Welcome to the United Kingdom!!
As you may know, the UK is made up of four countries:
Scotland
England
Northern Ireland
Wales
Northern Ireland and Wales are really nice and all but since neither Pallas nor I am from there, you ain't gonna be learning about them today.
So we're gonna give you a wee overview of what makes Great Britain (well, Scotland and England) so GREAT.
Recipes
Victoria Sponge – English Recipe:
The Victoria sponge or Victoria sandwich cake was named after Queen Victoria, who favoured a slice of the sponge cake with her afternoon tea. It is often referred to simply as "sponge cake", though it contains additional fat. A typical Victoria sponge consists of raspberry jam and whipped double cream or vanilla cream. The jam and cream are sandwiched between two sponge cakes; the top of the cake is not iced or decorated apart from a dusting of icing sugar. The Women's Institute publishes a variation on the Victoria sandwich that has raspberry jam as the filling and is dusted with caster sugar, not icing sugar.
Recipe can be found HERE
Scones – English Recipe:
A scone is a single-serving cake or quick bread. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and are baked on sheet pans. They are often lightly sweetened and are occasionally glazed. The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea. It differs from a teacake and other sweet buns, which are made with yeast. A scone is in some senses a type of pastry since it is made with essentially the same ingredients as shortcrust, though with different proportions of fat to flour.
Recipe can be found HERE
Notable People
The Queen of the UK:
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states, known as the Commonwealth realms, and their territories and dependencies, and head of the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations. She is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and, in some of her realms, carries the additional title of Defender of the Faith.
If you’re interested in more information on The Queen, please read about her HERE
Richard Branson:
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate and investor. He is best known as the founder of Virgin Group, which comprises more than 400 companies.
If you’re interested in more information on Richard Branson, please read about him more HERE
Winston Churchill:
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He is the only British Prime Minister to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the United States.
If you’re interested in more information on Winston Churchill, please read about him more HERE
Landmarks
The London Eye:
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. Also known as the Millennium Wheel, its official name was originally the British Airways London Eye, then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, and since January 2011, the EDF Energy London Eye.
If you’re interested in more about this famous landmark, please visit THIS page.
Buckingham Palace:
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the monarchy of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing.
If you’re interested in more about this famous landmark, please visit THIS page.
Food
Haggis, Neeps & Tatties
The traditional Scottish meal. We eat this on Burns’ Night and St Andrew’s Day. But lots of Scots eat this kind of stuff regularly. Uh, not me though. Haggis is actually a sheep's heart, liver and lungs mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning and stuffed in the sheep's stomach. Yum. Neeps are turnips and tatties are potatoes. Also, black pudding: basically a mixture of suet, oats, blood, barley and a special blend of spices stuffed in a length of protein casing.. Hella gross, but very Scottish. I know I’m not really selling this, but I’m sure you can understand why. One GOOD Scottish meat is sliced sausage:
YES.
Tablet & Shortbread
Tablet is super yummy sugary goodness. I literally only tried this for the first time at Christmas even though it’s super Scottish and omg it’s like the most unhealthiest tastiest little block of sugar ever. I think it’s pretty similar to like fudge and caramel but BETTER.
Shortbread is veeeery Scottish, it’s like a crumbly kind of biscuit. It’s really popular here as a gift, and especially around Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve).
Irn Bru
Basically, the sweet nectar of Scotland. This bright orange drink is available at McDonalds, Subways, all restaurants, etc. It’s probably the most popular soft drink in Scotland. I’m legit addicted to it. I used to drink like five cans a day but I’ve cut back. All you need to know is it is NOT orange juice and it IS amazing.
Places
Edinburgh
Our capital city. Edinburgh is beautiful and if you can ever visit the UK, I definitely recommend visiting here. It’s always got a wonderful atmosphere and the castle and scenery are just beautiful. I adore Edinburgh.
Glasgow
I live in Glasgow, it’s the “people’s capital”. There’s always a semi-serious rivalry between which is better between Glasgow and Edinburgh. ^^; Glasgow is definitely better for shopping, nightlife and just having fun, whereas Edinburgh is classy and scenic.
The HighlandsThis is the top part of Scotland. It’s where people speak like they do in Brave. It’s really pretty though, with lots of lochs (Scottish lakes), castles and hills etc.
The Weather
Crap.
So, in conclusion, y'all should come visit me so I can ply you with sheep's innards and sugar and take you to pretty castles! 
Subject: UK: A Mini Tour ((UPDATED with Scotland)) 
21st April 2014, 2:23 pm
