FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about A Journey around Scotland
Quiz about A Journey around Scotland

A Journey around Scotland Trivia Quiz


Starting in the south west, this quiz will take you around Scotland before finishing in the south east. I hope you find it informative and entertaining.

A multiple-choice quiz by Quizaddict1. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Geography Trivia
  6. »
  7. Europe
  8. »
  9. Scotland

Author
Quizaddict1
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
379,385
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
412
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 120 (10/15), Guest 94 (13/15), Guest 90 (10/15).
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. Your journey begins at the town in the south west of Scotland which has been recognised officially as Scotland's Book Town. Which town are you visiting? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Having driven north along the Ayrshire coast, you are on the A719 a mile south of Dunure village when you experience a strange phenomenon. Which one? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. Further on, you reach a castle built by King Robert II in the fourteenth century and used as a royal residence for over 150 years. Which castle have you reached? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Moving on, you cross the Erskine Bridge over a great river once famous for shipbuilding. Which river are you crossing? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Shortly after crossing the Erskine bridge, you come to a town whose major feature is a volcanic plug, built onto which is the latest of several castles. It was from here that Mary Queen of Scots fled to France in 1548. Which town have you reached? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. You decide to head for the Highlands. After skirting Loch Lomond you head west along the banks of Loch Long and see a famous mountain on your right. Its proper name is Ben Arthur, but by what nickname is it known? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Your journey takes you deep into Argyll. Taking a boat trip to the Isle of Jura, you come across a watery feature called Corryvreckan. What kind of feature is it? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Travelling further north past Fort William you turn west and reach a village where within sight of each other are a famous railway viaduct and the memorial to the raising of the Jacobite standard in the 1745 rebellion. Which village are you visiting? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Not far from your last call, you stand on the shores of the deepest fresh water loch (or lake) in the United Kingdom. Which loch is this? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Crossing the Minch by ferry, you reach the island of Lewis, where you view an impressive set of remains at Callanish (Calanais in Gaelic). What kind of structure are you viewing? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Back on the mainland, you visit a remarkable garden in which grow sub-tropical plants despite being on the north west coast of Scotland. Which gardens are you visiting? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Time to turn east and south after your trip to Wester Ross, having explored the west coast pretty fully. After a drive of several hours you reach a seaport known as the Granite City. Where are you now? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Moving south, you come to a small town and notice in the town square a statue of a boy playing what looks like a penny whistle. A local tells you the statue is of Peter Pan and was placed there because the author J.M. Barrie was born in the town. What town are you now visiting? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. On your way south you see the Forth railway bridge, a famous Victorian construction over the river Forth. Like Glenfinnan Viaduct, it featured in a film, this time one directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Which film? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Before bidding Scotland farewell you pay a visit to the capital. While there you take a walk downhill from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse along the High Street and Canongate. By what name is this route known? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Today : Guest 120: 10/15
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 94: 13/15
Mar 03 2024 : Guest 90: 10/15
Feb 24 2024 : Edzell_Blue: 14/15
Feb 17 2024 : Guest 80: 13/15
Feb 09 2024 : Guest 76: 9/15
Feb 09 2024 : NETTLES1960: 8/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Your journey begins at the town in the south west of Scotland which has been recognised officially as Scotland's Book Town. Which town are you visiting?

Answer: Wigtown

Wigtown gained recognition for this title in 1998. There are many businesses in the area which focus on books and every autumn there is a ten day book festival including talks by well known authors, musical events and even a fun run.
2. Having driven north along the Ayrshire coast, you are on the A719 a mile south of Dunure village when you experience a strange phenomenon. Which one?

Answer: The electric brae

This takes visitors completely by surprise. An optical illusion at this point makes you believe you are going downhill when in reality you are climbing. We have had great amusement watching the astonishment on the faces of overseas visitors when we have stopped the car and asked them whether we were going up or down, then released the handbrake!

It gained the nickname of the Electric Brae as some people believed it was caused by some kind of force drawing the vehicle uphill.
3. Further on, you reach a castle built by King Robert II in the fourteenth century and used as a royal residence for over 150 years. Which castle have you reached?

Answer: Dundonald Castle

Dundonald Castle was built, originally as a tower house, on a site which was probably used as a fortified settlement since the stone age. Robert II was the first king of the house of Stewart (or Stuart), which in later centuries became the ruling family of the United Kingdom.

Culzean Castle, despite its name, is really a spectacular country house built in the eighteenth century for the Kennedy family. Dean Castle in Kilmarnock also dates back to the fourteenth century and was built as a stronghold by the Boyd family. Rowallan Castle, also nearby, was built in the thirteenth century and was the home of the Muir family.
4. Moving on, you cross the Erskine Bridge over a great river once famous for shipbuilding. Which river are you crossing?

Answer: Clyde

From the Erskine Bridge you can look up river towards Glasgow, past the site of the former shipyard John Brown's where the great Cunard liners Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QE2 were built, or down river towards Greenock and the hills of Argyll beyond. It is a spectacular view.
5. Shortly after crossing the Erskine bridge, you come to a town whose major feature is a volcanic plug, built onto which is the latest of several castles. It was from here that Mary Queen of Scots fled to France in 1548. Which town have you reached?

Answer: Dumbarton

It was in Dumbarton that the famous clipper ship, Cutty Sark, was built. For many years the town was famous for shipbuilding and for whisky production. This was also the town in which the author of this quiz grew up.
6. You decide to head for the Highlands. After skirting Loch Lomond you head west along the banks of Loch Long and see a famous mountain on your right. Its proper name is Ben Arthur, but by what nickname is it known?

Answer: The Cobbler

So nicknamed because the mountain's distinctive shape, with two peaks, was supposed to resemble a cobbler working at his last, the Ben is 884 metres high. It overlooks the dramatic road known as the Rest and Be Thankful which winds through the glen to take the traveller from Loch Long to Loch Fyne.
7. Your journey takes you deep into Argyll. Taking a boat trip to the Isle of Jura, you come across a watery feature called Corryvreckan. What kind of feature is it?

Answer: Whirlpool

Caused by a tidal race between the islands of Jura and Scarba, Corryvreckan is the third largest whirlpool in the world. For many years it was thought to have been caused by the water hitting a rock pinnacle, but in 2012 the Scottish Association for Marine Science used echo sounding technology to map the seabed and found no pinnacle.

Instead the whirlpool is probably caused by the water hitting a steep rock cliff by the shore of Scarba.
8. Travelling further north past Fort William you turn west and reach a village where within sight of each other are a famous railway viaduct and the memorial to the raising of the Jacobite standard in the 1745 rebellion. Which village are you visiting?

Answer: Glenfinnan

The railway viaduct featured in the film "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" while it was at Glenfinnan that Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard when he had convinced some of the clan chiefs to join him in his rebellion.

Arisaig was the village from which he left Scotland after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.

There is a monument at Spean Bridge, the Commando Memorial.
9. Not far from your last call, you stand on the shores of the deepest fresh water loch (or lake) in the United Kingdom. Which loch is this?

Answer: Loch Morar

The greatest depth reached by Loch Morar is 310 metres, 80 metres deeper than Loch Ness. Loch Awe is the longest fresh water loch in the United Kingdom at 41 miles, just two miles longer than Loch Ness.
10. Crossing the Minch by ferry, you reach the island of Lewis, where you view an impressive set of remains at Callanish (Calanais in Gaelic). What kind of structure are you viewing?

Answer: Standing stones

The standing stones go back to 2500 or 3000 BC. There is a massive monolith in the middle, surrounded by a circle of stones which form the midpoint of a cross. Because of the way the stones were constructed, many archaeologists believe that it may have been used as some form of astronomical observatory.
11. Back on the mainland, you visit a remarkable garden in which grow sub-tropical plants despite being on the north west coast of Scotland. Which gardens are you visiting?

Answer: Inverewe Gardens

These wonderful gardens are at the head of Loch Ewe, a sheltered sea loch. Because the Gulf Stream hits this coast after its journey from the Caribbean, temperatures, even in winter, are rarely very low so the garden can support species that you would not expect this far north (it is on the same latitude as Kodiak Island, Alaska).

Like Inverewe, the other three choices are all gardens managed by the National Trust for Scotland.
12. Time to turn east and south after your trip to Wester Ross, having explored the west coast pretty fully. After a drive of several hours you reach a seaport known as the Granite City. Where are you now?

Answer: Aberdeen

Scotland's third largest city, Aberdeen has a history going back to the twelfth century, when it became a royal burgh. As well as a fishing and shipbuilding port, Aberdeen became famous as a centre of learning after Aberdeen University was founded in 1495 (even the local football team are nicknamed "the Dons" because of the university connection.

In the second half of the twentieth century it became the centre of the North Sea oil industry. The city's nickname comes from the use of local granite to build many of the most imposing buildings in the city centre, including Marischal College.
13. Moving south, you come to a small town and notice in the town square a statue of a boy playing what looks like a penny whistle. A local tells you the statue is of Peter Pan and was placed there because the author J.M. Barrie was born in the town. What town are you now visiting?

Answer: Kirriemuir

Situated eighteen miles north of the major city of Dundee, Kirriemuir's greatest claim to fame is as the birthplace of Barrie. One of Barrie's gifts to the town was a camera obscura through which excellent views of the surrounding countryside can be seen.

It is also remembered in a very bawdy song dating back to the 1880s, "The Ball of Kirriemuir", which is alleged to record the happenings at a real event in the town or district.
14. On your way south you see the Forth railway bridge, a famous Victorian construction over the river Forth. Like Glenfinnan Viaduct, it featured in a film, this time one directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Which film?

Answer: The Thirty-Nine Steps

Hitchcock's version of John Buchan's story was made in 1935 with Robert Donat as Richard Hannay. Twenty years later the bridge also featured strongly in a remake of the film, this time directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Kenneth More as the hero.

The cantilever bridge took eight years to build, opening in 1890. It is one of the most distinctive pieces of engineering in the United Kingdom.
15. Before bidding Scotland farewell you pay a visit to the capital. While there you take a walk downhill from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse along the High Street and Canongate. By what name is this route known?

Answer: The Royal Mile

It is known as the Royal Mile because it connected the two royal residences of the castle and the palace. Actually about one and a quarter miles long, the route goes through the Old Town of the city, passing medieval tenements and Edinburgh Cathedral, before entering what was once the separate burgh of Canongate beyond the city walls.

The Mound is a road leading between the old and new towns, built between 1781 and 1830 from debris brought from digging the foundations for the houses of the New Town. The Heart of Midlothian is a sett of stones built into the High Street marking the location of the medieval tollbooth, the centre of city government and a prison.
Source: Author Quizaddict1

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Scotland, present and past:

Here is a set of quizzes exploring the geography, history and culture of Scotland.

  1. A Journey around Scotland Average
  2. Another Journey around Scotland Average
  3. A Scottish Miscellany Average
  4. Eighteenth Century Scotland Tough
  5. Nineteenth Century Scottish History Average
  6. Seventeenth Century Scottish History Average

3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us