🙂 North Coast 500. Scenery. Munros. Whisky. Islands.
🙁 Not a thing! (except haggis!)
Currency: Scottish Pound – same as GBP
Four things we did not know about Scotland:
- The official animal of Scotland is the Unicorn! The unicorn representing Scotland in the coat of arms is always depicted bounded by a golden chain, which is often seen passing around its neck and wrapping all around its body. The unicorn was believed to be the strongest of all animals – wild and untamed, and that it could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. It is possible that the entrapment symbolises the power of the Scottish kings – they were strong enough to tame even a unicorn.
- Scotland has approximately 790 islands which are found to be in several distinct groups encompassing the major archipelagos of the Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. At the time of the last census in 2001, there were 95 inhabited Scottish islands with a total population of approx. 99,660.
- The raincoat was invented in Scotland by a man named Charles Macintosh, who was born in Glasgow. Scottish chemist, best known for his invention in 1823 of a method for making waterproof garments by using rubber dissolved in coal-tar naphtha for cementing two pieces of cloth together. The mackintosh garment was named for him.
- According to the Licensing Act 1872, it’s an offence in Scotland to be drunk while in charge of a cow, horse, carriage or steam engine – or while in the possession of a loaded firearm. If found guilty, according to Scottish Field, you could be jailed for up to 51 weeks.
