When you think about what's unique about Scotland, you think about colorful kilts and pipebags. Do you really know all the fun facts about this country in Northern Europe? Find out 5 things you didn't know about Scotland.
Speak English? No, Gaelic
In Scotland, which is a land very much tied to its traditions, people do not only speak English and during your tailormade tour you will notice it soon enough. The Scots often prefer to speak Gaelic and Scottish. Gaelic is spoken mainly in the Outer Hebrides islands and bears no resemblance to English since its origins should be traced back to the ancient Celtic people. In the Lowlands you will find instead inhabitants who speak Scottish, more like English, being a language of Germanic origins.
Scotland in a dish: haggis
The most typical and representative Scottish dish is the haggis, a dish cooked with heart, liver and lungs of a sheep. Tradition has it that it must be boiled in the animal's stomach. Other popular dishes include black pudding, roasted in the pan, a sort of sausage with oatmeal, suet, onion, sheep or pork's blood. It is usually served at breakfast accompanied by fried eggs and grilled tomatoes.
Also common are the Scotch pies, mini pies stuffed with ground beef and covered in toasted bread. The dough is prepared with lard. While on holiday in Scotland you can also taste arbroath smokies, made of fish similar to the cod which is roasted in the oven with butter.
Unicorn and other weird animals
The animal symbol of Scotland is the unicorn, an animal that does not exist. In Scotland wildlife is in any case extremely rare and unique: its protected areas host species that are not found anywhere else in the world. We are talking about the Rhum mouse, the Soay wild sheep, birds of St. Kilda and red deer. In the Highlands there is also the homonymous cow, characterized by giant horns. Scotland is famous also for the monster of Loch Ness, which has fueled many legends.
Edinburgh, the city on seven hills
Edinburgh, like Rome, is spread over seven hills (Scotland is a land of many hills). It is 70 km from Glasgow, the economic capital, with respect to which has fewer inhabitants. On the hill of Castle Rock in Edinburgh is the famous Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh also has the distinction of being the city with the largest number of historic buildings in the world, besides being the richest city in Britain after London. It is divided into the Old Town and New Town, both protected by UNESCO.
From kilt to whisky: popular myths debunked
Scotland is commonly associated with the image of the kilt, the typical tartan skirt worn by members of different clans. The kilt is not, however, a Scottish invention, but rather an Irish one. Even whiskey, another symbol of Scotland, was invented elsewhere, namely in China. The bagpipe is instead from Central Asia. Less well known is that important Scottish inventions are the television (in 1925), penicillin (in 1928), the asphalt (in 1820), car rims (in 1887) and firemen: in fact, the first fire fighters started their activity in Edinburgh. Ending with the curiosities, many Scottish surnames begin with prefix "Mac", "son of" in Gaelic, dating back to the clan tradition to indicate the family membership.
