Pedal for Scotland

[Bruno28]

I've just signed up for this fifty mile charity cycle ride - Pedal for Scotland. Not until Sept this year so the training shouldn't be too onerous.

I haven't bumped into any other Scots on this forum. Are there any lurkers out there? :)

[Trek420]

some of them are right here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=10341

[Bruno28]

I've spotted them - but they are ENGLISH!!!!!


That's like calling a Canadian an American!


It's a bit of a trek (no pun intended) to expect those gals to travel to Glasgow for a 50 mile ride - althought we'd be happy to have them. UK eliphant and tattie fritter let me know if you are interested. Tattiefritter - when I first saw your name I thought you might be Scottish.

I obviously need to post more info about Scotland or you are not paying attention Trek:D :D :D

Did you know it was Burns night tonight? It's traditional to have a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties tonight. Oh and some whiskey:D :D :D

[emily_in_nc]

Did you know it was Burns night tonight? It's traditional to have a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties tonight. Oh and some whiskey:D :D :D

I don't know anything about Scottish food and have never been to Scotland (hope to get there and cycle someday as it looks gorgeous!!) My step-sister did an exchange program in college one semester in Glasgow. She wasn't fond of the food and lost 15 lbs. :o

My father's name was Robert Burns, and he told me that when he visited Scotland in the late '50s, he was treated like royalty. I thought that was really cool!

We also have McIvers in our family (my great-grandmother's name....)

Emily, whose maiden name is, what else, Burns... :)

[Bruno28]

Hi Emily - we only recognise two of the main food groups over here: fat and carbohydrate. I'm surprised your step-sister lost weight!

I live near Glasgow - 25 miles away.

You sound as if you have Scottish ancestors. Come over - you would love it.:D :D

[margo49]

There is also "tablet".

[Haudlady]

Hello Bruno! I was lucky enough to visit Scotland in 2005 - it was beautiful, and I would love to go again.

At the recommendation of a friend who grew up in Scotland (Maeve - she's in her 80s now), I spent a couple of days on the island of Arran (not to be confused with Aran, which is in Ireland). I also visited the Weaver's Cottage in Kilbarchan (I am a weaver, so that was particularly interesting).

What a lovely place! I wish I could come over the 'pond' for that ride!

[KnottedYet]

Can't get the right kind of neeps around here. Very sad.


Mmmmm, mashed with salt and butter and pepper....

[Trek420]

I've spotted them - but they are ENGLISH!!!!!


That's like calling a Canadian an American!

OMG, I would never do that. How insulting ;)

It's more like my customer today who asked "I have the calling plan with unlimited calls in the United States. Does that cover Alaska and Canada?"

"Sir, uhm, yes....and no"

Bruno sorry for the unintended goof. But still they are not that far away, right? Relatively easy to get from here to there. It's not like they are in Seattle or some far away place :D ;) :p

[emily_in_nc]

Hi Emily - we only recognise two of the main food groups over here: fat and carbohydrate. I'm surprised your step-sister lost weight!

She didn't eat the entire time she was there, or something like that... :D


You sound as if you have Scottish ancestors. Come over - you would love it.:D :D

I'd love to! Yes, I guess with Burns on my paternal side and McIver on my maternal side, I definitely have some Scottish blood running through these veins. Visiting Scotland is definitely on my list of things to do before I die. Maybe I should bring my own food??? :D

Emily

[KnottedYet]

Noooo, Scottish food is GOOOOOOD!

(mmm, merangues with heavy whipped cream from a little shop in Kirkaldy. Sausage rolls with canned baked beans and canned spinach. Tea, lots of cream and sugar. Lyles golden syrup. Black pudding. Semolina with strawberry jam. mashed potatoes with mince gravy. neeps. sigh...) (Fife schools fed you well back in the late 1970's)

[margo49]

Scones, bannock, porridge with salt not sugar, tablet,whisky (--ies!).
Also the scenery and the weather and the clothes/fashions.
And the trains.

[KnottedYet]

The smell of burning coal on a cold damp day!!! (oh, my!)

I wonder if google earth could find the cottage we lived in? The cottage was built in the 1400's, so it should show up on any satellite images.

[Bruno28]

Apart from Glasgow, where you can see the buildings, most of Scotland is just a blur on google earth.

Obviously, the powers that be don't think it's worth keeping us under satellite surveillance....little do the know, heh, heh.

[salsabike]

Chip butties, which Bruno28 made me think about by sending me a song on Scotland. Wow. Who knew?

[Wahine]

Bruno, I'm Canadian but of heavy Scottish heritage. My lineage is mostly Cameron with the seat of our clan being near Fort William. My DH and I went there in the spring of 2005 and I loved it. it truly felt like going home. I particularly loved the hand-pulled beers. Mmmmmmm.:)

For us North Americans it seems like no big deal to drive 8 to 10 hours to go to a ride or race. But in the UK, it's considered really far if you travel more that 3 or 4 hours in a day. When DH and I drove from Sheffield to Fort William in one day, all our Yorkshire friends said we were crazy.

I love Scotland. I will go back one day. I'd like to climb Ben Nevis and explore Glencoe more thoroughly.

[Bron]

[QUOTE=Wahine;165462]
For us North Americans it seems like no big deal to drive 8 to 10 hours to go to a ride or race. But in the UK, it's considered really far if you travel more that 3 or 4 hours in a day. When DH and I drove from Sheffield to Fort William in one day, all our Yorkshire friends said we were crazy.
QUOTE]


Sounds crazy to me ;)

So does this though...

http://www.mtbtransuk.co.uk/scotland/

Bron

[margo49]

Apart from Glasgow, where you can see the buildings, most of Scotland is just a blur on google earth.

Obviously, the powers that be don't think it's worth keeping us under satellite surveillance....little do the know, heh, heh.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
The matter will be looked into.

signed
margo double-oh-49 , OHMS

and if you think i'm bullsh--ing you what is 007 squared. Proof enuff??

[emily_in_nc]

Noooo, Scottish food is GOOOOOOD!

(mmm, merangues with heavy whipped cream from a little shop in Kirkaldy. Sausage rolls with canned baked beans and canned spinach. Tea, lots of cream and sugar. Lyles golden syrup. Black pudding. Semolina with strawberry jam. mashed potatoes with mince gravy. neeps. sigh...) (Fife schools fed you well back in the late 1970's)

I just remember Paige (step-sister) complaining about the lack of salads and other fresh veggies and fruit -- that was what she found difficult about the food there. And lots of fatty meat...or was that in England (she split her exchange program between a semester in Scotland and a summer in England).

Emily

[Eden]

My husband and I are thinking about doing a walking trip in Scotland in the fall (we've got enough points to do two free biz class tickets on British Air finally) We'd do a cycling trip, but we thought that with racing and all it might be nice to do our time off the bike on vacation and the walking tour we did in England years ago was so much fun (we did the Dales Way). I've got MacGregors in my background - though something happened in Scotland many generations ago that made them not only leave, first to Ireland then to America, but change their name to Gregg too. My British friend likes to tease me that they were horse theives..

[Bruno28]

I've got MacGregors in my background - though something happened in Scotland many generations ago that made them not only leave, first to Ireland then to America, but change their name to Gregg too.

ohno!.....not the MacGregors. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Eden]

ohno!.....not the MacGregors. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Don't ask me why- all I know is that he was a trouble maker- the rumors are that the same fellow was kicked out (or otherwise had to leave quickly for some sort of scandalous reason or other) of both Scotland and Ireland. My grandmother did some digging around a few years ago to do up her geneology. She originally was looking at Scotland to find the MacAfoos's, but it turns out the Greggs were the Scots and MacAfoos, or Macafoos, whatever, was actually a misspelling of Muckenfus - a German or possibly Pennsylvania Dutch name.

[Bruno28]

Here's a fine Scottish song by the bard - Robert Burns - and a fine Scottish singer for those of you missing the motherland :D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUs-5dHFksw

[uk elephant]

A bike ride in Glasgow you say? I'd love to join in, if I can sort out transport and time and money. I'll think about it. Could you send me a link to any info about it? Glasgow isn't that hard to get to by train, but I would need somewhere to stay over night as the train journey takes most of the day each way.

As for Burn's night, we did a belated one on Saturday with a friend from Glasgow and several international friends. Always fun to scare people with haggis and then see them very surprised when they discover it is actually quite tasty.

[Trek420]

www.pedalforscotland.org

[Bruno28]

Trek beat me to it with the link. I've been away on a two day residential management development course and am still recovering from the ensuing waves of nausea.

Trek is just trying to make amends for her prevous faux pas in confusing Scotland and England. She is now much better informed:)

PM me if you have any questions - about the ride not the management course, obviously.

[Scarlet]

Aye we may be the English but we love the Scots, well I do at least...
even if longshanks didnae#
I am doing JOGLE next year care to join me
Scarlet
xx:p

[Christopher]

Argh! Not tablet! I work with a Scottish lady and the recipie, if you can call it that, makes me tremble. Basically it's sugar and condensed milk isn't it?

Knotted, I also used to work with a lady from the Kingdom of Fife (she was a Fyffer, not Scottish). The guy that writes the John Rebus books, Ian Rankin, wrote a very interesting non-fiction book reflecting on Scotland, its people, diet and dark character. He is also from Fife and writes about the special nature of the old kingdom.

[margo49]

Argh! Not tablet! I work with a Scottish lady and the recipie, if you can call it that, makes me tremble. Basically it's sugar and condensed milk isn't it?



That's just the chemistry.
Once you take into account the physics ie heating, boiling, beating and cooling; it starts to look more of a nutritional proposition.
Once you have actually tasted it you can really appreciate the way it can be fitted in as a dietary supplement.

[captenaj]

Are there any reputable tour companies for biking around Scotland? Sounds like a dream vacation!

[tattiefritter]

Depends what kind of biking you want to do ? I would like to do the Scottish offroad coast to coast eventually:

http://biking.skedaddle.co.uk/holiday/34/view.rails

The "best" bits of Scotland for cycling (IMO) would be the Highlands and Islands as the scenery is just fantastic when the clag isn't down (which is unfortunately rather often) and the midges aren't trying to eat you alive. To cycle round you would need to like hills, have plenty of insect repellent if in the main summer months (though the Scottish midge seems to be able to overcome most) and be prepared for "four seasons in one day" weatherwise, including the Scottish favourite of raining when the sun is still shining - I don't seem to see this as often now I've moved down to England.

I know people cycle tour a lot round Scotland and being born and bred there I obviously love it however I always stop short of whole heartedly encouraging people to go as the weather is so unpredictable - the same for the Welsh and English mountains, beautiful areas but seem to spend most of the time hiding in low cloud! Personally I love the unpredictable weather as it makes the good days all the more special but its a bit annoying if you've got a weeks' vacation and it rains for all of it!

Oh, stay away from the tablet its horrible! Macaroon bars on the other hand...

[emily_in_nc]

Bike Vermont (a lovely organization we toured with in Vermont years ago) does a Scotland trip I would love to do someday. I'm thinking of it for my 50th birthday (2011).

Emily

[Bruno28]

including the Scottish favourite of raining when the sun is still shining


Oh, stay away from the tablet its horrible! Macaroon bars on the other hand...


The rain and sunshine thing makes for spectacular rainbows....and ignore the bit about tablet. It's delicicious. Tunnocks tea cakes are the thing though.
http://www.tunnocks.co.uk/teacake.htm
Please note the reference to 'nutrional information' is an example of the Scottish sense of irony.

[tattiefritter]

Tunnocks tea cakes, drool, drool :D You can actually get them in England but not the dark chocolate covered ones they are just lush. I can't find caramel logs either, caramel wafers yes but not logs.

[Bruno28]

I'm sure someone must have an import licence for caramel logs......:cool: