Berkley Center

When describing the Scottish people to friends and family back home, I find myself often comparing them to Americans from the Midwest: very kind, quick to invite you in for a meal or hot cup of tea, chatty, and all around caring. People often find this description surprising, as I believe most Americans think of the British as all the same: very literal, with a dry sense of humor, quick to point out one’s flaws or deficiencies. And yet, until you travel to the British Isles, you do not realize that such a small island is made up of vastly different peoples with a myriad of different personalities.

I have found that when Americans refer to the British, that actually really means English people, and this is problematic. England and Scotland each have a very rich history that at times overlaps in important ways, but in general is separate and distinct. This I think is why 44.7 percent of them voted for independence from Britain, and even more Scots, I believe, would be willing to fight for Scotland. And yet, the referendum failed, and Scotland did not gain its independence for the first time since 1707. Different Scots have different reasons for believing the referendum failed. For example, my tour guide to the Isle of Skye, Mike, argued that London has too much influence in Scotland and public opinion there. According to Mike, one of Britain’s leading newspapers and a main source of Scotland’s news, the Times, is headquartered in London. Additionally, extremely influential British leaders (J.K. Rowling just to name one) strongly opposed independence, possibly influencing the Scottish more than the ideals of independence could.

This does not take away from the fact that the Scots are, and have always been, a fiercely independent people, and historically the English have done their utmost to suppress this sense of independence. For example, after the failed Jacobite Uprising in 1746—an effort by Catholic Scots to put a Catholic monarch back on the throne—the bagpipe and tartan, two items closely identified with Scottish culture, were banned, only to be reintroduced during the Second World War and in 1787 respectively. For many years, Scotland was forgotten. British monarchs never visited, tourism didn't exist, and the Scots were thought of as war-loving creatures stuck in the far reaches of the north. It took the writings of Sir Walter Scott to inspire the world with the idea of Scotland and the Highlanders, which led to a visit by Queen Victoria in 1842 and her purchase of the castle at Balmoral. In the meantime, the Scots stayed in their land, continuing a way of life going back to the Vikings, the Romans, and the Picts. So while the Scots are kindhearted, caring, and friendly, they are above all else, Scotsman and everything that entails: eating haggis, wearing tartan, playing bagpipes, drinking Scotch, and remembering their, not England’s, history.