The Earl of St. Andrews tartan was adopted by St. Andrews University for its color pattern. Photograph by Stacey Van Berkel. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
St. Andrews University Pipe Band • Laurinburg
Bill Caudill (front, far left) leads the 16-member, student-based bagpipe band he founded 26 years ago through the leafy campus of St. Andrews University. The Scottish Heritage Center, with historical papers coveted by Glasgow University itself, is also located on campus, and directed by Caudill.
Photograph by Lissa Gotwals. photograph by Lissa Gotwals
Museum of Coastal Carolina • Ocean Isle Beach
Whelks and clams are fine, but finding a perfect Scotch Bonnet shell — like the prized specimens shown above — south of the Outer Banks is special. Named in honor of early Scottish settlers, and for its resemblance to the men’s traditional woolen caps, the Scotch Bonnet became the state shell — and North Carolina the first state to name such a symbol — in 1965, thanks to an initiative by the North Carolina Shell Club.
Photograph by Logan Cyrus. photograph by Logan Cyrus
Providence Presbyterian Church • Charlotte
Presbyterianism is the most lasting legacy of the Highland and Ulster Scots in North Carolina. Providence Presbyterian is the oldest frame sanctuary in the country.
Photograph by Lissa Gotwals. photograph by Lissa Gotwals
Old Bluff Presbyterian • Wade
First Ministers of Old Bluff church — organized in 1758 — included a McBryde, a McDiarmid, and a McDougald. For nearly a century, its services were conducted in Gaelic.
Photograph by Lissa Gotwals. photograph by Lissa Gotwals
Summerville Presbyterian • Lillington
Ever since the body of a stranger seeking help was discovered on the church steps, the doors on Summerville Presbyterian have never been locked. Featuring elements of Greek and Gothic Revival designs, the building dates to 1845-’46.
Photograph by Stuart Kelly / Alamy. photograph by Stuart Kelly / Alamy
Thistle
Romantic and historic — if a bit prickly — the symbol of Scotland that grows wild in our Sandhills was stitched onto North Carolina Confederate flags as a means of declaring, “This is who we are: the Scotch Boys.”
Photograph by Lissa Gotwals. photograph by Lissa Gotwals
Barbecue Presbyterian Church • Harnett County
From McLean to McDonald, cemetery tombstones across the state bear Scottish surnames. The prefix “Mc” means “son.”
Photograph by Stacey Van Berkel. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Hunting Creek Farms • Hamptonville
Long before Super Bowl and Christmas ads for Budweiser, Clydesdales were draft animals in the Clydesdale district of Scotland. Originally bred with imported Flemish stallions, the well-muscled horses boast extensive feathering on their legs. Great numbers of Clydesdales were exported from Scotland in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Hence this bonny lad, Brumby, one of 16 show Clydesdales at Hunting Creek Farms in Hamptonville.
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
