10 interesting facts about Scotland – the land of redheads and the birthplace of golf

The people of Scotland are amazing! But the country itself is no less amazing: there are stunning landscapes, untouched nature: emerald hills and lakes are hidden behind a foggy haze, endless valleys dotted with flower heather.

The birthplace of the checkered kilt, bagpipes, whiskey and golf is incredibly original. Not everyone is able to try excellent cuisine, visit castles and see the sights – Scotland is recognized as one of the most expensive countries to visit, so vacations here hit the wallet hard. Mostly Americans and representatives of wealthy countries of Western Europe come here.

Who knows, maybe one day you will visit this unique country. In the meantime, let’s find out some interesting facts about Scotland.

10 Birthplace of the oldest tree in Europe

This tree is called the Fortingall Yew, which has a reach of 18 meters. Some scientists claim that this tree is approximately 5000 years old! It seems that time has no power over him …

This long-liver is located in the village of Fortingall near the local church – tourists are happy to come to see the attraction. It is worth noting that yews are an integral part of the landscape of British church gardens – for many centuries trees were planted along with the foundation of the church.

Interesting fact: this tree is considered sacred. According to one legend, Pontius Pilate (12 BC – 37 AD) was advised by a druid to sit under a yew tree for some time in order to gain power over the world.

9. The largest number of red-haired people in the world

Scotland is the leader in the number of red-haired people! Since we have redheads – a rarity, we treat them with interest, but this fact is nothing more than a feature of weather conditions.

Being situated in a climatic zone where clouds and overcastness are the norm, there simply cannot be people of a different appearance in Scotland. A person needs vitamin D (its production occurs under the influence of sunlight), and it is cloudy in Scotland. Therefore, the country, due to the lack of sun, is rich in representatives of people with red hair and hemp. An interesting fact: it is believed that red people have supernatural abilities, and according to an old Scottish legend, a variety of fairies that live underground have fiery red hair. And the red-haired people walking the earth are relatives of these fairies.

8. Haggis is a national dish

Probably, from the name you imagined something completely different, however Haggis is the national dish of Scotland. The birthday of the poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) is a national holiday and cannot be imagined without haggis.

This national dish is especially liked by the Scots on frosty January evenings – by the way, whiskey perfectly complements it.

Let’s see what this dish is. In order to cook it, cooks use lamb entrails: heart, liver and lungs. First, they are boiled until fully cooked, and then chopped together with herbs and interior fat. At the end they are mixed with crushed oatmeal.

This dish is sprinkled with nutmeg on top, poured with lemon juice and other spices. The resulting mass is filled into the cleaned stomach, after which it is tightly tied and boiled.

Now you know how to cook the Scottish national dish – cook it to surprise your loved ones!

7. The country in which the television and telephone were invented

Scotland is a country that gave the world talented inventors. Our life cannot be imagined without TV and telephone, but who invented these important things for us? Let’s find out.

In 1926, John Logie Baird (1888-1946), an engineer from Scotland, demonstrated a mechanical television system of his own design in a London laboratory. John Baird is the first person to capture a monochrome image of an object from a distance.. What a pity that his name is forgotten …

The second Scot Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) became the founder of telephony. He invented an apparatus that could transmit voice over a distance.. It’s a paradox, but the discovery of the researcher happened by chance – he was not going to invent the telephone at all, but “harmonic telegraph”, which would greatly facilitate the task by simultaneously transmitting 7 telegrams around the city.

6. The Loch Ness monster lives

The possibility of the existence of the Loch Ness monster is imbued with myths and legends dating back to the Middle Ages.

In ancient times, a story was spread among the people about monsters living in the water, which aggressively perceived people. Then they were called – Kelpie, because of them, in childhood, the inhabitants of Scotland were forbidden by their parents to go to the lake.

In the XNUMXth century, witnesses appeared who said that they had observed a strange huge creature in the waters of Loch Ness. It is curious that everyone gave similar descriptions of this monster, which is a black snake. Do you think the Loch Ness monster exists or is it just a fantasy?

5. Over 700 islands

Scotland is a country that occupies the northern part of the island of Great Britain. This is one of the most beautiful places in Britain, famous for its unsurpassed landscapes, picturesque hills, fields and forests, and, of course, islands.

To visit at least one of the 700 islands of the country is the dream of every tourist.. They beckon with their open spaces, beautiful sunset against the backdrop of mountainous landscapes, desert terrain … Let’s consider a few of them.

The Isle of Mull is located off the west coast of Scotland – there are the castles of Thorossay and Dewart, which are a landmark of the island.

Islay is famous for its smoky-flavored whiskey. Distilleries of famous brands are located here, here are a few of them: Bannahawein, Ardbeg and Bowmore.

On the island of Hoy there is a famous attraction – the rock of Old Man of Hoy. Scientists believe that a rock washed by the sea will have a sad outcome – it will collapse into the water.

4. The Bank of Scotland was the first in Europe to print its banknotes.

The activities of the commercial bank, which is located in Edinburgh, began in the XNUMXth century – this is the second oldest bank in Britain (the Bank of England was founded a year earlier). It is the only commercial organization that still exists.

Also it is the first bank in Europe to print its own banknotes – it continues to print its own pound sterling banknotes, in accordance with the mechanisms that allow some banks in Britain to print money.

3. St. Andrews – “the birthplace of golf”

As we already know, Scotland is the birthplace of whiskey, bagpipes and golf. Let’s talk about the latter in more detail. The ancient university town of St. Andrews is known as “birthplace of golf.

In this picturesque town, named after St. Andrew, the patron saint of the country, there is a lot to see (and should!) See the Cathedral (in the Middle Ages it was the center of pilgrimage), the castle (the former residence of the bishop), the Tower of St. Rula, Dominican Chapel, etc., and you can also play golf on one of the oldest golf courses.

2. Aberdeen – the oil capital of Europe

Aberdeen is a city located in the northeast of Scotland (it has a second name “granite city”), a busy seaport. Ever since the discovery of oil in the North Sea, Aberdeen has been called the oil capital of Europe..

From the North Sea oil boom of the late 200th century, the city benefited more than any other city in Scotland: more than XNUMX companies were created here, offices, housing and educational institutions were intensively built, and thousands of foreign residents came to the city.

Interestingly, the city is called granite for the reason that all its buildings are built from local granite, which makes Aberdeen unique in its appearance.

1. Edinburgh – the record holder for the number of architectural monuments

Traveling in Scotland, you can not ignore Edinburgh, which holds the record for the number of architectural monuments. I want to know more about each, and take a good look at it. Let’s find out at least about some of the monuments – but keep in mind that if you go to this city, you won’t be able to get around all the sights in one day.

The sculpture “African Woman and Child”, located on Lothian Road, was built in 1986, a woman with a child was a symbol of Edinburgh’s solidarity with the oppressed against apartheid.

The statue “Braveheart” was erected in honor of the national hero, by the way, the story of which was told in the film “Braveheart” by Mel Gibson.

Near the Cathedral of St. Giles there is a monument to “Adam Smith”, who, without a doubt, was an outstanding person – he managed to enter the university at the age of 14, which speaks of his genius. You can read a lot about his scientific work on the Internet.