"A level of inbreeding thats not even been achieved in Fife". Ohhh you killed me with that one.

I think,being an American, from my own perspective, we are so interested in our ancestry because being American isn't an ethnicity or a people with a long shared history but rather more of a concept. We are a nation comprised of many different people and cultures, but one thing we all have in common is our ancestors all came from somewhere else ( except native Americans), and when they became American they didn't lose their identity from the place they came. They could be an American Scot, for example. Instead of total assimilation immigrant would add their fathers story to that of america as a whole. I think that's partly why we are so fixed with our ancestors.

American here: researching genealogy can teach us a lot about “where we came from.” On the other hand, cross-checking my family tree against DNA evidence leads to an inescapable conclusion: there are a whole bunch of people out there in history who didn’t know who their real fathers were.

As a "Yank"....im proud to be an American.....but im also very proud of my Scottish herritage. Tracing mine was a wonderful journey. One i feel everyone should take.

Fifer here, first time on the channel and it took just 3 minutes to call me inbred Subscribed

I think you nailed it. As an Aussie myself, Im just looking for my links to Scotland and part of that includes trying to find what clan the Winnings of Glasgow and Baldernock belonged to. If you're in Scotland, none of that has much meaning. You're Scottish and that's it. You're living it. Us colonial's are seeking a strong tangible connection though, maybe a sense of feeling reassured of our claim to heritage and identity. Maybe because in Australia or Canada or the US we're in a melting pot of cultures. Ultimately, genetic claimants to the Scottish diaspora have a different perspective than Scots who live in Scotland because of a differing need. Does that make sense?

I'm an American. My father's ancestors are Scots, and I have been researching family history a bit, but I still have a lot to learn about them. I wish they had left some diaries or something. I was fortunate to have visited Scotland about 15 years ago and get a little feel for the land. It is nice to know where we came from. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 😃 ♥️

I think you nailed it on the head. Americans are very interested in their own family histories because every American family’s history begins the same way, and that’s the immigration of an individual or a few individuals together from the old world to the new, whether it happened yesterday or a couple hundred years ago.

I’m an Englishman. I have no idea why I’ve been recommended this video. However, it’s very entertaining and I enjoyed it immensely. Henceforth I am claiming it for myself and my people, as is our historical “right”. On a more serious note, I shall be watching more of your videos.

Scot's are a balanced people we have a chip on both shoulders

I re-watched this video because it's one of your best, and because it has me pretty pegged, and I'm far from alone in that. I think your Reason Number 3 resonates more than the others: Think of how adopted people feel about themselves, those who grew up not knowing their birth parents. If they know they're adopted, they feel deprived of knowing their real parents and long to know from whence they came. It's the same for us Americans: we know we aren't from here, and our culture and history effectively only go back as far as you can throw a stone (compared to those of you who are rooted a lot further back). We want to know from whence we came, because without that we're a little lost as far as our place in the historical world is.

Earlier this year I went on my first trip to Scotland with my wife. It was an incredible visit. We saw many of the great and beautiful sites Scotland has to offer. We learned more history and gained a greater appreciation for Scottish culture and history. I’ve always thought Scotland was beautiful and interesting from seeing it portrayed in films and in books. However, only in the past couple of years after learning more about my Scottish ancestry did I gain a most deep desire to learn more and to visit. I think learning about your family tree is an important thing for all folks to do. It gives you a sense of gratitude for those who came before you and made sacrifices for their children and their children’s children. Im an American, and I think our melting pot gives many folks a desire to know which enterprising ancestors they had who came to this country seeking a new life as after so many generations back, we find that our ancestors probably didn’t live in North America. While in Europe, many families can probably trace back their lineage thousands of years in the same continent. As far as I can tell my Scottish ancestors were not anyone famous and while my great great grandfather’s name is William Wallace Walker, I don’t think we are in any significant way related to him. But all the same I can see the pride my great great great grandfather had in his Scottish culture to name his son William Wallace, and that makes me feel extra proud knowing my fore fathers came from the great land of Scotland.

I'm no related to Robert the Bruce, but I am related to his best mate, "Wee mental Eck wi the gammy leg". What a character

Am Scottish /Algerian but most of my family in Glasgow mix but still scottish proud.

I found this channel yesterday and love it. As an American mutt made up of Scottish, Irish, Welch, French and native American along with others, i'd have to say it's because we look for the heros. As our history, and knowledge of the places our ancestors come from is not fully in our face we tend to cling to the heros and nobility that are made public and famous on our television and in our books. And automatically want to claim were related to that person. We tend to focus on the person, their accomplishments and not the history of our ancestors as a whole.

As an American with Scots-Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh & German ancestry, I feel like we are all lumped together in a category as just “white”. Speaking for myself, I want to celebrate the cultures and histories that my ancestors came from because I want to remember and pass along those stories and traditions down to my children. Love your videos, Bruce!

I think it may be a case that Americans try to use an interesting ancestry to add intrinsic value to themselves, giving them a cause to celebrate the achievements of their ancestors. This seems to play into the individualistic mindset of 'What makes me special?' instead of the communal Scottish mindset of 'What makes us not the English?'

Great take on this. I will say, as a Canadian, that the sort of cultural experience had living in a colonized society with very shallow history and a nebulous cultural identity, gives a very weird and unsatisfactory feeling to anyone who wonders “how did I get here?” There’s a sort of cultural void for people whose family have lived here for several generations now and all they’ve got is hockey and Tim Hortons, lol.

I've only just discovered your videos and am loving them. My dad was English and my mother Scottish. I was never brought up to think of myself as anything other than English, but to be very proud of my Scottish link through my Grandad who was a Gordon Highlander who fought through WWI. The only time it came out in conflict was when Enland played Scotland at footie, when my mother who hated football suddenly became a great fan and wouldn't talk to my dad all day and sat with clutched hands, glued to the TV for the whole game shouting at the TV. Lol.

Hey, Bruce! Vlogging Through History just released a reaction to this video. His commentary (as an American himself) was illuminating and it added some perspective as an American who knows his own ancestry well. I am in agreement with you regarding our obsession with ancestry. Our country is so new that we want to be part of something older. Like VTH, I know who some of my ancestors are, and I could prattle on about them for hours if you like, but I don't want to delve too deeply into a lot of it because some of it is very painful. My own research taught me things I never learned in history books about such things as the founding of the nation in the aftermath of the American Revolution. My grandmother's maiden name would almost certainly give me a family that sent men to Culloden moor, but I can't prove that for certain. As a final message to my fellow Americans: be proud of your heritage. Don't be afraid to share cultures and customs with others and the history, but don't put down other cultures because of it, and don't overexaggerate your claims. As you said, we're all Jock Thompson's bairns.

Aside from the 99% lie, I'd call Red Dot out on "I wasn't even gonna mention it, if not for you!". That's a lie. He was absolutely gonna mention it. Probably buzzing with anticipation as he clicked on the video. He's probably more likely related to Groundskeeper Willie.

I have no idea who my ancestors were but, as a man born and raised in Dundee, I reckon many of them fought and died for the idea that Scots are, and shall always be, a people to be proud of, from a place to be in love with.

I found that i have a large portion of Scottish ancestry when i was expecting 90% German. After doing genealogical research and digging into history, i can tell you that out of all my ancestors, the Scottish ones have the wildest of stories. That is what led me to your channel. 😊

As an American with Scottish ancestry myself, "The Red Spot" was probably making a joke about Americans rather than being serious. I myself have a mix of Scots-Irish (Scots who settled in Northern Ireland), English, French, Dutch, German, and Norwegian in my family bloodline. That Scottish ancestry comes from Clan Hamilton; and, in turn, from the union of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, with Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran. Mary Stewart's lineage traces back to Robert the Bruce. However, this is only one tiny percentage of my family tree.

When I was a kid I thought I was 100% Scottish and my dad just laughed and went on a big story about Lithuanian immigration in the early 1900s to Scotland. I looked up my tree and there's lots of English and Irish in there too only going back 150 years. It's a good thing to stop thinking about purity and start embracing the real people you are related to and their individual stories.

I'm an American and have always had an interest in history from all around the world. But until now I've not had much interest in my own personal families history. I'd just like to thank you for inspiring me to research the history of my own lineage. Also I love this channel, you sir have a gift. Thanks for sharing it with the world 🌎

Many Scots take for granted answers to questions that drive many dissaffected and enslaved Americans. Most of us came to the USA born from hardships, not selfish ambition. Over time, we lost this sense of identity and search for it with vigor. Though many make up "facts" such as being related to Robert the Bruce, this exageration is born from a sense of pride about the heritage that brought us here and that which makes us unique. I love your channel brother. I am learning about the history of my people and that makes me proud. Thank you

Great episode Bruce and glad you intervened on this stooshie. I welcome anyone who is interested in their Scottish ancestry or wants to know more about our country’s rich history. Loved your point about us all being Jock Tamson’s Nairn’s and it reminded me what my mum & dad taught me when I was young - “Always remember that you’re no better than anyone else, but nobody else is any better than you!” Keep going Bruce, spot on 👌

Tbh being Scottish isn’t about the genetics, it’s about the culture. A second generation Indian living in Scotland is far more Scottish to me than an American whose genetically Scottish but is culturally American

"A level of inbreeding they haven't even managed in Fife!" My dads mother and my mother both came from Dunfermline and I can confirm this! I laughed so hard I spat tea all over my monitor. Just found your channel and I love it

Just found your videos. I don't know where I've been to not find this channel before. It's amazing! I'm an American who is not really into tracing my ancestors because I'm worried I won't like who they were. 😆 I love everything about Scotland, it's culture,history and people. So I consider myself 100% Scottish at heart and that's what matters to me.

Hiya Bruce, I felt this was the place to post my thoughts on this after I saw another content provider making a reaction video to this one recently. As an American born son of Jock Thomas, who traces Scottish ancestry back to the early 19th century, there is a particular aspect of identifying as a son of that particular Granda over the others, and it has to do directly with the Clearances and the Proscription. I live on ancestral lands of another people who were displaced and whose population is a mere shadow of the size it was before westerners (coming from an eastern direction… but I think you get what I’m saying) took their land. Associating myself with my Scottish heritage allows me to displace a minor amount of the guilt I feel at the mere fact that I live in a modern American city that used to be a pastoral landscape populated by indigenous people. By thinking about Jock Thomas and my ancestors who were oppressed and ethically cleansed from their own lands, I can feel an affinity (however tenuous) with people of different heritage whose ancestors suffered similar fates.

OMG! My paternal grandfather claimed for as long as I can remember the our family was descended from Robert the Bruce. You could hear the collective eyes rolling in our heads every time he said it. But, I do think there's something to us Yanks, whose country is so young, wanting to know and tie ourselves to a heritage. We a want to belong somewhere, dubious claims and all.

I met some Americans near Strathpeffer and they asked about where they could and couldn't go. So I explained the right to roam. I think they thought I was crazy which is true but not relevant.

As an American, I feel that we are categorized as “white, non-Hispanic” which makes me feel very homogenous and disconnected from my family’s culture. I’ve always been fascinated with Scotland and it’s history (which is why I love watching your videos, Bruce). Scottish Americans want to belong, which is why they are interested in clans and want to identify with Scottish heritage. Speaking of which, Robert the Bruce is my 22nd great- grandfather 😊.

As a Scottish-American, I am appalled and amused! Great video!

Thoroughly enjoyed this video - I'm a Fifer! - and the views of beautiful Loch Tay. I get frustrated by the emotional version of Scottish history that blames the English for everything bad. We unite against a common enemy and avoid taking responsibility for the mess in our own backyard. We have much to be proud of and so much more we could do.

As a Scot (born in NI, but grew up in Scotland) I have always been interested in my family’s history. I have so far traced my ancestors back to 1640....most were from Scotland and some of the families moved back and forth between Scotland and Ireland at different times. They are all remarkable to me, not because they were famous or rich or anything like that. Mainly, they were hard workers, labourers, midwives, servants, miners, engineers etc. The remarkable thing for me is that the vast majority lived till they were elderly 60-90 odd years old! Hardy stock 💪🏻....now that’s something to feel proud of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Just wanted to say that I loved this video. The first video I have seen from on this Channel; hope to watch more. I don't have any immediate thoughts for or against the observations, theories, or opinions made, I just enjoyed the narrative journey that was taken - it planted a seed that may germinate into an observation or opinion of my own one day. Thank you.

There are more ways than one to be Scottish. My people were of the Cameron Clan and were forced to leave after the rebellion in the 18th century. They settled in the mountains of east Tennessee that mirrored the Highlands. I am a proud American, and also a proud Scottish American.

Here in America we have gotten the terms ethnicity and culture all mixed up. My grandfather came here from Scotland because he wanted to be an American. He did however manage to share Scottish culture with his children and grandchildren.

I have no record to show any Scottish heritage. I'm just fascinated by Scotland's history and culture because it is full of stories and struggles for independence and because it is the birthplace of the age of enlightenment.

As an American, it makes a lot of sense both ways. It was definitely fun visiting Scotland in February and getting to learn more about what people who actually live in Scotland enjoy. I will say that it was an interesting experience when my aunt who also came along for the trip. Would obsessively start talking about the clans, and I felt bad for the local Scottish people because it was obvious that was a little awkward. I can also see the need to understand where you came from. At least the locals in Edinburgh were nice about it. I will have to agree, just because my great-grandparents last name was Wallace does not mean I am any more related to William Wallace than anyone else. And definitely some good points Bruce, thanks!

Am a Scot born & bred . Proud Scot’s mum & Irish dad . My DNA came back ; 83% Irish Scottish & Welsh . 11.4 Greek & South Italian 5.6 Baltic. We are lowland Scots , my gran was a Douglas my mum a Parker.

As a Australian Sinclair.. I say the Scots are th e greatest people t o ever populate the earth.. long live e the Scots...

My Scottish connection: my father was stationed on USS Canopus in Holy Loch, Scotland. I was 10 months old when he was transferred to Scotland; and was almost 4 when we left. We lived in Dunoon. I absolutely love the people of Scotland, and I like to think that I'm an honorary Scot.

I am descended from all over the Islands, The mainland, and beyond. I am proud of my Heritage, which include Scotland, Wales, Ireland, English, and many other places with the closest of the Highland Clans, the Cameron's, and the Closest of the Lowland, the Calendar's. in the Irish, Neelin (Canadian immigration spelling)... BUT no matter what my Ancestors did or didn't do, it still comes down to what I do.... Thank You for What You do...

Love your videos, Bruce. I wonder if there's a Spanish vlogger whose comment section has a raging argument between a Spaniard and an American claiming heritage from El Cid 🤣 PS Thank you to all the Americans making positive comments about Scotland. Lang may yer lum reek.

I just discovered your channel a few days ago and I find your history lessons very interesting but I just watched this one right after I watched "Can a black guy talk about Scottish history" (or whatever it was called) and I LOVE your take on the "here and now." FWIW and if it is not too late to join this conversation: part of the identity of non-indigenous Canadians is "knowing where you came from" which is part of the recognition that we are here because of colonialism. So if we don't rightly belong here, where we were born, it would be good to have a connection to a place we are allowed to call "home" without having to steal it from somebody. Keep this great content coming.

Having worked in retail where floods of tourists came by, I can say I’ve met about 80% of Robert the Bruce’s and William Wallace’s family. It’s amazing how the same speil was uttered by all of them. Needless to say it was thrown back in a playful manner by pointing out that I am an Anderson, which broken down is ‘son of Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland’ and by that, my ancestor has a recognised flag flown all over the country and when challenged would bring out the namesake book in the store and point it out to them. It was great fun playing top trumps, even when I knew that my story was most likely as fictitious as theirs. There could be truth to my ancestry but I like the Jock Tamson ideology.

Aye! I am in these 5% from Canada! A Pole in Ottawa who spent a decade in Caledonia ;) Thanks for great videos!

Hey Bruce, I love your videos. As an American with Scots heritage, my surname is Cathey which came from MacFie, I think most of your points are correct. I think on balance the fact that the United States is less that 300 years old has a lot to do with it. We don't have the long heritage. Also a fun fact with the "Maths" pretty much everyone with a drop of Scottish heritage is a descendent of Robert the Bruce. Keep up the fun work.

My father was born in Scotland and my mother is from Ireland I love my heritage and it's history this is why I love your channel being born in America watching your channel has help me to learn and understand alot of history thank you❤️

Im American, Oklahoma born and raised, and I think you’re right. Americans may care more about their lineage. I believe this is because an individual’s ancestry is the only thing most of us have to link us with our homeland. Yes, not all Americans care about where they come from or how they got there, but, many do. These people who care really actually feel that their home is a place they might never have a chance to visit.

Interesting video. I'm another American who has taken interest in your channel. For context, I'm mostly Anglo-Saxon with a lot of Scottish ancestry and a touch of Scandinavian ancestry. I didn't know about my Scottish ancestry until about 3 years ago when I had a DNA test done. My paternal line is "Atlantic Celt," and as near as I can tell, my ancestors were both part of the Britons, Celts, and Vikings of Scotland. The clan that I have the strongest connection to is Robertson (Clan Donnachaidh). Personally, I prefer Scottish culture to English, so I've spent a lot more time studying my Scottish roots than I have my Anglo-Saxon roots. I found your analysis insightful and thoughtful. It really struck me that you said Scotts are embittered by Scottish history while Americans are emboldened by Scottish history. I would explain this difference two ways. First, A lot of Americans' exposure to Scottish history comes via Hollywood. Think Braveheart or Rob Roy. Knowing this, it's not surprising that Americans have this romantic view of Scotts as being independent, courageous, rebellious, hyper-masculine men that can't be controlled by tyrannical forces. Obviously, Scottish history is not as glorious and idyllic as Hollywood suggests; but while the English have been terrible to Scotts, I can't help but believe that the English would never had succeeded in subjugating the Scotts had the Scotts been willing to unite. It seems that when the English gained a decisive victory over the Scotts, it was because a number of Scotts were either refusing to participate or worse yet, working with the English. So, I tend to view Scottish history as more of self-inflicted tragedy rather than a story of being victimized by the English. In any case, going back to what most Americans believe, a second reason why Americans are emboldened by Scottish history is because one of the definitive traits of Americans is that we rebel from government overreach. Most of us have ancestors that were fed up with the government in their homeland and fled. Then, in America, our first act as a nation was to rebel against England, so Americans tend to value people who stand up and push back against authoritarian governments, and most of us find inspiration in many of Scotland's historical figures. And just to keep up the American stereotype, I'm not a descendant of Robert the Bruce, but I am a descendent of his sister, Isabella de Brus. Haha.

I've just recently discovered your channel. Your content is a balm for my weary mind at day's end. I have identified as a Scot since highschool when my sister traced our family tree. It's a thing we do in this country that went from infancy straight into senility with no intervening years. Our society has been called "the melting pot." If you add too many ingredients to a stew it becomes difficult to differentiate the various components. "Was that a potato or some rutabaga, pea or green bean, chicken or anything else?" When you are as bland as beige any cultural signpost will do. I enjoy many products from many cultures but I feel the need to call some thing as MINE. I am probably more Swiss or German than Scottish but my mom was an Edie. Her father's family came to America in time to fight the British in the Revolution. Now that's worth taking to heart. Bruce, you are more Scottish than I'll ever be and I want to learn from you. Also, I will steal jokes when I think they will play for great unwashed.

I feel like the Scots have been everywhere, genetically, at this point! I’m a Torre strait islander, Fiji levuka, and I can trace my Scottish blood back to a single fella in the late 18th century. Turns out he was a boat worker and apart of many Scottish immigrants that sought land and work in the islands, being seen as only suitable for the lower class. Funny enough, his Scottish linage gave us greater claim to the land once the Brits rolled in, and remains there till this day. Sadly, I can’t trace his name back any further than his own parents. And edit: awesome video! Summed it up real well and fantastic mise en scene. It’s societal norms and changes and the value of history and culture, that impacts how we interpret our linage and family history. I think making a point of DOCUMENTED history is super important too, how many oral traditions, stories and experiences have we lost because an Englishman didn’t write it down? Looking at American history, and not to get controversial, but during slavery, identity and individualism, as the most important aspects to a persons worth. If you had no culture, no people, no family, you had no meaning. Nowadays, it seems like Americans hold onto that individualism through family dynamics and history.

I just finished watching the video, and first of all, I'd like to say that rarely do I actually belly laugh, out loud, but I do many times while watching your videos. So, thank you. Secondly, as a Texan, and an American (both of equal import 😉) AND a person with Scottish genes, (albeit, persons running cattle in bare feet and NOT in fancy clothes), I think you made a very accurate assessment. My grandad was born in Dunoon, so I have always been interested in the family history (those rotten Campbell's!) But, also I am a genuine history buff. I think there is a difference in someone who finds ALL history worth investigating, and those just interested in finding a "famous ancestor" in their lineage. Some care about being related to so-and-so, and others who find the injustice in not JUST the Clearances, but the Famine, the Nazis, Mussolini, etc in history worth remembering. My Texas history is as important to me as any other, but it's a "newer" history. And for some like myself, studying genealogy is important because we didn't get to know or hear the old stories of days gone by, because our family members either died or disappeared, so we are looking for CONNECTION... Just my take! Thanks for the laughs, and tell those people who are acting like children to put their grown up drawers on, and behave themselves.

I know this is a bit old, but I just recently found this channel. To me, as an American putting it into laymen’s terms, I view the American drive to find out our ancestry similar to a young kid wanting to find out more about their parent that passed away at a young age, before they got to know them. Not everyone cares to know, but those who do dig quite a bit. It was awesome to find out that my dad was a firefighter when I was a little kid. Then when I became a firefighter in the US Marine Corps, he gave me a local history book about my local town that had his dad & uncle in it, also firefighters & Veterans. Now my dad wasn’t a Veteran, but all four of us had been firefighters & 3/4 in the service. Something like a family legacy if you will. I think the closest we get to a communal mentality is when it’s USA vs anyone else. Because we are so diverse, we attempt to find communities of like minds & it’s exciting when we find someone that cares about something we do.

I recently found your channel through Tasting History, and it was amazing timing, because I had realized that despite my lifelong love and interest in Scotland, as an American, I hadn't looked much up online. Not like I do with my interest in Japan, which is in no way ancestral for me. For me, Scotland is so near and dear because I listened to stories from my grandmother, who moved to the states drom Scotland in the late 50s/early 60s. I asked her for stories all the time, and she always called it home, and that fostered all my love for it, even through her stories about being poor and living in the slums. It was always close to home, and I still have living relatives there I would like to meet. Frankly, I've never looked beyond the ancestors my grandmother could directly tell me about. But I found this video very thoughtful, perceptive, and interesting. And I appreciate all the things I'm learning from your videos. It also hits home that you do start most videos by saying "let me tell you a story" because it reminds me so much of asking my grandmother for hers, and hearing her say a similar thing in a similar accent. Thank you for all your knowledge and thoughtfulness, and for sharing these stories.

I love your channel, I’m an American who is more interested in Scottish history in general than my direct line. My DNA shows most of my ancestry is from Scotland and Norway (surprise surprise) but as far as finding who I’m related to or not related to is not what drives me to learn about Scotland. I want to know more about the people who came before me. I thank you for sharing your love and enthusiasm for Scotland with us, you’ve made the history come alive for me

It's also that, for those whose ancestors left Scotland, they're "stuck" (for lack of a better word) in the time of their Scottish ancestor's leaving the homeland. I've seen it with my own mother, who left the U.S. in the 1960s to marry my father and still thinks that her homeland is as it was when she left. Take that and magnify it by four centuries, and it's basically a really bad game of telephone. Love the vids and your perspective, and I totally love the stories!

You make so many great points. I love the way you broke it down. As an American whose family has only been here 6 -8 generations I do want to why my ancestors came here (mostly from Scotland and Ireland). The Isles are such a beautiful place. Why did they leave their homeland and family? What was their life like there? Then of course the cultural stuff like music, dance, dress, art and food is all fascinating. How much of that culture is still alive in the way I live, act and think? Does the fact that what I really desire to own in this life is highland land and cattle something inbedded in my DNA? Haha!!!! In this great melting pot we call the USA I think many of us still long to know about the places our people came from.

I am originally from Carlisle with some Douglas blood. I have lived in Canada for nearly 40 years. I was educated in Aberdeen, Scotland and have also worked in the USA. Scots, Canadians and Americans(USA) are all different and obviously history is a big reason. In sweeping generalizations the Americans are brash, confident and very individualistic. The Scots are delightfully self deprecating, well educated and community minded (much more so than the English !!) The lovely Canadians are very different from our southern neighbours. They think we are near to communism as we have good public education and health care for all paid through taxation. We have many Scottish characteristics with a decent dose of new world drive, great pipe bands and a great fondness for the “old country”. What to say….I am a proud Canadian !

I think also the difference also is Scottish heritage vs well just being Scottish, it's two different things. We don't need to prove we have flashy ancestors as we're actually Scottish. So I think for Americans its interest and insecurity rolled into one.

You taught me briefly at Breadalbane academy. Absolute shock to come across you on KZfaq out of the blue! Love the content! Congrats on your successful channel!

I’m a Newfoundlander with no idea what old country’s I filtered down from. I just like listening to your stories. Thanks for telling them.

As a Canadian, I'd say you hit the nail on the head, Bruce

I am American , half my family emigrated from Scotland, I love history that I can look at and see what my ancestor’s went through, accomplished, and endured. I think you’re right and it does embolden me.

A really interesting topic. As an Australian with mainly Scots heritage (as far as I know) I have had an interest in Scottish history. This is why this channel caught my eye. Now having said that if I have any identity it is Australian first and daylight second. It seems a bit ridiculous to me to think (or want to think) otherwise. But I take the point that in the broader new world where everyone is a migrant and if they could be bothered - find out exactly when their forebears arrived. So it is actually interesting to understand where your family came from. Added to that we live in a multicultural age where you cannot get through a day without hearing about how important this or that cultural identity is. I had no idea about American's propensity to assume lineage to historical heroes I haven't noticed that with Australians maybe due to the history of settlement or maybe some general difference in character. Or I might be completely wrong. Anyway, this is a great channel for content. The style of delivery is a winner.

Only just saw this video. Firstly Bruce, I love your humour. Anyway my opinion as an Australian of Scottish descent, is that those of us of Scottish descent who don't live in Scotland are probably more ancestry focused. Seeing as we are not indigenous to the lands in which we live, tracing our Scottish ancestry gives us a sense of belonging, of where we fit in. Thanks again for another great video.

Loving your channel dude! You've got a subscriber from Australia! I'm here because I have notably Scottish and Sorbian heritage and I'm trying my hand at Gaelic! :D

I had no interest in Scottish history until I stumbled across your channel. However, being Irish, and having such a similar history (similar struggles particularly) your words resonate and I frankly can’t stop listening 😂

3 minutes in when he says about "99% over 400 years, that's a level of inbreeding that no even been achieved in Fife" fckin buckled 🤣🤣🤣 Big Man I salute you 😂😂😂😂😂

I'm descended from John Thompson! He was born in West Virginia! ;D As an American who loves history and genealogy, I've enjoyed binging all of your videos and I think you're correct about Americans being empowered versus Scotts being embittered. And also that most American's don't care, and you are really only hearing from the minority that do. Most of the people I meet in every day life don't particularly care about history at all, and I was flabbergasted when I learned my husband had no idea where his family came from, beyond his grandfathers father. I asked him to tell me about his home town's history and he looked at me like I'd spoken a foreign language. I know I'm not, and never will be Scottish, but I feel welcome here, listening to these amazing stories. I'm an American Monroe, with four ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, and one Presidential cousin, and I have as much English blood as Scottish or Irish. I can look back on the distasteful parts of Scottish or English history with no emotional ties, because I have my own distasteful history to deal with. It's much easier to hear about it when you have no dog in the race.

I’m an American who is proud of his Scottish heritage and being Wee Jock’s descendant is just fine by me! My only item on my bucket list is to one day visit Scotland again!

Ya know… my friend Neil McIntosh, who lives in Glasgow, taught me about “Jock Thompson’s Bairns”!! And I agree with the idea COMPLETELY!!

"A level of inbreeding they haven't even managed in Fife! And they work at it!" literally had me laughing out loud. Your observations on the differences between how Scottish and Americans see history are largely correct. The core is a quest for identity. My Native American friends can say, "I'm Hoopa," or "I'm Navajo." Me? I'm just one more white guy. Who are my people? So we become enthralled with genealogies. The only ancestry I can trace back farther than five generations is on my maternal grandmother's side. Being of Scottish descent gives me sense of belonging to a people, which probably also explains why the Clan system is so interesting to us as well. And so I retell my children our family stories, insert my grandmother's sept into my eldest child's middle name, and spend hours binge-watching short videos on Scottish history in an effort to connect with my roots. ;-) Thanks again!

I’m Canadian, and there’s often a palpable sense of trying to fill a void. Like “American”, Canadian is a concept, with very little in terms of shared culture or origin. When migrating, we were expected to make ourselves anew, to be reborn as generic American or Canadian, but not Scots or English or whatever was before. Scotland and Scottishness is remembered nostalgically. It’s all clan crest wall hangings, commemorative plates with pictures of Loch Lomond and boy and girl highland dancer salt and pepper shakers. It’s puerile and kitsch, leaving many of us searching for something deeper. I do feel compelled to mention that my own ancestor was George from Fife. Have you heard of him? Apparently one of the top 100 most famous 16th century farmers from Fife named George.

Lol, Bruce they see history differently because their different countries, and they have different history. Your a intelligent fellow . I would have thought that you would have figured that out.

Honestly I laughed throughout the entire episode, honestly I think you hit the nail on the head when we Americans are searching for a sense of belonging, familial ties are important here. I am far less concerned about what my ancestors did, and would just focus my attention on what I'm going to do. Seems like a safer way of feeling accomplished, without riding on the coattails of the great. Or sharing a secret family shame, I suppose. lol

Never even knew Americans saying they're related to Robert the Bruce was a thing. I always thought my coolest Scottish ancestor was a Priest who had the virility to have 16 children.

American here and guilty as charged. These last few years I've taken a deep dive into my ancestry. All (the most well traveled) paths lead back to Scotland. My wife and I will be visiting this July. And like any good American I'm viewing this epic journey home as a return to the realm. Please let my people know ... ;-)

I have been tracing my ancestry & did DNA test 63% Scottish. Father's mum's side, mostly farmers, traced back to the Barra MacNeill's and the MacSheniog's & Murray's from Perth. Me mum's side were Hudson's, yes, those explorers, now there's a few stoies! What a trip! I love your stories, cuz some are mine, keep'em comin' Bruce. 🥰

And for saying you've exaggerated a million times 🤣

My maternal grandmother was a Thompson who married a Collier. You are correct that all of you in Scotland do know from who you come, here in America we have been so scattered that we are all desperately grasping at straws to understand just who we are and where we came from. So I’d like to see those there being a little more patient with my brothers and sisters here on this side of the great pond! Wado oginali (thank you my freind). 😁

Just to know that I come from Scottish Patriarch’s is enough for this Texan . There has been a search’s done of four of them as far back as the mid 1500’s on that side of the pond . One of my ancestors came to the new world in 1670 another in 1700. The reasons they came we already knew about. We are proud of out personal history as well as being a Texan first and American second . My patriarchs fought in the American & Texas War of Independence . On both sides of the Civil war. As well as in the First and Second world wars . I my self proudly served in Vietnam. I like your videos as well as your historical information. Well done keep it up.

I'm an American who loves history and is watching Americans increasingly hate our country and history... even in my own family. I did my ancestory to see if it's a new thing or if my family always sucked. I'm happy to say I found 10 grandfathers who fought in the American revolution... for the good guys. I had no intention of looking back any farther, but I noticed names I knew from history... two years later I was back to 100bc. Robert the Bruce did show up as my 28th grandfather... king Edward too(boo) is it real? On paper... it looks like it, but what I have found is most people see what they want to see when they are doing ancestory... and paternity is always in question... especially among the royals. Love your stories.

Canadian here. One thing about N.America is that when we look around, there isn't the same wealth of history by comparison, and we still look back across the ocean for our family history. In a place like Scotland, you are up to your eyeballs history day in, day out, and it is a history that is important to us as well.

i think the attraction is based on the fact that kilted warriors knocking 7 types of sh*te out of each other with lumps of iron is a very popular and lucrative business in netflix and amazon at the moment. add in some bodice ripping scenes and you have a very successful porridge western :)

I think you hit the nail on the head - people watching your videos are often interested in tracing family history as a hobby. Additionally, many people who immigrated to North America either by choice or force probably had quite a journey and they passed down accounts of their experiences. As you say Bruce, these stories probably "grow arms and legs" but there is often some truth mixed in. And as you said, Scottish and Irish immigrants had a profound impact on America as it is today. And, as you have pointed out, most of us are mutts - I myself am but I can legitimately trace the Scottish side to a clan not far from Edinburg. - I'm probably less than 10% Scottish at this point, but the stories that you tell are fantastic. Another thought: if people can draw connections between the history that you tell and how it must have affected their own ancestors, it makes your lessons all the more memorable and impactful. Thank you for another great video!

I finally seen this Video. I have been watching all of content Mr. Bruce has. I am of almost half Scottish Ancestry like something 48% in DNA. But I am not Scottish because I wasn't raised in those lands. I am American But I'm proud of being an ancestor of these people. I am also a bit Welsh, English, Frisian, Spanish and Mexican Native American. So I find it weird when other people in the US build their whole personality behind their Ancestors. People need to understand the difference of Heritage and DNA. For me being a person of a Country just means you were raised in that land it has nothing to do with your DNA. Much Love People of the Internet. :)

A little behind listening to your tours, enjoying them all. I have pondered the question why north Americans are more clannish than home country Scots. Might have to do with when they come to north America. Clanship mattered more then. Homeland Scots evolved away from that mindset. But Scots in a new land filling up with people from everywhere that identity was a useful come bond. Clans that fueded in Scotland were bound together by clan ties in north America.

Hehehe great video! I am a new viewer from Norway, but with a long fascination for Americans, America and its history. You made some many good points here. I think most of us Europeans can really feel a commonality here. Even if Scotts and Norwegians are quite different people, I think there is this divide between people of the old country and countries founded by settlers like America, Canada, Australia etc. I think both Scotts and Norwegians do have more of that communal or group thinking about our people and history vs the individualistic American perspective. Although I do spot some differences. I think Scandinavians in general don't think about our history bitterly the way maybe Scotts and Irish do. Norway was ruled by Denmark for 400 years, but they where never as brutal as the English, so there is simply not the same kind of bitter memory. I think Norwegians remember history more like Americans in terms of what cool stuff we might have done. Especially in Viking times. Yet a key difference is that there is less thought of what did "MY" ancestors do, but more about what did "OUR" ancestors do. For everybody around you in Norway, you know we got mostly the same heritage, so we all share in the same history, while every American family might have a very different ancestral tale and thus think more in terms of what "THEIR" ancestors did. And honestly I think Norwegians are more excited about their American history than their Norwegian one. Most families are exited to speculate on what happened to the part of the family which went to America or those who came back. Growing up, the stories that excited me and my brother the most was about my great grandfather who went to America and built railroad tracks in the Wild West. That seemed more relatable than what some distant related Viking chieftain might have done a thousand years ago.

This channel is never what I expect it to be. Oh, yes, there is good history here with excellent story telling, but also... so many delightful surprises along the way. I do love your outlook and commentaries.

Aye, we're a' Jock Tamson's bairns - and followers of the Bruce's witty, thoughtful and educational videos.

Having lived abroad for 10 years before coming back home to Scotland, my thoughts are that way you live away from Scotland and you have a connection to Scotland you see things differently. I now see Scotland in a different light after being away. I now feel I love Scotland more and have become more patriotic while I lived abroad.

My Dad was adopted so as someone who doesn't know their ancestry I find this very interesting.

I am an American and I LOVE your videos!! I know why we look at history differently on this side of the Atlantic. It's because our history only goes back two hundred years. We ignore the natives who lived here before Europeans for 20,000 years or more, but the people who built houses and put down roads didn't get here until much, much later. If you live in a house that's a hundred and fifty years old here, it's really old. If you live in a house that's a hundred and fifty years old in Scotland, it's not even note worthy! That's why I love your videos. You talk about a lot of stuff that happened before my country was founded. That's cool as hell. EDIT: I should mention that my ancestors, that is the people with my surname, arrived in this country about 175 years ago from Ireland. They were escaping the potato famine, as so many were at that time. My cousins have attempted to trace our family name back beyond those travelers, but to no avail. I am convinced that we started in Scotland, but not because of my name. I believe that only because I look and feel like a Viking and I don't feel at home watching videos about Ireland. I feel like I came from Scotland, and that means ... absolutely nothing! There is no evidence for a Scottish origin in my blood and I am not about to take one of those bullshit DNA tests to see if I am right. By the way, my cousins who traced our last name actually CAN tell you the name of the ship that my family members traveled on, the names of all the family members that traveled together, and probably what they had in their baggage. There might even be a few of those very items sitting on shelves on some of our homes. When you described how much Americans know about how our families arrived in North America, I just HAD to laugh!!!

Hey Bruce, just watched this somewhat belatedly. I like to look at my ancestry as a story, a rich tapestry, some of which is Scottish, other English and Irish. My father was born in India, as was his father etc. back about 100 years. They were in the regiments until '46 when the family returned to the UK. We live in Australia now, but I grew up in England. My sister likes to concentrate on individuals and has a chart dating back 150 years of who begat who, but I like to try and collect the stories of the lives they might have lived. Hence my interest in your channel. Thanks and keep up the great work.