Scotland, the original home of the brave
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Known in the past for its hardy clansman who had many a battle with the English, that spirit remains here. Last minute flights are easy to book if you are visiting from outside the UK. The Scottish are very proud of their culture and heritage. There are a few quintessentially Scottish things to be enjoyed in this country, with its mountains, lochs and castles.
Haggis
Undoubtedly, Scotland’s most famous dish is Haggis, which probably gives it some kudos considering the English have Chicken Tikka Masala as theirs, which they didn’t even come up with themselves.
Haggis consists of the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep minced with onion, oats, suet, salt and pepper and traditionally boiled in the stomach of the sheep in question. As with sausages, which are traditionally made by placing sausagemeat in intestines, but often nowadays use synthetic casing, haggis is also more frequently made with a synthetic casing than with the stomach.
Haggis tastes similar to lasagne filling, as the oats give it a creamy texture. It is often served with ‘neeps’ and ‘tatties’ (turnips and potatoes) and gravy and will as they say ‘put hairs on your chest.’
Bagpipes
Not wanting to stereotype too much with this list, while the bagpipes are a national institution in Scotland (and to a lesser extent, Ireland), the more modern utilization of the instrument by bands that give traditional music a twist, is perhaps more interesting than the kilt-wearing bagpipes player you’d see at a military event or playing for tourists on the streets of London.
Bagpipes have been used in music by rock band AC/DC and metal band Korn, as well as being played by young people in modern bands.
Whisky
Whisky is distilled from fermented grain mash. It is an anglicised version of the Gaelic name, which literally translates as ‘water of life.’ The practice of distillation originated in what is now Iraq. It was first used to produce perfumes and was introduced to Europe by the Moors. In the Middle Ages it got to Scotland and Ireland. There are Scottish Whisky Regulations that require alcohol sold with Scotch on the label to have been distilled in Scotland and kept in oak casks for at least three years.
Kilts
The kilt is a knee-length piece of material, often made of wool and with a tartan pattern, worn by Scottish males in the 16th Century. Today, it’s often worn by Scots at weddings and funerals as well as other formal occasions. There are different patterns that in the last couple of hundred years have been associated with different clans and families, and recorded as such. The kilt is usually worn with a sporran, a decorated pouch that hangs at the front of the kilt. It is also usually worn with knee-high woollen socks. Traditionally, kilts were worn without underwear, as some sort of testament to manliness. The practice has been dismissed as unhygienic by some authorities and many men do wear underwear beneath their kilts.
John Hutchinson has enjoyed travelling since he was a young boy when his parents first took him to visit family overseas. Since leaving home, John has tracked down family all over the world and regularly jets off to faraway lands to see distant relatives.
