Best of Scotland (S)

Published on Friday 12 June 2009 19:07

SEAGULL Big, bold and beautiful the white-breasted, pink-legged, yellow-beaked herring gull (Larus argentatus) is one of our best-loved birds.

From Gullane to Gullapool, Gulloway to the Isle of Gull, their melodious squawking (Larus' Theme) is a trill to thrill. They were once stigmatised as a "Rogue's Gullery of sea-ghouls": now there are proposals for a National Gullery of Scotland.

STRAWBERRYVILLE Most people in and around Fraserburgh know the town as the broch, but I prefer to think of it as Strawberryville. Faithlie was renamed Fraserburgh in 1592 in recognition of Alexander Fraser who laid out a new town and extended the harbour. The Frasers came from France in the 12th century, bringing their family crest which includes three strawberry flowers – "fraise".

SCOTOPHILIA "Scotophilia" is the love of things Scottish – but "scotophilia" (with a lower case "s'') is, contrarily, the love of darkness. I would like to scotch any rumours that butterscotch or hopscotch have any connection with Scotia – or scotia, a concave moulding at the base of an Ionic column.

STIRLING JOURNAL 1 Feb 1867. "ERRATUM. In our impression of the 19th ult, we stated, in a notice of the temperance soiree that took place in the Town Hall, that Mr Fish of Airth addressed the meeting. This was not correct: The person of that name from Airth, we are informed, died some years ago, and moreover was not a temperance lecturer, but a dealer in a well-known aquatic animal of the same species whence his name is derived."

SANDY, JOHN The Alyth-born (1766) innkeeper was couch-ridden after being crippled in two childhood accidents. He hatched various birds' eggs using the warmth of his body; then trained them to sit on his head and warble, to the delight of visitors. Aged 53 and prosperous, he got married and died 19 days later.