Na rathaidean fada, lùbach tro Chuimrigh agus Alba

Today’s trivia is on the Shetlands: It is not “The Shetlands”: It is simply called Shetland or the Shetland Islands. Probably a bit like the silent ‘p’ in Rick!. Vikings colonized Shetland in the 9th century, leaving a strong Norse legacy. Shetland likely derives from the Old Norse words hjalt (“hilt”) and land (“land”). The…

Today’s trivia is the high seas way to Shetland: It’s the longest UK route, 216-mile journey connectingbAberdeen with Lerwick. Nightly sailings of 12 hours duration. Not sure if we will stop at Hatston in Kirkwall, Orkney, making the journey closer to 14 hours.🤔 Pet-friendly cabins and kennels are available. Due to the North Sea route,…

Today’s trivia is Slaine Castle: It is widely believed that Bram Stoker drew inspiration from Slains Castle for Count Dracula’s castle. The castle fell into disrepair after 1916 and was abandoned in 1925, at which point the roof was removed to avoid paying taxes. The ruin was used to stand in for Castle Mey, the…

Today’s trivia is on Aberdeen, our staging post for countless murder mysteries: Aberdeen is over 8,000 years old, with settlements dating back that far. Originally, Old Aberdeen (near the university) and New Aberdeen (fishing/trade) were separate, merging over time. The Motto “Bon Accord” was a secret password used by Robert the Bruce during a 1308…

Today’s trivia is me, one of the 1,790,000 tourists in the highlands each year and growing: Most rental cars are manual; automatics must be requested. Unless an EV. ✔️ On single-track roads, tourists must use passing places to let locals pass. ✔️ Visa versa ❌️ Visitors are advised to never call Scots “English” or British.…

Today’s trivia is on Brora: Brora is derived from Norse, meaning “bridge over the river”. In the early 1900s, Brora became the first village north of Inverness to have electricity, powered by its local wool mill. Known as the industrial powerhouse of Sutherland, it was home to a coal mine, salt pans, brickworks, and the…

Today’s trivia is on deer: Red deer are native, largely found in the Highlands and islands. Ross deer are native, found throughout mainland Scotland and in woodlands. Sika deer were ntroduced in the 1920s, now widespread and able to hybridise with red deer. Fallow deer were introduced by Normans in the 11th century, found in…

Today’s trivia is on the Tongue Hotel, seeing there’s no other notable trivia: Built in the mid-1800s, the building retains character through wood paneling, open fires, and traditional furnishings. Situated in the village of Tongue, making it a popular stop on the North Coast 500 route. The hotel was acquired by Highland Coast Hotels in…

Today’s trivia is on Tongue: It houses 3,000–10,000 taste buds The tongue consists of four intrinsic muscles (shaping the tongue) and four extrinsic muscles (anchoring it to the jaw/skull). Tongue prints are unique to individuals, potentially usable for biometric security. All taste buds can detect all five tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, savory/umami); there is…

Today’s trivia is on Dunvegan Castle: Is the historic seat of MacLeod of MacLeod chief since the 13th century. It’s their home for over 800 years, these oldest continuously used cadtle in Scotland. They did some bad things many moons ago. Setting for some notable films such as Macbeth, Made of Honor, 47 Ronnin and…