The iconic Scottish-built Széchenyi Chain Bridge that reaches across the Danube river in Budapest, Hungary, will be turned blue in celebration of St Andrew’s Day on Friday and Saturday this week. Continue reading Hungary hails St Andrew’s Day
Tag: St Andrew’s Day
New Lanark to light up blue to mark Scotland’s National Day
With less than a week to go until Scots celebrate St Andrew’s Day on November 30, New Lanark World Heritage Site are preparing to light up the iconic Mill Buildings and Falls of Clyde blue to celebrate Scotland’s national feast day. Continue reading New Lanark to light up blue to mark Scotland’s National Day
Collective celebration in Edinburgh to mark St Andrew’s Day
The first nationwide Fair Saturday is coming to Edinburgh on 1 December, extending St Andrew’s Day celebrations with a festival of cultural events that promote fairness and sharing while raising funds for good causes. Continue reading Collective celebration in Edinburgh to mark St Andrew’s Day
Ben Macpherson: Spread a little kindness
Scots are being urged to spread a little kindness this St Andrew’s Day in celebration of the nation’s shared values and inclusive view of the world. Continue reading Ben Macpherson: Spread a little kindness
Haggis uses most power when cooking St. Andrew’s Day favourites
It takes 32kWh of energy to prepare a ‘St Andrew’s Day feast’, the equivalent of powering an LCD TV for six weeks
- National favourite haggis uses the most energy to cook of all dishes analysed
- New research conducted by Scottish Gas looked at how much energy it takes to make Scotland’s most-loved foods
- Having a smart meter can help you be more energy savvy during celebrations, and Scottish Gas has installed more than 35,011 smart meters across homes in Edinburgh
St Andrew’s Day is an occasion to celebrate everything Scottish, with music, dancing and (most importantly) food at the heart of all festivities.
New analysis carried out by Scottish Gas has discovered that it would take 32kWh of energy to cook a ‘St Andrew’s Day feast’, including firm favourites such as haggis, stovies, cock-a-leekie soup and cullen skink.
In fact, the energy used to prepare the celebratory spread could power an LCD TV for six weeks, a games console for two weeks and an energy saving light bulb for three months.
National dish haggis was revealed as the item that uses most power to cook of all the dishes analysed, needing 7.8 kWh of energy, closely followed by favourite accompaniment ‘neeps and tatties’, which uses 6.3kWh.
Those with a sweet tooth will be happy to know that desserts use the least amount of energy to prepare, with shortbread and cranachan needing just 1.5kWh and 0.3kWh respectively.
The energy profile of a St Andrew’s Day feast:
| Dish | Energy needed to prepare (kWh) | The equivalent to |
| Haggis | 7.8 | Running a laptop (plugged in) for more than 5 days |
| Neeps and tatties | 6.3 | Powering a freezer for more than a day |
| Stovies | 6 | Running a washing machine for half a day |
| Scotch broth | 5 | Using a microwave for 4 hours |
| Cock-a-leekie soup | 3.6 | Using an iron for 3 hours |
| Cullen skink | 1.6 | Powering a Wi-Fi router for more than 11 days |
| Shortbread | 1.5 | Powering an alarm clock radio for more than 30 days |
| Cranachan | 0.3 | Powering a cordless phone for over 5 days |
Smart Energy Expert, Stephen Cosgrove, who installs smart meters around Edinburgh for Scottish Gas, said: “St Andrew’s Day sees Scots and Scots-at-heart come together to celebrate our national day. A big part of that is enjoying food that showcases the very best of Scottish culture, so it’s interesting to see how much energy traditional dishes use to prepare.
“Monitoring your energy use may be the last thing you’re thinking about during the festivities, but having an understanding of how much power you’re using when cooking can help to reduce your energy use.
“Having smart meters installed for free can help, too. They automatically send meter readings to your energy supplier so you don’t have to. And they come with a smart energy monitor that shows you how much energy is being used, in pounds and pence, in near real time.”
Scottish Gas has installed more than 415,000 smart meters across Scotland.
Join the millions of people across Britain enjoying the benefits of smart meters. To find out more visit: www.scottishgas.co.uk/smart
Prime Minister’s St Andrew’s Day message
Prime Minister Theresa May:
Scotland has a special place at the heart of our precious union of nations.
And today, on St Andrew’s Day, it is right that we should come together to celebrate everything that Scotland stands for and all that Scotland contributes to our United Kingdom and to the whole world.
For that is the breadth of Scotland’s influence.
From the creativity and ingenuity of Edinburgh’s Festivals, three of which celebrated their 70th anniversary this year as some of the world’s greatest arts events – to Dr Richard Henderson who has become the 14th Scot to be awarded the Nobel Prize.
From the UK’s life-saving humanitarian efforts co-ordinated from East Kilbride to the factory in Falkirk making iconic double-decker buses that are sold to Mexico City.
From Scotland’s defence industry, making world-leading warships on the Clyde, to Scottish food and drink enjoyed the world over.
And I am proud that as Prime Minister of our United Kingdom, the government I lead is committed to doing everything possible to support Scotland’s continued success.
That includes investing over £1 billion in City Deals that have backed projects from five new technology innovation hubs and the new concert venue in Edinburgh, to the V&A opening in Dundee next year.
And it is that partnership between all the nations of the United Kingdom that makes us even stronger.
So today, let us take confidence from the contribution that Scotland will make in helping the United Kingdom to secure a bold, confident and prosperous future as a truly global nation.
And to all Scots, wherever you are in the world today, I wish you all a very happy St Andrew’s Day.
Scots urged: be like St. Andrew
The public are being asked to do a good deed on St Andrew’s Day to celebrate Scotland’s history, culture and the nation’s shared values. The #BeLikeStAndrew campaign marks the start of Scotland’s Winter Festivals – which opens with St Andrew’s Day, followed by Hogmanay, and then Burns Night. Continue reading Scots urged: be like St. Andrew
First Minister’s St Andrew’s Day message
“We are a nation which has welcomed and will continue to welcome many people from across the world over the years” – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Ms Sturgeon said: “St Andrew, who is renowned as the “fisher of men’, is a perfect embodiment of the warm welcome and kindness which we extend to all who come to Scotland.
“St Andrew spoke up for the less privileged. He was responsible for drawing attention to the existence of the loaves and fishes which eventually fed the 5,000. He championed the minority and saw that they were included.
“At this time, when the world is touched by terror and people are fleeing their homeland in search of peace, Scotland can draw from its patron saint and continues to be a place of safe haven.
“We are a nation which has welcomed and will continue to welcome many people from across the world over the years. From China to Poland, from Syria to India, people have brought their cultures and traditions to this country. Our communities have benefited and so has the richness of our lives, making Scotland the thriving country it is today.
“Let’s use today, our national day, to reinforce that warm welcome.”
Rally to the call!
St Andrew’s Day rally call beamed across Scotland
Famous Scottish landmarks – including our own Usher Hall and Tron Kirk – provided a dramatic setting to poignant lines from Scottish poet Mary Symon’s poem ‘Hame’ (St Andrew’s Day under the Southern Cross) to stir the heart strings ahead of St Andrew’s Day on November 30. Continue reading Rally to the call!