Five go-old things to ogle from afar this Christmas

CAN we just skip the four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and partridge in a pear tree, and go straight for the five gold rings? Or rather five gold, ring-like things? Here, to get you lords and ladies-aleaping, are a few gold – or goldish – items. Of course, due to restrictions, you probably can’t visit them right now. Let’s hope the New Year rings a few changes there.

SCOTLAND’S LARGEST GOLD NUGGET

Every now and again it seems that someone finds a thunking great gold nugget in a river in Scotland. The last was discovered in a mystery fluvial location in May last year, weighed 121.3g and was estimated to be worth £80,000. Rather than one nugget, it was two pieces, which formed a doughnut shape – a kind of chunky gold ring. Prior to this the largest find had been what’s known as the Douglas Nugget, weighing 85.7g.

Discovered four years ago, it remained a secret till 2018, when the man who found it revealed its existence and that it had been discovered in a mystery location by “sniping” – essentially lying face down in a river with a snorkel on.

THE “GOLDEN TURD”

The common nickname for the shiny Edinburgh hotel which is due to open in 2021, is the not-entirely-flattering “golden turd”. The St James Quarter Hotel even has a joke twitter account dedicated to it under the handle @ TurdHotel, with a bio that describes it as a “golden pile of pure s***e”. Some say it is shaped a little like a shiny Mr Whippy, others speak of its innovative “orange peel” design.

Is it an architectural masterpiece? Are there turds that colour? Who cares? The hotel gets our gold star for top “goldish thing”.

BRONZE AGE HAIR RINGS

The National Museum of Scotland has a selection of intriguing penannular gold rings, (pictured above) dated to the Bronze age, which have been found around Scotland. Numerous theories exist around what these were for, but the most popular is that they were hair rings – worn as a way of showing off the status of their highranking owner. The bling of its time!

THE HONOURS OF SCOTLAND

Or, in other words, the Scottish crown jewels, the regalia that was used for the coronation of Scottish monarchs from Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543 until Charles II in 1651, and which are housed in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle. It is Britain’s oldest regalia and it comes burnished with history and intrigue. At one point the Honours were hidden to stop them falling into English hands, then, following the Treaty of Union in 1707, disappeared for a century. It was Walter Scott who finally found them, in a strong room at Edinburgh Castle locked in an oak chest, covered with cloths.

CONONISH GOLDMINE

Scotland’s first commercial goldmine finally opened this year – a project that has been 35 years in the development, and seen different prospectors come and go. Located at the edge of Loch Lomond national park and run by ScotGold Resources it is the only working goldmine in the UK. Gold processed on site, will carry a Scottish hallmark – a stag’s head in a triangle, stamped by an assay office in Edinburgh and marketed as Scottish gold. You can be sure there will be a few rings made from it.

Please follow current Scottish Government advice regarding travel restrictions in your area. Visit gov.scot/ coronavirus-covid-19