On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 16:28:58 GMT, Vernon North <verno@oyama.bc.ca>
wrote:

>In article <41b48042.1845583@news>, micheil@shaw.ca says...
>> On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 22:38:13 GMT, Vernon North <verno@oyama.bc.ca>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> >In article <41b0df2a.25320458@news>, micheil@shaw.ca says...
>> >> On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 12:22:11 +0900, "John Yamamoto-Wilson"
>> >> <johndeletethis@rarebooksinjapan.com> wrote:
>> >> 
>> >> >Michi something (my computer's configuration won't read the last part of the
>> >> >name) wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> [MacHamish's] surname's Irish
>> >> >
>> >> >What an odd thing to say. MacHamish is about as Scottish as it gets (check
>> >> >any information on the Gunn clan, e.g.,
>> >> >http://www.yourscottishname.com/gunn_clan.htm, or
>> >> >http://www.geocities.com/sconemac/septgunn.html). Have you never heard of
>> >> >MacHamish Scotch whiskey (http://www.geocities.com/jordan_m30/malts.html)?
>> >> >
>> >> >From what I can gather, the name exists in Ireland mainly in the north.
>> >> >Without (admittedly) knowing much about it, I'd assume it was brought there
>> >> >by Scottish Protestants.
>> >> >
>> >> >--
>> >> >John
>> >> >http://rarebooksinjapan.com
>> >> >
>> >> 
>> >> It is a common and perennial insult in Scotland to say that someone's
>> >> name is Irish and that therefore they must be Irish; the Irish not
>> >> having formerly been held in great esteem by Scots.
>> >> 
>> >Ay, laddie, the Scots always get their kilts caught in the crack when 
>> >accused of being descendents of people whose eyes are not too close 
>> >together.  The Scots are the descendents of shipwrecked Norwegians whose 
>> >rare inferior sense of direction left them stranded away from home. ;-)
>> >
>> >Verno
>> 
>> Hardly - the Norweghians were among the greatest navigators in the
>> world - including settling in Newfoundland.
>
>Sorry, I bungled my insult -- rare for me.  It should have read:
>
>"The Scots are the descendents of RARE shipwrecked Norwegians whose 
>UNCHARACTERISTICALLY inferior sense of direction left them stranded away 
>from home."  
>> 
>> SCots are also accused of beog the Lost Tribe of Israel and in
>> Hamburg, the locals say Scots are Westmarkers (a local group famous
>> for being cheap) who got lost in a haar and settled in Scotland.
>> 
>Hmmmmmmm, some Glaswegians certainly sound German.
>
>Verno

Try the East Coast of Scotland! From Buckie via Aberdeen to Fife.

Michil