It's true, just been confirmed...

The "better" funerals here have bagpipes playing Amazing Grace. Everyone gets teary eyed when the man blows and I'm fairly sure it is sentimental tears as the playing is generally in tune

They also have wonderful cakes and things for the mourners to eat after the service.

 

Thanks Anthony. Pork dripping may work but I don't think butter's the way to go.

 

Thanks Lori, I'd rather stick to the original recipe if I can but if push comes to shove I will make the substitution.

 

As is so often the case stereotyping can be a very damaging thing. I have an English accent so am labelled English by many of my fellow Scots who don't know me well. I even had a heated discussion with 1 who said I was definitely English as I was born there. This person knew my Father, so I asked him if my Father was Indian. He looked completely confused and said there was no way my Dad was Indian. I took great pleasure in informing the ghit that my Dad was born in the foothills of The Himalayas and lived in India until he was 14. The fact that I chose to leave England and move to Scotland over 30 years ago would sort of prove that I am very pro Scotland but that doesn't mean to say I am anti England. Even my middle name (Leslie)is that of the clan my ancestors belonged to and it has it's own Tartan @ARMANDII Very boring and drab it is too My grandmother made me wear a kilt (strictly speaking it's only men who wear what are called kilts, women wear pleated skirts so there you are!) of The Leslie Tartan to some wretched clan gathering when I was a wee girl. Agree the pipes are very stirring and must have given soldiers a bit of courage going into battle behind them. I used to live in Edinburgh and someone who lived in a flat opposite mine was learning to play them. OMG a cat being strangled (not that I know what that sounds like luckily) didn't even go close to the racket. I lived in a listed Georgian property so couldn't even put in double glazing. Sort of went off the pipes after that experience!

 

@Sheal I've made Bannocks a few times but I've cooked them in the oven so no fat needed for frying. The recipe I used was more like for scones than oatcakes. If your recipe says bacon fat then could you ask you friendly butcher if he might have some? The flavour/saltiness of that type of fat will obviously flavour the bannocks. If you can't get any I'd be inclined to use dripping or oil not butter which would probably burn. I'm no great cook but to me getting buttermilk is more important than the fat/oil, but them lots of recipes don't call for buttermilk. Sure if you use tasty ingredients they'll be yummy.

 

Oh, I do like the colour combo in the second one!

Yes not drab at all!

 

I like number four the best

 

Where the .... did you find the red abomination @ARMANDII ? I've never seen that before I'm pleased to say. Must have been invented for the tourist trade. The "proper" 1 is the bottom tartan. Certainly that 1 rings bells with me and is what my "kilt" was made with . Who'd have thought we'd be discussing Leslie Tartan on a gardening website, bonkers but fun.

 

Wow @ARMANDII, you know more about my clan than I do. I did know about ancient and modern Tartans, also some clans have a dress/hunting tartan too. Originally the colours were much more muted as vegetable dyes were used. Also it's not a proper kilt unless a minimum of 7 yards of material is used in the making of it and they can cost a lot of money to have 1 made to measure. However, it would last a lifetime or longer. Many people will their kilts to members of their family or friends. I did have a Kilt (pleated skirt) made for me when I was about 15.......Mother thought it was a great idea. I on the other hand did NOT as I was into wearing mini skirts and not tartan ones at that. Having said that I did wear it on a few occasions and I have to say it was fabulously warm and very comfy. The waist band is easily adjusted so when you've stuffed your face you can let it out a few notches! thank you for finding out so much about my clan. I'm also related to the Gunn clan (Mother's maiden name was Wilson which is the connection I think) and that has a mainly green tartan , from memory. Discussing which clan you belong to isn't a daily discussion funnily enough. Certainly I had absolutely no idea that Leslie now has loads of tartans.