As an Englishman, Scotland has always been my neighbour, though the number of times I have visited could be counted on the fingers of one hand. This is a shame. There’s a huge expanse of unspoiled landscape, with castles dating back to medieval times. Real mountains and lochs. And a fiercely independent spirit embedded in the people of Scotland.
Japan has a Scotland Society, and once a year they hold a localised version of the Highland Games. I went along last year and found some strong men in kilts, throwing heavy weights into the air. Japanese afficionados would picnic on tartan blankets under cherry trees, and I even discovered what a ‘Japanese Scotsman’ wears under his kilt (and no, it’s not a pair of Union Jack y-fronts).
