"Let Them Cant About Decorum, Who Have Characters To Lose" -Robert Burns

With the Commonwealth Games underway in Glasgow and the independence poll creeping upon us, I've been thinking a lot about my Scottish roots of late. For purely selfish reasons I'll be sad if Scotland leaves. Even though nothing here in London will really change, I think we'll all feel a certain loneliness knowing that our dialectically-challenged neighbours don't want to play happy families with us anymore. Sure, it's fun to call the Scots a bit shit and yes, the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony fell significantly short of the Olympic ceremony in London (SuBo forgetting her lines and John Barroman prancing about in a tartan suit can hardly compete with the Queen jumping out of an airplane), but that was always to be expected and there is a lot to love about the country.

So without further ado, I present a list (who doesn't love a list?) of some of my favourite things about Scotland...

(Rod (the bod) Stewart. Phwoar.)

(Irvine Walsh's gloriously disgusting creations)

(Highland Coos)

(Malcolm Tucker)

(Susan Boyle - because who cares if she doesn't know the words to 'Mull of Kintyre'- what does that even mean anyway?)

(My grandpa- yes, he's reading Fifty Shades of Grey)