The Steamboating Forum

Gudmund,

In The Maggie, there is a scene where they are leaving a pub. One of them takes four bottles of beer and sets them on the curb or edge of the sidewalk between the sidewalk and the street. Then he walks around them out in to the street and then picks them back up and puts one in each pocket which made the other man laugh - then they both laughed and walked away. I was wondering if they were skirting some Scottish law by doing that. I know it's trivial, but it made me wonder.

-Ron

The only old law from up there (Scotland) that I can remember was that only bona fide travellers could purchase and consume alcohol on a Sunday. Other than that, the licencing hours were always different to the South.

Ron,
Sorry, I should have replied sooner.
I think they were just doing a little dance round their beer. If it was a Sunday, they would be allowed to buy drink as they would have been 'bona fide travellers!'
In Scotland there is still one puffer operating, though now the cargo is tourists! The VIC32 does 5 day cruises and the passengers are encouraged to help work the boat - even to firing the boiler. There is also the Sir Walter Scott on Loch Katrine and, hopefully in the near future, the paddler Maid of the Loch on Loch Lomond. The Waverley is based in Glasgow, but she could be anywhere around the UK.
If any steamboat enthusiast is visiting Scotland, please get in touch as we really enjoy taking friends out in our boats.
Gudmund