Located in the north of the United Kingdom, Scotland It is a country of beautiful and surprising landscapes, old castles , islands, bagpipes, lakes, men who wear kilts and an ancient and rich history. Join us to know these 50 Curiosities of Scotland , the country of legends.
Before starting this journey through the curiosities of Scotland, let's learn more about it. It is one of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom and comprises about one-third of Great Britain. It is a country with almost 5.4 million inhabitants and its capital is Edinburgh, although the most populated city is Glasgow, in whose metropolitan area almost a quarter of the Scots live.
50 Curiosities of Scotland
1. The word "Scotland" comes from the word "Scot" that already appears in Latin texts of the fourth century referring to a tribe that sailed from Ireland to attack the Romans who occupied Britain.
2. Scotland was an independent kingdom until 1707 when by the Acts of the Union it was unified with England forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
3. Scotland has approximately 790 islands, but of these only 130 are inhabited.
4. One of the curiosities of Scotland Most sympathetic is that his official animal is the Unicorn.
5. The symbol of Scotland is a very humble plant: the Thistle, that is, the thistle.
6. The bellicose motto of the country is: " Nemo impune me lacessit "Which means" Nobody provokes me with impunity. "
7. Being red-haired is much more common in Scotland than anywhere else in the world. Between 11% and 13% of its population has red hair and 40% of Scots have that gene in their DNA. Ireland ranks second with 10% redheads.
8. Another of the curiosities of Scotland is that in your territory you can make the shortest commercial flight in the world. It lasts 47 seconds and covers 2.7 km. Join two islands of the Orkneys: Westray and Papa Westray.
9. Approximately 5.4 million people live in Scotland, which represents around 8.5% of the population of the United Kingdom.
10. Amazingly, in the US and Canada live as many Scots and descendants of Scots as in Scotland.
11. The national holiday of Scotland is Saint Andrew's Day, on November 30th.
12. Among the curiosities of Scotland related to their parties are "The Day of Tartan" which is a recent creation and was not designed in the country, but in Canada.
13. Another traditional festival of the Scots is the "Dinner of Burns", called in English "Burns Night" and in Scottish "Burns Nicht". It is December 25 and the birth of the national poet Robert Burns is commemorated. The name of the festival is due to the fact that as the day is working it is celebrated at night with a dinner. They usually play the bagpipes, read poems, drink whiskey and eat typical products such as haggis and the popular smoked fish soup called "cullen skink".
14. The Scottish clans They differ by the pattern of the tartan with which they elaborate their kilts. The kilt is the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands since the sixteenth century. Although currently only used in folkloric festivals or formal occasions.
15. In Scotland there are about 3,000 castles . This is because they were socially grouped into clans since the birth of the nation.
16. Glasgow does not claim to be one of the most romantic cities in the world, however in St. John's Church Duns Scotus of the city claim they have the authentic remains of St. Valentine.
17. In Glasgow international football was born. In 1872 the first international match between Scotland and England was played. By the way, the match apparently ended 0-0.
18. In 1136 the "Aberdeen Harbor Board" was founded, which is the oldest business in Great Britain and is on the west coast of Scotland.
19. The oldest building in Britain is also in Scotland. It is in the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae and has more than 5,000 years since it dates from 3.100 a.C.
20. Following the curiosities of Scotland related to its buildings, in South Lanarkshire is the "Hamilton Mausoleum" which had the record of the longest eco in the world in a structure made by man until 2014. In total it lasts 15 seconds.
21. The record of the Hamilton Mausoleum was beaten by another Scottish construction: the Inchindown Oil Deposits. There the sound reverberated for 112 seconds at 125 hertz.
22. In Scottish territory you can find 19 universities and colleges.
23. The most famous reference work, before Wikipedia, was the Encyclopedia Britannica. It was the brainchild of an Edinburgh bookseller named Colin Macfarquhar.
24. Scotland has given famous writers such as Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
25. Important personalities were also of Scottish origin, such as Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, or Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin. They were also Scottish thinkers of the modern era such as Adam Smith, David Hume and John Stuart Mill.
26. Among the curiosities of Scotland He notes that 11% of the Nobel prizes have been awarded to Scots.
27. The capital of Scotland It's Edinburgh. It was the first modern city to have a fire brigade in the world. It was in the year 1824.
28. Curiously, that same year (1824), a mournful event occurred: "The Great Fire of Edinburgh" that left the city reduced to Ash.
29. Edinburgh is a city that is built on 7 hills and is part of a select club of cities with this same characteristic: Edinburgh, Rome, Moscow and Madrid.
30. If you are in the capital of Scotland You can not stop visiting the Edinburgh Castle, since it is the most famous and important in the country. It has remained dominating the skyline of the city for hundreds of years and there have been many battles and historical events that have affected the country.
31. There are many legends about ghosts of the Edinburgh Castle and it is not strange that some visitor explains having gone through a "curious" experience within its walls, if you want to know more about this topic you can read: Haunted Places: Edinburgh Castle.
32. The highest point in Scotland is the Ben Nevis which measures 1,343 meters.
33. The flag of Scotland is called "Saltire" which means cross diagonally. It is effectively a white cross diagonally on a blue background. It represents the cross on which Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, was crucified.
34. The Scottish clan McLeod has a curious flag which they call " Flag of the Fairies " , they attribute magical powers to him and believe that he protects the clan since one of his ancestors contracted marriage for a year and a day with a fairy. The couple had a son who was covered with his mother's mantle and then became the clan's banner.
35. If you thought the bagpipes were of Scottish origin, you were wrong. Historians believe that the popular instrument came from ancient Central Asia.
36. The language of Scotland It is triple. English, Scottish and also Scottish Gaelic is spoken, which is of Celtic origin.
37. In Scottish Gaelic Scotland is called "Alba".
38. The Scotland food more typical can be shocking to many. It's called Haggis and it's the national dish. It is made with pieces of liver, heart and lungs of sheep that are boiled in the stomach of the animal itself. Its spicy flavor has some similarity with blood sausages.
39. Among the Scotland food his breakfasts are more popular. A Scottish breakfast consists of poached eggs, toast, black pudding, Lorne sausage, beans, buns and tea or coffee.
40. Although it can not be said that it is Scotland food , yes that is one of its most famous products: the Scotch Whiskey. Translated from Gaelic, Whiskey means "water of life". However, current historians believe that this alcoholic beverage was not invented in Scotland or Ireland, but in China during the thirteenth century trying to produce a drug that was effective in combating bubonic plague.
41. Traveling by Scotland It can be an unforgettable experience. It has been chosen as one of the best and most beautiful tourist destinations in the world.
42. In Scotland you will see the oldest tree in Europe which is in Fortingall and has more than 3000 years.
43. If you plan to drive around the country, do not forget to take into account that, as in all of the United Kingdom, you drive on the left.
44. At St. Andrews Links in Andrews, Fife, is one of the oldest golf courses in the world. It has been played there since the 15th century.
45. The folklore of Scotland is intimately related to mythical creatures, fairies, ghosts, elves, beasts and also heroes like the popular William Wallace , who by the way did not have the nickname of Braveheart . Mel Gibson took it from another character that appears in the film: Robert the Bruce.
46. Legend has it that after his death Robert's heart was taken to battle and that's where the nickname came from. Robert I Bruce was King of Scotland between 1306 and 1329.
47. One of the Scottish legends most famous in the world is that of Loch Ness Monster. The nickname of the monster is Nessie and some think it is a plesiosaurus. Since 1933 the alleged child has been photographed and filmed many times and in most cases it has been shown that it was a hoax.
48. The deepest lake in Scotland is the Loch Morar and reaches up to 328 meters deep. It is considered that it occupies the seventeenth place among the deepest lakes in Europe.
49. As it is a very rainy place you will not be surprised to know that the raincoat was invented in Scotland in 1828. The natural chemist of Glasgow, Charles Macintosh, was its inventor. He experimented with tar, naphtha and rubber until he managed to invent a type of water-resistant fabric, that is, waterproof. In some places that garment is still called Mac.
50. Although the most famous area of the country is the Highlands, most cities are in the Lowlands. Among all the towns and cities of Scotland, there are more than 300 railway stations.
Other curiosities of Europe | By countries
If you enjoyed knowing these amazing facts about Scotland and want to know more about other places in the world, we invite you to continue discovering curiosities of Europe , exploring in this list of curious data of the countries of the old continent. Go ahead and discover his most singular and extraordinary face!
- Curiosities of Spain
- Fun Facts of England
- Curiosities of Austria
- Curiosities of Ireland
- Curiosities of Germany
- Curiosities of Switzerland
- Curious facts of France
- Curiosities of Italy
- Curiosities of Greece
- Curiosities of Luxembourg
- Iceland Curiosities
- Curiosities of Norway
- Curiosities of Denmark
- Curiosities of Belgium
- Curiosities of Sweden
We hope you have been interested in these 50 curiosities of Scotland which evidences, without a doubt, why it is one of the most touristic places in Europe and the cradle of multiple legends and fantastic beings including the flag that was woven by the fairies themselves or the enigmatic monster of Loch Ness. If you are a lover of legends and want to know more, we invite you to read The legend of the Egyptian princess who founded Scotland wave of The blue men of the Minch , you will surely like them and if you know more curious facts about Scotland, do not hesitate to share them with us !, so we can expand this list of curiosities of the country.
Images: fir0002 , zoonabar , Guinnog