BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland

Subject: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 07:08 PM

Pretty funny.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 09:09 PM

Thank you, Michael. We are planning a third trip to Scotland this year. (Last time was 1994.) Scotland seemed like a rather formal country. Thanks for the heads-up on how things have changed.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 10:19 PM

The guy with his pants down seated on the chimney pot explains the odd smell of the central heating we encountered in a guest house in Edinburgh. Or perhaps it was the coal fires ...

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 12:09 AM

Scotland is really the nicest part of England.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 02:54 AM

I suppose if they get a yes vote, I'll miss paying for their welfare bills.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: gnu
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 05:59 AM

26. John MacKenzie.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 06:04 AM

27. ?   :0)

Don't worry Ian, we'll give you your nuclear weapons back!

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 06:06 AM

Me and Judi went to Scotland in 2009. Drove all the way to Skye and back. I wouldn't say it rained a lot, but by the time we got home the car needed a new set of wiper blades. Apparently the scenery is spectacular.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 06:24 AM

Hmmm it may be a bit misty, but you don't need a diving suit tae get in yer back door.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: gnu
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 08:46 AM

Hehehehee!

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 10:11 AM

whyte and mackay, glenlivet, grants, bells, talisker, jura,....

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 10:23 AM

Al, you forgot Irn Bru.

Also, the bar in The Edinburgh Thistle Hotel serves a cracking alcoholic dandelion and burdock. Good job because if you want decent beer, you have to go up millions of steps to get to The Malt Shovel.

Up there for a Royal College dinner later next month. I might add a few bits to the list on reflection. Deep fried curly wurly. ( battered) is a good contender. Far better than the Mars bar cited in the link.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 10:30 AM

Curly-wurly. Is that anything like ruta-baga?

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Lighter
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 10:39 AM

This guy:

http://www.duffus.com/vid3geo.htm

(Blickifier seems to be indisposed.)

BTW, I made psychic contact with the Loch Ness Monster from the windy battlements of Urquhart Castle. And it's true: the bigger they are, the nicer they are.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: maeve
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 10:50 AM

leeneia-
http://www.oldtimecandy.com/curly-wurly.htm

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 11:33 AM

The Marathon Bar was not what became the Curly-Wurly here in the UK. The Marathon Bar was what is now known as the Snickers bar.

Two nations divided by a common confection..........   :-)

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 12:17 PM

sigh...Irn Bru...how I used to love that stuff when I lived Up There. And McEwans Heavy... and those delicious, greasy mutton pies with three holes in the top oozing fat... and white pudding suppers... and sweet stout...and hearing, "Hello hen!" and, "Dinnae knock yer pan in!" and Glasgow drunks LITERALLY lying in the gutter... and the Highland Man's Umbrella... and witnessing a Glasgow Kiss... and seeing buses go by with strange destinations on the front, such as Drumclog and Anniesland, and the teeny weeny little Underground trains made of wood... and Wee Windaes and the Covenanters' Tavern... Edinburgh and Glasgow each had their own distinctive character, both heavenly. Oh dear, I feel quite weepy.
PS Laughed like a drain at the 25 photos... tee hee!

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 12:20 PM

Oh and I forgot middens, full of rubbish, rats and a resident tramp.
And 'goings-on' in the tenement closes.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 12:27 PM

So sad to see they no longer make curly wurlys. The trick was to not let them get too cold or the chocolate went brittle and fell off.

My deep fried one was in Leith circa 1979.   Last year in Leith I spent about as much on a meal as I used to spend on a car. (Tom Kitchin's restaurant.). Times change .

So has Leith.....

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 01:19 PM

Well I was going to say, "men without pants" but after the chimney pot and wedding gown reasons, I'm having a rethink.

We also will be in Scotland this summer. Another wonderful week in Minch View cottage which is located between Gairlock and Melvaig. Can't wait. I love Scotland and haven't been in several years.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: John J
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 03:42 PM

Well it's not for all the damned windfarms that are blighting the once-wonderully wild places. The Monadhliaths are about to be completely raped.


Have a read of this.


JJ

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 05:59 PM

They still make Curly wurleys. You can get them in the "Home Bargains" shop. (Also in England)

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 11:02 PM

'
They still make Curly wurleys'

yes it was a sad day when all this Brazilian and Californian nonsense started....

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 03:18 AM

They all taste the same once you get the wrapper off though Al.

They still make them! Next stop the shop! Time to cohort with the proletariat methinks.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 05:37 AM

Scottish tablet - rather like coconut ice, but without the coconut.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 05:57 AM

He's greeting! (ie He's crying!)
Sweets called 'sweeties', even by grown men.
Children munching on a 'piece' (ie a slice of bread, and jam if lucky)
A hundred different types of scones in bakers' shops, including potato scones. But fruit/vegetable shops as rare as hens' teeth.
Posh Morningside ladies having afternoon tea in Daly's. Their accent has to be heard to be believed. (Rather like Miss Jean Brodie, "Ai em in mai praim!")
Hearing Gallic spoken by cheuchters (people from the Highlands and Islands) interspersed with modern words in English, as there's no Gallic equivalent. And the Gallic psalms sung in a wailing type of plainsong led by a precentor. Spine-chilling.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 06:36 AM

Rite Liz, lee the psalms oot eh it....therr a wan of.

Hauntingly beautiful,as near tae real traditional music as yer gaunae get.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 08:43 AM

I agree, akenaton. I used to listen to the Gallic service on the radio every Sunday when I lived up there. It brought tears to my eyes, it was so beautiful. I've found one or two examples on Youtube. I only regret I never actually attended a Gallic service. Maybe one day...

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 10:54 AM

Eliza, don't you mean Gaelic (albeit pronounced "Gallic").
'Gallic' is a reference to the people and customs of France, surely?

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 11:37 AM

I know, Backwoodsman, you're quite right, but I always (wrongly) spell it that way as I can hear the word in my head as spoken by the cheuchters I knew in Glasgow. I hate to hear folk pronounce it 'gaylick'!

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 11:43 AM

> I hate to hear folk pronounce it 'gaylick'!

Because...?

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 11:50 AM

It confuses it with Gaelic as (once) spoken in Ireland. They have the same roots but together with Welsh, have diverged quite a bit over the centuries (so I understand)

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Stu
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 11:56 AM

I bought some curried Haggis in a tin from a shop on Princess Street that was brilliant and worth the endless barracking we got from the shopkeeper, who seemed to genuinely hate the English and made it plain (if he was joking, the joke wore pretty thin after 5 mins constant verbal assault).

Also:

Brew Dog Pubs

The National Museum (superb, great dinosaurs and two F1 cars and the Lewis chessmen too)

The best Weatherspoons ever (a huge ex-bank)

Haggis at a pub on Rose Street

The nooks and crannies of the city

Ace pubs

The festival (we were there for the last day)

Brilliant bookshops

Superb views

Listening to an organist practicing fugues when we we're in the cathedral

I could go on (and that's just Edinburgh . . . don't get me started on Inverness, Orkney, the Great Glen, the other glens, Oban etc etc)

Love the place.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 12:10 PM

and its "teuchters" if you want to be really insulting

A hang over from the lowland/highland feud, the Gaels have even more contempt for Lowland Scots, than they have for the English.

With very good historical reasons.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 12:23 PM

When I was a boy the Gaelic culture was still active in South Argyll, I remember a few native Gaelic speaking families.
It was distinctly different from Lowland Scots or English in almost every aspect, I always thought the Clan System had more in common with The tribal systems of the American "Indians"

Capitalism killed it, like it does everything else of real value.
Gaelic speech has now retreated to the Outer Isles and the "culture" has gone, probably for ever.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 01:01 PM

On the way up to Skye, we had a great night in the Clachaig in Glencoe. Judi was sat opposite a window and she looked at me and said, "don't look now but there a bare-chested guy with chains in his nose coming in". Sure enough, a party of young men came in looking like real trouble. Ripped clothing, chains, tattoos, you name it. A bit later I went out for a smoke and guess who was out there? Yep, Mr. Chain Face. Turns out they were a bunch of doctors from Edinburgh on a weekend stag do. Had a bit of a laugh about their get up and we went back inside arm in arm.

The look on Judi's face was priceless...

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,John Mackenzie
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 01:14 PM

Thanks g.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 10:17 AM

You know here in these modern times I don't really recognise this Lowland versus Highland thing. To me it is much more of a seperation between urban and rural or even the industrial Central Belt and the others. I just think rural Scots in the Borders and for instance the Highlands or the north-east would find much common ground. More so than they may do with Glaswegians or folks from Edinburgh. Just my opinion. Likewise I know that originally the word 'teuchter' was aimed at Highlanders but nowadays it is often used simply to describe someone from the rural areas. I've been called them all by city folk. Teuchter, sheep shagger etc etc. We have similar terms for city folk especially Glaswegians. Gutter-snipes, keelies etc etc. England no doubt has a similar urban v rural thing.

I've certainly never had the piss taking in the Highlands when I open my mouth and speak that I have at times experienced in Glasgow or Edinburgh. Though admitteldy it is mostly reasonably good natured banter.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 11:03 AM

It's Princes Street, not Princess Street, BTW.
Apologies for the pedantry. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 11:38 AM

I know what you mean Allan and the feud has almost disappeared, but only because the culture of the Gael is in terminal decline.
I remember the old Gaelic culture in Argyll, or what was left of it, there was a nobility of spirit and pride in their heritage about even the poorest of these people that was never in the city dwellers or Lowland Scots

These words always summed it up for me.


High & Low by James H. Cousins


"He stumbled home from Clifden fair
With drunken song, and cheeks aglow.
Yet there was "something" in his air
That spoke of "kingship" long ago.
I sighed — and inly cried
With grief that one so high should fall so low.

He snatched a flower and sniffed its scent,
And waved it t'ward the sunset sky.
Some old sweet rapture through him went
And kindled in his bloodshot eye.
I turned — and inly burned
With joy that one so low should rise so high."

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 11:51 AM

I do hope no-one feels insulted by my use of the word teuchter (thank you for the spelling, akenaton!) I had two wonderful 'teuchter' friends in Glasgow, both from Skye, who spoke Gaelic (thank you for the spelling, Backwoodsman!) called Robina and Janet. It was they who actually taught me the word. Robina lived in my 'digs' and used to have a whole sheep carcass or a goose brought down from Skye by her crofter fiance, crammed into our oven and pressure-cooker (not the fiance, the sheep). Nearly everyone seemed to be called McInnes. Janet was a dear colleague at the school where I taught. Another friend, also Janet, was from Lewis. Her Gaelic had a slightly different accent. Robina held caelidhs in her room above mine. The guests would pass the whisky bottle round and sing about ninety verses of a song thumping the floor with their feet. My ceiling lamp used to swing in time to the music.
Oh, haggis! I absolutely adore haggis!
And the Lone Piper at the Edinburgh Tattoo. I used to literally sob loudly into my thick scarf.
My sis still lives near Perth, and my niece in Edinburgh. Must get the plane from Norwich up there this summer. (only 1hr 30 mins!)

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 11:58 AM

By the way, I feel another spelling lesson is about to arrive. I don't think I've got 'caelidh' quite right. Is it 'ceilidh'? Oh dear, don't grow old, your brain turns to mush!

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Stu
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 12:02 PM

My mistake, apologies.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 12:06 PM

Lewis accent is wonderful, but more interesting is the Old Gaelic phraseology, which carried through to English speech, an example being the "weather", which CONTAINED the different elements.

The old ones would say "aye, therrs a cauld wind in it", or "therrs rain in it for the morn"
Lots of lovely playful irony in Gaelic/ English humour. Teasing and witty, wish the old ones could return!

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Ed T
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 12:08 PM

Thanks Scotland, for sending some of you best abroad to North America, especiallynton New Scotland - AKA Nova Scotia, Canada.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Ed T
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 12:13 PM

Cape Breton, N.S. - Nova Scotia is one of the few places worldwide where you still may hear the ancient Gaelic language. Late in the 19th century 100,000 residents of Cape Breton spoke Gaelic, today fewer than 1,000 speak it in the province, but there is renewed interest - you'll see it on signs, and it's even taught in highschool in Mabou. The Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St Ann's is devoted to preserving the language. The college began in a log cabin in 1939 and hosts more than a 1000 students each summer from around the world, who study the language, piping, fiddling, singing, dance, etc. Its Scottish Clans & Settlers museum is open to visitors. An annual Gaelic festival is held every August at Cape Breton's Christmas Island. At Antigonish, a gateway to Cape Breton, is Saint Francis Xavier University, the first university in North America to offer Scottish Gaelic studies. You can learn more about Scottish traditions at the annual mid-July Highand Games (celebrated since 1861). Photo by Lucy Izon

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Ed T
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 12:15 PM

Sorry, last post was a cut and past from a website. No photonwas included, as was indicated.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 12:26 PM

We had a Coffee, Bread and Cheese Folk Evening every Saturday in Edinburgh in my student days (talk about living dangerously) I was only seventeen and green as grass. Those Scottish songs used to fill my heart, they really did. 'Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?' and I was sobbing into my Uni scarf yet again. It was soaking after 'Shoals Of Herrin'. I must have spent every Sat night crying my heart out.

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: akenaton
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 01:00 PM

Yes Eliza, I shared your feelings back in the early sixties.
Chorus singing was very popular and provoked deep emotions.

Regarding the language Ed, even here in Scotland, attempts to resurrect the "language" are bound to fail as the society and culture which supported it have vanished. The language was of the people, and the people are now only caricatures of the ancient race.

Perhaps with Independence, we can regain some national pride, but "ah hae mah doots"

Subject: RE: BS: 25 Reasons to love Scotland
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 02:21 PM

The American South has no "national independence" but plenty of "national" pride.

Some might say too much.