What origins are the Ulster Scots, (English ancestry, Celtic ancestry?)?

Question

What origins are the Ulster Scots, (English ancestry, Celtic ancestry?)?
I mean another confusing thing is that Irish people went to Scotland and they were called Scotti and Scotland at that time was more of Irish people, but then the Scottish went to Ulster, so it is like they went back to their roots from Scotland to Ireland, and by the way who are th Ulster Scots, celtic natives? or Anglo-Saxon?

Answer 1

The term "Ulster Scots" came into being to replace, "Scotch-Irish," a term which, upon looking at it, would lead one to believe it applied to Irish who enjoyed drinking scotch whiskey.

It's commonly used in the United States to describe those people who immigrated to the US from Northern Ireland and settled mainly in the Appalachian and Piedmont regions from Pennsylvania through Georgia.

Though they are lumped together en masse and given a name seemingly descriptive of their origins, they weren't all Scots or Irish; some were English.

The Plantations of William and Mary moved families from England from the South all the way up through the North of Scotland into the Highlands. The Great Clearings left many Scots without their family lands, and they had no place to go.

The people were, however, predominantly from the Borderlands and Scottish Lowlands, and were an amalgamation of Pict, Brythonic Celts, Gaelic Celts, Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans.

The native Irish, and those who migrated to what would become Scotland, were almost certainly the same Celts who settled in Brittain. Different influences over time are probably responsible for the later differences in language and custom, many of which were probably from the people who already inhabited the lands where the Celts settled.

Irish Mythology mentions two races living in Ireland before the Gaels; the Tuatha de Danaan, and the Fomorians, and though these are obviously fanciful creations, it suggests the neothilic culture there was still extant when the Irish arrived..

By the way, "Spain" does appear in the Irish Mythological cycles, but it is more akin to heaven than a previous home.

Some would argue that the Normans were Scandinavian, but only early on. They intermarried with the native Franks and Gaels for a century before any of their number migrated to Scotland.

The people of the Plantations were also in Ireland for a while before they came here, so there was intermarriage there too. They were predominantly protestant, though some were Anglican and Catholic, and Presbyterianism was the major religion practiced in the region. But there are buts.

Researching my own family back to Ulster, I've run across some who were Catholic, and some who were Presbyterian. Most were Orangemen, but at least one was hanged for treason against the crown.

The violence which has lasted for centuries makes researching there difficult, as many churches and records were burned.

Answer 2

Old dog is totally wrong about the Ulster Scots ancestry. They have nothing to do with the Spanish. In about the 6th century AD there was a movement of peoples from the north of Ireland to Scotland (or Pictland). They settled in the South West and West and, indeed were called Scotti. They had a kingdom called Dal Riada (http://www.kessler-web.co.uk/History/KingListsBritain/GaelsDalRiada.htm)
Eventually, the peoples of Dal Riada and Pictland united and the modern country of Scotland came into being. During Tudor times various parts of Ireland were settled by English colonists - called the Plantations - the reason being that the English monarchs wanted to control the native Irish people. On James VI/I becoming King 6 counties of Ulster were more systematically settled with, among others, Scottish Protestants. The Scots are not Anglo-Saxon. Those who settled Ulster had a mixed Celtic/Pict ancestry.

Answer 3

They are Celtics of a different tribe. The Celtics were the first civilization of Europe. When the Greeks, knew them the were called "Keltoi" a word meaning barbarian.(hence the name Celtic) The Celtics had many tribes throughout Europe and when the wars with Rome were lost to them the only tribes left untouched were the ones in Ireland and Scotland.
Ireland was basically populated from the lands around Spain and Portugal and have a strong Moorish legacy as well.
So it would be safe to say that the Ulster Scots are in fact descendants of the Spanish immigration as well so they would be Irish,and Celtic natives.Anglo Saxons are Celts as well only from a more Teutonic tribe than others.
In The Bible the Galatians and the Corinthians were Celtic tribes. Just a foot note there.

Answer 4

The first Ulster/Scots were 2 families. Hamilton and Montgomery. They came over because Scotland had very little land available and Ulster was sparsely populated compared to Scotland, After a short while they came in their hundereds and then thousands. But Hamilton and Montgomery were offically the first Ulster/Scots.

Answer 5

The Scottish People Aare originally Irish.That is why they have similarities. They both wear the kilt, both play bagpipes etc. The Irish migrated to northern Britain thousands of years ago when there was a land bridge between Ireland and Scotland. Northern britain was Welsh territory before that.

Answer 6

Depends how far you want to go back. About an even chance their genetic DNA code will lead back to the Basque region. Alternatively, they could be Scandinavians. I could look up the latest theories. My best guess is that were Picts from the North. Not Celtic or English (sort of German) or Danish!

Answer 7

definitely celtic. we and the scots are a breed far removed from the english. thats why we had an ulster scots language all of our own.
we have a society here in n. ireland that is reviving the history. its a big thing here.

Answer 8

Read the new book Blood of the Isles which is the first serious attempt to answer this question. According to the author the genetics match the history, the "Ossian" gene he highlights is found almost exclusively in celtic populations. See http://www.bloodoftheisles.net/index.html and http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/02/blood-of-isles.php

Answer 9

i suppose the ulster scots are of celtic ancestry

Answer 10

good question i live in stranraer and im classed as galloway irish,the celtic native will probably be the right one.