1. Scotland's name
Scotland gets it's name from the Scots, or Scotti who first arrived in Argyll in the late 3rd to mid 4th centuries AD. It was not until about 500AD that they built up a sizeable colony though. The Scots spoke Irish, not Scots. Scots is a Germanic language like English, described later.
2. Celtic background
It is incorrect to think of Scotland as a wholly Celtic country. Since the first millenium BC, Scotland has been a place of multiple languages and this tradition continues today. First of all it was Pictish and British; then Gaelic, Norse and Scots came and today it's English, Scots and Gaelic. Nearly all of Scotland was once Gaelic speaking except Orkney, Shetland and Caithness which had a variety of Norse until recent times and East Lothian which was settled by the Angles. Galloway had a Gaelic community which became separated from the Gaelic speaking Highlands and Gaelic was still in use until about the 17th century in Galloway. "Poets, scholars and writers in Lowland Scotland up until the 16th century readily acknowledged Gaelic to be the true and original Scottish language. For Walter Kennedy 'it suld be al trew Scottis mennis lede': ('Flyting with Dunbar' c.1500)" : section quoted from "Gaelic: a past and future prospect", Kenneth Mackinnon. Gaelic is a Celtic language, like Irish
Other notable reads include anything by the late Prof Kenneth Jackson, particularly "A Celtic Miscellany", any of John Prebble's books (ie "1000 years of Scottish History") or Nigel Tranter ("The Story of Scotland")
3. Where can I get Gaelic books?
The Gaelic Books Council stocks every Gaelic book in print including prose, peotry, songs, music, children's material etc. They have a catalogue. Address:
4. How can I learn Gaelic?
Join the Gaelic learners association. They can advise about books, learners near you, classes, correspondence courses etc. They are called Comann an Luchd-Ionnsachaidh. This is abbreviated to CLI and prounounced CLEE. Motto: "The voice of Gaelic Learners". CLI has members around the world. Address:
Suggestions for learners:
5. Where can I get Gaelic music and words to Gaelic tunes, info on Gaelic choirs
Contact An Comunn Gaidhealach, 109 Sraid na h-Eaglais, Inbhir Nis, IV1 1EY. They have a lot of Gaelic music and maintain a list of every Gaelic choir in Scotland. Currently the only Gaelic choirs outside Scotland are in London, Sydney and Vancouver. An Comunn also has an American branch (see international section of this FAQ at the end)
6. Are there any files I can access for more information on Gaelic?
See the Gaelic-L archives
7. Scottish music radio programmes
In Scotland: In the US:
8. How can I get Gaelic TV/radio programmes
Gaelic Radio is on Radio Scotland Medium Wave (810) 9pm-10pm Mon-Fri
Gaelic TV is on BBC Scotland. Scottish Television and Grampian Television. For details of times and programmes, see the Gaelic TV times "Suas!", publisher: The Gaelic Television Committee. contact:
9. Info on Robert Burns
Robert Burns, the National Bard of Scotland, was born in 1759, the son of an Ayrshire cottar. A cottar is a Scots word for a tenant occupying a cottage with or (from the late 18th century) without land attached to it or a married farmworker who has a cottage as part of his contract. The word dates from the 15th century. Anyway, back to Burns. He apparantly developed an early interest in literature. Between 1784 and 1788, whilst farm-labouring, he wrote much of his best poetry, including "Halloween", "The Cotter's Saturday Night" and the skilful satires "Death and Dr Hornbrook" and "Holy Willie's Prayer". In 1786 the "Kilmarnock" edition of Robert Burns' early poems was published, bringing with it fame and fortune, and the second edition, published by William Creech, brought him enough financial security to marry his mistress Jean Armour. The couple settled to a hard life in Ellisland with their four children, and to supplement their meagre income, Burns took a job as an excise man. From 1787, Burns concentrated on songwriting, making substantial contributions to James Johnson's "The Scots Musical Museum", including "Auld Lang Syne" and "A Red, Red Rose". In 1796, at the age of 37, he died, his health undermined by rheumatic fever.
Most of the above was taken from a recommended book "The complete illustrated poems, songs and ballads of Robert Burns" 12pounds 95p. Published by Lomond Books, ISBN 1 85152 018 X. This is a reprint of a 1905 publication so the print is a bit strange and unfortunately there is no index and the contents aren't in alphabetical order. However, it is 650 A5 size pages (hardback) and was recently seen in bargain books for a mere 5 pounds!
The picture most usually seen of Burns (but not the one on the Bank of Scotland five pound note) is from an engraving after a portrait by Alexander Nasmyth, 1787. Today, many thousands of Scots around the world celebrate Burns night on his birthday, 25th January. Burns night has even been commemorated in the Kremlin. Burns night consists of having a meal of tatties (mashed potatoes), neeps (turnips - not swede!) and haggis. Details of how to buy haggis are elsewhere in this FAQ. There is usually quite a bit of whisky drunk at these occasions too, particularly as Burns was a well known drinker (and womaniser). Usually a bloke makes a speech remembering Burns and how his thoughts and poems are timeless and as relevent today as they were when they were written. Then there's a "reply from the lassies" where it's usual to point out the other side of Burns and how he left many women broken hearted. Well, that's the general idea anyway, there's lots of variations.
Probably Burns' most famous tune is Auld Lang Syne, however most people do not sing either the right words or the original tune. A lot of people erroneously insert the words "the sake of" in the chorus - this was not written by Burns. The tune is a bit confused too. Burns originally wrote the words to a tune which his publisher didn't like, so he then put the words to the tune which most people know. However, the second tune is also claimed by the Japanese!. The original tune is available on some recordings, including "The Winnowing" by The Cast and "File under Christmas" by Scotland's leading Clarsach (Harp) duo, Sileas (pronounced Shee-lis"). The old tune is rapidly gaining momentum however, and I have heard hundreds of people sing it in Edinburgh without difficulty. The old version of the tune is also in The Digital Tradition (see elsewhere for details).
It is someting of a comment on the English-biased nature of Scottish education that Scotland has produced one of the world's greatest and best loved poets and yet he is hardly studied in his own country, most people studying Shakespeare at school. Shakespeare was obviously a world class bard as well, but isn't there room for Burns too?
10. Info on cooking and haggis
2 recommended books:
F. Marian McNeill - The Scots Kitchen, it's lore and recipies. A classic and as much a source of folklore and history as a culinary reference. First published in 1929. 300+ pages. Published by Grafton Books, 8 Grafton St, London, W1X 3LA. ISBN 0-586-20784-8. Grafton books is a division of Collins, Glasgow. Just about every recipie has a tale, saying, poem, song or bit of history printed with it (the occasional one in Gaelic; with translation). F. Marian MacNeill was a historian by profession.
Another book, rather more contemporary (no stories etc but probably biased towards modern eating trends and it also has US-UK conversions). Scottish Cookery: Catherine Brown. ISBN 0-86267-248-1. Published by Richard Drew publishing, 6 Clairmont Gardens, Glasgow G3 7LW. Really good traditional stuff and well laid out.
Haggis
McNeill's book gives several recipies for haggis. The Traditional Cottage Recipe includes: "The large stomach bag of a sheep, the pluck (including heart, lights and liver), beef-suet, pin-head (coarse) oatmeal, onions, black pepper, salt, stock or gravy. Meg Dod's recipie includes "Sheep's pluck and paunch, beef-suet, onions, oatmeal, pepper, salt, cayenne, lemon or vinegar.". Haggis Royal includes "Mutton, suet, beef-marrow, bread-crumbs or oatmeal, anchovies, parsley, lemon, pepper, cayenne, eggs, red wine.". Deer Haggis includes "Deer's heart, liver and suet, coarse oatmeal, onions, black pepper, salt, paste." It takes about a day to make a haggis from scratch, but very very few people do this as it is particulaly gruesome. Most people buy their haggis from the butcher's. See next section for details of how to get some.
11. Where can I get haggis ?
The best haggis in the world (in my, and several other people's too) is made by Charles MacSween of Edinburgh. He makes about 1 ton a day and ships it all over the UK and overseas too (it keeps remarkably well in the post). Many shops in the UK (including supermarkets) sell MacSween's haggis. There is also a vegetarian version which is quite tasty. contact:
12. What is the Scots language. Who do I contact for more info?
The Scots language is a Germanic language related to English. It is not Celtic, but has been influenced by Gaelic. For more info, write to:
There is also some info in the following section:
"The Pocket Guide to Scottish Words: Scots, Gaelic" by Iseabail Macleod. Published by W&R Chambers, Ltd. 43-45 Annandale Street, Edinburgh EH7 4AZ (ISBN 0-550-11834-9). Widely available at bookshops and airports
US distributors
It has "Place names, personal names, food and drink. Scots and Gaelic words explained in handy reference form."
There are 30 pages of Scots words explained. No grammar. It does list a number of interesting sounding books:
SCOTS LANGUAGE DICTIONARIES:
GENERAL SCOTS BOOKS:
Just to add to the list of books of/about Scots, one should mention the reprint of P Hately Waddell's _The_Psalms:_Frae_Hebrew_Intil_Scots_ (orig 1871, reprinted with modern introduction 1987 by Aberdeen Univ Press).
I would love to see some instructive writing about the Scots tongue, more than just word-lists. Especially pronunciation, intonation, cadence, etc. as well as grammar.
There are two books that are essential reading on the subject of Scots.
The first is "Scots: the Mither Tongue" by Billy Kay. This is available both in hardback and paperback.
William Graham, "The Scots Word Book English-Scots, Scots-English
Although the Scots-English part of this is fairly limited, this was once worth having for the English-Scots part, which for a long time was the only one available.
Last year the Scottish National Dictionary Association published its long- awaited "Concise English-Scots Dictionary", which is a far more comprehensive work. Although it still has a number of imperfections, I'd recommend it rather than Graham's work, good in its day as it was.
13. What Scottish Record labels are there
search this FAQ for "Lloyd MacIsaac" Main labels are Temple, Lismore, Greentrax
14. How do I find out about Folk events in Scotland which might be on?
The Scottish Folk Arts Directory. This is a book detailing virtually everything to do with the Scottish folk music scene. contact:
15. When are the major Scottish folk festivals
Edinburgh is the last 3 weeks in August usually. The Edinburgh folk festival is on for 8 days during the Easter break.
16. Where's a good place to buy folk records?
The best shop which specialises in folk is Blackfriars Music -- address is in the answer to 14. The other good places in Edinburgh are the folk/Scottish sections of Virgin Records and HMV (on Princes St). Folk is often subdivided in these shops into subcategories (i.e. Scottish, Irish, pipe bands, folk etc). John Menzies (sometimes pronounced "Mingis") and also on Princes St, is usually the cheapest place to get CDs but the folk section is small and poorly organised. Tower records is probably the best place to start looking in Glasgow.
17. How do I trace my Scottish ancestry ?
There is a book published by HMSO (Her Majesties Stationary Office) called "Tracing your Scottish Ancestry". All the records for births, marriages and deaths in Scotland are held at:
18. Any Scottish songs on-line?
There are quite a few in The Digital Tradition, a free 4000+ strong database (many with tunes to play on your computer's speaker). It is available to FTP from ftp.uwp.edu, or mail digitrad@world.std.com for more information. There is also a lot of other musical info and folk info on that ftp site. Particularly watch out for the October 94 edition which should have a lot
more Scottish material
19. What's the number of the Scottish Tourist Board ?
031 332 2433 (+[44] 31 332 2433)
20. Politics: Scotland and the UK/devolution/independence
Addresses of relevant organisations:
Political Parties:
Labour Party
Conservative and Unionist Party
Liberal Democrats, 4 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 031 337 2314
Green Party
Politically Oriented organisations:
21. When are Burns night and St Andrews Day.
25-Jan, 30-Nov.
22. How do I find out about Highland Games or Mods in my area. What is a Mod?
An Comunn Gaidhealach runs the Mods. An Comunn is based at 109 Church St, Inverness, IV1 1EY The Mods are a series of Gaelic competitions involving singing, poetry, drama, music etc. The Royal National Mod is held in Mid-October each year. Forthcoming venues for it are: 94 (Dunoon), 95 (Golspie), 96 (Blairgowrie), 97 (Inverness) The National Mod runs from a Friday to the Saturday morning of the following week (the competitions end on the final Friday)
There are also local Mods. Here's a list of them: Caithness/Sutherland; Dalriada (Lochgilphead area); Easter Ross; East Kilbride; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Harris; Inverness; Islay; Kyle; Lewis; Lochaber; Oban; Mull; Perthshire/Angus; Skye; Stirling; Uist; Wester Ross. Local Mods generally run over a weekend. Contact An Comunn Gaidhealach in Inverness for contact details
23. Information on Runrig
Contact the fan club at:
Runrig is a term Blair Douglas thought up when he was studying in Glasgow. A rig is a strip of farmland and a run is a series of those strips. The run-rig system of farming is no longer used, but the marks of it can still be seen particularly on Skye where the core of the band is from.
Discography:
The band seem to be struggling to make their albums more and more commercial in sound and the Gaelic content of each is nearly always lower or the same as the last. However, they don't seem to be having much sucess outside Scotland. They are the biggest selling band in Scotland, and I think Donnie Munro is a very good singer. It's ironic that Capercaillie have managed about the same sucess with singles as Runrig yet Capercaillie's single was in Gaelic and a lot more traditional. Runrig are perceived as too Scottish by many non-Scottish audiences and their following is very heavily biased towards people from Scotland or with Scottish connections.
Runrig have played a major part in bringing Scottish music up to date and reviving the Scottish folk scene, and interest in the Gaelic language. However, I wish they'd accept that they're not going to have a major breakthrough in popularity overseas and go back to the feel of their earlier material. This early material, particularly pre-"Cutter" gets a better response at concerts in Scotland.
The fan club has all the albums and can be reached at the address above. I think most of the band currently live in the Edinburgh area.
24. Information on Capercaillie
Try:
There is also a fanzine called Sidetaulk. Call Mandy Shanks on Hopeman 0343- 835194 for more info, or write to her at: 21 Thom St, Hopeman, Elgin, Moray, Scotland IV30 2SS
Capercaillie is pronounced "Cap-ir-cay-lee", not "Cape-r-cay-lee" A Capercaillie is the largest member of the Grouse family (from the Gaelic words for Wood Grouse) and is an endangered species.
Capercaillie albums
If that fails, then try Greentrax records (who I bought Cascade from) or Blackfriars Music, 49 Blackfriars St, Edinburgh EH1 1NB Tel: 031 557 3090, Fax: 031 556 2552. As publishers of The Scottish Folk Arts Directory, this shop has info on virtually everyone in the Scottish folk scene.
Capercaillie cite na h-Oganaich (young blood) as one of their major influences. Na h-Oganaich recorded 3 albums
1. "The Great Gaelic Sound of Na h-Oganaich (All Gaelic All Vocal)" 1973 (ref: SBE 145)
These records are on the Beltona label. Beltona's address is (this may be way out of date)
Another source of Capercaillie material is Christine Primrose who has the following 4 records on the Temple label: Aite mo ghaoil, 's tu nam chuimhne, The Quiet Tradition (with Alison
Kinnaird - clarcist) and Mairidh gaol is ceol (as part of Mac-Talla - highly recommended album).
25. Scottish Cultural classes (music, singing, language, history etc)
For the Edinburgh area, contact either:
or
The Adult Learning Project (ALP), 184 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh,
26. Gaelic wedding blessing
Supplied by Christopher Lau, University of Calgary
Translated as:
"A thousand welcomes to you with your marriage kerchief,
This is attributed to the Rev. Donald MacLeod, minister of Duirinish, Skye, Scotland c. 1760.
The bit about the marriage kerchief probably isn't applicable these days, so you could just ignore it. (any Bards fancy thinking up a suitable replacement?)
27. Dalriada Celtic society BBS
Information on Arran's only BBS. Here's the details:
Dalriada BBS:
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 11:05:00 +0000
With thanks to Lorraine MacDonald of Dalriada for some excellent work.
Forrest Duncan
28. The Gaelic for "Frequently Asked Questions"
"Ceistean Minig a Thig" (Scots Gaelic)
There is a saying :
"Is truagh nach ta\inig Minig Nach Tig
29. Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The complete programme for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is now available by gopher from almac.co.uk. (Forrest Duncan, forrest.duncan@almac.co.uk first described this on a UK newsgroup - thanks). There is also some generic information about how the Fringe works.
This is HUGE, over 10000 lines of information, and I don't think Almac has a very powerful server. Don't overwhelm them, save the address and call sometime over the next few days. It might be an idea for somebody in the US to make a copy available over there (subject to the Fringe agreeing - the programme is copyrighted).
From a quick look it doesn't seem to me to be *quite* complete - no details about exhibitions yet. But hey, getting 95% of the schedule for the biggest arts festival in history available this way is a darn good start.
Forrest says the Fringe can be contacted at festival.fringe@almac.co.uk; I haven't got this to work yet and they are unlikely to be offering an email booking service. No word yet on when or whether the International Festival, Jazz Festival and Film Festival will go electronic. Accommodation is not handled by the festival organizers but by the Tourist Information Office.
The dates for the 94 fringe are 14th August- 3rd September. 95 dates are 13 August to 2 September
30. Living Tradition.
This is the main magazine for Scottish folk music info, although it covers other forms of traditional music too. The magazine can be reached at: living.tradition@almac.co.uk (E-mail)
31. Seeing Underground Edinburgh
The bit that the tourists (and very few locals) have ever seen. Mary King's close, a medieval street under the Royal Mile. Sealed off in 1670. Not generally open to the public, but groups can book access by arrangement by calling John Wilson on 031- 662 0039 (early evenings). Access is through the City Chambers. The section is 60 metres long, steep, slippery and full of ghosts (!). John's tour's get booked up several weeks in advance. They last about three hours and are generally midweek starting about 7pm. The tour covers both the Close and the City Chambers. A donation of 3 pounds is requested for the tour. John is a councillor with an interest in local history. Bob Morton also does tours, but these just cover the Close. Sometimes it is possible to find a spare slot or two on an existing tour. About 30 people are catered for at a time.
32. Primary Literary figures
33. Scottish Guide books.
The definitive guide to eating good traditional Scottish food is "The Taste of Scotland" published by Taste of Scotland, 33 Melville St, Edinburgh, EH3 7JF
The primary guide to finding out the best things to do, go, eat, see etc in Scotland is "Scotland the Best". This is an alternative guide to Scottish culture for both locals and tourists alike. I liked it so much I bought the book. However, there were a few things I wanted adding so I sent in some comments for the 94 edition (ISBN 1 85158 622 9) (possibly ..662 9) and for my efforts got a free bottle of single malt, free Capercaillie tickets and my name in the book!
34. Primary folk music pubs
Edinburgh:
35. What is a Ceilidh
A Ceilidh (pronounced "Kay-lay", emphasis on 1st syllable) is many things. It derives from the Gaelic word meaning a visit and originally meant just that (and still does in Gaelic). It can also mean a house party, a concert or more usually an evening of informal Scottish traditional dancing to informal music. Ceilidhs in the lowlands tend to be dances, in the highlands they tend to be concerts. Dances in the highlands are called "ceilidh dances". Ceilidh dancing is fundamentally different from Scottish Country Dancing in that it is much less formal and the primary purpose is the enjoyment of doing the dance. Scottish Country Dancing is much more oriented towards being a demonstration or exhibition. Ceilidhs are extremely popular indeed with young people and often attract from a few dozen people to several hundred. There are world championships for ceilidh bands now (the first winners were Fire in the Glen, now called Tannas). There are also workshops for ceilidh bands at The Adult Learning Project, Dalry Road, Edinburgh.
Best places for Ceilidhs are:
36. Best Scottish pubs
To find out where to get the best beer (Real Ale), look in The Good Beer Guide, available from all major bookshops. Published by CAMRA. ISBN 1 85249 006 3. Published in October each year.
Edinburgh:
Non-smoking bars in Scotland. Compiled by Craig Cockburn. Please e-mail additions or corrections to me at craig@scot.demon.co.uk This list is regularly sent to anti-smoking organisations and compilers of books.
Borders
Central
Dumfries and Galloway
Highland
Lothian
Strathclyde
Tayside
37. Scottish Kings
38. Attitudes towards Gaelic TV in Scotland
(a frequent source of argument on the scot.* and ed.* hierarchy).
This survey was conducted by System Threee for the Gaelic Television Committee and published in July in their 93/94 annual report.
The Gaelic TV programmes are not funded by TV licence money, they are funded directly from the Government by Act of Parliament.
Unweighted base: 1052.
The columns are
Questions:
39. What does Craig's signature mean?
It is "Sgri\obh thugam 'sa Ga\idhlig ma 'se do thoil e."
40. Where can I buy a kilt/Highland accessories
One shop which seems to get recommended frequently is:
Geoffrey (tailor) Highland Crafts Ltd
41. Scottish song books
I'm frequently browsing through bookshops to find good songbooks, but most of the time they're of the tourist top 40 genre with only the most popular tunes in. These are the sort of tunes you might hear played at the Edinburgh tattoo, and not the sort you'd here at a folk concert or
down the pub.
I was at Blackfriars Music yesterday (the "Headquarters" of Scottish Folk) and got a copy of an excellent book by them called "The Singing Tradition on Scotland: Book 1, The Birken Tree". This particularly caught my eye as The Birken Tree was a song which our singing group performed in a concert a few weeks ago. The book is 3 pounds 50p, has 56 songs and is 64 pages. All the songs are Scottish, have staff music supplied, as well as a glossary of Scots words, notes on the songs and notes for guitarists.
There's the usual tourist songs such as The Lewis Bridal Song (Mairi's Wedding), Scotland the Brave and The Skye Boat Song, but the majority of songs are of the type that folk artists would record or which you would here down the pub. There's about 10 by Robert Burns. Unusually for book not written for the Gaelic market, there is a Gaelic song "Cumha Mhic Criomain" = MacCrimmon's Lament.
Blackfriars Music specialise in folk music and bagpipe music and sell instruments, records and books. The also publish the "Scottish Folk Arts Directory", the "yellow pages" of the Scottish folk scene detailing festivals, artists, record labels, societies, radio programmes, folk pubs etc etc. The 1994/95 edition is published next week. The 93/94 edition was 70 pages.
Blackfriars Music can be reached at:
(if you are visiting, the shop is open 7 days and is near The Scandic Crown hotel on the Royal Mile).
Another good book is "The Trefoil Song Book". This is a Scottish version of Rise up Singing. It has Scottish songs as well as non-Scottish songs. The lyrics are supplied together with chord sequences and chord charts for guitar.
42. Books for learning the fiddle
Failte gu Fidheall - The Scottish Folk Fiddle tutor, Book 1.
43. Whisky (whiskey)
Whisky is the spelling used in Scotland. Whiskey is the spelling used in Ireland, the US and some other countries. People very rarely call whisky "Scotch" in Scotland, they either ask for it by brand name or ask for any malt, or just ask for a whisky. The word "scotch" is used though (scotch is an appellation). A single malt scotch must fulfill three requirements:
The definitive book on Malt Whiskies is:
Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion
The best selling single malt in Scotland is "Glenmorangie", pronounced to rhyme with "orangey" (stress on the 2nd syllable of Glen-mor-an-gie). This word comes from the Gaelic for "Glen of Great Tranquility". The best selling single malt scotch in the world is Glenfiddich (=Glen of the Deer). My personal favourites are Highland Park (12 years old, from Orkney). Jackson rates this as "The greatest all-rounder in the world of whisky". For special occasions, I'd recommend MacAllan 18 year old. Astounding stuff!
44. The Scottish Youth Hostels Association
The best way to see Scotland if you've got a tight budget. Even if you can afford more luxurious accomodation (accomodation is always singular in Britain), Youth Hostels are definitely worth using. All ages use them and cost is typically 5 pounds a night. Most of them have lights out at
11pm, except those in large cities which are often open later.
Contact for more info, to book accomodation etc
Joining the SHYA, (#2.50 ages 5-17, #6.00 ages 18+) entitles you to use Youth Hostels all over the world
45. The Ramblers Association
A UK wide organisation. Produces a book "The Ramblers yearbook and accomodation guide" which is a good source of low cost accomodation (typically 10 - 20 pounds per person per night) ISBN 0-900613-75-0. Available from:
46. Books for hillwalkers
2 that spring to mind are:
Ralph Storer's "100 best routes on Scottish mountains", Warner books. A division of Little, Brown and Company (UK) Ltd, 165 Great Dover St, London, SE1 4YA ISBN 0 7515 0300 2. 223 pages, includes a variety of mountains throughout Scotland. Mountains classified by grade; terrain; navigation difficulty and seriousness. Includes diagrams and Gaelic translations and phonetics
Ordnance Survey: "Place names on maps of Scotland and Wales" ISBN 0-319-00223-3. 24 pages of info on Gaelic, Norse and Welsh placenames, meanings, grammar, common Anglicisations. V useful for translating many place names in remote areas.
47. What is a Munro/Corbett?
A Munro is a Scottish mountain over 3,000ft. There are 277. There must be a vertical drop of 500ft between two peaks for them to both qualify as Munros. A Top is a mountain over 3,000ft not separated by a vertical drop of 500ft from a Munro. The name Munro comes from Munros tables compiled by someone called Munro, but there have been some modifications since the table was first compiled. A Corbett is a separate mountain over 2,000ft
48. Legal questions
Scotland has its own legal system and its own laws. You cannot at present buy alcohol from an off-license (including supermarkets) on a Sunday, but this is likely to change soon. Answers to most common Scottish consumer questions can be found in:
49. Gaelic festivals
Contact:
50. Gaelic playgroups
Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich (CNSA)
An Comann Leabhraichean, An Roinn Cheilteach, Oilthigh Ghlaschu,
Glaschu, G12 8QQ
The Gaelic books council, Dept of Celtic, University of Glasgow,
Glasgow G12 8QQ.
tel: 041 339 8855
Note: All Gaelic addresses can be used fine provided the postcode is written.
5 Caolshraid Mhicheil, Inbhir Nis, IV2 3HQ, Alba
5 Mitchell's Lane, Inverness, IV2 3HQ, Scotland
Tel/Fax : 0463 711792 (+[44] 463 711792)
Also join GAELIC-L, an e-mail list for all 3 Gaelics. Details elsewhere in this FAQ
Radio Scotland (MW= Medium Wave 810, FM = 92.4 to 94.7)
Sat: 7-8pm Take the floor (FM,MW): 8-10pm "Travelling Folk" (FM,MW)
10-midnight: "Celtic Horizons" (FM,MW) (Fiona Ritchie)
The Thistle and Shamrock. This is hosted by Fiona Ritchie. There is an on-line list of stations carrying this programme - see /pub/thistle.list on FTP site: celtic.stanford.edu. The list is maintained by Pat Murphy (pmurphy@nrao.edu) and posted regularly to the rec.music.celtic group
The T&S has a brochure that gives some background on Fiona Ritchie and the show, and includes information about their Newsletter, Playlists, and Souvenirs -- T-shirts, a pin, tankard and coasters. If you want this brochure, send a SASE to "The Thistle and Shamrock, P.O. Box 560646,
Charlotte, NC 28256 (USA).
This can be picked up throughout most of the UK, including as far south as London.
Suas!, 4 Acarsaid, Cidhe Sraid Chrombail, Steornabhagh,
Eilean Leodhais PA87 2DF, Scotland.
Tel: 0851 705550
Fax: 0851 706432
McSweens Haggis, 130 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4ES
Tel: 031 229 1216.
John Mackay, Membership Secretary
6 Cairn Walk, Cults
Aberdeen, AB1 9TF.
Ordinary membership (UK) is 7 pounds a year
Unicorn Limited, Inc.
P.O. Box 397
Bruceton Mills, WV 26525
(304) 379-8803
Mairi Robinson, editor-in-chief "The Concise Scots Dictionary" 1985, (Aberdeen University Press) 862pp, a comprehensive one-volume dictionary covering the Scots language from the earliest records to the present day; based largely on:
William Grant, David Murison, editors "The Scottish National Dictionary" 10 vols., 1931-76, the Scots language from 1700 to the present day, and:
Sir William Craigie, A J Aitken et al "A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue" published up to Pr- in 5 vols., 1931-, the Scots language up to 1700.
Alexander Warrack, "Chambers Scots Dictionary" 1911, 717pp.
William Graham, "The Scots Word Book English-Scots, Scots-English Vocabularies" 1977 and 1983, 194pp.
A J Aitken, Tom McArthur, eds "Languages of Scotland" 1979, 160pp., a collection of essays on Scots and Gaelic.
David Murison "The Guid Scots Tongue" 1977, 63pp
"The New Testament in Scots" 1983, by W L Lorimer
The second is "Why Scots Matters" by J. Derrick McClure. This is more of a booklet than a book, and is an inexpensive paperback.
Vocabularies" 1977 and 1983, 194pp.
Blackfriars Music, 49 Blackfriars St, Edinburgh EH1 1NB
Tel: 031 557 3090. 1994/5 edition was published July 94.
New Register House, West Register St, Edinburgh, EH1
Tel: 031 334 0380
Fax: 031 314 4400
Scottish National Party, 6 North Charlotte St
Edinburgh. EH2 031 226 3661
(also known as Partaidh Naiseanta na h-Alba - PNA)
Common Cause, PO Box 822, Glasgow, G14 9JA, 041 631 2420
Democracy for Scotland, 5 Regent Rd, Edinburgh EH7, 031 558 3088
Scottish Patriots, 76 Constitution St, Leith, EH6, 031 554 7951
Neither is a holiday in Scotland.
Runrig Fan Club, 55 Wellington St, Aberdeen AB2 1BX. Tel: 0224 573100
Capercaillie Fan Club
Chapmanagement
PO Box 1155
Glasgow
G3 7TW
To get Capercaillie records or more info, contact:Lineup:
Published by Taynuilt Records, Highfield, Taynuilt, Argyll, PA35 1JQ This is the village which the band hail from and it's possible the record company has some of Karen's earlier recordings when she was with The Etives. The band met at Oban High School.
This is a really good album, but has no words with it and is only on cassette. Greentrax stock it.
At this point the band leave the Green Linnet label and join Survival records. The fan club starts in a London suburb (graciously promoting a ceilidh I was singing at in London!) and later moves to the studio in Glasgow where the band do much of their recording. The sound becomes a bit more contemporary, the Gaelic content goes down slightly but the sound remains much more traditional than Runrig
The beautiful song "Breisleach" from this album had its lyrics written by well known Edinburgh based Gaelic poet Angus Dubh (=Black Angus). It later became the theme music for the Gaelic soap TV programme "Machair" shown at prime time on Grampian TV and Scottish TV.
Stuart Fleming
Capercaillie Fan club
Chapmanagement
PO Box 1155
Glasgow
G3 7TW
2. "Gael Force 3: Na h-Oganaich (Young Blood)" 1974 (ref: SBE 160)
3. "Scot-free: na h-Oganaich, Young Blood" 1975 (ref: SBE 184)
Contents: 'Canan nan Gaidheal', 'Cumha Dhiarmaid', 'Coisich a ruin', 'Chor a' ghritheach dhonn', 'Eilean a' cheo', 'Puirt a beul', 'Come by the hills', 'Willie's gaen tae Melville castle', 'The searing things', 'The freedom come all ye', 'Farewell to Nova Scotia' and 'Flower of Scotland'.
Beltona Records
(Division of) The Decca Record Co. Ltd.
Decca House
9 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7SW
The School of Scottish Studies (Sgoil Eolais na h-Alba),
University of Edinburgh,
27 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD
(they run a number of summer schools)
Tel: 031 650 1000
The main work of the dept is with teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Scottish ethnology (there is a separate dept of Celtic)
EH11 2EP Tel: 031-337 5442
(has about 20 classes and about 300 students in culturally related evening and day classes)
for Skye, try Sabhal Mor Ostaig (address elsewhere)
Mi\le fa\ilte dhuit le d'bhre/id,
Fad do re/ gun robh thu sla\n.
Mo/ran la\ithean dhuit is si\th,
Le d'mhaitheas is le d'ni\ bhi fa\s.
may you be healthy all your days. May you be blessed
with long life and peace, may you grow old with
goodness, and with riches."
(line 1) up to V.42 bis. +44 (0)770 302049 24 hours Fidonet number 2:259/6 (line 1 only)
(line 2) up to V.42 bis. +44 (0)770 302532
Celtic file areas - culture, crafts, folklore, myths & tales, etc.
CELTNET Celtic conference network, "What's On" guide etc.
Sysops - Sammy McSkimming, Helen McSkimming, Lorraine MacDonald
Organization: ALMAC: Scotland : +44 (0)324 665371
ALMAC are pleased to announce the availability of information from the Dalriada Celtic History Society.
It is available (along with a host of other Scottish/Celtic material) through gopher on almac.co.uk . URL: gopher://almac.co.uk:70/11/
ALMAC
141 Bo'ness Rd
Grangemouth FK3 9BS
forrest.duncan@almac.co.uk
tel: +44 (0) 324-666336
fax: +44 (0) 324-665155
BBS: +44 (0) 324-665371
"Ceisteanna Minic a Thig" (Irish Gaelic)
Leath cho minig 's a tha\inig Minig a Thig"
Edinburgh:
Walpole Hall, Assembly Rooms, Marco's leisure centre, Cafe Royal, Southside Community Centre, St Bride's centre. The West End Hotel has leaflets on the noticeboard showing when ceilidhs are on, or look in the Folk music section of The List (the Glasgow and Edinburgh what's on guide; out fortnightly available at most newsagents). The West End Hotel also has great beer.
Glasgow:
The Riverside Club. OK place for a ceilidh but prone to being busy and too much like a nightclub. There are even bouncers (unheard of at all the good ceilidhs)
Bannerman's; Bert's bar; Bow bar; Canny Man's; Cumberland Bar; Clark's Bar; Drew Nicol's; Golden Rule; Greenmantle; Guildford Arms; Halfway House; Hampton Hotel; Holyrood Tavern; Kay's Bar; K. Jackson's Bar; Leslie's Bar; Malt and Hops; Oxford Bar; Robbie's Bar; Royal Ettrick Hotel; Smithie's Ale House; Southsider; Stable Bar; Starbank Inn; Todd's Tap The Caledonian Brewery (Slateford Road) has a big beer festival in early June; The biggest beer festival in Scotland is held at Meadowbank Stadium in early October.
Glasgow:
Athena Taverna; Babbity Bowser; Bon Accord; Boswell Hotel; Brewery Tap; The Horse shoe; Mitre; Pot Still; Sloane's; Station Bar; Tennents; Three Judges; Ubiquitous Chip; Victoria Bar
Selkirk: Tibbie Shiels Inn, Tel: 0750- 42231
Swinton: The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Tel: 089 086- 257
Dollar: Strathallan Hotel, Tel: 0259- 42205
Dumfries: Station Hotel, Tel: 0387- 54316
Inverness: Glenruidh House, Tel: 0463- 226499
Kingussie: Royal Hotel, Tel: 0540- 661868
Ullapool: The Ceilidh Place, Tel: 0854- 612103
Edinburgh (Braidburn): The Braidburn (former police station - on extension of Mayfield Rd) - no more details available yet.
Edinburgh (Canonmills): Old Coach Inn (totally non-smoking lounge bar) Tel: 031- 539 8123. Also has a regular folk evening and real ale.
Edinburgh (Newhaven): Starbank Inn. Tel: 031- 552 4141 (not a proper no-smoking bar, but a no-smoking restaurant which converts into a no-smoking drinking area when they stop serving food. Real Ale).
Edinburgh (Newington): The Festival Theatre. 031-529 6000. Real Ale, no smoking allowed at all. The bar is at the front and you don't have to be attending a performance to have a drink there. You can watch the performance on the TV screens.
South Queensferry: Hawes Inn Hotel, Tel: 031- 331 1990 (no-smoking family room until 9pm, smoking is allowed after 9pm).
Lothianburn: The Steading. Tel 031- 445 1128 (no-smoking restaurant which converts into a no-smoking drinking area when the meals trade dies down, usually after 9pm)
Ayr: Chestnuts Hotel. Tel: 0292- 264393
Glasgow: Boswell Hotel, Tel: 041- 632 9812
Kilmarnock: Hunting Lodge, Tel: 0563- 22920
Paisley (Glasgow Airport): Tap and Spile, Tel: 041- 848 4869
Broughty Ferry: Old Anchor Inn, Tel 0382- 737899 (no-smoking area is only at lunchtimes)
Dundee: Speedwell Bar, Tel: 0382- 67783. Sawdust on floor!
Kinesswood: Lomond Country Inn, Tel: 0592- 84253
Montrose: George Hotel, Tel: 0674- 75050
Kenneth I MacAlpin 843 - 858
Donald I 858 - 862
Constantine I 862 - 877
Aed 877 - 878
Eochaid 878 - 889
Donald II 889 - 900
Constantine II 900 - 943
Malcolm I 943 - 954
Indulf 954 - 962
Dubh 962 - 966
Culen 966 - 971
Kenneth II 971 - 995
Constantine III 995 - 997
Kenneth III 997 - 1005
Malcolm II 1005 - 1034
Duncan I 1034 - 1040
Macbeth 1040 - 1057
Lulach 1057 - 1058
Malcolm III Canmore 1058 - 1093
Donald Ban 1093 - 1094
Duncan II 1094 - 1094
Donald Ban (again) 1094 - 1097
Edgar 1097 - 1107
Alexander I 1107 - 1124
David I 1124 - 1153
(this is incomplete) The Scottish Monarchy merged with the English Monarchy in 1603 when James VI of Scotland became James I of England.
Figures are percentages
1) Agree strongly
2) Agree slightly
3) Neither agree nor disagree
4) Disagree slightly
5) Disagree strongly
6) Don't know
7) Mean score
a) There are too many Gaelic programmes on television nowadays. Answers: 11 15 13 36 20 4 -0.40
b) I enjoy watching Gaelic TV programmes, even though I may not speak Gaelic myself. Answers: 12 30 12 20 23 4 -0.14
c) Too many Gaelic TV programmes are shown at peak times. Answers: 14 14 13 36 17 6 -0.29
d) It is important that the Gaelic language in Scotland is kept alive through Gaelic programmes on TV. Answers: 40 35 9 8 5 3 1.00
and is Scots Gaelic for "Write to me in Gaelic please".
57-59 High Street (2 doors up from John Knox's house)
Royal Mile
Edinburgh
EH1 1SR
Tel: 031 557 0256
Open 7 days and late on Thursday
Although it's on the Royal Mile, the prices should be reasonable. They hire outfits; sell outfits and also sell ex-hire outfits. Note that women in Scotland don't wear kilts, they wear kilted skirts.
Blackfriars Music
49 Blackfriars St
Edinburgh
EH1 1NB
Scotland
Tel: 031 557 3090
The book has about 150 songs and is 63 A4 pages. To order one, contact The Trefoil Centre, Gogarbank, Edinburgh, EH12 9DA, Scotland Tel: 031 339 3148. The book is 2 pounds 50p plus postage. The Trefoil centre organises holidays for the handicapped, is a charity, and proceeds from the sales of the book go towards continuing the work of the centre.
(This book is in English with a bilingual Gaelic-English introduction) A Comprehensive guide for beginners Compiled and arranged by Christine Martin and Anne Hughes Published by Taigh na Teud (Harpstring house). Address: 13 Breacais Ard, Isle of Skye, Scotland, IV42 8PY Published 1992, ISBN 1 871931 90 8
They also publish "Ceilidh collections", "Ceol na Fidhle" (=music of the fiddle) and "SessionTunes". The book is about 5 pounds and is 42 A4 pages. There is also a demonstration tape to accompany the book, available from the publishers. This is a really good book with one of the best selections of tunes (Highland, Lowland and others) I've seen in any book.
I) It must be the product of only one distillery
II) It must be made exclusively from barley malt
III) It must be made in Scotland.
Highland malt whisky must be made in an area north west of a line which passes near Dunblane (my home town!). It includes both Deanston and Blackford, the adjacent towns to the west and north of Dunblane.
A Connoisseur's Guide to the Malt Whiskies of Scotland
Published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 9 Henrietta St, London, WC2E 8PS ISBN (1989 edition - probably superceded now) 0-86318-387-5. 9 pounds 95p. 240 pages, hardback
Covers over 250 malts from over 120 distilleries with full tasting notes.
Includes all well known brands plus rare and specialist bottlings
Includes rating system for both the whisky and the distillery.
Includes alphabetic index, and list of distilleries (with phone numbers) that offer tours.
The Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SHYA)
7 Glebe Crescent
Stirling
Scotland
FK8 2JA
Tel: 0786 451181
The Ramblers' Association, 1/5 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2XX
Tel: 071 582 6878
Your Rights and Responsibilities, A personal guide for Scottish Consumers. published by HMSO and the Scottish Consumer Council. ISBN 0 11 495205 1, 4 pounds 95p, Telephone orders: 071 873 9090
Arthur Cormack
Feisean nan Gaidheal
5 Caolshra\id Mhicheil
Inbhir Nis (Inverness)
Scotland, IV2 3HQ
Tel: 0463 226472 Fax: 0463 237470
21A Castle Street
Inverness
IV2 3ER
Tel: 0463 225469
Runs about 100 pre-school playgroups throughout Scotland through the medium of Gaelic