Lowland Scots vs. Highland Scots?

Question

Lowland Scots vs. Highland Scots?

OK i have a queston. im ulster scottish and when i researched it it says they descend from the rebels of northern ireland and lowland scots what the differance between the two. i mean could i call myself scottish? or would i have to say i descend from the lowland scots of galloway???

Category

Answer 1

People often like a nice easy definition of Highalnd/Lowland based on a line drawn East to West on the map. This is a very lazy definition. In reality the Highlands are a section, yes you guessed it of higher ground, that starts some distance North-West of Perth and doesnt include the northern coastal areas such as Aberdeen and its Shire.

Its commonly accepted that everything that lies West  AND North  of about Pitlochry is 'Highlands'. Hence even though Inverness lies at sea level (on the coast) it is said to be the 'Capital of the Highlands'

None of the islands count as Highlands - 'Highlands & Islands' is a common expression to couple the far North and Western areas into one term.

The Scottish Highlands is of course part of Scotland, and so is the rest, the Lowlands of the Central Belt including Glasgow to Edinburgh is where the vast majority of the population live. But Lowlands include the areas on the coast from somewhere West of Peterhead down and around Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, and Fife.

The area of Dumfries and Galloway is part of that Lowland area lieing well South of Glasgow in the South-West corner of Scotland. The last part and like 'Islands' a section that doesnt really tend to be referred to as either Highland or Lowland (Though some say everything that is not Highland is Lowland!) are the Scottish Borders area, the generally higher ground in the area up to the border with England, stretching right across the southern edge of Scotland.

None of these areas are more, or less, entitled to be Scottish or Scots.

Answer 2

If you are of Ulster Scots (Scotch-Irish, if you're in the US) descent, then you are a descendent of a Scot who migrated to Ulster (Northern Ireland) during the Plantation period.  The Plantation was a planned process of colonisation during the early 17th century, during the reign of James I of England.

English and Scottish Protestants were settled on land that had been confiscated from Catholic Irish landowners.  Most of the Scots came from southwest Scotland, and from near the border with England, but not exclusively so.  There is evidence of south-west highlanders settling in Ulster too.

So, unless or until you trace your family back from Ulster to Scotland you can't be certain what your true heritage is.

Answer 3

The Scottish connection with Northern Ireland or specifically Ulster has been close for centuries . The native inhabitants of the Antrim Glens - the MacDonnells or MacDonalds were Gaelic speakers  similar in virtually everyway to their kinsman across the narrow channel in Kintyre , Jura , Colonsay and Islay in Highland Scotland  . Indeed their great warrior chief MacColla brought his Irish warriors to join up with Montrose and inflicted a massacre on the Covenanters at Tibbermore outside Perth . in the 17th century . The second scenario concerns what has been referred to as the " Plantations " . Many

" Planters " in Northern Ireland were sent over  from Lowland Scotland - particularly Ayrshire and Galloway . They were brought over  through the scheming of two persons - Hugh Montgomery  later Viscount  of Airds and James Hamilton later Viscount Clandeboye whio had purchased titles  forfeited by the O'Neills in Co Down . Further forfeitures in 1607 and government land sales  in 1609 found more takers from the Scottish Lowlands and by the mid 17th century there were some 50 000 Scots in Ulster .Referred to by the historian Donaldson "as the most successful Scottish colony of all time ".

Answer 4

Well, it is a fairly basic distinction. Lowland Scots are any Scottish people from the low-lying Southern part of the country. The converse is true of Highland Scots, who are from the mountainous North. Feel free to call yourself Scottish, I suppose, although I would probably call you American.