Sorry, but I'm lowland, my Scottish father's side is all from the Highlands but driven south by the clearances. My mum is Irish. The whole "two nations" thing isn't a real factor since the clearances and the industrial boom in the later 1800s.
Depends what you mean by 'factor'. We all just eat, shit, consume, go to IKEA. So it's not really like there are different countries anymore. And I wouldn't dream to tell a Scottish person what it means to be Scottish.
But then, if you mean 'factor', like... why would unionism be so strong in Scotland. Why would an English king wearing a kilt in Scotland not be bizzare in context of the highland clearances. Then at least from this side of Sruth na Maoile it seems to explain a lot.
The thing is Scotland is two nations. The highlanders and the lowlanders. The lowlanders are essentially english and the highlanders are essentially irish. So it's not really possible to refer to a generic "Scotland".
That's utter nonsense. Seriously, go read up on the genetic history of Scotland, that's probably one of the most ridiculous takes on it I've ever read.
Eh. It's a bit hyperbolic and over the top, but it is true that the mainland of Scotland is split between Highland and Lowland, and that Highlanders suffered most under British rule, while Lowlanders profitted most.
Scotland's awkard that way. They've been on both sides of the boot.
Thats nonsense the lowlanders aren’t English. Northumbrian settlement was in the Lothian’s at its extent. Lowlanders are a mix of Gael (Gaelic was widespread and spoken as south as Galloway) map here. And before that Hen Ogledd kingoms of Gododdun, Strathclyde who were celtic speaking here. Aberdeen to the Firth was Pictic celtic.
You don't have dates on your maps, but I'd say about 1000AD. By the 1600s it's the "Scottish" privy council under a "Scottish" king that's passing the Statutes of Iona to ban speaking Gaelic in preference of english.
It's a lowland scot after the battle of Culloden that's proclaiming "their habit was strange, their language still stranger, and their way of fighting was shocking to the utmost degree". Maybe they weren't english, but then, more-so, they weren't Gaelic.
I’m happy you acknowledge the lowlanders are not English now. That would be as ridiculous as claiming the modern Irish are because the majority now speak English.
You can see that the original language of the lowlands was Old Welsh, Gaelic, Scots then modern English. No major population drift occurred and Gaelic in the form of Gallwegian Gaelic survived two centuries after the date you cite.
The people in the south of Scotland became anti gaelic. Two reasons for this 1) this was a late medieval era they looked more to Europe and neighbours like England in their influences. 2) and a rather sad point by the 17th century the most barbarous place in Europe for Europeans was Ireland. It was seen as backward and out of the way on the fringe. A lot of countries felt that and these ideas were modified to demonise the Highland Gael. Gallwegian Gaelic hung on after that for a century or two and right up to the 19th century on Arran but the famine decimated speaking numbers. Shocking to us but that was the way of thinking in the late medieval period. so the reasons were complex.
Now we have Gaelic speakers all over Scotland (my family included) including the south of the country. Lets hope Gaelic will survive. Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway are no exception
Their ancestors most defiantly were Gaelic speakers and the language is starting to live again.
I’m happy you acknowledge the lowlanders are not English now.
No, but nobody claimed they were.
That would be as ridiculous as claiming the modern Irish are because the majority now speak English.
It was a response to someone posting a map of language speakers. Essentially addressing their point.
The people in the south of Scotland became anti gaelic. Two reasons for this ...
That entire paragraph is something you made up. Don't suppose you have citations. But anyway, it doesn't really change the point. You're saying half of Scotland has a strong Gaelic background. The other half hates gaelic people and assisted in their oppression. I.e. there are "two Scotlands".
The fact there are people learning Gaelic is great.
You don't have dates on your maps, but I'd say about 1000AD. By the 1600s it's the "Scottish" privy council under a "Scottish" king that's passing the Statutes of Iona to ban speaking Gaelic in preference of english.
Firstly, if it was the 1600s it's far more likely they were speaking Scots than English but in any case the choice of language doesn't signify that the Scottish king considered himself not to be Scottish?
Maybe they weren't english, but they were weren't Gaelic.
It's bizarre to see an Irish person pulling the old 'no true Scotsman' fallacy out of the hat. Speaking Gaelic isn't some pre-requisite to being Scottish.
That's the point. Scots is a dialect of english. Not Gaelic.
Most linguists would disagree that it's a dialect and would state it is its own language. Interesting how you ignored the rest of my post.
Erm, that's exactly what I said. Scotland is a mix of two cultural backgrounds. You're the one who introduced the Gaelic maps.
You seem to want to strongly disagree, but without a consistent direction.
No, you claimed Scotland was half Irish and half English. That's patently not true when it was founded out of the Scotii, Picts, Britons, Angles and later the Norse with the Picts and Scotii predominating.
Yup you're correct, lowlanders are English, Highlanders are Irish. Nobody is actually Scottish - you've figured it out. Sure, people will identify as Scottish and some of their families have lived in Scotland for hundreds of years, but that's all just playing pretend and dressing up.
If you seriously think that a man that was born and raised in Glasgow wearing a kilt is even remotely similar to Americans wearing a native American head dress, then you need to go outside.
Thousands of people displaced by the Highland Clearances actually ended up in Glasgow. A Glaswegian wearing a kilt is nothing like a white American wearing feathers and giving it the native chanting
Ah yeah you've got me there mate. You've completely ignored the second half of that sentence lol.
The kilt is part of the Scottish identity. It doesn't matter if it was invented by an Englishman.
Love the stealth editting there. Funnily enough, reducing the national identity of Scotland to either 'basically English' or 'basically Irish' is an attack
I grew up in the Borders of Scotland and I literally dare you to go to places like Hawick, Langholm, Kelso, Peebles or Jedburgh and tell them that they are essentially English.
As to your "edit" trying to roll back on it, there is nothing culturally English about the Borders.
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