Burns Night is going virtual, and there are a lot of ways you can take part to toast and celebrate Scotland’s National Bard, Robbie Burns.
Scotland
Growing up in New Brunswick, back in the 80s, road trips were a staple of my family’s summer vacation plans. We had short trips, with a few days in Bouctouche or Fundy National Park, and we had longer trips down Maine’s Route 1 to stay in Machias, Jonesport, and Bar Harbor. And every time, it felt like a new adventure.
Two years ago, when I was traveling in Scotland, I asked a guy working at a record store what local bands he could recommend. I had heard of a few, but had hoped he might tell me about a new band I might never hear of outside the country.
The result was hit and miss, he got me into The Fratellis, who I had heard in the iPod ad but hadn’t listened to otherwise, and he got me into Paolo Nutini and their CD, These Streets.
In a city the size of Glasgow it would be easy to get lost among the restaurants. There are dozens of famous eateries in the city and picking one among the crowd can be a bit daunting. It becomes much easier however when you discover a chef like Michael Caines.
Scotland has always held a special fascination for me – from the castles, culture, scenery, and even the food, I’ve wanted to explore the land that one of my ancestor’s once called home. Lots of countries offer something special that you won’t find anywhere else, but for me Scotland’s allure was the connection I felt to its history.
On our way back to Glasgow for our last night in Scotland we chose to stop off at a nearby castle before we even realized it wasn’t just any castle – it turned out that Doune Castle, which was used as the set for Monty Pythοn and the Holy Grail. Pick almost any room in the castle and it was used for something in the movie. We were just getting our Historic Scotland pass stamped when the guy asked us if we were Monty Pythοn fans and promptly handed us a coconut that was cut in half and attached together so you can clomp along like a knight of the round table.
Nessy, is that you? (Continued from Part 1 and Part 2.) By this point in our trip we realized that the end was getting very close. We woke up late…
Aisha & Wil at Melrose Abbey (Continued from Part 1…) Waking up the next day, Tuesday, May 22, we went down to breakfast in Dalhousie Castle’s Orangery and then went…
Some time ago, on May 18th to be exact, I went on a trip to Scotland with Aisha for a bit of a vacation. Okay, that would be 10 days…
You’ll have to excuse how quiet The GATE has been, but I’ve been on vacation in Scotland for the last 9 days with Aisha and I haven’t had any time…