Even More Fascinating Facts about the Ploughman Poet

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) - known in Scotland simply as 'The Bard' - was a poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated right around the world.

But did ye ken...?

Tarbolton Bachelors' Club was founded by Robert Burns on 11th November 1780 with seven companions. The rules, drawn up by Burns, stipulated that "Every man proper for a member of this Society, must have a frank, honest, open heart; above anything dirty or mean; and must be a professed lover of one or more of the female sex".

At a time when men of the peasantry cut their hair short, and the upper classes wore wigs or styled their hair as if they did, Burns "wore the only tied hair in the parish" according to David Sillar.

On 4 July 1781 Burns was initiated as a freemason, in St David's Lodge, Tarbolton, No. 174, and passed and raised on 1 October the same year. He was elected Depute Master of St James's Lodge on 27 July 1784, a position he held till 1788 when he removed to Dumfriesshire.

You can find out much more about the Ploughman Poet in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, coming soon from Skyhorse Publishing.

On this day in History... 24 July

1411 - The Battle of Harlaw took place near Inverurie.

The battle was fought between the Crown forces under the Earl of Mar and a Highland army led by Donald, Lord of the Isles. Heavy casualties were inflicted on both sides but victory went to the Royal forces as the Highlanders withdrew. The city of Aberdeen suffered heavy losses with the death of Provost Robert Davidson and many of the City Burgesses fighting on the Crown side.

1567 - Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate the throne.

Lords Ruthven and Lindsay visited Mary while she was held at Loch Leven castle and threatened her with immediate execution if she did not sign the abdication papers there and then. Unsurprisingly, Mary abdicated, leaving her infant son James as monarch and her half-brother Moray as Regent.

The Burberry Tartan

Burberry is a brand of clothing that uses the tartan look. Burberry started out in the mid 1850s as designer wear for the upper classes.

The burberry 'plaid' is a tartan recognized by the Scottish Tartan Authority (WR1239). Most people confuse the terms tartan and plaid. In modern terms, a tartan is a weave of coloured threads registered with the Scottish Tartan Authority as a clan or district tartan, a national or corporate tartan, designed to denote a group of people.

For example, the Scottish Parliament recently authorized the use of a new tartan to commemorate its 10th anniversary. Canada and its provinces have official and unofficial tartans to represent their populations. The tartan recognized widely as that of the province of Quebec is, in fact, a corporate tartan designed by a clothing manufacturer.

Similarly, the burberry plaid was designed by the Thomas Burberry company, first for use as lining for its trenchcoats in the 1920s. It is a corporate design used in clothing manufacture but has become so popular that it is one of the most copied trademarked designs in existence.

Historically a plaid had very little to do with tartans, as it was the term for a large piece of cloth worn draped by Highland men and women. Clans began to weave these cloths in patterns that came to represent membership in that group and eventually the terms became synonymous.

So, the Burberry plaid is a tartan. Only in North America, though, are the terms plaid and tartan mistakenly interchanged.

To find out more about tartan, order a copy of Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave today.

Scottish cities among the top UK attractions

Scotland's two largest cities are among the UK's top tourist attractions.

Edinburgh and Glasgow are the second and fifth most popular urban destinations in the UK, according to figures for tourist body Visit Britain.

Both cities also make the top five, along with Inverness, for purely holiday trips alone.

To read more about this story, click here.

Yet More Fascinating Facts about the Ploughman Poet

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) - known in Scotland simply as 'The Bard' - was a poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated right around the world.

But did ye ken...?

Robert's father was born at Clochnahill near Dunnottar,
Kincardineshire, trained as a gardener like his father before him, and worked in Edinburgh before moving to Ayrshire in 1750.

The poet's mother was the eldest of six children born to Gilbert Brown and Agnes Rainie.

Robert was the eldest of a family of seven.

You can find out much more about the Ploughman Poet in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, coming soon from Skyhorse Publishing.

The Macbeth Files - The Son of Life

Most people are aware that the Macbeth of Shakespeare's play was very different from the real man, although some of the events in the play were based on actual, historical incidents.

Since Scotland was just coming out of the Dark Ages and the region in which Macbeth lived was in the far north, in Morayshire, his origins are obscure. However, interestingly - for someone who is portrayed in the play as a psychopathic tyrant - his name mac-Bethad actually means 'Son of Life'!

You can find out more about the real life inspiration behind Shakespeare's Macbeth in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, by Jonathan Green.

Glamour girl to play Lady Macbeth?

Apparently, darling of the lad-mags, Abi Titmuss is taking on one of Shakespeare’s most challenging roles - that of the notorious, kin-killing Macbeth. To read more about this story, click here.

Scotland - The Home of Golf

One day, a Scotsman went playing golf. After standing a while on the green he asked the boy standing beside him: "You are my caddie for today?"

"Yes," answered the boy.

"Are you good at finding lost balls?"

"Oh yes, I find every lost ball!"

"Okay then, boy. Run and search for one, then we can start!"

To find out why Scotland is known as 'The Home of Golf', order Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave now.

More Fascinating Facts about the Ploughman Poet

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) - known in Scotland simply as 'The Bard' - was a poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated right around the world.

But did ye ken...?

The first poem of Burns to make its debut in a newspaper was 'Address to a Haggis' which appeared in the "Caledonian Mercury" on 20 December 1786.

Hounded by the Armour family, Burns resolved to emigrate to Jamaica. To raise the fare he decided to publish his poems, mostly written in 1785 but including pieces going back a decade.

The most prolific period of his life was the nine months from July 1785 to March 1786 when he wrote over 50 poems and songs.

The only letter written by Burns in the vernacular was sent from Carlisle on 1 June 1787, addressed to William Nichol in Edinburgh.

You can find out much more about the Ploughman Poet in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, coming soon from Skyhorse Publishing.

Scotland - The Home of Golf

Irate golfer, on his way to a round of 150: "You must be the worst caddie in the world!"

Scottish caddie (dryly): "That would be too much of a coincidence, sir."

To find out why Scotland is known as 'The Home of Golf', order Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave now.

The Macbeth Files - The Witches' Curse

Those who work in the theatre are well known for being superstitious and are great believers in not tempting fate in case things go wrong during a performance. But when it comes to the tragedy of Macbeth, the played isn’t just unlucky – it’s supposed to be cursed! But why should this one play have garnered such a sinister reputation?

One legend has it that the original production of the play used actual witches and witchcraft, and that the lines they speak were taken from real spells! So, naturally, that's why the play is cursed!

Fair is foul, and foul is fair
Hover through the fog and filthy air [I.i.11-12]

You can find out more about the real life inspiration behind Shakespeare's Macbeth in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, by Jonathan Green.

Traditional Scottish Recipes - Deep-Fried Mars Bar

Scotland is known for its haggis, its shortbread, its porridge and its whisky, but have you heard of this delicacy before - the deep-fried Mars bar?

Deep-fried Mars bars are served in fish and chip shops up and down the country. There are few things more delicious than gooey, melting chocolate, nougat and caramel encased in a crispy golden shell. And now you can make your own by following this simple recipe.

Ingredients

1 Mars bar
5 oz. (150 g) flour
2.5 oz. (75 g) corn flour
1 pinch bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
8 fl. oz. (225 ml) milk
Oil (about 32 fl. oz. or 950 ml)

1) Chill the Mars bar in the refrigerator.

2) Mix together the flour, corn flour and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl.

3) Add milk to the flour mixture until the batter becomes creamy.

4) Heat the oil in a saucepan or deep fryer.

5) Remove the Mars bar from the fridge and dispose of the wrapper.

6) Coat the Mars bar in batter until it is completely covered.

7) Carefully lower the coated Mars bar into the hot oil and fry until the coating is golden brown.

8) Remove the deep fried Mars bar from the oil and allow to cool on kitchen roll for several minutes.

9) Serve and enjoy.

You can find other, more traditional, traditional recipes in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, coming this October from Skyhorse Publishing.

The St Andrews Open

The 150th St Andrews Open opens on Thursday morning (GMT). You can find out more about THE premier event in the golfing calendar here, and you can find out a lot more about Scotland's connection with golf in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, coming this Fall from Skyhorse Publishing.

Fascinating Facts about the Ploughman Poet

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) - known in Scotland simply as 'The Bard' - was a poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated right around the world.

But did ye ken...?

Robert Burns fathered thirteen children, of whom five were born out of wedlock, and a further four by Jean Armour before Burns acknowledged her as his wife.

Dear-bought Bess was the first of three daughters who were baptised Elizabeth. The others were born to Ann Park (31 March 1791) and Jean Armour (21 November 1792).

Burns met his future wife in April 1785, when he was crossing the Mauchline drying green and his puppy trampled on linen which Jean was drying.

You can find out much more about the Ploughman Poet in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, coming soon from Skyhorse Publishing.

On this day in History... 12 July

1570 - Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox and father of Lord Darnley made Regent of Scotland.

1850 - Robert Stevenson, died. He is best known as a builder of lighthouses and was the engineer in charge of the construction of the Bell Rock, and grandfather of the novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson.

On this day in History... 11 July

1274 - Robert the Bruce was born in Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire.

The heir of the Earl of Carrick, Bruce's father was one of Scotland's leading nobles and his grandfather was one of the leading contenders to the throne left empty by the death of Margaret of Norway. After the death of William Wallace, Bruce led the campaign to regain Scottish independence, culminating in his stunning victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314.

You can read more about Robert the Bruce's achievements in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland, available soon from Skyhorse Publishing.

British Open ups the prize fund

The winner of the 150th British Open will earn $1.29 million - roughly an increase of $60,000 compared to the previous year.

A total purse of $7.3 million will provide the runner-up with $759,000, and $496,000 for third place at the event being held at St. Andrews from July 15-18.

Royal and Ancient Club chief executive Peter Dawson says organizers have taken into account the pound's weakened position against the dollar and the euro.

"The Open Championship sits at the forefront of world golf and it is appropriate that our prize fund reflects that position in the game," Dawson said Tuesday. "Over the last 18 months we have had to take account of the pound's weakened position against the U.S. dollar and the euro, and we have increased our prize money accordingly."

If you've ever wondered why Scotland is known as 'The Home of Golf', then you need Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, by Jonathan Green, coming this Fall from Skyhorse Publishing.

What does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?

To discover the answer to this question and many more, pre-order your copy of Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland now!

On this day in History... 10 July

1451 - The future James III is born in Stirling Castle.

Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave

Robert the Bruce is inspired by a spider...

The Scottish Government has refreshed its plan for engagement with Scotland's single largest overseas market for exports, inward investment and tourism - the USA.

On American Independence Day, External Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop published the Scottish Government's Plan for Engagement in the USA. The Plan spells out Scotland's three strategic objectives in the USA, which are to:

• Bring a sharper economic growth focus to the promotion of Scotland in the USA
• Create the conditions for people to live, learn, visit, work, and invest in Scotland
• Manage Scotland's reputation as a distinctive global identity

Recognising the need and value in a co-ordinated and focused approach, the Plan will rely on close collaboration between the Scottish Government and its agencies to ensure the objectives are realised in the USA.

To read more about this news item, click here.

10 Things You Didn't Know About the City of Edinburgh

1) Edinburgh, is the capital of Scotland and, like the city of Rome, was built on seven hills.

2) The City of Edinburgh is 100 square miles in area (26113 hectares).

3) Edinburgh was the first city in the world which had its own fire-brigade.

4) Like Chicago, Edinburgh is also known as the "Windy City".

5) Edinburgh is twinned with Dunedin in New Zealand. Dunedin is the Gaelic form of Edinburgh.

6) Edinburgh has three Universities; the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, and Napier University.

7) The population of Edinburgh includes 222,020 women but only 196,894 men!

8) The first animal to be bought by Edinburgh Zoo was a gannet, which cost 18p and now appears on the crest of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

9) A full-scale model of Edinburgh Castle, used in the late 1990s when the Capital’s Tattoo visited Wellington, is still in storage in New Zealand.

10) The world-famous Mound linking the Old Town and New Town is an artificial hill begun in 1783. It contains 1,501,000 cartloads of earth from the foundations of Princes Street.

There is a chapter about the city of Edinburgh in Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave. Pre-order your copy today!

Loch Ness

Scotland is famous for its fresh water lakes - or lochs - and rightly so; there are over 600 square miles of them! One of the most famous, of course, is Loch Ness where a mysterious monster is said to dwell. But did you know that Ness (possibly meaning ‘rushing’) is also the name of the river that flows from the loch?

And Loch Ness isn’t the only Scottish lake rumoured to have a resident beastie. There is Morag, the monster of Loch Morar, for a start, Archie of Loch Arkaig, Lizzie of Loch Lochy, Wee Oichy of Loch Oich, and Quiochy of Loch Quoich. On top of those, there are another sixteen lochs where strange creatures have allegedly been sighted.

Scottish Miscellany is full of fascinating facts like these. Pre-order your copy today.

Did ye ken...?

Ever wondered how Scotch tape got its name?

Originally it was called cellophane tape but in 1921 the 3M Company hired Mr Richard Drew as a lab technician and put him to work at improving their products.

One day, Mr Drew was watching a painter spraying a car on which he had used gummed Kraft paper to cover up the details he didn't want painted. However, when the man attempted to remove the gummed paper, it stripped the paint away with it.

Drew promised the painter that he'd work on an adhesive which would leave a clean demarcation line. In time he produced a 2 inch wide masking tape with adhesive on each edge which he delivered to the auto painter.

While testing Mr Drew's first product the painter watched it fall off as he was preparing to apply the second color of a two-tone car. The tape came loose because it was not fully coated with adhesive. It had only 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. And the name "Scotch" stuck.

On this day in History.... 6 July

1249 - Alexander II, King of Scotland, dies of a fever. His body is buried at Melrose Abbey, Roxburghshire.

1560 - The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England. The Treaty was intended to replace the Auld Alliance with France with a new Anglo-Scottish accord but it was not ratified by Mary, Queen of Scots, the reigning monarch at the time.

1766 - Alexander Wilson, the Scottish naturalist is born. Born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1794 Wilson travelled to America in search of a better life. He is now regarded as the greatest American ornithologist prior to Audubon, who was himself probably inspired to produce a book of his own bird illustrations after meeting with Wilson.

1932 - Kenneth Grahame, the Scottish author, dies. Grahame is probably best known for his classic The Wind in the Willows, in which the animal characters - principally Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad - combine human traits with authentic animal habits.

2006 - Tom Weir, Scottish climber, author and broadcaster, dies. Weir was a pioneering campaigner for the protection of the Scottish environment, and wrote a column for The Scots Magazine for over 50 years.

Scotland offers a deluxe haven to the rest of Britain

A survey by the real estate agency Knight Frank shows that a plurality of buyers in Scotland (34%) come from the wealthy South East region of England and include those who work in the City of London. It seems that they can fund this glorious, luxury lifestyle thanks to their seemingly recession-proof bonuses.

All I can say is, it's all right for some! You can read more about this story here.

Did ye ken...?

Lossiemouth RAF base in Scotland could be launching tourists into space within the next five years! Sir Richard Branson's UK Space Agency has identified Lossiemouth as the 'ideal' location to launch a spaceflight from.

You can find out more about this story here.

Scottish Miscellany on Facebook

My new non-fiction book, Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, now has its own Facebook page.

Follow this link to find it and then why not become a fan?

Scottish Miscellany - three months and counting...

Not long now!

You can pre-order your copy here!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th July!

But did you know that nine governors of the original 13 American states were Scots?

Senate Resolution 155, passed on 20 March 1998, referred to the predominance of Scots among the Founding Fathers and claimed that the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on the Declaration of Arbroath, an eloquent appeal for the recognition of Scottish independence

and sovereignty, signed on 6 April 1320.

Scottish Miscellany has gone off to the printers now, so for a wealth of fascinating facts, like the one above, pre-order your copy now!