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Scotland,
Social Profile
Food & Drink: In the main cities and towns, a wide variety of British and continental food is available. A traditional Scottish breakfast is porridge made from locally grown oats and either milk or water. Other local dishes include haggis (chopped oatmeal and offal cooked in the stomach of a sheep), cullen skink (fish soup), smoked haddock and salmon and partan bree (crab with rice and cream). Baked foods such as cakes and biscuits are exceedingly popular and some of the more famous are flat pancake-type scones, oatcakes and black bun, a fruit cake on a pastry base.
Scotch whisky is the national drink, and is famous the world over. There are also many local beers as well as lager. Licensing hours are subject to greater variation than in England; some pubs may be open from 1030-2400, others only 1130-1430 and 1830-2300.
Nightlife: In major cities, such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, there is a vibrant nightlife, with many bars, restaurants, nightclubs and cinemas. These places also offer a fine array of theatre, opera and music concerts. Some of the main venues for drama performances include the Festival Theatre, Playhouse, Assembly Rooms and Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, the Citizen’s Theatre and Theatre Royal in Glasgow, as well as many picturesque regional theatres. The SECC building in Glasgow is a popular concert arena for live bands. Nightlife may be more limited in the smaller villages and islands. For more information on musical and theatrical events, contact VisitScotland (see Contact Addresses section).
Special Events: The highlight of the cultural year in Scotland is the Edinburgh Festival, which runs during the last two weeks of August and the first week of September. Almost every room in the city large enough to hold an audience is in use during this time, and it is possible to see as many as 10 shows in one day; these might range from a short open-air concert to a full-scale production by the RSC or the LSO. Accommodation in Edinburgh is booked up months in advance at this time. There are also many Highland Games during the summer, which include caber-tossing and hammer-throwing competitions. The following is a selection of special events occurring in Scotland in 2005 (for a complete list contact VisitScotland):
Jan 1 Loony Dook,
Queensferry. Jan 12-30
Celtic Connections, music festival, Glasgow. Feb
Glasgow Festival of Love. Feb 21-Mar 12
Inverness Music Festival. Mar 10-26
Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Mar 17-20 StAnza Poetry Festival, St Andrews, Fife. May 21-30
Burns and a' That!
Jun
Caledonian Beer Festival. Jun 3-12
Highland Festival. Jun 17-26
Royal Bank Glasgow Jazz Festival. Jun 23-26
Yoral Highland Show. Jul 9-10
T in the Park, music festival. Jul 14-17
Open Golf Championship, St Andrews. Jul 22-23
The Wickerman Festival. Jul 29-Aug 7
Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival. Aug 5-27
Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Aug 7-29
Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Aug 13-29
Edinburgh International Book Festival. Aug 14-Sep 4
Edinburgh International Festival. Aug 17-29
Edinburgh International Film Festival. Nov
Glasgay!
Dec 29- Jan 1 2006
Hogmanay, countrywide. Dec 31-Jan 1 2006
Stonehaven Fireball Festival, traditional event.
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