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Scotland and the World

'Go into whatever country you will, you will always find Scotchmen.'

Although Scots had always travelled widely and lived and worked abroad, in the 18th and 19th centuries much larger numbers settled permanently overseas. Scotland and the World tells their stories.

The world map which introduces this theme traces Scottish place names all over the world, and suggests just how much of a mark Scots have made.

Why did people leave Scotland?

There were many reasons why Scots emigrated. They left to to seek new opportunities, out of a sense of adventure or duty, often because they were forced to leave their homes by famine or eviction (Case 1).

North America attracted Scots from the early days of British colonization. By the late 18th century more than 150,000 Scots had settled there (Case 2). The rate of emigration increased in the 19th century, when Australia and New Zealand were also attracting emigrants. Scots in Africa and India made an impact as missionaries, soldiers, administrators and traders (Case 3).

Scots abroad

The material displayed sheds a fascinating light on Scots abroad. There is a Gaelic Bible which travelled to North Carolina, a deerskin bag designed and used by John Rae who explored and mapped Arctic Canada (Case 2), wallpaper inspired by the South African War, featuring Scottish regiments, and the tea clipper Cutty Sark, a symbol of Scottish enterprise in the Far East (Case 3).