6 Scottish Things That People From Other Countries May Find Weird

I have lived in Scotland for most of my life and I'll admit that I haven't seen enough of it. Scotland may seem similar culturally to its anglophone counterparts such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. However, there are many things in Scotland which makes it unique from other countries and it's safe to say that Scotland has its own quirks and cultural differences which would be considered downright strange. Because I have lived in Scotland my whole life, it's difficult for me to know what's bizarre about Scotland, so I had to ask some of my international student friends about what they have noticed.

1. We Don't Have Air Conditioning

This is certainly one of the differences I noticed when I came back from travelling in Asia last year and now that the temperatures are getting higher it is certainly something I notice. When I've been to countries such as the USA, South Korea and Thailand, I notice the big AC vents in my room. Without them you'd be struggling to sleep in the sweaty heat. However, in Scotland, it's a rare occurrence when it's even over 15 degrees, let alone an opportunity to need air conditioning. When it does get hot, we simply survive by keeping the windows open. 

2. "Taps Aff" Weather

In Scotland, when it is just over 20 degrees, we believe that to be warm enough to go outside in shorts and a t shirt, have an ice cream or even go to the beach. For people in warmer climates, this would be way too cold for them. In Scotland the phrase "taps aff" meaning tops off refers to men taking their shirts off when the weather is warm. Take a walk through Glasgow in a warm may evening and you will be guaranteed to see men hanging about without shirts on and most of them will be guaranteed to get brutal sunburn. 

3. Scotland's Other National Drink

If you live in Scotland, you will no doubt know about Irn Bru, Scotland is one of the only countries in the world which doesn't have Coke as the most popular soft drink. In Scotland, Irn Bru can be found in every restaurant, supermarket and even at McDonald's and I would say I drink the less sugary version regularly. 

Furthermore, it is difficult to describe what Irn Bru tastes like, it is loaded with sugar and caffeine and is often described as tasting like bubblegum. It can be hard to get your hands on Irn Bru outside of Scotland, it is illegal in the US and Canada because of its chemical content, however you can actually find it in some places in Spain and even Australia. Whether it's a hard working day or your surviving a hangover, Irn Bru gets you through. 

4. The Drinking Culture 

One of the things which one of my Italian friends has noticed about Scotland is that people get drunk on the train, no matter what time it is, there will be people drinking alcohol and they tend to be the loudest people on the train. Even though drinking in public in most of Scotland is illegal, young people tend to drink in parks and as a tradition on the last day of high school, kids will head to the park in order to get blasted on Buckfast and MD 20 20. Like most other countries, the drinking age is Scotland is 18, however people tend to start drinking much younger and turning 18 is a huge deal. This is because the drinking age is enforced and if you look under 18, you will be asked for ID. 

5. Haggis 

When I was talking to some Americans, they asked me about Scottish cuisine and what I cook at home. I told him that haggis was Scotland's national dish and that I would only eat it about once or twice a year and I would usually have pasta or fajitas at home. He thought that this was hilarious and made a joke about "Scottish fajitas." If you come to Scotland, eating a haggis is a must do because it is delicious. We like to joke that a haggis is a wild animal which roams around the Scottish highlands, but what it really is, is sheep's heart mixed with lungs and stomach, yet again, it is illegal to import haggis in the US because of sheep's lungs being one of the ingredients, even though it may sound disgusting, in reality it is delicious.

6. Unhealthy Food That You Never Thought Existed

If you thought it was just Americans who eat loads of fast food, then Scotland will shock you. If you looked closely during the Edinburgh scene in Avengers, inside of the kebab shop there is a sign which says, "We will deep fry your kebab." Although the fast food isn't as extreme as it is in other countries such as that of the US, the unhealthy food will usually come from the local chippy which is what we call a fish and chip shop. Scotland is notorious for the deep fried mars bar, which originally started off as a joke, however it can be found in some chippies. Furthermore, a Scottish favourite is the deep fried pizza which is a dish you can seriously find in many chippies and as you enter one, you will usually see something like a deep fried sausage or potato fritter next to the counter.