Berkley Center

On one of my first adventures outside of Edinburgh, I took a bus tour to the Wallace National Monument and Stirling Castle. I would argue that there is no place in Scotland more steeped in Scottish history and national pride than that area. Hundreds of years ago, the Scottish hero William Wallace, made famous in the movie Braveheart, fought his epic battles on the grassy knolls around Stirling Castle, and his spirit of defiance is to this day a source of Scottish national pride. The bus driver on my particular tour was more than happy to reinforce this point. He kept up an animated commentary about the landmarks we passed and the history they represented, attempted to play Braveheart on the television, and serenaded us with traditional Scottish ballads when he could think of nothing more to say. It was obvious that he loved his job, his country, and sharing the uniqueness of Scotland with tourists.

There has been no shortage of coverage surrounding Scottish national pride in the past year. The people of Scotland narrowly decided to remain part of the United Kingdom in a referendum in September 2014. Most people here cite economic concerns as the main reason they decided to vote against independence, and there is no wonder why. Many of Scotland’s five million people rely on support and jobs resulting from the Westminster parliament, and there were concerns that such a small nation could not be financially viable on its own. But these same people who air their economic concerns, like my bus driver, often express a desire to have independence simply because they want Scotland to be its own nation.

The past few years have been kind to the supporters of Scottish home rule. Scotland now has its own parliament, which oversees many regional aspects, including education, transportation, and as of 2012, the power to introduce new taxes, subject to the approval of the British government. The independence referendum in 2014, although a failed attempt, has paved the way for possible new acts that will give the Scottish government even more power in Scotland. For many, this slow devolution of power is preferable to a quick and possibly injurious secession to immediate nationhood. But this system still makes Scotland a part of the United Kingdom, and it fails to confer the psychological benefit that independent nationhood provides.

There is something to be said for having one’s own nation, and I can understand why many proud Scots yearn for independence, despite the well-functioning status quo. Scotland’s history is conducive to this. It is common knowledge that the Scots fought hard and often to be free of the English yoke, and as a result there are plenty of Scottish heroes like William Wallace who embody national pride. Modern Scots have not forgotten these men and women, nor have they forgotten their dreams of independence. Many want to be able to express their pride in Scotland, the independent nation, rather than Scotland as a part of the United Kingdom.

In trying to understand this desire, I have had to consider my own national pride. Americans, including myself, have no lack of it. However, even though I love my home country, I am also often embarrassed by it. Coming to Edinburgh, I kept expecting people to judge me as the stereotypical rude American tourist based on my accent, and thus I was slightly ashamed of being American. Yet most people I have met here are fully ready to accept the stereotypes as false, and often have plenty of questions about America. I recently spent almost three hours exchanging anecdotes about our home countries with one of my new Scottish friends.

Curiosity about America, as well as Scottish national pride, has reinvigorated my own national pride. Regardless of their failings, the Scots are generally proud to be Scottish. They recognize the problems of their country and laugh at the stereotype of Scots as kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing, haggis-eating ruffians. Their open acceptance and love of being Scottish, whatever that entails, has given me a chance to reevaluate how I feel about being American. For the first time, I truly feel like being an American is exciting, and I am grateful to the Scots for showing me how fulfilling it is to be proud of your identity.