The sun is splitting the heavens in Scotland and we’re toasting our good fortune to be alive on
this day, on this paradise isle. With our national drink… rum. I’m a dashing white Bajan at Celtic Music Festival.
Yes, this is another Scotland, Scotland region, Barbados where it’s 32C today and where it
never, and only very rarely, dips below 16C.
It’s here where the first Bajan Scots, the Covenanters and Highland crofters were sent as
indentured servants (or some say white slaves) in the 17th century.
Like all Scots though they sought out a place there they could call home, and did, the hilly
centre of the island.
And they got down to hard work, extracting the molasses, the sugar cane extract which made
the syrupy rum which fuels Barbados.
And which we have been drinking from the moment we touched down on our British Airways
flight from London and checked in to our billet, the laid-back Coconut Court Beach Hotel.
Isle with a punch
Our go-to rum, rum punch, comes with orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine and
nutmeg.
And served with a cheery, warm-throated greeting of “One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong,
four of weak, A dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice, serve well chilled with plenty of ice.”
Whether it was the rum that persuaded the‘Redleg’ Scots to stick around, they built up their
station, and the island.
Full disclosure here too, I found my own name in the Builders of Barbados Wall of proud Bajans
in the Golden Square Freedom Park, near Robyn Fenty’s.
We all know her better as Rihanna, and she is the closest to royalty you’ll get on the island now
that Barbados has struck out and become a republic.
Barbados still proudly celebrates its links with Britain though, and in the week we’re here in May,
Scotland in particular.
The pipes are calling
The island is throwing a Barbados Celtic Festival, with pipe bands and a march in the capital
Bridgetown.
While nursery school children are led by their teacher in renditions of the Skye Boat Song and
Coulter’s Candy.
In the evening along the Boardwalk near our hotel we do the Gay Gordons and Eightsome Reel
with the locals.
All to the Scottish band Bahookie and all in balmy 20s weather. A sticky mess. all right, or irie,
as the Bajans would say.
In truth, there’s always a party on in Barbados with the highlight the Bajan carnival which is held
over the summer, the whole summer!
Crop Over was when the overlords granted the slaves a party to mark the harvest of the sugar
cane.
Wee wee Ri-Ri
It is now an explosion of island identity, music, singing, dancing and rum, which draws tens of
thousands of visitors to Barbados.
Rihanna returns religiously every Crop Over, and will have a special guest in the years to come,
her wee-wee Ri-Ri, her little baby boy.
Every Friday night too the Bajans come out in force, to Oistins, a fish market on the south coast,
which is more, much more, than that.
You hear it before you see it, the Soca music, the soul of calypso beats which are all about the
bass.
And which are best enjoyed jumping and wukking up which is the jerking which gave way to
twerking.
There is though more genteel, old-fashioned dance floor music too for the older generation on
another stage.
Fish of the day
Of course we had got some practice in earlier in the week, bustin’ our moves at the Harbour
Lights Barbados night, a family-friendly cabaret introduction to the island.
There you can feast on local delicacies, they love chicken and mac’n’cheese, all on the one
table-sized plate too.
And sample anything that swims out there on the Atlantic and the Caribbean, which you can
then burn off on the floor.
The most moreish is the street food, the fish cutter.
A fish sandwich to you and me, although nothing so basic as a fish finger sarnie… you are in
the Caribbean.
So that means fried flying fish or fried steak fish such as marlin, billfish, tuna.
Or mahi mahi, so good they named it twice.
As good as Oistins’ offerings are many swear the best cutters on the island are on a tiny truck,
Cuz’s out on the golden Carlisle Bay beach.
It’s all in the Susie’s hot sauce they say,.
And the cool Banks beer balances off the tang.
Drink it while you dangle your feet in the sea.
Turtle recalled
And make sure to get up close and personal to the friendly domino-playing locals… both on land
and off it.
So you definitely shouldn’t leave the island before taking the obligatory party catamaran trip out
onto the water.
There you can snorkel among the schools of fishes and turtles that make Barbados their home.
A word of warning here though… the turtles sport a shell so have natural protection from the
sun, unlike peelie-wallie Dashing White Bajan Scots.
So lather on that sunscreen or it won’t just be Red Legs you’re worrying about..
Equally we’re not naturally built to float on water.
Cool off
Hero in a half shell: Bajan turtle
So avail yourself of a life jacket and even the help of the crew on the water to get that money
shot of the turtles.
Cool Runnings lives up to its name with the crew keeping you lubricated and swollen with their
free bar and buffet.
And they’ll entertain you too with their patois, patter and partying, insisting on getting you up to
learn how to dance like a Bajan.
Alas, like all dreams you eventually have to wake up, not though in your beachside Coconut
Court hotel double bed with palm tree bordered beaches.
But at home in our Scotland, red-backed and red-legged but ready to get back out for a
Caribbean ceilidh like no other.
After all I am a Dashing white Bajan at the Celtic Music Festival
Factbox
Dashing White Bajan Jim flew British Airways from Edinburgh through London Heathrow.
He stayed at the Coconut Court Beach hotel in Christ Church Barbados.
Price with flight from £1381.
The Barbados Celtic Festival takes place in May 10-14th.
Find out more about Barbados visitbarbados.org.