How to avoid becoming the ‘ignorant American’ stereotype while travelling in Scotland 😉
General advice on etiquette:
*some of these will sound obvious – but after 5 years of living in Edinburgh, I’ve personally witnessed all of the following examples on more than one occasion* 😳
- If you are out for a walk and want to take a photo, don’t just stop suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk (called the ‘pavement’ here) – awareness of those around you is much appreciated by locals.
- The public buses in the cities (and much of the country) are fantastic – please take advantage of them! Most buses are contactless, so there will be a place next to the driver to use your card to pay for a ticket. Tickets are usually a single (one trip), a round trip (two trips), or a day ticket (unlimited for that day). You’ll need to say what type of ticket you want, and sometimes you’ll need to say the area/stop where you plan on getting off (but not always). Generally, try to do your research before leaving your accommodation for the day rather than relying on the bus drivers to tell you if their route matches where you want to go. Many a time I’ve heard an American tourist ask a bus driver if the public bus will take them to Edinburgh Castle (it doesn’t). Please don’t be that person. 😂
- If you are with a group, try to not walk with more than two people next to each other on the sidewalk – always leave space for others to pass you.
- There is a stereotype that Americans are generally loud and somewhat unaware of themselves/others. If you wish to avoid falling into this trap, just be aware of your volume and when in doubt, try to match what those around you are doing.
- I was nervous when I moved to Scotland that people wouldn’t like Americans. That’s not been the case! If you’re travelling to Scotland with genuine appreciation, an open mind, a willingness to learn – you’ll be welcomed right in. Generally, if you walk around with the attitude that America is the centre of the world, that America is right about everything, and that everyone should cater to you – you’ll either be dismissed or called out for it. Most of the time, I find that Scottish people do not care that I’m American – so I’d advise you to not make your nationality your entire personality. America is really not on people’s minds all that often here. The world is a big place!
- On this note, and this is going to be hard for some of you to hear… but no one cares if your great great grandad was from Scotland, that you’re somehow related to Robert the Bruce, that your friend’s mom is from Dundee, what ‘your’ tartan is, how many kilts you own, or that you have ties with Clan MacKenzie. Just, don’t bring this up in conversation with Scottish folk. They hear this kind of stuff all the time, typically from American tourists. They will take the piss out of you. If you were not born/did not grow up in Scotland and are there on a vacation, please don’t refer to yourself as being Scottish. It’s just a bit cringey. 🤷♀️
- It’s okay to come to Scotland trying to track down your heritage – there are resources here to do just that! In Edinburgh, you can visit the National Records of Scotland building to look through records.
- Some Edinburgh tips! The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is worth a visit. It will, however, be busy (have high situational awareness), and most things on the Royal Mile will be overpriced/just for tourists. Many of the shops will be selling the same sorts of things. Which is fine, but you know, do your research. A note on that: the idea that each Scottish clan has their own distinct tartan is a relatively recent invention (19th century), just so you’re aware. That said, the local artists market at the Tron Kirk on the Royal Mile is well worth supporting!
If you’re in Edinburgh for a visit, the castle will likely be the first recommended place you’ll hear about. If you’re on the Royal Mile anyway, definitely head up to the castle and walk around the esplanade – great views of the castle and city for free! Is the price of admission worth it to go inside? Depends on what sorts of things you like to see on a trip. I’ve been inside once and it was interesting – wouldn’t go in again unless I was there on the rare day when admission is free. Will it entertain your young children? Doubtful, in my opinion. A better family choice would be the nearby Camera Obscura, which is great fun and has incredible views from the observation deck. If you want more specific Edinburgh recommendations, let me know in the comments!
If you want a more authentic experience, venture off the Royal Mile and further into the Old Town or north to the New Town/Broughton area. Leith also has a lot of great things going on.
Dean Village in Edinburgh is another touristy spot – but for good reason. The views are stunning and from there you can easily follow the Water of Leith path to Stockbridge which is also beautiful and has many lovely cafes/restaurants/pubs. If not in a rush, locals are generally willing to impart recommendations. Google also exists and will take you far. 😉
Basic Pronunciation Guide:
First off – there are many, many different Scottish accents. If your only frame of reference is Shrek or Groundskeeper Willie…maybe keep that to yourself. 😅 This pronunciation guide is a rough outline of how to say certain Scottish words or places. Or at least a guide on how not to completely butcher them.
*A word of advice – please do not try to do a ‘Scottish accent’ for actual Scottish people unless asked to do so – and even then proceed at your own risk.*
Scotland = SKOt-luhnd (this may seem obvious, but as an American from the midwest, I used to say Scotland closer to (SCAHt-lin) which did hit peoples’ ears funny). The t is more of a glottal stop – an implied t rather than a fully pronounced one.
Edinburgh = EH-din-burr-ah (for the love of God, don’t say EdinBURG or Edinborro). If you get the chance to travel here (and you should!), remember these: Princes Street (NOT Princess), Calton Hill (NOT Carlton).
Glasgow = GLAHZ-go (long o in go – NOT glass-gow as in cow).
Islay = AYE-luh (an island off the west coast of Scotland, also one of the five whisky regions of Scotland).
Slàinte Mhath = SLANJ-a-VAH (means ‘cheers’ or ‘good health.’ It’s typically said when toasting with a drink and can be shortened to SLANJ).
loch = LOHk (the k is a voiceless gutteral ‘ch’ sound – it is not pronounced like the word ‘lock.’ There is not really an American phonemic equivalent – any travel videos made by a Scottish person about Loch Ness should help with learning how to say this properly).
Typical words/phrases you’ll hear in Scotland:
*Again, accent/usage is dependent largely on the area you are visiting. Scottish culture/language is not a monolith.*
aye = yes
nae bother = no bother, no worries (pronounced ‘nay’ – often used to respond to thank you, like ‘you’re welcome’).
alright? (pronounced ‘aw-rite?’ or ‘you aw-rite?’) = how are you? (just respond back with ‘aw-rite, you?’ or ‘yeah, you?’ Or try hard mode: ‘aye, no bad, yersel?’ Not me thinking for my first few weeks in Glasgow that everyone thought I looked near a mental break down and needed to be checked on. 👀 Nope. Just your standard greeting 😂).
wee = small (as in, ‘I’ll have a wee dram (measure of whisky) at the pub’).
ken = know (as in, ‘I dinnae ken’ meaning ‘I don’t know’).
cheers = often used as a ‘thank you.’
gonnae no dae that = could you not do that (if you are doing something and someone says this to you, maybe stop).
bonnie = beautiful (i.e. a bonnie lass, bonnie wee boy).
braw = something good or beautiful (i.e. a braw day).
dreich = a day that is wet, grey, or gloomy would often be described as dreich (drEEk – the k is a voiceless gutteral ‘ch’ noise, as in ‘loch’).
that’s you = often said at the end of a transaction – as in, you’ll finish paying for something and the cashier/bartender/whoever might say this to mean ‘that’s you finished,’ i.e. you are done paying and can leave now.
eejit, numpty, dafty = fool/stupid person (often said affectionately or self-deprecatingly, though certainly not always. Tone matters! ‘Glaikit’ is another good one meaning foolish/stupid).
peely-wally = feeling/looking unwell, a bit sick, pale or tired.
wrecked, steamin’, blootered, sloshed, hammered, smashed, oot yer tree, oot the game, mad wae it = all variations on ‘drunk.’ Beautiful stuff.
You’ll likely hear a fair bit of swearing in Scotland, especially in the bigger cities, with the ‘c-word’ being much more common than I was used to in the States. The c-word is often used between friends as a more affectionate term. As a tourist, enjoy the swearing without joining in overly (especially if that’s not normal usage for you).
In my 7 years in Scotland, I’ve NEVER heard someone say: ‘Lang may yer lum reek’ or ‘och aye the noo.’ Avoid saying these. Also, no one wants to hear your Braveheart impression – I’m just looking out for you. 🙏
Last, some important distinctions many Americans get wrong:
– a Scottish person is referred to as ‘a Scottish person,’ or perhaps a ‘Scot.’ NOT a Scotch person.
– the unparalleled, warming pale brown liquid from Scotland is called ‘whisky.’ NOT Scotch.
– The word ‘whisky’ comes from the Scottish Gaelic phrase ‘uisge beatha’ meaning ‘water of life.’ True words. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself in Scotland: 1) generally speaking, drink it neat (no ice, no water). 2) Do NOT mix single malt whisky with Coke etc. – this is sacrilege. 3) do ask questions and learn about the distilling process/whisky regions. 4) try whisky from more than one region. Typically, Americans are only familiar with the peated, smoky whiskies from the Islay region, which people tend to either love or hate. If you don’t like those smoky whiskies, try other regions – lowland whisky in particular tends to be more understated (and not smoky).
– Scots is a rich language with extensive connections to Scottish history, art, culture, and literature. Try and learn some words while you are visiting! Most of the words I’ve written in my list above are Scots words.
– Scottish Gaelic is a separate language – generally only spoken in the highlands/islands by some. You will see many signs written in both English and Scottish Gaelic.
– ‘Scotch’ is really only used when referring to a ‘Scotch pie’ or a ‘Scotch egg,’ – not a person/group of people, and not whisky. Whiskey (with the e) refers to the Irish made drink. In Scotland, it’s whisky.
