#scot lang

[clintbarton-thearrowguy]

Hey Clint, It's Scott Lang. From dad to dad. Do you have any clue on how to deal with a 16 year old... I show up 5 years later, and now Cassie wants me to film a- tiktok with her? What happened to card games and ant mazes?

@anti-capitalist-king

It’s a video thing, I dunno. It makes them happy; I think it’s worth it just to see them smile.

[clockworkrobotic]

Girls will get to new year and be like should auld acquaintance be forgot?? And never brought to mind???? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld land syne??

[herawell]

.

[arcadianico]

I'll look for an actual translation because I did not understand Most of it and I don't want to make you translate everything to me, like I kinda got what was happening until like the middle of it and then I got really lost and confused, but I really liked the phonetic of it and the bits I understood, so here's some of the verses I found really pretty (I'll come back once I read a translated version)

Gathering her brows like gathering storm, Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.

The souter tauld his queerest stories; The landlord's laugh was ready chorus: The storm without might rair and rustle, Tam did na mind the storm a whistle.

But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white—then melts forever; Or like the borealis race, That flit ere you can point their place; Or like the rainbow's lovely form Evanishing amid the storm.

isn’t the imagery just gorgeous. also yeah i love the phonetics of scots. id say i can read you some aloud so you can hear how it sounds if you want but i don’t think you can do voice messages on tumblr. i guess i could send a video or something.

the bloom is shed stanza is one of my favourites in the poem. i think it’s between that one, one at the dance of witches and the last stanza

[travsd]

The Lore of Andrew Lang

I don’t know if it’s true that, as they say, the Scots are gifted with the Second Sight, but they are definitely lovers of the lore informing us that such things exist in the world. I know, because I’m one! A Scot that is, not a medium. Robert Burns, Sir James Frazer, and George MacDonald have been among the many who devoted their lives to recording and preserving the whimsical and other-worldly…

[mourning-again-in-america]

getting Friday drunk leads to singing "I'm a Good Ol' Rebel" in the Irish brogue I picked up from "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya" (Machem brothers, "You hadn't an arm, you hadn't a laig, you're an eyeless boneless chickenless eig, an' y'u'll ha' ta' be put wit' a bowl to baig" version) and Lord of the Dance

[scotianostra]

Robert Burns was born on January 25th 1759 at Alloway,Ayrshire.

Let's start the day off with the biggie!

Scotland's national poet is renowned around the world, other than Queen Victoria and religious figures there are more statues around the world to oor Rabbie than anyone else.

With people celebrating today at Burns Suppers today's post will look back at this celebration, it's history and traditions.

Remember every Burns Supper is individual and may not follow the same order or include them all.

This first supper was organised on July 21st 1801, the fifth anniversary of his passing, by the Reverend Hamilton Paul for a gathering of nine ‘honest men of Ayr’. For some years there was a question over whether a woman had been in attendance, as one of those noted had the Christian name Primrose, an uncommon name for a man. The venue was his cottage in Alloway.

The first "formal" Burns supper away from home I recall was on a weekend school trip to Innerwick in 1979, at Innerwick,it was the first timeI was called a chauvinist, and probably not the last!

It introduced all the key ingredients of the Burns Suppers we see today, namely good food, plenty of drink and friends who toasted the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns as well as reciting some of his works.

Guests at this first supper were served sheep’s head; this rarely features on modern menus! While it used to be the case that a Burns Supper was a male-only affair, this is definitely not still true.

Large Burns Suppers may have a top table for the Chairman, speakers and their partners, any special guests and the organising committee (if there is one), but you can also run a smaller and less formal affair.

The menu or Bill o’ Fare will detail what the party will be eating and usually includes a list of the speeches, speakers and entertainers. You may also find the words to ‘Auld Lang Syne’, which will be sung at the end of the evening before guests depart.

Most suppers start with a grace, most commonly ‘The Selkirk Grace’ attributed to Burns.

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it,

But we hae meat and we can eat,

Sae let the Lord be Thankit!

As a celebration night, dress can be quite formal. There’s no rule obliging a kilt to be worn but this has become common evening dress for many Scots. A dinner suit or trews (tartan dress trousers) are equally acceptable.

It should be noted that it’s very unlikely that Burns himself would have worn a kilt. He was a Lowlander and the kilt is traditionally Highland dress. It was also illegal to wear a kilt between 1747–82, in the aftermath of the Jacobite Risings.

At a more traditional Burns Night, ladies might wear a black or white dress with a hint of tartan, perhaps a tartan sash pinned to the right shoulder (only a Clan Chief’s wife should wear her sash pinned to the left).

Many suppers are ‘come as you are’. If you’re the organiser, just let your guests know how formal you intend the evening to be.

The first course is traditionally soup, either Scotch broth, cock-a-leekie or Cullen skink – all good Scottish recipes using fine Scottish ingredients.

Haggis is then served either as the main course or an intermediate course, depending on how posh your do is!

The haggis is accompanied by champit tatties (mashed potato) and neeps (mashed turnip).Sometimes carrot is mixed with the neeps, although this is not traditional. Many suppers now include a whisky sauce to accompany the haggis.

If it's a big "do" yer at the Haggis will of course be delivered on a silver platter by a procession comprising the chef, the piper and the person who will address the Haggis. A whisky-bearer should also arrive to ensure the toasts are well lubricated during "The Address to the Haggis "

There is no set tune for the piper to play, I have heard of many over the years, even the Star Wars theme during a supper with the films theme! A particular favourite of mine is A Man's A Man for A' That.

Address to a Haggis.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,

Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race!

Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye wordy of a grace

As lang ‘s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,

Your hurdies like a distant hill,

Your pin wad help to mend a mill

In time o’ need,

While thro’ your pores the dews distil

Like amber bead.

His knife see Rustic-labour dight,

An’ cut ye up wi’ ready slight,

Trenching your gushing entrails bright,

Like onie ditch;

And then, O what a glorious sight,

Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:

Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,

Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve

Are bent like drums;

Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,

Bethankit hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,

Or olio that wad staw a sow,

Or fricassee wad mak her spew

Wi’ perfect sconner,

Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view

On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,

As feckless as a wither’d rash,

His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,

His nieve a nit;

Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,

O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,

The trembling earth resounds his tread,

Clap in his walie nieve a blade,

He’ll make it whissle;

An’ legs, an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,

Like taps o’ thrissle.

Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,

And dish them out their bill o’ fare,

Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware

That jaups in luggies;

But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,

Gie her a Haggis!

Once the Address is complete, the Addresser gives a glass of whisky to the chef and the piper, and invites the whole company to ‘toast the haggis’.

The chef will then recover the haggis and leave the room to plate this part of the meal. Sometimes the haggis is passed around the table for guests to help themselves, adding tatties and neeps from large bowls placed on the table.

After the meal, the speeches and entertainment begin in earnest, starting with a toast to the monarch, known as The Loyal Toast.

This is followed by the main toast of the night, to The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns.

The Immortal Memory should be a heartfelt toast to the genius, life and works of our National Bard. At more formal dinners this speech focuses on a theme of Burns’s works, ending with a formal toast where all guests are invited to raise their glass.

The next speech will be The Toast to the Lassies, a reflection of Burns’s ‘appreciation’ of women. Traditionally, this takes the form of a witty reflection on the relationships between men and women, ending with the men rising to toast ‘the Lassies’.

This is followed by the Reply to the Toast to the Lassies. This should also be witty and seek to correct the previous speaker’s assumptions about women. The speech often ends with rousing applause from the women present, who then rise and raise their glasses to the men, toasting ‘the Laddies’.

At larger or more formal Burns Suppers, there may be further speeches that reflect on the guests and absent friends, Scotland and a formal vote of thanks.

The speeches are followed by entertainment – often including recitations and music. The night should end with a rousing rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and three cheers, marking the end of a successful Burns Night.

Among the pics are stamps from around the world, perhaps the most interesting are from Russia, (the two together) from 1956 and Romania, from 1959. The pic with the couple is Sharleen Spiteri and Ewan Mcgregor attending a Burns Night.

[jayofolympus-writes]

Okay on a lighter note I am now thinking about Soap trying to teach Nikolai Scots and giggling to myself about it

note: I have yet to find a canon source that gives a location for Soap's hometown, so I'm going with what's most fun for me

"So you call it a 'scurry'?" Nik asked, eyeing the bird dubiously as it inched its way closer to them. "But it does not scurry like a mouse does. It is fearless."

"Aye, but have ye seen 'em walkin'? They scurry a little bit," Soap replied. "Oi! Feck off, ye wee shite!" he barked at the bird that had leapt to try to steal his chips.

It earned them both some strange looks and baffled laughter from the tourists around them.

"I still do not understand," Nik confessed.

Soap shrugged. "Eh, that's jist the Doric for ye. An' it's only up by my way they say it; most places they're jist seagulls."

"And this is a dialect of Scottish," Nik clarified, turning it over in his mind. "I think I understand this. Tell me more?"

Soap grinned through a mouthful of chips, looking like a child in his eagerness to share what he knew.

"Right, so if my mum phoned me the now, I'd say I canna spik lang, I'm oot wi' the loons frae work. We jist went for a chippy, an' noo we're hivvin' a gander aboot the toon."

Nik hummed thoughtfully, nodding as he tried to parse the words. Most of it had been reasonably easy to follow, but one word in particular had caught his attention.

"You said the 'loons'. Like the bird? What does it mean?"

Soap snickered, shaking his head. "I'm definitely nae oot wi' the birds frae work," he said, grinning again. "Naw, 'loons' is fit we caa boys. An' 'quines' are lassies. Girls, I mean."

Nik supposed that made as much sense as any other foreign language did.

"Well then, let us go find the other 'loons', and we can continue our day, aye?"

Soap laughed at his stilted pronunciation, throwing the styrofoam container from his chips into the bin beside him.

"Da," he answered, his own pronunciation atrocious.

[ebenelephant]

yay! shout out to ncuti getting to scot-splain auld lang syne! it's good for our health :D

[jewelsli]

Survivor AU

Hey y’all my brain worked with me for once today and made up an AU that I actually think would be hilarious.

Okay, picture it… superheroes… but they get put on the equivalent of a magical survivor.

Im talking about the reality tv show where a bunch of people get put on an island to win a million dollars, I may not be a superfan but I’ll admit it’s pretty good, and has SO much drama.

Anyway. Take that… but now add my hyper fixation with superheroes to the mix and you get the ULTIMATE drama scene.

We have Tony Stark and Steve Rogers being those people that are needlessly petty and doing stuff like moving clothes or filling shoes with sand. Peter Parker is that one that everyone loves but isn’t considered a threat, until his interview and you learn that he knows who holds every advantage in the game, who is allied with who, somehow got his hands on some super good info by like… hiding in a tree or something and also is planning the biggest backstab of the season(which he gets away with…). Then you have ppl like Clark Kent who’s actually really nice but everyone hates them/is suspicious of them and there are multiple plans to get him out. Scot lang is the guy who gets left out of the vote. Wonderwoman is the one who is like a master hunter and super good at challenges, so once the merge comes she’s unstoppable. Danny and tuck would probably be numbers, if we’re honest, but Sam would se amate the competition and be a top tier threat that never gets taken out, jazz is obviously the one that helps people through breakdowns and stuff. Bakugo is voted out early/almost wins because it’s good for his ego(kirishima proceeds to cry about it). Jon and Damian are the alliance that nobody expects but decimates the competition, then get married after the show ends. Jason is the second best hunter after Diana and also really strong, but also somehow is the one keeping the team together while simultaneously falling apart.

You see my vision.

Anyway take that and add it together with like seven different universes in the same season and a whole story with how they ended up there and why they want to win? Y’all I’d pay to see someone write that. Heck maybe I’d write it myself!

[artemlegere]

Robert Burns, 1759 - 1796

Artist: Alexander Nasmyth (Scottish, 1758 - 1840)

Title: Robert Burns, 1759 - 1796. Poet

Date: 1828

Medium: Oil on panel

Collection: National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland

Robert Burns, Poet

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.

He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In 2009 he was chosen as the greatest Scot by the Scottish public in a vote run by Scottish television channel STV.

As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) "Auld Lang Syne" is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year), and "Scots Wha Hae" served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well known across the world today include "A Red, Red Rose", "A Man's a Man for A' That", "To a Louse", "To a Mouse", "The Battle of Sherramuir", "Tam o' Shanter" and "Ae Fond Kiss".

[travsd]

Happy Robert Burns Day

January 25 is Robert Burns Day, a.k.a Robbie Burns Day a.k.a. Rabbie Burns Day, obviously in celebration of the birth of the Scottish National Poet (1759-1796). Apparently Burns Day has edged out St. Andrew’s Day as the Scottish National Holiday in recent decades, and who can blame them for wanting an excuse in January as well as one in November for warming the body with Scotch whiskey? (This…

[saint-ambrosef]

Fun fact, English does have a mutually intelligible language! It’s Scots language. Aka what Auld Lang Syne is written in.

...It's just also not a very common language.

I believe Frisian is also considered mutually-intelligible, but both are extremely niche languages and even then they are considered barely mutually intelligible.

[ros64]

Buon capodanno a tutti e grazie a @sassenach77yle per la gentile concessione.

Happy Hogmanay 🎇 Bliadhna Mhath Ùr 🎇 Happy New Year to everyone

from Outlander Elite on FB — Period drama, books & TV series

New Year’s Eve in Scotland is something incredible and has a very specific name: Hogmanay.

If you’re wondering what Hogmanay means and what traditions are associated with it, here’s some information and fun trivia for you.

Hogmanay is the Scottish term for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the festivities and celebrations linked to New Year’s Eve. Unlike other parts of the world, these festivities don’t end in just one night.

Hogmanay celebrations usually continue into New Year’s Day and, sometimes, even into January 2nd, which is a public holiday in Scotland.

The origins of the name Hogmanay are not entirely clear, and there are several theories about its etymology.

The most likely one seems to come from the Old Norman term hoguinan, which meant “New Year’s gift.”

The word has certainly existed since at least 1604, when it first appeared in written records.

Some have also hypothesized that Hogmanay derives from the French word hoginane, meaning “festival day.”

Viking traditions have intertwined with pre-existing pagan rituals over time.

The fireworks displays and spectacular torchlight processions seen today in Edinburgh and other Scottish cities harken back to these ancient pagan celebrations and Viking traditions.

There are, moreover, various traditions and superstitions said to be observed during Hogmanay. Are you ready to discover them with us?

▪︎ House Cleaning (Redding)

Among the various traditions, house cleaning—known as Redding—is common. This includes removing ashes from the hearth and settling all debts before the clock strikes midnight.

The underlying message is to eliminate remnants of the old year, and after a thorough cleaning, welcome a new and prosperous year.

Instead of spring cleaning, Scots do New Year’s cleaning to prepare the home for the year ahead.

▪︎ First-Footing

One of the most famous Hogmanay traditions is First-Footing, a unique ritual for bringing good fortune into the New Year.

According to tradition, the First-Foot is the first person to cross the threshold of a house after midnight on New Year’s Day. The arrival of this special guest is believed to bring luck and prosperity for the year ahead.

Traditionally, the first visitor of the year must meet specific requirements: they should be male, tall, dark-haired, and, ideally, good-looking.

It’s said that the preference for dark-haired men dates back to the Viking invasions when lighter-haired visitors might signify imminent danger!

The First-Foot must also bring symbolic gifts, such as a silver coin, coal, whisky, salt, or sweets.

Once inside, the First-Foot is guided into the home—which has been thoroughly cleaned as per tradition—and places the coal in the fireplace.

Finally, they make a toast to the household and its residents.

If every detail of the ritual is observed, the First-Foot earns the privilege of kissing all the women in the family (hence the good looks being an advantage!).

Today, First-Footing is a delightful excuse to visit friends and neighbors, celebrating all night with songs, dances, and drinks in good company.

Other “first steps” considered particularly lucky include new brides, new mothers, and anyone born on January 1st.

▪︎ Singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ Together

Just after midnight, it’s tradition to sing Auld Lang Syne, written by Scotland’s great bard, Robert Burns.

Burns composed the lyrics for this famous song in 1788, although the melody predates it.

Though the meaning of the song remains somewhat unclear, it’s believed that the opening lines pose a rhetorical question:

“Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?”

The phrase auld lang syne roughly translates to “for the sake of old times.”

The song is about cherishing old friendships and reminiscing about the year’s events.

It’s sung worldwide, evoking a sense of belonging and brotherhood, tinged with nostalgia.

Auld Lang Syne,

known in Italy as The Candlelight Waltz, is a widely popular song in English-speaking countries, where it is traditionally sung on New Year’s Eve to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one.

This tradition originated in Scotland, where the song was traditionally sung during Hogmanay celebrations. It later spread to the rest of Britain and America through Scottish emigrants.

The title, a Scottish phrase, translates into English as old long since, meaning “the good old times.” The song tells the story of two friends who meet again after many years apart and toast to the cherished memories of the past that will never return.

Source: Scozia Viaggi.

Happy Hogmanay 🎇Bliadhna mhath ùr 🎇Buon Anno a @tutti

Il Capodanno in Scozia è qualcosa di incredibile ed ha un nome ben preciso: Hogmanay.

Se però vi state chiedendo cosa significa esattamente Hogmanay, quali sono le tradizioni vi lascio qui qualche informazione e simpatica curiosità.

Hogmanay è il termine scozzese che sta ad indicare l’ultimo giorno dell’anno ed è sinonimo delle feste e delle celebrazioni associate al Capodanno.

A differenza di altre parti del mondo, però, queste festività non si limitano solo ad una notte.

Le celebrazioni dell’Hogmanay di solito continuano a Capodanno e, talvolta, anche il 2 gennaio, che in Scozia è giorno festivo.

Le origini del nome Hogmanay non sono del tutto chiare e ci sono diverse teorie sull’origine del termine.

La più probabile sembra essere hoguinan, che in antico Normanno doveva significare regalo di capodanno.

Di certo, la parola esiste da almeno il 1604, quando è apparsa per la prima volta in documenti scritti.

Alcuni hanno, quindi, ipotizzato che Hogmanay derivi dalla parola francesce “hoginane” che significa “giorno di festa“.

Le tradizioni vichinghe sono poi andate a mescolarsi ai riti pagani già esistenti.

Gli spettacoli pirotecnici e le scenografiche fiaccolate/processioni che ora si godono a Edimburgo e in molte città della Scozia ricordano proprio le antiche feste pagane e le tradizioni vichinghe dei tempi passati.

Ci sono, peraltro, diverse tradizioni e superstizioni che in occasione dell’Hogmanay si dice andrebbero rispettate.

Siete pronti a scoprirle con noi?

▪︎Tra le varie tradizioni, ricordiamo la pulizia della casa (nota anche come Redding) e la rimozione delle ceneri dal fuoco e l’obbligo di estinguere tutti i debiti prima che “le campane” suonino a mezzanotte, .

Il messaggio di fondo è quello di eliminare i resti del vecchio anno, e, dopo una ripulita generale, dare il benvenuto a un nuovo e felice anno nuovo.

Al posto delle pulizie di primavera gli scozzesi fanno le pulizie di Capodanno, per preparare la casa all’anno che verrà.

▪︎First -Footing

Una delle più famose tradizioni di Hogmanay è però il First-Footing, che rientra a pieno titolo tra i riti propiziatori più originali del Capodanno.

Secondo la tradizione il First-Foot è la prima persona a varcare la soglia di una casa nell’anno nuovo dopo lo scoccare della mezzanotte.

L’ingresso di questo ospite speciale è in grado di assicurare fortuna e prosperità per l’anno appena iniziato.

Tradizione vuole che il primo visitatore dell’anno risponda a precisi e fondamentali requisiti: deve essere di sesso maschile, alto, bruno e, possibilmente, di bell’aspetto.

Si dice che il fatto che debba essere scuro di capelli risalga alle invasioni vichinghe, poiché i vichinghi erano in genere più biondi, quindi l’arrivo di un uomo biondo avrebbe potuto significare un pericolo imminente!

Il First-Foot deve, inoltre, portare con sé un dono simbolico, generalmente una moneta d’argento, del carbone, whisky, sale, biscotti o dolci.

Una volta entrato, il First-Foot dovrà essere accompagnato in casa, che come da tradizione sarà stata pulita da cima a fondo, e collocare il carbone nel fuoco del camino.

Infine, farà un brindisi in onore della casa e dei suoi residenti.

Se ogni dettaglio del rituale sarà stato osservato, al First-Foot sarà concesso di baciare tutte le donne della famiglia (capito perché dovrebbe essere di bell’aspetto?).

L’antica pratica del First-Footing è ormai diventata un simpatico pretesto per far visita ad amici e conoscenti e festeggiare tutta la notte in allegria, tra canti, balli e bevute in compagnia.

Altri “primi passi” ritenuti particolarmente fortunati sono le nuove spose, le neomamme e chiunque sia nato il 1° gennaio.

▪︎Cantare insieme ‘Auld Land Syne’

Subito dopo la mezzanotte è tradizione cantare insieme “Auld Lang Syne“, nella versione di Robert Burns, il grande bardo scozzese.

Burns scrisse il testo di questa famosa canzone nel 1788, sebbene la melodia esistesse già.

Anche se il significato di questa canzone continua a creare confusione, si pensa che i versi di apertura corrispondano ad una domanda retorica: “Un conoscente dovrebbe forse essere dimenticato e mai ricordato?”.

La frase “auld lang syne” si traduce approssimativamente in “per amore dei vecchi tempi“.

La canzone parla, infatti, di preservare le vecchie amicizie e ricordare insieme gli eventi dell’anno.

È cantata in tutto il mondo, evocando un senso di appartenenza e di fratellanza, venato di nostalgia.

Auld Lang Syne, conosciuta in Italia come Il Valzer delle Candele, è una delle canzoni più popolari nei paesi di lingua inglese, dove è tradizione intonarla a Capodanno per dare l’addio al vecchio anno e accogliere quello nuovo.

Questa tradizione ha avuto origine proprio in Scozia, dove la canzone veniva cantata durante le celebrazioni di Hogmanay. Successivamente, con l’emigrazione degli scozzesi, si diffuse nel resto della Gran Bretagna e negli Stati Uniti.

Il titolo, un’espressione scozzese, si traduce in inglese come old long since, ovvero “i bei tempi andati”. Il brano racconta la storia di due amici che, dopo molti anni di lontananza, si ritrovano, brindando ai ricordi dei momenti felici del passato che non torneranno più.

Fonte: Scozia Viaggi.

RICETTA SHORTBREAD

Ingredienti

300 g Farina

200 g Burro

100 g Zucchero

5 g Sale

Preparazione

Mettete il burro freddissimo di frigo e tagliato a pezzetti nel mixer insieme alla farina.

Frullate per qualche minuto in modo da ottenere un composto sbricioloso.

Trasferite il composto sul piano da lavoro e aggiungete zucchero e sale.

Impastate energicamente per qualche minuto fino ad ottenere un impasto liscio e omogeneo.

Avvolgete l’impasto nella pellicola trasparente e mettetelo a riposare in frigo per 1 ora circa.

Trascorso il tempo di riposo riprendete l’impasto, lavoratelo velocemente e stendetelo tra due fogli di carta forno.

Stendete con il matterello fino ad arrivare a uno spessore di circa 1 centimetro e tagliate a rettangoli i biscotti.

Bucherellate con uno stuzzicadenti in modo da farli più simili possibili agli originali e trasferiteli su carta forno.

Cuocete gli shortbread in forno preriscaldato a 180° per 15/20 minuti circa fino a che vedrete che inizieranno a diventare ambrati.

Sfornate gli shortbread e fateli raffreddare totalmente.

[scotianostra]

On June 16th 1807 Rev. John Skinner, poet, theologian and Episcopalian minister of Longside in Buchan, died.

The author of one of my favourite Scottish songs 'Tullochgorum' was born at Balfour, Aberdeenshire, the son of the schoolmaster of Birse. He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, became assistant schoolmaster at Monymusk, took orders in the Scottish Episcopal Church in 1742, spent two years in Shetland as tutor in the family of the Sinclairs of Scalloway, then, returning to Aberdeen, as minister at Longside, near Linshart, for the rest of his life.

He was the author of an Ecclesiastical History of Scotland and many other theological works, as well as 'Tullochgorum' and other Scots songs which included 'John o' Badenyon' and 'Ewie wi' the Crookit Horn'.

Although he was willing to subscribe the oath of allegiance, Skinner's church was wrecked after the '45 rising by the Duke of Cumberland's men, and Skinner was imprisoned for six months in Aberdeen because he preached to an assembly of more than four people, such were the harsh restrictions in the country after Culloden.

Skinner lost his wife in 1799, and when his son met with a similar misfortune some years later, he retired from his duties and went to live with his son at Aberdeen. The old man died quietly in his chair, having just dined happily with three generations of his descendants.

Now I usually post Tullochgorum, but I dug up another of the Rev Skinner's songs, The Auld Minister’s Song, and yes it is a reworking of Rabbie Burns most famous song Auld Lang Syne, but it has to be said, Burns himself reworked it from a traditional Scots song, Burns admitted this himself, but it was he who first put the song on paper.