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If you thought there were more Scots in Scotland than people of Scottish Descent in the one USA state of North Carolina you would be wrong.

That is hardly surprising as huge numbers of Scots left Scotland at the time of the Highland Clearances and in the following years to seek their fortune in the New World of USA as well as Canada, Australia and the Far East. Our Laird of Jura website looking at the history and culture of the Isle of Jura tells of nearly 2,000 people who left the island and the surrounding area and ended up in North Carolina.

This area still has close connections with the home country of Scotland and many would say that the town of Laurinburg, North Carolina for example is as Scottish as any town on the Scottish Mainland. Did you know that :

Laurinberg is in the county of Scotland.

The main school is called Scotland High School. The school song is “Scotland the Brave” (the official national anthem of Scotland).

The school has a marching band who all wear the Royal Stewart Tartan. And of course they have a prize winning bagpipe band wearing the full kilt.

The school Football, Baseball and the Basketball teams are called the “Fighting Scots”. (Did you know that the game of Basketball was invented by a Scottish American who was charged with finding some sports activity for youths to play indoors during bad weather? Its true!)

The local college is St Andrews Presbyterian College (St Andrew is of course the patron saint of Scotland) has a huge bronze statue of a highlander in native dress waving a Claymore sword.

The College is also home to the Scottish Heritage Centre.

Looking for something to eat? Skip McDonalds (not a Scottish Company) and instead go to Scottish Foods which uses a Scottish bagpiper as its main trademark and logo.

The area even has a soccer team called the Scottish Claymores.

We cannot ignore the fact that many local street names are named after places in Scotland including Skye, Argyllshire, Oban, Kintyre.

Do you know any other place which is more Scottish than this town in North Carolina?

Did you know you could increase your Scottish ness by becoming a landowner on the isle of Jura and become a Scottish Royal? It makes an idea unique gift idea for anyone with or without an existing Scottish connection.

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