Term for Scottish emigrant descendants?

**Southern Breeze** · 26th January 09, 02:18 PM

Glad you found it.
I tossed out Covenanters simply because it's not very common. I've only came across it three or four times.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 26th January 09, 07:47 PM

Could the phrase you are thinking of be "off-Scots"?

**Riverkilt** · 26th January 09, 08:53 PM

Don't know if this helps. Have a letter from my grandfather Murdoch written to me about the family in 1970. In it he's talking about his grandfather and his "right from Scotland" friends. He called them "Old country Scots" and then would also designate "Highlander" or "Lowlander" when speaking of them.

"Davy Mather the bagpiper (a lowlander)" and describing his grandfather's friends as "Highlanders for the most part."

Checked the two books I have on early Nova Scotia history and the authors just call them emigrants and pioneers.

Ron

**EagleJCS** · 27th January 09, 10:14 AM

As to the term for emigrant descendants, I'm not aware of any commonly used term. Wouldn't that vary from place to place anyway? For my line, we call ourselves Kentuckians.

(Although I don't know for sure we're from Scotland originally. We've been in Kentucky since 1790 or so. It gets tougher to track backwards from there.)

From what I've read in my research, the term Scots-Irish (aka Ulster Scots) generally refers to emigrants from Scotland to Northern Ireland/Ulster to elsewhere (taking place over 2-3 or more generations).

BTW, Ron, from my Clan Scott information (Clan Scott being a Borders clan), it's my understanding that most 'Lowlanders' would prefer being called 'Borderers'. Not casting aspersions on your grandfather's letter, just making the observation.

**Tim Little** · 27th January 09, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by glasgowinhabitant

we are not old country scots we are scots, while you are not fullstop

"Could the phrase you are thinking of be "off-Scots"?"

Ridiculous name, though up of americans with delusions of grandaur. you are not an off scot, an off scot would be someone born and raised in scotland then moved elswhere. Can you stop this fallacy of thiking you are all scottish.

And a fine howdy-do to you too! Welcome to X Marks.

**Riverkilt** · 27th January 09, 10:54 AM

Hey Eagle,

For sure, as you pointed out his words 40 years ago. His clan are Islanders and since even though he still had a bit of the brogue and rolled his Rs he was the second generation born on this side of the pond and doubt he kept up with such detail.

My mother's clan is Scott so understand the Borderer's bit...though I prefer Reivers for the way it rolls off the tongue and the adventure it evokes.

Ron

**ccga3359** · 27th January 09, 10:57 AM

Mac??

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 27th January 09, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by glasgowinhabitant

we are not old country scots we are scots, while you are not fullstop

"Could the phrase you are thinking of be "off-Scots"?"

Ridiculous name, though up of americans with delusions of grandaur. you are not an off scot, an off scot would be someone born and raised in scotland then moved elswhere. Can you stop this fallacy of thiking you are all scottish.

How nice to hear from someone in Glasgow, a European city of culture... Actually "off-Scots" is used in my family in exactly the same way you have used it-- to describe someone born in Scotland, but who has moved away.

Since arriving in the USA about two years ago I have discovered another phrase from Scotland which is some times used here: "Off your nut" which seems to me to describe the tone of your posting. This leads me to use that other well-known phrase: "On yer bike".

Either be nice (ie: do not give offense on purpose), or just move on down the street.

**Riverkilt** · 27th January 09, 11:50 AM

What clan?

Umm, welcome I think...he says dodging the swinging claymore.

My American born grandfather, Murdoch Fletcher Macdonald, fancied himself of Clan Donald. His Canadian born father. Archibald Macdonald, (Skye Glen, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia) did as well. Murdoch's grandfather, John Gray Macdonald was born in Staffin, on the Trotternish Penisula of Skye and was shipped out in the Clearances about 1854.

When Native Americans were rounded up from their homelands and sent on long walks or long train rides to other parts of the World their relatives back in their homeland who escaped capture didn't stop calling the captured ones by their tribal names.

Would be akin to calling an Oklahoma member of the Cherokee Nation less a Cherokee than a North Carolina Member of the Cherokee Nation. Or proclaiming a Navajo that moved to San Franciso as somehow not a Navajo anymore....or that a descendent of an African captured and brought to America as a slave was somehow not African.

In my usually less than humble opinion I don't need the approval of a desencent of someone who somehow avoided the Clearances to officially pronounce me a Scot. I'll take my lieneage from my own ancestors thank you.

'course, now that my family has the DNA done you may be right...we seem to be Scandanavian after all, Sons of Somerled...

But, bottom line...I'll decide, not you.

Ron