Tell me something good about Scotland...

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Go on, then...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:02 (twenty-two years ago)

If it were so great, my grandparents wouldn't have left!

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:03 (twenty-two years ago)

it's an obscure pleasure...

but whisky's good, it's pretty, glasgow's the greatest/worst city in the whole wide world...

you just have to accept (as a jocko) you'll never be really good at anything. you can be good, you can't just be a world beater.

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of it is lightly populated.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:04 (twenty-two years ago)

The men are generally funny and ruggedly handsome, yes indeedy.

― penelope_111, Friday, 30 April 2004 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

So are the women actually

― penelope_111, Friday, 30 April 2004 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

ha ha, eyeball kicks! "the best thing about scotland is that there isn't really that many scottish people, considering..."

xpost

generally but not always *sob*

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

The accent (of course teuchter wanks (and that can include anyone from outside Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire) have stupid silly voices) is the best of all british regional accents. (not much competition)

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:11 (twenty-two years ago)

on a sunny day, Edinburgh is the second most beautiful city I have ever seen, after Seville.

― Dave Amos, Friday, 30 April 2004 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I live there.

― leigh (leigh), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:17 (twenty-two years ago)

So do I

(but not for much longer)

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, because most of it's been sparsely populated since before the Industrial Revolution, it's got really good Iron Age and previous archeology, still entact!

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:23 (twenty-two years ago)

(but on the other hand there are huge parts of the country that are blank on the archaeological maps because nobody's bothered to survey them at all ever)

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Me too.
(for much longer)

The combination of Edinburgh and Glasgow, their proximity and peculiarities, is a schizophrenic joy to behold.

Sauchiehall St. on a friday night it hilarious.

Almost everyone I know and love stays there.

2xpost

― hmmm (hmmm), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:25 (twenty-two years ago)

My best memory of Sauchiehall St: walking down it at 5.30am to catch the first Glasgow-Edinburgh train, and seeing the little street-sweeping machines having races down the middle of the street.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

(Well, just coz they're not surveyed doesn't mean there's nothing there! In fact it means there's stuff there just WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED!!!)

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

My worst memory of sauchiehall street was coming back from my GF's bit in edinburgh in the summer (Princes Street felt quite vibrant, lots of backpackers, very nice) and getting the last bus back to glasgow, walking down Sauchiehall street as the pubs came out and just feeling the glasgow ennui in spades.

xpost

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I know that. I was going to base a PhD round it, but didn't have enough time or money.

(properly surveying is a big job. The Royal Commission on the Ancient And Historic Monuments Of Scotland used to do it. After they finished doing Argyll, though, they gave up: Argyll had taken over thirty years on its own, and they said they couldn't afford to do any more)

(xpost)

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, ISLAY, THE MAGICAL ISLAND OF SCOTCH!!!

And, erm, Iona.

(x-post)

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

One whole volume of the Argyll survey was just about Iona.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:32 (twenty-two years ago)

::twitches with excitement::

HSA spent half his summer holidays as a youth on Lewis because his mum was digging up a midden tip there.

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The M74 southbound carriageway ;-)

― Jesus H. Clapton, Friday, 30 April 2004 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of my digging, whilst I was an archaeologist, was on Lewis.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I already asked you if you knew HSA's mum, on the last archeology thread, didn't I?

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't remember if you did or not. I don't actually know many, but I might recognise her name.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:37 (twenty-two years ago)

hey can any of you fun archaelogists tell me anything about colonsay. I'm doing a little report into it and a few fun facts could liven up this rather dry read...

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, no. I can barely remember where it is.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Dr. C@r0line B@nk$ (or Gr1gs0n, she used both names). Ring any bells?

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Nope, sorry. Never heard of her!

(I clearly wasn't a very good archaeologist. Good thing I decided not to be one any more.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 30 April 2004 09:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Poor old colonsay. (it's just above Islay, btw, and has a population of 126).

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Islay. Quite apart from the whisky, they make great cheese there. Great deserted beaches. Also Father Tag is from there so I spent many a happy holiday in Port Charlotte as a boy.

― Tag (Tag), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheese *and* whiskey? I know where I'm having my next holiday!

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate, stop stealing my thoughts!

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Belle & Sebastian are playing there for free in June.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

But they're such yummy thoughts!

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Belle and Sebastian are playing in Islay???

― Tag (Tag), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Ugh! Ugh! I didn't see that x-post! Ugh, what awfulness, a taste in my mouth so sour as to erradicate the niceness of the whisky and the cheese. :-(

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Only me is good.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 30 April 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

and me.

― hmmm (hmmm), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Ray 'Tonka' Stewart

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Just for me, like...

Lying on the big hill near Sirling Castle in summer; the sunsets at the end of Sauchiehall St; around Ayr in Autumn; lots of the buildings, everywhere; Arran; the woozy energy of Byres Road in Spring; our house; the hills, north, everywhere; the possibility of quiet and vibrant within such close proximity; Kelvingrove park; Edinburgh's winding, elegant charm out of season; the hazy views of cranes between the buildings early morning from one of the higher points in Glasgow city centre.

I'll stop now.

― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

the MUSIC. Duh.

― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

1) They're from Liverpool or somewhere like that that clearly ISN'T Scotland

2) They're hardly good, are they?

;-)

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The entire coastline pretty much rules.

― hmmm (hmmm), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate, you're right. Sorry.

― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

No-one would have hair that bad in Scotland.

― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 30 April 2004 12:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Ally C will be dead, there, soon. if he continues to post, as me, when he has the opportunity, and even if he doesn't.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

The Road to the Isles is amazing. Especially when raining. As does Glenfinnan. Rannoch Moor is the most awesome place I've seen, and Glencoe make me lose my ability to see perspective.
Loch Awe is restful.
They consistently vote Labour much more than other parts of the UK (Southern inflictors of Thatcherism - you know who I mean).
Arisaig is gorgeous.
Mallaig is good for fish, if you like that sort of thing.
Celtic play there.

― Dave B in Edinburgh (daveb), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

nothing has persuaded me of any merit, thus far

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 7 June 2004 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you been Dave? HAVE YOU? Because I've spent time in London, a fair bit of time, and it sucks dick. It's ugly. It's polluted. Crap drinking laws. Black people in low level jobs. Squalor. Claustrophobic streets at rush hours. Shit drinking laws. Ugly accents. I HATE the underground. The city smells like wee. On the other hand, Edinburgh is everything London is not. The people are nice. The city is cleaner. It's beautiful ("The Athens of the North"). It's vibrant. It's not as big, so there is more of a feeling of community.

But, again, why not see for yourself? HAVE YOU FUCKING BEEN you goat cock licking arse monger?

― C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 7 June 2004 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 104 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I am hoping against hope Dave that you are not assuming Calum is representative of the Scottish nation! See those Cambodians, wotta bunch of cunts, look at that Pol Pot geezer for one...

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

i've worked and lived there and found calum's views pretty prevalent (not all of them, mind) "this is dave, he's english but hee's alright, honest" was one introduction.

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Scotland = White, Presbyterian, Dour Hardworking Miserable Tight-fisted Cunts
Greater Glasgow = Catholics, Asians, Chinese, Fun-loving Fops
-- Dadaismus (kcoyne3...), May 27th, 2004.

Add, small-minded, provincial and anti-English to the Scotland equation.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

But Glaswegians are as anti-English as other Scots, aren't they? Certainly I've found Glasgow to be the less friendly place to speak with a (Southern) English accent than other places I've been in Scotland (mostly lowland belt).

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

you may as well.

I don't think you're alright, dave, but it has nothing to do with where you happen or don't happen to be from, honest.

crosspost

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

very often, when we go out, in a group, cookie and I are the only two scots. after a couple of horrendous beatings, as "co-conspirators", we started training and going to the gym and carrying guns and sharp things. now we only get the shit kicked out of us, for hanging around with english people, if they REALLY manage to take us by surprise.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i was about to say he was wrong on that count, but thought i'd throw you a bone rjg

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't need a bone; I have knives and ninja stars.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know, in Glasgow it seems to be more based on politics than visceral hatred. Factor in an Irish nationalist element too.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

That may be right Dada but it's hard to judge hostility's motivation.

Having said that, I haven't ever even been threatened in a Scottish bar, just felt a sense of unfriendliness sometimes, and I'm not really complaining about that, even. The Scots I know are tremendously great people virtually to a man and woman. I don't like nationalism, generally.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I lost my virginity to a Scottish boy - in London. He followed me. Therefore I am fond of both places.
My Scottish family tried to ingrain an anti-English and anti-Irish mentality into me - but it didn't take. As an American, I was so deeply in love with the tangible history of Scotland - and as an American, I also knew what racism was really like.
My Scottish cousins - who had there own weird circumstances, as I had mine, were disdainful of my love of the ancient things. The auld brig in Ayr was both a real and metaphorical touchstone for me.
I can't believe that noone has responded to the "Ochiltree Clodhoppers" - my dads old football team. It should be a band name.

― aimurchie, Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Dave - I think you were just about beaten up in that Aberdeen pub because you were walking around trouser wanking to every girl you saw and then trying to do lewd and indecent acts with a slice of lemon and a straw.

Do not try and proclaim otherwise. Your offensive acts have not been forgotten by Aberdeen.

― C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Enter the C-Man, exit everyone else

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The one who wins will be officially known as THE Ochiltree Clodhopper. I am now running away - can't abide bloodsports or fisticuffs.

― aimurchie, Tuesday, 8 June 2004 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm. Another ridiculous thread. What fun.

― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

This week in 'do not read while you are eating or drinking, as you may choke' entertainment:

The NRO considers Scotland and deems it "the land of kilt-wearing Marxists and environmentalists (hence, I suppose, all the green and red in their plaids)". It is explained that the problem here was "Thatcherism never really penetrated far into Scotland, despite some of her most fervent admirers being Scottish." This is as opposed of course to an earlier time: "The great years of the British union also helped turn Scotland into an outward-looking culture, engaged in the great works of Empire."

Well of course. Huh?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 June 2006 14:22 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

Scottish pensioners RULE!!!

http://h8w.net/work/im.html

(a couple some of my friends didn't recognize: Yalta Conference, Jesse Owens at the '36 Olympics in Berlin, Pope John Paul II in jail with the guy who shot him)

― StanM, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

That is a thing of wonder (shame about his annoying website).

― Madchen, Thursday, 1 November 2007 14:01 (eighteen years ago)

~~his~~ their

― Madchen, Thursday, 1 November 2007 14:02 (eighteen years ago)

that really is great. website sucks, yep.

― jed_, Thursday, 1 November 2007 14:20 (eighteen years ago)

Where's the love of David Hume? Best enlightenment philosopher ever, and a drunk, to boot!

― libcrypt, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:55 (eighteen years ago)

Oh we all love him loads, we just don't talk about it much

― Tom D., Thursday, 1 November 2007 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

http://blog.23x.net/5/what-is-a-munchy-box.html

^^^this

― The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics, Thursday, 3 July 2008 15:21 (seventeen years ago)

I've been away too long. Or, alternately, not long enough.

― Dingbod Kesterson, Thursday, 3 July 2008 15:28 (seventeen years ago)

There's a thing you get called a "hoagie" that is very similar. Carton with chips and cheese and the donner with salad and sauce all inside a nan. Belter.

― jim, Thursday, 3 July 2008 18:24 (seventeen years ago)

six years pass...

Police Recorded
Assault
Cases per
100,000 Population

Scotland
1487
Sweden
927
England and Wales
730
Belgium
718
Israel
641
Germany
630
Finland
615
Chile
576
Luxembourg
476
Ireland
353

http://www.civitas.org.uk/crime/crime_stats_oecdjan2012.pdf

― nakhchivan, Saturday, 11 April 2015 14:46 (eleven years ago)

yas fucking get it up yes

― Rave Van Donk (jim in glasgow), Saturday, 11 April 2015 14:51 (eleven years ago)

the deadly mixture of buckie and carmenere must be responsible for untold violence in the chiledonian community

― nakhchivan, Saturday, 11 April 2015 14:56 (eleven years ago)

there was a lack of viable threads for this one, either this or 'beautiful places in scotland' and most of the rest were old ilm threads about scottish indie and fitba threads, including this where dom advises someone to put money on germany to beat scotland ('final score: scotland 1 germany 1)

should I place a bet of five hundred pounds, at four to seven, on germany beating scotland?

― nakhchivan, Saturday, 11 April 2015 14:58 (eleven years ago)

Ya dancer, we're still fuckin' mental! Hello!!!!

― Quack and Merkt (Tom D.), Saturday, 11 April 2015 14:59 (eleven years ago)

Sorry that was my inner Boaby G talking. WTF's up with Sweden, they're almost as bad as us, the bampots.

― Quack and Merkt (Tom D.), Saturday, 11 April 2015 15:02 (eleven years ago)

aye legitimately surprised wi sweden. propah nawty scandi scandal.

― Rave Van Donk (jim in glasgow), Saturday, 11 April 2015 15:06 (eleven years ago)

there's a pronounced correlation between latitude, mode of alcohol consumption and violence

estonia is the only european country with a higher murder rate than the usa, and that is with restrictive gun laws

― nakhchivan, Saturday, 11 April 2015 15:15 (eleven years ago)

Further north you go the more dark, boring and depressing it gets.... though not on the balmy west coast of Scotland, of course, where we are caressed by the Gulf Stream.... no, hold on, that doesn't work.

― Quack and Merkt (Tom D.), Saturday, 11 April 2015 15:20 (eleven years ago)

plockton is such a weird place

― PORC EPIC SAVVAGE (imago), Saturday, 11 April 2015 15:30 (eleven years ago)

Those stats are from 2012

#justsaying

― paolo, Saturday, 11 April 2015 17:00 (eleven years ago)

two months pass...

So er I came back from Edinburgh with Scottish looking money in 10 quid notes - can't use it anywhere so had to change it at the bank.

can anyone explain this madness?

― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 27 June 2015 13:12 (ten years ago)

I didn't know where else to put this - loving Scotland, people are friendly - if you're lost, people ask you whether you are lost. Never happens in London.

And I haven't tested 'anywhere', just a couple of shops.

but still what's up with this.

― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 27 June 2015 13:14 (ten years ago)

can't use it anywhere so had to change it at the bank.

this is just London being cunts. my Scottish-dad-having pal used to work in a shop and insist on everyone accepting Scottish notes bcz she found it so infuriating coming back

the other year I went to the Lake District (instead of LDN) after Glasgow and braced for a problem finishing with my notes: "of course we take them? Why wouldn't we? We get them all the time"

― back once again with the panel behaviour (sic), Saturday, 27 June 2015 14:28 (ten years ago)

really its like Scotland its a diff country, maybe they should...oh never mind.

― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 27 June 2015 19:50 (ten years ago)

I didn't know where else to put this - loving Scotland, people are friendly - if you're lost, people ask you whether you are lost. Never happens in London.

It never happens in Edinburgh either, in my experience, but your experience appears to be different. I currently have a Scottish fiver in my wallet, from my last visit, which I'm keeping till my next visit, because I can't be arsed with the palaver of trying to spend it in London.

― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Saturday, 27 June 2015 20:38 (ten years ago)

tried to spend a clydesdale bank tenner the other day in newham and was told "we don't take euros" smh

― transparent play for gifs (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 27 June 2015 21:27 (ten years ago)

Going back next week - sadly have to stock up on cash.

It never happens in Edinburgh either, in my experience, but your experience appears to be different.

Well I looked really lost a couple of times, it was fine, just doing my walking around and eventually find what I was looking for. Maybe I was lucky and its summer or something.

Tom do you know a good pub around Haymarket at all? Or do you mostly know Glasgow?

― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 27 June 2015 21:49 (ten years ago)

I don't even know Glasgow anymore :( Edinburgh is not short of pubs, that's for sure, and good ones too but I'm no expert.

― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Saturday, 27 June 2015 23:16 (ten years ago)

three years pass...

LOL Scotland.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17583393.vanguard-bears-join-protest-against-protestant-discrimination-by-glasgow-city-council/

― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 April 2019 14:27 (seven years ago)

will no-one think of the Culture and Beliefs of the Protestant people of Scotland

― Boris Bronfentrinker of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 18 April 2019 14:48 (seven years ago)

I have a theory that some pished guy misheard a council bigwig singing the praises of positive discrimination.

― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 April 2019 16:10 (seven years ago)

the rise in the tory vote in scotland explained: loyalist zoomers

― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 18 April 2019 16:19 (seven years ago)

"The River Tweed is the line of demarcation between all that is noble and all that is base. South of the river is all honour, virtue and patriotism. North of it is nothing but lying, malice, meanness and slavery. Scotland is a treeless, flowerless land, formed out of the refuse of the universe and inhabited by the very bastards of creation".

OTM?

― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Tuesday, 30 April 2019 00:20 (seven years ago)

It's just a theory until all the evidence is in.

― A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 30 April 2019 01:57 (seven years ago)

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