Scottish grans only

Ginny Cornwall was the most unfriendly place I've ever been ,I had change literally thrown across counters at me in a shop almost next door to our holiday let on several occasions.and it was clear they didn't like tourists ...as my OH and the friends were with would tell you too.
As too the anti English sentiment ,my SIL is English and he has never encountered any bias and says he would never go back to Bath as he loves it here .
I did visit a friend who said there was an issue with an engish family in her area ,the problem wasn't that they were English but that they wanted everyone to change things to suit them..even putting No Trespass signs at several points across their garden /field .They didn't understand that people are allowed to walk across fields here .They were the people who also complained about the cock crowing every morning and took their complaint to court .Didn't make them popular at all in the glen

I expect there are hostile natives in every country which is disappointing. I, too, would be interested to know which part of Scotland the posters were treated so unkindly and was it recently? However this thread was primarily a positive one. Another thing I like about Scotland is the very long days in summer with light nights that seem to go on forever. Of course, in winter the opposite holds true!

Nonny

I have lived in Scotland for 40 years. It is abeautiful place. My children, one born here , the other brought her by us as a toddler both fit in. Over the years I have had some good friends but many have moved away. Like Spinnaker says I have frequently been made to feel most unwelcome and miserable because I am English. I feel sad that I will never be allowed to fit in inspite of bending over backwards not to be "Posh," entitled or different!

Same for me. We didn’t come across any hostility when we first moved to the far north of Scotland in 1979. It unfortunately reared its head when we moved further south, my children bearing the brunt of it. We then moved to a less parochial area where we’ve been happy but even there I was asked recently in my own house where I was from!

There’s so much to love about Scotland but it’s now tainted for me. Many of the things that made it good are disappearing, a decent NHS service, the excellent education system has gone, so many services are now centralised to the Central Belt with those of us outside the CB ignored by Holyrood. Now Holyrood is making a power grab for Social Services. Plenty of my Scottish friends are also angry at the way we outside the two main cities are treated as cash cows, getting little in return.

I'm from the Debatable lands neither Scots or English at one time. It is a beautiful country like my own county but on a much bigger and grander scale.
We used to visit three times a year until DD's revolted and asked for Kilts in Beuly as they were feeling more Scots than English.
We never found anyone peculiar with us because we were English maybe because a lot of our words are the same.
I found Southern Ireland much more aggressive and was actually refused service in a Post office and shop and Brit was muttered I'm afraid they got told where to stick their stamps.

I live in an east coast city.

A few examples over the years:

I have met unprovoked hostility from an elderly man while waiting at a bus stop with two tiny children. He was friendly and chatted until he realised that I wasn't a tourist and said my husband was taking Scottish jobs, although I doubt that he knew of someone who could have done that work my husband was engaged in.
I have hostility in the workplace over the years which made life very difficult. Recently on taking lost property to the police station I was asked where I was from and when I said I had lived here for forty years I was asked what I considered myself to be! I said British, probably the wrong answer.

On the positve side I have a wonderful Scottish SIL and grandchildren. We enjoy local fish and soft fruit. Also we have good bus service and have been grateful to our hospital for medical treatment.

In answer to Grandmabatty the hostility we encountered was firstly in Anstruther, which was done in a public bar we were in. We then travelled to Dundee where not only were some shopkeepers unfriendly but they were very aggressive too - which was quite intimidating. All this because we had arrived as tourists from England !

The friendliest places we found were without a doubt Glasgow and Pitlochry. We have made firm friends from both areas which is lovely but as mentioned by others upthread it's been tainted by being treated as we were.

Spinnaker, that's a surprise! We frequently holiday in Anstruther and find the locals extremely friendly. What a pity, you were treated that way.

I’m in Dundee, and unfortunately am not surprised by what Spinnaker says. There is a sizeable number of Dundonians who don’t appreciate the value of tourists/tourism to the city. On local Fc’bk groups, they constantly harp back to “the good old days” when there was little unemployment, but those industries have all gone now and will never return. Tourism and service industries, the two universities, new technology are major employers nowadays, and lots of those employed in those jobs are native to neither Dundee nor Scotland, nor indeed the UK, so are seen as intruders, job stealers, etc. by those unable or unwilling to train/retrain.
Also, and I know some G’netters won’t like me saying this, but Dundee is an SNP stronghold and there is a definite anti-English attitude amongst some of their supporters.
So Spinnaker I apologise for any rudeness you encountered, Dundee has lots to offer tourists, including many friendly and welcoming people and I hope others aren’t put off by what you experienced.

i had a similar (ish) discussion with a young man bringing me my meal at a restaurant in the highlands. perhaps i was being a bit over-effusive about the mountains we were surrounded by. he mentioned some other beautiful places he'd visited, worldwide. we met in the middle when i agreed with him but said that there was no place more beautiful.

i do think it's a shame that so many are so ready to shout out the differences rather than revel in them. there's long history of the clearances and appalling exploitation, but that's class not national.

It is sad to hear that some people have had incidents where they felt less than welcome in our country. I have met unpleasant people in many different countries and had some very racist encounters….HOWEVER…that is not what this thread is about. I was asking Scottish grans to comment on things that made our country special to them.

We could do with a bit of humour so can I add that we have coos with Boris haircuts..

I'm Scottish and live in Scotland but didn't join this thread as, although I know there are beautiful places in Scotland, having travelled elsewhere, I don't think it's more beautiful than other countries but it's a different form of beauty in some parts but not others.
I've met lovely friendly people all over the world and, equally, less lovely ones too in places. Scotland doesn't have a monopoly of either.

Thank you Marydoll and grannydarkhair.

Spinnaker I'm sorry to hear that about Anstruther. Was it recently? I've encountered dark looks in pubs in the past but put it down to not being from that particular village. It's certainly an insular attitude and should be got rid of.

Grannydarkhair, I think that you have accurately summed up the situation.
Aveline- I agree with you. Having lived abroad for several years before moving here I learned that it takes alsorts to make a world!
Thank you both and my friends and family that I do have here.

I can assure you that (almost) everyone in Gloucester thanks the bus driver too!

The people and their sense of humour!!

Just spent a month in Orkney and Shetland touring in a Motorhome. Welcomed everywhere, people absolutely lovely, no car parking charges, free sanitary products in lots of public loos. Public toilets everywhere. Clean fresh air and the most beautiful scenery. I live in the Yorkshire Dales which are beautiful too but the Scottish people with their nae bother attitude just have the edge!

Of course we have beautiful scenery.
We are openly patriotic and critical if/when needed.
We talk to each other even if we don’t know them.
We say thank you and please. Manners are important and free.
We Realise that the London government is not in Scotlands best interest and never has been.
We know the value of a Penny.
We are all equal and talk to anyone.
We don’t give someone just a cup of tea, there’s always food for visitors. We share what we have.
We have a vast, sometimes colourful vocabulary.
We look after neighbours.
We fight for our underdogs.
We all know our political history. (Churchill sending troops to George Square and the horrors of Mrs Thatchers time. The rent strike etc)
We love our country.
We remember Mrs Thatchers bully techniques that forced so many to leave our beautiful homeland.
Times are changing but our patriotic heart still beats loudly and strong.
Yes there are problems but out energy for improvement is still active.
We learn from our parents.
Yes our country is beautiful but so are our people.
It’s not called ‘God country’ for nothing.

Good heavens Lovelylady I think you must live in a different Scotland from me! I only recognise parts of your post.

I've lived in Edinburgh for seven years and I love it. My family is originally Scottish but I'm English born and bred. I've never been made to feel unwelcome but I'm aware that I sound posh and different to the locals, and I'm often asked where I'm from. I grew up in West Sussex but lived in Leeds for many years. When I visited family in Sussex I was often teased for my 'northern' accent and asked what had made me move 'up there', with the implication that Yorkshire was inferior to the south east! There are deep-rooted value judgements about regional differences and we just have to get on with it!

Have been holidaying in Scotland every year for the past 22 years and got married at Gretna Green.

We think it is possible that we have been to more places in Scotland than a Scottish person.

We always say you dont go to Scotland for the weather but for the great Scottish hospitality.

Hello Adeline, just wondering what you find different.
I find Cornwall (in England) folk distant and couldn’t recommend anyone to visit, pity.

It saddens me to read that some non Scottish folk are having a negative Scottish experience. We are a warm people and sincerity apologise for your lived experience.

Some years ago my husband and I did a three week tour of Scotland. We saw some beautiful scenery, stayed in quaint accommodations and ate in numerous restaurants. I can say, with hand on my heart, that we enjoyed every day and met some very friendly people. Scotland does have beautiful scenery and some beautiful beaches - I found the only thing missing was the sun.

There is something rather exclusionary about the title of this thread, "Scottish grans only" insomuch as how many of us would have winced at say once upon a time at something pertaining to "men only" "whites only". In this age of inclusivity it kind of smacks of "don't post here if you are anything but Scottish and not a grandparent either!" Maybe that's not the intention but there's a subliminal message and a certain amount of "throwing down of the gauntlet" by a minority. For example, God's Own Country, We Scottish have nice manners, we all treat each other equally, we look after our neighbours and on and on. We of course south of the border treat our neighbours like rotting chopped liver and as one poster intermittently posts "The English don't speak to their neighbours!" All supposition take the worst of what you hear about a country, magnify it and conflate that with our history and hey presto every English person is a perfect incarnation of Oliver Cromwell. It's a shame because there are so many lovely Scottish posters here who clearly would go out of their way to be as hospitable and express that pride in Scotland without turning it in to a political point scoring lecture. As indeed there are those Scottish grans who have travelled and lived in other places and know that, as beautiful as Scotland undoubtedly is, no one place has the monopoly on scenic beauty and kindness, but of course that takes an attitude that is neither parochial or insular.

The roads in D & G are awful, worse than Wales!!! Quote " We used to drive on the left, now we drive on what is left'!! " Or in the middle!

Otherwise, fine!