What are Scots?

Answer 1

The 'Scots' can refer to various things through Scottish history.

Originally what is now Scotland was occupied by the Picts, a Northern Celtic people, similar to the Brythonic Celts (Britons) in what is now England & Wales. The Roman Empire never managed to subdue the Picts so they became culturally very different from the southern Romanized-Celts.

In the 6th Century another group of Celts, the Gaels, who had settled in Ireland spread across the Hebrides to western Scotland creating the Kingdom of Dál Riata. The tribes where known as 'Scotti' which meant raiders. Ireland was known in Latin as Hibernia or Scotia Major and Scotland was known as Caledonia or Scotia Minor.

At this point in time Scot or Scotti simply referred to all of those who where ethnically Celtic-Gaels within Scotland, Ireland and Mann. Although they would never have refered to themselves as Scots.

A fusion of Dál Riata and the Pictish Kingdoms in 843AD created the Kingdom of Alba (Scotland) but still the term Scots would refer to both Scots & Irish. The Pictish culture was lost and all within Alba spoke Gaelic. It wasn't until the 16th Century that Scotia was confined to refering to Scotland at this point Scots would refer only to those living in Scotland who would be of Gaelic, Pictish & Brythonic (Celtic) decent.

It's also interesting to note that the language 'Scots' came from a different origin. In the 7th - 13th centuries the Germanic and Celtic languages of lowland Scotland evolved between the Strathclyde (Brythonic) and Lothian (Angle). Similar to Old English due to it's Angle influence. This Language became known as Scots but formally Gaelic of the Scottish Highlands was known as Scots.

So in the present day The Scots are the distinct people of the country of Scotland upon the Island of Great Britain.

Answer 2

People living in Scotland (It is part of Great Britain or the United Kingdom)

Answer 3

Scottish