Scottish diasporic identities in the Netherlands

This paper describes a research study of Scots living and working in a non-English-speaking country, namely the Netherlands, and discusses the question of whether the group may be said to constitute a ‘diaspora’. It describes the Scottish community within the Netherlands, which is essentially made up of first-generation migrants. Using interview data, the paper explores issues of identity and describes the diaspora organisations, which have been established, and concludes that the Scottish diaspora in the Netherlands (and possibly elsewhere in Europe) is mostly of recent origin and has a strong sense of national identity. It may not function as a diaspora in the traditionally accepted sense.