Scottish culture

When people think of Scotland, there are a few things that always inexorably and immediately spring to
mind.
Scotland is a part of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and that's almost all we
know about it. But there are several things that are usually associated with the Scottish culture. Those are
kilt, bagpipe and scotch whisky.
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys
in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider
culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly. It is most often made of woolen
cloth in a tartan pattern.
Although the kilt is most often worn on formal occasions and at Highland games and sports events, it has
also been adapted as an item of fashionable informal male clothing in recent years, returning to its roots as
an everyday garment.
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir
of air in the form of a bag. The Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish Uilleann pipes have the greatest
international visibility.
Scotch whiskies are generally distilled twice, although some are distilled a third time and others even up to
twenty times. Scotch Whisky Regulations require anything bearing the label "Scotch" to be distilled in
Scotland and matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks, among other, more specific criteria.
The basic types of Scotch are malt and grain, which are combined to create blends. Many, though not all,
Scotch whiskies use peat smoke to treat their malt, giving Scotch its distinctive smoky flavour
The collie is a distinctive type of herding dog, including many related landraces and formal breeds. It
originates in Scotland and Northern England. It is a medium-sized, fairly lightly built dog with a pointed
snout, and many types have a distinctive white pattern over the shoulders. Collies are very active and agile,
and most types have a very strong herding instinct.
Thistles
The floral emblem of Scotland (often alongside heather), these tough, prickly and often purple plants are
said by some to suggest the indomitable nature of the Scottish spirit. An ancient Celtic symbol or nobility
and birth, it has been the national symbol of Scotland since Alexander IIIs time (and admit it; there is little
more Scottish than staying in Scotland cottages wreathed with thistles).
Unicorns
Believe it or not, the unicorn is a heraldic symbol of Scotland (as well as a lion). Wild but graceful
woodland beasts, legend had it that unicorns could only be tamed by virgins. Their horns were allegedly
made of a substance called alicorn, which had a number of valuable magical properties (although any of
these that did appear were likely taken from narwhals).
Saint Andrew's day (our patron saint), is celebrated on the 30th November. The Saltire (St Andrew's Cross)
became our national flag. Our national emblem is the Thistle.
There are three officially recognised languages: English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic, although the 2001 UK
Census showed that there are only 58,652 Gaelic speakers, out of a population of 5,062,011. You are most
likely to hear Gaelic spoken in the western isles.
Mind you, Scotland has a language all of its own, when you consider some of the old Scottish Sayings. It's
worth getting to grips with them, the ones that are not so old, and some of our funny Scottish slang words.
Scots have become famous in the field of invention such as :
John Logie Baird - started the first TV station in the world.
Alexander Graham Bell - inventor of the telephone.
Sir David Brewster - invented the kaleidoscope.
James Watt - steam engine inspired the Industrial Revolution.
Music in Scotland offers something for all cultural tastes, ranging from traditional Celtic music to modern
jazz, opera, rock and popular music, and Glasgow boasts Fantastic Nightlife to match any city in Europe.
The city also offers some of the best shopping to be found anywhere, and with a superb range of free entry
museums, Glasgow has become a magnet for tourists the world over, as has Edinburgh, the capital