So, we leave Oban and the reunion
behind and are en route for Edinburgh. On the way I can’t resist taking some
shots of my absolute favourite: Highland
cattle.
A distinct breed originating in
the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, they are distinctive for their
long ‘fur coat’. In fact, they have two coats: a fine undercoat and a thick,
oily outer coat which helps them cope with our cold, wet and windy climate. They
date back to the 6th century AD. A herd-book was established in
1885, making them the oldest registered cattle in the world. And rather than
the generic collective noun for cattle – a
herd – they enjoy their very own collective noun: a fold.
Their milk is high in butter-milk content and
their meat – lower in cholesterol than other varieties of beef – is deemed of
high quality. Like the Scots themselves they have migrated far and wide, mainly
to Australia and Canada.
The Island
Bakery on the Isle of Mull has a great ‘wee coo’ as part of their logo.
Even better are their scrumptious biscuits: their lemon melts and chocolate
gingers are totally irresistible! In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II introduced a fold
at Balmoral Castle, so the ‘Heilan’ coos’ really are there by royal request!
Inevitably a wee calf features in our Easing into English app and here is a sketch I made of him: Callum Beag or wee Callum.
As we drive along in the Falkirk
area, just by the roadside, we see these amazing horse-head sculptures. As part
of The Helix parkland project – whose picture can be seen below right – this is
known as The Kelpies. Opened to the
public in April 2014, at 30 metres in height, these are the largest equine sculptures in the world. They stand on
either side of a new canal extension linking the Forth and Clyde Canal to the
North Sea.
Their name comes from the
mythical water spirits of Scottish lochs and pools which usually adopted the
form of the horse. The horse has a long association with agricultural work, but
also played an important role in industry. Here the association is strong, with
tow horses being used on the canals.
The Glaswegian sculptor, Andy Scott, stands between Duke and Baron who
were models for The Kelpies, seen directly behind them. These magnificent horses, like the Highland
cattle, belong to a breed of animal peculiar to Scotland: the Clydesdale horse. A
heavy horse, with strong legs, it was ideally built for dragging farm
implements and canal barges.
We arrive in Edinburgh where we
are staying at the Corstorphine Lodge
Hotel. Very comfortable, it is near the zoo and well served by local buses
to avoid our driving in the city centre. It had a nice bar extension, so there
we drifted to have a wee sundowner. Ladies first: Marina had a Bellini, while I
had a Bramble, tasting deliciously of our unassuming, local fruit.
Zissis felt that
the table-décor foliage went nicely with the hues of his Mojito, while John got
a little silly before he’d even supped on his Monkey Shoulder - a mix of three
single malt Speyside whiskies : Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie, and said to be a great, smooth drink.
Slainte!
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