Robert the Bruce may have met the spider in Northern Ireland.
Robert the Bruce is one of Scotland’s national heroes, but it is thought that Bruce may have had his famous encounter with the spider in a cave on Rathlin Island, off the coast of County Antrim, which was reputed to have been owned by his Irish mother.
A long and shared history of travel between Scotland and Ireland
It is believed that the very first settlers in Ireland came through Scotland some 10,000 years ago during the Middle Stone Age.
The name Scotland is thought to have come from Ireland
Scotia, or “Kingdom of the Gaels”, was the Roman name for Ireland, but in the Middle Ages it also came to refer to Scotland, with Ireland known as Scotia Major, and Scotland as Scotia Minor
Bagpiping and Scotland are synonymous with one another. But did you know that as often as not, the World Pipe Band Championships have been won by a team from Northern Ireland? The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band of Drumalig, a few miles from outskirts of Belfast was runner-up in 2017 and overall winner in 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
Scottish Banknotes are welcome in Belfast
Given that banks in Northern Ireland all issue their own banknotes, a constant complaint with locals is that their banknotes are often not accepted in England. So, the people of Belfast can readily sympathise with their Scottish cousins when it comes to trying to spend your cash. So don’t worry, your Scottish banknotes are very welcome in Belfast.
Shipbuilding Heritage
Belfast and Glasgow share a great tradition of ship manufacturing. The Clyde shipyards produced some of the great industrial steamers and warships of the 19th and 20th centuries, while Harland and Wolff’s shipyard in Belfast, of course, gave us the world-famous Titanic.
The famous Belfast dockyards are now home to Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience and a must-see on any visit to Belfast and Northern Ireland.
