Scottish Cringe
Historian Tom Devine talks of ‘Victimhood in a kilt” – particularly the popular John Prebble books -
Glencoe, Highland Clearances.
Not so long ago, and even now, we are told Scotland needs hand outs and is too wee and too poor! It’s a total lie.
But Scots must stop apologising. We even apologise for our weather. The Gulf stream makes Scotland's weather temperate and our weather (while it may be changeable) is far better than many places. I lived in Chicago for several years and in winter the windy city has15 feet snow drifts and minus 15 degrees wind chill. Some places suffer tornadoes or Tsunamis.
I grew up with the Scottish cringe. ‘Donald where’s your troosers' and naff 'white heather' club sashes. Now at Celtic Connections I see respect for our old bothy traditions and Gaelic songs – for our Scottish enlightenment and our innovations.
We should in fact be proud! The trouble is Scotland's history has been neglected and suppressed, especially over the past decades. In fact we’ve been told lies and disinformation.
People in Northern Ireland know about England’s rivers, but not about the rivers in Ireland. The Irish were told it was the Scots who murdered with an independence and reform uprising in Wexford in 1798. So then 50 years later Irish troops were used for the Highland Clearances when the people were chased off their lands and put on ships to Canada.
