“Scotland is the Canada of England!”–Rainn Wilson
“There are two seasons in Scotland, June and winter.”–Billy Connolly
So what else would I fete on the 4th of July? Scotland, of course! Three years ago this month we fulfilled one of the premiere items on my bucket list, by visiting Scotland for the Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews. That would be winter based on the second quote above. Here are just a few of the memorable photographic moments.
What do you think this is? We had to ask three locals before we finally got an answer.
A Scottish Loch. A typical “soft” day.
I bet it was cold under those kilts.
A dramatic view from one of two farms we stayed at in St. Andrews.
The Old Course’s famed Swilcan Bridge. Eat your heart out, Tom Watson
This July we are headed to Alaska. I’ll be curious to see how the seasonal temperature and long daylight hours compare. At least it should be drier. I would call Alaska the Canada of the U.S., but I think that name is already taken. Cheers, and happy 4th.
All photographs in this post ©2010, Mark Sackler
@MarkSackler on twitter
The Millennium Conjectures™ 
I know what a humped pelican crossing is – though I haven’t heard the term before. Haven’t lived in Scotland since I was a wee girl, so I guess it proves you can take the lassie out of Fife, but you can’t take Fife out of the lassie!
So???? What is it? 😀
It’s a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights to stop cars (that’s the pelican bit), but it also has speed bumps (humps in the UK and judder bars here in NZ) before the actual crossing to slow cars down before they get to the crossing. When I saw the photo – even though I “knew” what it meant – I couldn’t get some totally different imagery out of my mind 🙂
That sounds about right. We had to ask several locals before we found one that could clue us in. This photo was taken in Inverness, by the way.
It’s a great photo. I’m still thinking “poor pelican.”
I picture a pelican that looks like Quasimodo!
Me too; ostracized by its fellow pelicans, seeking refuge in Inverness where kindly locals feed it shortbread and hot toddies!
Happy 7-4 to you, too! I’ve been to Scotland a few years ago (’04) in the end of July, and I guess it was pretty much June weather, with temperatures 70°-90° in Edinburgh. And oh, those Kilts, they keep you warm under neath. I bought one in Inverness, and wore it during the winter at 0° (traditional Scottish way), and everything is still there, in perfect working order
Consider yourself lucky!
Connolly is right, just as Churchill was when he said the English summer began on August 31st and ended the day after.
I grew up in England and the over-riding memory is of cloud cover…and drizzle.
Johannesburg has just so much more blue sky!
Nice post.
It is reminds of what my wife says about Vermont seasons….10 months of winter and two months of poor sledding. Thanks as always for your comments.
I enjoyed your series.
Thanks!
I was way off….thinking of something like a two tier bus (as the pelican–because it holds a lot of “fish”) and the hump would be the second tier. Ha…so much for imagination! @Su Leslie, I like your description much better!
Excellent! I just got back from Scotland myself…spent July 4th in England (wonderful fireworks display BTW). I did not see any Humped Pelican Crossing signs, but now wish I would have! The weather was a wee bit warm at 75F in Edinburgh with no clouds for about 4 days…the locals were burning, but it was a good time!