SILVANA SARDI
Scotland is Magic!
About Scotland
If someone says Scotland, what do you think of? Kilts? Tartan? The Bagpipes?
Well, yes you’re right, but there’s lots more too! First, let’s see where Scotland is!
On the map
Scotland is north of England and is part of the island of Great Britain. Scotland also has many islands, almost 800! The most famous islands are Shetland (where those nice little ponies* come from!) Orkney, the Hebrides, Arran and Skye. Just over 5 million people live in Scotland so there’s lots of space for everyone!
History
People have lived in Scotland since 10,000 BC, but they haven’t always had a quiet life. First, the Romans arrived in England but they didn’t get much farther. The Romans were afraid of the Scots so they built a wall between England and Scotland called ‘Hadrian’s Wall’. You can still see parts of it today. Then the Vikings came from Norway and Denmark. But Scotland’s biggest enemy* became the English and there were lots of wars between these two countries. Do you remember the film Braveheart about William Wallace? He fought against the English for a free Scotland. There were wars for years. Then, finally, in 1603, King James VI of Scotland became James I of both England and Scotland.
What about the people?
Millions of tourists come to visit Scotland every year. Scottish people are friendly and will always help you with a smile. Remember, if you come to visit, bring an umbrella because the Scottish summer can be very short, and even then it rains! And… never ask a Scot if he’s English or you could be in big trouble!
The Government
Scotland is part of the UK but it has had its own parliament since 1999 in Edinburgh, the capital city. The Scottish Parliament decides on things like health*, laws and education*, while the UK parliament decides about defence* and Europe. On 18th September 2014, there was a referendum to decide if Scotland wanted to become a completely independent country but Scotland decided to stay part of the UK. Since the ‘Brexit’ result, Scotland is thinking about having another referendum to become independent. Who knows…maybe one day…
pony a small horse enemy not a friend health hospitals etc. education schools, universities etc. defence how to keep the country safe
Bagpipes
Of all the different types of musical instruments, bagpipes have a really unique sound. Have you ever heard anyone playing them? Do you think bagpipes come from Scotland? They certainly play them in Scotland but maybe there’s more to their history than you think…
Where do they come from?
Bagpipes are very important in Scotland but… they weren’t invented there! Historians believe that bagpipes were used in ancient Rome and parts of the Middle East, including Persia (known today as Iran). How they arrived in Scotland is still a mystery. Many people began to associate bagpipes with Scotland after World Wars I and II, because there was always a piper* who played them at the start of a battle*.
Do you know?
Today, Scotland is one of the two countries where bagpipes are made. The other country is… Pakistan!
Bagpipe Day is International Bagpipe Day. On this day, all kinds of pipers meet together, organise concerts, visit schools and play in the streets. It’s great fun!
When do they play the bagpipes?
There are lots of different types of bagpipes. The most famous are the Great Highland pipes that are bigger than other bagpipes and the most difficult to play. The sound of the bagpipes is very particular and most people love it or hate it! In the past, each clan* had its own piper who wrote special songs. He played when a child was born, at weddings*, and when somebody died, and at the start of a battle. Today the bagpipes are played at special times like New Year and at weddings.
Bagpipes aren’t popular just with folk and country music but… pop music too.
For example, a piper played in Paul McCartney’s song Mull of Kintyre and in ACDC’s song, It’s a long way to the top. You can also find electronic bagpipes now, but they will never take the place of the Great Highland bagpipes.
piper the person who plays the bagpipes battle part of a war
Can you believe it?
Astronaut Kjell Lindgren played Amazing Grace with his bagpipes in space! It seems to be the first time for this instrument in space!
clan large group of people from the same family wedding when two people get married
Castles
4 Do you know how many castles there are in Scotland? Thousands! There are strange castles that are family homes, castles that are now hotels and… best of all haunted* castles. Read about some of them and decide which one you’d like to visit.
If you believe in ghosts Cawdor Castle is the place for you!
Cawdor Castle is famous for its two ghosts that haunt the castle. Many people say they have seen a woman in a blue dress, Muriel Calder, and her husband Sir John Campbell. The Campbell family lived in Cawdor Castle in the 1500s and Muriel got married to John when she was only eleven or twelve! They loved each other very much and their ghosts show everybody that they have stayed together forever. So, if you see them, don’t be afraid, they’re friendly ghosts!
Would you like to live in a castle?
Well, the Boyle family do…
Kelburn Castle is certainly very strange! Just have a look at the picture and you’ll see why! The castle was first built in the 13th century and is now the home of the Boyle family. In 2007, the family asked three Brazilian Graffiti artists to paint the outside walls because they were old and broken. Do you like their work?
Go back in time at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle was the home of the Kings and Queens of Scotland. It’s famous for the ghost of Mary Witherspoon known as the ‘Pink Lady’. People say they can smell roses in the air, her favourite flower, when she is in a room. The castle is fun too because you can dress up in period costumes and play medieval instruments. From the Castle, across the valley, you can see the ‘Wallace Monument’, a tower on a hill. They built the tower to remember this ‘Braveheart’ who fought to keep Scotland free. If you want to visit it, remember there are 247 steps to get to the top of the tower (phew!) but the view is great!
Would you like to sleep the night in a haunted castle or join a ghost hunt?
Lots of castles in Scotland organise sleepovers* or special tours at midnight where you can meet ghosts and hear about their terrible stories. Too scary for you?
haunted with ghosts sleepover when you spend the night in a place
Dolly the Sheep
Dolly was certainly the world’s most famous sheep. So what was so special about her? 5
A very special sheep
Dolly was special because she was the first sheep cloned from an adult cell* using a scientific method called ‘nuclear transfer’. This was done at the Roslin Institute, part of Edinburgh University. Dolly was part of a study at the Roslin Institute to
find new medicines made from the milk of farm animals. The scientists at the Roslin Institute tried 277 times to clone a sheep. Finally they managed and Dolly was born on 5th July 1996. She immediately became famous all over the world.
Do you know?
Dolly was named after the famous American country and western singer Dolly Parton.
Do you think Dolly had a normal life?
Dolly lived all her life at the Roslin Institute. She was like a film star and they looked after her very well. They even kept her inside at night because they were afraid somebody could steal her
Where can you see Dolly?
because she was so important. She found a partner and had her own lambs*. Her first lamb was called ‘Bonnie’, which means ‘beautiful’ in Scottish, and then she had ‘twins’, Sally and Rosie, and finally another three, Lucy, Darcy and Cotton. This was important for science as it showed that a cloned sheep could have lambs like any other normal sheep. Dolly lived for six and a half years and died on 14th February 2003.
Visit the Explore Gallery at the National Museum of Scotland and you can see Dolly the science superstar. The Roslin Institute gave Dolly to the museum for their new gallery that opened in July 2016 to remember when Dolly was born twenty years before. cell a small part of any living thing lamb baby sheep
Dolly T-shirts, Dolly bags, Dolly hats.
Dolly everything!
Everybody loved Dolly and there are lots of things you can buy to remember this very special sheep. There are also Dolly the Sheep cartoons and comics you can read too. Why not look for some… they’re really funny!
Edinburgh
6 Well you all know that Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. But what is there to see and do there?
The Castle
The first thing you see when you arrive in Edinburgh is the Castle. It’s on top of a volcano. Yes, a volcano! But don’t worry, it’s 700 million years old, so it’s safe. Inside the walls of the Castle, there’s St Margaret’s Chapel*, the oldest building in Scotland.
Do you know?
What’s in the Crown* Room?
Well, of course, the Scottish Crown Jewels! Here you can also find the ‘Stone of Destiny’. This special stone is used when crowning Scottish and English Kings and Queens. They used it in 1952 when Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom.
Students at Edinburgh University don’t go near the Castle before exams because they say it’s bad luck! Maybe they don’t want to meet the ghost of the ‘Lone Piper’. People say you can hear him playing his bagpipes. Sounds scary!
Is it 1pm?
What’s Mons Meg?
Mons Meg is the big 15th century cannon* at Edinburgh Castle. Its stone cannon balls were three times the size of a human head! Mons Meg was very heavy to take to battles, so they decided to keep it at the Castle.
Nobody asks that question in Edinburgh, because every day from the Castle they fire the ‘One o’clock Gun’!
How long is The Royal Mile?
The Royal Mile is 1.81km long and is the road that goes from the Castle to Holyrood Palace. Holyrood Palace is the official Scottish residence of the British King or Queen. Queen Elizabeth II stays there for a week every summer. Tourists love the Royal Mile for its shops and restaurants.
What about some shopping?
Princes Street is full of beautiful shops. Here you can also find Princes Street Gardens. You can relax in the sun here (when it comes out!).
chapel small church crown what a king or queen wears on his/her head
cannon
Food
Do you like fish, meat or fast food? Well there’s something for everybody in Scotland, some of them with quite strange names!
Haggis
This is one of Scotland’s most famous dishes and still popular today. It’s made from lots of different parts of a sheep, like its heart and there are also onions and salt and pepper. Do you like the idea? Well, believe it or not, it’s really good. Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns even wrote a poem about it called Address to a Haggis in 1787. At that time, it was a dish for the poor because they made it with all the parts of the sheep that nobody wanted. Now, you can find it on the menu of most good restaurants served with potatoes and other vegetables.
Cullen Skink
No, it’s not an animal! It’s a Scottish soup made with fish, potatoes and onions. People often have it as a starter when they are out for dinner. They serve it with bread and butter (everybody puts butter on their bread in Scotland!).
Meat and Fish
Scotland is famous for its good meat. You can see the cows and sheep in the beautiful green countryside. These animals live in the fresh air and drink good, clean Scottish water so the beef and lamb are very good. As for fish, there is a wide variety of fish and seafood. Salmon is probably the most famous and is eaten all over the world.
Cranachan
This is a type of dessert. Don’t you think it looks delicious? If you want a biscuit with your cup of tea (people drink lots of tea in Scotland – with milk of course!) then you can have a piece of shortbread. Don’t worry, it’s not bread, but a special biscuit made with lots of sugar and butter. Another nice thing with a cup of tea is a yum yum, a very sweet cake.
Fish and Chips and much more
Scottish people love all kinds of fried* food so when you go to a fish and chip shop there’s a lot to choose from. You can find deep fried sausages, deep fried haggis, deep fried pizza (usually called ‘pizza crunch’) and even deep fried Mars Bars!
fried cooked in a lot of oil
cranachan
yum yum
Dolly the Sheep
Read about Dolly and complete the text. Dolly was a famous sheep because she was (1) …….…...…............... . She was (2) …………................... on 5th July 1996. She got her name from the American (3) ………...…................, Dolly Parton. She had a happy (4) …………................... at the Roslin Institute. She had six (5) …………................... She lived for six and a half (6) ………….................. .
Edinburgh
Your class visited Edinburgh last week. Write an email to your Australian friend, Mark. Tell him:
what you saw
what you did
what you liked best
Food
What would you like to eat?
1 It’s made from different parts of a sheep. h
2 It’s a soup. c _ s
3 It’s a biscuit made with sugar and butter. s
4 It’s a sweet at the fish and chip shop. d _ f _ m _ b
5 It’s a nice cake with a cup of tea. y _ y
Gaelic
Can you speak Scottish Gaelic? Match the Scottish Gaelic words with the English ones.
1 ■ ben
2 ■ glen
3 ■ loch
4 ■ Alba
5 ■ clan a family b lake c valley d mountain e Scotland
Highland Games
Write the right name under each picture.
Toss the Caber • The Stone Put • Ceilidh
Interesting Places
Listen and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F).
1 Eilean Donan is a castle.
2 The Falkirk Wheel lifts boats.
3 The Kelpies are made of steel.
4 Only 35 people live on the Inner Hebrides.
5 The stone houses of Skara Brae had two rooms. ■ ■