The best small country in the world

[Buckle-meister]

All,

After reading the kind comments in the recent Whisky Galore! thread and chatting with my good friend Majorloser, I've assembled some more photos I've taken over the last couple of years for you to peruse.

Note that some of the photos have additional comments which you can see by hovering the mouse over them (after first clicking on the photo).

Enjoy.

 

[Davemcc]

Beautiful country it is.

Speaking of Scotland, is it true that the Scottish govenment is trying to repatriate persons on ancestral Scottish heritage? Despite the very un-Scottish-like "McC" prefix of my surname, every time I've looked into family heritage, it always refers me to clan Buchanan.

 

[mike c]

beautiful sites!

how do you get up there? hike?

 

[mikeyj92]

Those aer some great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Buckle-meister]

...is it true that the Scottish govenment is trying to repatriate persons on ancestral Scottish heritage?

Repatriate? As in send someone back to their homeland against their will? I cannot image the Scottish Executive even contemplating such a thing. Where did you hear this?

The population of Scotland is declining through a combination of emigration and people having less children than in the past, and I'm sure the Scottish Executive would like to see people return, but forceably bring people back? Never.

In any event, Scotland has, in the last few years seen an influx of immigrants from those countries recently joined the European Union. Some are my friend.

Despite the very un-Scottish-like "McC" prefix of my surname, every time I've looked into family heritage, it always refers me to clan Buchanan.

I was walking up Buchanan Street this morning. Can you explain what you mean by "Despite the very un-Scottish-like "McC" prefix of my surname" please?

how do you get up there? hike?

Yep. I really enjoy being in the middle of nowhere, away from it all, and of course the scenery from the top of the hills is amazing. Unfortunately, going up, and especially coming down absolutely hammers the knees.

 

[audiofox]

Your beautiful country is near the top of our list of places to visit after my wife and I "retire" (whatever that means these days). We have somewhat of a mixed UK-based heritage-English (my dad), Scottish (my mom) and Irish (my mom and my wife's mom), so we are thinking of an extended stay to do some genealogical research (and get up close and personal with a few distilleries and golf courses!) while we are there. We'd love to go earlier, but we have to spend our world travel money on frivolous things like college tuition, house payments, etc.

BTW, I would guess that Davemcc was referring to voluntary repatriation for former Scottish nationals, not the compulsory type that is usually discussed in the same sentence with illegal immigration or refugees from various troubled countries. I seem to recall Ireland going through the same thing recently with an effort to entice former Irish nationals to return to their homeland.

 

[Davemcc]

Repatriate? As in send someone back to their homeland against their will?

Sorry, repatriate may be the wrong word. I wasn't thinking the word implied the use of force. I saw a short blurb a while back that indicated the Scottish government, the Executive, I guess, would like people of Scottish heritage to consider Scotland a place to emigrate. It indicated that there may be some type of official action to aid this, like easing of immigration requirements for non-EU persons. It was a short little story lacking detail. I was just wondering if such a policy was a matter of general knowledge over there.

I was walking up Buchanan Street this morning. Can you explain what you mean by "Despite the very un-Scottish-like "McC" prefix of my surname" please?

I've always been under the impression that a "Mac" prefix denotes Scottish lineage, while a "Mc" prefix denotes an Irish lineage, although I may be entirely mistaken.

I only bring this up because I've had this little blurb in the back of my mind for a while. I'm over forty, halfway through my career and looking for long term options. Canada is nice and all, but I've lived in the same old city my whole life and I'd really like to live somewhere totally different before I die. The highest points in the nearest three counties here are the landfills. Your pictures showed me what a beautiful country Scotland is. If the immigration policies are less restrictive than trying to get into the U.S., it definitely becomes a viable long term option.

 

[mtrycrafts]

All,

After reading the kind comments in the recent Whisky Galore! thread and chatting with my good friend Majorloser, I've assembled some more photos I've taken over the last couple of years for you to peruse.

Note that some of the photos have additional comments which you can see by hovering the mouse over them (after first clicking on the photo).

Enjoy.

Very nice indeed. Where are the ladies?

Was that Ardvreck Castle area used in one of the Highlander movies? Looks familiar or similar.

 

[masak_aer]

Very Nice Indeed

You are a lucky man...

 

[Buckle-meister]

I saw a short blurb a while back that indicated the Scottish government, the Executive, I guess, would like people of Scottish heritage to consider Scotland a place to emigrate...I was just wondering if such a policy was a matter of general knowledge over there.

I wouldn't say so. I'd certainly never heard of it until you mentioned it, and neither have any of my colleagues at work when I raised the question with them.

I've always been under the impression that a "Mac" prefix denotes Scottish lineage, while a "Mc" prefix denotes an Irish lineage, although I may be entirely mistaken.

'Mac' is Gaelic for 'son', i.e. Angus MacDonald literally means 'Angus, son of Donald'. To carry the example forward, Angus' sister, Mary MacDonald is, strictly, incorrect, as poor Mary's seemingly undergone a sex-change! In Gaelic, 'Mac' is replaced with 'Nic' to give 'Mary NicDonald', i.e. 'Mary, daughter of Donald'. Mary can now be confident she is indeed female.

My understanding of 'Mc' is that it is a shortened, corruption of the root 'Mac'. I may be wrong though; Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic are similar, but they are also distinct from one another.

Your pictures showed me what a beautiful country Scotland is. If the immigration policies are less restrictive than trying to get into the U.S., it definitely becomes a viable long term option.

I can't comment on immigration policy as I know almost nothing about it. If you like the look of Scotland, you should also think about New Zealand. It is said to be very similar to Scotland, but mountains there really are mountains.

Visiting/seeing a remote place with outstanding natural beauty may truly move you but you need to ask yourself whether you could really live in such an isolated place permanently, where there are no supermarkets, or shops, or cinemas except by driving for an hour or two or more, and instead only one small food store and one pub if you're lucky. Visiting a place, no matter how incredible, and living there are two very different things.

But if, after the above you're sure you still want to come stay...welcome friend.

 

[Buckle-meister]

Very nice indeed. Where are the ladies?

I don't take photos of ladies. Well, not any I'll be showing you that is.

Was that Ardvreck Castle area used in one of the Highlander movies? Looks familiar or similar.

I'm not sure. Believe it or not, I've never seen all the Highlander films, only bits of them. Ardvreck castle is passed on the way to Loch Inver to get to Suilvan.

I once read that Scotland has more castles per acre than any other place in the world.

 

[davo]

Nice photo's. Makes me wonder if Peter Jackson ever considered Scotland to film LoTR?

 

[Davemcc]

Visiting/seeing a remote place with outstanding natural beauty may truly move you but you need to ask yourself whether you could really live in such an isolated place permanently, where there are no supermarkets, or shops, or cinemas except by driving for an hour or two or more, and instead only one small food store and one pub if you're lucky. Visiting a place, no matter how incredible, and living there are two very different things.

But if, after the above you're sure you still want to come stay...welcome friend.

Well, my wife likes big cities so it would probably be more like Glasgow. So far, she likes Galveston, Texas (near Houston) and Virginia Beach, Virginia. I was considering Vancouver or Victoria B.C. because its so much easier to immigrate to from Ontario. Unless we can find a place to move that will actually allow us to work, this is only a retirement option, if I still have a pension by that time.

 

[Buckle-meister]

Some more photos added.

 

[mike c]

beautiful sites! ...

another reason why the edit button should be available awhile longer. I was thinking, was that sights or sites? I thought sights it is. then I punched in sites. after a few minutes, I saw the result of my brain poop ... but couldn't change it anymore)

well, at least they ARE beautiful SITES as well as SIGHTS.


buckle, at least you get a lot of exercise!

 

[Buckle-meister]

...at least you get a lot of exercise!

The best part is that at present I can keep an eye on the Mountain Weather Forecast and, if the weather's meant to be decent or better, jump on the bus and head home to the Highlands after work on a Friday. Up early the next day and I can head to whichever hill I've targeted, almost always in the west, returning home in the evening and heading back to Glasgow the following day on Sunday.

No holidays required to be taken.

Because of this, last year I felt like I had soooo many holidays. Unfortunately, when I return to London in up to 4 month's time, I'll be forced to take holidays whenever I come up to see family/hills etc.

 

[darien87]

Those are some great pics. I especially like the Loch Laggan one. I believe we've got some Scottish in our family tree. I know my ancestors came from the Isle of Mann. But I believe there's some Scottish in there also.

Makes me wanna go. Plus, the coolest actor ever, Sean Connery, is from there. I like him so much, I named my Green-Cheeked Conure, Sean. Sean Conure-y, get it? Stupid, I know.

 

[Buckle-meister]

Those are some great pics.

Thank you.

...the coolest actor ever, Sean Connery, is from there. I like him so much, I named my Green-Cheeked Conure, Sean. Sean Conure-y, get it? Stupid, I know.

Not at all. I sure Sir Sean would be very pleased and impressed to know that you named a parrot after him.

All; so as not to keep posting 'new photos added to my flickr site', I'd just like to say that if you're interested, take a look from time to time as I'll add any new (decent) photos I take. In fact I'm on holiday this upcoming week and hope to get some hill walking done...