Section 16 of 21 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21

from the Latin "Calendae" (the first day of the month; the day
announcements were called and is related to the word "call"). Thus there
is a link between the Gaelic word "Calluinn" and the English word
"Calendar".

The eve of New year's Day was on of supreme importance in the Highlands
and Islands of the West and took precedence even over Christmas. It was
a time of much ceremony and gaiety, but underneath the levity lies a
sinister hint of the old ritual and sacrificial nature of the festival.
The Eve of New Year was known as Oidhche Challuinn, and New Year's Day
as La Challuinn. First Footing is still carried out, as in other parts
of the Highlands, although, as elsewhere, it is a dying custom. Up to
the beginning of the century at least, the festivities of New Year's Eve
were fully in operation and people went round the houses in every town
shop carrying dried cow-hides and chanting special rhymes continuously.
They beat the skins with sticks and struck the walls of the houses with
clubs; this ritual was believed to have an apotropaic effect and to
keep at bay the fairies and evil spirits and hostile forces of every
kind. The part of the hide used was the loose flap of the beasts neck;
this was called in Gaelic caisean-uchd. This they used to singe in the
fire and present it to the members of the family, each in turn; every
member of the household was required to smell it as a charm against all
things evil and harmful. One example of the type of rhyme chanted is as
follows:

Great good luck to the house,
Good luck to the family,
Good luck to every rafter in it,
And to every worldly thing in it.

Good luck to horses and cattle,
Good luck to the sheep,
Good luck to everything,
And good luck to all your means.

Luck to the good-wife,
Good luck to the  children,
Good luck to every friend,
Great fortune and health to all.

Carmichael gives the following example of a Hogmanay rhyme:

Tonight is the hard night of Hogmanay,
I have come with a lamb to sell -
The old fellow yonder sternly said
He would strike my ear against a rock.

The woman, better of speech, said
That I should be let in;
For my food and my drink,
A morsel due and something with it.

Apparently lads with no better rhyme used to chant the following:

I have no dislike of cheese,
I have no dislike of butter,
But a little sip of barley bree
I am right willing to put down!

The young people used to travel in groups round their own townships.
In different areas, different rites would be performed at each house,
but some form of Duan Challuinn, 'Hogmanay Poem', would always be
chanted. There were two types of visitation; in one instance the duan
was recited outside the house and the cant described the ritual of
approaching and entering the house. Another duan was sung after the
house had been entered, the caisean Calluig, 'Hogmanay Hide', was beaten.
This is also called the Caisean a' Bhuilg, 'Hide of the Bag'. The basic
form of the ritual was universal in spite of regional variants in ritual
and terminology. These old practices have virtually died out, but the
ancient and pagan ritual discernible in them requires no comment. The
boys who took part in these rites were known as gillean Callaig.
'Hogmanay Lads', and the ceremony was performed at night. One of the
boys was covered with the hide of a bull to which the horns and hooves
were still attached. When they came to a house in some areas they
climbed to the flat edge of the thatched roof and ran round it in a
sunwise direction, the boy, or man, wearing the hide would shake the horns
and hooves, and the others would strike at he bull-man with sticks. He
was meant to be a frightening figure, and apparently the noise of the
ritual beating and shaking of the hide was terrific. After this part of
the ceremony was performed, the boys came down from the roof and recited
their blatantly pagan chants; afterwards they were given hospitality of
the house. The rhyme when the hide was in the process of being struck
was as follows:

Hogmanay of the sack,
Hogmanay of the sack,
Strike of the hide,
Strike of the hide,
Hogmanay of the sack,
Hogmanay of the sack,
Beat the skin,
Beat the skin,
Hogmanay of the sack,
Hogmanay of the sack,
Down with it, Up with it;
Strike the hide.
Hogmanay of the sack,
Hogmanay of the sack,
Down with it, Up with it;
Strike the hide.
Hogmanay of the sack,
Hogmanay of the sack,

The ritual rhyme was of course, chanted in Gaelic. Its very monotony
imparted a certain eerie relentlessness to the ceremony.. When it was
finished, another carol or chant would be sung at the door of the house;
this would praise - in anticipation - the generosity of the occupiers
and would request entry and reward. In some areas the skin was singed
by the man of the house, and the fumes it gave off were believed to have
powers of purification, imparting health to all the family for the next
twelve months. A New Year's blessing, widely used and having a number
of variants, could also be heard in both the island, and the Gaelic
mainland. Pennant records, for the Dingwall region of Easter Ross, that
he was told in the locality that on New Year's Day the people burned
juniper before their cattle to protect them - another custom going back
to Druidic times. He also learnt that on the first Monday of every
quarter, the beasts were sprinkled with urine - a potent evil-averting
substance. Campbell, in his Witchcraft, gives other details of the
Hogmanay ceremony. He says the hide of a cow was wrapped round the head
of one of the men and he went off, followed by the rest of the party who
struck the hide with switches so that it made a booming sound, similar
to the noise of a drum. Again, the procession went three times deiseal,
or sunwise, round every house in each township, beating on the walls of
the house and chanting their rhymes at the door. The amount of drink
taken must have been very considerable and as the evening wore on, the
noise and rowdiness must have been quite alarming. On entering each
house each member of the party was offered refreshments of the
traditional kind - oatmeal, bread and cheese, and meat, followed by a
dram of whisky. The man of the house was then given the caisean-uchd,
which Campbell described as the breast-skin of a sheep which was wrapped
round the point of a shinty stick; this was, as in other instances,
singed in the fire, and carried three times sunwise round the family,
grasped in the right hand, and held to the nose of each person. This
was the focal point of the ritual. Campbell also records that as many
people who wished to do so could carry a caisean, and that it could be
made of goat or deer skin as well as from the breast-skin of a sheep.
The houses were decorated with holly on order to keep out the fairies
always a troublesome race; it was believed that if a boy were whipped
with the branch of this plant it was an assurance that he would live for
as many years as the drops of blood drawn by the sharp holly - a painful
way of ensuring longevity! Cheese, which as we have seen, was believed
to have magical properties was an important item of the festive fare and
the cheese eaten on this occasion was referred to as the caise Calluinn,
the Christmas Cheese. A slice of it was preserved, and if this happened
to have a hole through it, it was believed to have special virtues.
This sacred slice was known as the Laomacha, and a person who had lost
his way at any time during the ensuing twelve months had only to look
through the hole in the slice and he would know where he was - this was
especially valuable to one lost on the hill in the mist. It was
regarded as a very magical festival in every respect, and games of all
kinds were played.

Some of those concerned with the endlessly-fascinating desire to find
out who one's future husband or wife was destined to be. Sometimes the
boys in the a Hogmanay procession were preceded by a piper. No matter
how long or short the chant was, some words at least must be recited.
It was the tradition to keep the fire, which was usually 'smoored' or
extinguished at night, alive all through New Year's night. Only a
friend might approach the sacred blaze, and the candles were likewise
kept burning in the house. This custom gave rise to another name for the
festival, Oidhche Choinnle, 'Candlemass'. These various rites were
performed in the belief that, by observing them, evil would be kept from
the dwelling for the ensuing year. When the fire was being fuelled on
this night, a special incantation was recited, but Campbell was unable
to obtain an example of this. If the fire went out that night, it boded
ill for the coming year, and no neighbour would provide kindling to
light it on the following day. Ritual even accompanied the
extinguishing or 'smooring' of the fires; the putting out of flames was
called in Gaelic 'smaladh an teine'. The main fuel used in the Highlands
and Islands was, of course peat; wood was scarce, and although much more
coal is used today, peat is still burnt. The fire was not entirely
extinguished but kept barely smouldering during the night. Until very
recently the fire was in the centre of the floor of the so-called black
houses, and the embers were smoothed out evenly on the hearth; these
were then covered over with large peats and ashes to prevent the fire
from blazing up in the night, but ensure easy kindling in the morning.
The whole process was regarded with superstition, and was accompanied by
many incantations. One incantation taken down by Carmichael invokes;

The Sacred Three
To save,
To shield,
To surround
The Hearth,
The House,
The Household,
This eve,
This night,
Oh! this eve,
This night,
And every night,
Each single night.

There are many variants of invocations for this important function of
smooring the fire, all of a sacred nature, and going right back to the
ancient pagan belief in the miraculous power of fire. The kindling in
the morning, on which all domestic comfort depended, had it's own
repertoire of charms and incantations for blessing:

I will raise the hearth-fire
As Mary would.
The encirclement of Bride and St. Mary
On the fire, and on the floor,
And on the household all.

Who are they on the bare floor?
John and Peter and Paul.
Who are they by my bed?
The lovely Bride and her fosterling.
Who are those watching over my sleep?
The fair loving Mary and her Lamb.
Who is that at the back of my head?
The Son of Life without beginning, without time.

Deeply and sincerely Christian as these devout Highlanders were, they
managed to keep the essence of the old religion in being by turning from
the many pagan gods and goddesses - although, as we have seen, some of
these were retained underneath a veneer of Christianity - the many
saints and angels, as well as the Virgin and the Trinity, thus
continuing to surround themselves with divine protection, of a Christian
kind, but according to the ancient pre-Christian formulae.

Campbell, in his Witchcraft, notes that Latha na Bliadhn' Ur, "New Year's
Day" was also known as the Day of Little Christmas. After the family had
got up in the morning, the head of the house gave a dram of whisky to each
member of the household; then a strange custom followed in some areas;
a breakfast was provided of half-boiled sowens - austere fare for a
festive occasion. This was supposed to bring luck to the household.
Campbell does say that this tradition was not observed on Mull,
Morvern or the Western Isles. Then each member of the family
exchanged traditional greetings and did likewise with every person
they met. The boy then went off to play shinty and meanwhile a late
and luxurious breakfast was prepared. Apparently, no substance of any
kind was allowed to be removed from the house on New Year's Day -
dirty water, sweeping from the floor, ashes and so on. If a neighbour's
fire had gone out one must not give fire from one's own house to them;
this was regarded as one of the most unlucky things that could be done.
It would ensure a death within that family during the coming year; it
also gave power to the black witches to take away the produce from the
cattle. No woman should enter the house first on the portentous day.

Extracted from "The Folklore of the Scottish Highlands", By Ann Ross.
1976, Published by Barnes and Noble.

Book information
----------------
Get more information on the books listed here
via our books page in association with Amazon.
http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/books/amazon.html#[12.16]


[12.17] New Year Fire Festivals

Comrie
------
As midnight strikes on Hogmanay in Comrie a strange, time-honoured
ceremony takes place - the lighting of the Flambeaux, to herald in the
New Year. It is a ceremony that goes back far beyond the memory of folk
and when questioned about its origin, they say "There have aye been
flambeaux, in my father's time and my granfather's".

The flambeaux are great tall torches, some ten feet in length, swathed for
about two feet on top. The poles are usually smallish birch trees which
are cut around October. The swathing is of canvas formly bound to the
shaft with wire, and is subjected to being soaked in a large barrel of
paraffin for several weeks.

On Hogmanay night they are brought out and laid against the dyke at the
northeast corner of the Auld Kirkyaird, and when the clock strikes at
midnight they are set alight. The torches are then seized by the
strongest young men and hoisted shoulder high. Preceded by the Comrie
Pipe band followed by a procession of people gathered in the village
square they are paraded down Drummond Street, back over the Dalginross
Bridge and down Strowan Road to the Square, then along Dunira Street to
the Public Hall in Burrell street and finally returning to the Square.
Once there they are ceremoniously thrown into the river Earn. It takes
strong men to complete the circuit and no shortage of volunteers.

A motley collection of guisers and people in fancy dress add to the
ambiance and there is dancing and laughter. Prizes are awarded for the
best costumes.

Therafter people first foot their family, friends and neighbours. It is
important that a dark - haired "stranger" be allowed into your house
before a fair haired one - this may have something to do with Viking
raids - invariably Vikings were fair haired. The "stranger" may carry
a lump of coal signifying warmth or heat, or a piece of cake signifying
food or Scotch signifying liquid. A good time is then had by all and
sundry. No-one is turned away at the door.

The ceremony may be Druid - to exorcise the witches because people until
very recently believed in witches or it may have something to do with
protecting the village from marauding Vikings or it may have something
to do with the Flems who came there 200 years ago and taught the local
folk how to weave. (Flambeaux = beautiful flames)

Burghead and Stonehaven
-----------------------
The fire festivals are typical of those which used to be held in many
communities in Scotland, but which were largely stamped out
by the Church of Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries. A few
survived, such as the Burning of the Clavie at Burghead (Moray), and the
fireball whirling at Stonehaven. These days they are often an excuse for
the public to consume various quantities of appropriate alcoholic
beverages. The Clavie fire ceremony is conducted under strict accordance
with tradition and takes place around January 1st by the old calendar,
which equates to January 10th/11th.

The Clavie is dated back to pre-Christian times and is held in the
highest regard by the people of Burghead, more than Xmas and
January 1st itself. A position in the Clavie crew (the organisers)
is hereditary, and has been handed down from father to son for many
generations. (I wonder if any women have ever wanted to take part?)
A barrel is halved and filled with tar and faggots, mounted on a pole and
carried round the streets of the town, with burning bits of wood tossed
into doorways where they are snapped up by the joyous householders and
preserved to bring good fortune throughout the year. They used to take
the clavie round ships in the harbour, but after a few accidents this
practice ceased. The clavie is finally mounted in a special pillar on a
mound within the Pictish fort, where it burns itself out. Similar
ceremonies used to occur at other Moray fishing villages, including
Findhorn and Lossiemouth, but this was stamped out by the church in the
17th century. Burghead didn't have a church until the mid-19th century,
so it survived there.

Shetland
--------
Shetland has a similar fire festival in January "Up helly aa" - this is a
series of fire festivals. The biggest takes place on the last Tuesday in
January and is a procession of flaming torches, carried through the streets
of Lerwick by 'guizers' and led by the Jarl Squad in full Viking costume,
before setting alight a specially built full-size replica longship.
Smaller festivals are held throughout Shetland from January to March, these
are more accessible but still very spectacular.

[12.18] Ba' game, Orkney

No doubt you'll know about this already but one particular custom we
have in Orkney is the Ba'. Although the ba' is played on Christmas Day
and New Year's Day every year, it's origin's were probably in New Year's
Celebrations (The New Year's day Ba' was originally the only one of
any importance until 1880 at which point the Christmas Ba' began to
achieve some stature.)

On Xmas Eve and Hogmanay each year all the householders and shopkeepers
along Kirkwall's main streets barricade up their premises in preparation
for the ba'. The idea of the "game" is that the men of the town are
either "Uppies" or "Doonies" and fight over a cork filled leather ball.
The Uppies must touch the Ba against a wall in the South End of the Town
whereas the Doonies must get the Ba into the water of the Harbour at the
North. The streets are their playing field.

A typical game can go on for hours with a heaving throng of men pushing
and pulling to try and gain a few metres ground. When the crowd breaks
the man with the Ba' will try and get as close to the "goal" as possible
before being stopped again. Numerous tactics are used. Players have been
known to smuggle the ba through Kirkwall's winding lanes and even
attempt to reach their goal via the rooftops.

The origins of the Ba' are uncertain but it may stem from the tradition
of the old year fighting the New. Numerous legends grew up around it's
origin, one being that it stemmed from the defeat of an evil tyrant
named Tusker. A young Orcadian man rowed across the Pentland Firth and
travelled on horseback until he met and defeated Tusker (so called
because of his protruding teeth). The boy severed Tusker's head and was
taking it back to Orkney tied to his saddle when one of Tusker's teeth
punctured the Earl's leg. The wound became infected and the boy died,
but not before making it to the Mercat Cross outside Kirkwall's
cathedral and throwing the head into the midst of the gathered
townsfolk.

The people of Kirkwall were so outraged that they kicked the severed
head through the streets in anger - hence the legendary (but
historically untrue) origin of the Ba'. Interestingly this tale parallels
almost exactly a historical campaign by the Orkney Earl Sigurd, who
travelled to the mainland and defeated his enemy Maelbrigte Tusk, a
Scottish Earl. Sigurd defeated Maelbrigte and his men and strapped their
severed heads to the saddles of their mounts. Sigurd spurred his horse
and Maelbrigte's tooth punctured the Earl's leg. This wound poisoned and
Sigurd died and was buried on the mainland.

It's interesting to note the severed head connection with the Ba' and
the Celtic motif of the Beheading Game - most well known via "Gawain and
the Green Knight". One theory as to the origins of the beheading game
motif is that it is all that remains of an ancient new year ritual - the
challenge of the new year (Gawain beheads the knight representing the
old year and symbolically becomes the "New Year" - he is then told by
the beheaded knight that he must return in a year at which time his head
will be struck off) to the old year. Gawain through the head of the
Green Knight to the watching people in the court of Camelot who kicked
the severed head as it rolled around the ground towards them. I wonder
about the connection?

Another possibility of its origin lies in the Orkney legend of the Sea
Mither (the Benign Spirit of the Sea) and her nemesis Teran (spirit of
Winter). These two battle twice per annum - once at the spring equinox
at which time Teran is defeated and bound and again at the Autumn
equinox when Teran breaks free and banishes the sea-mither. The Ba' has
been likened to these struggles and possibly originated as a ritual
contest based on folk memories of the strife between these two
characters.

More info at http://www.velvia.demon.co.uk/

There is also a lot of information on the Ba' game in Tocher 53.


[12.19] Halloween

The Celtic festival Samhain is one of the four quarter festivals.
In Gaelic it is Samhuinn which means hallow tide or season, the feast of
all-souls. The souls of all the dead are said to be free on that day,
1st November. 1st November was the first day of the Celtic new year and
the transition between old and new year was believed to set free evil
spirits which would visit your house.

Halloween is actually the night before where lanterns (Gaelic: samhnag),
Hallowfires and such are supposed to scare the souls that will emerge at
midnight, away from your house. Samhuinn is also used in Gaelic for the
entire month of November. The name "Samhain" entered Canadian folklore as
"Sam Hain", the name of the guy doll which children would wheel round.

Halloween customs in Scotland these days consist chiefly of children going
door to door "guising" (or "Galoshin" on the south bank of the lower Clyde)
dressing up and offering entertainment of various sorts in return for gifts.
The Witchcraft Act of 1735 contained a clause preventing the consumption
of pork and pastry comestibles on Halloween although these days sausage
rolls seem to a popular treat for children - the act was repealed in
the 1950s.

The children are invariably dressed up as something supernatural or spooky
and the entertainment usually consists of singing, telling a poem or joke
etc. They don't 'trick' you if you do not give, as in America. However,
after the showing of ET in the early 80s, the influence of American "trick
or treating" seems to have become more prevelant at least in England.
Hollowed out turnips with candles in them are sometimes displayed or carried.
Note that many children in America do not 'trick' either.

Halloween parties often consisted of various games, for instance
'Dooking fur aiples' where the children had to bite apples floating in a
basin of water, once they had one by the teeth they could retreive and
obtain it. Sometimes flour would be sprinkled on the surface of the water.

For younger children a more modern game is 'Forkin fur aiples', an easier
task, where the children stood on a chair and held a fork handle in their
teeth, taking aim, they would release it into the basin of apples
and water and retreive and keep any apple they so skewered. Another game
was 'treacle scones' where children had to eat a scone covered in treacle
hanging on a piece of string.

One custom associated with Halloween in the Western Isles was to put two
large nuts in the fire. These were supposed to represent yourself and your
intended spouse. If the nuts jumped together when they warmed up then this
was deemed to be a good omen, but if they jumped apart then it was time to
look for someone else!

See [12.15] for further details of Halloween customs - some of these
migrated from the Celtic hogmanay of 31 October to the modern hogmanay
of 31 December with the change from the Celtic calander to the modern
calendar. However, according to Brewster's Dictionary of Folklore which
is on line, 'guiser' was a Scottish Mummer at Christmas time, so this
is one tradition that has gone in the other direction i.e. from
yuletide to Halloween.

Further info
------------
http://www.scottishradiance.com/halstory.htm
The story of Halloween

Recommended further reading:
Tocher 7 (Autumn 1972) P201-207, P220
Tocher 15 (Autumn 1974) P241, P257
Published by the School of Scottish Studies, see [12.2]

See also "Halloween", a poem by Robert Burns (written 1785)


[12.20] Use of Mc Vs Mac in Scottish Surname

See here for full information on the use of Mc, Mac and other prefixes
used in Scottish and Irish surnames

http://www.scottishhistory.com/macvsmc.htm


[12.21] What is worn under the kilt?

It is traditional custom that no undergarments are worn underneath the kilt,
and it is military regulation for soliders in Highland regiments. However,
there are exceptions. In Highland step dancing, athletes for Highland games,
and band leaders (who raise their knees to chest level as a way of keeping
time) wearing undergarments is more seemly and permitted.

For civilians, undergarments is a personal choice, not a regulatory
requirement. Some wear underwear, usually bikini briefs (which are easier to
get in and out of when nature calls), some do not. One of the reasons that I
recommended specially made kilt shirts with longer tails is that this would
provide a layer between the skin and the worsted wool for those who wear
their kilts in the traditional fashion, especially if they are sensitive to
wool.

Last but not least, there is the answer given by all Scotsmen - regardless
of whether they have underwear or not - to the age-old question of "What is
worn underneath the kilt?" It is:
NOTHING WORN, ALL IN FIRST CLASS WORKING ORDER!


[13.1] Haggis information

Buying haggis
-------------
The best known haggis maker in the world, is Charles MacSween of
Edinburgh. He makes about 1 ton a day and ships it all over the UK and
overseas too (it keeps remarkably well in the post). Many shops in the
UK (including supermarkets) sell MacSween's haggis. There is also a
vegetarian version which is quite tasty. The vegetarian one is made from
black kidney beans, lentils, nuts, mushrooms, swede and carrots. It
accounts for 10% of MacSween's haggis sales.

contact:
McSweens Haggis, 118 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4ES
Tel: 0131 440 2555. Fax: 0131 440 2674 (these are the numbers for
their factory at Bilston Glen)
http://www.macsween.co.uk/

As an alternative, you should try the haggis at Sandy Crombie's on
Broughton Street. There is a guidebook to the best food shops in the UK
(I can't remember the title, but I can find it if you want), and you'll
find Sandy's shop in there. It is a truly excellent butchers, and is
regarded by many as an equal to McSweens.

See also the excellent site at
http://www.scottishhaggis.co.uk/

Cooking haggis
--------------
From interview with John MacSween of MacSween's the butchers in
The Times, 2-Jan-93, P7.

"Wrap the haggis tightly in tin foil and place in a large saucepan of
cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 45 minutes per lb.
When ready to serve, remove from foil and drain off the excess water.
Split the skin with a sharp knife and spoon the contents onto a hot
(most important) plate with mashed turnip and mashed potato."
Allow about 6-8oz per person.

Haggis in the US
----------------
US customs seem to have problems allowing Haggis into the country. If
you live in the US and want a haggis, try Lamb Etc.
http://www.tcfb.com/lambetc/


Haggis recipie
--------------
Source:  mailto:Micheil@Ireland.com

HAGGIS

This is the most traditional of all Scottish dishes, eaten on Burns
Night (25th January; the birthday of Scotland's national poet, Robert
Burns, 1759-1796) and at Hogmanay (New Year's Eve), accompanied by the
traditional Black Bun, Het Pint and Shortbread. It is really a large
round sausage; the skin being a sheep's paunch. The finest haggis of
all is made with deer liver, served to the skirl of the pipes, cut
open with a traditional 'sgian dubh' (black stocking knife) and
accompanied by small glasses of neat Scotch whisky. This recipe dates
from 1856.

1 cleaned sheep or lamb's stomach bag
2 lb. dry oatmeal
1 lb. chopped mutton suet
1 lb. lamb or venison liver, boiled and minced
2 c. stock
sheep heart and lights, boiled and minced
1 large chopped onion
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Toast oatmeal slowly until crisp.
2. Mix all ingredients (except stomach bag) together; add stock.
3. Fill bag to just over half full, press out air, sew up securely.
4. Have ready a large pot of boiling water.
5. Prick the haggis all over with a large pin so it doesn't burst.
6. Boil slowly for 4 to 5 hours.
7. Serve with Clapshot.

CLAPSHOT

Clapshot is delicious with Haggis. A traditional Orkney dish, it is
widely eaten in the North of Scotland.

1 lb. potatoes
1 lb. white or yellow turnips (or swedes)
4 chopped shallots, or
1 tbs. chopped chives
1 tbs. butter or dripping, heaped
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of mace or nutmeg if desired

1. Boil potatoes and turnips separately, drain.
2. Mash very well, adding all other ingredients.
3. If desired, add sprinkle of mace or nutmeg.
4. Season to taste, serve hot.



[13.2] Scottish cooking and recipes

Great Scottish Food when dining out
-----------------------------------
The definitive guide to eating good traditional Scottish food is
"The Taste of Scotland" published by

Taste of Scotland, 33 Melville St, Edinburgh, EH3 7JF

Links
-----
off http://www.ntrnet.net/~less/highland/

http://www.nairns.co.uk/ - Nick Nairn, award winning TV chef.


This is probably the best page on the Net for Scottish recipe site
links:

http://www.rampantscotland.com/Food.htm


Books
-----
F. Marian McNeill - The Scots Kitchen, its lore and recipes. A
classic and as much a source of folklore and history as a culinary
reference. First published in 1929. 300+ pages. Published by Grafton
Books, 8 Grafton St, London, W1X 3LA. ISBN 0-586-20784-8. Grafton books
is a division of Collins, Glasgow. Just about every recipe has a tale,
saying, poem, song or bit of history printed with it (the occasional
one in Gaelic; with translation). F. Marian MacNeill was a historian by
profession.

Another book, rather more contemporary (no stories etc but probably
biased towards modern eating trends and it also has US-UK conversions).
Scottish Cookery: Catherine Brown. ISBN 0-86267-248-1. Published by
Richard Drew publishing, 6 Clairmont Gardens, Glasgow G3 7LW.
Really good traditional stuff and well laid out.

McNeill's book gives several recipes for haggis. The Traditional
Cottage Recipe includes : "The large stomach bag of a sheep, the pluck
(including heart, lights and liver), beef-suet, pin-head (coarse)
oatmeal, onions, black pepper, salt, stock or gravy. Meg Dod's recipe
includes "Sheep's pluck and paunch, beef-suet, onions, oatmeal, pepper,
salt, cayenne, lemon or vinegar". Haggis Royal includes "Mutton, suet,
beef-marrow, bread-crumbs or oatmeal, anchovies, parsley, lemon,
pepper, cayenne, eggs, red wine". Deer Haggis includes "Deer's heart,
liver and suet, coarse  oatmeal, onions, black pepper, salt, paste". It
takes about a day to make a haggis from  scratch, but very very few
people do this as it is particulaly gruesome. Most people buy their
haggis from the butcher's. See [13.1] for details of how to get
some.

Book information
----------------
Get more information on the books listed here
via our books page in association with Amazon.
http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/books/amazon.html#[13.2]


[13.3] Best Scottish pubs

To find out where to get the best beer (Real Ale), look in The
Good Beer Guide, available from all major bookshops. Published by
CAMRA. ISBN 1 85249 006 3. Published in October each year.
http://www.camra.org.uk/

Stagg's Bar in Musselburgh won CAMRA's "Pub of the Year" 1998.

Edinburgh: Bannerman's; Bert's bar; Bow bar; Canny Man's;
Cumberland Bar; Clark's Bar; Drew Nicol's; Golden Rule; Greenmantle;

Section 16 of 21 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21

© allanswers.org | Terms of use