Selling Scotland

The internet has become an invaluable tool for countries to advertise their nation. Scotland has been no exception, where successive governments have put money into selling their country to the world. In recent years, the current administration launched its biggest ever global marketing campaign. This advertising will showcase every corner of Scotland through a new TV and cinema advert, a new website and extensive marketing focused in countries all over the world, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The TV and cinema campaign will reach around 80 million people in the UK and abroad and is expected to boost the Scottish economy by around £140 million; this all being thanks to a large funding increase to tourism from the current government.


 (http://www.ktv-ege.ba/bs/wp-content/uploads/familytv.jpg)

Scotland's tourist agencies have also utilized a key point of Massey's 'progressive sense of place' in terms of identifying Scotland as a place of multiple historical layers as well as a place of continuing history. This is particularly shown in the "Surprise Yourself" add. In this, Scotland's rich medieval history is shown along side its bustling modern cities; traditional culture is shown as meeting with all that is modern. Many Scottish government officials believe that pre-existing fascinations with the countries heritage will encourage interest in the modern aspects of the country. There are however limitations to the tourist campaign.




 (http://www.journeymart.com/de/CountryImages/scotland.jpg)

Touching on my last post, Scotland is attempting to distinguish itself from the rest of the United Kingdom through these advertisements, seeking to become a genuine tourist destination in their own right. However, having place essentialism in the adverts it detrimental to many other locations which are not shown in the new videos. The reality of tourist campaigns is that they have a limited window of opportunity to appeal to their viewers. As a result of this, the makers are limited to 1-3 minutes of content to get their message accross otherwise their audience loses interest. This severely handicaps what can be shown and leaves many destinations out, where from this many vital aspects of the nations culture are left out of the worlds view.


Doreen Massey 1991. A Global Sense of Place. Marxism Today, 35(6), 24-29.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhxvTf5PNMI
http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre/ad_launch_campaign.aspx
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kUZNQASL_8

They may take our lives, but they will never stop our Referendum!

Within Scottish society there are many calls for independence from Britain. In this day and age, we would not see events similar to that of the feature film “Braveheart” to achieve this. Instead the process goes through both the British and Scottish legal systems, resulting in a nationwide vote. Plans for the national Scottish referendum were approved by British parliament and has been set for September 18^th later this year. Following this, Scotland would once again become an independent sovereign nation.
 
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Many calls for independence come from a desire for Scotland to stop paying large amounts of money as a part of the United Kingdom, in particular military spending. Added to this is the identity crisis that many Scottish people face. They assert that the international community sees Scotland as just another part of the United Kingdom. When it comes to tourism, there are many blurred lines  in perceptions of the different cultures and people within the United Kingdom, which are generalised as British. Those seeking independence for Scotland desire to have their own national identity, separate from the United Kingdom.

(http://www.army-technology.com/projects/challenger2/)

However this Republican movement appears to go against the majority of the population, who still wish to remain apart of the United Kingdom. Several recent polls have shown that over 50% of participants want to remain apart of Great Britain.  The main advantages to this are economical, where upon independence many financial ties would be cut as well as losing the prestige of being apart of the United Kingdom. Along with this, there are many people within Scotland who are more likely to retain a sense of British identity having been born down south and moved north: they are internal UK migrants. The issue of independence will prove to be one of the greatest historical landmarks in Scottish history and will impact upon the lives of millions.

 (http://www.marxist.com/marxist-view-on-scottish-independence.htm)

References

http://www.scotreferendum.com/

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-independence-poll-yes-on-brink-of-victory-1-3382125

http://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/scottish-history

 Have at a Haggis

Scottish cuisine is subject to many stereotypes, particularly regarding its edibility. Such falsehoods  are prominent throughout the world and project an undesirable image upon a modern Scotland. One dish that is most commonly associated with this is Haggis. This meal is a savory pudding containing sheep’s heart, liver and lungs; representing a perfect example of the ill-informed perceptions of Scottish foods. To foreigners, whenever haggis is mentioned, it is by a kilt wearing Scotsman and met with ignorant disgust. 

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In reality, when prepared properly Haggis is truly a delicacy; described by those who try it as having an excellent nutty texture and delicious savory flavor.

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The face of Scottish food itself has changed, moving away from these stereotypes. Historically Scotland's natural resources for cooking included native animals, dairy products, fish, fruit, and vegetables. From the 19^th century to the present, immigration of people from countries all over the world has changed the face of food in Scotland. The Italians who immigrated in the 19^th and 20^th centuries placed much emphasis on fresh ingredients as well as introducing a variety of spices. In the 20^th century, as immigration became an increasingly appealing prospect, immigrants from the Middle East, Pakistan and India have made Scotland their home and brought with them many specialist cooking traditions which, although not native to Scotland, have been adopted in the 21st Century. The current landscape of Scottish food has seen the country become home to several world-class chefs as well as its cities collectively possessing 16 Michelin-starred restaurants. The cream of the crop is the Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Scotland’s highest internationally rated restaurant, which has an unrivaled menu, including a signature dish of smoked lobster.

http://www.thesra.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/AndrewFairlie.jpg

Those who are not willing to sample Scottish cuisine: both traditional and contemporary, are  truly missing out on a vital experience of visiting the country and understanding an important iconic aspect of its culture.

Sources

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_cuisine
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis
3. http://www.visitscotland.com/en-au/about/food-drink/
4. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/scotland/restaurants