Right: After Nicolas Hilliard (possibly a 17th century copy) National Portrait Gallery, London

Mary Stuart, daughter of James V, King of Scotland, became Queen of Scotland at a mere six days old when her father died of grief and defeat at the hands of the English. Her reign mirrored her country's fate, filled with treachery and betrayal. After 19 years of imprisonment in England, her life ended at the order of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. One of the bright spots in Mary's long captivity was the loyalty of her faithful servants and her beloved lap dogs. Mary had always adored small dogs, as well as great hunting hounds. Once imprisoned, since she was no longer allowed the freedom to hunt and enjoy her "hounds of the chase," she kept lap dogs as companions.

The most famous of Mary's dogs was the Skye Terrier named Geddon. This loyal companion accompanied his mistress to the block on the day of her execution. It was a grizzly, difficult beheading which took three strokes of the ax to severe her head. To the horror of the onlookers, her headless body then began to move. It was Geddon, trapped where he had been hiding beneath her voluminous skirts. Clearly distraught, he sniffed about, whining and nudging her body to no avail other than soiling himself with her blood. He was taken by the servants and washed, but mourning his mistress, he would not eat. The death scene echoed the words of John Knox, Mary's staunchest adversary, who had once prophesied, "Dogs will lick her blood."

A drawing of Mary's execution by a Dutch artist Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Many fanciers consider the Scottish Terrier the original Highland Terrier. References to Scotties can be found as far back as the middle 1500s. Some references used the designation Skye Terrier, such as Geddon was named, but these dogs were more closely related to Scotties. Until the 1800s, there was no definitive clarification of breeds. The dog that Mary had most likely looked Scottish, with the signature short, wiry coat and muscular build. However, her dog would have had floppy ears rather than the perked ears favored today.

This early forerunner of the Scottie was bred to keep the predator population in check. Although the Scottish Terrier is only about ten inches tall and weighs 18 to 21 pounds, these tough little dogs are able hunters and killers. They protected farms and kept livestock safe from badgers, fox, wildcats, otters, weasels and rats. Scotties were particularly well adapted for this work. Their acute sense of smell allowed them to find the animals' underground burrows, and their short legs and muscular chests had the strength necessary to dig the prey out.

The Skye Terrier, as it is known today, developed on the Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland. The double coat was particularly useful to protect them from the constant damp weather. This breed has hair that falls over its eyes and parts from head to tail, falling straight and long to the sides. It is similar in size and weight to the Scottish Terrier.
	Above: Skye Terrier, Roseron's Eearthsong O'Benway, owned by Philip Benway Left: Scottish Terrier, Hawkhaven Beau Mathew, owned by Joane E. Cote.

The breed standard today for the Scottish Terrier calls for a long head, small, dark eyes, small erect ears, a thick muscular neck, a broad deep chest, short legs and a medium-length tail. It has a dense undercoat and a hard, wiry outer coat that is black, iron-gray, wheaten, or sandy.  

Terriers are excellent pets that bond closely with their owners. While they can work very effectively with older children who have been taught to respect the dogs, they will bite if pushed too hard, so they are not recommended for families with small children. Since both Skye Terriers and Scottish Terriers were bred to work independently, they are not the easiest breeds to train. They are very active dogs that should be walked daily, and are happiest when they have regular access to a place to run.

About Author
Dianne Staley is a freelance writer living in Tucson, Arizona. She has published numerous articles, short stories, and children's stories. Dianne is currently writing a young adult fantasy. Her passion is teaching children to write. You can e-mail her at dstaley29@aol.com