Fantastic to see the beautiful frescoes in this wee chapel are being restored. Around 500 Italian prisoners of war were brought to the Orkney Islands in the far north of Scotland in 1942 to work on the Churchill Barriers, a series of causeways which link the islands and were intended as barriers against German U-boats. There was no Catholic chapel in the POW camp, so eventually the men were given permission to build one themselves. The chapel is made out of 2 Nissan huts joined together, the façade is concrete and the superb frescoes inside were painted by one of the POWs, Domenico Chiocchetti. Today this little chapel is the only reminder of Camp 60 and in our opinion a “must see” on any Orkney tour.
I use all of these, all the time! My granny used to tell me I was “as thrawn as a bag o’ weasels” when I was a wee girl 😂💙🏴The Scots language has words for things no other language bothered to name.
Dreich — that specific grey, damp, miserable weather that isn't quite rain but isn't quite not rain either. The English say "overcast." The Scots say dreich, which sounds exactly like it feels.
Thrawn — stubborn in a particular way. Not just obstinate. Twisted, contrary, determined to do it the wrong way on purpose. There is no English equivalent because English speakers apparently gave up trying to describe this personality type.
Glaikit — vacant. Dopey. The expression on someone's face when the lights are on but nobody is home.
Couthie — warm, friendly, comfortable in a homely way. The feeling of a kitchen that smells like baking and has a dog asleep by the fire.
Wheesht — be quiet. But with feeling. Haud yer wheesht is the full version, and it means be quiet right now and I mean it.
Scunnered — utterly fed up. Beyond tired of something. A level of exasperation English doesn't have a single word for.
Every language reveals the priorities of the people who speak it.
Scottish priorities, apparently, include very specific weather, very specific stubbornness, and very specific silence.
Which one is your favorite? 👇
#ScottishHistory #ScottishHeritage #ScotsLanguage #ScottishWords
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Hope everyone has been enjoying the antics of the Tartan Army over in Boston for the World Cup! Glad to see the Glasgow tradition of putting cones on statues is alive and well across the pond 😂⚽️🏴The Scottish fans didn't just bring bagpipes and beer to Boston.
They brought traffic cones for the statues too.
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