Random Pictures of Scots/Scotland

[The Lawspeaker]

Railroads played a critical role for the United Kingdom in the Great War. But the increased burden on the nation's railways had its cost. In the early morning hours of May 22, 1915, a crowded schedule resulted in the 1915 Quintinshill Rail Disaster, the worst railway disaster in British history. Its victims, mostly men of the 1/7 Royal Scots regiment, deserve to be remembered.

[The Lawspeaker]

Single Malt whisky is one of the most revered spirits in the world. It is exclusively made from barley, which is quite a cheap product. A bottle of The Macallan 1926 60-year-old recently sold for $1,512,000 in auction, marking the largest single sale ever for a bottle. Over the past 50 years, single malts have become increasingly popular. Scottish single malt exports grew by 14.2% in 2017 to reach nearly $1.5 billion.

Glenfiddich distillery in Scotland is the world's largest exporter of single malt. Started in Dufftown in 1886, it ships 1.2 million 9-liter cases each year. Making single malt is a difficult and lengthy process. Barley is ground down and added to spring water. Heated to 64°C, it turns to sugar, dissolving into a fine sweet, tangy liquid called wort. The wort is drained, cooled, and passed into wash-backs. This is heated and condensed in copper wash stills for its first distillation, and a second time in spirit stills. This spirit trickles into the spirit safe, ready for maturation, and then is batched in casks with spring water.

Casks spend years in the warehouse, maturing into a single malt. An aged 30-year maturation can have 30% to 40% of the alcohol evaporated in the barrel, or over 1% each year of the whisky’s life. This is because of "Angel's Share" — the natural evaporation of the liquid into the atmosphere over time. So older whiskies are expensive not because they’re old, but because they are rare. Fashion, and the collector's market, also have something to do with the rise in popularity.

Christie's Director of Wine Tim Tiptree oversaw the sale in 2018 of The Macallan 1926 60-Year-Old, which sold for $1,512,000 to a private buyer. According to Tim, the collector's market will continue to grow. India, China, and Japan, are now main players in the single malt market. Particularly successful is the Yamazaki distillery in Osaka prefecture. Rare whiskies from their collection of single malts now sell for thousands of dollars. We tried a 12 year-old single malt worth $36, and the 50 year-old bottle worth $30,000.

[Graham]

Photograph by Alexander Hutchison (1890). St. Kilda is situated 100 miles west of Scotland's Outer Hebrides. Its inhabitants existed in isolation up until the 1880s when regular summer cruise steamers began to visit the island. Tempted by what they saw of the mainland's wealth, the people of St. Kilda, pictured here in front of one of their traditional straw-covered huts, began to leave in ever increasing numbers. In 1930 the island was finally evacuated.

[Ülev]

[Ülev]

Falkirk Wheel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel





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[The Lawspeaker]

Technically, the Inchindown oil tanks in Invergordon, Scotland, have the world's longest reverberation, but that makes a much worse title. We tested them with a loud noise and some very sensitive microphones. Matt's musical experiments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzMVJ... Behind the scenes on the Matt and Tom channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4qpl...

[The Lawspeaker]

The UK is planning to construct an Irish Sea Bridge, a massive proposed megaproject to connect Scotland and Northern Ireland. An Irish Sea Bridge would transform the region, potentially boosting the local economies, increasing national unity, and putting the UK on the world stage. However, the bridge would come with a cost: $25 billion USD.

[Ülev]

[The Lawspeaker]

An amazing day out on West Coast Railways' iconic Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and back, part of the stunning West Highland Line!


Date of Travel: 21 October 2020
Class of Travel: First Class
Rolling Stock: LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0/Mk1
Cost of Ticket: £133.75 ($176.10, €150; price for 2 people)
Origin: Fort William, United Kingdom (Scotland)
Destination: Mallaig, United Kingdom (Scotland)
*Currency conversions correct as of 09/11/2020 to nearest $/€0.05

[The Lawspeaker]

Date of Travel: 13 July 2020
Class of Travel: Standard Class (2nd Class)
Rolling Stock: Class 158 Express Sprinter
Cost of Ticket: £21.21 ($27.02, €23.23; railcard discount included)*
Origin: Inverness, United Kingdom (Scotland)
Destination: Golspie, United Kingdom (Scotland)
*Currency conversions correct as of 25/09/2020