The Island of Discussion, Glencoe, Scotland. It was a place to settle disputes. A place to resolve differences. Officially named Eilean a’ Chomhraidh, the Island of Discussion is small and alone.
This island has served a noble purpose for many, many years. Over 1,500 years or so. When clansman had a disagreement, this is the place they went to work it out.
The rules were simple. When there were quarrels or arguments, the feuding parties where taken out to the island and left alone. Left there. With whiskey, cheese, and oat cakes. And they didn’t leave the island until the dispute was settled. The result, in over 1,500 years, only 1 recorded murder in the area.
The Kelpies are 30-metre high horse-head sculptures, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal, and near River Carron, in The Helix, a new parkland project built to connect 16 communities in the Falkirk Council Area, Scotland. The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013. The sculptures form a gateway at the eastern entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal, and the new canal extension built as part of The Helix land transformation project. The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland.
2. @thebibliosphere scotland has the best public sculpture ideas by which I mean, at what time do the giant flesh-eating horses emerge from the ground to bring death and misery to Scotland and will they sell tickets?
looks like Denver’s been soundly unseated in the “ominous fucking equine statue” department.
Have they killed their creator yet? Because that adds extra ominous points to the Denver Murder Horse that can’t be beat just by being giant and looming.
Seriously, until these have actually eaten someone, Bluecifer is still ahead.
I’m forever banned from stepping foot on what is virtually 1/5th of Scotland’s landmass.
For those of you wondering, it involved my disgruntled ancestor, the modern day equivalent of a 5 dollar refund, angry townspeople, and a ban on my entire bloodline until the end of time.
I really want to hear this story
If this gets to a hundred notes, I’ll give you more details.
Alright, gather around. So way way back in the 1700′s, my respectable relative decided that they wanted to go traveling. Their crops had come in on time, they weren’t dying of tuberculosis, and, for once, the English weren’t trying to kill them. So, naturally, they ventured South to a small village in the Hebrides for a nice ‘tropical’ vacation. Upon reaching said village, they came across an inn.
Now, the Scottish, being the wild party animals that they are, were having a dance that night. This dance must have looked like a lot of fun, because my relative in question decided to pay a modest fee of what would be 5 dollars in today’s world to get in. Everything was going great, until 10 minutes later, the inn decided to close for the night. My dude was NOT having it. They demanded a refund, but the innkeeper said no.
Shenanigans promptly ensued. They wanted their 5 dollars, and by God, THEY WOULD GET IT. Unfortunately, there was a no refund policy. I don’t know what was worse, the fact that they were robbed of 5 bucks, or that they were thrown so violently off their groove. I will never know what really happened next that night that was so bad, so awful, so absolutely mortifying that it warranted exile, but one can’t help but imagine. Was it murder? Heresy? A combination of both?
In the end, the townspeople chased them off, banished them, and cursed their very name. If they, or any of their children, or their children’s children’s children decided to step foot back on that island, there would be goddamn hell to pay.
If I could choose to travel back in time to any one place, it would be this very same event. I mean, I have questions. Did my ancestor kick ass and take names, or did they get their ass kicked? What else would they do for 5 dollars? Was wreaking havoc on a small town and forever shaming the family name worth it? Was it honestly worth the 5 fricking dollars?
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