Scotland: FAQ

How did Scotland get its name?

Scotland gets its 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 500 AD that they built up a sizeable colony, though. The Scots spoke Irish, not Scots. Scots is a Germanic language, like English.

Scotland is not a wholly Celtic country, since from the first millennium BC, it has been a place of multiple languages. This tradition continues today. First of all Scotland was Pictish and British; then Gaelic, Norse and Scots came next, 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.

What do you call people living in Scotland?

Scot, Scotch-Irish, Scotchman, Scotsman/woman, Scottish.

What are the Scottish Royal Regalia?

Remember that with the death of Queen Elizabeth I, King James of Scotland acceded to the English throne, uniting the two kingdoms. Therefore the panoply of the Scottish monarchy exists in a form separate from the English Crown Jewels. They are to be seen in Edinburgh Castle.

The Crown. It is not known exactly how old this crown is. It was remodelled by James V in 1540. It is accepted that it is made from Scottish gold from the Crawford Moor mine, actively worked at this time.

The Sceptre. A gift from the Pope to James IV in 1494. It too was remodelled by James V, who seemed to have liked the jewellery, and even added his initials to the sceptre. The globe of the sceptre is a cut and polished rock crystal, with a Scottish pearl on top.

The Sword of State. Another gift from another pope to James IV in 1507. A fine example of craftsmanship, it came complete with swordbelt and a consecrated hat. The blade of the sword is a metre long.

Following the Treaty of Union in 1707, the ancient crown jewels of Scotland disappeared for a century, nobody knew what had happened to them. Rumours circulated that the English had removed them to London. In 1818 Sir Walter Scott obtained permission from the Prince Regent (later George IV) to search Edinburgh castle for the Royal Scottish regalia. The searchers eventually found them locked in an oak chest, covered with linen cloths, exactly as they had been left in 1707.

Is “Mac” Scottish and “Mc” Irish?

Mac and Mc do not indicate Scottish or Irish origins. They are both exactly the same word, the Mc is actually the abbreviated form of Mac (and sometimes meic) and was usually written M’c (sometimes even M’) with the apostrophe indicating that the name has been abbreviated. There is, however, one distinction to make as far as differentiating between a name being Scottish or Irish. If it is an O’ name it is always Irish (those in Scotland are mostly 19th century emigrations), but if it is a Mac, Mc or other variation it can be either Scottish or Irish!

What is a Ceilidh?

A Ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lay”) is many things. It derives from the Gaelic word meaning “a visit” and originally meant just that. 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.

Ceilidh dancing is fundamentally different from Scottish Country Dancing in that it is less formal and the primary purpose is enjoyment. Scottish Country Dancing is much more oriented towards being a demonstration or exhibition. Ceilidhs are extremely popular with young people and often attract from a few dozen people to several hundred. There are world championships for ceilidh bands now. Ceilidhs are also part of Hogmanay – New Year’s celebrations in Edinburgh.

What are some words connected to Scotland?

Scotch: word for smoky-flavored whisky NEVER used by Scots

Scotch broth: bullion made with a meat stock, vegetables, and lots of barley to give it a sticky texture

Scotch egg: a boiled egg in sausage meat and breadcrumbs

Scotch mist: characteristic western weather condition resulting in constant damp misery

Scotch bluebell: a common flower found on Scottish heaths

Scottish terrier: a dog with a heavy-set body, short legs, blunt muzzle and a dark, wiry coat

Scotch thistle: the purple plant which is the national emblem of Scotland

Scotch verdict: “not proven”, a peculiarity of Scotland’s legal system

What about the border between Scotland and England?

The border between Scotland and England stretches for 174 km between the Solway Firth along the Cheviot Hills and the river Tweed, to the North Sea. Hadrian’s Wall, built by the Romans, ran further south than this, from Carlisle on the River Eden to the River Tyne in the east. The town of Berwick on Tweed, at the mouth of the Tweed, changed hands between Scotland and England 13 times between 1147 and 1482 before finally becoming part of England.

What is the Curse of Scotland?

The nine of diamonds playing card is often referred to as the “Curse of Scotland.” There are a number of reasons given for this connection:

1. It was the playing card used by Sir John Dalrymple, the Earl of Stair, to cryptically authorise the Glencoe Massacre. There is a resemblance between the card and his coat of arms.

2. The Duke of Cumberland is supposed to have scribbled the order for “no mercy” to be given after the Battle of Culloden on a nine of diamonds playing card.

3. It might have been a misreading of the “Corse of Scotland”, i.e. the “Cross of Scotland” or St. Andrew’s Saltire. There is a resemblance between the pattern and the Saltire.

4. Nine diamonds were at one time stolen from the crown of Scotland and a tax was levied on the Scottish people to pay for them – the tax got the nickname “The Curse of Scotland”.

How did “Scotch” get attached to cellophane tape?

In 1921 the 3M Company put Richard Drew to work in improving their products. Drew promised he’d work on a tape which would leave a clean line when removed. In time he produced a 2-inch wide masking tape with adhesive on each edge. While testing Drew’s first product, an auto painter watched it fall off because it only had a 1/2” wide strip of adhesive along each edge, a money-saving measure. The painter angrily told Mr. Drew, “Take this back to your stingy Scotch bosses and tell them to put more adhesive on it.” This ethnic slur regarding Scottish thrift may have been unjustified, but it eventually got him the stickier tape he wanted. The name “Scotch” has “stuck” ever since.

How did Scotland Yard get its name?

The City of London Police was set up in 1829, in a private house which opened on to a courtyard, known as “Great Scotland Yard.” The back premises of 4 Whitehall Place were then used as the first police station. It was this address that led to the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police being known as “Scotland Yard.”

Whether the land was once owned by a Mr. Adam Scot, or the land had been set aside as a London residence for the Kings of Scotland (which was never built), is not exactly clear. Early in the 17th century, noted architects Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren lived in a house on the site, as did poet John Milton.

By 1887, the Yard was running out of space, and a new building was constructed on the Thames Embankment. After numerous expansions, New Scotland Yard was built in 1967 on Victoria Street.

What is the Fortingall Yew?

Fortingall is a small village in Perthshire. The yew tree growing there is at least 3,000 years old and possibly 5,000 years. It is certainly the oldest living organism in Britain. Its girth, when measured in 1769, was over 56 feet.

In the last few hundred years, souvenir hunters began to take large pieces of the tree, so a wall had to be built to protect it. Some of its branches only survive because they are propped up. Recently, tree surgeons took cuttings from the surviving branches. They are being grown by the Forestry Commission and planted in woods around the country, so the “Fortingall Yew” will live on for perhaps another few thousand years, even if the original eventually does not survive.

Early people revered the yew tree as the “tree of eternity” and such a tree often marked a place of worship. Close by Fortingall is a Neolithic cairn (a standing stone) and the site of a medieval homestead.

A “time line” of Caithness slabs has been set up at Fortingall to put the lifetime of the tree into a historical perspective. These have carvings to illustrate major historical events which occurred during the lifetime of the tree.

What is the Stone of Destiny (Scone)?

Legend says that the Stone of Destiny was used by Jacob (in the Bible) as a pillow. It was believed to have been brought to Scotland in the 9th century.

The Stone was used as part of the crowning ceremonies of the kings of Dalriada, in the west of Scotland (now Argyll). When Kenneth I, the 36th king moved his capital to Scone around 840 AD, the Stone of Destiny was moved there, too. Coronations of Scottish kings took place at Scone Palace. John Balliol was the last Scottish king to be crowned on the Stone at Scone in 1292.

It was taken away by King Edward I of England in 1296 and remained under the Coronation Throne at Westminster Abbey in London for 700 years. Now there is only a replica at Scone Palace.

On December 25, 1950 a group of Scottish Nationalists stole the Stone and brought it back to Scotland for four months before it was returned. The stone finally came home to Scotland on St. Andrew’s Day, 30 November 1996, and is housed beside the other Honours of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle.

In the event of a future coronation of a British monarch, the Stone of Destiny is to be temporarily replaced under the Coronation Throne at Westminster Abbey.

Does Scotland issue its own money?

Scottish banks have issued banknotes continuously since 1695. Only the Royal Bank in Scotland still designs and prints their own pound notes. Scottish banknotes are used every day and about 95% of the notes in circulation in Scotland come from Scottish banks. Sometimes Scottish notes travel to England and Wales and they are usually accepted there.

Scottish banks do not produce coins – the British Royal Mint has a monopoly on that.