Sheep

There are allegedly nearly 15,000 sheep producers in Scotland. Most of the animals become mutton or lamb, with a few being kept for their wool. The wool, now generally made into high-end textiles, used to supply the world. But China and other countries now top the charts in wool production.

In addition to wool and meat, sheep have a valuable role to play in the tourist industry. These lovelies, for example, live on the lawn at Dalkeith House, keeping the grass down and providing hours of family fun for the Yanks who temporarily live here. The lambs are very cute, at first barely able to stand but already eating grass. Both mums and babes watch the student volleyball games with a critical eye.

Mind the queue

Even though the Scots are fiercely nationalist, and fly the Scottsh Saltier, rather than the Union Jack, almost everywhere, a few things adopted from the Brits persist. The queue is one of these.

Example: waiting for the bus during rush hour on Princes Street in Edinburgh. On one long block are three separate bus stops. Once the correct bus stop is found, join the correct queue. How people know which bus will arrive next, and thus which queue to join, is beyond me. So OLGS and I stood side by side, trying to read the numbers on the oncoming buses. The standing side by side, rather than in line, clearly troubled a lady standing behind me. She kept motioning OLGS to move ahead. She then spoke to me, in an impenetrable Scots accent. I think she was talking about the queue. Fortunately, the number 86 A (Dalkeith via the Royal Infirmary) finally pulled up.

BTW, the bus does not open the doors before it reaches the beginning of the queue. So don't even think about it.