What makes you Scotch.....

Davie · Post by **Davie** » Sat May 20, 2006 2:19 am

BBC Scotland had an item on the evening news the night, asking what makes you a Scot.
I would be interested to know, what everyone on this board sees themselves as.
Though, being born in Scotland, I consider myself a Weegie first, before I consider myself Scotch.
Do some of yoosyins think you are Canadian/American Scotch.
Not too sure what our cousins in the Southern hemisphere (Fourecks and NZ) would caw themsels
Jist being nosy
Davie

momat · Post by **momat** » Sat May 20, 2006 5:17 am

I'll have a double on the rocks.
Please .

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat May 20, 2006 7:04 am

I regard myself as Scots, or Scottish (not Scotch - that is for whisky, beef, tomatoes or the like).

If pushed I will say that I am two-third Scots. I was born and have always lived in Edinburgh; my father (and his side of the family) were Scots; my mother and her side of the family are English (whispered quietly).

Almost all of the family that I have traced in Scotland were lowlanders, so I make no serious claims of any clan allegiance. If wearing a kilt, my first choice is McLaren, as the history books show the Patersons to have links to the McLarens. My genealogy research has never shown any link to McLarens, or the Balquhidder area where the McLarens belonged according to clan maps.

In football terms, I will follow Scotland from the comfort of the armchair. In the 2006 World Cup, as Scotland did not qualify, there is the tenuous link that to follow Scotland this time we need to support Jason Scotland who plays for Trinidad and Tobago (in the same group as England). Jason, when not playing for his national side plays for St Johnstone, and previously for Dundee United.

All the best,

AndrewP

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Sat May 20, 2006 9:44 am

Definitely Scottish or écossaise, in spite of nearly 40 years in France. I do however support two rugby teams, France and Scotland. I have an identity crisis when they play together.

Probably could be called a Scottish mongrel, since my four branches have their roots in Renfrewshire, Fife, Aberdeenshire and Ross and Cromarty.

Regards

Catriona

wini · Post by **wini** » Sat May 20, 2006 11:12 am

I am like Catriona and have been away from Scotland for 44 years but still feel I have claim to being Scottish
I was born there and lived there for 23 years. I still have my Glasgow accent although I guess it has toned down over the years
My two daughers were babies whne they came to Australia and they consider themselves Australian.

NEVER NEVER SCOTCH.

wini

Post by **SarahND** » Sat May 20, 2006 2:46 pm

Good question Davie, what do us folks consider ourselves, whose families have lived on another continent for several hundred years? I think I have travelled so much that I don't see myself as belonging particularly to any country as such. My husband is Belgian, I have lived in France and India as well as the U.S.-- and, at this stage, it's hard to have nationalistic feelings when the policies of my "home" country are so far from anything I believe in (my Quaker forebears are getting quite dizzy turning over in their graves...)

My mother always told us we were half Scottish and half English on both sides, which is somewhere near the truth if you don't quibble about percentages. This is interesting in itself, when you consider that most of my ancestors came to America in the 1600s (the most recent immigrant, a Scot, came over in 1837). Why do we still call ourselves Scottish and/or English when it has been so long?

All I can say is that there is something in the culture and the landscape (of both Scotland and England-- sorry!) that strikes a deep note in me-- that speak of "home" more than other places in the world. So if someone asks, "Where were you born?" I will tell them Pennsylvania (or, if pressed, America), but if they asked "What nationality are you?" I will automatically say, "Scots and English".

Sarah

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sat May 20, 2006 9:43 pm

Well Davie
I'm 100% Scots or Scottish. All my roots are in Scotland and I'm proud of my heritage without being a Nationalist. TalkingScot is bringing people together rather than setting them apart!
I like the feeling that even though fok have been away from this land for years, or, like Sarah, even longer , there is something which draws people back to their roots. Don't know what it is but it's there.

My only objection is to ex-pats who try to create a mythical land with magical clan roots which give them rights to set up clan societies and invent tartans and affiliations with Robert the Bruce or William Wallace or some such.
As a Lallander I enjoy the auld tongue but regret never having the Gaelic.
As to being Scotch only part of me is and only a small percent otherwise my liver would have given up a long time ago. Maybe its because I prefer it unadulterated.

Russell

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Sat May 20, 2006 10:07 pm

Hi Davie

My mother was from Scotland, and she always considered herself Scottish, or a Scot. NEVER SCOTCH.

I was born in Canada, and even though I have lived in the United States for some years, consider myself a Canadian with Scottish roots.

Regards

Sheila

Post by **Merlot** » Sat May 20, 2006 10:52 pm

Davie,
I am Scottish, and British, never Scotch, that's something you put water or lemonade in.

I've recently educated my English rellies on this particular point

Anyhow, here's tae us, wha's like us, gie few an they're aw died

Merlot

mallog · Post by **mallog** » Sat May 20, 2006 11:56 pm

Scottish !!! but not in a nationalistic way just cultural. I'm with Russell in that I have no time for clan societies etc.
Mallog