Is it a giant cormorant? A particularly vicious mosquito? Or something else? The Wikiworm consults this  weird Wikipedia article to get to the truth behind the fantastical boobrie... The boobrie is a mythological shapeshifting entity inhabiting the lochs of the west coast of Scotland. It commonly adopts the appearance of a gigantic ... Read More...

Stephen Pentz on a poem that shows how revolutionary Wordsworth's poetry was in its day, even though it seems very traditional to us now... In August and September of 1803, Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge went on a tour of Scotland.  Dorothy Wordsworth's journal of the tour contains this ... Read More...

Irivine Welsh's novels contain some of the densest slang writing in fiction. Jonathon 'Mr Slang' Green ventures into the dark side of Scottish language... It is a good thing that Eric Partridge was spared Irvine Welsh. Not because the former was a bad lexicographer nor the latter a bad writer, but ... Read More...

Whenever the younger generations become resentful of our elders, with their lavish pensions, big houses and long, expensive retirements, and wonder what is the point of the blasted old codgers, we should take a look at this graphic and apologise for our ingratitude: 71% of 16-17 year olds voted in favour ... Read More...

And so the Union endures. As a special tribute to Alex Salmond, here's something by the excellent Scottish poet Don Paterson. I offer no commentary - interpret it as you wish... Two Trees, by Don Paterson One morning, Don Miguel got out of bed with one idea rooted in his head: to graft his ... Read More...

So, The Day of Reckoning has finally arrived. As Scots - or rather, current residents of Scotland - head to the polling booth with the fate of the Union on a knife-edge, our own Daniel Kalder explains, particularly for the benefit of non-Britons, what the hell is going on with the ... Read More...

Ian Buxton, occasional drinks correspondent for The Dabbler and author of the superb 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die, has another new book out, this time featuring the rarest and weirdest whiskies in the world. 101 Legendary Whiskies You're Dying to Try But (Possibly) Never Will is available ... Read More...

I'm glad that these day we can use Wikipedia to look up the answers to our questions, rather than having to roast a few cats... Taghairm, sometimes interpreted as "spiritual echo," or calling up the dead, was an ancient Scottish mode of divination. The definition of what was required varied, but may have included an animal sacrifice and ... Read More...

Selling Scottish genealogy to Americans is big business. Pity it's mostly a load of bunk... Exploring my father’s bookcase on one of my visits home, I came across a curious little pamphlet entitled 64 Common Errors in Scottish History. My father had quite an extensive library but I had never known ... Read More...

Exclusively for The Dabbler, writer Karen Campbell takes us on a trip on Glasgow's unique underground railway... Getting around Glasgow – Scotland’s biggest city – can be a delight on sunny days, as you stroll by the city’s seventy-odd parks, glittering shops and sandstone boulevards; it can be an assault course ... Read More...