The Things I Love About Scotland

Scottish Culture > Things I Love About Scotland

I struggled to find an answer!

I was probably in my thirties then, and in spite of always having lived here, putting the answer to this simple question into words was way beyond me. Now in my late fifties, I still have a problem with it, and that's possibly due to the fact that one of my main shortcomings is that when I'm happy and contented with something, I have a tendency to take it for granted.

So I'll try to put in simple words the things I love best about the country, with no attempt at promotion, persuasion or influence. This is just my views on the beauty of life in Scotland, from a personal perspective.


FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SCOTLAND :


1) - Living Here. It's quite simply a great place to live, very relaxed, and compared to many other countries in the world, Scotland feels safe. We haven't seen any conflict since the end of World War II in 1945, and the last battle to actually take place on British soil was the Battle of Culloden in 1746. That's a blessing, and it's one thing I DON'T take for granted.

We can Travel Freely around the country. Not just in scotland, but in the whole of the UK. There are no road boundaries or passport checks, so crossing the border to England or Wales is hassle free. Going to Northern Ireland we have to cross the Irish Sea by ferry or by flying. No passport is needed to enter, but you do need photogaphic identity for the airport.

I've lived here quite happily for 59 years now, and I've never felt the urge to leave, until recently. Why? Well I'm getting near retirement now and God willing, I have a dream to spend my retirement years in the beautiful Lanzarote, another place I love. You see, my idea of perfect relaxation is sitting sipping coffee in the sun, and gazing out to the Atlantic Ocean.



2) - The People. Another thing I love about Scotland is the people, they're brilliant, and most are very friendly and extremely helpful. Of course we do have our share of crime like anywhere else in the world, but on the whole they're the salt of the Earth. You can always rely on the Scots to conjure up something Humorous, even in adverse situations.

And we're generous to a fault. You've probably heard all the jokes about the Scots being mean with money. I hope you have, because we made most of them up ourselves. But seriously, anytime a disaster fund is set up, or Children in Need or some other charity is appealing for help, the average amount we donate per head of population is very commendable.

Neighbours are friends, we watch out for each other and help one another when we can. We're there for each other, and that's how it should be.



3) - Open Spaces. With a population of just under five million, we have lots of space. There are less people living in the whole of Scotland than there are in the city of London. Believe me, that's a big plus, especially when you're commuting to and from work during rush hour. The only major congestion we experience is on the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh at peak times. The traffic flows steadily on most urban roads.

Driving on our 'B' roads is a pleasure, with our lush green countryside, mountain and coastal routes, and not a tall building to be seen. And we're really spoiled for choice with an amazing amount of glorious woodland walks offering tranquility, and some rare and wonderful wildlife spotting.

We really are blessed with magical scenery, in particular our mountains and lochs. They're magnificent, and I've covered some of them on this site.



4) - The Food. I love my food, and one of the great things about Scotland is the vast number of choices we have for sampling fine food from all over the world. Personally I love traditional Scottish food, I was brought up on Porridge, Scotch Broth, and Mince & Tatties. Nowadays the choice is endless given the number of fast food outlets, and some of my personal favourites like French, Italian, Chinese and Indian food. I love them all.

Now you can't write about Scotland and food without mentioning our Haggis Neeps & Tatties. It's traditionally eaten on Burns' Night, 25th January, to celebrate the birth of our national poet, Robert Burns, probably best remembered for the song "Auld Lang Syne". I have this almost as often as my other personal favourite, Fish & Chips. (Haddock of course, with salt & vinegar). Remember it used to be wrapped in newspaper?

Have a look at our Traditional Scottish Recipes for some cooking ideas on our favourite dishes, and if you have your own special or unique way of cooking something, you can Share Your Recipe with the world on this site.



5) - Everything Else. Other things I love about Scotland and haven't mentioned here, I've probably written about elsewhere on this site. You see, there's so much. I love our history. I love our culture. I love our traditions. I love our events, activities, nightlife, scenery and shopping.

Yes, if I were asked the same question now ... Name five things you love about Scotland, my reply would be short and simple ... I love everything. It was my passion for Scotland that drove me to build This Website, to promote everything that the country has to offer, and that's quite a lot.

I've written about all of these things because not only do I love them, but because I think they will appeal to visitors worldwide. But you see .....
I wrote this page for me ..... Just to remind myself of how lucky I am.

Top Scottish Attractions :

Kelvingrove Art Gallery
See Scottish culture up close, with one of Europe's great civic art collections. This is Scotland’s number 1 visitor attraction, and one of the best loved buildings.

Edinburgh Castle
The famous Edinburgh Castle, on The Royal Mile, is the setting for one of Scotland's major events, The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, epitomising Scottish culture.

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