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Foreword . Page 2
1. Scotland .. Page 3
2.Scottish culture ... Page 4
2.1 Sport in Scotland . Page 4
2.2 Scottish heroes . Page 6
2.3 Scottish tourism Page 7
3. Scottish traditions ..Page 8
3.1 Scottish Kilts . Page 8
3.2 Scottish Weddings Page 9
3.3 Scottish Food .. Page 10
3.4 Holiday Celebrations . Page 10
3.5 The Loch Ness Monsters legend Page 11
Bibliography . Page 13












Tabl e of Contents

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Why did I choose to talk about Scottish culture and tradition? Well, I strongly believe
that they are a wonderful way to discover a new world , the Scottish world , a world full of
interesting and exciting traditions , monuments and beliefs .With their help you can enter the
Scottish world and become a part of it ,even though figuratively speaking.
Every nation has its own culture and traditions . So, Scotland couldnt have been an
exception. The Scottish are one of the people whose culture and traditions are known
worldwide and have become quitefamous. Who hasnt heard about Saint Andrew, Andy Murray
, or simply about the amazing castles , the Highlanders , or the Scottish cuisine and many more
? Who was not curios to know more about the Loch Ness Monster? Is it real oris just a legend?
Well I strongly believe that Scotland is a country worth visiting , a country with many
captivating legends , places , festivals and superstitions, a country that could be an interesting
subject for a project , an interesting topic for our own culture , a country that can wake up your
interest , a country that can make you dream , only thinking about its beauty , about its history,
about the Scottish people.
We can say that Scottish culture and traditions are a way of living andthey may apply to
each of us. They are for everyone no matter their origins, living conditions, social status or
culture.





Foreword

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Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third
of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by
the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel
and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland is made up of more than
790 islandsincluding the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.

Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest
financial centers. Edinburgh was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century,
which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial
powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, was once one of the world's leading
industrial cities and now lies at the center of the Greater Glasgow conurbation.

1. Scotl and

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First of all what is the culture? Well the culture is defined as the totality of socially
transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work
and thought.
Scottish culture has a big tradition in arts , sports ,Scottish heroes and probably the
most developed cultural sight , the tourism, the cultural branch that is bringing the most money
from outside the country , due to the many castles and legends that are surrounding the country.

2.1 Sport in Scotland
Sport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a
key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football,
rugby union and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness. However, many other
sports are played in the country, with popularity varying between sports and between
regions.
Scotlands sporting traditions are legendary worldwide. Scotland can lay claim to the
invention of a number of popular international sports, including golf, rugby and tennis. Other
sports are also rooted in Scotlands history books, such as hockey ,curling, and, of course, the
Scottish Highland Games.
More traditional Scottish sports, such as tossing the caber, hammer throwing, tug o war
and cross-country running, are celebrated at more than 60 Scottish Highland Games events
across the country every year. Bringing a host of fun for spectators and participants alike, the
Highland Games are a major part of Scotlands summer sporting agenda.
Football is one of the nations most popular spectator sports. It was a Scotsman, William
McGregor, who set up the first English football league and it was in Scotland in 1872 that the
first international match was played in Patrick, Glasgow, where England and Scotland drew 0-
0.
Today, a passion for football is played out in villages, towns and cities across Scotland,
where youll discover amateur through to world-beating professional matches, leagues, cups
and championships.
2. Scotti sh cul ture

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Scottish sporting heroes:
As well as numerous world sports, Scotland has produced many of the great sporting
heroes of the modern age. Britains first Olympic gold medal was won in weightlifting by the
Indian-born Scot Launceston Elliot at the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. Since
then, Scotland has been producing such great athletes as Eric Liddel, whose story is told in the
film Chariots of Fire, multiple medalist and world-record holding swimmer David Wilkie, right
up to the modern day and the current cohort of flying Scots. Over the years, Scots
competitors have enjoyed sufficient success to secure their homeland a seventh overall place
in the all-time medal table at the Commonwealth Games. But in the end , probably nowadays
most known Scottish athlete is the 2012 Olympic gold medal winner in tennis , and winner in
the same year of the U.S Open tennis tournament , Andy Murray.







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2.2 Scottish heroes

Scotland's culture has been shaped by a long tradition of strong-willed and
influential characters.
SAINT ANDREW

St. Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian
religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by
the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross crucified)
The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which
appears on the Scottish Flag. St. Andrews bones were entombed, and around 300 years later
were moved by Emperor Constantine (the Great) to his new capital Constantinople (now
Istambul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk (although others describe him as an
Irish assistant of St. Columba) called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) was warned in a dream that St.
Andrews remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to take those of the remains
which he could to the "ends of the earth" for safe-keeping. St. Rule dutifully followed these
directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from St. Andrew's tomb
and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the
know world at that time and it was here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo.


Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland,
and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the
world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is
the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as
a symbol of national identity.
Very little is really known about St. Andrew
himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in
Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder
brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became
followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the
Christian religion.


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2.3 Scottish tourism
Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible
for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at 4bn
per year.Scotland is generally seen as a clean, unspoilt destination with beautiful scenery which
has a long and complex history, combined with thousands of historic sites and attractions.
These include prehistoric stone circles, standing stones and burial chambers, and various
Bronze Age, Iron Age and Stone Age remains. There are also many historic castles, houses, and
battlegrounds, ruins and museums. Many people are drawn by the culture of Scotland.
Scottish attractions:
Edinburgh Castle: is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Castle is in the care of Historic Scotland, and is Scotland's most-visited paid
tourist attraction, with over 1.3 million visitors in 2011. The British Army is responsible for some
parts of the castle, although its presence is largely ceremonial and administrative, including a
number of regimental museums. As the backdrop to the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo it has
become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh and of Scotland.
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum:is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland.
The building houses one of Europe's great civic art collections. Since its 200306 refurbishment,
the museum has been the most popular free-to-enter visitor attraction in Scotland, and the
second most visited museum in the United Kingdom.
It has one of the finest collections of arms and armour in the world and a vast natural
history collection. The art collection includes many outstanding European artworks, including
works by the Old Masters, French Impressionists, Dutch Renaissance, Scottish Colourists and
exponents of the Glasgow School.

There has been a royal castle here since at least the
reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be
a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. From
the 15th century the castle's residential role declined, and by
the 17th century its principal role was as a military base with a
large garrison. As one of the most important fortresses in the
Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many
historical conflicts,

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Thinking about what makes a country special , the first word that comes into most people
mind is tradition . Every single country has its own traditions , traditions that define that
country , that makes it different then all the other countries. So does Scotland , this country ,
and its people had developed during the years many interesting traditions , which make it one
of the most special country in the world, a country where you can find many legends ,
traditional clothing , traditional food , even traditional holidays . Most of them will be explained
in the next part of this project.
3.1 Scottish Kilts
The National Dress of Scotland

events, such as weddings, sporting events, Highland games and holiday celebrations.
Traditionally, no undergarments are worn with a kilt. In fact, it is a military regulation that
soldiers in the Highland regiment cannot wear anything under their kilt. However, exceptions to
this tradition do exist. Dancers, athletes and bandleaders in the Highlands are allowed to wear
undergarments because of the activities they partake in. Furthermore, citizens have a choice to
wear undergarments or not.
3. Scotti sh tradi ti ons

Scottish kilts are a highly recognized form of dress
throughout the world. Kilts have deep cultural and historical
roots in the country of Scotland and are a sacred symbol of
patriotism and honor for a true Scotsman. The word kilt is a
derivation of the ancient Norse word, kjilt, which means
pleated, and refers to clothing that is tucked up and around
the body.
Scottish kilts originate back to the 16
th
century, when
they were traditionally worn as full length garments by Gaelic-
speaking male Highlanders of northern Scotland. The wearing
of Scottish kilts was common during the 1720s, when the
British military used them as their formal uniforms. During the
19
th
century, Scottish kilts were a form of ceremonial dress
and worn only for special occasions and primarily to formal

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3.2 Scottish Weddings
The typical Scottish wedding is filled with many traditions dating as far back as the
thirteenth century. Although some of the traditions have been altered throughout time, many
continue to be a central part of the Scottish wedding.
Attire: The bride wears a traditional or contemporary white wedding gown. The groom
wears the traditional Highland kilt, kilt jacket and sporran (the pouch wore with kilts).
Music: Bagpipes or a Gaelic hymn are played as the wedding couple walks down the aisle
to the alter. The Scottish song The Highland Wedding is played at almost all Scottish
weddings.After saying their vows, in either ancient Gaelic or modern English, the groom pins a
strip of his clans tartan color to the brides dress symbolizing that she is now a part of his clan.
Scottish Weddings are as old as the hills. Various communities had their own ways of
celebrating the coming together of a couple. For example the fishing communities had
weddings in the winter when hard seas restricted fishing, and there seems to have been a
relationship between the size of catches and matrimony. If catches were good the wedding
bells would ring and the wedding would go ahead, otherwise if the catches failed the wedding
may have been cancelled.


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3.3 Scottish Food
Haggis The National Dish of Scotland
Haggis is a traditional dish of Scotland that is made from the lung, liver and heart of a
sheep. These parts are mixed with oatmeal and spices, and then stuffed into the sheeps
stomach.
Haggis is the most popular dish on Robbie Burns Day of Celebration. Robbie Burns was a
great Scottish poet and writer. He wrote the poem To A Haggis because of his love for the
food. To celebrate his birthday on January 25th, haggis is served across the nation.
Bannock
Bannock is a variety of flat quick bread. The word can also be applied to any large, round
article baked or cooked from grain. The original bannocks were heavy, flat cakes of unleavened
barley or oatmeal dough formed into a round or oval shape, then cooked on a griddle. In
Scotland, before the 19th century, bannocks were cooked on a bannock stane (Scots for stone),
a large, flat, rounded piece of sandstone, placed directly onto a fire, then used as a cooking
surface. There is a suggestion that bannock cakes played a pivotal role in the deciding of a
person for human sacrifice during the late Iron Age in the discovery of Lindow Man.
3.4 Holiday Celebrations
Until recently, Christmas was not widely celebrated in Scotland. In the past, Christmas
was purely a religious holiday. Children did receive presents on this day; however, people
would still go in to work. New Years was the main holiday celebration of Scotland.
The Ba: The Ba is a game played on Christmas Day and New Years Day in many Scottish
towns. It was originally only played on New Years Day, but has recently been played on
Christmas Day as well. The premise of the game is to get the Ba, a cork filled leather ball, into
the opponents goal. The men of the town are divided up into Uppies and Doonies. These
two groups fight for the Ba, and then have to get it to the opposite side of town. Games can last
for hours and take place in the streets of the town during a normal day of activity.
Burns' Night: January 25
th
the birthday of 'The Bard', the national poet of Scotland is
celebrated at Burns Suppers with poetry recitals, traditional music and dancing and the national
Scottish dinner of 'haggis, neeps and tatties'.


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3.5 The Loch Ness Monsters legend
The Loch Ness Monster is an animal that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish
Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its
description varies from one account to the next. Popular interest and belief in the animal has
varied since it was brought to the world's attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is
anecdotal, with minimal and much-disputed photographic material and sonar readings.
It is said that the residents around the loch used to tell their children stories of the
kelpie to keep them away from the dark dangerous waters of the loch. The story was of a
fearsome beast who lived in the loch and when hungrywould leave its watery home and
transform itself into a beautiful horse which would wait for some unlucky traveller to climb on
its back then it would gallop straight into the loch and feed on its victim. I can see how this
would discourage children from playing near the loch but it never stopped the locals from
fishing the loch for salmon.
The first recorded sighting of the creature dates back to 565 by Saint Columba. The Saint
was an Irish priest who was touring the Highlands teaching Christianity to the Picts. One day
while travelling along the side of the loch he came upon a group of locals burying one of their
friends who had swum out into the loch to retrieve a boat that had come loose from its
moorings and been savaged by a great beast. Columba asked one of his followers to swim out
and retrieve the boat and when he did the beast rose from the loch with a mighty roar and
went to attack the man. At this point St Columba held up his cross and shouted "Stop go thou
no further nor touch the man ". Upon hearing this the beast returned to the depths of the loch
seemingly never to roar again.

As they stood looking at the loch they noticed a considerable commotion on the surface
about 200 yards away and as they watched they saw something break the surface and his friend
shouted "my god ,its the monster ". Wilson ran the few yards back to his car and retrieved his
camera and ran back down to his friend near the loch. He focused the camera on the object and
took four pictures of it. By the time he had taken the photos the object had disappeared back
The next big event at the loch and probably the
one which has had most impact over the last 66 years is
the photo taken by Robert Kenneth Wilson on the 19 of
April 1934. Better known as the Surgeons photo it must be
one of the most easily recognizable photos in the world.
Wilson and a friend were in the Highlands wild fowl
shooting and when travelling down the side of the loch
pulled their car over to stretch their legs near to
Invermoriston.

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into the loch. Wilson thought he might have something on film.When he had the photos
developed only two came out the best one being the now famous head and neck shots which
he sold to the Daily Mail newspaper.
What was and still is classed as the greatest piece of evidence for the Loch Ness monster
was taken in 1960 by Tim Dinsdale.After reading Constance Whytes book he became interested
in the monster and for the next few months read everything he could find on the subject which
convinced him that some kind of unknown creature lived in Loch Ness.
He decided to man a one man expedition to the loch in April 1960 with a pair of
binoculars and aborrowed 16 mm cine camera. He spent 5 days at the loch rising at dawn and
spending all day scanning the loch for signs of the monster but with no luck until the last day of
his search he was returning to his hotel for breakfast.
It was the 23rd of April at around 9 am as he drove down into Foyers and as the loch
came into viewhe noticed a dark object about half way across the loch and as he studied it
through his binocularsit started to move away from him across the loch. He started to film it
with the 16mm Bolex cine camera with long bursts as it moved across the lochthen turned
parallel to the far shore and headed down the loch in the direction of Fort Augustus.He noticed
he was running out of film so decided to rush down to the lochs shore with the hope of the
object turning back across the loch so he put down the camera and raced down the narrow
winding road at break neck speed until he reached the shore but to his dismay the object had
returned to the depths of the loch leaving no sign of itself.On his return home the film was
developed and instantly became the conclusive proof that some large unknown animal lives in
the depths of the loch. This roll of 16mm film became and still is the basis for more peoples
belief in the Loch Ness monster than any other evidence.

In the end it is impossible to say if the Loch Ness monster is just a legend , or it is real ,
many people had tried to find out the truth , many think that they found it , but all we know is
that real or not , the Loch Ness monster is one of the biggest Scottish attraction .

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1. Understanding Scotland by David McCrone
2. Footprint Scotland by Allan Murphy
3. A Fictional Guide to Scotland by Meaghan Delahunt
4. Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland by Harper Collins
5. The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides by James Boswell


Bi bl i ography

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