What They Don't Say About Scottish Accents

Scottish Language, Scottish accents, English slang? As Burns night approaches Scottish history tour guide, Bruce Fummey, talks about the history of oor mither tongue.

...or just buy me coffee here

Join the mailing list at

Scotland History Tours is here for people who want to learn about Scottish history and get ideas for Scottish history tours. I try to make videos which tell you tales from Scotland's past and give you information about key dates in Scottish history and historical places to visit in Scotland. Not all videos are tales from Scotland's history, some of them are about men from Scotland's past or women from Scotland's past. Basically the people who made Scotland. From April 2020 onward I've tried to give ideas for historic days out in Scotland. Essentially these are days out in Scotland for adults who are interested in historical places to visit in Scotland.

As a Scottish history tour guide people ask: Help me plan a Scottish holiday, or help me plan a Scottish vacation if your from the US. So I've tried to give a bit of history, but some places of interest in Scotland as well.

[ericharmon]

One of the things I love about the Scots is their speech. It sounds like nothing else. It is as unique as their culture.

[ghillieglas]

Tapadh leibh. Tha sibh sgoinneil! My family were Gaelic speakers and learnt standard English, but I agree with you about the merit and importance of the Scots language. Standard English is obviously an important skill in the modern world, but Scotland needs to cherish and maintain Scots and the Gaelic as integral to its identity and heritage.

[maxthomson]

ive been trying to push this point for years, its bad enough they have almost killed Gaelic but i refuse to let them kill our dialects, i would much rather have to teach every person i speak to a little bit of Doric than change my accent for everybody i come across

[WDwyer]

I’m Scottish-heart and soul- but grew up with non-Scots parents who spoke standard English with ‘posh’ accents. They loved the Scots language- and my father said there were words in Scots that simply had no equivalent in English- gey dreich, scunnert, birlin, gowk. I remember people laughing when my father used expressions like ‘sair fecht’ in his posh accent. He loved Burns too.😄 Once he came to Scotland-he never went back. He always said that he chose Scotland-and Scotland chose him. Your videos are wonderful, Bruce. I hope you all recover soon.

[erichale]

Wow, this hits. I'm from western North Carolina in the US. When I started my career, I quickly figured out that I could add 15 points to my IQ by changing my accent. There's a lot of Scottish influence in this part of our country, so I'm very glad to have found this channel. Thank you

[ianramage]

Some of the favourite Scottish-isms I heard growing up in Canada were oxters, dreich, glaikit and skew whiff(pronounced skwee whiff by my mother). My mother was Canadian but lived in Scotland (war bride) between 1946 and 1958. When my family moved back to Canada after I was born, she spoke with such a broad Scottish accent that her family asked my Scottish father to translate because they couldn't understand her. My Canadian friends always looked askance at me whenever I used any Scottish words. I'd just tell them to keep the heid!

[barhambrummage]

As an ex English teacher in Scotland, I could not be more supportive of your video. The number of times I have had to have a radge when a parent said their child was talking “slang.” I often refer to the bit in Docherty by McIllvanney when the boy gets belted several times for saying “sheuch” instead of drain. Great vid. Get well soon.

[aelthric]

First of all hope you and the missus get better soon...

Secondly I am one of those sassenach immigrants to Scotland and I love Scotland, and through your video's I am appreciating it so much more knowing more about the history of the places and the people than I would have learned from dusty old boring libraries...

You make Scottish History accessible with your polished performance style and humour far more accessible than watching some boring humourless fart drone on and on...

Keep it up Bruce ❤👍😉👍

[michaelmcdonald]

Cheers Bruce, you are so right.

I grew up in Edinburgh confused by my accent and how to speak. Surrounded by the middle class types at school on one side who spoke 'properly' while from a working class background where Scots words were used (because it was less likely to have been 'educated' out of them). This means that I have had two accents and code switched without even realising. It really f***s with your sense of self. Even right now I'm typing in perfect English because I don't know how to type in Scots, nobody thought to teach us.
Anyhow, like your conclusion here (which is wonderfully put) I started doing the same, I use what Scots I have, and try to use it with self assurance and class in the way it is implied we should use our 'English' words. I will only code switch for foreign people now, not posh people.
Hope you and your wife get well soon, take care!

[alangilchrist]

For me, its "bairn", as my great grandmother taught me my first words and I was to her, her wee bairn. That was over 60 years ago. I must say you are the most entertaining historian I have ever been drawn to and I truly appreciate your work! Tapadh leat from a Canuck that appreciates honest work!

[andreasoberhauser]

I see many similarities to my situation. I come from Germany, Bavaria to be precise. As a student of business administration, it is particularly strange to speak in dialect. Every now and then you hear it said that you should speak proper German, but often you are "only" denied competence. Dialects are an enrichment and the cultivation of customs prevents us from forgetting where we come from. I wish you all a good recovery.

[joanr]

This is so brilliant. As an English-mother-tongue native of Montreal/Quebec I am reminded of the conversations around the “legitimacy” of spoken “quebecois” French, or “joual”, if you will, and French “as she is spoken” in France (standard set by….). You can imagine the response of a Quebecois to a snooty Parisian who assumes a superior position, linguistically. Its a class thing, with historical antecedents and contemporary realities. As for me, my accent (clearly anglo) was influenced by an excellent Tunisian immigrant back in the late 50’s. I can’t speak or understand “joual” (other than some common phrases, or pronunciations). But joual is rich, dynamic, irreverent, fast, and alive. It comes to life in film and television, is well supported in the performing arts, as far as I can see although I might be talking through my “toque.” . My favourite film (8 times, now) is La Grande Seduction for a unique insight into a culture that has survived against all odds. ❤️ sorry for the ramble; blame it on Bruce and his compelling Scottish History Tours.

[SCOTTISHSOULFOOD]

This is brilliant and so resonates with my experience. Once as a tour guide giving tours of the Scottish capital, someone complained that I had a Scottish accent and I should speak "English" !

When you are next on the Royal Mile have a look at Paisley Close. In November 1861 the tenement collapsed killing about 30 people. The story goes that the rescuers heard in the rubble a young boy shouting 'Heave awa' lads, I'm no' deid yet'.

When the close was rebuilt the young boy was remembered with a plaque above the close mooth, but the good burghers of Edinburgh modified his Scots to 'Heave awa' CHAPS, I'm no dead yet' Presumably so Queen Victoria on her way hame to Hollyrood and the visiting tourists from down south would know weren't Philistines and the local working-class peasants would know how to speak proper, like the boys fae the Academy ;-)

[davidmacgregor]

Hello Bruce, I'm originally from Banffshire and my favourite Scottish word is "Bubblyjock" which is a Doric word for a Turkey, that big bIrd that you have for your Christmas dinner. I also like "Foggy Bummer" which is Doric for a Bumble Bee.

[pawelkurzanski]

I am not from Scotland though but i love history and languages, and I totally agree with you, that people should keep their languages keep alive, as well as dialects and accents, thank you very much for a such interesting contect you provide about your culture and language !

Cheers from Poland !

[DexVermilion朱]

As Canadian of Chinese descent, growing up a fan of Braveheart, the Scottish accent is hands down one of my favourite accents. Much love and respect from Toronto, Canada.

[theother]

I worked on a team in London and there was another Scot on the team. A comment we got was that when we spoke to anyone else they could understand us fine; but when we started talking to each other within a couple of minutes they could no longer follow our conversation.

[pclady]

It's unique -- don't stop speaking like you do. My husband (of now 28 years) could not understand anyone with a 'southern accept' (my relatives in Southwest Virginia). He's from Northwestern Pennsylvania. I found that quite amusing. Keep being you! Be proud of how you speak! I can't wait to visit Scotland in September!

[kassistwisted]

Thanks for this one, Bruce. I am an American, (native "English" speaker) but I'm polylingual. I speak French, Japanese, Irish, and Dutch. When I was learning Dutch, my small knowledge of Scots words (ken, coo, bin, kerk...) helped me A LOT because these words are the same in Dutch. So thanks Scottish comedians for that! Also, I am a big proponent of regional dialects and minority languages. I speak Ulster Irish, and I get treated completely differently in Donegal and Derry than I do in Dublin. And I speak the Kyoto dialect of Japanese. This gets me looked at funny in Tokyo, but my accent was the reason I got to party with a bunch of Geisha one night in Gion: I speak THEIR language. As someone whose native regional accent was beated out of her as a child (I'm from the coal mining are of Pennsylvania), I have learned that speaking with a regional accent or speaking a dialect often makes you tons of friends. We all learn the "book" language in school. But the living, breathing language as it is used has variations. And to those who also speak that variation, you just sound familiar. It's lead to a lot of fun adventures in my life. I will never discourage someone from speaking in a regional accent or dialect. Thanks for being a proponent of them!

[myysterio]

I been to Scotland a few times and I think the Scottish people have a freedom of thought that allowed them to do many great things over their history. And put them on the end of a British sword or bayonet quite a few. As a person who's only been able to speak English fluently, I I both see the value of a lingua franca and the value of a mother tongue. Diversity of thought sets us free and ability to communicate helps is share our ideas and views.