It turns out, a lot of the things we thought were Scottish, aren’t actually Scottish… Here are a few facts about Scotland you (probably) didn’t know.
1.) Unfortunately, we’ve been fed a lie for many years. Bagpipes are not Scottish – they were brought to Europe by Romans and were invented by Asia Minor.
2.) Beloved Scottish comedy duo, the Krankies, were massively popular with their show in the 80s. But before that, they used to be swingers.
3.) After the potato was introduced to Europe, Scottish people refused to eat it because it wasn’t in the Bible.
4.) The Fortingall Yew in Perthshire is 5000 years old making it the oldest in Europe.
5.) Haggis is likely an English invention; the first known recipe for it was found in a book from Lancashire and it dates from around 1430.
5.) Legendary actor and Scotsman, Sir Sean Connery, used to be a milkman and then a coffin polisher in Edinburgh, his hometown.
6.) Scotland has approximately 790 islands, and only one quarter of them are populated.
7.) The kilt supposedly isn’t from Scotland either, ancient Egyptians wore it as a part of the Assyrian soldiers’ uniform.
8.) In Castle Douglas, there is a butcher who makes Irn-Bru sausages.
9.) The Falls of Glomach located in Cromarty and Ross are twice the height of Niagra Falls.
10.) In southeast Scotland, more than 40% of the population is carrying the gene for red hair.
11.) It’s the only country in the world where the top-selling drink is not Coca-Cola, it is in fact, Irn-Bru.
12.) Meat pies were banned in 1490 by the Bishop of St Andrew’s because he believed they were “too English”.
13.) Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn…
14.) On the A93 Perth-Blairgowrie road, you can find the world’s tallest hedge. It stands at 100 foot tall.
15.) The Loch Ness Monster isn’t the only monster to be scared of in Scotland, Morag is the monster of Loch Morar. It’s supposedly 30ft long and attacked two fisherman in 1969. Lake Morar is also the deepest loch in Scotland, deeper than Loch Ness.
