Visiting Scotland
Learning more about my Scottish heritage has always been on
my bucket list, so as an early Mother’s Day treat, Bruce took me to Scotland, and bought me a bottle of Campbell’s Wine.
..Scotland County, N.C., that is.
It is fairly well established by that there were
Highlanders living in the center of the coastal plain of North Carolina as
early as 1729, when North Carolina became a royal colony. However, much of the
Scot settlement came in the next quarter century. It was during this period
that many Scots pushed up the Cape Fear River into the area surrounding their
Cross Creek settlement, later Campbellton (now Fayetteville), and
consequently, into the area that is now Scotland County. Through the ensuing
years, their Scottish descendants have continued to inhabit and develop the
county. For Example:
Cypress Bend
Vineyards
which was our first stop in Scotland County
The land which Cypress Bend Vineyards calls home, is
steeped in rich history, passed down through the generations since 1807. The
beautiful farm land, known as “Riverton,” was discovered by a Scottish couple,
Reverend Daniel White and his wife Catherine Campbell White.
The Whites raised
five children in Riverton, and to this day their descendants, (including the current Smith Family), continue to enjoy
the farm and its native surroundings.
Running along the farm, you will find the Lumber River,
trimming the borders with cypress trees and sweet aromas. The Lumber River
helps nurture the land, making it the perfect grape growing soil.
Cypress Bend Vineyards
In 2002, Dan Smith, a fourth generation descendant of
Daniel and Catherine, along with his wife Tina, returned to the ancestral farm
and began planting Native American varietals known as Muscadine (also known as
Scuppernong).
Since its official opening in 2005, the Cypress Bend Winery has
won 111 awards in competitons for Southern Wines, including: 9 Double Gold, 22
Gold, 44 Silver, 36 Bronze, as well as Best in Class ,Best Native American Red , and MUSCADINE CUP , BEST MUSCADINE awards.
Campbell Red Muscadine
The vineyard’s most
popular red Muscadine wine “Campbell” has
garnered 13 awards since it was introduced including the prestigious MUSCADINE
CUP – “BEST MUSCADINE
After a wine tasting, and purchasing of a few of our favorite vintages
(including Campbell’s), Bruce and I headed off to find a place to picnic near
the Lumber River.
Black water of Lumber River
The Lumber River (which meanders along the
border between Scotland, Hoke, Robeson and Columbus counties before heading
further south for its rendezvous with the little Pee Dee in South Carolina), was
so named for its 19th century use as a means of transportation for timber
harvesting in the watershed. Poet John Charles McNeill argued persuasively that
the name actually came from a Lumbee word meaning “black water.”
Originally called Drowning Creek by the early
settlers, the river now boasts 81 miles under protection as a black water National
Wild and Scenic River. This is especially true of the Scotland County section,
which remains undeveloped for virtually its entire length.
This section of the
Lumber River Canoe Trail is narrow and somewhat swifter than lower sections.
Canoeists and kayakers should check river levels and be wary of fallen trees
and sandbars.
Because of its Wild River protection status,
road access to the Lumber River’s banks is limited. Our best bet for having a
picnic near the river was at the Chalk Banks Access in the Lumber River State Park
section of river. In addition to clean public facilities, this recreation area is ideal
for picnicking and for scenic river from well maintained hiking trails.
So overall it was a great beginning to exploring this very interesting area of the South.
