Scottish vs. Scots

[Mael Coluim]

In a recent email from the High Commissioner of Clan MacCallum-Malcolm Society of Australia and New Zealand to the President of our North American Branch, comments on the words Scottish and Scot.

"The Scots are a race, who are spread around the globe. It is the blood that flows in our veins.

To be 'Scottish' you have to be born in Scotland, and it doesn't
matter [where] your blood has come from.

If you are a Scot you are of the Race. If you are Scottish you are
from the place. And yes, you can be one without the other - or of
course you can be both."

I found it rather interesting, because I as an American born and bred would only refer to myself as one with Scottish ancestry. Wearing the kilt people will ask, are you Scottish? ( I cannot recall anyone, asking if I was a Scot.)And my reply is “Scottish ancestry, yes.” My great Uncle James Robertson a Captain with the Liverpool Kings, served in India (the Northwest Territories) for twenty years until Dunkirk. All his children were born in India. His son Brian once shared with me when he returned to Liverpool that his mates would joke with him calling him an ‘Indian’ as his British passport said he was born in India. But Brian is as British as you can get. He got in to many a fight over the comment and claimed it was what made him one tough son of a gun.

[Standard]

Looks like the letter is on the verge of nit-picking, but I can see his point. I too always refer to my Scottish ancestors, and don't refer to myself as Scottish, but only of Scottish heritage.

[Jock Scot]

Now, this could be an interesting thread! Full of nits to pick.

[james a. husky]

Albeit confined to the intellectual limitations of a "Nit"!!!


Jim aka kiltiemon (Steve, Steve, Steve... I beg your forgiveness for being so blunt!!!)

[St. Amish]

I was taught that I am Scots, not Scotch (whiskey), or Scottish (national).

[Paul]

I am Scottish... as far as background goes I'm around 1/2 Scots and 1/2 Irish. Like most people I'm unsure of my background more than 3 or 4 generations back - and even then there's missing pieces. So could anyone really call themself indigenous Scots unless they can trace more than half their lineage back to the formation of "The Scots" from the Picts, the Gaels and the Brythons. Even then - there has been a lot of migration to Scotland in the last 1000years - especially the lowlands.
I consider myself both Scottish and a Scot... in most contexts I'm sure a lot of people of first or second generation immigrants would too, but why correct them on this issue if they are proud of being integrated into Scottish society? I certainly wouldnt.

[dfmacliam]

Interesting point... and I await to see how it's perceived by both the Scottish members of the forum and the disporia..

[SteveB]

For those that see me in my kilt and ask if I am Scottish, I usually answer that I am of Scot descent, or that I have Scot ancestry.

[GDub]

I would argue that there is no such thing as a Scots race. It's been all about claims to territory, along with an enthusiastic mixing up of the gene pool, for a very long time. "The blood that flows in my veins..." is nothing more than an antiquated fantasy--IMHO, of course.

[Sir William]

It has always been my habit to refer to the people of Scotland as Scots, and the "things" of Scotland (the Highlands, kilts, etc) as Scottish. I reserve the use of Scotch solely for the whiskey.

Those of us unfortunate enough to be born outside of Scotland I like to think of as of Scottish heritage or descent.

Works most of the time, though there have been the occasional exception.