Robert Burns Digital Resources

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 25 January 2018 > Webpicks

Scots celebrate their national poet, Robert Burns, on 25 January each year. These ebooks are useful for classroom work about the poet and the event. To find out more about Burns Night, check out Visitscotland’s ebook “Hold Your Own Burns Supper”, which includes recipes, information about the poet and a great video of traditional ceilidh … Continue reading “Robert Burns Digital Resources”

Unicorn Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 07 April 2017 > Celebrate

On 9 April, Scotland celebrates National Unicorn Day, in honour of the country’s national animal. Unicorns may be mythical creatures but that doesn’t stop them being represented all over Scotland, and in the country’s coat of arms. This 2m willow sculpture was created specially for National Unicorn Day by artist Woody Fox, and has been … Continue reading “Unicorn Day”

Up Helly Aa Webpicks

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 19 January 2017 > Webpicks

The highpoint of the cultural calendar in the Shetlands, Scotland, is a spectacular Viking fire festival in January: Up Helly Aa. This video and photo galleries are useful for discussing the festival.  Find out more about the celebration in our article. In this video, an American man with Shetland roots describes discovering Up Helly Aa … Continue reading “Up Helly Aa Webpicks”

Shetland Viking Fire Festival

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 19 January 2017 > Celebrate

The Shetland Islands are the northernmost part of the U.K., and belonged to Norway until 1468. So it’s no surprise that the highpoint in the Shetland cultural calendar is a spectacular Viking fire festival in January: Up Helly Aa. On the last Tuesday of January, a thousand costumed men pull a Viking longship through Lerwick … Continue reading “Shetland Viking Fire Festival”