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Gazu Yuuki
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❝As I draw my latest breath...
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It's sort of weird to just say "give me random facts about -insert country here-" because there are so many random facts to give... if that makes sense. ;P It would help if there was a little more direction, like "give me random facts about the language" or something like that. (Still general, but yeah.)
I guess I could offer a few culture and history-related fun facts:
-Much of the territory in Scotland originally governed by clans still technically "belongs" to the respective clan. In some cases, if you can find a connection by name and by the location from which your family came, you could be considered either a member or a descendant of the clan. (Source: Clan Donald USA website and random Google searches. I'm connected to the clan through the septs Henderson and Sanderson. :3 )
-The Scots Gaelic language is believed to be the variant of Gaelic (the other two being Irish and Manx) that experienced the least amount of change from Old Irish, which was brought to Scotland when the Celts kind of circled up from Ireland. If you trust in the theory that there was once one single Gaelic language, then this could possibly mean that Scottish Gaelic is the closest to that language! (Do still bear in mind that it is its own unique language and has still undergone many changes to evolve into modern Scots Gaelic. This is also only a theory held by many historians. I also forgot the source that this information came from, since I found it when I was first researching the origins of the Celtic languages. XD;;; Use this bit with caution if you decide to use it.)
-The great highland bagpipes are said to be some of the most difficult instruments to play in the world. They're the Scottish derivative of the Irish warpipes, and unlike the Irish uilleann pipes, they (obviously) retained their loud and triumphant sound. Many highland games feature solo and band bagpiping competitions as a main event. (Source: I play 'em. >.> )
-Scotland has a variety of sports all its own, many of which have their roots in the highlands. One popular highland favorite is shinty ("cammanachd" in Scots Gaelic), which is basically like lacrosse with hockey sticks (camans, as they're called). : P The object of the game is basic: get the ball through your opposing team's goal. Unlike in hockey, there are no restrictions placed on how high you can swing the caman. As in soccer, you cannot touch the ball at all with your hands. You can find traces of this game in more widely played sports such as hockey and golf. (Sources: Here, here, and here. I'd use those links, it's sort of hard to explain a game in just a few sentences. ;P )
-On a history-related note, you must be very careful where you get your Scottish history facts from. Many countries have been subjected to romanticized versions of their histories, but Scotland seems to have been a particularly popular subject of romantic thoughts. >.> This is most likely due to the fact that a renewed interest and awareness of Scottish culture occurred around the era of romanticism; until this a bit before point, expressions of Scottish culture (wearing a clan tartan, playing bagpipes, etc.) had been outlawed for a time as a result of the Jacobite rebellions of 1745. (If you wanna read more about that, it's best you look up information on it. Too much to summarize, as the end result of these led to many major events for the highlanders and Gaels of Scotland, such as the clearances.) Popular events that were romanticized included more recent events, such the Battle of Culloden and the Clearances, to events long passed, such as the wars for independence. This is were careful cross-referencing and the use of many sources can come in useful when doing research. (Sources: Here, here, here, and here. Again, WAY too much to summarize, but if you have a passion for Scottish/highland culture and history, it's definitely worth the research.)
Aaaand finally... the kilts. XD
The first thing I must establish is that yes, you CAN wear something under your kilt. Many people nowadays do... After all, I don't think many people are going to come up and ask (or check!) if you're going "regimental" or not. XP; I believe I read an article somewhere addressing this rather controversial issue in terms of the piping circuit, and the split between who wears something under their kilt and who doesn't is actually about 50/50. Traditionally, kilts are only worn by men, while women wear kilted skirts. (The skirts can either be very long, very short, or just a bit shorter than a man's kilt. They're often pleated in the same fashion as any other kilt. If you're a female piper, you're probably stuck with a men's kilt, which isn't really a big deal: they're generally more comfortable, or so I think. :/ ) Actually dressing in a kilt takes many steps, so I'd refer you here and here to learn more about how to wear kilts and general highland dress. (I used these sources and have access to about forty others out of my pipe band. :3 ) Some traditional kilts were long pieces of tartan that had to be wrapped around and fastened by buckles and kilt pins. Many modern kilts are a little less heavy and use less material, and so are a bit more comfortable to wear. They must be fitted properly so as not to fall down, buckled at the waist, pinned at the open edge with a kilt pin, and weighed down with a sporran. At most four inches (and no less than three) of skin should show between your kilt hose (which are usually cream-colored or black, NOT white, unless you're a piper in a band) and the bottom of your kilt. The hose should not cover any part of your knees and the kilt should come down to about the top of your knee caps. You wanna show off those sexy knees. >3
Another great way to learn more about kilts and highland dress is to look into actually buying something yourself. Kilt makers give you guidelines for measuring and many places will offer full-dress packages. I've been looking into this package myself for when I get good enough to compete in piping competitions. ;3 If you just browse through the packages and read up a bit more on highland dress, you will see there are TONS of different ways to dress based on the occasion! What I gave you is a very basic summary of formal dress as I know it from a piper's perspective.
On that note, everything here is very basic. XP You may already have some of the things I mentioned here, or you may not find it useful. Just let me know if there's anything a little more specific you wanna know about, such as the clans, specific historical events, music, modern highland games... I'll do my best to help out. Maybe I could learn something too. ;P
...Amazing Things are done on earth!❞
Gazu Yuuki
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Pugnacious Banana
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i'm scottish/live in scotland. it'd be helpful to know what kind of things you're looking for. sweatdrop i don't really know a lot about scottish history or anything that goes on in the highlands since i live in central scotland (edinburghish).
i like to tell people about the falkirk wheel. 4laugh
haggis = best ever. haggis and black pudding on pizza.
also, sean batty the weatherman. he is awesome.
i like to tell people about the falkirk wheel. 4laugh
haggis = best ever. haggis and black pudding on pizza.
also, sean batty the weatherman. he is awesome.
I'M JOHN McKAY and this is the STV news at 6 (Glasgow region - legend)
Scotland: Irn Bru in a glass bottle is the best hangover cure.
Tattie scones are awesome, as is haggis, black pudding etc.
Most things you'll find in a chippie (traditional take away) are covered in batter. (battered pizza suppers are amazing)
Haggis is a creature that lives in the highlands.
Trying to get a job is like trying to find a needle in a haystack at the moment.
Scotland is said to be "The home of Golf" - I personally can't stand golfers wearing their matching jumpers and looking down their noses at you, but that's a rant for another time.
Midgies are the root of all Evil - those wee buggers never give up.
In the north east of the country, girls are called “quines” and boys “louns”.
50 facts about Scotland
I also like to tell people about our local Bard, Robert Burns
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i'm scottish/live in scotland. it'd be helpful to know what kind of things you're looking for. sweatdrop i don't really know a lot about scottish history or anything that goes on in the highlands since i live in central scotland (edinburghish).
i like to tell people about the falkirk wheel. 4laugh
haggis = best ever. haggis and black pudding on pizza.
also, sean batty the weatherman. he is awesome.
i like to tell people about the falkirk wheel. 4laugh
haggis = best ever. haggis and black pudding on pizza.
also, sean batty the weatherman. he is awesome.
❝As I draw my latest breath...
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Heeeeey Edinburgh~! : D My first choice for university is the University of Edinburgh (followed by Glasgow and Aberdeen). Hoping I can get into their Scottish Ethnology and/or Celtic Studies course. (Gotta survive the IB first, though. X/ )
Scottish food sort of scares me. XD; I've heard horrible things about haggis... but then again I live in America. I've settled that I'll probably end up trying it one day or another soon, be it when I'm in Scotland or at a random highland gathering. : P
...Amazing Things are done on earth!❞
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Haggis is a creature that lives in the highlands.
❝As I draw my latest breath...
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Oh my God. I think this made my day. |DDDDD (Nice random Scotland fact list, too. A few interesting little bits of info I didn't know on there~. >.> )
...Amazing Things are done on earth!❞
Pugnacious Banana
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I'M JOHN McKAY and this is the STV news at 6 (Glasgow region - legend)
Banenn
❝As I draw my latest breath...
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Heeeeey Edinburgh~! : D My first choice for university is the University of Edinburgh (followed by Glasgow and Aberdeen). Hoping I can get into their Scottish Ethnology and/or Celtic Studies course. (Gotta survive the IB first, though. X/ )
Scottish food sort of scares me. XD; I've heard horrible things about haggis... but then again I live in America. I've settled that I'll probably end up trying it one day or another soon, be it when I'm in Scotland or at a random highland gathering. : P
...Amazing Things are done on earth!❞
i love scottish food so much. i love how we have so many things that sound disgusting.
Elizabeth of York
Scottish guys are hawt.
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I'M JOHN McKAY and this is the STV news at 6 (Glasgow region - legend)
Banenn
❝As I draw my latest breath...
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heeeeey Edinburgh~! : D My first choice for university is the University of Edinburgh (followed by Glasgow and Aberdeen). Hoping I can get into their Scottish Ethnology and/or Celtic Studies course. (Gotta survive the IB first, though. X/ )
Scottish food sort of scares me. XD; I've heard horrible things about haggis... but then again I live in America. I've settled that I'll probably end up trying it one day or another soon, be it when I'm in Scotland or at a random highland gathering. : P
...Amazing Things are done on earth!❞
i love scottish food so much. i love how we have so many things that sound disgusting.
Elizabeth of York
Scottish guys are hawt.
Mmmm yes! Pics? lol emotion_awesome
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