| Scotland |
 Ceilidh... Ceilidh (pron: kay-lih) is a typical Scottish party with traditional music, dances and plenty to drink. "How to describe the Scottish character? I think the word is dour (pron: dooh-er in Scotland; dow-er in England); melancholic, gloomy and introvert; stern and severe…" Bobby Ferrier, banker from Dundee. "The real Scottish character is defined through the national tradition... the Scottish cringe… pessimism and a distrust of enterprise." Journalist Donald MacLeod (November 2005) Major Ceilidh celebrations occur twice a year; Burns Night on January 25th, and Hogmanay, on December 31st. The official national holiday is St Andrews Day on November 30th but Burns Night is for most Scots, the night that matters. Scottish folk throw a ceilidh at Halloween as well, and for a football team victory, but for the rest of the year (says MacLeod) the two dominating attributes of Scottish temperament prevail; 'dour' and 'cringe.' "Scottish character's 'distrust of enterprise' is flying in the face of facts. Just look at the Scottish history of travel, exploration,art and invention." Tom McCutcheon, Advertising Executive, Mallorca.  Location: Europe Status: UK Constituent Country Capital City: Edinburgh (Dùn Eideann) Main Cities: Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness Population: 5,136,500 Currency: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence Languages: English, Scots, Scots Gaelic Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic |
