Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Bard

• Robert Burns Interactive: Actor Andrew James Weir charmingly plays the part of Robbie Burns, reciting his poetry and talking about his life. Click the picture to get started!

• Robert Burns Country: the official Robert Burns site … lots of interesting stuff. “Everything you wanted to know about Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard (and lots more besides).”

• Wikipedia: Robert Burns

• Gung Haggis Fat Choy: In 1998, Chinese New Year and Robbie Burns Day were only two days apart. Chinese Canadian Todd Wong planned to cook a Chinese New Year’s dinner for some friends, but decided to combine the celebration with Robbie Burns Day. And so the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner began. Here's the whole story: Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner.

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Tartan and Scottish Clothing

• Scottish History Online: History of Scottish Tartan & Clan Tartans, a brief overview from ancient to modern times, and how the various clans came to be associated with their tartans.

• Wikipedia: Tartan; History of the Kilt

• Scottish Tartans Museum has a page on The Kirkin’ of the Tartans Tradition which presents valuable historical background for this modern ceremony.

• A page about our own Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan.

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Scottish Games

• Seaside Scottish Highland Games, a short drive down the road in Ventura.

• San Diego Highland Games: History of the Scottish Games

• Wikipedia: Highland games

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Scottish Dance

• The Bracknell Reel Club has dance instructions and a brief history, Background to Scottish Country Dancing.

• Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Los Angeles Branch

• Royal Scottish Country Dance Society: Classes in Santa Barbara

• YouTube: How to Celidh Dance

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Scottish Music …

• An introduction to the Gaelic music tradition and its connection with the language.

• A short article on Piobaireachd with interesting history and traditions.

• Temple Records in Midlothian, Scotland, specializes in “the best in Scottish Traditional Music, plus a little bit of Irish Music for good measure,” including such well-known acts as The Battlefield Band.

• The Clarsach Society: History of the Harp in Scotland

• Wikipedia: The Great Highland Bagpipe; also see Bagpipes

• Andrew McNabb: Introduction to Bagpipe Music

• Ewan Macpherson: The Pitch and Scale of the Great Highland Bagpipe

… and Local Musicians

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Saint Andrew, Scotland’s Patron Saint

• National Archives of Scotland: Saint Andrew — how he became Scotland’s patron saint, his symbolic importance in Scottish diplomacy, and the origin of the saltire flag.

• Wikipedia: Saint Andrew; Scottish Legends about Saint Andrew

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Historic Sites

• Ardgrain is thought to be the oldest house in Buchan, Aberdeenshire.

• Historic Scotland is the agency safeguarding Scotland’s historic environment. Their web site has a great deal of information, though you may have to do a bit of searching to find what you’re looking for.

Robert Burns   ·   Tartan & Clothing   ·   Games   ·   Dance
Music   ·   St. Andrew   ·   Historic Sites   ·   Culture & Language

Scottish Culture

• Scotland — the Official Online Gateway provides information on the community of Scotland, living, working, studying, visiting, and doing business in Scotland, with links to other official Scottish sites.

• Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts was founded in 1938 as a school devoted to the study and preservation of the Gaelic language, arts and culture. They have a page of Useful Gaelic Expressions with sounds, so you can hear the pronunciation.

• Siol nan Gaidheal asserts the historical sovereignty of the Scots and promotes the cause of full Scottish independence with articles on many aspects of Scottish culture.

• The Scots Language Yesterday and Today — This once distinct language, now thought of as a dialect of English, is making a comeback.

• Scots Language Translating Dictionary, articles, Scots literature, and more — “Pittin the Mither Tongue on the Wab!”

• A Gaelic Primer in eight lessons.

• Humor: What’s Under the Kilt? — “an insightful and humorous look at the Scots.”