Last night Kish and I went to the lovely home of the Rhyming Scots for a celebration of All Things Scottish. Mr. Rhyming Scot, who combines the qualities of fierceness and intellectual firepower that you would expect from the son of a country that produced William Wallace and Adam Smith, sported a kilt and other traditional Scottish garb. Scottish flags were proudly flying, and tartan ruled the day. A bagpiper was present, skreeling off favorite bagpipe selections. Scotch, Scottish ale, and Scottish food were to be had in abundance.
Technically, last night’s festivities commemorated the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, a crucial and crushing Scottish victory over the English in the First War of Scottish Independence, but it was also a nice opportunity for friends to get together, listen to the bagpipe refrains floating on the sultry evening air, and nosh on haggis. And about that haggis: it’s actually pretty good, kind of like a loose sausage. I’d definitely eat it again at the next big Bannockburn anniversary.
Webner House 