The Scots originally came over from Ireland, displacing the native Picts, The Picts themselves spoke a language closest to Cornish and Welsh. In the 17th century some Scots went back to Ireland, to the Ulster plantations. Today, the descendants of these isles number around 200 million worldwide, including Barack Obama and Muhammad Ali, both of whom have Irish blood. ‘British Isles’ displeases the Irish, not surprisingly given what they have experienced at British hands over the centuries. And one of the Empire’s worst misdeeds, the Amritsar massacre, was ordered by an Irish officer.

Source: Daily Mail March 01, 2026 14:57 UTC