Some stamps I found in one of the art galleries. They are not the usual Royal Mail stamps, but are "the UK's premier producer of bespoke and tourism related postage stamps" from Universal Mail. They can only be used for postcards sent outside the UK, though they can be mailed through the Royal Mail.
The first clear reference to the use of the Scottish Highland bagpipes is from a French history, which mentions their use at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547 where it was claimed they had replaced the trumpet on the battlefield. This period saw the creation of the ceòl mór (great music) of the bagpipe, which reflected its martial origins, with battle-tunes, marches, gatherings, salutes and laments.
First inhabited around the 6th century, at least four different versions of the Eilean Donan Castle have been built and re-built. Partially destroyed in a Jacobite uprising in 1719, it lay in ruins for around 200 years until Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911 and proceeded to restore the castle to its former glory finally opening to the public in 1932.
Legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the attackers trod on a thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm, the roused Scots duly defeated the invaders, and the thistle was adopted as the symbol of Scotland. Unfortunately, there is no historical evidence for this, but Scots, like other nations, love a good story.
haggis is a Scottish dish made from the organs of a sheep that are chopped up, mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the sheep's stomach.
Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a sausage casing rather than an actual stomach. neeps and tatties are turnip and potatoes
the Westie was originally bred for controlling the population of
rats, fox, badger, otter and other vermin.
I had never heard of Universal Mail before. I shall be checking what they have available in future. Love those Westies!
ReplyDeletei used the universal mail stamps once when i was in england (if you check my post on stonehenge) but havent seen this set before, love all things scottish! including one thing missing here, that is whisky :) alas none of mine got cancelled...
ReplyDeletethese were new when I was there in August. I bought too many and ended up sending 2 postcards to myself - and neither of those stamps were cancelled, either!
DeleteI've never seen universal stamps for sale.
ReplyDeletethey may only be available in museums and art galleries
DeleteAlas, no single malt! I enjoyed all these. Thank you for participating.
ReplyDeleteI like the Universal Mail stamps who produce a nice variety of British themes but I have heard when they are used they take a lot of time to get to their destination, dare I suggest that Royal Mail may give them minus priority!
ReplyDeleteah, that could be why no one got my cards until long after I got home - 3 weeks later!
DeleteI love Scotland, it remembers me of my trip to Scotland some years ago. Scotland has such a nice countryside. Stunning.
ReplyDeleteThose stamps are interesting, but the Universal Mail concept doesn't seem very practical.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Perth, Ontario, all these seems quite familiar! We even have a kilt shop in town!
ReplyDeleteHaggis, neeps and taters. Wonder why they'd want to memorialize their abysmal national cusine?
ReplyDelete