The Top Ten Differences between Scottish Highlanders and Scottish Lowlanders

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Жыл бұрын

www.bagtownclans.com
Geographical location: Highlanders lived in the rugged, mountainous regions of Scotland, while Lowlanders inhabited the flatter, more arable areas. This geographic difference contributed to distinct cultural and economic patterns, with Lowlanders engaging in agriculture and commerce, and Highlanders relying more on subsistence agriculture and cattle rearing.
Clan system: The clan system was much stronger in the Highlands, where communities were more isolated, and loyalty to one's clan was essential for survival. Lowland communities were more individualistic, and kinship ties were weaker.
Language: Highlanders spoke Gaelic, a Celtic language, while Lowlanders spoke Scots, a form of English influenced by Germanic and Scandinavian languages.
Dress and appearance: Highlanders wore distinctive tartan kilts and plaids, while Lowlanders dressed more like their English neighbors, with less colorful clothing.
Weaponry and combat: Highlanders were renowned for their use of the broadsword and targe shield, while Lowlanders used firearms and pikes. Highlanders also relied more on guerrilla tactics and surprise attacks in battle.
Religion: Highlanders tended to be Catholic or Episcopalian, while Lowlanders were mostly Presbyterian. The Church of Scotland had a much stronger presence in the Lowlands.
Music and dance: Highlanders developed their own musical traditions, such as bagpipes and ceilidh music, while Lowlanders had a more diverse range of musical styles, including ballads and country dances.
Cuisine: Highlanders relied on simple, hearty fare, such as porridge, meat, and fish, while Lowlanders had more access to spices, fruits, and vegetables and developed more elaborate recipes.
Relationship with the English: Highlanders were more resistant to English rule, and often viewed the Lowlanders who collaborated with the English with suspicion. Lowlanders, on the other hand, tended to be more open to English influence.
Architecture: Highlanders lived in small, stone huts known as crofts, while Lowlanders lived in larger, more sophisticated buildings, such as castles and manor houses.

Пікірлер: 61

@tireachan6178 Жыл бұрын

The Highlanders were more similar to the Irish and the Lowlanders more similar to the English. Scotland is a truly interesting country that as a single entity is a thing completely unto itself.

@Ned88Man Жыл бұрын

I don't think its that simple. There was a lot of moving around and mixing,

@tireachan6178 Жыл бұрын

@@Ned88Man of course. I'm not talking exclusively about the genetic composition of Scotland, just the cultural divide between Highland and Lowland. The former being more comparable to the Gaels of Ireland, the latter being more comparable to Anglo Culture of Northern England

@Albanach-je1nk Жыл бұрын

I think you need more research .

@tireachan6178 Жыл бұрын

@@Albanach-je1nk enlighten me.

@davideo1157 Жыл бұрын

@@tireachan6178 the scots in the lowlands left behind cant handle the truth those who moved to northern ireland & then america & the rest of the world feel our heritage is more british anglo & germanic then "scottish" or "celtic".

@faolanliath6687 9 ай бұрын

My lowlanders were reivers, cattle thieves/outlaws, they were VERY clannish, used backswords, lances and pistols from horseback. Until that sassenach John Knox were they were Catholic if religious at all. They were the Frontline of defense heroes when Scotland was threatened by England and considered the scum of the earth otherwise. Their lands saw more feuds and crime than anywhere in the isles and they suffered the worst episodes of the clearances. Then were removed to Ulster and used as cannon fodder to pacify the Irish. They and their exact counter parts south of the border considered themselves Forster's, Dodds, Fenicks, Halls, Ellots, Armstrongs, Thompsons, Grahams, or Hunters etc not Englishmen or Scots. One of us was the first person to ride as far as the moon.

@thursoberwick1948 7 ай бұрын

John Knox may have been many things but he was not a Sassenach.

@faolanliath6687 7 ай бұрын

@@thursoberwick1948 untrustworthy arrogant prat. Same thing.

@Sionnach1601 3 ай бұрын

Who were the frontline of defense? Lowlanders or Highlanders? I'd like to understand you but it's very hard. With respects, in future try reading what you have written to see if it's comprehensible

@Fredrik-de2p 21 күн бұрын

Well yes but most lowlanders were actually rather Protestant since the 16th century. But agree! My fathers side is American (my mother is Austrian) and from the fathers side we were descended from lowlanders that went to the us in the 1920s. We still have in family reunions many lowlander customs.

@johnhutchison2268 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting. Very informative. I am a lowland Scot

@thursoberwick1948 7 ай бұрын

It is highly inaccurate for a variety of reasons but this is the kind of history we have seen promoted in Scotland for so long.

@Sionnach1601 3 ай бұрын

@@thursoberwick1948Inaccurate in what kinds of ways? Let me guess: Africans were the dominant culture there for instance??

@thursoberwick1948 3 ай бұрын

@@Sionnach1601Not what I was talking about although the African element has risen considerably since lockdown.

@OublietteTight 5 ай бұрын

What years does this break down reference?

@abddulhaseeb6977 6 ай бұрын

David Balfour of shaws from the lowland and Alen Breck Stewart from the highland of Scotland the epic history

@user-hu6lr3vr7g 3 ай бұрын

Actually, it's wrong to suggest that tartan comes solely from the Highlands. It was Brythonic tribes that had the Tartan and the lowlanders often wore tartan trews, what stood out is that the highlanders wore a kilt that looked like skirt to many people and stood out! There really isn't a distinction between highland and lowlander culture in Scotland, most of these cultures have mixed for centuries, what is a big difference is the presence of gaelic and Catholicism. Lots of things you think are "highland" cone from the lowland like fiddle music and tam hats. The Brythonic and Scotti culture mixed like 2000 years ago to create the Kingdom of Alba. I am from Scotland, we don't talk like this "Highlanders vs lowlanders".

@andymullins84 5 ай бұрын

The lowlands much have changed alot after my ancestors left. They were crofters who were evicted from their lands in the 1700s. They lived on potatoes and turnips and tightly knit families. Not sure who he's talking about. Maybe the people evicted my people.

@McConnachy 9 ай бұрын

Is this an Englishman's guess about Scotland's people? The statement about Scotland being divided between Irish and English is totally wrong and an uneducated guess. I'm of Highland descent living in the Lowlands. The lowlands has as much Gaelic names as the Highlands, the population are of mixed heritage, both primarily from the Celtic period, with the inclusion of Viking and Finn heritage. Saying that lowlanders live in large houses is total nonsense. The lowlands were full of crofts, until they were cleared, prior to the Highland clearances. Please research further

@Hsalf904 8 ай бұрын

It’s a very generalizing description given in the video trying to simplify the major differences between the Highlands and Lowlands in the 1700s. Although much of the Lowlands once spoke Gaelic, by the 1500s the two regions had diverged and most Lowlanders were speaking Scots, hence why many Lowland surnames are Germanic in origin and not Gaelic. I would imagine that people in urban centres (which were far more prevalent in the Lowlands) would’ve lived in more complex houses and that lowland peasants would live in houses more similar to Highland crofts

@thursoberwick1948 7 ай бұрын

@@Hsalf904There are tonnes of Gaelic surnames in the Lowlands. I know of certain M(a)c- names which are Lowland only, including areas as far south as Dumfriesshire. Other names can be found in both e.g. Fergus(s)on.

@Sionnach1601 3 ай бұрын

@@thursoberwick1948Would these Gaeilic names have migrated into the lowlands as time went by and people mixed and married? A very interested Éireannach! ☘🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@thursoberwick1948 3 ай бұрын

@@Sionnach1601 Some of them go way back. A few off the top of my head - Machray in Aberdeenshire (their version of McRae), Gillespie in the Borders, and McGuffie (!) in D&G. The (Mac)Duffs have a centuries old connection with Fife going back beyond the fourteenth century.

@thursoberwick1948 3 ай бұрын

@@Sionnach1601 p.s. Do you have a blog BTW?

@randomtanker4355 21 күн бұрын

Do lowlanders and highlanders belong to the same ethnicity?

@thomasblue7667 10 ай бұрын

So, a question ... If the Highlanders were so overwhelmingly Catholic then why were basically ALL Scots from the Highlands arriving in NC from somewhat before the mid-1700s Protestant and nearly all Presbyterian? That doesn't seem to line (ifykyk) with nearly - if not every - family that settled from Argyll, Jura, Kintyre, Islay, and other. Where are the Catholic churches among the Highland immigrants to NC where most went? Where are the Catholic cemeteries of those families? Are there any? There are at least a hundred - almost certainly more than a thousand - of Presbyterian cemeteries full of Scots in SE NC where they settled from the Highlands. Also, Episcopalian Highlanders? What? Are you referring to a displaced English feudal Lord?

@McConnachy 9 ай бұрын

Scotland was 100% Catholic prior to the reformation, that went on for too long. Many Scots were forced into Presbyterianism and Catholics were brutalised by the state when Scotland became more Presbyterian. Today about 1/4 of Scotland's population is Catholic. The Presbyterian, Church of Scotland is non Hierarchical unlike the Catholic and English churches. Myself, I'm not into religion. I'm descended from Highland people, and Presbyterian, which is by far the most common religion in the Highland areas

@Hsalf904 8 ай бұрын

Some Highland clans were Presbyterian (which the video left out) and Highland migrations to the Americas tended to follow family and kin patterns so a lot of people from the same clan/region/religion would’ve settled in the same places. Here in Nova Scotia, the majority of people with Highland heritage are Catholic, so much so that I used to associate being Catholic with being Scottish and was surprised to learn most of modern-day Scotland is actually Protestant

@McConnachy 8 ай бұрын

@@Hsalf904 you are absolutely correct. Greetings from Scotland. Sadly, what happened here is / was divide and rule, and the Brits played Scots off against each other, whether that was religious, or tribal, it meant an easy conquest for them, use money, because they couldn’t fight the Scots who had a warrior culture, unlike themselves.

@Hsalf904 8 ай бұрын

@@McConnachy It’s astounding how often divide and rule/conquer has and continues to be used throughout history across the world, it’s clearly effective. Halò à Alba Nuadh/Mi’kma’ki! Hoping to visit the Auld Country as we call it here sometime soon!

@piratejack6577 5 ай бұрын

It’s miss leading to say scots is a “form of English influenced by Germanic and Scandinavian languages”. In fact scots is itself its own language, evident in the fact that a Englishman who speaks only English and a Scotsman who speaks only scots would not be able to understand each other(try reading a poem by Robert burns if you’ve never done it before). And to say that it’s “influenced by Germanic languages” is a miss characterization of the whole anglic language family, Scot and Yola were two languages separated from English that are derived from Middle English and their more Germanic features can largely be attributed to their isolation from changes being made to the Mercian dialects of English that were caused by the Normans. It is more accurate to say scots is a language derived from Middle English and diverged largely due to isolation from the Mercian speaking south of England ,from which standard English is derived, and insolation from the Norman, a variety of French, speaking conquerers who ruled over England

@sammhyde7589 8 ай бұрын

The highlanders were more related to Gaels. The lowlanders were Nordic. That sums it up roughly

@gornfrmn 7 ай бұрын

A lot of highlanders were of Nordic-Gaelic descent... so very roughly

@thursoberwick1948 7 ай бұрын

@@gornfrmnAnd the Lowlands spoke Gaelic too. Some parts like Galloway, west Aberdeenshire and even Ayrshire into post-industrial times.

@invadertifxiii 3 ай бұрын

presbyterians are protestant?

@Sionnach1601 3 ай бұрын

I honestly get lost too. Such a load of old nonsense, the differences between all of the protestant religions, even though they are all Christian!! Almost seems like differing from each other for the sake of it! 🙄

@Shaylathehalforc 2 ай бұрын

Yes, Presbyterians are protestant.