Did you know that there are more people living in North Carolina USA who boast Scottish descent than there are Scots living in Scotland?
After the highland clearances where the major landowners evicted several thousand crofters (small-holders) large number of Scots made their way by boat to the new American settlements. One party of nearly 2,000 Scots from the Isle of Jura and surrounding area settled in North Carolina. You could read more about that on the Laird of Jura website.
Some parts of North Carolina even today could still be confused with parts of Scotland. Here are some of the similarities:
Laurinberg 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 has a marching band who all wear the Royal Stewart Tartan. And of course they have a prize winning bagpipe band wearing the full kilt.
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!)
Visit St Andrews Presbyterian College (named after the patron saint of Scotland) and you will be challenged by a large Scottish Highlander with his Claymore Sword defending the college or at least a bronze statue of a highland warrior.
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.
Its Shopping Center is called Scotland Crossing which has as a main feature the Scottish Rampart Lion (the same red lion on a yellow background that appears on the Scottish Royal Flag). Incidentally this Rampant Lion officially can only be flown by the Royal Monarch but our legal officials turn a blind eye to that law.
The Square Dance Club is the Scottish Twirlers.
A local soccer team is known as the Scottish Claymores.
Lastly but not least there are numerous streets and roads named after places such as Oban, Skye, and Argyllshire the origins of the first settlers before they left Scotland.
Do you know any other place which is more Scottish than this town in North Carolina?
Did you know you could increase your Scottish ness by becoming a landowner on the isle of Jura and become a Scottish Royal? It makes an unique gift idea for anyone with or without an existing Scottish connection.
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