Originally Posted by
Brian K
I understand, but does that make him the greatest or merely the most famous? While Burns is second to none in terms of creating and celebrating Scottish identity, I would suggest that Smith and Bell, for example, have had much more influence and impact worldwide.
I agree it's not easy given the number of fields of excellence and impact of various Scots within them.
In 2002, the BBC did a series of programmes upon who was the greatest Briton with 100 people being nominated and championed and then put up for public vote. This was reduced to the top 10 and Sir Winston Churchill was the winner.
The highest placed Scot was Sir Alexander Fleming at #20, William Wallace was at #48, Alexander Graham Bell was #57, Robert the Bruce #74 and Burns and Sir Walter Scott didn't even feature! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_Britons
The vast number of nominations were English though! Only 4 were Welsh!
Even reducing the entry to Scots alone I expect it would not be difficult to find 100 and then seeing them reduced to the top 10. But we don't have the resources of the BBC and who would be the champions for the cause of their favourite? 
[B][COLOR="Red"][SIZE="1"]Reverend Earl Trefor the Sublunary of Kesslington under Ox, Venerable Lord Trefor the Unhyphenated of Much Bottom, Sir Trefor the Corpulent of Leighton in the Bucket, Viscount Mcclef the Portable of Kirkby Overblow.
Cymru, Yr Alban, Iwerddon, Cernyw, Ynys Manau a Lydaw am byth! Yng Nghiltiau Ynghyd!
(Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Brittany forever - united in the Kilts!)[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]
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