Scots vs Irish: Difference and Comparison

How do you differentiate a Scottish from an Irish? Perhaps with their accent, one can identify if a person is Scottish or Irish. While a Scot and an Irish may share a similar physical traits as Europeans, their history and culture differ.

One of the differences between Scottish and Irish people that most people are very familiar with is that Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, whereas Ireland is not.

Scotland and Ireland are geographically close and both countries use English and other languages as their official language.

In a moment, we will be discussing the key difference between Scots vs Irish.

Scots

Scots or Scottish people are an ethnic group that emerged in the early Middle Ages. Scottish people are a nation native to Scotland. Historically, Scots emerged from an amalgamation of two Celtic people- the Gaels and the Picts.

In the 9^th century, the Gaels and the Picts founded the Kingdom of Scotland. Other groups like the Celtic-speaking Cumbrians of Strathclyde and Germanic-speaking Angles of Northumbria joined the Kingdom of Scotland over the next two centuries.

A small number of Norman nobles during the 12th-century Davidian evolution decided to migrate to the Lowlands. However, other groups also became part of Scotland in the 13th and 15th centuries.

The Norse of the Northern Isles and the Norse-Gaels of the Western Isles were the groups to join Scotland.

Scoti is a Latin word that originally referred to the Gaels. But today Scots or Scottish people refers to any individual whose cultural, linguistic, family ancestral or genetic origins are connected to Scotland.

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Irish

The word “Irish” refers to an ethnic group and nation native to the Northwestern European Island of Ireland. According to Wikipedia, the presence of humans in Ireland dates back 33,000 years ago.

The North-western European Island has been inhabited for over 10,000 years now. Historically, the Irish have been for thousands of years a Gaelic people.

During the 9^th century, a small group of Vikings settled in Ireland. They became the Norse Gaels and dominated the land for centuries. In the 12th century, Anglo-Normans conquered parts of Ireland, also becoming settlers in the land.

Ireland was also conquered and colonised by the English during the 16^th/17^th century English conquest. Many English and Lowland Scots came to Ireland, especially in the northern parts.

Ireland’s history traces back centuries and with several migrations to different parts of the land. What we know today as Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland (officially Ireland) and Northern Ireland (part of the UK).

The Irish have a unique culture, language, music, sports, and dance. Irish (Gaeilge) was previously the main language in Ireland in the past. But today, most people from Ireland speak English as their first language.

Scots vs Irish: Geography

Let’s explore the geographical specifics of Scotland and Ireland.

Scotland

Founded by the Picts and Gaels as the Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland is a country in the United Kingdom. It’s the second-largest country in the United Kingdom covering an area of 80,231 square kilometres (30,977 square miles).

The country only shares a 154-kilometre (96-mile) land border with England to the southeast. The rest of the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the Irish Sea.

Scotland’s population as of 2022 is over 5.4million. The country accounted for about 8% of the entire population in the United Kingdom in 2019.

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Ireland

Ireland is separated from Great Britain by the North Channel, St. George’s Channel, and the Irish Sea. It’s located in the North Atlantic Ocean in Northwestern Europe.

The Island of Ireland is geopolitically divided between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland- part of the United Kingdom.

The entire population in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is over 7 million. However, just about 1.9 million are living in Northern Ireland, and the population of the Republic of Ireland is about 5.1 million.

Scots vs Irish: History

Scotland and Ireland share a common history of the Celts.

According to sources online, the Celts were the first to sail to Ireland before the arrival of the Vikings in the 9th century. The Celts settled in the land for centuries.

It’s believed they sailed to Ireland in 700 BC, centuries before the Vikings sailed to the land on behalf of England. It was more like a partnered conquest taking over Ireland.

The Vikings conquered parts of Ireland for England to take ownership. At some point, all of Ireland was controlled by England. The Irish will oppose the English presence in their land.

The Great Potato Famine was one of the historical events that led the Irish to fight for independence.

During the early 1900s, there was a rise in rebellion in Ireland against the English. It was in 1922 that Ireland would successfully secede from the United Kingdom.

Scotland was founded by the Picts and Gaels as the Kingdom of Scotland in the 9^th century. The Picts were the first inhabitants of Scotland before they were joined by other small groups.

Scots had to battle Romans who intended to add Britain to their expanding empire. While some parts of Scotland were conquered by the Romans, the whole country was not under Roman control.

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Language

Today, both Scotland and Ireland speak English as their official language.

Other official languages of Scotland include Scots, Scottish Gaelic, and British Sign Language. English, Irish, Ulster Scots, and Shelta, are languages spoken in Ireland.

There is also a Scottish variant of the English language. The variant replaces some English words with Scottish words. The Scots call this language Scottish.

Gaelic is a language usually spoken in the northern parts of Scotland.

Scots vs Irish: Difference in Culture

Scots

Scottish people are known for being fiercer and wild compared to the Irish. Irish and Scots are Europeans who share similar physical traits.

Although a Scottish may pretty much look similar to an Irish since they both share a history of the Celts, their culture, history, and music differ.

Irish

Irish culture is diverse and rich, as it includes myths, literature, dance, language, music, art and cuisine. The Irish culture was originally Gaelic but it was influenced by the Normans, Vikings, English, Tudor English, and Scots.

The Irish are believed to be inherently lucky and fortunate. They wear signs of luck during the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

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Scots vs Irish: Comparison Chart

	Scots	Irish
Refers to	Scots or Scottish people are an ethnic group that emerged in the early Middle Ages. Scottish people are a nation native to Scotland.	The word “Irish” refers to an ethnic group and nation native to the North-western European Island of Ireland.
Part of	The United Kingdom	Successfully secede from the United Kingdom in 1922.
Languages	English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, and British Sign Language.	English, Irish, Ulster Scots, ISL, NISL,
Religion	About 15% of the population are Roman Catholics, 32.4% are Church of Scotland, and 53.8 Christian.	Roman Catholics are 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, Orthodox 1.3%, other Christian 1.6%.
Food	Cullen skink, Scotch pies, Scottish porridge, haggis, Cranachan, and traditional Scottish tablets.	Irish soda bread, Colcannon, Boxy, Irish stew, white pudding, black pudding, champ, shepherd’s pie, potato bread.

Conclusion

The Irish and Scots share a common history of the Celts. Although a Scottish may pretty much look similar to an Irish since they both share a history of the Celts, their culture, history, and music differ.

Founded by the Picts and Gaels as the Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland is part of the United Kingdom but Ireland is not. One of the physical traits that may differentiate the Irish from the Scots is their red hair.

The Irish are known to have the highest number of red-haired worldwide.

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References

Wikipedia: Scottish people
Wikipedia: Irish people
Allthedifferences: Scots vs. Irish (Detailed comparison)
Diffzy: Difference Between Scottish and Irish
Thecoldwire: Irish Vs. Scottish (What’s The Difference?)

Scots vs Irish: Difference and Comparison

Scots

Irish