Scotland, Wales, and the church of my ancestors! : Travel Blog #23

I am going to apologize in advance to all of the Scottish and Welsh people out there for the miserable job I am about to do at describing your countries. 

Really cool Scottish hotel

Normally when we visit new cultures, we like to stay for a week or more and try to live like locals in the greatest locations. Scotland and Wales had the misfortune of being at an awkward time in our journey. We were coming off of 2 weeks of intense travel with a group of 15 and heading towards 3 weeks of intense travel in Africa. So instead of exploring the two countries, we mainly just relaxed in them. As a result, I have nothing but the highest praises to shower on Scotland and Wales, but I can’t really speak too much about them because I only just crossed the border, and I barely left the hotels. 

All that being said, here’s my brief encounter with the two lovely countries:

Like most of the UK, the people are very kind and welcoming. They are all jolly people who like laughter and are very respectful. 

In Wales, we pulled over into a tiny village just past the border for a pizza dinner! What stood out to me most was the fascinating language on all of the signs!

In Scotland, we stayed in a Hyatt hotel in a castle. We went swimming in their incredible spa, played croquet on the front lawn, and strolled around the beautiful grounds. We toured a museum about Mary, Queen of Scots in Jedburgh, and we ate dinner at a local restaurant in Kelso, Scotland. 

Mom at some castle ruins

One of the most entertaining things I concluded in these countries was a theme I had seen prominently throughout the United Kingdom: the vocabulary is quite different in some respects! Since I can’t actually tell you too much about Scotland or Wales, I will instead teach you all you need to know about speaking UK English, as I have now become an expert in that field after 3 weeks of study. 

How to Speak UK English

1. There is no such thing as a line. They are called queues.

2. When you speak, end every sentence with “love.” For example, America: “What can I get for you today?” “Oops pardon me.” United Kingdom: “What can I get for you today, love?” “Oops pardon me, love.”

3. Lemonade does not mean lemonade. Lemonade means some sort of lemony Sprite.

4. You’re not on vacation; you’re on holiday.

5. Everyone is your mate.

Hopefully I shall return someday to visit your cultures more thoroughly, but until then, know that I had a truly wonderful time and appreciate all of the language insights you were able to teach me!

The family church!!

After leaving Scotland and Wales, my family drove back to Heathrow Airport. Along the way, we made a very important stop. 

Thomas Copp's baptismal font from the 1200s!

My mom’s maiden name is Copp. Lately, she has worked hard to trace her lineage back through the decades. In Boston, Copp’s hill is where our ancestors are buried. Yet even before then, they had immigrated from somewhere. In England, we finally found out! My mom traced the Boston Copps back to a little church in England called Hatton’s. We stopped at this parish where Thomas Copp was baptized, married, and buried in the 1500s! While the gravestone is long disappeared, his genuine baptismal font is still standing! We were able to take a little tour and soak in the family history. It was truly and incredible experience! We were able to stand at the exact spots where my ancestor stood for remarkable milestones in his life back in the 1500s!