Now half way through theyear your Society has

already accomplished majorachievements both inwelcoming new members andcelebrating Scottish culture atour events and gatherings.

Last March I reported on thewonderful success of our US

premiere of Whisky Galore in September 2016 and ourhugely successful Robert Burns Supper held in Januaryof this year. This issue of the Thistle revisits our veryspecial Tartan Day Celebration held for the second yearin succession at The Intercontinental Hotel, CenturyCity. Why so special? It was a bitter sweet gatheringbecause although close to 200 members and guestsgathered to pay homage to the Bard it was also theoccasion to say au revoir to HM Deputy Consul GeneralBernadette (Bernie) Greene. Bernie was accompaniedby members of her family and consular staff who cameto say goodbye and acknowledge the tremendous debtthe Society has for Bernie’s support and help duringher posting in Los Angeles. The Society was not theonly organization to benefit from Bernie’s big-heartedness and many in Los Angeles will miss her.Bernie’s replacement, Collette Weston, has alreadycarried on where Bernie left off and many of you willmeet her at our Garden Party at at the end of thismonth when she welcomes us to HM Consul General’sresidence.

Tartan Day also heralded the formal launch of theSociety’s own tartan. A project long in discussion wasfinally fast-tracked by Board member George Mitchellwho was instrumental in its design with staff fromHouse of Tartan in Perthshire. It is now the officiallyrecorded tartan of the St. Andrew’s Society of losAngeles with the Scottish Register of tartans inEdinburgh. Click here to see the registration.

Your Board is actively pursuing how to inventorythe tartan material for the use by our membership. Tothis end it would be helpful to know who would beinterested in ordering kilts, sashes, and other items.You may submit your interest by sending an email tome at the address below.

As if all this was not enough our own Steve Buschintroduced the St Andrew’s Society of LA march. Steveentered the darkened ballroom playing the new marchon the great highland pipes and as the lights went uppresented the genesis of the music to the enthusiasticapplause of all present.

With this significant backdrop we now eagerlyawait our Garden Party which promises to be amagnificent event with a ‘Lucky Dip’ and ‘SilentAuction’ of offerings including rare single malts, hotelstays, restaurant certificates, and much more.

a message from Ian J, Skone-Rees, FSA Scot, President.

June 2017

The very name McClaren saysScots, what else? But the car

and founder of the companywas names after Bruce McClaren,a New Zealander and a FormulaOne great who came on the

Contact Ian Skone-Rees

via email at: rees1@mac.com or iskonerees@saintandrewsla.org

GardenParty30th July

The Annual GardenParty will be held thisyear at the officialresidence of HMConsul General ChrisO’Connor.

The Garden Party hasbeen held each year since1930 when the Society wasestablished. For the firsttime in the Society’s historyour host is HM ConsulGeneral. It is our mainfundraiser of the year andthis year we have a toughact to follow as 2016, thanksto the generosity of ourmembers and guests,marked our most successfulfundraiser to date. Howeverthis year the Garden PartyCommittee led by EileenSkone-Rees and GillianCampbell have pulled out allthe stops to ensure we willraise the bar once again.

There will be a ‘LuckyDip’ with exciting prizesincluding many bottles ofsingle malt donated by theBoard. The Silent Auctionthis year includes hotelstays, restaurant certificates,and even a sitting for yourportrait. A 21 year old bottleof Balvenie will be auctioned& a 17 year old Doublewood.

See full list page 6If you haven’t registered

yet don’t wait any longer!

scene in 1963. Bruce made the team's

Grand Prix debut at the 1966Monaco race (of the currentFormula One teams only Ferrariis older). His race ended after

In Gear

the

tthhiissttlleeT h e S t . A n d r e w S o c i e t y o f L o s A n g e l e s

McClaren

Please see McClaren, page 6

Bruce McClaren

St. Andrew’s LosAngeles is well

known for itssignature eventsduring the yearheld at prestigiousvenues when wedress up in all ourtartan finery,Prince Charlies andlong gowns.

And now we areorganizing lessformal gatheringsthat we hope willappeal to a widecross section of ourmembership andfriends. The first ofthese was held lastMarch at MacLeodAle Brewerey in VanNuys. Our hostAlistair Boasetempted us with awide array of ales and beers aswell as traditional British pubfood. We shared this afternoongathering with a delegation ofOutlander fans who all fell intothe spirit of this newly

t h e t h i s t l e j u n e 2 0 1 72

PresidentIan J. Skone-Rees, FSA Scot

Vice PresidentDavid Warburton, MD., OBE

TreasurerJody Kershberg

SecretaryPamela Lowry Marbell

Board of TrusteesPatrick Benn

Kimberlee Bradford

Richard MacKenzie, MD

J. D. “Dave” Macpherson*

George Mitchell

Eileen B. Skone-Rees

Steve Tom

*Immediate Past president

Society PiperCindi McIntosh

The Thistle is the officialpublication of the Saint Andrew’sSociety of Los Angeles. It ispublished four times a year.Deadline for each issue is thef i r s t day o f Ma rch , June ,September & December.Submit articles, photographs,and address changes to theeditor at: rees1@mac.com.

or The Editor

Saint Andrew’s Society, Los Angeles3836 Goodland AvenueStudio City, CA 91604

www.saintandrewsla.org

The publisher accepts no responsibilityfor the opinions expressed, accuracyof information, or similarity of namessubmitted by authors.

CONTRIBUTORSKimberlee Bradford

Gillian CampbellIan J. Skone-Rees, FSA Scot

PUBLISHEREDITOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGN

Ian J. Skone-Rees

PHOTOGRAPHYTony Dunn

Matthew Morgenthaler

The website should bethe first resource to go tofor any informationregarding the Society.

Not only does it list upcomingevents and all relevant detailsincluding location, time, anddescription. It also displays in theGallery section photographs andvideo of past events. For exampleif you attended the Robert BurnsSupper this year all 246 photosand a video of Jim Bell’s AddressTo The Haggis are there to see soyou can relive what was one ofthe best attended Burns Suppersthe Society has held. If you werenot so fortunate to attend you cannow vicariously take part in theevening.

There is also a comprehensivelisting of Highland Games andFestivals, both in America andScotland. Visit the merchandisepage and pick up a lapel pin orembroidered blazer crest,featuring the Society shield. Payfor these online with your creditcard or PayPal. Talking ofpayment you can also renew yourmembership online using thesame credit card.

Information about how toapply for a Society Grant is alsolisted, including all the forms anapplicant will need to complete.There’s more … please visit.

Website & SocialWebsite & SocialMedia UpdateMedia Update

www.saintandrewsla.org

MacLeod Meet-Up

established Celtic meet-up.We plan to arrange more of

these informal Meet-Ups soplease look out for futureannouncements on the website,Facebook, and your email.

L-R: George Mitchell, Ian Skone-Rees, Patrick Benn, Steve Tom,Chuck Robertson, Alistair Boase.

3S t . A n d r e w ’ s S o c i e t y o f L o s A n g e l e s

Bill McLaren – the voice of Rugby

William Pollock "Bill" McLaren, CBE (16 October 1923 – 19January 2010) was a Scottish rugby union commentator,

teacher, journalist and one time rugby player. Known as 'thevoice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002.Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm andmemorable turn of phrase endeared him to many.

McLaren was born in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, in 1923 toa knitwear salesman from Loch Lomond-side who had moveddown to the area.

As a young boy, he was steeped in local rugby stories:I was brought up on stories of the great Scottish players of the

twenties, many of whom I never saw play but knew all about... Iused to go with my father to see matches at a very early age, thegreat Hawick heroes including Willie Welsh, Jock Beattie and JerryFoster, so I had an all-consuming desire to wear the green jerseyof Hawick.

In his teenage years, McLaren grew up to be a useful flankforward. He would later play for Hawick RFC.

He served with the Royal Artillery in Italy during the SecondWorld War, including the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was used asa forward spotter, and on one occasion was confronted by amound of 1,500 corpses in an Italian churchyard, an unpleasantexperience which never left him.

He played in a Scotland trial in 1947 and was on the verge of afull international cap before contracting tuberculosis. The diseasenearly killed him and forced him to give up playing. He spent 19months in a sanatorium in East Fortune (East Lothian), where hewas given an experimental drug, Streptomycin, which saved hislife. However, of the five patients given the drug, only twosurvived. While in the hospital, he began his broadcasting career,by commenting on table tennis games on the hospital radio.

McLaren studied Physical Education in Aberdeen, and went onto teach PE in different schools throughout Scotland right throughto 1987. He coached several Hawick youngsters who went on toplay for Scotland, including Jim Renwick, Colin Deans and TonyStanger.

McLaren's journalistic career started as a junior reporter withthe Hawick Express. In 1953, he made his national debut for BBCRadio, covering Scotland's 12–0 loss to Wales. He switched totelevision commentary six years later. McLaren was one of manypost-war commentators who progressed from commentating onBBC Radio to BBC Television during the infancy of televisionbroadcasting in the UK. These included Murray Walker (motorracing/Formula One), Peter O'Sullevan (horse racing), HarryCarpenter (boxing and rowing), Dan Maskell (tennis), DavidColeman (athletics), Peter Alliss (golf) and John Arlott (cricket).

Recognition of his services came in November 2001, when hebecame the first non-international to be inducted into the

International Rugby Hall of Fame. He was awarded an MBE in 1992,an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in the 2003 honours list. A Facebookgroup, backed by over 6,000 members, was campaigning to gaina knighthood for McLaren.

McLaren also featured as a commentator on the video gamesJonah Lomu Rugby and EA Rugby 2001, and also did voice workfor Telewest Communications.

During his final commentary, Wales v Scotland in 2002, thecrowd sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and one Welshsupporter displayed a banner claiming "Bill McLaren is Welsh".

After retirement, McLaren wrote the book Rugby's Great Heroesand Entertainers in 2003.

In later life, McLaren contracted Alzheimer's; he had beenrenowned for his excellent memory.

McLaren was married to Bette, with whom he had twodaughters Linda (born 1952) and Janie (born 1954, died 2000). Hehas 2 famous sons-in-law, Linda married former Scotland rugbyscrum half Alan Lawson and Janie married horse racingcommentator Derek Thompson. They had five grandchildren, 3through Linda, Scotland scrum-half and Gloucester player Rory,Morphsuits co-founder and former Scotland 7s player Gregor anda daughter Lindsay. Then 2 through Janie, former Edinburgh andScotland 7s player Jim Thompson and other son Alex.

McLaren died on 19 January 2010 at the age of 86 in his hometown of Hawick. His funeral took place on 25 January at TeviotChurch in Hawick, followed by a private burial at the town'sWellogate Cemetery after his hearse was applauded through thetown of Hawick by hundreds of well-wishers who lined the streetto pay their respects to the "Voice of Rugby"

Bill McClaren, CBE – 1923-2010

4

www.saintandrewsla.org

t h e t h i s t l e j u n e 2 0 1 7

Calendar of Events

30th July, 2017 4:30 p.m.Annual Garden PartyHM Consul General’s Residence Information: eileensr@me.com

26th August, 2017 12:30 pmMeet-UpRosenthal Winery18741 Pacific Coast HighwayMalibu, CA 90265

The Rosenthal Vineyard islocated in Malibu where youcan partake of Great Wine,Food, Ocean Views, and LiveMusic. Enjoy a fantastic get-together with fellowenthusiasts of Scottish culture.Some even say there may beHAGGIS!

14–15th October, 2017Seaside Highland GamesVentura County FairgroundsVentura, CA

For more society information

and news log on to:

www.saintandrewsla.org

VolunteersNeeded

If you would like to be moreinvolved in the Society andhelp meet the stated goals inour mission statement ofpreserving and promotingScottish history and cultureplease contact a Board memberat their email address listed onthe website.

Scotland's Michelin Star Restaurants ~

It would be anunderstatement to say that

food and drink is at the veryheart of Scotland.

More than just a night out,Scottish food is the very lifeblood of Scotland’s culture andeconomy, which is why Scotlandcelebrates its renowned Chefsand restaurants with MichelinStars.

First, what is a Michelin Starand why is it so important? Thisis a very complex question.

To give a brief explanation ofwhat it is, it started as a roadatlas for Michelin tire customers.Back then, one star meant “youcan safely eat here withouthaving to run back and forth tothe restroom,” two stars meant ifyou happen to pass this placeyou might want to stop and havesome food, and three starssimply conveyed if you’re

hungry, add 25 miles to yourtrip, this one is worth taking adiversion.

Today, Michelin has becomethe Bible of authority or theOscar of the food industry.

Michelin itself insists thatthree stars simply means thesame thing as it did way backwhen, only it is slightly adjustedfor a much more mobile society.

Nine restaurants have beenawarded a Bib Gourmand. A BibGourmand rating means therestaurant is a good value for $40or less - and if you're a Scot, well... you know how we are a weebit thrifty.

The restaurants with BibGourmand listing in Edinburghare: Dogs, Passorn, GalvinBrasserie de Luxe and Scran andScallie. In Glasgow The Gannet,Ox and Finch and Straivigin allreceive the accolade. The KilberryInn in Kintyre, Argyll and Bute,and Osso, in Peebles, also get aBib Gourmand.

In terms of which region ofScotland scored the mostMichelin Stars it would beEdinburgh, which remains theMichelin Scottish capital, withfour restaurants claiming starsand another four with BibGourmand ratings.

With these awardedrestaurants, it's clear thatScotland has come up in the

Some of the ScottishRestaurants with oneMichelin Star are:

The Cellar, Anstruther, Fife, Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond,West Dunbartonshire.Braidwoods, Dalry, Ayrshire, Number One, at the BalmoralHotel. Edinburgh, Albannach, Lochinver, Boath House, Nairn, The Peat Inn, Fife, Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye,

world and is noted for producingincredible cuisine, chefs andambiance to add to the alreadyexisting beauty of a land that isconsidered to some, the moststunning country in the world.

Bon appetit !

Andrws Fairlie, Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire

Michelin has awarded

13 Scottish restaurants

with coveted stars in

2017.

5Tartan Day Celebration

6

www.saintandrewsla.org

t h e t h i s t l e j u n e 2 0 1 7

McClaren, from page 1

nine laps due to a terminal oil leak. The1966 car was the M2B designed byRobin Herd, but the programme washampered by a poor choice of engines:a 3.0-litre version of Ford's Indianapolis500 engine and a Serenissima V8 wereused, the latter scoring the team's firstpoint in Britain, but both wereunderpowered and unreliable. For 1967Bruce decided to use a British RacingMotors (BRM) V12 engine, but due todelays with the engine, was forcedinitially to use a modified Formula Twocar called the M4B powered by a 2.1-litre BRM V8, later building a similarbut slightly larger car called the M5A

for the V12. Neither car brought greatsuccess, the best result being a fourthat Monaco.

Bruce McClaren was killed in 1970aged 32 when his CanAm car crashed atGoodwood circuit in England. The nameMcClaren went on to ecome one of themost respected names in Formula Oneracing, attracting some of the leadingdrivers including, James Hunt, NikiLauda, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna.

Today McClaren produces one of themost saught after ‘supercars’ and canbe driven on the streets by anyone withupwards of $200,000.

All annual memberships must berenewed 1st January each year. If youbecame a member after 31st August ofthe preceeding year your membershipis paid up through 31st December of thefollowing year.

Notification of annual membership dues aremailed to each member, regardless of whether youjoined after 31st August or if you are a Lifemember. The reason for this is that the renewalform includes an opportunity for everyone tomake a tax deductible donation to the Society inaddition to their membership dues. The form isalso an opportunity to make any corrections toyour personal membership profile, includingmailing address, email address, and phonenumber.

If you have not done so already please send inyour membership dues. This is the only regularsource of income for the Society and is dependedon to plan and organize our various eventsthroughout the year. The Society is entirelyadministered and operated by volunteers, thereare no paid employees. The Society is a 501 (c) (3)organization and as such your donations are taxdeductible.

Membership

In 2010 the artist Alexander Stoddart rebuffed aquery about his interest in sculpting a memorialto Bill McLaren: "I do not do sportsmen and Icertainly do not do sports commentators. I doartists, philosophers and poets", he said, warningthat memorials are often hastily erected.Advocates of the memorial described the remarksas insensitive, and said that "To have Bill lookingdown on the fans at Murrayfield, microphone inhand, would bring a huge smile to so manyfaces."

The Voice of Rugby, from page 2

• Bottles of Single Malt Scotch Whisky,includingMacallanBowmoreLaphroigSpringbank

• Other fine liquors includingPatron TequillaCorralejo TequillaMongolian VodkaHendricks Gin

What you may take home from the Garden Party

• Hotel stay at Fairmont, Santa Monica

• Portrait sitting

• Dining certificate at Robin Hood Pub

• Dining certificate at Four Seasons

• Hollywood Bowl tickets for four

• Tickets for James Corden show

• Condo stay at the beach in Coronado

• Whale watching with Island Packers

• Day trip to Santa Cruz with Island

Packers

• Day trip to Anacapa with Island Packers

• Patio Bar-B-Q Fun set

• Harris Tweed Tartan Bag

All items have been donated by business sponsors and individuals so allproceeds go toward our fundraising goal to continue support of worthy

individuals and organizations in Scotland and here at home, including ourmulti-year commitment to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Special thanks to Alexander Murray & Co and Macleod Ale Brewery.

Checks, Credit Cards, and Cash accepted.Don’t forget your wallet!

w w w . s a i n t a n d r e w s l a . o r g

7

Although we love our bagpipes, Scottish music isn’t allabout that or country dancing. Scotland is home to a

wealth of internationally-renowned contemporary bands,orchestras, artists and DJ's, many of which are criticallyacclaimed.

Topping the Forbes list of the world's highest paid DJ's forfour consecutive years, Calvin Harris (who was born AdamRichard Wiles), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, songwriter andsinger. Originally from Dumfries, Grammy award winning Harrisreleased his debut album in 2007 "I Created Disco" whichincluded two top ten singles. With a selection of number one hitsunder his belt, Harris rose to stardom in 2012 releasing his secondalbum. Then in 2013, Calvin Harris signed as the first exclusiveresident DJ at the MGM Grand’s Hakkasan Night Club in LasVegas.

And for those of you that have never heard of him or why heis such an important person in music, just ask anyone under theage of 30 who he is...you'll have your answer. Mr. Harris hasworked with and produced the biggest hits for many musicalartists: Rihanna, Frank Ocean, Florence, Elle Goulding, TaylorSwift just to name a few. Chances are, you've heard several tractshe's written on commercials. Calvin Harris is simply described aswriting incredible, soul-touching hooks and brain-nestingmelodies that can't be denied.

Taking the High Road to Scotland

Chvrches is a Scottish electronic band formed in 2011 whichgroup consists of lead singer Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook andMartin Doherty. From Glasgow, Chvrches became the topcontender of most promising new talent before releasing theirdebut studio album The Bones of What You Believe. They'vetoured all over Europe, USA, Canada and Japan, and recentlyreleased their second album Every Open Eye which received ravereviews. The group is also working alongside, American Actress,Kristen Stewart (Twilight films) who has been a fan of theirs. Theproject will focus on a meaningful cause to both Stewart and theband.

Emeli Sande, a singer/songwriter from Aberdeenshire,delivered magical performances in both the Opening and ClosingCeremonies of the London 2012 Olympics. Emeli has written songsfor artists: Cher Lloyd, Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis and her debutalbum peaked at number one in the UK, and has earned her twoUK number one singles.

The influential rock-band, Franz Ferdinand, was formed inGlasgow in 2002. Franz Ferdinand won the Mercury Music Prize in2004, and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and BestBritish Rock Act. NME also named their eponymous debut albumas the Album of the Year. The band is a Grammy awardnominated group with an original and unique sound.

Calvin Harris

t h e t h i s t l e j u n e 2 0 1 78

Nicola Benedetti, a classical violinist from Ayrshire, made herdebut in 2010, this now internationally-celebrated musician hasperformed in solo recitals and with the most prestigiousSymphony and Philharmonic Orchestras around the world.

She was the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004 and in2008 was the winner of the Classical BRIT Award for Young BritishClassical Performer of the Year.

Lastly, let's not forget one of Scotland's most cherishedmusical favorites, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO)which is one of Europe's leading symphony orchestras. Formed in1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the ScottishNational Orchestra in 1950, and was awarded Royal Patronage in1991. The orchestra is internationally recognised as one of thefinest chamber orchestras in the world. Throughout its proudhistory, the Orchestra has played an important part in Scotland'smusical life, including performing at the opening ceremony ofthe Scottish Parliament building in 2004.

Yes, once again, Scotland has turned up talented andinnovative artists that are making a mark in today's world. Withso many varied types of music, it's easy to see why so many flockto Scotland.

The band Chvches

Scottish musicisn’t just aboutbagpipes andceilidhs !

Taking the High Road to Scotlandcontinued from page 7

w w w . s a i n t a n d r e w s l a . o r g9

The Celebrated Beauty and Innovation of Scottish Architecture

Inside the historic library at Cambridge University designed by Scottish architect James Stirling. Inset building exterior.

Please see Scottish Architecture, page 10

Scotland is known the world over for the beauty of itslandscapes. But Scotland’s architectural landscape is

perhaps best described as a historical timeline charting thecountry’s history through design; from medieval crofts andcastles, to Victorian tenements and cutting edge,contemporary buildings and structures.

This rich legacy defines Scotland as a nation of creativity andinnovation, where each city has its own landmarks, history andidentity but are all underpinned by heritage, tradition, andmodernism.

Here are a few key Scottish Architects that have made a visibleimpact with their own unique style:

William Henry Playfair transformed the centre of Edinburghduring the 1800s. As a key player in Edinburgh’s Enlightenment,

Playfair designed many of the capital's most important buildingssuch as the national monument on Calton Hill and the NationalGallery of Scotland. His Greek Revival style of classicalarchitecture earned Edinburgh the name the ‘Athens of the North’.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose iconic designs are, to thisday, admired by architects all over the world. As a leadingrepresentative of the Art Nouveau movement in the 19th century,Mackintosh’s influence can be seen throughout his home city ofGlasgow, with the School of Art as an archetypal example of hiswork, alongside Queen’s Cross Church and the Scotland StreetMuseum. However it is perhaps his Glasgow Tea Rooms that are hismost unique contribution to Scottish culture, in which art,architecture and design came together in a complete environment.

w w w . s a i n t a n d r e w s l a . o r g10

Scottish Architecturefrom page 9

James Miller is particularly noted for his railway stations,amongst which are the 20th century extensions to GlasgowCentral Station and the iconic Wemyss Bay station on the Forth ofClyde, as well as the heavily American-influenced Union Bank inGlasgow city centre.

Sir James Stirling, who was born in Glasgow in the 1920s, isarguably the greatest British architect of the 20th century. Hisinnovative, modernist designs - which included the NeueStaatsgalerie in Stuttgart, and the Historical Library at

Cambridge University - led to his Knighthood in 1992.

Robert Adam, born in Fife, is considered the most importantBritish architect of the 18th century. Blessed with a classicaltraining, experimental bent and wealthy clients, he was the firstarchitect in Britain to develop a style recognizably his own,demonstrated in Airthrey Castle and the magnificently 'medieval'Culzean Castle.

Yes, it is recommended that you visit Scotland for itsunmatched beauty of Lochs, Mountains and Terrain, but don'tmiss the extradinary architecture that so many Scots havecreated, signaling the innovation and design that has establishedour modern world.

Garden Party30th July, 20174:40 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

HM Consul General’s Official Residence450 South June StreetLos Angeles, CA 90020

Delicious Food • Whisky Tasting • Macleod AleFine Wine • Pimms Cup

Lucky Dip • Silent Auction

Singers Eilidh Fisher and CassidyInternational Harpist Carolyn Sykes

Tea demonstration with The Tea JennieRegister here:

t h e t h i s t l e j u n e 2 0 1 7

11

Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom formore than three hundred years, but it is unlikeanywhere else in Britain. Here are 50 facts youshould know about the country:

1. The official animal of Scotland is the Unicorn.

2. The shortest scheduled flight in the world is one-and-a-halfmiles long from Westray to Papa Westray in the Orkney Islandsof Scotland. The journey takes 1 minute 14 seconds to complete.

3. Scotland has approximately 790 islands, 130 of which areinhabited.

4. The Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, on the island of Orkney,is the oldest building in Britain, dating from 3100 BC.

5. The Hamilton Mausoleum in South Lanarkshire has the longestecho of any man-made structure in the world; a whole 15seconds.

6. Scotland has more than 600 square miles of freshwater lakes,including the famous Loch Ness.

7. The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, is only its second largestcity, after Glasgow.

8. Edinburgh was the first city in the world which had its own firebrigade.

9. Like Rome, Edinburgh was built on seven hills and the capitalhas more listed buildings than anywhere in the world.

10. Scotland had its own monarch until 1603. After Elizabeth Idied, James VI of Scotland also became James I of England,ruling both countries.

11. St Andrews Links is considered the "home of golf"; the sporthas been played there since the 15th century.

12. Queen Victoria is reputed to have smoked cigarettes duringher visits to the Highlands of Scotland to keep away midges.

13. Edinburgh was home to Skye terrier Grey Friar’s Bobby, whocaptured the hearts of the nation by sitting on the grave of hisdead owner for 14 years.

14. Scotland is currently the second largest country in the UK,after England.

15. The highest point in Scotland is Ben Nevis, at 4,406ft (1343m)

16. The motto of Scotland is “Nemo me impune lacessit”, or: "Noone provokes me with impunity". It is used by the Order of theThistle and on later versions of the Royal coat of arms.

17. The country is a favourite with the Royal family, who holiday atBalmoral castle in Royal Deeside.

18. In the north east of the country, girls are called “quines” andboys “louns”.

19. The very first recorded appearance of the elusive Loch NessMonster occurred in 565 AD, when a "water beast" attackedone of St. Columba's followers in the loch.

20. Scottish city Aberdeen is known as Europe’s oil capital, or the“Granite City”.

21. The deepest loch in Scotland, Loch Morar, reaches 1,077ft(328m) down and is ranked the seventeenth deepest lake in theworld.

22. Scotland’s smallest distillery, Edradour in Pitlochry, has100,000 visitors per year but produces just 90,000 litres of maltwhisky.

23. It is home to the oldest tree in Europe, a twisted yew which hasstood in Fortingall for 3,000 years. According to local legend,Pontius Pilate was born in its shade and played there as a child

24. The raincoat was invented in 1824 in Scotland by CharlesMacintosh, a chemist born in Glasgow. It is still called a“Mac”.

25. The official religion of Scotland is Christianity, with churchestraditionally being called “kirks”.

25 Fascinating Facts you should know about Scotland

w w w . s a i n t a n d r e w s l a . o r g12

The St. Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles wishes to thank allour supporters and sponsors who have contributed and

continue to contribute to the goals of the Society.

MISSIONThe purpose of the Society is to promote Scottish history,traditions, and culture by developing educational andcharitable undertakings that nurture relations between theSociety, the people of Los Angeles and the greater community.