Archive for the ‘scotland’ Category

Whale Watching in Scotland

Friday, October 15th, 2010

As the summer comes to a close, the whales begin their migration from the Arctic regions where they have feasted on krill all season. The outer islands around Scotland provide a birds’-eye view of the seas where the whales announce their passage with water spouts and spectacular breaches.

Thanks to the decline and the Scottish fishing industry, whales are flourishing and more abundant with each passing year, providing a wonderful new source of income for the local communities and a fascinating adventure for visitors to Scotland’s shores. The seas around Scotland offer ample oppourtunities for coastal whale-watching or you can climb aboard a boat tour where the whole family can get up close and personal with these gentle giants of the oceans, who seem just as interested in you as you are in them.

Shetland Isles

Known as the best place to spot the Orca — or killer whale — the region around Moray Ness is becoming a guaranteed spot to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures at play, sometimes very close to the shore as they try to catch the seals that wander too far from the protective shallow bays. Some visitors report that the Orca almost get close enough to touch from the overhanging cliff lookouts.

The Isle of Skye

South Skye and the small islands surrounding it are a whale watchers’ paradise in the late autumn months when these beautiful creatures join with the porpoises and dolphins to enjoy the last warm days before winter. Many whale watch tour companies have professional photographers on board to help you record the experience of meeting these amazing creatures in their natural setting. Chances are you will see humpback whales, Minke whales, Orcas and possibly even Beluga whales.

Isle of Skyeimg credit - (cc) licensed

Island of Mull

Explore the Hebrides Islands and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on a magnificent two-day tour where you can have the best of both worlds! Travel in your charter boat across the waves to catch glimpses of not only whales but playful dolphins, sleek porpoises, basking seals, prowling sharks, soaring eagles and nesting sea birds. Pull up to the docks and slip in for a quick nip at one of the local taverns, or scout out a deserted beach along one of the Small Isles for private picnic and hike to the top of the rugged seashore cliffs for views that will take your breath away.

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Five Interesting Places to Visit in Dundee

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Located near Birkhill Castle is the thriving Scottish city of Dundee, which is been occupied continuously since Mesolithic times and became a major export center in the 19th century, earning it the epithet as the city of  “jam, jute and journalism”.

Promoted as the “City of Discovery,” the harbour contains the RRS Discovery, the last British wooden three-masted ship in which Robert Falcon Scott explored the Antarctic and that was built in Dundee and launched from her port in 1901.

The city’s vibrant atmosphere has supported the development of many fascinating attractions — many which contain wonderful restaurants and cafes — where visitors and townsfolk alike can learn about the local culture and international concerns.

The Dundee Contemporary Art (DCA) Centre

Dundee Contemporary Art Centreimg credit - (cc) licensed

The DCA complex, which opened in 1999, has become a cultural centre for the city. Within its environs are an art gallery, a print studio, a visual research center and a two-screen cinema which hosts film festivals that combine film and experimental music to create an avant Garde cinema and symposia experience.  The center is provides space for lectures, seminars and community events througout the year, and will host the “Discovery Film Festival: Scotland’s International Film Festival for Young Audiences” from October 16 through November 3, 2010.

Sensation Science Centre

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This nonprofit organisation opened in July 2000 as part of the Millennium Commission project — therefore is funded by public and private donations — and cost around £5 million to build.  The extensive facility features interactive exhibits — mainly about Life Sciences — with a focus on robotics and practical science topics.  The Dundee Science Center is the only UK interactive museum that is based on the five senses and focuses on bringing science to life in imaginative demonstrations with friendly staff members on hand to make sure everyone gets the most out of their experience.

Caird Hall

Caird Hallimg credit- (cc) licensed

Built in the early 1920s by the jute baron James Key Caird, this stately hall is used by the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee for the graduations, but during the rest of the year it plays host to many concerts and music festivals, ranging from opera to pop/rock.  The facility also serves as a conference center and meeting place for corporate events.  Once a year Caird Hall hosts the city Dundee’s traditional Remembrance Festival that features the Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland and The Pipes and Drums of Angus Dundee Battalion Army Cadet Force as well as Community Singing lead by local soloist Billy Naismith.  This year the festival be held on November 6 and 7:15 PM.

Verdant Works

Verdant Works, Dundeeimg credit- (cc) licensed

Jute has played a very important role in the growth an economy of Dundee, and the Verdant Works is a former Jude mill which was restored in 1996 and opened as a public museum dedicated to the textile industry.  Located in the Blackness area of Dundee, this building has survived with little changes from the 19th century.  Listed as an official historic building of Scotland, the museum includes educational exhibits and host functions for both community events and corporate functions.

Dundee Mountain Film Festival

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This unique event began as a one day fundraiser to build a new bridge and became such a success that it has continued to present day.  The festival celebrates mountaineering sports and is supported by the Scottish Mountaineering Trust.  Musicians, independent filmmakers and mountaineering enthusiast express their love of the mountains through music, videos, photographs and lectures.

This year the festival will run from November 26 through 27 and will feature South African mountaineer and explorer Cathy O’Dowd and composing team Robert and Anni Hogan, who play live sound tracks to the films they created with footage from their journeys into the Himalayan mountains.

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The Cowal Highland Gathering

Friday, August 13th, 2010

The largest highland gathering in the world — the Cowal Highland Gathering — takes place the final weekend of August each year in the Scottish Town of Dunoon. Also known as the Cowal Games, this event began in 1894 and by 1901 over 5,000 attendees came to see the first American competitor take part in the games.

Cowal Highland Gamesimg credit -  (cc) licensed

Celtic Music Radio broadcast live performances during the event, which can be heard within the Glasgow transmission area or can be accessed on-line. These broadcasts include interviews with musicians, sports competitors and attendees and also have updated reports on the results of the many contests.

In recent years, controversy has surrounded the games because of debates over whether to close many of the athletic competitions to let the pipe bands move closer to the crowd. After testing this system in 2008, the controversy died down because the revised layout got very positive reviews from attendees and participants.

A new feature is the “Most Entertaining Band” and the “Mace-over-the-Bar” contests which offers competitors lighthearted event s that are enjoyed by both the musicians and the crowds. The Ceilidh tent, which was added in 2008, has become a regular attraction because it was such a big hit. This year, the headline act Skerryvore is back by popular demand as well as Deoch n Dorus (Deoch pronounced Jock), an exciting young band who will start the show at 12.00pm on Saturday August 28, 2010.

Cowal Highland Gatheringimg credit - (cc) licensed

An average of 150 five bands march through the streets of Dunoon to open the ceremonies. At the end of each day’s events, the bands participate in what is known as “the march-past” — where 3000 pipes and drums salute the Chieftain of the Games. The march ends at the pier where the bands proudly display the trophies they have won that day.
The Cowal Gathering hosts some of the most prestigious international dancing competitions, including the World Highland Dancing Championships that draws contestants from as far away as New Zealand. The three day competition test the skills of up to 750 dancers and the finalist compete in the Scottish Highland dancing finale on the last day.

This tribute to Scottish culture and history features traditional costumes, instruments, food spirits and entertainment. Each year the Cowal Games attract up to 20,000 spectators to watch 3500 competitors from Thursday to Saturday, and the weather is typically fine and warm, although sometimes cloudy.


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Creating Scottish Whiskies

Friday, August 6th, 2010

The whiskies of the Scots are known world-wide for their mature, subtle flavors that Scottish distilleries have been producing for centuries. Understanding how their whiskey is made will help you appreciate sampling the many varieties of fine spirits that are brewed with loving care from ingredients native to Scotland.

Whiskyimg credit - (cc) licensed

Barley and Water

The brewing process begins when barley grains are spread out across the floor of the malting house to be steeped in water. As the grains sprout they are turned with paddles that causes the starches in the barley to break down into sugars. When the mixture is just right, the barley is poured into hot, peat-fired kilns to stop the germination and prepared for the next step.

Grist, Mash & Wort

When the barley is dried, it is milled to produce the grist which is mixed with hot water to produce a mash. This mixture is transferred to a mash tun and pails made of pine or cypress are used to draw the wort. It is set aside in wooden washbacks where the fermentation process begins.

Wash & Distillate

The fermenting mash is moved to copper pot stills where the spirits go through a series of steps, first producing low wines and eventually top quality whiskies. The results are tested and the brews moved into casks were they can mature. Usually the barrels selected for maturation have previously been used for other alcohols such as bourbon, sherry, port or rum.

Cask & Bottle

Unlike wine, whiskey only matures in the cask and not in the bottle.  Because they spend so long in the cask each year, up to 2% of the spirits will evaporate, which is called “the Angels’ share.”  This is one reason that whiskey that has matured longer is considered more valuable.

Tasting Whisky

When you settle back to enjoy a glass of find Scottish whiskey, there are a few tips you can use to make the most of experience. First, watch how the whiskey swirls in your glass and note the colour and how the whiskey flows down from the lip of the glass –ideally it should form a teardrop shape that forms ” legs.” You can tell the age of the whiskey by how slowly the teardrops form and how far apart the legs are in the glass.

To correctly sample the first taste of the whiskey, you’ll want to judge the ” mouth feel” or mellow sensation, which indicates how expertly the distiller has aged his product. Since the aroma can take awhile to spread through your face, hold it in your mouth until you feel the vapors move into your nose, so you can smell what you are tasting.

You can swirl the whiskey around your palette to detect the many flavors and subtle undertones of the region where it was distilled.

Finally, you’re ready to swallow the whiskey, which is referred to as the ” finish” of the experience. This is when you finally get to enjoy the full beauty of all that goes into making a fine blended Scotch whiskey.

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Understanding Traditional Scottish Attire

Friday, August 6th, 2010

As we all know, the Scottish are famous for their kilts, those knee-length skirts that beg the question –

What do Scotsmen wear underneath their kilts?

Leaving that mystery aside, there are many aspects to the garb worn at traditional  Scottish events that are often misunderstood by visitors.

Tartans

Tartansimg credit - (cc) licensed

Tartan is a fabric usually made with wool interwoven into bands of colors creating “setts,” to create the traditional checkered patterns. These are woven into right angles with lengthways thread — known as the ‘warp’ –that  is determined by the set of the loom on which it is woven.

The ‘warp and sett’ of a tartan pattern is like a calling card to Scotsmen, and proclaims clan affiliation as effectively as a name badge.

Formal occasions such the Highland Games require dress tartans — as opposed to casual hunting tartans.

Plaid
Often visitors confuse the phrases tartan and plaid, since in America “plaid” refers to the Tartan pattern associated with the Scottish regalia.

But to a Scotsman the plaid is not a pattern, but rather a single rectangular piece of Tartan cloth that can be draped over the shoulder rather like a shawl. Adding a belt to the plaid for the style that is recognizable today was a later development

To don a traditional plaid skirt, the belt is first laid on the ground and the plaid is laid on top of it and pleated. Then the Scotsman lies on the plaid and fastens his belt around him so that the it wraps around his body and hangs down to his knees.

Kilts

Kiltsimg credit - (cc) licensed

A tradition since the 16th century, the kilt consists of overlapping layers of tartan fabric that hangs from the waist down to the knees. It is pleated in the back and the flat overlapping layers — known as flaps — are created by wrapping the cloth around the body. It is fastened by a kilt pin in the front or on the side.

The pleats at the back of the kilt are achieved in two ways. When they are folded to make vertical stripes down the center of each pleat, it is referred to as “pleating to the stripe” or “military pleats”.  If the kilt is “pleated to the sett,” then the fabric is folded so that a certain pattern is repeated all the way around the kilt.

Pleats are characterised by their width and depth. The depth is the inside fold and is determined by the pattern of the tartan weave, and the overlying protruding pleat is the measure of the width.

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