Y... is for Young, James

Well, I didn't have anything that began with Y; but I knew I wanted to do a post about Science in Scotland. Aside from the Literature side that we've talked about and Scotland's footprint in philosophy (read: David Hume), this tiny little country  has a massive contribution to science, especially in innovations! James Young, from Glasgow, was a Scottish chemist best known for his method of distilling paraffin from coal. His Wikipedia page will tell you more, for anyone interested in Chemistry, he was pretty fab!
But wait, you must must take a look at this page, for this blows my mind every single time I look at it. And I look at it at least once a month, to remind me of the greatness of this country!
I mean, Dunlop, Telford, Watt, Bell, Logie Baird, Napier, Maxwell, Higgs, Black, Fleming... absolute insanity to what we use everyday and don't realise was born in good ol' Caledonia :)

from Admit it: you can’t live without the Scots

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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond, Disability, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge, Glasgow, Hamish, Isle of Skye, John o' Groats, Kirk, Loch Lomond and Luss, Mogwai, Necropolis, Old Man of Storr, Portobello, Queen of Scots, Robert Burns, Stirling, Tantallon Castle, Urquhart Castle, Venison, Writers' Museum, Saltire.

N... is for Necropolis!

There is something infinitely sinister about the world Necropolis, City of the Dead. Dark, depressing, and creepy are the feelings I'd associate with the word. The Glasgow Necropolis is all those feelings, and one more, that of sheer beauty.
For a bit of background, Wiki says, "Following the creation of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris a wave of pressure began for cemeteries in Britain. This required a change in the law to allow burial for profit. Previously the parish church held responsibility for burying the dead but there was a growing need to give an alternative solution. Glasgow was one of the first to join this campaign, having a growing population, with fewer and fewer attending church. The planning of the cemetery began formally by the Merchants' House of Glasgow in 1831, in anticipation of a change in the law. The Cemeteries Act was passed in 1832 and the floodgates opened. Glasgow Necropolis officially opened in April 1833."
This place is stunningly beautiful. Among the buried are actors, musicians, and scientists. Almost every grave has a massive and prominent tombstone, mostly having something to do with the profession of the person buried there. This place is free and very close to the city center, so if you are, say, changing trains or have a couple of hours in Glasgow, go to this place. I have seldom felt so powerless and humble in front of anything that is man made.

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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond, Disability, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge, Glasgow, Hamish, Isle of Skye, John o' Groats, Kirk, Loch Lomond and Luss, Mogwai.

M... is for Mogwai (Music)!

Little known and little heard, Mogwai is the only band I knew about that was from Scotland. That was before I came here, but Mogwai has stuck with me for a long time now.
This is a tiny post because I'm on a trip using someone else's computer to type it. And also, friends and conversations are waiting. So, I'll leave you to listen to my favourite Mogwai track!



Enjoy!
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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond, Disability, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge, Glasgow, Hamish, Isle of Skye, John o' Groats, Kirk, Loch Lomond and Luss.

G... is for Glasgow!

Glasgow is to Edinburgh what groom is to a bride. He is west to her east, handsome to her pretty, strong to her fragile, imposing to her shy. Glasgow is the most handsome city I know. The gravity of George Square, the somber plaques that say Merchant City, the burnished dark gold of its buildings... they make you take it seriously. They speak to you in a gruff edgy voice.
It is big, busy, important, and fun. It looks like a proper city and it has the steepest streets; they seem vertical to me! I love Glasgow too, in a way different from how I love Edinburgh. I like the bustling-ness, I like how I usually can't understand a word Glaswegians say, I get excited at flyovers! (yep, no flyovers in lil' Edin).
I do not understand the sense of fashion though... if I had the money to spend and the option of shopping at Glasgow stores, I'd look fabulous! I'd look effortlessly chic, is what I think to myself every time I look at the windows of shops there... Scotland's pretty incomplete without good ol' west coast!

Winter evening, George Square

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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond, Disability, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge.