Scots speak differently than the English and have a whole slurry of words that are different. Here a few that I’ve picked up recently.

Wee = little

Before I got here I really thought the Scots wouldn’t possibly use wee for little much. I was wrong. They pretty much always say wee vs little. Matter of fact when I heard a Scot say little yesterday I noticed.

Crabit = Grumpy

Learned this one recently from a tour bus driver. I found it interesting because she said it in the context of describing the difference between Glasgow and Edinburgh. She said Glasgow people were more open and friendly and “we in Edinburgh can be a little crabit”.

Glen = Valley

Not a major one, but it’s relevant.

Loch = Lake

There is only one lake in all of Scotland Lake of Menteith. It used to be called a Loch as well but when John de Menteith sold out William Wallace, Scots stopped calling it a Loch. Or at least that’s the story our highland tour guide told us. Every other inland body of water is referred to as a Loch.

Even though it is pronounced the same, it shouldn’t be confused with a Lock. A Lock is like a water elevator on their canals. Of course the Falkirk Wheel really is a canal elevator, but there are still lots of Locks on the canals around Scotland.