When the Scots migrated they, quite naturally, took much of their culture with them and attempted, in whatever way they could, to recreate a little bit of Scotland in their new found land. Many locations in America, for instance, were nostalgically named after the places Scottish immigrants had left behind. There are at least eight Aberdeens, eight Edinburghs, seven Glasgows, and eight places simply known as Scotland in the USA today.

There are many societies around the world, such as the St Andrew’s Society that continue to promote and celebrate Scotland’s culture and heritage. Throughout America and Canada alone there are over 300 St Andrew’s Societies, Caledonian Clubs and other Scottish societies. Golf, curling, whisky, Presbyterianism, Highland Games, country dancing and a whole host of other traditional activities continue to influence the countries where Scots settled. Most significantly, however, is the massive contribution Scots made to the developing worlds they found themselves in, whether in the fields of medicine, engineering, education, politics, industry or the arts. It’s little wonder therefore that the links between Scotland and the wider world remain strong – today’s Scottish networks are as rich, vibrant and diverse as the nation’s iconic tartans.

Commerce keeps the world inter-connected on a daily basis and strong networks underpin successful trading relations. To find out more about these networks including SNI, Globalscot and Friends of Scotland, visit http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/culture/clan.html