Robert Burns – Scottish Diaspora Icon
St Andrew's Day undoubtedly was one of the main celebrations in the annual events calendar of the Scots abroad. On equal footing stood, however, the celebration of Burns Night in…
The Global Saint: St Andrew’s Day Celebrations around the World
‘No saint in the calendar’, observed a reporter in the Hong Kong Daily Press in 1886, ‘receives the hearty and regular devotion paid to St Andrew by his flock in…
Out now: The Scottish Diaspora
The Scottish Diaspora (Edinburgh, 2013, with Andrew Hinson and Graeme Morton). Did you know that Scotland was one of Europe’s main population exporters in the age of mass migration? Or…
Celebrating Robert Fergusson: A New Zealand Connection
Scottish poet Robert Fergusson died on 16 October 1774. At times described as the lesser brother of Robert Burns, Fergusson too left his mark in the Scottish diaspora. Let's look…
Sir Walter Scott: A Writer with Global Appeal
When novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott died at his home, Abbotsford House near Melrose, in late September 1832, the press in Scotland was full of praise for, as the…
The Scots in Australia
Thanks to a Visiting Fellowship at the Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University (Canberra), and a grant by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, I got to spend the last…
Sir Harry Lauder and the Scottish Diaspora
On 26 February 1950 Sir Harry Lauder, the famous Scottish entertainer Winston Churchill once referred to as 'Scotland's greatest ever ambassador', died in Strathaven, Lanarkshire. Lauder's story is a remarkable,…
The Scottish Diaspora and the Story of St Kilda
On 29 August 1930 the remaining residents of St Kilda were evacuated from the island on economic grounds at the islanders' own request as the population had dwindled from 73…
Burns Centenary Celebrations: Honouring the Poet’s Death in the Scottish Diaspora
Burns, and the commemorations in his name, entrenched what might suitably be described as a memory community, and one effective in maintaining links globally. The Burns centenary celebrations held in…
Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Waverley’ and the St Andrew’s Society of Shanghai
On this day in 1814, the novel Waverley was published by Sir Walter Scott. Here's for a short story from the Scottish Diaspora in Asia that connects to the novel.…