Interesting point McGrath.

Fact is, when you start referring to "Gaelic" as a cultural touchstone, the fact is that mass culture (aka "the world") simply does NOT think of Scotland in that way--let alone Man, Wales, Brittany or Galicia.

Hell, most of 'em think England is a Celtic nation, if they think about it at all.

It's not really a negative on Scotland or the other Celtic nations, it's that Ireland has been so successful at defining itself as such, and it has the reputation of being where the culture is alive in every little village, peat bog and pub.

Whereas the mass perception of Scotland is more along the lines of foggy moors, golf, ceremonial rather than everyday versions of the music and dress, and the Gaelic language aspect is very much a fringe thing thought to be preserved in the Hebrides and a few other islands and geographic edges.

And ultimately it probably has a hell of a lot do with the land ownership patterns of ridiculously huge estates owned by people who don't deserve them.

Bill Cameron (OK Mark, lets consider the hatchet buried).