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 Stereotypes are strange things. Painting simple, caricatured
images of a people or a place, a stereotype is often the quickest -
and most misleading - way a stranger is introduced to a particular
culture or nation. Often the stereotype is grotesquely exaggerated,
but for better or for worse, the Scottish have one of the most
enduring stereotypes in the English-speaking world.
The image of a 'typical Scotsman'
The 'typical' Scotsman is often thought of as: a red haired, surly,
penny-pinching Highlander who speaks with an impenetrable accent. He
would be pictured strutting around the windswept, heather-clad moors
in a kilt with a sprig of thistle on his breast, perhaps blowing a
merry tune on a bagpipe before going home for a spot of whisky and
haggis. When the Scotsman gets really tipsy, he becomes extremely
maudlin and sentimental, singing the praises of his favourite
football team and heaping curses on the despicable English.
The description above is a fair summation of the standard Scotsman
stereotype. Of course, any visitor who goes to Scotland expecting to
see living, breathing specimens of this awful character will wind up
severely disappointed. By and large, the Scotsman of the real world
is as far removed from this stereotype as can be imagined - except
perhaps for the bit about football and the English.
The Scots would be the first to laugh at their stereotype and have a
love-hate relationship with it. On the one hand, ‘Scotland the
Brand’, or the popular and highly romantic image of Scotland, is
instrumental in attracting tourists, businesses and international
attention to the country. On the other hand, it is also the cause of
more than a little misunderstanding and exasperation.
This is particularly true when it comes to the ‘penny-pinching’. As
with most cultures, courtesy and generosity are highly esteemed by
the Scots and though there are always a few tight-fisted ones
around, most visitors have found them to be warm-hearted, generous
people, frugal at worst but certainly not misers. ‘Taciturn’ also
seems to be rather off the mark. Though there'll always be
characters who seem to live for surliness, Scots are for the most
part known for their sense of humour.
As for the thick brogue, most Scots would also protest that they
sound perfectly understandable, if only the listener would pay
attention - and on an island famed for its variety of barely
decipherable accents (particularly to the non-native English
speaker), the Scottish accent can hardly be singled out as being
particularly difficult. Scotland is in fact known for its poets and
orators, many of whom speak better English than the English
themselves. If anything, the thick-tongued Scotsman image ought to
be blamed on non-Scots: for some reason, the Scottish accent is
infamous for being one of the most mimicked accents in the
English-speaking world, its horrendous imitations often heard on
radios, in television commercials and movies.
Of kilts and
tartans
Next to the accent, the kilt is the symbol most people think of
as irrevocably Scottish. The kilt has its origins in ancient
Highland garb but despite its origins, both Highlanders and
Lowlanders are proud to wear it - though perhaps not half as
passionately as many of the far-flung Scottish Diaspora, who proudly
espouse the virtues of the kilt to any non-Scots. During
re-enactments fairs, Tartan days and other such occasions
celebrating all things Scottish, the kilt turns up in all its glory.
It has become the accepted traditional costume around the world, and
like all such attire it is usually worn on special occasions as
proof of continuing cultural heritage and national pride.
Unfortunately, most casual spectators aren’t interested in the
historical or cultural issues; they’re more interested in the
undergarment question. Traditionally, the kilt is worn with a shirt
long enough to keep the wearer decent in case of exposure, but the
modern interpretation of the costume often calls for more extreme
shows of manliness. This has led to innumerable jokes and pranks and
has even spawned the infamous kilt-check, which is more or less
exactly what it sounds like. Most people will understand if a timid
wearer decides such openness is too intimidating and even rabidly
patriotic Scotsmen have been known to prefer inauthenticity to the
risk of public exposure. Fortunately, most kilt wearers have learnt
to take the curious teasing in stride and wear the kilt with flair
and style. They also know how to deal with the curiosity and some of
the best comeback lines are replies to the question: so, what are
you wearing under that kilt?
The tartan pattern of the kilt itself is also often a subject of
some confusion. Many of the really ancient tartan designs were lost
after the Battle of Cullodeen, as the victorious English suppressed
much of the Highland culture. Over the past two hundred years, the
tartan has gradually reassumed its importance and today, is wildly
popular internationally. There are now hundreds of tartan patterns
available and many of the designs are registered as the official
version of ‘X’ or ‘Y’ tartan. This includes tartan designs for Scots
living in the United States, Scots living in Canada and various
other national tartans, as well as family tartans, institution
tartans, individual tartans…the list goes on.
Though there are the
inevitable complaints that the the tartans of today aren’t exact
replicas of the ancient designs and that traditions have been
woefully adulterated, the tartan’s popularity has also ensured its
survival. Such enthusiastic adoption of the tartan is also very
welcome to the enterprising Scots, as it means more people are
willing to buy even the most hideous, blatantly untraditional
designs. Many Scots are also proud to wear their clan’s tartan,
without quibbling too much over authenticity. Of course, when a
proud native Scotsman comes across an ignorant tourist sporting his family
tartan, he may be moved to laughter or tears.
A beautiful
landscape
The stereotype also extends to the typical scenery expected of
Scotland. The mind inevitably conjures up a vast expanse of rolling
moorland, covered with purple heather and moody grey skies. In the
distance would be tall, forbidding mountains, snow clad and wreathed
with mists. This is one of the few elements in the stereotype that
not only comes near the reality, but also falls far short of the
mark. Scotland has great expanses of rolling moorland and many
broody mountains. The country is known for its breathtaking, oddly
desolate landscape and is beloved of moviemakers and romance
novelists.
The most striking thing about the countryside (pictured above), particularly up in
the north, is that you can easily feel as though you’re the only
person around for hundreds of miles. In fact in many places, you
really are the only person around for hundreds of miles, with the
wilderness stretching uninterrupted from horizon to horizon. Many of
the families that would otherwise have occupied this empty land were
forced out of their homes by greedy landowners in the last century
and moved overseas to begin a new life. Scotland’s population never
recovered from the forced emigration and the empty landscape today
is a reminder of that past injustice.
The other striking thing about the countryside is the heather. This
low-growing moorland shrub is very closely associated with Scotland
and decks the hills in a glorious coat of purple blossoms twice a
year, in early spring and early autumn. Many visitors come just to
look a the breathtaking scenery and more than a few will take home a
sprig or two of heather for their gardens. Traditionally, heather
has also been an intimate part of Scottish life; people slept on
heather scented beds, brides carried it for good luck and of course,
there was nothing like the taste of heather honey or heather ale to
really bring out the Scotsman in you. Nowadays, many Scots still
retain a fondness for the little flower, even if they don’t sleep on
beds of heather anymore. There are also many companies taking
advantage of the popular love of heather to sell everything from
heather ale, to heather cream, heather seeds and even heather
bouquets over the Internet.
Actually, it would be exhausting to list the many, many ways in
which the Scots differ from their stereotype. Certainly, the popular
image of a Scotsman can’t be found on the streets of Edinburgh,
Glasgow or any other Scottish city, where for the most part the
locals look like every other European. Probably the only place where
such a caricature could possibly be seen would be on television show
lampooning the Scots, and its quite likely that in the audience
would be a Scotsman or two, laughing even harder than the rest.
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