The Pyramid of Khafre, Giza Necropolis, Cairo

It seems wherever you travel around the globe, you can’t miss signs of Scottish influence. From bagpipes being played in far off antipodean lands to Ceilidhs taking place in South America, the Scots have sure spread themselves far and wide. I recently traveled through Egypt, eyes peeled for any evidence of these great wanderers.

Today Egypt is sadly far down the list of travel destinations for holiday makers. The most recent revolution earlier this year (or coup, depending on who you’re speaking with), follows three years of life-changing political change that has turned the majority of travelers off the region, as the country remains stuck in a kind of political purgatory. I was a little nervous about visiting Egypt, but after conducting a large amount of research online, we discovered the situation on the ground was a lot calmer than what is shown on the evening news.

Revolution Graffiti, Luxor

The signs of revolution in Egypt are evident – curfews are still in place, political graffiti adorns city walls, and tanks and soldiers patrol the streets (mainly to keep the few visitors that are still visiting safe). But I have never been more blissfully overwhelmed in my life than when I first set eyes on the grandeur that is the Great Pyramids of Giza. I’ll also never forget my afternoon spent floating on a Felucca down the incredibly tranquil and soothing Nile. And just as in Scotland, every corner you turn you’ll find another historical gem sitting as it has for thousands of years, patiently awaiting you – from Mosques, Coptic Churches and the odd Synagogue, to the thousands of temples and monuments from ancient times.

So what are the ties between Egypt and Scotland? Well, it turns out they both wear.. kilts! Look at any statue of the great Pharaohs that adorn temples, and you’ll notice these titans of ancient times are wearing what my fantastic guide Mustafa refereed to as the ‘Royal Kilt’. My ears pricked up when he said this – as I had been searching far and wide for some way to tie the two countries together. Known also as the Shendyt, this kilt (generally made of linen) was the basic form of dress for Egyptian men of all social classes for thousands of years. And just like Scottish kilts, the Egyptian version is also pleated in the back.

Ramses II wearing the Royal Kilt, Ancient City of Memphis

The Shendyt is probably an adaptation of early hunting skirts which allowed freedom of movement for the wearer. Members of the military wore a version of the Shendyt, as they too would need freedom of movement for battle. A man’s status was also confirmed by how elaborate his kilt was, and how fine the linen used to make it. The kilts of the rich nobles and Pharaohs were often very intricately pleated, and must have been difficult to care for. By the Middle Kingdom, mens kilts had become longer and more complex and ornamental pendants were often attached to elaborate belts.

Upon further research I also discovered that another quintessential Scottish item can possibly trace its ancestry to the ancient Egyptians. The bagpipes roots lie in ancient Egypt and Babylonia, where early double-piped instruments probably sounded the melody and the bag as air supply played the accompaniment. Some sources say the pipes made their way to Scotland via Rome – Emperor Nero (37-68 A.C.) was apparently a keen player. During the Roman expansion into Europe and Britain, the bagpipes were used by soldiers during religious observances, and could have been appropriated then by the locals. Other sources say the bagpipes reached Scotland with immigrants from the Mediterranean by the way of the west coast between 2000 and 3000 B.C., or via Ireland with its close ties to Spain. Or of course it could be that the Highlanders invented their pipes completely independently in pre-Roman times.

If you’ve been thinking of going, Egypt needs you now more than ever as so much of the country relies on tourism. It broke my heart that the major sightseeing destinations had been reduced to ghost-towns. When I visited the Valley of the Kings with my dad, we were the only people there, and felt as if we were modern day explorers discovering the tombs for the first time.

I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to spend time in Egypt, especially during such a pivotal moment in the country’s immense history. The Egyptians are a wonderfully friendly bunch who will go to all lengths to make you feel welcome in their country. If you’re considering making the trip – go! It’s definitely not your average holiday, but completely worth it for the sights, the people, the food, and even the heat.

I was looked after in Cairo and Luxor by the incredibly wonderful Memphis Tours – Cheers guys!

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So let me set the scene; many months ago my wife Amanda was on Facebook and noticed a post by a friend of hers which asked if anyone knew someone who had a house in Edinburgh they would like to swap for a couple of weeks during the Edinburgh festival. An actress who was appearing on the Fringe was looking for accommodation for herself, her husband and her child. In return she was offering her apartment in the fashionable Gracia district of Barcelona. Just a few blocks north of the famous Sagrada Familia church.

Amanda jumped on the idea right away and soon a dialogue began with our ‘swap family’. Amanda and Julie (the actress) ‘friended’ each other on Facebook and began to exchange messages. With the open nature of Facebook both could get a feel for the person who would be living in their home and so a level of trust could be built up. For my part a 12 week intense cycle of DIY activity ensued, fixing all those little things that you never seem to get round to but with a new motivation the jobs were one by one chalked off.

Soon the day came to meet and Julie and her son Charlie came down to our house. We were able to exchange keys, and also to exchange tips and other information on the area both our homes were in; our house is in the Leith part of Edinburgh. Once quite separate it has its own unique identity and culture. With accommodation sorted all we really needed to organise were the flights which we were able to get through one of the bargain airlines.

And then we were off! leaving the grey skies of Scotland behind we landed on a hot and humid evening and after a blurry taxi ride from the airport we were in our new home (for the next two weeks). Finding a cold beer in the fridge for the adults and a room full of toys to keep our children amused it immediately felt like home (except our home doesnt’ have parrots nesting in a palm tree outside the window) Julie had given us a while load of useful information; good places to visit, where the metro and bus stops were, where the best beaches were and even where the nearest supermarket was etc. By lunchtime the next day we were just like locals! While hotels are of course great, they are expensive and in some ways create a ‘bubble’ that keeps you slightly separate from the culture. With no such luxury we were having to find the local markets, engage our very rough Spanish in order to find food and finding the local restaurants.

The Gracia Festival, Barcelona

What made the visit even more special was that Gracia, the district we were living in was a sort of artists quarter and they were having their annual festival at the same time; amazing decorated streets, fireworks and live music on every corner!

Meanwhile in Edinburgh Julie’s family were enjoying the Edinburgh Festival. One of the largest arts festivals in the world, the population of Edinburgh nearly doubles during August and the cost of renting an apartment or a hotel room can run up to over £1,000 just for a week. They had the run of our home, use of our garden (on the few sunny days) and even use of our bikes to explore the city. Our neighbours had been briefed so were there should they need any help so they could just relax and enjoy exploring our amazing historical city.

One other thing that made the timing of the exchange special for us was that our son Harvey celebrated his seventh birthday while we were away. His granny and auntie had given him some Euros for his trip. On his birthday we had a special family day and in the evening he told us it had been the ‘best day he had ever had’ we were both nearly in tears!

When the time finally came to leave we didn’t have the normal ‘out by 10am’ rush and could take our time clearing up and then heading off to the airport. We had a late flight home and so it was close to midnight when we landed home but what a difference arriving to made up beds, milk in the fridge and a box of chocolates on the table!

So after the experience of our first home swap we are already looking at maps and wondering where would be nice for Christmas! For anyone thinking of paying a visit to Scotland a home swap would be a fantastic idea (of course it helps if you live somewhere interesting too) There are lots of internet sites that arrange swaps or like us you could try Facebook; you may not have many Scottish friends there but you never know about friends of friends and beyond, just a few steps out through the wider social network could open up a whole world of possibilities.

While were here does anyone have any friends in Rome, or Paris, or……

We have added a Flickr gallery of images from our trip. you can see them at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31711899@N08/sets/72157631382795604/

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The Glenfinnan Monument

This is a sleepy part of Scotland; nothing happens in much of a hurry here and the pace of life is delightful. As you drive up this winding coastline you are taken aback by the breathtaking beaches, some of the best on mainland Britain with pure white sand and a scattering of small rocky islands. This beauty has not gone unnoticed by everyone and every little cove seems to shelter a campsite of caravan park. There are literally dozens along this stretch, so close together they almost join into a single ribbon of white fibreglass and coloured canvas.

Camping on the Beach by Arisaig

You really cannot blame them for coming here though, if only for one reason; the sunsets! Sitting on the beach here the sun drops down behind the little islands of Rum Eigg and Muck. Known as the ‘Small Isles’ each has its own character; Rum with its sharp volcanic peaks and wild landscape. Eigg, the most populated island looks like something from ‘The Land the Time Forgot’ with its huge basalt cliffs. The island was also the site of a horrific massacre in 1577 when a force of Macleods from Skye slaughtered over 390 MacDonalds in one murderous act with only one family from the island escaping. By contrast to the other two the tiny island of Muck is a little arable oasis where cows graze by the beach.

And so as evening begins the campers who flock to this stretch of coast make their way down to the beach, camera in one hand and a drink of choice in the other and get ready for the show and for many night if the year they are not disappointed! The sky becomes awash with fiery reds and deep blues, its a painters dream! You can’t help but feel spiritual in a place like this.

The Sunset Over Rum

Whenever the time comes to meet my maker I really must congratulate him on the excellent works he’s done at Arisaig!

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This information was gathered from the experiences of a number of travelling Icelanders and Norsemen who had been to Scotland and it was written on a yellowed calf vellum sometime in the 1200s. The sagas give an impression of a very violent country, saying ‘Icelanders who want to practise robbery are advised to go there. But it may cost them their life.’ They did add, however, that Orkney and Shetland provided a friendlier welcome, and that Orkney was a handy base camp for pillaging trips to the Scottish mainland. Though this could be in part due to the fact that Orkney and Shetland were under the control of the Norse Earls of Orkney at the time.

These stories have been interpreted by historian Gisli Sigurdsson at Reykjavik University. Sigurdsson believes that a lot of these sagas are a mixture of fact and fiction, but do give some insight into the times and experiences had by the Vikings on foreign shores.

Another story mentions a Scot referred to as Grjotgard, a relative of Melkolf (Malcolm II), who, along with a dozen ships filled with angry locals, came across some Icelandic merchants. The Icelanders had sailed into a sea loch on the west coast, and when met by Grjotgard they were told, ‘You have two options. You can go ashore and we will take all your property, or we’ll attack you and kill every man we lay our hands on.’ These sort of tales made the travellers particularly hesitant about sailing along the sea lochs, which they called ‘Scottish fjords’.

The warning tales were originally passed orally from Viking to Viking over hundreds of years before they were eventually written down. The stories would generally include cautions of the weather, dangerous landings, and natives who were hostile and would probably attack on sight. The Icelandic sagas acted as an effective guide for any would-be traveller, and covered not only Scotland, but a lot of mainland Europe and parts of the Middle East too.

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