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Scottish by Inclination
‘You can be Scottish by inclination? As in, if you want to be in, you’re in?’
Scottish by Inclination celebrates European immigration and explores recent political events throurgh the eyes of an EU immigrant living in Scotland.
Barbara Henderson has been Scottish by inclination for 30 years. She fell in love with the country and its people when she left Germany at the age of 19 and hasn’t looked back since.
Barbara’s story takes us on her journey, from her first ceilidh to married life in the remote Highlands but also features 30 profiles of other EU citizens who have chosen to call Scotland their home.
Belonging, it turns out, can be a choice.
Scottish by Inclination celebrates European immigration and explores recent political events throurgh the eyes of an EU immigrant living in Scotland.
Barbara Henderson has been Scottish by inclination for 30 years. She fell in love with the country and its people when she left Germany at the age of 19 and hasn’t looked back since.
Barbara’s story takes us on her journey, from her first ceilidh to married life in the remote Highlands but also features 30 profiles of other EU citizens who have chosen to call Scotland their home.
Belonging, it turns out, can be a choice.
200 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2021
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 13, 2021
I read this book because it featured my client Lorenzo from Crover but I soon discovered that there was much more than just that which made it special for me. The book is half a memoir of Barbara's life in Scotland since arriving in Edinburgh from Germany and half profiles of the 30 Europeans that she interviewed who now live in Scotland and consider it home. The book records Barbara's experience of Edinburgh University where I did my degree, a teaching post at George Watson's College where I went to school and in the biggest coincidence of all, even mentioned someone that I knew whom Barbara met when she first arrived in Edinburgh many years ago!
Brexit is still very unpopular in Scotland but now that it has happened there is a tendency to just accept it and that there is nothing that we can do to change it but this book makes you challenge that. It makes very clear the personal effect on all of the Europeans who were long term resident here by going into the detail of their personal stories. The overall impression is of the huge contribution that they make to our society (the selection of individuals featured is very impressive - varied across different disciplines and nationalities) and the hurt caused by having their status as citizens challenged after so many years and in many cases, where they are part of Scottish families with Scottish spouses and children.
The 30 people profiled are unanimous in their condemnation of Brexit but quite split over the subject of Scottish Independence. While clearly a clever political move, the letters sent to European citizens by the Scottish Government saying that they were still valued were obviously appreciated and it does make you think how different Scottish people are in their outlook to Europe compared to the majority down south. Incidentally, my family are all English but I have lived in Scotland all my life so I would never think of myself as anything but Scottish (especially when the national football team is playing!) but I suppose that I could be said to be "Scottish by Inclination" too. I suspect that there are also quite a few English living up here who moved up later in life who are now Scottish by Inclination following Brexit.
Barbara is an established children's author but I really hope that she writes more books for adults as I am keen to read more of her writing.
Brexit is still very unpopular in Scotland but now that it has happened there is a tendency to just accept it and that there is nothing that we can do to change it but this book makes you challenge that. It makes very clear the personal effect on all of the Europeans who were long term resident here by going into the detail of their personal stories. The overall impression is of the huge contribution that they make to our society (the selection of individuals featured is very impressive - varied across different disciplines and nationalities) and the hurt caused by having their status as citizens challenged after so many years and in many cases, where they are part of Scottish families with Scottish spouses and children.
The 30 people profiled are unanimous in their condemnation of Brexit but quite split over the subject of Scottish Independence. While clearly a clever political move, the letters sent to European citizens by the Scottish Government saying that they were still valued were obviously appreciated and it does make you think how different Scottish people are in their outlook to Europe compared to the majority down south. Incidentally, my family are all English but I have lived in Scotland all my life so I would never think of myself as anything but Scottish (especially when the national football team is playing!) but I suppose that I could be said to be "Scottish by Inclination" too. I suspect that there are also quite a few English living up here who moved up later in life who are now Scottish by Inclination following Brexit.
Barbara is an established children's author but I really hope that she writes more books for adults as I am keen to read more of her writing.
August 6, 2021
I really enjoyed reading the life stories of EU citizens who have made Scotland their home, though saddened by the impact Brexit has had on their lives. Scotland is no Utopia, but I had believed us to be a welcoming nation and was appalled and upset that so many people here voted for Brexit. I loved the anecdotes from Barbara's own life. She is so full of energy and enthusiasm, and that really comes across in her writing. A highly recommended read!
July 18, 2021
I am grateful for a free copy of this book, courtesy of the author, in return for an honest review.
I had two initial impressions; first, that this is a timely book. Since the independence referendum, and then Brexit, questions of identity and Scotland’s future have perplexed nearly all of us. So a work that encourages us to think about this in a wider context is welcome. Second, it is a cheerful and positive book; the glass is determinedly half full and the spectacles have a blushingly rosy tinge. In times like these, this may be rather a relief.
It is easy to read. It sandwiches Barbara Henderson's own experiences, as a German who has settled here happily, with those of a wide range of thirty interviewees, all EU Nationals who have chosen to make their lives here and have thrived upon it. The author's autobiographical account is heavily anecdotal, almost chatty, but amiable and engaging - incidentally, these brief chapters often have rather good epigraphs. The interviewees give very short, snapshot accounts of their perspectives, this makes it easy to read, but gives little chance to explore anything in more detail.
I wonder about the choice of interviewees; they are most impressive bunch, the kind of people any country should be happy to count as citizens. So far, so good - but it left me thinking about those who may have thrived rather less here, or indeed who chose to leave after the Brexit referendum. Most of those featured here seem to incline towards independence, but this is by no means a given. What does come through very clearly is the deep hurt, the psychic wound almost, that the country experienced at this point but which was felt most acutely as rejection by people like these who made their lives here. It's hard not to feel sympathy for the author when she describes her experiences of applying for settled status.
But I wonder about the Scotland she describes. I think there is one lightning glimpse that mentions sectarianism and a quick recognition of anti English feeling. Yet as the section on Jekyll and Hyde indicates, there might have been other lines of enquiry to explore here. There are deep and dark divisions in Scottish consciousness , and we must not forget that 40% of Scots still voted Leave. I am not sure who they are or why they so voted; it's very hard to find people who will admit this. As the book acknowledges, some such voters may have been influenced by factors which have nothing to do with xenophobia. but some will have been driven by this.
I can see that much that concerns me lies outside the chosen remit of this book; but what there is here allows for the formulation of such important questions that I long for something a little less experiential and more analytical. Nevertheless it is a valuable addition to our thinking today.Many of us who were not born in Scotland, nor brought up here, are today asking ourselves whether we too might be Scottish by inclination.
I had two initial impressions; first, that this is a timely book. Since the independence referendum, and then Brexit, questions of identity and Scotland’s future have perplexed nearly all of us. So a work that encourages us to think about this in a wider context is welcome. Second, it is a cheerful and positive book; the glass is determinedly half full and the spectacles have a blushingly rosy tinge. In times like these, this may be rather a relief.
It is easy to read. It sandwiches Barbara Henderson's own experiences, as a German who has settled here happily, with those of a wide range of thirty interviewees, all EU Nationals who have chosen to make their lives here and have thrived upon it. The author's autobiographical account is heavily anecdotal, almost chatty, but amiable and engaging - incidentally, these brief chapters often have rather good epigraphs. The interviewees give very short, snapshot accounts of their perspectives, this makes it easy to read, but gives little chance to explore anything in more detail.
I wonder about the choice of interviewees; they are most impressive bunch, the kind of people any country should be happy to count as citizens. So far, so good - but it left me thinking about those who may have thrived rather less here, or indeed who chose to leave after the Brexit referendum. Most of those featured here seem to incline towards independence, but this is by no means a given. What does come through very clearly is the deep hurt, the psychic wound almost, that the country experienced at this point but which was felt most acutely as rejection by people like these who made their lives here. It's hard not to feel sympathy for the author when she describes her experiences of applying for settled status.
But I wonder about the Scotland she describes. I think there is one lightning glimpse that mentions sectarianism and a quick recognition of anti English feeling. Yet as the section on Jekyll and Hyde indicates, there might have been other lines of enquiry to explore here. There are deep and dark divisions in Scottish consciousness , and we must not forget that 40% of Scots still voted Leave. I am not sure who they are or why they so voted; it's very hard to find people who will admit this. As the book acknowledges, some such voters may have been influenced by factors which have nothing to do with xenophobia. but some will have been driven by this.
I can see that much that concerns me lies outside the chosen remit of this book; but what there is here allows for the formulation of such important questions that I long for something a little less experiential and more analytical. Nevertheless it is a valuable addition to our thinking today.Many of us who were not born in Scotland, nor brought up here, are today asking ourselves whether we too might be Scottish by inclination.
July 13, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Barbara Henderson's account of how she came to study and then eventually settle in Scotland. Reading about her early years at Uni in Edinburgh brought back lots of memories for me as like her, I took some Scottish Literature courses at Edinburgh and also did my teacher training at Moray House just a few years before she did.
I loved the story of how as a tongue-tied literature student she met the poet Edwin Morgan. It reminded me of the time when I was sitting in the café at the Portrait Gallery in York Place thinking that the elderly gentleman at the next table looked quite familiar. It was only after he left that I realised that he was Edwin Morgan - and that he featured as a younger man on the mural on the wall behind me! (Alexander Moffat's 'Poets Pub')
The book is full of anecdotes about Barbara's life over the past thirty years in Scotland, covering her marriage to a Scottish med student, their early life together in Edinburgh, her teaching jobs, their family life in Inverness, her writing career and how she felt when the Brexit vote went through. It's a warm and engaging read and gave me cause to reflect on how incomers to Scotland are treated. I like to think that we are a fairly tolerant and welcoming society and for the most part that seems to be true.
This is borne out by the others sections of the book as it isn't just about Barbara's experiences though. Short chapters highlight thirty immigrants from various parts of Europe and the contributions they have made to a diverse areas of Scottish life. They all spoke of how they felt welcomed and part of Scottish society. It is such a pity that many Europeans who could make valuable contributions to Scotland will now find that harder to do as a result of Brexit. And, of course, Scottish people now do not have the same opportunities to travel and work so easily in elsewhere in Europe.
So can you be 'Scottish by Inclination' as the book title suggests? Well in the words of one of Barbara's university professors 'Why not? Why ever not?'.
I loved the story of how as a tongue-tied literature student she met the poet Edwin Morgan. It reminded me of the time when I was sitting in the café at the Portrait Gallery in York Place thinking that the elderly gentleman at the next table looked quite familiar. It was only after he left that I realised that he was Edwin Morgan - and that he featured as a younger man on the mural on the wall behind me! (Alexander Moffat's 'Poets Pub')
The book is full of anecdotes about Barbara's life over the past thirty years in Scotland, covering her marriage to a Scottish med student, their early life together in Edinburgh, her teaching jobs, their family life in Inverness, her writing career and how she felt when the Brexit vote went through. It's a warm and engaging read and gave me cause to reflect on how incomers to Scotland are treated. I like to think that we are a fairly tolerant and welcoming society and for the most part that seems to be true.
This is borne out by the others sections of the book as it isn't just about Barbara's experiences though. Short chapters highlight thirty immigrants from various parts of Europe and the contributions they have made to a diverse areas of Scottish life. They all spoke of how they felt welcomed and part of Scottish society. It is such a pity that many Europeans who could make valuable contributions to Scotland will now find that harder to do as a result of Brexit. And, of course, Scottish people now do not have the same opportunities to travel and work so easily in elsewhere in Europe.
So can you be 'Scottish by Inclination' as the book title suggests? Well in the words of one of Barbara's university professors 'Why not? Why ever not?'.
August 16, 2021
Originally posted on Just Geeking By.
Scottish by Inclination is a heart-warming, hilarious and so very Scottish account of what it is like to be an immigrant living in Scotland. The book is Barbara Henderson’s biographical account of her time in Scotland, starting with her first deciding to study at a UK university instead of one in her home country, Germany and ending with her applying for British citizenship in the aftermath of Brexit. She takes us through the whole process of applying to an institution in another country, and I’m sure the whole experience will be of interest to international students thinking about studying abroad because Barbara is so genuine in how she writes. I was immediately taken back to filling out my very first UCAS form, an experience that was so complex and alien to us 17/18-year-olds that my sixth form college had actual classes for it. It was terrifying for us and we were British!
From filling out her application to a hilarious arrival at Edinburgh Airport, she recalls every step of her journey as a student studying English Language and Scottish Literature. Despite there being twenty years between our journies I found myself laughing and nodding my head with a knowing smile as Barbara talked about encountering the Glaswegian dialect for the first time and beginning to study Scottish Literature. When I started my English Literature degree at Glasgow University I too had wanted to learn more about my new home; twenty years prior Barbara had done the same!
“On a whim I had decided to choose it over the mainstream English Literature. If I was going to be a part of this country, even if only for four years, I felt I should take the opportunity to immerse myself in it’s back catalogue a little. How hard could it be?” - Scottish for Inclination, p. 43.
I may have facepalmed at that point, I most definitely chuckled knowing what came next!
It is this wonderfully authentic conversational tone that continues throughout the book, whisking you away through time to follow Barbara along her journey. You don’t feel as though you’re reading a biography, you feel as though you were there with her. A little friendly reader sprite perched on her shoulder. You saw the good, the bad and the ugly which is told in a manner that I can only describe as Scottish; it’s over now so I’m going to laugh about it. And laugh you will because while Scottish by Inclination will tug at your heartstrings it will make you laugh so much more.
There’s a story about meeting one of the most famous Scottish poets of our generation, many stories about being a teacher and one about an interview where Barbara gets the wool pulled over eyes which is by far one of the funniest stories I have ever heard. I retold it to my fiance and before I could even finish it he knew what had happened which just reaffirmed to me that only the Scots can have a sense of humour like that.
Dispersed between Barbara’s own journey are profiles with a wide variety of Europeans who have moved to Scotland and are now “Scottish by Inclination”. These profiles contain details about how they first came to Scotland and extracts from Barbara’s interviews with them. Some of them are educators, others are artists, entrepreneurs, athletes and there’s even a book blogger (The Book Witch who is also taking part in the blog tour and she’s next on the list tomorrow!) which I thought was lovely. I hadn’t realised that the president of my alma mater, The University of Glasgow, is European; his name is Sir Anton Muscatelli. Another person Barbara interviewed, Daniela Sime, is a professor at my other alma mater, the University of Strathclyde, and having been to both these institutions it was great to see both of them represented in the pages of Scottish by Inclination. As I mentioned before both have thriving International Student communities and it feels important that share their stories, as individuals not as academics, to help the next generation find their way. I also appreciated that photographs were included, giving each voice a face rather than them being just faceless words on a page.
These profiles were written with the same laidback spirit that Barbara wrote her own story, interlacing facts with humour and she lets the individual voices of each person shine through in the interview extracts she has included. The stories they share about Scotland are so vibrant and so real, and I really loved the closing question she poses to them; what would you say to Scotland? Their answers are all so different and unique, and it was in those quotes that I saw the exquisite beauty in cultures coming together to make something bigger and better.
Barbara’s story is one of determination and courage, and Scottish by Inclination will grab you by the heartstrings, make you laugh, cry and then make you laugh some more. It is a book of stories, and the great thing about these stories is that every single one of them is real. From Martin Cingel, a Slovakian ice hockey player who now coaches the UK under 18s team and won gold with them in their World Championship division in 2018, to Tania Czajka a French Early Years specialist and puppeteer who is currently studying for her Master’s degree in education so that she can become a fully-fledged Teaching-Artist. And of course, Barbara herself who went on to become an English teacher, a puppeteer and is now an award-winning children’s author.
Every single one of them is an inspiration, and they are all EU Nationals who have made Scotland their home. We are lucky to have them, and I think Barbara sums it up best at the end of the book:
“The immigrant voice matters. It is my lived experience, and the many interviews with EU nationals included in these pages only attest to the fact that there are many stories, like mine and unlike mine, which have become part of the warp and weft of Scottish society. Like threads, some shine brightly. Others are almost invisible but lend the tapestry its stability.”- Scottish by Inclination, p. 197.
The image of a society woven together with threads really sticks with me. There are so many different coloured threads in modern society, not just nationalities but race, sexualities, religions and disabilities. We are all important and integral to the stability of society. Some of us may not be so bright, we may not seek to shine so brightly on purpose for whatever reason, but we’re still important, we’re still needed. And if you think of a tapestry made of just one coloured thread it has no pattern, it’s dull and lifeless.
This is a book of the threads of life. I cannot recommend it enough especially if you want an outsiders perspective of this beautiful country I have come to know as home or to learn more about what it is like to be an immigrant – or both!
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
Scottish by Inclination is a heart-warming, hilarious and so very Scottish account of what it is like to be an immigrant living in Scotland. The book is Barbara Henderson’s biographical account of her time in Scotland, starting with her first deciding to study at a UK university instead of one in her home country, Germany and ending with her applying for British citizenship in the aftermath of Brexit. She takes us through the whole process of applying to an institution in another country, and I’m sure the whole experience will be of interest to international students thinking about studying abroad because Barbara is so genuine in how she writes. I was immediately taken back to filling out my very first UCAS form, an experience that was so complex and alien to us 17/18-year-olds that my sixth form college had actual classes for it. It was terrifying for us and we were British!
From filling out her application to a hilarious arrival at Edinburgh Airport, she recalls every step of her journey as a student studying English Language and Scottish Literature. Despite there being twenty years between our journies I found myself laughing and nodding my head with a knowing smile as Barbara talked about encountering the Glaswegian dialect for the first time and beginning to study Scottish Literature. When I started my English Literature degree at Glasgow University I too had wanted to learn more about my new home; twenty years prior Barbara had done the same!
“On a whim I had decided to choose it over the mainstream English Literature. If I was going to be a part of this country, even if only for four years, I felt I should take the opportunity to immerse myself in it’s back catalogue a little. How hard could it be?” - Scottish for Inclination, p. 43.
I may have facepalmed at that point, I most definitely chuckled knowing what came next!
It is this wonderfully authentic conversational tone that continues throughout the book, whisking you away through time to follow Barbara along her journey. You don’t feel as though you’re reading a biography, you feel as though you were there with her. A little friendly reader sprite perched on her shoulder. You saw the good, the bad and the ugly which is told in a manner that I can only describe as Scottish; it’s over now so I’m going to laugh about it. And laugh you will because while Scottish by Inclination will tug at your heartstrings it will make you laugh so much more.
There’s a story about meeting one of the most famous Scottish poets of our generation, many stories about being a teacher and one about an interview where Barbara gets the wool pulled over eyes which is by far one of the funniest stories I have ever heard. I retold it to my fiance and before I could even finish it he knew what had happened which just reaffirmed to me that only the Scots can have a sense of humour like that.
Dispersed between Barbara’s own journey are profiles with a wide variety of Europeans who have moved to Scotland and are now “Scottish by Inclination”. These profiles contain details about how they first came to Scotland and extracts from Barbara’s interviews with them. Some of them are educators, others are artists, entrepreneurs, athletes and there’s even a book blogger (The Book Witch who is also taking part in the blog tour and she’s next on the list tomorrow!) which I thought was lovely. I hadn’t realised that the president of my alma mater, The University of Glasgow, is European; his name is Sir Anton Muscatelli. Another person Barbara interviewed, Daniela Sime, is a professor at my other alma mater, the University of Strathclyde, and having been to both these institutions it was great to see both of them represented in the pages of Scottish by Inclination. As I mentioned before both have thriving International Student communities and it feels important that share their stories, as individuals not as academics, to help the next generation find their way. I also appreciated that photographs were included, giving each voice a face rather than them being just faceless words on a page.
These profiles were written with the same laidback spirit that Barbara wrote her own story, interlacing facts with humour and she lets the individual voices of each person shine through in the interview extracts she has included. The stories they share about Scotland are so vibrant and so real, and I really loved the closing question she poses to them; what would you say to Scotland? Their answers are all so different and unique, and it was in those quotes that I saw the exquisite beauty in cultures coming together to make something bigger and better.
Barbara’s story is one of determination and courage, and Scottish by Inclination will grab you by the heartstrings, make you laugh, cry and then make you laugh some more. It is a book of stories, and the great thing about these stories is that every single one of them is real. From Martin Cingel, a Slovakian ice hockey player who now coaches the UK under 18s team and won gold with them in their World Championship division in 2018, to Tania Czajka a French Early Years specialist and puppeteer who is currently studying for her Master’s degree in education so that she can become a fully-fledged Teaching-Artist. And of course, Barbara herself who went on to become an English teacher, a puppeteer and is now an award-winning children’s author.
Every single one of them is an inspiration, and they are all EU Nationals who have made Scotland their home. We are lucky to have them, and I think Barbara sums it up best at the end of the book:
“The immigrant voice matters. It is my lived experience, and the many interviews with EU nationals included in these pages only attest to the fact that there are many stories, like mine and unlike mine, which have become part of the warp and weft of Scottish society. Like threads, some shine brightly. Others are almost invisible but lend the tapestry its stability.”- Scottish by Inclination, p. 197.
The image of a society woven together with threads really sticks with me. There are so many different coloured threads in modern society, not just nationalities but race, sexualities, religions and disabilities. We are all important and integral to the stability of society. Some of us may not be so bright, we may not seek to shine so brightly on purpose for whatever reason, but we’re still important, we’re still needed. And if you think of a tapestry made of just one coloured thread it has no pattern, it’s dull and lifeless.
This is a book of the threads of life. I cannot recommend it enough especially if you want an outsiders perspective of this beautiful country I have come to know as home or to learn more about what it is like to be an immigrant – or both!
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
July 28, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Disclaimer: I did things the opposite way to Barbara Henderson. I travelled to Germany as a student from Scotland, to work as an English teacher. I didn’t stay in the end, and came back to my country of birth after a year, but I shared her hopes, fears and excitement as detailed in this book. It was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me, in that respect. Memories of a similar nature made me smile. I loved the stories of EU nationals resident in Scotland interspersed throughout - some I know, some I have met, some I’d never heard of. I found the ending sad, even though I obviously knew the result of the Brexit referendum and knew what was coming. I certainly wouldn’t pass the Life in the UK Test… I’m still angry. Great book, I would recommend.
July 21, 2021
This book was not the genre I would usually read, however, I found myself unable to put it down! I consider myself to be quite well versed in the EU referendum and the impact it had on EU citizens however I hadn't really read much about it, and the times leading up to it from someone right in the middle of it. Barbara's writing was easy to read and it was like sitting with a friend hearing their life story! (In the most interesting way!!)
I learnt a lot about the process and loved that Barbara's story was set across places I have lived or visited!
I learnt a lot about the process and loved that Barbara's story was set across places I have lived or visited!
February 28, 2022
I really enjoyed Barbara's work, it really resonated with me as an European immigrant to Scotland although I came in the aftermath of Brexit.
Thought provoking and easy to read at the same time, I'd recommend it to all of the New Scots and also to all people in the UK who believe that European immigration is something negative. You might see how much other cultures and exchange can bring in terms of variety, skills and richness when they travel, meet and work together.
Thought provoking and easy to read at the same time, I'd recommend it to all of the New Scots and also to all people in the UK who believe that European immigration is something negative. You might see how much other cultures and exchange can bring in terms of variety, skills and richness when they travel, meet and work together.
August 31, 2021
I loved this book! I really enjoyed reading about all the immigrants especially Barbara's life story. Her job interview made me laugh. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews