Which Came First Scotland or North Carolina?
Most people would expect to find that Scotland had the largest number of Scots but they would be wrong. In reality the state of North Carolina USA has more people of Scottish descent than does 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.
However what I did not know until fairly recently when I was reading about the town of Laurinburg in North Carolina which is as Scottish as the country of Scotland if not more so. For example:
Lets look at Laurinberg which is in the county of “Scotland”.
Laurinberg’s High School is actually called “Scotland High School”. And what better school song could they have than “Scotland the Brave” the national anthem of Scotland itself.
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.
The school Football, Baseball and the Basketball teams are called the “Fighting Scots”. (Did you know that the game of Basketball was invented by a Scottish American who was charged with finding some sports activity for youths to play indoors during bad weather? Its true!)
As you may know St Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland and the name of their Presbyterian College is of course St Andrews. Just inside the grounds of the college you will be confronted by a huge bronze statute of a Highland Warrior proudly holding a Claymore (a huge 2 handed sword favoured by Braveheart).
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.
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?
Looking for a unique gift idea for someone with a Scottish connection then make them a Scottish landowner.