How Cool is THAT?!

The city of Victoria is to finally get an official tartan, and here’s a picture of our mayor modelling it. Seriously, how cool is that? Who couldn’t love a city that values its heritage in such a fabulous way?

To be fair, our Highland Games up here are a bit less special than the ones we regularly attended in Florida. First of all, they’re held in May, when the weather is warm and sunny. Secondly, this whole town is full of Scots and Scot-descended people. There’s a statue of Robbie Burns in the park next to us, fer pete’s sake!

Not to mention that all manner of foods of Scottish origin (Scotch broth, Scottish candies, imported shortbread and toffee) are available in every grocery store. We even have a roll called a Scotch Bap (which, if you’re in the know, is actually a bit rude!).

Naturally, Scottish ales are on tap at every bar, pipers and people in kilts are common sites at every large cultural event, one can get bridies and even “tha Haggis” at local delis, the Burns Night is a big deal, and we have at least two full-time, year-round kiltmakers in town that I’m aware of. In short, this is a fairly Scottish sort of place.

Consequently, the Highland Games -- while they offer excitingly pointless sports, live sheep shearing, hawk and highland fling competitions and of course marching massed pipe bands and all the colour and pageantry of Scottish heritage, genealogy and culture -- have little available to purchase that you can’t get in town all year long. Scotland’s a bit more “exotic” in Orlando, I guess ... :)