There are many preconceived ideas that we can bring when arriving in Scotland with the intention of discovering this country. That men wear skirts, that there are lakes with monsters in them and that it rains a lot. But it is not common to have a pre-established image of the typical Scottish woman.
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In popular tradition, Scottish women have tended to be depicted as one of three stereotypes:
The seductive redhead who wears a provocative, but highly unrealistic version of the traditional costume.
The shy and dreamy girl with a natural beauty in a wild and romantic setting.
The matriarch with a strong character, hardworking and without mincing words.
It is assumed that a large number of redheads reside here, around 13% of the Scottish population have red hair, compared to 2% of the world population.
But what we are realizing is that, at least on the streets of Edinburgh, that percentage is actually lower. It is probably due to the latest migratory currents and the large number of tourists.
In addition to robust and uninhibited, characteristics that jump out at the naked eye when walking through the streets, the Scottish are the ones with the most blue eyes in Great Britain. A major new study of DNA from the British Isles has found the highest level of the gene that causes light iris color, in Edinburgh.
As for the way of being, the first thing to keep in mind is that Scottish women rarely say what they think directly. This may seem strange, but they do not like to be told things directly and without hot cloths.
They prefer to give several detours and say things with extreme caution so that they are not branded as rude. That is what they expect of us when we address them. If we are very abrupt in telling them what we think, they can be offended.
They are therefore deeply reticent and prone to caution, held back by deep-seated fear. But at the same time they are kind, fair and ethical, although thrifty, dour and often bitter. Quite a complex personality.
The truth is that once here what we perceive does not fit purely into the aforementioned stereotypes, instead what we find is a truly dominant diversity over any parameter, be it physical, aesthetic, attitudinal or character. There are Scotch for all tastes.
In history there are not many names of Scottish women who have stood out. Perhaps the most international name is that of Maria Estuardo. Mary I was queen of Scotland from December 14, 1542 to July 24, 1567. The only legitimate daughter of James V, she succeeded her father on the Scottish throne when she was six days old. She spent most of her childhood in France, while Scotland was ruled by regents.
She was thrice widowed, she was persecuted, spent 18 years a prisoner, and was sentenced to death for conspiring against the life of the Queen of England and against the security of the kingdom, on October 15, 1586, before reaching the age of 45.
In our time the most popular names are those of the singers Sheena Easton and Annie Lennox. For most people who live in other geographies, English and Scottish are not so easy to differentiate and these names could be from anywhere in the United Kingdom, but that for them is nothing short of an offense.
The daughters of Scotland deserve to be known for their particularities rather than for the similarities with their neighbors.
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🔎 I am Gustavo Llusá, Argentine, after traveling for several years to more than 60 countries, I settled in Latvia where I got married and learned about another way of life, on the other side of the map.
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