Scotland

By Andrew Stookey

Ah, Scotland, the land of bagpipes, haggis, and kilts. This lovely country, just north of the UK, is a place where most people in America will say they have ancestors. About 20-25 million Americans are of Scottish descent, and at least 23 presidents have had some Scottish ancestry. Scotland has been handing down its traditions and customs to descendants since the 12th century, and today, many people still take pride in the rich heritage that is being Scottish.

Approximately 1.5 million Scotts have immigrated to America, and have been since the early days of colonization. Enormous portions of America’s population have Scottish ancestry. This can be seen in many ways, a common one being names. Surnames beginning with “Mc” or “Mac” usually relate to Scottish heritage. The Scotts have also brought us Buick cars, Elvis Presley, and Neil Armstrong.

When it comes to food, many people think of haggis, a gross looking pudding with some sheep pluck (heart, liver, and lungs) and various vegetables, but Scotland has brought us much more than that. Both fried chicken and hotdogs originated in Scotland. Whiskey was also brought by the Scotts, but drinking alcohol is bad, so let’s forget that one. Campbell Soups and Kelloggs were both founded by Scottish men, adding to the Scottish cuisine found in America.

One cultural tradition held by the Scotts is the Highland Games. Before Scotland was ruled under a government, there were many separate clans led by Chieftains. Once every year, the Chieftains would host their own games to see if their clan members were prepared for war.

The Highland Games consist of field and track events, dancing, piping competitions, and heavy events, such as hammer throw, tug-o-war, and the caber toss. A caber is a long pole, usually from the branch of a Larch tree. The official measurements are 19 feet 6 inches, weighing in at around 175 pounds. The goal is to throw the pole and have it flip midair, land vertically, and flip away from the thrower, landing in a 12 o’clock position flat on the ground. Distance does not matter when judging the caber toss.

Today, Highland Games are still held, and it is treated much like a country-specific Olympics in Scotland. Various cities around the country hold them, and crowds are usually very large at the games.

Sport is highly regarded in Scotland, with football, or soccer, being the number one sport of the country. Scotland’s football association is the second oldest football association in the world, being dated back to 1424. Other sports played commonly in Scotland are rugby, cricket, and golf. Scotland’s golf courses are known for being very luxurious, and players have come from all over the world to play at its famous courses, including the Old Course, Carnoustie, Gleaneagles, and Royal Troon.

Music is a very important aspect of Scottish culture, and is mostly well-known for the use of bagpipes. There are many bagpipe bands that have emerged from Scotland, featuring one or more bagpipe players, drums, fiddles, harps, or accordions. Traditional Scottish music is played during most national holidays.

Around January 25, every year, the Scots have a Burns supper to celebrate the life and poetry of Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet. A typical Burns supper involves haggis, and one of Burns’ poems, titled Address to a Haggis. It goes a little something like this:

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face Great Chieftain o’ the puddin’ race!

There is more, of course, but it would take up way too much space. Poems like this, and many, many others, are why the Scots celebrate Robert Burns.

Along with Burns, another Scottish hero is William Wallace, a war hero from 1298. After defeating an English army, he was appointed Guardian of Scotland. He served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. He was then hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason against the country of England. He has been written about in epics, poems, books, and is the idea behind the 1995 film Braveheart.

All in all, Scotland’s traditions and culture have been passed all throughout America in many ways. Be it food, music, or even inspiration for movies, the Scots found ways to plant their heritage in many Americans today.