Is Scotland Celtic?

[europeanbriton]

This is my first venture into any part of Scotland.com apart from politics - but I thought I'd ask a question and see what others think.

People often talk about "the Celtic fringe" or call Scotland, Wales and co. "Celtic countries". Some refer to the English as "Saxons".

How accurate is this? As I understand it, the area that is now Scotland was (even when the first Kingdom of the Scots was formed) populated by four major ethnic groups; the Picts, the Scotti (from Ireland *G*), the Vikings and Germanics/Anglo-Saxons. In particular, the area of modern Scotland then part of Germanic Northumbria was only taken over in 1018, and it was centuries before the Highlands, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland all ceased to be Norse territory. After 1066, there was an influx of Normans as well. Irish, Lithuanian and Italian immigration before and after 1945, along with Indian, West Indian and Chinese immigration after 1945 (among others) lead me to ask; can Scotland really be called Celtic?

Perhaps this equation of nationality with ethnicity is irrelevant to Scotland, and always has been? Perhaps Scotland's national totems - all Highland and Celtic, representing a small minority of the Scots, ethnically speaking - should be questioned rather as the Union Jack is being questioned in the politics forum?

I'm not saying that I'm sure about the last statement. But I think it's a question worth asking, rather as it's been asked whether the monarchy, the Union Jack and fox-hunting are relevant to modern-day Britain. Opinions, anyone?

Given that almost all countries have been populated by waves of immigrants at various times, the answer to your question must be yes and... er... no! You could equally well ask if England is Anglo-Saxon, Hungary still the land of the Huns, etc.

Strictly speaking, the Scots were a Celtic tribe and so you could validly claim their land (Scot-land) is Celtic. But then again, that would have to make Britain the land of the Britons who were... Celts, wouldn't it? Is Britain Celtic?

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The man o' independent mind,
He looks an' laughs at a' that.

[andy_j]

Just for clarification the first distinct culture to be identified as dwelling in what we now call Scotland were the Picts. They held territory right down into the Borders area. So we'd be better designated as Pictish rather than Celtic.

The Celtic influence in Scotland was imported from Ireland through the DalRiadic dynasty who conquered the Strathclyde area and then moved on to cover most of Central Scotland.

I think the whole Celtic thing carries more weight in the history books is that there are really no written Pictish records and there is a wealth of Celtic literature on Scotland, even Cuchulain of the epic peom "Tain Bo Cuchulain" from Irish myth comes to the Isle of Skye to learn the fighting arts from a ( possible norse! ) warrior woman.

Besides the whole Celtic thing just helps remind me of a certain football team....

*Wanders off mumbling off-topic nonsense*

Andy

[CeolMhor]

If you look closely, then no, Scotland probably isn't "Celtic". But then, look closely anywhere, and you'll discover that nobody belongs 100% to any particular race.

So if we look at it from a bit farther off, Scotland is very Celtic. Immigrants adopt the culture and help maintain it. I think a good comparison is China - Manchuria is not actually "Chinese", but the Manchurians moved into greater China, adopted the culture, and became Chinese. It's more about society and culture than abnout genetics and bloodlines, in my opinion.