Is Scotland in North Carolina?

If you thought there were more Scots in Scotland than people of Scottish Descent in the one USA state of North Carolina you would be wrong.

That is hardly surprising as huge numbers of Scots left Scotland at the time of the Highland Clearances and in the following years to seek their fortune in the New World of USA as well as Canada, Australia and the Far East. Our Laird of Jura website looking at the history and culture of the Isle of Jura tells of nearly 2,000 people who left the island and the surrounding area and ended up in North Carolina.

However what I did not know until fairly recently when I was reading about the town of Laurinburg in North Carolina which is as Scottish as the country of Scotland if not more so. For example:

Lets look at Laurinberg which 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.

Apart from their traditional marching band who wear the Royal Stewart Tartan as a uniform they also have a prize winning Scottish bagpipe team.

They use the same name “Fighting Scots” for their Basketball, Baseball and Football teams.

The local college is St Andrews Presbyterian College (St Andrew is of course the patron saint of Scotland) has a huge bronze statue of a highlander in native dress waving a Claymore sword.

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.

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?

Want to become a Scottish Lord or Lady? Its easy enough and can be the ideal unique gift idea for anyone whether they have a Scottish connection or not.