Book Review: The Scots – A Genetic Journey

Berlinn Limited, 2011, Alistair Moffat and James F. Wilson
ISBN 978 1 78027 032 6, 236 pages.
Bring along a big map of Scotland and settle in for your own journey of genetic discovery as you read this book. The authors will take you for a trip through the ages, seeking to lay out the genetic makeup of our friends, colleagues, and neighbours, the Scots.
DNA will play a large part in the saga as you track the various dominant haplo groups, when they arrive and their statistical distribution today. Follow along as we track the Y-DNA of the male lineage along with MT-DNA of the female mapping. We will see the first arrivals springing from the ice age refuges, following the animal herds north. Then, a second coming as the next round of glaciers melted. Who knew how the invaluable turf was formed? And how about the impacts of social selection?
The authors will dive into the archaeology of Scotland and many of the astounding finds that have been unearthed. They try to track the impact of the Roman occupation that lasted four centuries and undoubtedly added some further Mediterranean markers to the genetic mix of today.
Language, and its spread from Europe plays a large part in tracking the heritage of the Scots. Who knew where many of these words came from? Sanskrit? Surely you jest.
And finally, the authors dip into the cultures that have extended into the present day. Ancient rituals and customs that have transcended down through the ages and still appear, perhaps slightly modified, in our present celebrations. I never thought our present-day Halloween pumpkins originated as carved out Irish turnips!
Then, we have the Picts. That aggressive tattooed warrior nation harassed and attacked the Romans until the legions of this far-flung empire ultimately retreated south and built Hadrian’s Wall for protection. And then mysteriously, the Picts simply disappeared! Yet, their DNA remains – they walk among us. They even have their own distinct genetic marker! Invasions, first from the Irish, followed by the rampaging Vikings and then the English mixed with the indigenous DNA. More recently, immigration from Jewish Russia, Lithuania, Poland, then Italy and now Pakistan currently make up the DNA mix that is Scotland today.
A fun read, buttressed with solid science. Do not forget that big map of Scotland unless you are intimately familiar with the geography and place names of Scotland and thereabouts. Enjoy!
Ron Gilmore
Last Update: November 7, 2024
Email: rvg3@me.com
Website: https://rgenealogy.ca