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).