Not the Official Tourist Guide to Scotland 3 Trivia Game | Geography

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. I was visiting a Scottish town and a local told me "You have come here at the right time to see Whuppity Scoorie". My memory is like a sieve. What is Whupitty Scoorie and what town is it located in?

Answer: It's a runaround a church in Lanark

Whuppity Scoorie is a traditional festival held annually in Lanark on the first day of March to celebrate the coming of spring. The children of the town run three times counter clockwise around the Church of St. Nicholas. The Swamp Soccer match does occur.

The other two events are best forgotten.

2. There are many castles in Scotland, but I only visited one. It was called...can anyone help me? All that comes to mind is that it's the one that was featured in the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

Answer: Doune Castle

Doune Castle was used on the movie set of the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". The castle is located near the village of Doune in Stirlingshire. It was used in the movie as Camelot, Swamp Castle and Castle Antharax. The castle was also used on the set of an earlier film, "Ivanhoe".

Write it in your diary, so you don't forget!

3. I vaguely remember I was in Edinburgh, sight-seeing on the Royal Mile (a series of streets forming the main thoroughfare in the Old Town). I saw a mosaic on the cobbled pavement. Seemingly it is called the "Heart of Midlothian". I noticed people spitting on it. I can't recall why they were doing that. Do you know?

Answer: It's for good luck

The Heart of Midlothian is a heart shaped mosaic on the cobbled pavement of the High Street. Along with a brass plaque, it marks the spot of the 15th century Tolbooth of Edinburgh which was demolished in 1817.The Tolbooth was used for local government and public executions.

Walter Scott published his novel "Heart of Midlothian" in 1818 which featured the Tolbooth.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club (Hearts) are said to be named after a dance hall which was in turn named after the novel. The team badge is based on the mosaic.

To spit on the mosaic is said to be lucky, but to walk across it means you are destined never to find true love.

Hearts great rivals Hibernian F.C. may have a few supporters who spit on it for the luck it is reputed to bring, or for other reasons!

Source: Wikipedia

4. I left Auld Reekie (Edinburgh) and I was on the road to the Dear Green Place (Glasgow); that's when I saw the Big Heids. I'm an amnesiac again; what the heck are the Big Heids?

Answer: Three sculptured heads

The Big Heids, or Big Heads, is in fact a sculpture of three heads which is made from thousands of cross-section pieces of steel welded together. Each head is ten metres high and weighs eighteen tons. It is visible from the M8/A8 road which runs between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

It was commissioned as a tribute to the industrial and engineering heritage of North Lanarkshire. The sculpture is designed by David Mach and manufactured by local engineering company, Motherwell Bridge who were founded in 1898.

The moulds for the three faces were created by Mach from photographs of three local people he had met, two men and a woman. I thought I recognised the face!

5. I had been encouraged to visit the Tail O' the Bank by my uncle from the USA. Apparently, his family had emigrated to the States and departed from there. I didn't go there as I clean forgot where it was. Where should I have gone?

Answer: Greenock

The Tail O' (of) the Bank is an anchorage point at the entrance to the River Clyde estuary just north of Greenock. It was once a famous departure point for emigrants heading for the United States and Canada, the liners often embarking from Liverpool and picking up extra passengers en-route.

Most of them forgot their way home!

6. Today I visited The Grey Mares Tail in the south of Scotland. For the life of me I can't remember what it is. Do you know?

Answer: A waterfall

The Grey Mares Tail is a 200 ft waterfall which is located in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, near to Moffat in Dumfries shire. It cascades down from Loch Skene, which is 1700ft above sea level. The waterfall and surrounding areas are managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and have become a nature reserve. Wild goats and peregrine falcons feature amongst the extensive wildlife which can be seen in this area.

Watch it from the road and you won't forget why it's called The Grey Mare's Tail!

7. I spent a night of my holiday in a tree house. Economising, you might think. Not at all; I paid a tidy sum for accommodation and breakfast. What was the name of the place? I think it is attached to a hotel.

Answer: Fernie Castle Hotel

The tree-house suite is part of the Fernie Castle Hotel, located near Cupar in Fife. It was once the site of a castle, but now the hotel is a converted 16th century mansion. It is often used as a reception venue for wedding parties. Built across six sycamore trees, the tree house is located 500 yards from the main hotel. The suite is often used as a honeymoon suite.

Did our tourist friend get married while he was there? Maybe he forgot about it!

8. While in Scotland I was invited to dinner. I thought it rather strange. We started with coffee and mints; the next course was apple pie and ice cream, and then we had our main course. We finished off with soup. I've forgotten the name of the Scottish poet to whom this backward dinner was a tribute. Who was it?

Answer: William McGonagall

William McGonagall was a Scottish poet who is remembered as the worst poet in the world. At a McGonagall supper, everything is back to front often starting with speeches and toasts. Alex Gouick of the McGonagall Appreciation Society remembers one night in particular when the night started with strippers and ended with the soup course.

Source: Caledonian Mercury

9. I visited a place called The Secret Bunker. I didn't know what to expect when I got there and now I've forgotten where and what it was. Can anyone help me out?

Answer: It's a Cold War nuclear shelter in Anstruther

Located under a farmhouse near Anstruther Fife, Troywood was a secret government command post located 150 metres underground. In the event of a nuclear attack, during the Cold War it was designed to be the seat of government in Scotland. It was opened to the public on and later became a popular tourist attraction.

There are similar places in Essex, England and Cheshire, England, and probably others. Do you think it would be a case of women and children first? Me neither!

10. I seem to remember that I travelled to the most northerly part of mainland UK. But I'm confused about the name of the place. What is it called?

Answer: Dunnet Head

It is a common misconception that John 0 Groats is the most northerly mainland point in the UK. It is, in fact, Dunnet Head a few miles further north. Beachy Head is in East Sussex England.
Jonnygroat is the nickname of a local witch.

Source: Author tedbhoy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Not the Official Tourist Guide to Scotland 3 Quiz

This is a follow up to my previous two quiz guides. This time it's the tale of a forgetful tourist, who has visited some unusual tourist sites in Scotland. He suffers from amnesia; see if you can help jog his memory.

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