Scots are known throughout the world for their “canny” ways of buying. Could this be the reason why two people of Scottish descent were chosen by President Jefferson to handle perhaps one of the most important financial land transactions that the America ever entered into? If not, the most important real estate deal ever done in USA history it was almost certainly the largest.

Burns Suppers have been part of Scottish culture for about 200 years as a means of commemorating our best loved bard. When Burns immortalized haggis in verse he created a central link that is maintained to this day. The ritual was started by close friends of Burns a few years after his death in 1796 as a tribute to his memory. We give below the original poem as written by Robert Burns and a modern day translation into the modern English language.
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 o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.

rest of poem follows

Burns Night Supper it’s format and theme

Contrary to popular opinion Robert Burns did not start up “Burns Night Suppers” indeed the first one was not held till a few years after his death in 1796 when some friends got together to commemorate his lifetime and their friendship.
Today Burns Night Suppers are held all over the [...]

Haggis is probably the least understood but best known Scottish dish. Haggis is our national dish but one which a lot of Scots will not eat. Reason… they don’t like the idea of the foods that go to make up its bulk and taste.

Robert Burns our national poet wrote a poem to the haggis referring to it as “the Chieftain o’ the pudding race”. Many say that if it wasn’t for that address to the Haggis few people outside of Scotland and Scottish culture would even have heard of the dish. Even although Rabbie Burns died in

The kilt is something which I — like many other Scots — and people of Scottish decent have strong feelings.
To us the kilt is not just a fashion symbol although several Hollywood celebrities seem to think.  The tartan kilt is an important part of our Scottish heritage and culture.  When questioned about the one Scottish symbol [...]

How does the Isle of Jura Whisky distillery make such a smooth unique tasting drink?
The Isle of Jura whisky distillery is located in Craighouse almost on the sea shore (see photo below). As I said in yesterday’s post the distillery had been built on the original site which had dated back to 1810 and [...]

At one time, every household in Scotland made enough “Scotch” whisky for their own needs. What happened to that?
However that was before the Scottish Parliament made their first tax levy on Scotch whisky in 1644. This reduced drastically the amount of whisky produced but then due to famines caused by harvest failures the use of [...]

Drinking real whisky how three people choose.
Following a major whisky conference recently three Chief Executives decided to go for a drink together in a local hotel.
Arriving at the bar the brash CEO of a major American distiller loudly announced to the barman, “I want a genuine American whisky — the greatest whisky in the world”
The [...]