Scotland The Brave!

Scotland is a wonderful country that along with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland make part of the United Kingdom. Scottish history is rich with a combination of ancient Celtic background and modern involvement in more recent world affairs. Scottish people are very proud to say that they are not English, with their own bank and accent, these people are obviously very different from their neighbors. So why go to Scotland instead of any other of the million places on Earth? Simple. Scotland is one of the best countries in the world, and home to some of the best people and legends.

If you still haven't been to the UK yet, you should obviously go to England, but missing out on the other half of the island, is like missing out on an amazing experience. Some of the things that I really loved about Scotland were the food, the music, the clans, and the 1000year-old castles. Crossing the border into Scotland means a completely different yet similar (in some ways) menu to that of England. To begin, the breakfasts are delicious and very nutritive, its almost as if you could go an entire day without anything else. The warm porridge with honey, the Haggis and Black Pudding, the eggs, the bacon, the beans, the milk, the mushrooms, and so much more are just a small list of what you can find on a menu for breakfast. Just so you know, porridge is warm oatmeal and the haggis and the black pudding are like these big sausages served in slices.

After having the exquisite meal, we would drive to the next town stopping to listen to the bagpipe player in the middle of the road play Amazing Grace or Scotland the Brave. Listening to this music live in one the world's most beautiful mountainous scenery is just an invigorating feeling that makes your day. Continuing with our trip, we again stopped at Sterling Castle. This fortress was built centuries ago, and although the ruins are that is left standing today, it does feel like time-traveling into this ancient medieval times. Another great place to have a similar experience is at Hadrian's wall. This wall built by Hadrian to protect the Roman Empire from being attacked by the Scots, is just another example of the Scottish might.

Scottish people are very keen on their family lineage. Here's an interesting fact: every family or clan has their own pattern that they weave into their clothes. This tradition has been lost due to obvious globalization reasons or what ever you want to call it, but what makes this so amazing is that people today still know what their pattern is like and men wear their kilts proudly.

If you're wondering how to plan your visit to Scotland, I suggest the following. Get a plane ticket to the closest city in Scotland (or northern England, like Newcastle) to you, rent a car, and go on a roadtrip. Having a car allows you to go to small towns and visit all the small castles along the Scottish lochs. You should also consider staying some time at a local B&B (Bed&Breakfast) where the owner of the house will greet you with warmth and be happy to help you get serve you breakfast.

The list of big cities is actually a bit short and consists of Edinburgh and Glasgow. These two have gray skies most of the time, but they do have beautiful buildings and talented street performers ranging from your average musician, to witty comedians and even magicians. The museums in both these cities are amazing, they reflect the history, the heroes, the accomplishments, the art and the people. If you want to have a look at what Scotland is really like, go to the Edinburgh Castle. This old building has served several purposes throughout its history. Today, it is home to the Honours of Scotland (the Crown Jewels) and a great display of artifacts that come from different places in the history of Scotland. The Edinburgh Castle is also host to the annual Royal Military Tattoo were participants coming the Commonwealth nations perform their traditional music live. This show ends with fireworks and the final bagpipe concert.

As mentioned before, the amount of local legends and myths in Scottish towns is infinite. There's one in particular that stands out. The story of the Loch Ness Monster. Nessie is said to be a giant animal that lives in this huge lake and makes appearances sporadically. Some say it is a giant dinosaur while others say it actually has more of dragon-like appearance. Whatever Nessie is like, it has a huge influence on the people and it even has several visitor centers along Inverness, the town that borders Loch Ness. Whatever the deal is with Nessie, you sure have fun looking out for her.


Scotland the Brave in Bagpipes


Need anymore reasons to go to Scotland?