IS Scotland a nation or region?

A few weeks ago I was listening to a Radio Six Music programme, Cerys Matthews – A Birthday Tribute to Bob Dylan, to celebrate his 80th birthday. She was having a chat with one of Dylan’s legion of serious music fans. They were discussing the influence of British or Anglo-folk on Dylan’s music. Matthews asked whether Irish folk had a major influence on Dylan’s music. The fan replied: “Well apart from being close with the Clancy Brothers during their time in Greenwich village, not so much but ... that Scottish folk music …”

Matthews interrupted and stopped him twice and then said: “Oh we can’t single out one region of the UK for particular attention.”

It took me aback and I thought, clearly those in England view Scotland as a region, merely due equal attention of other regions of England – say Yorkshire or Northumberland – and not a nation or country in its own right. A region of England? This is truly shocking and clearly politically driven.

Matthews must be unaware that Scotland is in fact the oldest nation in Europe with centuries of history, trade, inventions, kings, ballads, traditions, song, culture, and leading writers, scholars, Scottish 17th-century enlightenment and philosophers. The Scots have contributed a great deal to the world.

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And Scots do not feel English or even British in any sense – so how exactly are we a region of England/Britain? Scotland’s Law, language and culture have been suppressed for centuries. But since the union of 1707 poets, artists, writers and musicians fought back to keep the Scots traditions going.

Back last century Scotland was very much treated as North Britain. Perhaps this all used to work once, during empire, but not anymore. Perhaps(?) there was once more equality between the UK nations, but not anymore. So is England south Britain?

I was keen to hear the influence of Scottish folk on Dylan: although I know he named the Robert Burns love song A Red, Red Rose as the poem that influenced him most. Burns was also a song collector, as Dylan is, and he took the traditional Scots ballads and adapted and wrote new verses for them. And on the topic of Robert Burns – he was NOT an illiterate, drunken womaniser – but while a poor tenant farmer’s son, he was highly read and educated.

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I would prefer to see more respect and consideration shown by the BBC to the OTHER three nations that are part of the British Isles – so we can all enjoy a healthier democracy and a more grown up partnership. Surely in the modern age it is time for this?

On the other hand it’s become clear to most Scots that the BBC does not represent us and never will. (With indy we must set up – Scots media, trade links, currency, central bank) This is the ultimate question for us now – is Scotland a region or a nation?

P Keightley
Glasgow

SO some senior Tories plan to offer a future referendum vote to Scots living in other parts of the UK. What a wonderful idea but why stop there? Let’s include Scots in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU.

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Restricting the franchise to those with an immediate and dynamic interest in Scotland, including all of her people regardless of their ethnicity, is something we should be proud of. Everyone who chooses to live in Scotland should have the right to determine their constitutional future, but if we are to open it up, let’s open it up to the Scottish diaspora across the world, or is this just a cynical pathetic attempt from panicking Unionists to gerrymander the result (again)?

Professor Alan Boyter
Argyll & Bute