If there is one thing that I have learned from my studies of history it is that none of us, whether American, English, Scottish, Irish or other more recent national origin, are truly purebreds in the sense of all predecessors being from one stock. One doesn't have to go back too far in history of any countries or regions to see how many different cultures have entered into our heritage.



Going back beyond the 1600s things REALLY begin to get interesting. Most of our histories do well to even be traced back before the 400s...still not that long ago in terms of history. However, even before that there were cultural migrations that would really surprise us. Peoples from throughout what is now "Britain" as well as most of Europe and even other parts of the world spread their genes, cultures and traditions well before recorded history.



One thing that I might add is the considerable role of the Normans (French) both in terms of the French families that we now recognize as Scottish as well as the substantial role of feudalism as a system that greatly influenced most aspects of land ownership, entitlement, political affiliation and so much more that later shaped Scottish and English history.