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Scotland's Culture, People, its Regions, Cities, Festivals, Feasts, Whisky
Learn about Scotland's Culture, People, its Regions, Cities,
Festivals, Feasts and more. Scotland is a country with a strong tradition and
unique culture. These traditions are displayed prominently in the dress, the
activities, and the games of the Scottish people. Here are our choices for:
Scotland Travel
Some
interesting Scottish traditions:August 1st: Lammas The
third of the Scottish 'Quarter Days', Lammas also marked the start of autumn
and the harvest season. Lammas, which probably began as a celebration of the
Celtic goddess, Lugh, was absorbed into the church calendar as Loaf Mass Day
(Lammas takes its name from the Old English hlaf meaning loaf and maesse
meaning feast.) The first cut of the harvest was made on Lammas Day and in some
areas, its first fruit - a loaf of bread - was given to the local cleric.
Lammas was an annual fair day in most parts of Scotland but by the end of the
20th century only the Lammas Fairs at St Andrews and Kirkcaldy remained. Second Friday in August: The Burryman This is a quite unique ceremony dating from around the 14th century that is still performed in South Queensferry. The Burryman, a native of the town, is wrapped from head to toe in flannel on which a thick matting of spikey burrs is stuck. He then processes slowly (for walking is difficult) and in silence for seven miles through the town. A number of theories exist about the origins of this strange custom. One has it that the Burryman is a scapegoat figure, carrying off the town's guilt and bad luck in his burrs. Another believes that the procession of the Burryman was meant to bring good luck to the town's herring fishermen, the numerous burrs representing fish caught in their nets.
August 15th: Marymas Marymas celebrated the feast of the Virgin and religious fairs were held in various towns across Scotland. Special bannocks were also baked on this day and eaten in honour of Mary. Nowadays, a few areas of the north of Scotland, such as Inverness and Caithness, still hold Marymas Fairs.
October 18th: Sour Cakes Day Held on the feast of St Luke, this celebration is linked to the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen. With great ceremony, a local woman was chosen to be Queen, the Bride of the Toaster who with the help of several handmaidens baked special cakes which were given away and eaten with sour cream. December 27th: The Mason's Walk December 27th is the feast of St. John the Evangelist and is celebrated in masonic circles across the world. Scottish freemason's have long held a particular affection for the apostle and in Melrose, there is a torchlight parade around the market square which eventually makes its way to the abbey for a commemorative service.
Scottish Malt Whisky Scots are known worldwide for their frugality and their whisky, a reputation curious for its extremes of parsimony and sensual extravagance. Scotch whisky has been called the "world’s leading drink," a claim no doubt made by a Scotsman. Broadly defined, Scotch whisky refers to whisky distilled and matured in Scotland. Of the multitude of Scotch whiskies available to the discerning connoisseur, single malt Scotch whisky is both the finest and the rarest.
Here are some: Highland Malt Whisky Ben Nevis Scotland’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, rises 4490 feet. It gives its name to a distillery in nearby Fort William. 10-year-old: a dark, warm, big, winter whisky; classic, heavily-sherried Dalmore Founded in 1839, this distillery resembles a country railway station. 12-year-old: complex and subtle with a pungent nose; hint of saffron cake and earth; oaky, but not unpleasantly so; barely sweet with a hint of pepper; just short of oily.
Dalwhinnie This is the highest distillery in Scotland at 1073 feet, located in a glen on one side of Monadhlaith Mountain. Dalwhinnie, which means "meeting place," is in a barren and isolated spot. Its water comes from the Allt an t’Sluic spring, which is bedded in granite. 15-year-old: pale golden colour; mellow, soft, with lasting flavours of heather; a smoky nose with a peaty taste; when diluted, lightly sweet with an appealing mustiness.
Glen Garioch This is a distillery noteworthy for having tried to operate a greenhouse in conjunction with the distillery, born out of the desire to utilise the heat produced in the distillation process. 12-year-old: extraordinary flavour; sharp edge, with hints of lovage and wood as well as limes in caramel; a distinctly honeyish aspect with a wonderfully long aftertaste.
Oban This is a distillery which, in its original form, appeared to be growing out of a cliff. 14-year-old: golden colour with a sweet nose; medium body; malty, slightly smoky palate with a spicy finish.
Speyside Malt Whisky Balvenie This distillery is located near Dufftown, which is surrounded by seven malt distilleries. Owned by the same company which owns Glenfiddich, it retains a number of traditions: it grows its own barley, has its own coopers to tend the barrels and its own coppersmiths to tend the stills. 15-year-old pale gold in colour with a dry, earthy nose of wood and heather and a suggestion of coconut; fruity sweetish with a dry, peppery finish.
Benriach Built in the 1890’s, this distillery was closed in 1900 but rebuilt in 1965. 10-year-old pale in colour with a rich, sweet vanilla nose; with a splash of water it loses its sharpness and sweetness and picks up the aroma of leather and malt; its taste is rich and aggressive, suggestive of liquorice or bitter chocolate; very dry aftertaste.
Cragganmore Founded in 1869, this distillery is named after the hill behind it, Craggan Mor Hill. This is a small distillery on the Ballindalloch Estate, founded in 1869, its location chosen for its plentiful supply of barley, peat, and water. 12-year-old gold in colour with a very complex nose; medium dry with smoke and sweetness; smooth body; a full, round taste with floral notes, spicy and slightly smoky; a long, clean finish.
Glenfiddich Glenfiddich is the biggest-selling single malt whisky in the world, maintaining a 30% world market share. The distillery uses coal-fired stills and ages most of its whisky in plain oak casks. An excellent beginner’s malt, its single malt carries no age statement, although it is thought to be bottled at a minimum of eight years of age. Pale, almost clear in colour; light, fruity note with some sweetness and peat; a light, fresh, and smooth body; dry to the palate with a hint of smoke, malt and perhaps fruit.
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