Scotland

Fun facts from Scotland

General/Random

• Scotland is only country where Coca-Cola Pepsi is not the #1 softdrink. Irn-bru, an orange fizzy drink, is the #1 drink.
• At certain times of the year sheep outnumber Scots 4:1
• CHECK THIS Legally scotland was not allowed to export haggis to America
• A group of highland cattle (hairy coo) is called a fold
• Over 2000 castles
• Bagpipes may actually have originated in Africa and the national instrument of Scotland is actually the harp
• Scotlands National Animal is the Unicorn because the Unicorn is supposedly the only animal that can defeat a Lion (Englands National Animal)
• They have haggis flavored chips
• Movies in UK come out a month later than in US
• CHECK THIS Currently Scottish gov has power to tax but not power to enforce tax
• If a police officer messes up he has to bring cake into the station as an apology. 
• In Europe you always get a 2 year warrenty on everything you buy
• CHECK THIS The longest day trip in Europe is the day trip from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye and back
• Stoplights stop in both directions at the same time
• Every single school (before university) has a uniform 
• Their hole punched paper only has 2 holes instead of 3 like in America

Historical

• CHECK THIS Gaelic was banned after the battle of Colloden and technically is still banned today 
• Mary Queen of Scots would not have spoken with a Scottish accent but with a French accent
• MacDonalds vs Campbell’s
  • Macdonalds and Campbell’s still hate each other because Campbell’s stayed with MacDonalds for a fortnight before massacring then under government orders
  • Glen coe is clan lands of macdonalds
  • The largest island in the loch next to modern day village of Glen coe is where many of the macdonalds who were massacred were buried. From then on every Macdonald chief was buried there, and macdonalds from all over meet in glen coe on the 13th of February to commemorate the massacre

Scottish Gaelic

• First off, let’s get something straight
  • Scotland – Gaelic (pronounced gal-ick)
  • Ireland – Gaelic (pronounced gale-ick)
• Glen = Valley
• Ben = Mountain 
• Monroe = Between a hill and mountain
• Loch = Lake
• Lin = Pool of Water
  • Thus: Dublin = The Black Pool
• Coe = Weeping
  • Glen Coe = The glen of weeping
• Inver = Mouth of
  • Thus: Inverness = Mouth of the River Ness
• Aber = also means mouth of
  • Aberdeen = the Mouth of Don
• Hamish = James

Geography 

• Falkirk
  • Where William Wallace fought his last big battle. Also where a large Jacobite rebellion battle was fought
• Kelpies (sculpture)
  • Represent klaisdale working horses-largest equestrian sculpture anywhere
• Bannockburn:
  • English king Edward the second met by Robert the Bruce. 
  • Edward had nearly 20,000 (20 diff nationalities) and Robert only 5,000. 
  • Robert was victorious however. He had “superior Scottish intelligence”, prepared the battleground, had prepared for the battle for years, drove the English back to the river forth. 
  • Robert the Bruce’s victory ended 18 years of fighting over Scottish totality. This obtained Scottish independence until the recent signing of ____________. 
  • Robert had been excommunicated by the pope until 1 year before he died when he was finally recognized as king
• William Wallace monument (seen to left of Stirling Castle in photos)
  • Was built to commemorate Williams one victory at Stirling bridge
• The top of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, is so often covered by clouds that it is said you can supposedly only see it 35 days out of the year
• There is actually only one “lake” in Scotland. The rest are lochs.
  • Lake Mantith. Mantith was someone who betrayed William Wallace, so rumor has it that they call it lake as a reminder of his betrayal (but most likely just a mapmaker’s error)
• The Trussochs are the “Mini highlands”.
  • Trussochs is a Galic word for “the place of the bristles”, it is the clan land of the McGreggors. 
  • McGreggors used to be thrives and bandits, the ‘children of the mist’ because they would come out of the mist, attack, then retreat back to the fog. 
  • The most famous was Rob Roy who was later romanticized to be almost like a Robin Hood. Supposedly Rob Roy was a very tiny man with very long arms that “went past his knees”
• 73% of Scotland is forest

Movie/TV/Filming Fun Facts

• Braveheart
  • Most of film Braveheart was filmed in Ireland but the end was filmed in Glen Nevis 
  • William Wallace was actually born in the lowlands and some would not have worn a kilt (known as a feileadh mòr back in the day) was only worn by highlanders
  • Wallace also was not poor
  • Also back in the day a kilt/filaborn was the sign of being poor
  • In real life longshanks died after William Wallace
  • The princess who William Wallace was portrayed having an affair with would actually have been 7 years old when William died 
• Monty Python
  • The castle used in Monty python and the holy grail, outlander, Robin Hood. Monty python fans gather every year st castle to mark the movies release date and coconuts are provided
  • Bridge of death filmed at Monty python filmed in Glen Coe
• The filmed the ending of the film Skyfall in Glen Nevis 
• Hagrids hut built and filmed in glen Coe
• Eileen Donan castle is the most filmed castle in all of Scotland
• Harry Styles Music Video is filmed at The Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye
• Kanye West filmed music video at Skye and the local Skye paper just said “American man visits Skye…” lol

Kilts

• Back in the day only worn by highlanders
• Kilt was known as a filaborn back the day
• Kilt seen today is a modern day design by an Englishman in the 1820’s
• A filaborn was the sign of poor ness
• A modern day kilt is handmade for you and a good heavy one will cost you over £800
• The pouch in front is a sporran

Fun Scottish Phrases/Words: 

Scottish = American 

Words

Phrases

• “Your mum’s hanging out the window” = Your mom’s crazy
• “(S)he duked me” = (S)he cut me in line
• “In Scotland you get all 4 seasons in one hour, and it’s different for every glen” 
• “There’s no such thing as the bad weather, just the wrong clothes”