Any Scotsmen?

[KualoJo]

Hey,

I'm spending this New Year in Edinburgh for the Hogmanay celebrations with my girlfriend, and would like to know if anyone from those parts (and I know there are some Kualoites [size=7:fcc8cf5a6f](TM Christina Aris)[/size:fcc8cf5a6f] there) if they know of a nice hotel not too far from Princes street to splash out on. :inlove:

Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.

Jo

[KualoJo]

Thanks goes to Graeme for the advice (via PM) - I'm booked into the George Hotel now. :D :mrgreen:

Cheers,

Jo

[graeme]

Hehehe.... you wont have far to stagg... I mean walk home :dizzy:

The George is <b>really</b> nice. I hope you have a <b>GREAT</b> time! :)

Graeme

[KualoJo]

Hehe, many thanks Graeeme. Will you be staggering around this hogmanay?

[graeme]

We usually spend Hogmany at my girlfriend's Mum and Dad's in Glasgow... Her Dad and I usually polish off a bottle of Whisky and then get sent to our beds for being drunken idiots :dunce: :dizzy: :dozing:

It's good fun though :)

[KualoDennis]

That would be a good bottle of single malt scotch I hope. Like Glenlivet or Glenfiddich. Not some of that Johnnie Walker Red Label swill.

:lol:

No offense to Johnnie, :bad-boy:

Dennis

[graeme]

[quote:de19b44fc6]That would be a good bottle of single malt scotch I hope[/quote:de19b44fc6]

Naturally :D

Glenfiddich and Glenlivet are distilled within 20 miles of where I grew up! My favourite though is a Macallan. I've got an 18 y/o Macallan that was bottled in 1966 hidden for a special occasion :)

Graeme

[c-aris]

Wow this sounds like my kind of holiday! :drool: :winky: :wink2: :yeah: What is Hogmanay?

btw...thanks for the mention Jo (:blush: You may use "Kualoites" freely of course)!

[KualoDennis]

Well Graeme it looks like I'll just have to pay you a little visit. :lol:

I've never tried Macallan scotch before. The two I mentioned seem to be the favorites or at least the most widely known / used here in Canada.

Dennis

[KualoJo]

[quote:9b2ede921d]What is Hogmanay?[/quote:9b2ede921d]

Scottish new year. :)

[quote:9b2ede921d]You may use "Kualoites" freely of course[/quote:9b2ede921d]

Why thanks Christina! ;)

Ciao ciao!

Jo

[graeme]

[quote:63b207649a]What is Hogmanay? [/quote:63b207649a]

Hogmanay is the 31st of December, traditionally in Scotland, it was far more important than Christmas.

During the day it was customary to pay any outstanding debts from the year (a superstition) and to clean the house. An important part of the cleaning was to take out the ashes from the fire.

Immediately after midnight you sing Auld Lang Syne (and true Scots do the right arm movements too! :) ). At this point you must wait for you 'First footer'

"First footing" is still common in Scotland. It is the first foot through the door after midnight. It was believed that to ensure good luck for the house, the first foot should be male, dark and should bring symbolic coal, shortbread, and whisky.

People will go to visit friends, family, neighbours all through the night to wish them Guid (good) New Year and to party! It is also customary to wish Guid New Year to anyone you meet on your travels and of course to give them a kiss (watch out Jo! :D)

In some parts of Scotland they still carry out traditional Pagan and Viking rituals, but that is a completely different story.

HTH Christina :) ,

Graeme

[KualoJo]

[quote:b7132979dd]It is also customary to wish Guid New Year to anyone you meet on your travels and of course to give them a kiss (watch out Jo! )[/quote:b7132979dd]

Haha, I had heard about that! :)

[c-aris]

Oh my god! I so want to come to celebrate Hogmany!!!

Thanks for sharing the history with me guys!

So what are the "right" arm movements to auld lang syne Graeme? We don't have any arm movements at all here in the states! I had no idea that the song was Scottish!

Btw...do you all ever get to see Saturday Night Live? I just remembered a character from several years ago who was Scottish and used to say "If its not Scottish, its crap!" My husband and I still use that phrase every now and then with each other and then giggle.... (ok, so much for the useless info!)

I really like first footer - the dark guy with the coal, shortbread and whisky! And the kissing of new friends! Wow....what a cool holiday!

[c-aris]

Speaking of scotch!

[img:76cba6787b]http://www.bevmo.com/fimages/Single_Malt_140.jpg[/img:76cba6787b]

I just got an email from this company in San Diego that we get most of our liquor from, they're having a scotch extravaganza this weekend - some scotch tasting! and theres a list of stuff on sale http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?code=Scotch42_scotch

Thinking about making an order and adding a good bottle to the liquor cabinet - anyone have a suggestion?

[KualoDennis]

I've already placed an order...... :freak:

I wouldn't recommend the 8 year old sheep dip scotch on page 7.

Depending on how much you plan on spending (or drinking) it looks like there are lots of good choices.

:excited:

Definitely a site worth bookmarking. Iwonder if they deliver to Canada?

Dennis

[c-aris]

tehe :biglaugha: ...snigger :biglaugha: ...snort :biglaugha:...[img:a96dd2f5c1]http://www.bevmo.com/115images/4001.jpg[/img:a96dd2f5c1]

come-on Dennis - it looks good to me! :)

[KualoDennis]

I can remeber as a kid fishing in a small lake stocked with trout that was called sheep dipping vat lake or something like that.

That's as close as I want to get to sheep dip, thank you!

:shock:

Dennis

[graeme]

Sorry I haven't replied sooner Christina but i've been on 9600bps for the last 2 days :x :refilao:

If I had to choose one slightly different I would go for the 12 y/o Old Pulteney. Unfortunatley it's not on sale :(

However the 12 y/o Macallan is on sale :) I would highly recommend the Macallan to anyone. At 12 y/o it's probably still a bit young but still very enjoyable :wink:

My overall advice though is to try as many as you can :mrgreen:

[662C]

this is proof that i really should read this board more often, i live in glasgow, think i might be spending my hogmanay and the bells at the cathouse, i just hope the power manages to stay on this year...

[KualoDennis]

I'm not even going to ask about that one ... 662

[662C]

there was a power cut in the city centre

[KualoCraig]

[quote:631c55efc4="jstonehouse"]Hey,

I'm spending this New Year in Edinburgh for the Hogmanay celebrations with my girlfriend, and would like to know if anyone from those parts (and I know there are some Kualoites (TM Christina Aris) there) if they know of a nice hotel not too far from Princes street to splash out on.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.

Jo
[/quote:631c55efc4]

So - do you reckon he survived the night? From what I saw on TV, Princes Street looked amazing! I think they said that there were 100,000 people there! And then there were the fireworks...!!! :o It must have been incredible!

Craig.

[KualoDennis]

I thought Christina was in the US?
100,000 people wowo we only have that many in total here in Kelowna.
8) :lol: 8)

[c-aris]

I am in the U.S. Dennis! The reference to me in that post is a wink in my direction for coining the "Kualoites" word.

[c-aris]

[quote:3361e2a60b="graeme"]My overall advice though is to try as many as you can :mrgreen:[/quote:3361e2a60b]

Now that's some good advice Graeme! :wink:

I'll definately start with one of those that you mentioned! ......now I just need to find my bar glasses (I've got boxes everywhere!)

[KualoDennis]

[quote:3d9c829f72="c-aris"]I am in the U.S. Dennis! The reference to me in that post is a wink in my direction for coining the "Kualoites" word.[/quote:3d9c829f72]

Sorry, guess it's still too early, :lol:

[graeme]

[quote:db8b62a4a7]So - do you reckon he survived the night?[/quote:db8b62a4a7]

As long as he didn't end up trying to sell '[i:db8b62a4a7]hosting[/i:db8b62a4a7]' down at the Docks then i'm sure he will have had a great time :D :twisted:

Mind you I did forget to warn him about gentlemen asking for his shoes :wscared:

Graeme

[KualoDennis]

[quote:69d6df19ef="graeme"]As long as he didn't end up trying to sell '[i:69d6df19ef]hosting[/i:69d6df19ef]' down at the Docks then i'm sure he will have had a great time :D :twisted:

Mind you I did forget to warn him about gentlemen asking for his shoes :wscared:

Graeme[/quote:69d6df19ef]

hmmmm Selling "hosting" at the docks. Yes, I can see that might cause some confusion. Please explain the shoes thingee. Or maybe not. 8)

[KualoJo]

Wow.










:dropmouth:









That was the [b:ac642fa387]best[/b:ac642fa387] new years eve I think I have ever had. Edinburgh is absolutely fantastic. For a start I think that it is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to in my life - it was simply superb.

I didn't chance my luck at selling 'hosting' ;) down at the docks, stuck to central Edinburgh. Hotel was fantastic - most definately within crawling distance - thanks for the recommendation Graeme. :)

Now, back to work. 8)

Jo

[graeme]

[quote:113ce53b19]Please explain the shoes thingee. Or maybe not. [/quote:113ce53b19]

I think maybe not would be best :D

[quote:113ce53b19]thanks for the recommendation Graeme[/quote:113ce53b19]

No problem. Glad you enjoyed it! :D

Graeme