So I’m English and I’m on holiday in Scotland. How much is everyone secretly hating me?

[AreWeHated]

I’m in a small town in Scotland on holiday. I’m from the north of England. Everyone has been very polite and welcoming.

But, tell me the truth, how much secret hostility is there?

Quite a bit unfortunately

What a weird, awful, small minded thread. One strange woman complained to you in a pub and now you’re wondering if an entire nation of people hate you because you were born 100 miles south of them? The arrogance. The complete lack of understanding about a country and its people. Stop propagating horrible stereotypes about “English-hating Scots”. I’m an English person with a Scottish partner who has lived all over Scotland for 20 years, by the way. This kind of question REALLY riles me up, as you can tell.

Awwww well that’s alright then! How eloquent

I'm Scots. The notion of anti English sentiment in Scotland is essentially a tabloid creation (tabloids that are run by bigoted anti Scots editors/staff).

Bloody hell what an OTT post 🙄 calm down 😱

Totally agree OP!

I am English and lived in Scotland for 3 years as well as visiting friends and close relatives there umpteen times.

Scottish people would not openly admit to antipathy towards the English but the dislike is there, and it is explicit.

Nobody hates you unless you're a total arsehole so I'm sure you're fine. The woman you encountered is probably a twat.

Nope. Shan’t.
It’s an awful outdated inaccurate stereotype about Scots, and it needs to stop. Similar in some ways to people thinking the English all hate Germans.

Think I have a skewed experience. BiL is Scottish, DSIS and nieces and nephews all live in Scotland. I stayed with them once and never again. I just got a torrent of abuse from BIl, from wtf is wrong with the BBC, to why I speak like I do, to the fact that 'all Scots think English folk are cunts'

It was horrible. Really really truly awful. I just wanted to leave.

Your brother in law is a cunt. You can't extrapolate that to 6 million people.

MY DB (who unlike me has a strong Scottish accent) went to a posh English uni and had a house rep-type position in his halls of residence. I saw his name on a list of various reps on the wall and someone had written “ugly Jock” with arrow beside it. He thought it was funny. I used to live in London and got all the “polar bear” chat from people (many of whom had never been to Scotland but, hey, I’ve never been to Wales). When Scotland beat England in some football match in the late 90s/early 00s (can’t be bothered to Google) I was very uncomfortable on the Tube listening to pissed blokes who didn’t sound too friendly discussing the “fucking Jocks”. There are dickheads everywhere (though was glad of my English accent on that occasion).

No one is hating you. You are being ridiculous

Personally I can't be arsed with people who hold anti English sentiment. People South of the border have the same trials and tribulations. It's fucking politicians both sides of the border that's where the problems lie.

Tbh Westminster has recently rescued Scotland from a load of shit holyrood policies

Honestly not.

Unless you walk about being superior or patronising then maybe 🤔

how much secret hostility is there

It's really quite unlikely that the people with whom you interact while on holiday, the ones earning their living directly or indirectly from tourism, are going to be the people harbouring resentment towards those 'not from round here'.

Why would they hate you? If you’re considerate and respectful I’m sure nobody will have an issue with you.

I really don't see how this is something unique to Scotland. I have a friend who moved to England and has received some very unpleasant comments about her nationality from English people. You will find pockets of people who dislike "outsiders" literally everywhere.

What a weird question, you know lots of English people and other nationalities live in Scotland?! Ignore the Daily Mail type press...

I was once sat in a bar in Edinburgh during the festival whilst an English woman loudly told her table that Scotland was full of savages and she hated the place and if it wasn't for the festival would never come. Maybe that is who you spoke to 😜

I’m Scottish and have lived in England for over 30 years. When I was growing up in the 70’s my Mum would often talk about the arrogant English but she was always perfectly polite to any English person she met and subsequently when she came to England to visit me so it may have been a heightened response to the Independence vote campaigning at that time, or just parroting things she had heard said.

In my 40’s, I had a Scottish boyfriend who had lived in England for a similar length of time to me and who once said that the English had never done a thing to make him feel unwelcome but it was his birthright to despise them - he was joking, but it must have come from somewhere.

Whilst I am Scottish, but not patriotic and with no desire to return to my homeland, I am constantly surprised by the number of times that English people make disparaging remarks about the Scots in my presence. Since I know quite a few of the people who make these remarks well, I believe they consider it to be banter and they hope to get a rise out of me 🤔🙄

Yeah they have nothing else going on in their lives other than to think about you? Is this genuine?

In fairness to the op, as a pp said, anti-englishness doesn't always beat around the bush. While I've not experienced any in Scotland, I have in other UK nations and I don't think its unreasonable for the op to wonder if attitudes to her might be different if she wasn't a tourist. The opening post is ill thought out, though.

Anyone reading or replying to this thread believing that Scots are insular, xenophobic and backwards are incredibly offensive. I've never met anyone with these views personally, but unfortunately wouldn't be surprised at their existence.

99% of people will give no thoughts to it, you will always get a small vocal section of wankers in any country.
The only visitors I hate are the ones that dump their waste from their caravans in the local area

It's not normal for the majority to "hate" tourists anywhere, even us down other end of Britain although I could see how they could get frustrated with those that don't know how to behave when they are on holiday.

Enjoy your holiday, I would love to go back to Scotland.

Isn't it weird to be on holiday and decide to start a thread on MN - not in Scotnet - pushing anti-Scottish sentiment? Especially when Scotland is regularly voted one of the friendliest destinations and Glasgow was voted the friendliest city in the UK last year.