In imagining myself, I have neglected the Scots in me – that 28% that is less migrant, less raw in their grievance, less monstered by their migrant status.  The in-group.  The host-population which accommodated and absorbed ‘us’.

I have a long history of Scots’ roots reaching back into the 13^th Century, mostly in the rich and (relatively) civilised East of the country: in East Lothian, Fife, Clackmannanshire and Stirlingshire but also, via Ulster, to the Borders around Liddesdale.

In one strand of my Scots lineage migrated West, from the civilised trading and farming communities of the Lothians, Fife and Stirlingshire – Native Scots throughout the period of these narratives.  The second strand, however,  arrived in Inverclyde via the Province of Ulster – Ulster Scots – originally driven out of territories in the Middle March on the border Scotland between and England.

Part of the fascination (and emerging purpose) of this project is noticing the imprinted biases I use to both narrate and analyse my ‘heritage’/’our’ his/herstory. 

The vignettes in this series are glimpses of our Scots-ness, constructed from research but seasoned with imagination.    

Episodes

[1] Nor Christian come to that.