What's Up, Scots? Post 1: Castles

This is a castle. Yes, it looks like a large, somewhat Bavarian (says Paul, who's never been to Bavaria or even Germany for that matter) house. But it's really "Dudhope Castle" in Dudhope Park in Dundee. And it is the beginning of my series of posts I'm calling "What's Up, Scots?"  (Sort of a play on "What's Up, Doc?" but if I have to explain it, oh well.)

This What's Up is actually not too typical - more often, I find myself asking "what's up" in the context of food - things that aren't available widely, if at all, in Scotland, that I totally took for granted in the U.S. (like black beans, or chicken noodle soup!) But this What's Up stems from conversations with Paul about the American mental picture associated with the word "castle."  Maybe Scots and Europeans in general have a different mental picture, but a castle, to us, is made of stone. It has turrets, perhaps, or even a moat. Okay, it doesn't have to be Neuschwanstein, although that is an awesome-looking castle (and is probably awesome inside as well, I have visited years ago but can honestly say I don't remember anything about it except that it's on a hill. A BIG hill). 



Like this, maybe: Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, UK. I just mapped it and it's way down south, but if we ever find ourselves in the vicinity of Hastings, maybe we can stop by!



More likely we can pursue the authentic-looking castle in Aberdeen...Balmoral Castle, although it still presents a quandry - although it's called a castle and looks the part, at least turret-wise, the promotional material describes it as "a large estate house."



Which takes us right back to the house-like Dudhope Castle, or even the collection of buildings on a hill that goes by the famous name of Edinburgh Castle!

Coming up next (and my New Year's Resolution is to blog more often, so it may actually be soon) - What's Up considers other pressing matters, probably involving biscuits/cookies.