The Great British Roadtrip
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Great Britain is known for its rich royal heritage, many tourist spots, and has some of the most renowned English literary figures in history. This winter break, my family decided to go on a roadtrip, driving up from England to Scotland. Along this excursion, I started to notice some differences between the two places. So, I wanted to share with you some of the significant differences between England and Scotland!
First stop, London! Home to the largest city in the UK with some of the most iconic landmarks, London has always been one of the most sophisticated places to travel. With their British accents and stylish coats, Londoners have never failed to pull off that chic-sophisticated modern look.
During our stay there I couldn’t help but notice one thing that London had in common with the Big Apple (New York) or even Taipei - the rush vibe of the people. Since the places I live in, Dallas or Taoyuan, are considered more rural, it never fails me to notice that the people in bigger cities aren’t as relaxed as the people in the countryside. For example, on a Saturday
morning, the people around us seemed to be in a rush somewhere and walked briskly while we were strolling around and looking for something to eat. But as opposed to this, they actually really like to enjoy a nice meal, talking with their friends and families at a restaurant table is an exception they’ll make in such a fast-paced life. This was something I smiled at, because despite living in such a rushed environment, they still have time to spend it with the people they care about the most. Speaking of food, London has the most diverse cuisines. We were able to get English food: fish and chips, mushed peas, sausage, and mushrooms; Chinese takeout: stir-fry, noodles, and also peas; there were also even Indian restaurants which I thought would not be that good, was so tasty that I finished my whole plate in less than 10 minutes!
Now, moving onto Scotland. The minute we arrived in Scotland was the second the scenery changed.
Replacing all the tall buildings and malls were rolling green hills and some of the biggest sheep I have ever seen in my life! The food there was also a huge contrast compared to the multiple options we had in London.
It was more of just Scottish food like Scotch egg which is basically a fried egg with meat, lamb, and root vegetables. While we were there, I made the mistake of ordering a steak. Turns out, all the sheep on the sides of the road were trying to tell me not to make the rookie mistake of ordering meat from an animal we didn’t even spot once!
Compared to the modernness of London, I actually found myself enjoying Scotland more. I personally love nature and anything whimsical, so it felt like a dream going there. Also, the people there were really welcoming, wherever we went, we were met with smiles and sometimes even people playing the bag pipes! While we were there, we had the opportunity to take the ferry across Windermere Lake and ride our rented bikes. The guy who rented us the bikes was really funny, he kind of reminded me of my own grandpa, who loves to tell a joke whenever he can! Their accents were also really different from the polished British we heard in London, I would say the Scottish accent was more quirky and bubbly. Honestly, at first I thought they were speaking a different language and couldn’t get what they were saying, but after staying a couple of days, it was easier to understand!
Overall, I feel like this trip was a really awesome experience and I learned a lot about the different cultures between Scotland and England. I also realized how living in different environments can affect the demeanor of people. Next time you go to a city (or country) try to see if you can feel any differences in how people live between the two?
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