If you thought there were more Scots in Scotland than people of Scottish Descent in the one USA state of North Carolina you would be wrong.
Not a surprising piece of news to those who know their Scottish History. Large numbers of people left Scotland for the New World of America following the Scottish highland clearances. If you visit the Laird of Jura website you will read about how nearly 2,000 people left the Isle of Jura in Argyll and the surrounding areas on a fleet of boats on an expedition that settled in North Carolina.
This area still has close connections with the home country of Scotland and many would say that the town of Laurinburg, North Carolina for example is as Scottish as any town on the Scottish Mainland. Did you know that :
Lets look at Laurinberg which is in the county of “Scotland”.
The town high school is of course called “Scotland High School”. And to go with that the School song is the national anthem of Scotland “Scotland the Brave”.
The school has a marching band who all wear the Royal Stewart Tartan. And of course they have a prize winning bagpipe band wearing the full kilt.
The school Football, Baseball and the Basketball teams are called the “Fighting Scots”. (Did you know that the game of Basketball was invented by a Scottish American who was charged with finding some sports activity for youths to play indoors during bad weather? Its true!)
Visit St Andrews Presbyterian College (named after the patron saint of Scotland) and you will be challenged by a large Scottish Highlander with his Claymore Sword defending the college or at least a bronze statue of a highland warrior.
The College is also home to the Scottish Heritage Centre.
Looking for something to eat? Skip McDonalds (not a Scottish Company) and instead go to Scottish Foods which uses a Scottish bagpiper as its main trademark and logo.
Its Shopping Center is called Scotland Crossing which has as a main feature the Scottish Rampart Lion (the same red lion on a yellow background that appears on the Scottish Royal Flag). Incidentally this Rampant Lion officially can only be flown by the Royal Monarch but our legal officials turn a blind eye to that law.
As we might expect there are a large number of local streets named after places such as Argyllshire, Kintyre and Skye where the first Scottish settlers lived before coming to North Carolina.
Do you know any other place which is more Scottish than this town in North Carolina?
Did you know you could increase your Scottish ness by becoming a landowner on the isle of Jura and become a Scottish Royal? It makes an idea unique gift idea for anyone with or without an existing Scottish connection.