Early 19th century urban legends and supernatural stories from Britain
Alright, I’m gonna be honest here: I’m a sucker for supernatural stories. Even more so, if these stories are creepy and scary and bone-chilling an ...
We do love Scotland, my bonnie, don’t we?
That’s why I have a very special article today, just for you! Ten interesting facts I bet you didn’t know about Scotland!
Sit comfortably, make yourself a nice, hot beverage and let’s start exploring one of our favorite countries in the whole world.
Skara Brae. Image source: Wikipedia
A terrible storm during the winter of 1850, revealed a Neolithic village full of stone buildings, in Orkney of Scotland. The local laird organized an excavation on that location.
Eighteen years later, four stone house remains were discovered. And the excavation stopped…until 1925 when another huge storm started. It destroyed some of the previous remains, so people decided to construct a sea wall in order to protect that place. During the construction, even more ancient buried buildings were found. Skara Brae is a Scottish Pompeii! After this revelation, an entire medieval city was discovered there, and of course preserved.
What are you waiting for? Let’s go visit it!
Knap of Howar, Oldest Preserved Stone House. Image source: Wikipedia
The famous Knap of Howar is Scotland’s medieval juel. Like Skara Brae, the house is in Orkney as well. It is very impressive to discover that the doorways of this house were very low and were always facing the sea. I assume that this wasn’t a coincidence.
There were no windows, but this amazing stone house had a secret passage that led to another house, room or workshop. Evidence shows that the inhabitants of that house lit fires, had cattle and used to go fishing, too.
A very traditional dish of Scotland is Haggis.
I will be honest, lassie. I did indeed taste it once. But I can’t say I liked it much…or at all, for that matter. Let’s see what it is made of!
This dish includes the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep. And we aren’t done yet. All these are boiled inside the animal’s stomach. No comments, dearie. I just can’t. Terrible, ain’t it?
A traditional Scottish breakfast includes black pudding, Lorne sausage, baked beans, tattie scones, poached egg, toast and English tea or coffee.
That will do! 😉 Feeling hungry yet?
It is really worth mentioning here that this breakfast of champions is also a great hangover treatment! Which brings me to my next fact…
Scotch, the traditional drink of Scotland. Image source: pixabay
In Germany there is beer, in Prague absinthe…well, in Scotland there is the real old-style whiskey! We’re talking about the world’s finest whiskey, the famous scotch.
Did you know? In Gaelic brogue whiskey means the water of life.
Who needs a drink? 😉
Sample of penicillin mould present by Alexander Fleming to Douglas Macleod, 1935. Image Source: Wikipedia
The credits of the penicillin discovery go to…Sir Alexander Fleming. Born in Scotland, the man created a powerful, drastic antibiotic that saved millions of lives. In 1945, Alexander Fleming earned the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Castle Eilean Donan. Image Source: Pixabay
Considering Scotland’s size, there is about one castle per 100 square miles. Like a beautiful, gothic fairy tale , right?
Why so many castles, you may ask? Thanks to the old clans. Clans started to exist from the moment Scotland’s remarkable civilization was born. The clans were an ancient institution in Scotland’s history. Scotland’s entire system was based on the clan institutions.
And speaking of clans…
A Scotsman wearing a kilt, Image Source: Pixabay
Such a small detail but of so much importance. Small details are the ones that make the difference, right?
“Non Omnis Moriar” (Not All of Me Will Die), Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh. Image Source: Wikipedia
I won’t mention the magnificent tales, legends and creatures of Scotland such as Nessie, fairies, selkies and more…it will take me an eternity if I start writing about them! Today I will focus on ghosts.
Edinburgh is the city of ghosts and the number #1 haunted destination in Europe. It is probably every ghost hunter’s favorite place. It is worth mentioning that there is an entire tourism schedule based on that.
Greyfriars Kirkyard is located at the Old Town of Edinburgh and Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century. I won’t say anything else about that, I will let the photographs talk instead.
The Pitcairne vault within the Covenanter’s Prison, Greyfriars Kirkyard. Image Source: Wikipedia
My Goodbyes For Now
That’s it for now, my bonnie! I hope you enjoyed today’s article. Scotland has always been in my heart since I was a kid. I will never stop loving it and hopefully I will never stop writing about it.
I would love to hear your thoughts once again!
You can leave your comment right below, or email me.
Until next time, farewell, my dearie.
Written by Lydia Kendall
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