The course on the Scottish Diaspora has ended. There will be one more post.
For some people who ventured overseas from Scotland, the move was not permanent. About a third of the Scots who emigrated around 1900 returned to Scotland. For some people who went to distant lands based on reports of good farmland, plentiful jobs, and easy living, the reality was not what they encountered in their new location. Some emigrants returned after providing the required two years of service. These £10 fare people got a bad reputation when they treated this excursion as an extended vacation. Other emigrants returned to Scotland due to family circumstances, to accept inheritance of land, or disillusionment with the lack of opportunities in their new country. Many emigrants just became homesick for family, friends and the Scottish landscape and culture that they left behind in Scotland.
During wartime, there were ‘seavacuees’ who were children who were sent off from England to Canada for protection when Britain feared invasion. A total of 3,00 children were relocated to places in the Dominion, with over 800 being sent to the United States. When they returned to Britain, the children, who were older, found it hard to adjust and some eventually returned to the country where they were sent.
Some Scots who were successful in their new country prospered. They retired back to Scotland and purchased small estates, established hospitals, and made charitable donations to civic organizations. It would be an interesting line of research to determine if any of the Leslies who emigrated returned to Scotland.
When discussing ‘homecoming’ in the course, the conversation turned to heritage tourism. The Scottish
Government in 2009 hosted a homecoming event in Edinburgh which sought to bring people of Scottish descent back to Scotland, their ancestral home country. It was an outward recognition of the importance of the Scottish Diaspora. A discussion of the ancestral ties people have with Scotland is unlike any other country. Evidence of this ‘ancestral tie’ is found in the profusion of highland games where Scottish heritage is celebrated in Canada and the United States.
The photo is the procession up the Royal Mile.
The featured photo is the Red Hot Chili Pipers performing at the Homecoming Gathering in 2009 in Edinburgh
One response to “Week 11: The Homecoming Migrant”
Walking up the Royal Mile was a very memorable experience! The Leslies carried a sign with the clan name. People cheered and shouted their support. We felt like celebrities!