Know Before You Go- North East Scotland
Know Before You Go
First visit to Scotland? - Here are 5 general tips that may help
- You may hear words like aye (yes), nae (no), wee (little) and loch (lake). Ben and glen are not men’s names, they mean mountain and valley, respectively.
- There is usually no table service at pubs; you order food at the bar. You also pay for drinks when you order them.
- People from Scotland are Scots (noun) or Scottish (adjective) Use the word Scotch when you’re talking about things that are of Scottish origin, like Scotch tape and Scotch whisky.
- Tipping is not mandatory in Scotland and Scots wouldn't dream of tipping at a pub. That said, it’s customary to tip 10% in restaurants. Tour guides and hotel staff appreciate gratuities. These are tourist services and it is often expected.
- William Wallace is a national hero and led his countrymen to fight for Scottish independence until he was convicted of treason in London and sadistically executed. However, he didn’t look like Mel Gibson and he was never called Braveheart.