the reputation of their homeland.

In fact the Scots were so conscious of creating a positive image of themselves in the eyes of their European neighbours that they went to great lengths to dress themselves in high quality, fashionable clothing.

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

In 1529 there was a complaint made that some Scottish merchants had been spotted in their “wirst clais”, with ­“dishonour brought on the realm”. From then on it was the Conservator’s ­responsibility to pull aside and reclothe any poorly dressed Scot in Veere. A ­Scottish fashion police in 16th century Europe – who’d have thought?

LAST week I went to the local archives in Middelburg, just a few miles south of Veere. Below ground there are three air-locked levels where I was shown stacks of old documents, written in Dutch, Scots and sometimes even French, relating to the Scottish community in Veere.

The Scots language was commonly used here for all aspects of law, business, trade and governance. Records show that agreements between Scotland and the Netherlands required translation into at least “both languages Scottis and Dutch”. There is also evidence that Scots who established themselves here gradually found Dutch words, phrases and ­spellings appearing in their writing, ­suggesting a level of cultural exchange and ­integration. Many Scots married ­locally and even ­became Dutch citizens.

In fact, trade agreements between ­Scotland and Veere often went far ­beyond business, speaking of an “ancient ­friendship” shared between the Scots and the Dutch.

One letter, for example, had the Scots “Thanking thame maist hertfullie of their gude ancient lyfe and affection born at all tymes towardis us”. Expressions of ­genuine cross-cultural goodwill were a regular occurrence in correspondence from Veere. This is one of the earliest and most significant examples of ­Scotland forging friendly relations with any ­foreign culture.

In the local archives I was also shown fascinating old maps of the region, ­showing how Veere was once connected to the North Sea along an opening of the River Scheldt. On the opposite side of the water there is a place on the map called Schotsman – today it’s a holiday park, but it used to be a sandbank where a ship named the Scotsman was shipwrecked on its way either to or from Veere.

In next week’s third and final diary from Veere, I’ll be writing about the last years of the Scottish community, the impact of the Treaty of Union, and how a 20th-century revival of interest in the town’s Scottish connections led to a ­special visit by none other than Winnie Ewing, Madame Ecosse herself.