My General Interests :)

Did you know that there are more people living in North Carolina USA who boast Scottish descent than there are Scots living in Scotland?

That is hardly surprising as huge numbers of Scots left Scotland at the time of the Highland Clearances and in the following years to seek their fortune in the New World of USA as well as Canada, Australia and the Far East. Our Laird of Jura website looking at the history and culture of the Isle of Jura tells of nearly 2,000 people who left the island and the surrounding area and ended up in North Carolina.

Some parts of North Carolina even today could still be confused with parts of Scotland. Here are some of the similarities:

Laurinberg is in the county of Scotland.

The main school is called Scotland High School. The school song is “Scotland the Brave” (the official national anthem of Scotland).

The school traditional marching band wear kilts in the Royal Stewart Tartan. But they also have a Scottish bagpipe band which has won a number of prizes in recent years for their music.

They use the same name “Fighting Scots” for their Basketball, Baseball and Football teams.

Visit St Andrews Presbyterian College (named after the patron saint of Scotland) and you will be challenged by a large Scottish Highlander with his Claymore Sword defending the college or at least a bronze statue of a highland warrior.

The College is also home to the Scottish Heritage Centre.

Looking for something to eat? Skip McDonalds (not a Scottish Company) and instead go to Scottish Foods which uses a Scottish bagpiper as its main trademark and logo.

“Scotland Crossing” is the main shopping center for people in the town. The centre uses a red lion on a yellow background as its main central feature. Officially this is a breach of Scottish law as only the Scottish monarch can use this Rampart Lion but we do normally turn a blind eye to it even here in the real Scotland.

The Square Dance Club is the Scottish Twirlers.

A local soccer team is known as the Scottish Claymores.

As we might expect there are a large number of local streets named after places such as Argyllshire, Kintyre and Skye where the first Scottish settlers lived before coming to North Carolina.

Do you know any other place which is more Scottish than this town in North Carolina?

Want to become a Scottish Lord or Lady? Its easy enough and can be the ideal unique gift idea for anyone whether they have a Scottish connection or not.