Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-tnzcf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-14T08:37:42.960Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Homecomings: Finding neverland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2026

Get access

Summary

This chapter investigates how twenty-first-century Scotland relates to the Scots of Europe. It examines the Scottish approach towards international fans of Scotland, and in particular the Scottish government's recent efforts to connect with the Scottish 'diaspora'. The chapter explores the 2009 'Homecoming Scotland' campaign and the new rhetoric of 'affinity Scots'. The Scottish diaspora campaigns mainly target North America and try to profit from what has been called 'America's growing obsession with its Scottish connections'. The chapter describes clanship as a zone of contact and interaction. In the Scottish dreamscape, Scotland is a land of clans, and many play-actors hope to associate themselves with the remnants of the clan system. The chapter focuses on 'The Gathering', the Homecoming campaign's centrepiece festival, which took place in Edinburgh in 2009, following a Dutch pipe band on their journey to Scotland, the place on the map.

Information

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×