Views of Scotland

A few weeks ago, David Farrer published some pictures of Adam Smith's grave. Today, I went on a pilgrimage to the other end of Adam Smith's life:

In a deft touch of irony, the hometown of the founding father of economics graces us with this monument to the lump of labour fallacy:

Kirkcaldy also has a theatre named after Adam Smith:

The Adam Smith Theatre (originally the Adam Smith Halls) was opened by Andrew Carnegie, the American steel magnate, robber baron and thoroughly splendid chap. He was born in Dunfermline, only a few miles up the road from Kirkcaldy. Unlike Adam Smith's home, Carnegie's home is still standing:

Among other buildings named after Andrew Carnegie, Dunfermline boasts its own Carnegie Hall. I bet you thought New York had the only one. (How do I get there?, I hear you ask. Practice, practice, practice.)

Adam Smith was Chair of Logic and later Moral Philosophy at Glasgow Univeristy. Here is a picture of Glasgow University in the midst of Kelvingrove Park. The university moved to this campus in the mid-nineteenth century, long after Adam Smith's day.

In my opinion, this is the most beautiful view in the world (six thousand milliHelens, at least). It's just as beautiful in the winter, when the trees are bare and covered in snow.

Also from Glasgow, we have a statue of Robert Peel, the man who put Adam Smith's ideas into practice:

and Donald Dewar, the man who gave us our present day Parcel of Rogues:

The high esteem in which Scotland's first ever First Rogue was held by his constituents is revealed by a close up:

Here's a little opinion poll: Who was the greatest man of the four fellows mentioned above? (I would vote for Andrew Carnegie, but I think I should disqualify my vote, lest I be accused of corruption: he payed for my PhD.)