More of a photo essay than an activation report. A circuit of the two highest peaks in Central Otago, with a few lakes thrown in. Amazing country, and one of those trips I will never forgot.
Amazing. What wonderful mountainscapes. āBen Nevisā made me chuckle. I would say itās more like the Cullins of the Isle of Skye, if anything. I see you have a Ben Cruachan and also a Ben Lomond. Do they have indigenous names too?
There doesnāt appear to be a recorded traditional name for the Otago/ZL3 Ben Nevis. But the entry in the NZ Geographical Place Names database is interesting:
āNevis is possibly a transliteration of the Gaelic āNibheisā meaning āterribleā.ā
The Ben Nevis peaks outside of Scotland were all named by homesick Scots I believe. The original is impressive when it has a snow cover and is a very decent hike. However I do really like the ranges around the NZ one.
When in that area a few years ago we saw loads of young people competing in Scottish Pipe Bands! I was told there are more active pipe bands in NZ than in Scotland!
No wonder so many peaks ended up with Scottish names.
Those look like Breton / Galician pipes rather than scottish ones - different number of drones (pipes) and a very different sound. I understand that the function of the pipe is different too in Breton music (and presumably galecian) with the pipe being an softer melodic accompaniment in the Breton tradition rather than a brash lead instrument in the Scottish. Though I stand by for Breton / Highland pipers to correct me!
Not sure how far back the two traditions branched off, but I suspect it goes back to a common ancestor much longer ago than the current national boundaries and more widespread than the current Breton / Galician / Irish / Scottish fringes of Europe.
Even just looking around the British Isles youāll find a number of different variations on the bagpipe theme. Spread your search net wider, and youāll find them turning up in North Africa and in Asia at least as far east as India.
Darn heathen! Itās a wonder your visa hasnāt been revoked. Youāll be declaring that you donāt like haggis next!
I must admit that I prefer Northumbrian pipes and Uilleann pipes to the more usual Highland variety, but then Iām a pure sassenach. As an honorary Northumbrian, Iām a long time fan of Kathryn Tickell.
Just move this thread even more off topic from Mattās excellent outingā¦
Stark Trek II The Wrath of Khan. Spock dies saving the Enterprise.
Donāt tell me that Scotty piping Spockās casket off into outer space*, playing Amazing Grace on his bag pipes, is a terrible sound. Stirs the blood!
My forebears on my fatherās side left Shetland in 1888 for England. So my most recent heritage is not Scottish but Shetlander. Haggis and the pipes donāt really feature in Shetland culture where itās mutton and the fiddle.
My motherās forebears left the Hawick area in 1648 for the New Word returning to the UK in 1918. So itās grits , collared greens and the banjo from that side.
Grits are kind of porridge made from cornmeal instead of oatmeal. They should be smooth when cooked and so I donāt know why they are called grits. Iāve never tried grits so cannot comment but do eat plenty of porridge. Oatmeal is very slow release carbohydrate and therefore is good for everyone but brilliant for us diabetics as we can maintain better sugar control. As itās slow release itās good for breakfast as you donāt tend to feel hungry by mid-morning and so a less likely to snack, also good for diabetics. I normally make my porridge with 1/2 water 1/2 milk and place 3 or 4 chopped dried dates into the mix to jazz it up a little.
Porridge is the curse of the tramper (hiker) so far as Iām concerned. As you say itās pretty much unbeatable for slow release energy through the day and for energy to weight ratio. I start each long trip thinking āthis isnāt so badā ⦠but by day 7 or 8 Iām having to force the stuff down because āyouāll hit the wall if you donāt eatā. Stumbling on jars of jam or honey left in huts on my longer trips I found that addition of jam or honey makes it bearable again ⦠but when I repeat that process from the start (i.e. add jam every day) I still find I canāt stand the stuff by the end of the 1st week.
However, as a professional retailer for some 34 years, I can confirm that the āChieftain oā the Pudding Raceā has gone from an old-fashioned line that sat on the shelf most of the year, save one day in January where the sales wouldd jump >1000%, to something that we now stock multiple varieties of, including Vegan. It also features as a pakora, a bon bon, in sausages, a stuffing for chicken (aka Balmoral chicken) and is often seen on the plate as part of a cooked Scottish breakfast.
So, haggis is having a renaissance.
As for grits, surely thatās just porridge for people who donāt have oats at hand?
That makes you as Scottish than me, probably.
25% Norwegian (where my surname originates)
25% either Scots or Welsh
The rest should be Scots.