Some 30 million people worldwide claim Scottish ancestry, making the Scots one of the world's largest diasporas. There are few countries around the globe without a Caledonian Society, a Burns Club, a Scottish country dance society or some similar organisation expressing Scottish social and cultural heritage. The Scottich diaspora in the United States is one of the largest and there is increasing interest in it, partly as a result of devolution and the existence of a Scottish government able to engage directly with Scots overseas. The theories of diaspora are explored and how the Scots fit into these, concluding with a discussion of the continuing nature and importance of expatriate identity.

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