First thought - is this not something of a 'flash'? I am a late starter on genealogy, but have always had pride in being a British Scot. You obviously have knowledge of Scotland that I have never researched, so far. With the idea in mind that my ancestory was Celt, several years ago I started out to read a book about Celts, thinking it might give me some kind of idea of the overall roots of my family. I found the book very tedious and the Celts very elusive. One point, however, that stuck in my mind, was that it seems that the 'Celt/Gaelic' connection comes from Ireland. Would you know any more about this? ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Milligan" <jimbobaloobub@btinternet.com> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 12:03 PM Subject: [D-G LIST] Why Gaelic? > I am surprised that so many people, especially on this list, are taken in by the notion that we are somehow connected to Gaelic culture - witness a call for a Gaelic passport. What absolutely self deluding, pathetic, romantic nonsense. Historically we are not. This myth struck up with the Victorian novelists and has the world thinking we are haggis eating, kilt wearing Gaelic whinging twits. OK, go back several hundred years and people from South West Scotland did speak some form of Gaelic (perhaps more associated more with Cardiff than Stornoway) - but then go back even further and we were probably all Ethiopians. > > My own GGGGF Robert Milligan, portioner of Dempsterton, Dunscore (b1723), very probably had bitter feelings towards the 'Highland host' - those from the north who were billeted in the South West in the 1600's to quell the religious rights of the native population. > > The majority of the 'Highland' army at Culloden were Episcopalian. A great bulk of the 'British' army were Scottish. The first thing Robert the Bruce did after Bannockburn was invade his 'native Gaels' - i.e. Ireland. The history goes on and on... > > Although untrendy and not politically correct, some of us are proud to be BRITISH. > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > FIND YOUR ANCESTORS > http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/ >

David, Recalling from a history paper on Scottish Nationalism at the time of union (1707) I did in the 1980's, the thinking then was that very early (ie. prior to the Romans), Celtic people immigranted from Spain to Ireland across the sea. From there, this "Irish" Celts or Gaels began to immigrant into Scotland and slowly integrated with or overran a group called the Picts (who in the 80's we knew little about). It is thought that the Gaels first stated to settle in Scotland at Argyle. There is a myth/legend of the first "Scottish" king in Argyle named "Fergus I". Celtic culture spread from Argyle to predominate the Highlands. As Anglo-Saxons moved in to England, they also moved in to Scotland. Generally, the Anglo-Saxons moved into lowland areas. There were also Vikings (I don't recall if which Scandinavian country we would now associate them with) who settled places like Aberdeen and places on the outer islands. The Shetland Islands were only very recently annexed to Scotland from a Scandinavian Country (19th or 20th Century) and the Orkneys also used to be part of Scandinavia (16th to 18th Century?). Scotland is a melting pot of many groups. However by the rule of Robert the Bruce (13th Century), Gaelic culture predominated the Highlands (clan system, Gaelic language, etc) and Anglo-Saxon culture predominated the lowlands (feudal system, Scots language (a delict of English)). This Highland/Lowland split was politically important in Scotland as, by the rule of Mary Queen of Scots, lowlanders generally became protestants (Church of Scotland) and highlanders generally remained Catholic. After the Glorious Revelution, throw into this religious division a Catholic house of Stewart claiming the United Kingdom and a Protestant monarch in London and you have the makings of several Jacobite uprisings. As a generally rule, you could consider those with Highland ancestry as likely having Celtic or Gaelic forebears. Lowlanders could have had ancestors from almost anywhere. Jeffery Davidson ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Thomson" <orkboyz@lineone.net> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 7:44 AM Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Why Gaelic? > First thought - is this not something of a 'flash'? > > I am a late starter on genealogy, but have always had pride in being a > British Scot. > > You obviously have knowledge of Scotland that I have never researched, so > far. With the idea in mind that my ancestory was Celt, several years ago I > started out to read a book about Celts, thinking it might give me some kind > of idea of the overall roots of my family. I found the book very tedious and > the Celts very elusive. > > One point, however, that stuck in my mind, was that it seems that the > 'Celt/Gaelic' connection comes from Ireland. Would you know any more about > this? > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "James Milligan" <jimbobaloobub@btinternet.com> > To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 12:03 PM > Subject: [D-G LIST] Why Gaelic? > > > > I am surprised that so many people, especially on this list, are taken in > by the notion that we are somehow connected to Gaelic culture - witness a > call for a Gaelic passport. What absolutely self deluding, pathetic, > romantic nonsense. Historically we are not. This myth struck up with the > Victorian novelists and has the world thinking we are haggis eating, kilt > wearing Gaelic whinging twits. OK, go back several hundred years and people > from South West Scotland did speak some form of Gaelic (perhaps more > associated more with Cardiff than Stornoway) - but then go back even further > and we were probably all Ethiopians. > > > > My own GGGGF Robert Milligan, portioner of Dempsterton, Dunscore (b1723), > very probably had bitter feelings towards the 'Highland host' - those from > the north who were billeted in the South West in the 1600's to quell the > religious rights of the native population. > > > > The majority of the 'Highland' army at Culloden were Episcopalian. A great > bulk of the 'British' army were Scottish. The first thing Robert the Bruce > did after Bannockburn was invade his 'native Gaels' - i.e. Ireland. The > history goes on and on... > > > > Although untrendy and not politically correct, some of us are proud to be > BRITISH. > > > > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > > FIND YOUR ANCESTORS > > http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/ > > > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > FIND YOUR ANCESTORS > http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/ > >