Scotland=Whiskey, Castles, Cobblestone and Cashmere

Oh, Scotland....where should I start...

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

   

                                 ^^ If a man is wearing a kilt, he is most likely going commando..fun fact
  I went to Scotland this weekend.  Our trip consisted of a 4.5 hour train ride to Edinburgh, checking in to our amazing hostel with down comforters and a cheap basement bar with pool tables, an 8 hour day tour to Loch Ness in search of monsters, two nights of exploring nightlife, and a whole lot of whiskey, cashmere, stone and beautiful green things.  Also, one thing that is immediately evident is the "pride in place". Everyone from Scotland makes sure you KNOW they are proud to be a Scot and are not from England. Our tour guide even went as far as to (jokingly) say, "Scotland literally invented EVERYTHING, of importance anyway"(Chris, Wild and Sexy Tours). 
    I will start with our walking tour that happened right when we arrived.  Our tour guide, an Australian that fell in love with the city, walked us around the "old town" (as opposed to the "new town"; everything is very simply named in Scotland) and given us a few fun historical insights.  There are many traditions that still survive in the old town, such as spitting on a cobblestone heart for luck or walking on it bringing bad, or a statue of philosopher and athiest David Hume (seen below), whose toe is rubbed for good luck.  The place is full of these traditions that bring depth and character to the location and add to its mystery and charm.

    What is interesting about the statue is that David Hume is dressed in a toga, which if you have ever been to Scotland you would quickly realize is a severely unpractical choice of dress for the area.  He is wearing a toga because Edinburgh used to be known as the "Athens of the North", don't ask me why (I suggested he was wearing one because of his big bronze toe...a TOE-ga, but the tour guide didn't get it ;) haha).

  Another thing I learned about Scotland, or Edinburgh atleast, is that they are confused with the meaning of "steak" and "beef".  I was under the impression that, worldwide, steak and beef referred to meat from a cow, and pork, bacon, etc., referred to meat from a pig.  However, at dinner I ordered steak with a fried egg and my friend ordered nachos with beef, which both resulted in ham (let's just accept it for what it is...[seen below]).  I figure this is a result of not the best atmosphere for cows to live and therefore a different source of meat is mainstream.  While I am on the topic of food, Scotland also has a dish that every newcomer is dared to try; Haggis.  This traditional Scottish dish was originally the lamb "offals", which are basically internal organs--stomach, intestines, and lungs to be exact-- blended up into a tasty little ball of fun with oats and spices added.  Today, however, stricter health guidelines concerning foods are in place and haggis is a much more palatable offering of ground lamb and sometimes other "beef" with oatmeal and spices.  This is traditionally serviced with turnips and potatoes, or "neeps and tatties", and probably a big 'ol glass of scotch to wash it down.

                                                        ^^ham and eggs, or greens, eggs and ham.. ;)

   
   Our excursion the following day was a sightseeing tour up to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness for a boat ride complete with various TV's monitoring the depth and sealife throughout the loch. By the way, according to our Wild and Sexy Tours guide, Chris, the Scottish don't care the size of a body of water, they are all lochs (the Scottish Gaelic word for "lake"). The Loch Ness is a giant freshwater loch, nearly double the size of all the lakes in England and Wales COMBINED!  I personally think ol' Nessie hides out in the fault line at the bottom ;) yeah?! I got a great picture of her too...

The story of the Loch Ness monster is a great example of tradition because whether or not you believe the creature exists, it is now a recognized symbol of this area in Scotland. Many people visit and devote significant amount of time to the legend, whether to prove, disprove, or just say they were there.  [Below are some more beautiful pics of the Highlands and Loch Ness:]

...AND THENnnnn.... I bought a bunch of whiskey and a fancy Scottish wool tie for my fam and proceeded to leave it on the train home because I am THAT awesome of a human being. Sorry, guys.