It was Burns Night on Sunday. Two hundred and fifty years since the birth of Scotland's national poet. We were in Edinburgh for a big weekend of orienteering (Edinburgh University OC) and also joined in the festivities on Saturday night.
Saturday's race took us all over the old city, up and down the narrow closes and wynds and hidden staircases, into secluded courtyards and behind walls. Some of the most challenging map reading I've done!
The Burns Night celebrations included a ceilidh (live music and traditional dancing) and the usual Burns Night festivities such as piping in the haggis, addressing the haggis, and finally, eating the haggis. I don't know how or when these things became part of Burns Night, but it was quite fun and entertaining and not at all pretentious. Rather silly, actually!
First the bagpiper plays as the haggis is brought in on a platter, then someone gives the 'address' to the haggis in the Scots dialect, a quote from Burns, I assume. I didn't understand much except the odd word, but part of the recitation involved stabbing the haggis with a cleaver and waving the knife around. I had heard that doing the poem properly also involves downing a shot of whisky, but that wasn't included in this particular performance.
Then, we all cheered 'hip, hip, hooray' for the haggis and sang Auld Lang Syne in a big circle, and then ate bits of haggis on crackers that were passed around the crowd. Sort of a crazy Scottish communion. Yay!
On Sunday it was a race up Arthur's Seat, a huge volcanic plug in the middle of Edinburgh that juts up dramatically from a grassy base. It was the best orienteering, I think EVER--rocky cliffs, great boulders, soft springy grass, no bogs anywhere, and spectacular views of Scotland's most lovely city on a sunny clear winter's day.
As we left the city we wished we had time to do more. On the list of things to do when we get the chance to go back: find an Asian market and stock up on curry paste, rice noodles and Pad Thai sauce, go thrift-store hopping and find some funky fashions, visit cafes and enjoy the youthful vibrance, see a movie at an artsy theater. In other words, all the things we miss about cities while living in a small town.
Even so, it's nice to be home. Oban's a great place to be.
Ah, lassy, you should'a drunk th' whiskey, it makes the 'aggis go down so much easier!
ReplyDeleteI remember my Burns night in Scotland, with the ceilidh dancing and the whiskey-drinking, it was a lot of fun. It is very cool, when you think of it, a celebration of a poet and his poetry, that's the occasion.
Glad you are enjoying Scotland!
Love,
David
I love Burns Night, and yes, the whiskey is essential. Take a guided "geowalk" up Arthur's Seat some time-- it will give completely different perspective (for full disclosure, Angus who runs them is a good friend of my ex-boyfreind, but his walks come recommended anyway).
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