Burns night dinner

[Troglodyte]

Do I detect a tone of disdain for Lowland Scots? I believe that both Wallace and Robert the Bruce were both Lowland Scots. Neither were worthy of disdain.

I have always understood that neither were Scots at all...

Wullie Wallace (by his very name) marked him out as a Welshman (as we would say these days, but Cumbrian or Strathclyde British as he is commonly thought to have been), while Robert the Bruce was Anglo-Norman. Ironically, Scotland's greatest hero was born and bred in England and served at the English Court - only his grandfather's noble titles were Scottish!

R. the B's murderous treachery brought several centuries of fairly good international relations to and end, and even after 700 years there is still seething resentment simmering away just below the surface. What a legacy...

I have often wondered what Burns himself would have made of our modern celebrations of him - reinvented Highland traditions being used to whoop-it-up for a Lowland government agent...

The mind boggles.

[OC Richard]

...my surprise to see the photos showing not an iota of Highland dress, with jeans, hoodies and the like being the preference instead. Dress code was obviously 'Down the pub' style.

Now get this. This was not some far-flung spot in foreign lands, or an inner-city club of a cosmopolitan flavour, but a glen in the Highlands of Scotland which is known for its unspoilt natural beauty and traditional living.

I thought of this whilst piping in the Haggis last night at a Burns Supper in Los Angeles.

I'm used to seeing loads of kilts at these things here.

Nary a kilt last night! It was at a beautiful venue (Abbey San Encino) and people were fairly nicely dressed (Hollywood style with a black crew-neck t-shirt, black blazer, and jeans) but except for myself (kilted, playing pipes, and marching in the Haggis) there was no visible Scottish connexion.

It was one of the stranger Burns Suppers I've seen. All the food was organic and Vegan (including the Haggis) and to my surprise once one or two Burns poems were out of the way people switched to reading their own poems for the remainder of the evening.

How can you not do Address to a Haggis?

[Mael Coluim]

I thought of this whilst piping in the Haggis last night at a Burns Supper in Los Angeles. . . .

It was one of the stranger Burns Suppers I've seen. All the food was organic and Vegan (including the Haggis) . . . .

How can you not do Address to a Haggis?

When it is a vegan one?

That said, I do follow a plant based diet, but did make the exception; last night at our Scotish Society's Burns Supper ate Haggis and Thursday on the Bard's birthday my local Park Lane Tavern had Scotch Eggs, so had one for lunch and takeout of another for lunch Friday.

[OC Richard]

When it is a vegan one?

That's how the host described it, "vegan haggis".

I didn't try it.

[BobF]

That's how the host described it, "vegan haggis".

I didn't try it.

We had a Burns Night celebration at our local Scottish pub (“the only Scottish pub in Connecticut,” run by a native Glaswegian), and probably because of me, in addition to regular haggis the publican/chef promised vegetarian haggis (can’t say if it was also vegan). And he made it. I’ve never had the real thing, so I can’t compare, but it was good and mixed well with the neeps and tatties. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that the dinner followed the monthly Whisky Club event! Honestly, I don’t see the point of vegetarian haggis (I’m not someone who feels there needs to be a vegetable imitation of meat dishes), but if he was willing to make it, it was only right to eat it.

[Jock Scot]

Do I detect a tone of disdain for Lowland Scots? I believe that both Wallace and Robert the Bruce were both Lowland Scots. Neither were worthy of disdain.

You are quite right.There has always been certain amount of disdain, bordering on hatred at times, for the Lowland Scot by the Highlanders AND VICE VERSA and for many good and not so good reasons. These days its rather watered down and rather more good natured, but the thoughts are still there.