Why did large numbers of Scots leave a temperate climate to live permanently in parts of the world where greater temperature extreme was the norm? The long nineteenth century was a period consistently cooler than now, and Scotland remains the coldest of the British nations. Nineteenth-century meteorologists turned to environmental determinism to explain the persistence of agricultural shortage and to identify the atmospheric conditions that exacerbated the incidence of death and disease in the towns. In these cases, the logic of emigration and the benefits of an alternative climate were compelling. Emigration agents portrayed their favoured climate in order to pull migrants in their direction. The climate reasons, pressures and incentives that resulted in the movement of people have been neither straightforward nor uniform. There are known structural features that contextualize the migration experience, chief among them being economic and demographic factors. By building on the work of historical climatologists, and the availability of long-run climate data, for the first time the emigration history of Scotland is examined through the lens of the nation’s climate. In significant per capita numbers, the Scots left the cold country behind; yet the ‘homeland’ remained an unbreakable connection for the diaspora.

This introductory history of the Scottish diaspora (c.1700 to 1945) explores migration, Scots' experiences where they landed and the reverse impact of this migration on Scotland. It examines the geographies of the diaspora and key theories, concepts and t

The first volume in the new series of Ulster-Scots history deals with many aspects of life, including social and economical.

This book is a fascinating collection of new studies by leading scholars on central aspects of the languages, literatures, place-names, culture and history of the Isles of Islay and Jura and along the western seaboard of Argyll. It includes major re-assessments of the nineteenth-century Islay poet William Livingston, and an analysis of the Scots found in the poems of Tarbert poet George Campbell Hay. It describes the Gaelic of Jura and Islay as well as the patterns of place-names. In view of the proximity of these regions to Ulster, there are several fresh accounts of historical, cultural and genealogical exchange and crossover. The book ends with a new appreciation of Orwell's time on Jura.

This is a unique volume of interdisciplinary breadth in North America, revealing some of the wealth of Finno-Ugric studies and peoples. The volume contains four papers on Finno-Ugric ethnomusicology and seven papers on topics in linguistics, history, and sociology. It should be of interest to scholars in ethnomusicology, linguistics, history, sociology, and literature, as well as to Finno-Ugric scholars in both North America and Europe. Co-published with the Finno-Ugric Studies Association of Canada.

From the seventeenth century to the current day, more than 2.5 million Scots have sought new lives elsewhere. This book of essays from established and emerging scholars examines the impact since 1600 of out migration from Scotland on the homeland, the migrants and the destinations in which they settled, and their descendants and 'affinity' Scots. It does so through a focus on the under-researched themes of slavery, cross-cultural encounters, economics, war, tourism, and the modern diaspora since 1945. It spans diverse destinations including Europe, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Hong Kong, Guyana and the British World more broadly. A key objective is to consider whether the Scottish factor mattered.

Explores the connectedness of the diaspora to the homeland from a variety of different perspectivesThis book explores a range of different perspectives on the Scottish diaspora, reflecting a growing interest in the subject from academics, politicians and policy makers and coinciding with Scotland's second year of homecoming in 2014. The Scottish Government has actively developed a diaspora strategy, not least in order to encourage 'roots tourism', as those individuals of Scots descent come back to visit their 'homeland' diaspora. Key FeaturesExamines the importance of links within the Scottish diaspora for Scots both at home and abroad.Multi-disciplinary perspectives from literature to sportOf interest to policy makers, genealogists, tourism bodies, politicians and general publicThe Scots form one of the world's largest diasporas, with around 30 million people worldwide claiming a Scottish ancestry. There are few countries around the globe without a Caledonian Society, a Burns Club, a Scottish country dance society, or similar organisation. The diaspora is therefore of interest to politicians, to public policy makers and to Scottish business; as well as to those working in the media, in sport, in literature and in music.