help Please

[alex z]

hi im new and hopefully you guys can help me i want to know things about scotland like what Language they speek do they Really wear kilts what are some of ther Customs and if you can give me some web sites i am hope fully go over ther and want to try to fit in and not look a Total fool thanks

[Riverkilt]

Two words: Gaelic, haggis.

Ron

[Mr. MacDougall]

Scots speak English, for the most part, though you may find some who can still understand Gaelic. One place to start looking at information about Scotland would be The CIA World Factbook entry for the United Kingdom (of which Scotland is a part). Another would be the Wikipedia article on Scotland.

Every man in Scotland does not wear a kilt. Even there, there are some who buy into trouser tyrany.

[Fedgunner]

Most Scots speak ainglish.(english) Many speak Scots.(a variant of ainglish... Old English is the best similcrum) And the die-hard Celts speak Gaelic.(Scot ver.)

If you wish to read Robbie in the truth... learn Scot ainglish. Gaelic is a different beast.
If you wish to understand the lyrics of Clannad, you need Gaelic. If you wish to understand Scot history, you need Scots.

There are three languages, (in some minds five) involved with Scottish culture.
English, Scot, and Gaelic


Learning French will help.(Scotland's oldest alliance is with the French court)

Hope this helps rather than confuses.

[jordanjm]

from Utah. I believe knowing English, and a little bit about Scots will make you able to communicate in Scotland.

[David Dalglish]

Welcome from Carlisle Cumbria--England. You wont find many Scots wearing Kilts, except at Football & Rugby Matches & also weddings. You will understand most Scots when they speak, & if you dont, just ask them to speak slower, you wont have a problem

[Phil]

hi im new and hopefully you guys can help me i want to know things about scotland like what Language they speek do they Really wear kilts what are some of ther Customs and if you can give me some web sites i am hope fully go over ther and want to try to fit in and not look a Total fool thanks

First of all from Scotland. We speak English although a few people in the islands still speak Gaelic as their first language but they still speak English too so don't worry about language. Accents vary across the country and it can take a little while to tune in. Despite what you might think from the way that one or two members here write as broad Scots accents, apart from parts of Aberdeenshire and Glasgow very few people actually speak in that way. There are, however, many Scots words you won't hear anywhere else and, again, these are mostly heard in Aberdeenshire and Glasgow as well as in more country areas.
We don't have any peculiar customs and, yes, we really do wear kilts but we usually keep them for special occasions when we want to look our best so don't expect to see them as everyday wear unless you come to Edinburgh in August when the Festival is on.
Have a look at this site. It has lots of interesting information and links to other sites - http://www.electricscotland.com/

[scoutniagara]

I've followed my MacIntosh/McGill/Glennie roots from Folkston/Liverpool to Dunoon/Inverness/Aberdeenshire and worn a kilt at many places in between. I don't think you'd be out of place, and it always opens up good conversation. If you like the comfort of the kilt, wear it.