Friday 13 April 2012

That Friday Feeling... Scotland

I've just got back from an amazing trip to Scotland (watch this space tomorrow for a post about it) and thought it was only fitting to have a Scottish theme today. I have to say, I absolutely loved Scotland - it is much more beautiful than any of the photos / pictures / postcards you see of it make out. I spent a fair amount of time walking around with my mouth hanging open in awe. Anyway, here are some lovely pieces that are either Scottish or Scottish-inspired that I came across on Etsy this week.


I love RainbowsontheBeach's Scottish seaglass necklaces - I have one of my own! 

A cute tartan tote bag by stufforama

 I really like this gorgeous cup by JuliaSmithCeramics. It reminds me a little of Manx ceramics too.

What little snippets of information can I find for you today?

  • Not only is Edinburgh the capital city of Scotland, it was also the first city in the world to have it's own Fire Brigade.
  • The official animal of Scotland is the unicorn. I love that!
  • Scotland is more than just the mainland - there are about 790 islands as well although only about 130 of them are inhabited.
  • The highest point in Scotland is Ben Nevis at 1,343m and the lowest is the Bed of Loch Morar at 300m below sea level. 
  • Modern inventions owe a lot to the Scots - it's the place where television, penicillin, tyres, video cassettes and golf were all invented.
  • Scotland was not always on the same continent - there are two very distinct areas of Scotland: the Highlands and the Lowlands which were originally on different tectonic plates. Several million years ago 2 continental plates met and eventually fused together forming the Highland Boundary Fault and much of the scenery we now associate with Scotland.
  • The Loch Ness Monster is obviously a well-known international celebrity, although the legend is relatively new (dating from 1933 or thereabouts). I went to Loch Lomond in the hope of meeting one of Nessie's cousins but sadly only saw deer, no monsters. Oh well. Here's a song from one of my favourite TV cartoons when I was little... There isn't just one Loch Ness monster, the Family Ness have all sorts of characters and I used to love them all: 


4 comments:

Wishes on the Wind said...

Hiya,
fantastic blog and thanks for the feature:)
So glad to hear you loved being in Scotland, sounds like you had an amazing time.

LinniR said...

I love Scotland, too. I remember one summer pointlessly driving many miles west along a single track road for about an hour, then turning round and driving all the way back again, just to visit the most westerly point in mainland Great Britain. This is Ardnamurchan Point - beautiful, if a bit pointless! http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kilchoan/ardnamurchanpoint/index.html

Unknown said...

wow that video took me back! Love the etsy picks, all beautiful :)

Creating Trouble said...

Thanks for the lovely comments - had such a fantastic time up in Scotland and am missing it already!

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