Why some Scottish People REJECT Americans 

Hey Shaun I hope you are having a great evening

My Scottish Heritage is women who married German men in the hills of West Virginia

Jay VanDevender sounds good to me Yee haw

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I don’t think ignorance by itself is offensive. Self-aware ignorance, like an American on holiday in Scotland asking open-ended questions about local culture in an honest attempt to learn, is usually met with warmth and courtesy. Without that self-awareness however, people of every tribe, tongue and nation are prone to substitute the knowledge they lack with assumptions that they don’t even know they’ve made. That’s how you end up with Americans asking invalid questions in pathetic and unintentionally humorous attempts to show-off their “knowledge”. That’s as far as I’ll go with this analysis, as I’m talking about people who aren’t here. Those who would rather laugh at ignorance than correct it don’t make videos like this. Those who are not aware of their ignorance don’t look for videos that might help them diminish that ignorance. On behalf of all the Americans whose ignorance has been diminished, thanks. Great video. Great channel.

Yea the leftist treasonous lowlanders helped the British kill and run off their own countrymen because they were bigoted towards the rural/small town Highlanders. Then the British have the lowlanders their just fate by destroying their culture and refusing to teach them their own history...

Matt Miller: Matt Miller: I was thinking the same thing. Well, I would have used gentler language, but the sentiment is the same. Hey Shaun, maybe you and/or Moscow can start a series about Scottish history.

George MacDonald wrote a novel in 1886 set back at the Highland Clearances about a clan leader and his love for the land of his ancestors. The public domain book is called What's Mine's Mine and the modern edited version is called The Highlanders Last Song

George MacDonald wrote a novel in 1886 set back at the Highland Clearances about a clan leader and his love for the land of his ancestors. The public domain book is called What's Mine's Mine and the modern edited version is called The Highlanders Last Song...

I have sadly not been able to visit, but I have clan in the Highlands that are still very proud of their heritage.

There is a whole Tartan week in New York every April too. It's really impressive with a big parade!

NY, not exactly a hotbed of conservatism either.

SitatheNightGoddess wave to me, I'm marching in it playing my pipes!

@@scottishgirl8259 Sweet!!

@@alisgray What does that have to do with what everybody else is talking about?

thanks for the comment and i totally understand the similarities with the French communities. Makes sense.

French language researchers look to isolated villages northern New Brunswick to study French from the 1600’s. Just like isolated Appalachian people speak something more similar to Elizabethan English

Ancient wisdom tells us that a people who forgets its heritage and fails to learn from its past mistakes is doomed to repeat its history until it does. Study your Scottish history and use it as a tool to move forward. Most 'American' Scots were poor farmers who were trying to make ends meet and live their lives peacefully until the Aristocrats decided they needed more land to raise sheep. Thus the Highland Clearances began and the Clans left Scotland for freedom elsewhere...essentially America and Canada. America has forgotten its heritage or has deliberately ignored it and now we are paying the price for it.

Only thing that's gonna be left of Scottish and other European cultures and traditions are gonna be found in Midwest and Southern cities and towns. Here we celebrate our Czech and Scottish roots every year with festivals and Highland games.

@@maggiesatterfield2402 History/heritage ≠ cultural identity. You are the culture and mindset you practise, not a story you tell yourself. Your ancestors are the ones practising a previous version of your culture.

@@gs7828Traditions, attitudes, genetics etc. are passed through generations. It has to have some effect on how you are as a person.

They are the country people here now. They are anti government as it was passed down through generations.

If that was true america would not be trying so hard to backtrack or deny, rewrite and erase it's history.

@@Demetri450 you think that's normal for American citizens i don't

Few US schools teach any history. Lots of videos of college students who don't know anything about the American Revolution or the War of 1812, not even who fought or why. Some learn and celebrate but most are apathetic.

great topic, would love to know how you get on with it

I would.love to read your dissertation some day.

Nate Wallace I would love to be able to read your paper!!!

I'd love to read your paper too. There's so much to the topic!

That's a pretty broad topic for a dissertation. There's so much that you'll probably have to focus it down to a particular area. Do you have any ideas? The two biggest areas of Scottish influence that I've found are government and education. Are you going to look exclusively at direct Scottish influence or are you going to also include the influence of the Scots-Irish?

Well what he said about that is pretty common in the United Kingdom at large. For instance, in Northern Ireland, Irish history is not taught while the history of England is.

Except American history doesn't teach everything either. They still don't teach the history and genocide of the Indigenous people of this land. They still teach that Columbus discovered this continent for heavens sake.

C Wilhite to Europe Columbus did discover America not to the people that were here. American history is clear about the trail of tears, just not the brightest hour in history.

On a side note our state has changed Columbus day to Indeginous Peoples Day.

C Wilhite - Maybe where you went to school they didn't teach you that history but i learned about the more well know Native American tribes throughout the country and the three main tribes in my state.

It is taught if you take Scottish history. But things like ww1 and ww2 are much more important to learn than stuff that didn’t affect the whole world. Also your surname means literally nothing in terms of clan membership. Clans were localised groups who shared names for protection they were not actually blood relatives. There are millions of people with the name Campbell but that doesn’t mean they are all related to the clan. The name Armstrong existed before and after the clan Armstrong existed. Etymologically Armstrong was just a Middle English nickname for someone with strong arms. Your a million times more likely to simply be related to someone with the general surname than be related to clan Armstrong. Also the history of Armstrong you read was one of many of Walter Scott’s Victorian era embellishments meant to garner interest in the Victorian public for Scotland. The actual history of the most popular clan Armstrong is incredibly benign and only really lasts from around 1200 to 1600 ad. Alongside that there were multiple clan Armstrong’s across Northumbria and Scotland so to say you were even related to the most famous one is credulous. On top of the fact that there is no record of clan chiefs for the main Armstrong clan past 1700 so there is litterally no way to know you are related to them. Even if you were it would be a relation to someone simply under the leadership of Armstrong who would have a different surname. Only the clan chiefs and their relatives would be Armstrong by blood. American ignorance on this is aggravating to no end considering how many people in these comments actually believe they are Scottish because they have a surname ahha.

Lol ours for the Malcom/Malcom in my line came from my the Jacobite rebellion and got caught and then banished to Virginia colony in America...

@@acksawblackSounds like you are well read on the subject of Scottish clans. Thanks for enlightening us all, but your arrogance and offensive comments probably wont make any difference to the person who takes comfort in her Scottish heritage and those who came before her.

It is shocking that Scottish people aren't taught their own history, you are right, at least basic elements of how the country formed and evolved over time. After all, we're one of the oldest countries in the world. We're taught vague elements of WW1 or 2 with perfunctory big moments that happened therein during school history class, I remember them well. It's a disgrace and it's something that should be changed for future generations to know their own country's history just like every other developed country in the world. But, it is largely deliberate, if all scots were told their history it would go against the political establishment's doctrine of Britishness and Union.

Were you taught Scottish history in high school? What part of the U.S.? Fascinating.

Union or Confederate?

Thank your father for his service. Vietnam veterans were not treated well when they returned. Please let your dad know I'm very thankful for all hes done for our country. You have a very long heritage here, enjoy it!

Your ancestor fought against fellow Scots in the British Empire....

@@foreverandever5548 bein the Brigish Empire... they were no longer scotts.. they were just red coats

thecapturban That’s a load of complete nonsense. Scotland was apart of the British Empire.

Tanya Jackson hehe glad to hear it 😊🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I personally find it annoying but eh it's okay.

Lol me too Tanya..I love the (burr).. but I did notice in another video his sister didn’t have it as much..it was the American candy video.. but Shaun, yep..put a kilt and plaid on him and call him Jamie...lol 😊

Tanya Jackson till ya hear it from yer angry scottish granny....

Scottish Girl ohhh I’m pretty sure granny could deliver a finely tuned verbal tirade beat down..lol my husbands paternal grandma had the Irish temper going strong..lots of Irish “R’s” flying..so yeah scots and Irish are pretty good at making you understand clearly, you have screwed up lol!

That's my thought too. I'm mostly English with some Scots-Irish, but basically I think of my background as "Southern". There is a distinct culture (dialect, music, food, religious outlook, etc...) in the South.

We Scots are proud people we invented the modern world and are proud of it.

@@robertgibson9619 But not so prideful that you learn your own history.

@@christschool elaborate?

Yea I’ve got half of my family that is from the deep south but all the names are Scottish or Irish and basically what I’ve learned is that for 200 years we started fights from roughly Drogheda in 1650 to the Civil War in 1860 and we got WHOOPED every time. So it’s kinda like a mark of shame but defiant pride. And I can see how modern Scottish who stayed there probably got over all the beatings and reconciled with the English. But for us Southerners beating the British in the revolution and at New Orleans in 1814 that’s the ONLY times we ever win so it’s important to us

That's really interesting.

Linda....Wow. I have learned about the Jacobite history and so amazing to hear your story. Culloden is heartbreaking

Clan Donald!

@Sentient Zealot XIII Not specifically but if you google what u are looking for it should bring up many things. You could also go to the library where the reference area could help you find information. I checked out a DVD on Scotland from a library ( can't remember the name of it). Also, there are books on it, as well. Scotland to me is such a magical place. I loved visiting so much! Good luck in finding what you want! :-)

Lou Ann Schafer yes, how did you know?

Confirmed, there are plenty of Americans of Scots descent who are not conservatives politically or socially. Hi. It's totally probable that Americans of Scots heritage who are very focused on their Scottish history are conservatives. And just as likely that those are the ones gravitating to Scots vloggers on RU-vid.

Mary Ellen Cook yes it is and you are right. I'm proud to be of Scottish descent.

Mary Ellen Cook correct. Thomas Jefferson has a scottish tutor and was very influential in his teaching of thomas Jefferson. Those who were immigrants from Scotland suported the constitution and those who were first generation American citizens from parents who came from Scotland also supported the constitution. And the declaration of Arbaroth was very key in our constitution. The scots have contributed much to our country and we still use words today that they brought with them. As well as their cuisine.

@Sc0ttishGamer88 that is beautiful!!!

@@kimholcomb6943 so am I ! I knew of the Scottish descent from my paternal grandmother's side of the family with the Johnson Clan. It wasn't until one of my cousins started to do genealogical research for that side of the family that we found out that our paternal grandfather's side actually came from Edinborough and not from the lowlands and Border area of England ! All this time we thought that the Plumb side of the family had been English and it turned out to be Scottish after all. Combined with my mother's side of the family which is about 25% Scottish, the rest being English French and German, I am probably somewhere between 60 to 75% of Scottish ancestry just going from genealogies done by other family members. I think it would be fairly safe to say that most of America has been settled by people of Scottish origin . No wonder we outnumber the population of Scotland if that is true!

Yes!

The English outlawed our language,, our traditions, our clothes, even our music.

@@albagubrath9073 Uhhh you forgot to mention that lowlanders were the ones most enthusiastic about eliminating your culture even more than us.

@SirSnufflelots I am Scoottish, born and bred and proud to state that fact. I have never said I was British and I never will. Saor Alba 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@@simpsonbandit65 same

I wish I had such a course while in University.

Michael Anderson... You’d be surprised how specialized historians can be. My specialties are American Diplomatic and Military History. It’s not uncommon for a college professor who teaches European history to specialize in a specific country like Scotland or France.

justreallybored yeah I’m totally gojnna do that, just need to find the best one

@@shaunvlog Yeah apparently there is a big difference between some of them.

I used Ancestry DNA and it also matched me up to many close relatives I never had the blessing to know. But now we are close. I learned all about my families migration, etc. I totally recommend Ancestry.

@@shaunvlog I think Ancestry.com has the largest database of DNA, so, in theory, should be the most accurate. The other companies may not be as specific, but they provide more goodies than Ancestry.com - like what you're likely allergic to or what foods you may enjoy. I used Ancestry.com about 3-4 years ago and it came back 2% Scottish, which surprised me because me because Renwick is our family name. Then last year, they sent me an update(free) where I'm now 6% Scottish and less British. Maybe they all provide free updates, but I thought that was a nice perk.

@kevin3224 A set of British twins took the Ancestry test and it placed them with different genetics..😜👍

Gail Cannon, My maiden name is Bell, and my younger Brother, James Bell, wants to believe that we are a Sept of Clan McMillan, but I had to correct him that we were Bells of the Borders. But just for fun, at my High School graduation I sat behind Bruce MacMillan, who had bright red hair and a large young man, it was God awfully hot and humid that night and Bruce pretty much soaked his cap and gown with sweat. I had some tissues with me and tapped him on the back to give him some. LOL! Brother and myself are both members of Clan Bell N.A.

I have Boyd family from Kilmarnock. Few generations back.

Nice to meet you,I’m from a wee village called Hurlford,right next door to Kilmarnock 👍🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Have you visited Old Brunswick Town on Hwy 133, and the chimney from the first Royal Governor’s mansion?

Very illuminating! Proud of my Scottish bloodline through my dear maternal granny❣️

Shara Goins although it might be because my family more recently migrated over only a few generations ago, I don’t consider myself American. I do in fact consider myself european, mainly Scottish Irish, simply because I have the view that the America’s, mainly Canada and US, are european colonies and therefore have its culture

@@drengr7210 that could be. I know plenty of families that identify with their family origins firstly and America second. A lot of them are only first or second generation here, but as the generations go on the traditions are never lost but American law and tradition becomes more embraced and celebrated. You never loose your identity. That's the beauty of the U.S.

Yes we do. I'm an American of deep Scottish roots.

@@drengr7210 It's all about how you're raised. As someone who in an anthropology major and who has reviewed abstracts from sociological studies from ethnicities in the United States, it depends on how mixed a family might be and from where they came from, for example, German-Americans who are either from rural areas or who may not have intermarried with other groups, may not have passed down many traditions in part to the fact that during WW1, all things German were deemed unpatriotic to the extent where many scenes which included KKK anti-German-American activity was seen. But we were forced to lose many of those traditions that today, would now be vestiges of the times from when our families came over. That is, popular then in the original country at the time, but not so much anymore. Even with the way you do things and make decisions can sometimes be an inflection of the ethnicity to which you belong to. (ie. 2 Midwest German-American examples: Going through a side-door or the backdoor instead of the front door. Unspoken yet shared Purpose: To keep the front door clean looking Being a little more closed to strangers when you first meet someone. Unspoken yet shared Purpose: to avoid making yourself a target for judgment. Hanging a pickle on the Christmas Tree Unspoken yet shared Purpose: to retract that bit of lost obvious Germanness even though it was a potentially manufactured tradition marketed to German Americans after WW2 Still speaking the German language or Dialect brought by the family even if over 100 years ago: Unspoken yet shared Purpose: That's just what was/is done Passing on recipes: Unspoken yet shared Purpose: some things shouldn't be forgotten Once again, it all depends on where someone grows up and in which ethnic group their family is a part of. It's all related to ethnic hegemony too. Some regions culture's of the United States can be more influenced by a group than another due to a number of reasons. It's a much greater puzzle than what meets the eye

Hi cousin ! Ferguson is in my heritage too !

My mom's maiden name is Ferguson, but when we did the Ancestry DNA test, we found out Mom is mostly of Norman descent!

@@Grimmalkin61 ours too .. I think that may be quite common amongst us "fergusons" ??

hello distant cousin, Ferguson was my grandma's maiden name

I am a Gibson from a subset of the Clan Buchanan. I know my tartan.

Actually, the people of Appalachia in the Southern US are mostly of Scots-Irish descent (Ulster Scots). Highlanders were a very small part of Scottish immigration to the US.

"Scotch Irish" if you please.

@@georgemartin4963 Yes! My mother's people were Scotch-Irish from Kentucky. Scotch is an old form of Scots. Scotch-Irish is a name they gave themselves. Outside of the US they are called Ulster Scots. I get tired of people correcting people who say "Scotch-Irish." As I said, it's a name we (on my mother's side) called ourselves. One can say Scots-Irish if they want, but don't correct those who call themselves Scotch-Irish.

Well said.

My people were Ulster Scots from south west Scotland. Presbyterians. They came to Pennsylvania and then followed the Great wagon Road down into the Appalachian Mountains and eventually stayed in North West North Carolina. They were also on the American side in the war of independence.

Trumps mum was Scottish. My Great Grandmother knew Mary very well. 😀✝️

Servo Exactly!

Servo... *its independence (not apostrophe in "its" and not "independents."

Wrong.

Scottish culture of Lowlanders like me still exists. I live here.

yer bum's oot the windae say that to countless Scots divisions who fought through British empire in Canada Australia etc and who maybe burnt US capitol in 1812

According to a Scotsman told me at a Scottish fair, the pipes are a joke that the Irish played on the Scots 500 years ago and the Scots still haven't gotten it.

"... so I tend to cringe too here in America with some of the things folks say to my husband." - Oh, details please!

cfytcf Okay! The number 1 cringeworthy comment people make to my husband is, “Ooooh, you’re from Scotland! My family came over here from Ireland!” He usually looks at me with the words “That’s a different country,” tattooed across his expression. Or, “Can I see your kilt?” No, he doesn’t have one.

@@DavCynLondon Ha! I think a lot of people hear Scots-Irish and mistakenly think it means "Scottish OR Irish", and conflate us together.

Cynthia Kleppang Cynthia Kleppang That might be because both countries were colonized by the English, so they figure there’s a shared experience there.

Tell us more.

My Wright forebears were Scots Irish, and my grandparents were quite conservative. So that bit survived so far as their thinking is concerned.

Yes. My family did a stopover in Ulster for a generation, and then on to Tennessee. That branch of the family is both Presbyterian and very, very conservative. However, my grandfather married my grandmother, of Prussian Catholic and Irish (Catholic?) descent. Both lines were career military. I am not conservative, nor religious, but extremely independent.

Agree. Religion plays a huge role in why many areas of Scottish or Scot-Irish ancestry in the US would be label conservative vs. modern Scotland. I had a conversation about this with my airBNB host when visiting Scotland a couple of years ago. Today religion plays a much smaller role in Scottish culture, so therefore political affiliations are built upon other values. To me, this makes it hard to compare in today's context.

Your argument would be better if you spelt Scots right! Keep chasing the sheep.

I trust you are aware that Scotland has it's own separate and distinct education system to the rest of the UK. You may wish to ask those in the Far North how they feel about Edinburgh dominance over northern Scandi-influenced cultures dying off. It might also help if you drop the romanticised narrative of English = bad, Scottish (somehow one amorphous cultural mass) good. Nationalism on any side is never healthy.

@@MorningtonCrescent I'm aware Scotland has a separate and distinct education system from that of the UK. My comment wasn't intended to disparage the people. It was simply there to point out the nearly 400 years the crown devoted to destroying Scottish culture, language and heritage. The crown's stated goal was to Anglicize them, and were widely successful.

@@williammcilwraith9304 what kind of comment is that? It is Condescending and of no real value. Get off your high horse and join the rest of us normal people. None of us are perfect. Quit pretending that you are. I say this not to imply that I am any better then you.. but to in courage you to be a bit more forgiving of our faults.

Link please.

@@christschool Georgia State History. Charters for the establishment of the Colonies of Georgia, and the Carolinas. Now you have the key words to search. You may even find that the first Declaration of Sovereignty/Constitution was written by a group of Scots living in what is now North Carolina, almost 50 years before our Revolution. John Paul Jones, father of our Navy, was a Scot. Post Revolution the Southern States continued to see an influx of Scots, and Irishmen (Ulstermen as well), and yes I do distinguish between the two when it comes to the Plantation.

Scots/Irish (and couple others) here from georgia

A descendent of the Elliott border reiver clan here in South Carolina.

James Wells My paternal great-great grandparents came from Scotland and settled in Georgia. I can’t get past that point in my research. My dad often talked of the Frasers and that the surname changed when they came to the States, or before they came? The surname was changed to Fry/ Frie. I so much wish I could break through this brick wall and find where in Scotland they came from.

Jane Boo don’t worry, I live in the highlands and our culture is still very much alive and thriving! We know our clans because they are in our surnames, and tartan is still used during special occasions (Highland games, ceilidhs, Mòds, weddings etc) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😊x

The closeness and culture were list affter the '45 uprising. Following the defeat Culloden in the following year, the Britishg government imposed xeiminly harsh conditions on the Highland. Not onlyj was traditional Highland dress outlawed, so,too, was the Gaelib languages

...Oops! So, too was the Gaelic language.This was the same tactic used later by Napoleon Bonaparte in his suppression of local regions, their patois' and cultures into the creation of modern France. A failure to learn the French language denied you and your family access to to education and other rights enjoyed by those who compmlied. Highland lanords and chieftains were bought and corrupted or bankrupted by the government into abdicatibg their traditionalists loyalties and their people. With their traditional communities destroyed, many chose or were pushed into leaving their homeland to seek a new life in the 'colonies' - particularly in North America.

Alot of us actually do. Shaun is wrong about this. I'm the gray clan, the tartan is pretty cool. So is fact my ancestor sir Andrew Gray who scaled Edinburgh castle and slayed English soldiers who had taken it in 1312.

@@nancybennett4972 ALSO SCOTS TROOPS ENFORCED MANY OF THE GOVERNMENT POLICIES. THE ROYAL SCOTS AN EDINBURGH REGIMENT (one of the oldest until recently in The British Army) THE NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS( Ayrshire and No lovers of Jacobites. Scottish or English) and the Campbell Millitia. Argylles Regiment became the Famously Known The Argylle and Sutherland Highlanders. All these Regiments were at Culloden,NOT Fighting for Prince Charlie.Other Scots regiments fighting on behalf of the government were Colonel Gardiners Drragoons and The Glasgow Millitia. Thats a lot of Scotsmen(about 5000 NOT fighting for The Jacobites. It should also be said that there were ENGLISH JACOBITES fighting for Charlie also.

Scroll up. The Western Coast Highlands still have the old culture intact.

Same here for England. England is not the England I grew up reading about and seeing in the movies.

@@catherinelw9365you’ll need to speak Arabic to make it around England today like. Whoops!

​@@Hrossey yeah that's disgusting. It's happening in America too though, but it's worse here with Indians (from India..not native americans) and of course, descendants of African slaves that reproduce like rabbits

Marilyn Madison that’s awesome, and the word Dunedin is also quite significant here to this day

@@shaunvlog And I had my DNA tested and found out last month. Scottish, Irish. English and Welsh. And a little bit of Norwegian and Swedish too. I'm one of those 10% of Americans you mentioned in your video. I enjoy your content. Keep it coming!

Didn't know that! I've always just assumed it was the sister-city to Edinburgh: "Edinburgh" in Gaelic = "Dùn Èideann" "Dunedin" in Gaelic = "Dùn Èideann"

Marylin, come visit the one in Orlando (Winter Springs), FL Jan 2020. It's HUGE!

Patty Barone yeahhhhhyawill😉

I went to Scotland in 1998, and saw quite a few bag pipers in kilts. One particular place was at the castle on Loch Ness (can’t spell it, but it sounds like Urchahart). A bag piper in full regalia was walking back and forth on the wall playing a bag pipe. I saw a couple of guys in kilts on the street in Edinburgh too. Not sure what was going on but there was a few. Maybe for tourism lol.

Come to the highlands as islands! You’ll still see a ton of kilt playing, Gaelic Speaking people here! We’re very proud of our culture on the West Coast, it’s more the lowlands, east and central belt that do not identify with this culture (and arguably never did) X 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😊

Christiana HRC Thanks! I surely will put that on my itinerary. Thanks for the tip. I welcome all tips. 😊

Tricia Barone no problem, happy to help. I hope you enjoy your time here!

I used to live by the fairgrounds In Pleasanton and yes, that festival is huge. The sound of bagpipes would ring in my head for weeks afterwards.

Ruthanne D'Antuono I remember hearing the Wicked Tinkers play live at the Scottish Games in Campbell. I know what you mean about the sun burns, it’s always warm and sunny at the Pleasanton games. A couple of times when the forecast predicted it getting over 100 degrees we decided it was just too hot to go.

Ruthanne D'Antuono I have one of their cds, so that would make me a casual fan I guess. What’s the story?

Going to assume you're Northern Ca.

OMG... damn I live in San Leandro I didnt know there were games just over the hill SWEET!!! thank you... I will see you there next year. Do you have a kilt? Do you wear a kilt? Does everyone wear their family Tartans? lol sorry got a little excited there for a sec. haha

That’s a very good book. It needs to be taught. But it won’t.

I had no idea! Thank you for explaining the origin!

@@cynthiarose7833 i had to look it up...lol

Way to go!!!

My family, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents, Came to Canada in 1861 from Isle of Mull. I am so proud to know I am of a Clan with a great history. I grew up with a very boisterous Grandad. We learned to dance we ate Scottish foods and I absolutely LOVE going to Scotland about every 2 to 5 years. Our Clan has a Family Gathering and it draws MacLeans from every part of the world. Nearly a 1000 of us descend on the Castle Duart. We are.so happy to be part of this channel

Worse than that. Many are being taught that they are bad. :( The Electoral College for example...

SGlitz - you make an excellent point. I think that there’s a trend toward homogenization of the world’s politics and governance that might one day make us all less individual.

@@robcog1451 oh that is where it is going. It's called, "Diversity and Inclusion " funnily enough.

Rob...I agree that the US is always for the underdog. I know I am! I think a lot of it is how our country was founded and gained our freedom... The revolution etc. And yes, the individual fighting oppression of any kind to gain and keep personal freedom. That's where I feel the Highland culture and the beginnings of America are so much the same.

@@SGlitz If I understood you correctly I agree...Our high-schools and colleges are not teaching accurate American history anymore. They have altered it to fit a leftist agenda believe it or not. Former governor, Mike Huckabee, has a DVD series out for young people ( or anyone) on the facts of our history. Very good. About the electoral college: The founding father's in their brilliance got it right. If the electoral college were to be abolished (bad idea!) Only the coasts and its big cities would vote in our President and other govt officials! All the huge area in between... I.e. the Heartland.. would not matter due to population etc. KEEP the electoral college. It is fair and the right thing to do. Also...our constitution...its worked..the old saying in general...if it's not broken don't fix it. I support our Constitution as is.

thanks Holly, i'm really glad you're here and hope you feel at home 😀

Same!

Which scottish accent?

It should not be forgotten that thousands of American and Canadian troops crossed the Atlantic in two World Wars. Many were landed at a place known as Princes Pier in Greenock on the Clyde. It is not generally known that the shortest sea crossing to North America was considered at that time to be from the Clyde. Liners were used to bring these young men and women accross the Ocean. The rivers many paddle steamers being used to disembark them as the liners could not dock at the quay. I am in my sixties so have met pensioners on the former railway who remembered the Troop Trains going through. The railway though now closed is a fascinating piece of Victorian architecture,comprising of many tunnels,cuttings and a steep gradient from the pier through the towns of Greenock and Port Glasgow to Kilmacolm. It once connected to the National Network in two places so these trains could then access anywhere in Scotland or England and Wales on the Nations once prodigious railway system. Apparently,the trains slowed to walking pace in places,so local children would gather under bridges and on station platforms,the young soldiers would throw sweets and other goodies to the kids as the trains passed. Many years later whilst cycling the other side of the river back in the mid ninetys. I met a family on holiday from the states who had the grandad (a veteran of World War 11) who had been on one of these very trains. The old boys delight at being shown where he and his pals had landed all those years before was quite moving. Especially to someone like myself,born within ten years of WorldWar 11.

It's easy to spot if there above 5,9 and have freckles

Shawn if you take this suggestion, I could help. I live in Martinez, CA, USA where John Muir's home is. I could give you some pictures and / or video of the site.

Our national parks: America's best idea. I totally agree!

fleischer236 great idea I’d love to learn more about him, plus we have a John muir park near my home in Edinburgh too. A global legend

Muir was one of the first to hike thru the Everglades and predict mans destruction of them if not protected.

I'm going to be 'that guy'. "The Ugly American'" was not originally penned as a pejorative. It was penned in a book of the same name (somewhat dated) that criticized U.S. diplomatic policies of the mid 20th century. The Ugly Americans were the persons who actually strove to better rural areas by understanding and working within the cultures of the people they were trying to help. They were the opposite of the 'glamorous' diplomats that helped only superficially and preferred to indulge in and associate themselves with the 'higher; classes of the subject countries. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_American

John Calvin Hall Well said!!

We are having the same issue here in the US

Fran Boscow great to hear it Fran 😊

I have all those also,but add 7% Norway and 4% France to it. I was born and raised in East Tennessee .

Yeah, AncestryDNA for me, too. 80+% England, ~13% Scotland, Ireland and Wales, with some Norway and Germanic western Europe thrown in to round out the score. Only caveat I'd throw in is that the advertising can be a bit misleading, like the ones that tout "my results show I'm related to a blue-eyed, Ginger fisherman from the Hebrides!" Yeah, not so fast, there, Hoss -- you have to have filled out a good portion of your actual family tree for the Ancestry database to toss you potentially relevant data on likely ancestors, as the actual DNA testing won't get you anywhere near that specific, unless your relatives have also taken and submitted AncestryDNA tests. The larger ethnicity results are informative, though, if only from the standpoint of giving you a "deep history" view of your ancestry. :)

Hello Fran...it seems a lot have similar heritage lines. We have the same but with some Russian Pole French thrown in from what i have been told....definately French now as my Mrs is half French/English and her forefather on her dads side was a first fleeter.

Wow Kim I hadn't really thought of it in that way but I think you are completely right. Our ancestors all came here from somewhere else so they tried to preserve something of their homeland and pass it down through the generations.

Scotland can't be independent of England. It can be independent from the United Kingdom, but the UK does NOT = "England". England is just one of four countries that comprise the UK. As far as the English go, they treated me just fine the nine months I lived there. Most upon finding out I'm from California wondered what I was doing there and expressed the desire to either visit or live in California. There never rejected me.

Kim....I found the same....Scotland greeted us with open arms and It really touched me. At a hotel I stayed at I was talking to a staff person and saying how the Scottish people were so wonderful and friendly etc. He then said that after meeting people from all countries at the hotel he thought Americans were the friendliest. This made me happy and I was surprised. Not because Americans are not friendly but just because there are so many countries etc. It warmed my heart. LOVE Scotland. :-)

You know nothing about Scottish politics, don’t get involved.

Correction: UK Liberals are not equivalent to US conservatives. Even Australian Liberals (politically conservative) cannot match US conservative extremes. Across the standard international spectrum, UK Conservatives are generally aligned to the US Democrats (the mainstream part). You may also benefit from understanding that Scotland cannot be independent from England because the nation-state that Scotland is integrated into is the UK, NOT England. Understanding this basic structure (and the history behind the Union in 1707, PLUS the history of Scotland's earlier unification) will help you to understand - and appreciate - the nuances and complexities on both sides of the debate. The foundation of Scotland as a national entity was not negotiated by handshakes around a table i.e. it was arguably achieved by force, coercion and power struggles between feudal groups; the very same dynamics which led to the UK Union of which you disapprove. If you are an American conservative constitutionalist, you defend the US Union against secessionist states and support the federal republic, yet you simultaneously advocate for secession/independence for a constituent nation away from the UK union. Very odd. This is akin to pushing for California to be independent from the oppression of Texas. It's clearly a nonsense. You will encounter resistance across the UK, including Scotland, from SOME people. Avoiding a binary us/them approach (often based on false romantic notions) may help.

There's that Scottish spirit that has given breath to many a bar fight. Lol

I am from Ayrshire, the heart of Scotland. The birth place of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace's parents. I was taught about the Covenanters at Primary school. Loudoun Hill where Robert the Bruce defeated the English.

your knowledge of your history is flawed if you blame the English for the highland clearances!

Pj Moseley. Indirectly the British government was responsible for the clearances, The harshness and cruelty imposed by them on the Highlands following Culloden destroyed the 'family' nature of the relationship between the chieftain and his kin. With no support and being treated like traitors in their own land, a leaderless people had few options. Their defeated demoralised and impoverished laird's were reduced to effectively selling their birthright by encouraging (often cruelly enforcing) the removal of the human population in favour of the more lucrative sheep or as grouse moors where the wealthy could enjoying shooting and killing game..

@@nancybennett4972 what are grouse moors?

It is also true that performers from these communities (e g. Nova Scotia, Cape Breton etc.} regularly come these days to perform at the many, thriving traditional, music. festivals throughout the length and breadth of Scotland.

Yeah, the Cape Breton fiddling tradition has some of the oldest roots in the world, right up there with the Shetland fiddling tradition

I dont think Scottish Music has ever been " Repressed. " Esp by the English. In fact it became all the rage after Georges visit in 1822, and has been very popular ever since.

There are Highlands Games in Estes Park Colorado, near Rocky Mountain National Park. It's a stunning place to visit! I will be your tour guide if you come!

Robert Rogers my mother is Scots Irish and this was very true for her of her family. She never knew she was even Scot Irish. The reason was that my maternal side fought in the Revolutionary War, and when that war was won, my family and I'm sure many more called themselves Americans. Their UK life was over and they were looking forward and embracing their new country. This was true especially in Appalachia area. My Scottish Ancestors were moved from the border lands of Scotland to Northern Ireland with a promise from King James I that the the land would be more fertile and they would be prosperous. When they got there they found the land was no more fertile than where thy came from, as well as some really pissed off Irish that were forced off their land to accommodate all the Scots moving in. For at least one hundred years there was nothing but squabbles sometimes deadly between the Displaced Scots and the Irish. When the next King came to the throne he decided that the UK would begin celebrating their religion in a more structured (leaning more Catholic...but not Catholic sort of way.) That's when the Scot Irish threw their hands up in the air and said no more, and the great migration to The Colonies in America began. They were ingrained with an inherent distrust of The King and government in general. These people were pissed off as well as scrappy fighters (they had to be) and when the America Revolution started they were willing to fight by any means necessary thus kicking the British asses and they were instrumental in actually turned the war around to the Americans side. The rest is history. My Great, Great, Great Grandfather was named George Washington after the father of our country. So all in all these Scottish people were a big part of the independence of our great nation.

@@diannehasse6942 This is awesome. You filled in some blanks in my family history here. Thank you!

@ Kristen Whitworth Look up Scot Irish Documentary on You Tube. Billy Ray Cyrus is the one who voices it and it is a great one. I believe it was shown on the the History Channel originally. The Scot Irish came here for religious freedom. Their way of worship had become more Evangelical and Bible based. So being forced to change the way they worshiped was the last straw. When they came to America they built Baptist churches and Pentecostal churches. One fact I found Amusing was the way the Scot Irish fought the British. The British were used to fighting in open fields and their technique was to line up in straight lies behind each other. The line in front would kneel down and shoot and so on and so forth. When they started fighting the Appalachian people (Scot Irish) that technique didn't work. Hard as the British tried the area just wouldn't accommodate their tried and true way of fighting. The Scot Irish hid behind rocks, trees, and picked the British off like ducks in a barrel. It was a slaughter. The Scot Irish learned how to fight this way from fighting Indians and that's how the Indians fought.

@@yourcoloradofriend9744 Colorado, also not known as a hotbed of conservatism. Don't you guys have both state house and state senate with Dem majorities right now?

Yep. It's just that the conservative parts can get very excitable about celebrating their nostalgia. There's a Scottish festival in my metro area (MSP) as well as ones for the Irish, Greek, Indian, Mexican, Hmong, and lots of Scandinavian cultures, and for Juneteenth. Minnesota currently has both of our Senators as both Democrats and women. One of our state representatives is a Democrat and a Muslim lady. Not particularly conservative. We do still have some neonazi, white pride creeps around here, but we do our best to shout them down.

Yeah, I didn't know Massachusetts and New York were bastions of conservatism. SMH. 🤦‍♂️

@@alisgray Are you saying the Kennedy's were never proud of their Irish heritage?

@@dubuyajay9964 What a breathless leap of logic, dear. You're turned around, there. Try reading it again. I did not say that only conservative Americans celebrate their heritage.

Cunningham! That's my Irish roots. My Irish relatives still live in County Roscommon, where my grandmother was born. I was able to get an Irish passport through her. Mary Kate Cunningham. Seriously, that was my grandmother's name.

They’re the same people

I hate burst your bubble, but Scots hate the South and to a lesser extent the Midwest. They are anti-religious and view everyone in the "Bible Belt" as hypocritical morons.

Justreallybored...I'm glad u also mentioned the Midwest as I grew up in the Heartland (North Dakota) and believe me they are all u described and more! I visited Scotland in may of 2018 and fell totally in love with it and its wonderful people. I felt a great affinity between the US and Scotland..especially the Highland culture. I visited Culloden ...very poignant. Totally loved Scotland and hope to visit again. Love Shaun's blogs also!

@@corin164 Not everyone who reads the Bible and believes in God is a moron and hypocrite here or anywhere. I visited Scotland last year and met some wonderful Christians there. I think Scotland throughout its history has suffered , as has Ireland, due to "religious" divisions. Religion is not the same as an actual personal relationship with God. I don't think anyone can justify killing each other over what religion you are. Loving and believing in God is "not" that for sure.

@@ladyguenevere3501 - I don't believe I ever stated that Scots don't believe in God. I believe what I stated was that a majority of Scots look down on the people of the US South as if they were religious morons, bigots, homophobes, and any other Left Wing diatribe they have adopted. I've lived in Scotland, I attended services at a Church of Scotland ministry. I've also listen to Scots from all walks of life and have concluded that my original analysis of Scots as it refers to Southern Americans is right on.

If you’re of Scottish decent, like I am, then it is your history and why wouldn’t you be interested?

Of course I’m interested that’s why I subscribe to your channel. I was trying to explain why many of us are so interested. Basically it’s a lack of our own extensive American history, so we grasp at what we think (or assume) was our history before our ancestors arrived in America. My guess is that 23 And Me includes Scottish in their designation of “British”? So yes I have Scottish. Woo hoo!! 🤩

It’s not my channel. I just happen to be named Shawn. I’m an American

those centuries and centuries of history were brought here with the scottish, ours is both America's history AND the old world history. We wish to know it all, and are proud of both, we are fiercely proud Americans whose grandfathers and grandmothers came from the auld sod and helped build our home now. My family and I have and will fight for America to our death, and we will always feel a tug in our hearts for the Highlands as well.

Do not be gutted,alot of Scots were over the moon,it saved the horrible thought of NOT HAVING A PENSION IN OLD AGE ! And it comes about sooner than one might think laddie' I remember going to see Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac,The Floyd,Purple and Taste as if it was yesterday. That was fifty years ago.

Will never happen, Scotland is British