6 Myths About Scotland Debunked
As a Scottish man who has travelled throughout the world, I am absolutely shocked at some of the things people tell me, even English people are hugely misinformed about what Scotland is really like. Some people I have met, don't even know that Scotland is its own country with its own culture and not just a province of England. Another thing that really grinds my gears is that people get us mixed up with Ireland, there is so much more to Scotland than what people who have never been think.
1. Myth: Glasgow is Just a Dump of a City That Isn't Worth Visiting and is Probably Full of Neds and Junkies
The ideas people who thinking they knew about Glasgow are just ridiculous, even when I tell people from London that I'm from Glasgow, they are like "oh my god! Please don't stab me!" People also think that it's full of alcoholics and heroin addicts that will do anything to get money for their next fix and that the city is simply just an industrial wasteland. If you are from London and think that Glasgow is a city full of crime, you'd be in for a surprise if you actually came here.
It's true that the city used to be the knife crime capital of Europe, however in recent years, crime has gone down hugely thanks to government intervention. As I have lived in Glasgow my whole life, I've never been stabbed, I feel like Glasgow is one of the safest places you could ever be. It's true that there are some areas you should avoid at night, but these places are simply not worth visiting. When it comes to substance abuse, it does not feel super widespread, I have hardly ever seen heroin addicts, but there are a few alcoholics around the city centre. If you come from London then it's quite rich to say such a thing, when I have been in London I have seen loads of people sleeping on the streets and I didn't feel safe at night in some areas.
It's also true that in Glasgow that there are some areas which are forsaken by god, but it's the same with every city. There is quite a bit of brutalist architecture, but there are also a lot of nice buildings and some really cool Instagram-worthy sites. Glasgow has received accolades such as UK culture capital and European city of culture and for good reason. If you're interested in what Glasgow is like then you should check this post out here.
2. Myth: All Scottish People Hate England
This one is largely exaggerated and has many layers to it. I personally have nothing against England and I am even half English. I support the English national team and I do know a few people who are overjoyed when England loses a match, this isn't out of hatred for the English people, this is purely down to rivalry. Many people I know will make fun of their English friends, but this is all done in good fun. If you're English and want to come to Scotland, there won't be people with blue face paint chasing you with a sword, instead people might have a joke or two. No Scottish person with a functional brain would want to physically attack someone because they happen to be from England.
3. Myth: Scottish Football is 'Tinpot' and Everyone Either Supports Celtic or Rangers
One of the most common things people ask me when I tell them I'm from Scotland, they ask me if I support Celtic or Rangers, would you ask a person from England whether they support Liverpool or Manchester United? It may be true that Celtic and Rangers are the two biggest clubs in Scotland, however outside of Glasgow, in certain places these teams are hated more than anything. It would be rather unwise to talk about the Old Firm in either Edinburgh, Dundee or Aberdeen. This is because most people in these cities support their local clubs, for example, if you lived in Edinburgh, you'd most likely support Hearts or Hibs.
Now, let's talk about the common idea most people have that the Scottish league is 'tinpot' and compared to its counterpart south of the border it probably is. I think it's highly debatable how second-rate Scottish football really is, considering that Scotland has contributed a huge amount to the history of football, we are the country which was instrumental in the foundation of football as we know it today. The history of Scottish clubs has been so influential in Europe, Hearts, Aberdeen and even Hibs have incredible history dating all the back to before the 20th century.
Furthermore, the reason why Scottish football has such a reputation is because Celtic seem to win everything these days and then always fall down in European competitions. As a Hearts fan, it's always painful to go all the way to Tynecastle, expecting them to beat the likes of Hamilton or Motherwell, only for the result to be an incredibly dull draw. Meanwhile in the EPL, you can see some genuinely entertaining matches such as Manchester City v Liverpool, however I think that Scottish fans are much more passionate than those in England.
If you were to go to Tynecastle or Easter Road on a Saturday afternoon, the fans would be constantly singing for their team, however in England it seems to be rather different. If you were to fork out the cash to see your favourite EPL team play, you'd see a lot of tourists who had came all the way to England to see some football, the atmospheres are like libraries compared to Scottish clubs and when goals are scored, people will pull their phones out to take a picture.
If you ask me why Scottish football is in such a state, it would be because Scottish clubs don't have the big money investment that English clubs do. The top six clubs of England such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are all owned by billionaires, willing to spend huge amounts of money as long as it can deliver them trophies. In Scotland, many club owners are incompetent, there isn't a club with a billionaire owner and much of the finance for Hearts comes from the fans themselves. That should tell you all you need to know about Scottish football, so you should experience it for yourself and then make your judgement.
4. Myth: Scottish People Are Heavily Aggressive
This is a huge stereotype among Scottish people and is rather a misconception. Look at Groundskeeper Willie in the Simpsons or the characters that Miker Myers has created or at least any Scottish man in an American film, they are all aggressive and would be easy to provoke into having a fight. The truth is not everyone is like that, maybe on a Saturday night there might be that one guy who's had a little too much to drink. In reality, Scottish people are significantly more chill than Londoners down south and my friends from all over Europe who live in Scotland tell me that Scottish people are some of the warmest people they've ever met.
Even when it comes to football, there is aggression, but it will rarely transcend into violence, most people who go to football matches are just ordinary people. When I was watching Hearts play Celtic in a Celtic pub, I was expecting that I'd get battered if I was to take my jacket off and reveal my maroon shirt under, the reality was that they were happy to meet another fellow Scot and by the end of the match one of them even bought me a pint.
5. Myth: We All Speak With Super Thick Accents That Anyone Outside of Scotland Would Not Understand
Another huge stereotype is that everyone in Scotland speaks with unintelligible accents, it is thought we always say "och aye the noo," however, Scottish accents are varied depending on where you are. People from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen all have their own accents and unique slang words. Another thing I'm told by people from outside of Scotland is that I don't seem to have a Scottish accent.
Not even English people can pin point that I'm Scottish from the way I speak, from the way I speak, I have been told that I sound American, Canadian or even Italian. Most people I know don't speak with heavy accents and it would only be difficult to understand them after a couple of drinks. If you come to Scotland and you can speak English comprehensively, then you will have no problem understanding people, however it can be said that we use our own slang.
6. Myth: The Scottish Diet Consists of Deep Fried Mars Bars and Haggis
In some ways, this stereotype is true, the way Scottish people eat food is horrific, however it is exaggerated. I'm not sure about most Scottish people, but I only have haggis 3 or 4 times a year and I genuinely enjoy it. According to legend, deep fried Mars Bars were made up by journalists and chip shop owners picked up on the crazy idea. The truth is that deep fried mars bars are actually quite hard to find and is not something people have on the regular. I have only had half of a deep fried Mars Bar in my life and I wouldn't fancy tucking into one. What can be said about Scottish diets though is that it is very far from healthy, back when I was in high school, some of my friends would run down to the chippy to get a deep fried mars bar and chips and this was a regular routine for a Wednesday.
Fast food is extremely dominant in Scotland, chippies are a big part of Scottish culture too where people will seriously eat something like battered sausage or deep fried pizza, served with chips of course. The ultimate chippy menu item is known as the 'munchy box' a mix of different kinds of fried goodness inside of a pizza box. However such a feast would only really be had after nights out.
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