Pastimes

     Enjoy exciting activities in Scotland on land, in the water and in the air. With a beautiful landscape filled with mountains, hills, lochs and rivers, Scotland is the perfect destination for a range of activities. From white water rafting to kayaking, archery to 4x4 driving, fishing to golf, there are a range of activities to suit everyone, whatever your skill or taste. 

     Scotland is a beautiful country with a lot of variety, which gives the average visitor plenty of activities to choose from. For one thing it is known as a bicycler’s paradise with many quiet country roads and cycling paths that are perfect for this activity. Those traveling light can choose to cycle from town to town and city to city as they discover many beautiful parts of Scotland that would otherwise not be noticed. Hiking is another activity that is certainly very popular – especially in the more rugged parts of the country where cycling is somewhat more difficult. Hiking enables a person to get closer to the natural surrounds without startling creatures nearby and requires only a bit of fitness and a good pair of shoes. Of course, if you are planning to hike for longer than a day, you will also have to invest in a good backpack, but some walking trails even make use of hospitable farmers who gladly provide overnight accommodation and lighten your load considerably. But, what are the most relevant activities and sports in Scotland?

     The most important sport in this country is golf. Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the 15th century, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness. Although golf is often seen as an elitist sport elsewhere in the world, in the land of its birth it enjoys widespread appeal throughout the spectrum of society, in line with the country's egalitarian tradition. For example, the Old Course at St Andrew's and Musselburgh Links are public courses. Council-owned courses, with low fees and easy access, are common throughout the country wherever demography and geography allow. Therefore golf courses, whether public or private, are far more common in the Lowlands than in the Highlands and Islands, where shinty  is often the traditional sport.

     The second one archery which has been a part of the United Kingdom since the earliest times and today it is a much-loved sport. Even if you have never given it a try before, you can certainly attempt some archery in Scotland when you are on your next holiday. Local instructors will provide you with the equipment and instruction necessary to get you started and you may well discover that shooting with a bow and arrow is a whole lot of fun. For those who are a little more adventurous, there are the options of kart racing, off-road driving, paintball and skiing. Kart racing will make you feel like a child all over again as you wind your way around the karting track and do your best to overtake your friends. Paintball will give you a whole new adrenaline rush as you stalk through the bushes and try to outwit and outplay the opposing team, while off-road driving provides a mental and physical challenge that simply cannot be topped.

     In other hand, Association football is the national sport in Scotland and popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite bearing the name "football" bear little resemblance to association football. Scotland has the second oldest national Football Association in the world (behind England's FA), and the trophy for the national cup, the Scottish Cup, is the oldest national sporting trophy in the world. Scotland and Scottish football clubs hold many records for football attendances.

     The fourth one is the watersports. Scotland is a great setting for sailing and watersports of all kinds and has well-developed watersports facilities with centers in many parts of the country from sea kayaking around Barra  in the Outer Hebrides to wind-surfing on Loch Ken in Galloway. Instruction and equipment hire are generally available at watersports centers such as The Scottish National Sports Centre.  

     Sea kayaking is another popular watersports discipline, where local knowledge is important. Barra, Skye, Applecross, Rhiconich are some of the hotspots.

     Windsurfing can be enjoyed both on salt water and on inland waters, with several operators offering tuition.

     The fifth one is mountain biking. Scotland is the perfect choice for all levels of mountain biking with miles of trails, tracks and technical trick parks. Scotland is home to a series of world-class mountain bike trails. The 7 stanes - seven mountain biking centers across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway - are legendary and cater for everyone from beginners to experienced mountain bikers.

     The last one is fishing in Scotland. Scotland is one of the world’s top destinations for freshwater and sea angling, with world-class fishing available across the country throughout the year. So if you’re chasing the ‘king of fish’, the Atlantic salmon, or you prefer the hard fighting monster pike or giant common skate, Scotland has you covered. 

     There are a tremendous variety of species when fishing in the hundreds of rivers and lochs around Scotland. From beautiful Highland rivers to secluded island lochs, there are excellent salmon, trout and coarse fishing opportunities in some of the most picturesque areas of the country. You might even have entire water coarse to yourself.

     So we can conclude that Scotland, including the Gaelic-speaking areas, has a very rich tradition of games and pastimes which were a crucial part of life, both in urban and rural environments. They were important elements of young people’s lives and preceded the introduction of more formalized and regulated sports in the late 19^th century. These games and pastimes were often linked to the seasons or to specific times such as New Year, Christmas and other special occasions. They were games of chance and skill, of contest and forfeit; they involved ghosts and witches, courtship and marriage divination and well worship; gambling, feats of skill and strength, ball games and dance games. Many of them involved singing, chanting or clapping, and their musical content very likely forms a basis for many traditional songs and tunes. 

Food and traditional recipes

     Scottish food is as varied as the country itself. Today Scotland's chefs take the best of their culinary heritage, re-interpreting their grandmothers' recipes to produce delectable variations on the old standards. Recipes highlight Scottish ingredients at their very best. Scotland is famous for Aberdeen Angus Beef, succulent Lamb, and delicate summer fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. An increasing number of specialist farms in the Highlands produce Venison, and cheese making is a rediscovered art. From the national dish of Haggis, to the finest whisky in the world, and what would breakfast be without the ubiquitous porridge. The Scots have learnt over the years to make the best use of the offerings nature handed to them from rugged mountains, lakes, sea lochs and streams, to fertile valleys and moorlands. in the following paragraphs you will see the list of recipes below that Scotland has indeed a rich and varied food heritage. What are the most important foods in the Scottish cuisine?   

     The most important food is the Haggis which is the national dish in Scotland. This food is a piece of pudding which contains sheep’s pluck minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt mixed with stock. The Haggis is served with swedes and potatoes.

     The Haggis was immortalized by the poet Robert Burns in his poem Address to a Haggis in the 18th century. The haggis is celebrated in Scotland and throughout the world on Burns Night every January 25th. 

     In other hand, we have the porridge. The use of boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both dish is one of the healthiest starts to the day. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish. Other grains or legumes may be used, although dishes prepared with other ingredients are often referred to by other names, such as polenta or grits.

     The third one is the oatcakes. Oatcakes are to Scotland what a baguette is to the French. The flat cakes made mainly from oats have for centuries been considered the Scottish national bread. They are quick and easy to make and make a delicious snack or accompaniment to cheese. Oatcakes are an ancient mainstay of the Scottish diet and were for a long time one of the main sources of carbohydrates for the average Scotsman. These days, Scottish oatcakes are commonly served with jam for breakfast or at afternoon tea topped with delicacies like smoked salmon and crème.

     Other delicious temptation is the Scottish tablet which is a sweet Scottish fudge-like candy. Scottish tablet contains sugar, butter and condensed milk and as you can see in this Scottish Tablet recipe is easy to make. Tablet differs from fudge in that it has a brittle, grainy texture, where fudge is much softer. Well-made tablet is a medium-hard confection, not as soft as fudge, but not as hard as hard candy. Tablet is often flavored with vanilla, whisky, or nuts.

     The fourth one is the Cullen Skink which is a hearty soup and traditionally made with Finnan haddock; potatoes and onions. In this recipe mashed potatoes are stirred into the soup creating thickness and flavor, some recipes however will add in scrubbed, new potatoes or potato chunks. Cullen Skink recipe is also known as Smoked Haddock Chowder in other parts of Britain.

     This soup is a local speciality, from the town of Cullen in Moray, on the north-east coast of Scotland. The soup is often served as a starter at formal Scottish dinners. Cullen skink is widely served as a part of an everyday dish across the North East of Scotland. Local recipes for Cullen skink has several slight variations by the use of milk instead of water, addition of single cream and other such slight variations. Cullen skink was traditionally served with bread.

     The fifth one is a dessert called Tipsy Laird Pudding. Tipsy Laird is the Scottish dessert served on Burns Night. It is essentially the same as Trifle, the pudding that has graced British tables for centuries but with whisky not sherry, and Scottish raspberries. This version is quick and easy to make using ready-made custard or make with custard powder following the packet instructions. Jelly may not always be used but no Trifle is complete without custard. Use Scottish raspberries if you can for complete authenticity.

     The seventh one is the Scottish Shortbread. It is one of the most famous Scottish biscuits and eaten around Christmas time and is part of a traditional Scottish New Year. For me though, it is too good for once a year, why not eat it year round, I do.

     The success of a 'shortie' as shortbread is also known is to handle the dough with care. Do not pound or knead heavily, and make sure your hands and the dishes you use are cold. The resulting shortbread will then be light and crumbly with a dense buttery taste.

     The last one is the tattie scones. Tattie scones are a popular part of a full Scottish breakfast. They are sometimes called potato scones; you may also hear them called fadge or potato bread in Ireland. They generally include liberal quantities of boiled potatoes, butter and salt.

     A typical potato scone is made with mashed potato  and plain flour is added to make it into dough which is then rolled out and put on a griddle to cook. They are traditionally served hot and cold potato scones are often reheated by toasting or frying. Potato scones contain a small proportion of flour to a large proportion of potatoes: one traditional recipe calls for two ounces of flour and half an ounce of butter to a pound of potatoes.

     Scottish cuisine has been greatly influenced by the cooking traditions and practices followed in the Great Britain. The delicacies made by the inhabitants of Scotland reflect the culinary habits of the Scandinavian Peninsula as well. However, the Scottish cuisine has unique features, distinctive tastes and varied recipes of its own. The mouthwatering dishes of the Scottish cuisine have been relished by people in its homeland as well as those in different countries across the globe. Like England, food in Scotland today is an eclectic mix of many cultures - English, Italian, Indian and Chinese. In Scotland, the Scots hold on tightly to their culinary heritage still using local, seasonal food. Oats are still widely eaten, as is fish, game, and of course beef. Scottish soft fruits – raspberries, strawberries, are renowned throughout the UK. Scottish cheeses, fruits and vegetables likewise.

     The Scottish food and drink industry is an important component of the Scottish economy and will be a significant contributor to its future growth.  This is an industry that is demonstrating strong performance to date and has a sustainable and profitable future, given the right conditions for business growth.  There are undoubtedly significant challenges to overcome, but this is a sector with a strong chance of weathering future economic uncertainties – and vital in providing Scotland with a diverse and balanced portfolio across the national economy.