For a small nation, Scotland has made its mark on the world.
Not only have we given the world television, telephones, tarmac, the bicycle, the electric toaster and a host of other every day essentials, Scotland has several other claims to fame.
Some are wanted, others not so much, as we look at 10 Scottish world records.
The longest echo in a man made structure (1970)
This really is a record! Set by accoustic engineer Professor Trevor Cox, by loading a black pistol with a single blank round and firing it inside one of the six oil tanks buried in Ross-shire, in the Scottish Highlands. The echo lasted 112 seconds, beating the previous record by 97 seconds.
Shortest street in the world: 2006
Ebenezer Place in Wick, Caithness, is home to the shortest street in the world, measuring just 2.06 m (6ft 9in). On this street you can find one address to the No.1 Bistro, part of the Mackay’s Hotel. The previous record was held by Elgin Street, Bacup, in Lancashire, which meassured 5.2 metres (17ft).
Narrowest hotel in the world:
Not only do we have the narroest street but we are also home to the world’s narrowest hotel, The Star Hotel. Situated in Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, the building is just 20ft (6.1 metres) wide and 162ft (49 metres) long. Despite that, it has still managed to sqeeze in eight en-suite rooms and is an extremely popular place for tourists to stay.
The world’s most expensive sheep: August 2020
Named Double Diamond, this Texel sheep was sold in Lanark for a huge £367,500. Opening
bids for this 120kg hench wooly began at just over £10,000 and sortly turned into a bidding war that soared past the previous record of £230,000, set in 2009. Double Diamond is now shared between three
breeders across the UK.
The highest ranking penguin: 2016
One of the most important residents at Edinburgh Zoo, Brigadier Sir Nils Olav III, is a king penguin. The name ‘Nils Olav’ and ranks have been passed down through three generations of king penguins since
1972, with Brigadier Sir Nils Olav III now being the current holder. This role makes him the mascot and colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian King’s Guard.
The largest can-can dance: 13 September 2009
A total of 1503 people, of all ages, got their dancing shoes on in Glasgow Green, to take part in a massive can-can dance, organised by Irn Bru. The record breaking event had people doing the can-can for five minutes and while not everyone who turned up managed it, they still managed to get enough to get the world record title.
The shortest domestic flight: December 2016
A quick way to travel! This flight takes 47 seconds. The 1.7 mile journey flies between Westray and Papa Westray, in Orkney. The eight seater aircraft often carries health professionals, patients, teachers, and students but a growing number of tourists now wanting a trip on this unique flight.
Most appearances at the FIFA World Cup, by a football nation, without qualifying:
The Scottish football team hasn’t had the best of luck after qualifying for the World Cup (Photo: Alizada Studios / Shutterstock)
Maybe not our best record, but still a record. The Scotland football team attended a total have of eight times in the years 1954, 58, 74, 78, 82, 86, 90 and 98. Although, there is always the chance to qualify and go one better this year!
Greatest distance cycled in seven days: 13-20 September 2021
This was recently set by 29-year-old, Josh Quigley, from Livingston. Quigley covered 2,179.66 miles (3508km) in seven days by doing laps of a route between Aberdeen and the Cairngorms. Starting on Monday, he finshed at 4am seven days later.
The largest haggis: 18 June 2014
Unsurprisingly, Scotland holds the world record for the largest haggis. It would be wrong if we didn’t! Made in North Berwick at Fenton’s Barn, the haggis meassured 2.8 metres in length and 0.96 metres wide
and 0.65 metres in height 1,010kg in weight.
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