Na rathaidean fada, lùbach tro Chuimrigh agus Alba

Today’s trivia is on Skye’s capital Portree: Portree (Port Rìgh in Gaelic) means “King’s Port”. It was named after a visit by King James V in 1540. Before the Royal visit, the town was called Ceilltarraglan (or Kiltaragleann), which means “the chapel at the bottom of the glen”. The vibrant, pastel-hued houses on the harbour…

Today’s trivia on Skye: Skye from PAW Patrol has never been to Skye The Isle of Skye is Scotland’s largest Inner Hebridean island. Skye was once a subtropical land during the Jurassic period, leaving behind numerous fossils and dinosaur footprints. It is famous for the Black Cuillin mountain range (with 12 Munro peaks) and the…

Today’s trivia is on Oban: Oban has a population of 8,000. In summer it swells to 30,000! Hence I travel off season. McCaig’s Tower was commissioned by banker John Stuart McCaig for £5,000 to serve as a memorial to his family and a winter project for local builders. But you knew that from yesterday’s blog🤔…

Today’s trivia is a carry over from Annette’s dinner last night: Langoustines (Nephrops norvegicus), also known as Dublin Bay prawns, Norway lobsters, or scampi, are prized, cold-water crustaceans found in the North Atlantic. They have bright orange, slender bodies with delicate, sweet, white meat similar to lobster. Often sold whole or as tails, they are…

Today’s trivia is specifically on the Scottish weather: The UK’s coldest ever temperature of -27.2°C was recorded three times, 11 February 1895 in Braemar, 10 January 1982 in Braemar, and 30 December 1995 in Altnaharra. . The highest official temperature, 34.8°C recorded in Scotland was in Charterhall, Scottish Borders, on July 19, 2022. The highest gust recorded…

Today’s trivia: Historians theorise that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582. This was the year that France switched from the Julian calendar to the Georgian calendar. The new year no longer began with the spring equinox on April 1, but landed after Christmas on January 1. April Fools’ Day really caught on during the…

Today’s trivia on Taile Day: It is the second day of a traditional two-day Scottish April Fool’s celebration. Participants, historically often children, aim to pin paper tails or “kick me” signs onto the backs of friends or passers-by. According to Scots Word of the Week: preen-tail day, it is a historic Scottish tradition sometimes referred…

Today’s trivia on Glasgow: The name Glasgow is believed to derive from Gaelic, meaning “green hollow” or “green glen”. The popular curry, Tikka Masala is claimed to have been invented at the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow’s West End. Inside Victoria Park, you can see 330-million-year-old fossilized tree stumps that are older than the dinosaurs. Glasgow…

Today’s trivia is on immigrants in Scottland: As of late 2025, Glasgow houses the highest number of asylum seekers of any local authority area in the UK, with roughly 4,100 people with ongoing claims. By 1905, there were over 300 Italian-owned cafes in Glasgow, part of a wave of immigration escaping poverty in Italy in…

Today’s trivia is on The Lakes District: While there are 16 main bodies of water, only Bassenthwaite Lake is officially named a lake; others are waters (e.g., Wastwater) or meres (e.g., Windermere). Windermere is the largest and longest lake (10.5 miles/17km), while Wastwater is the deepest at 74 metres. I thought they aren’t lakes! Scafell…