Luckily for me, English is a shared trait between Scotland and America. Given the different accents and slang terms, I still managed to understand what people were saying. I noticed that the Scottish dressed similarly with Americans and ate similar cuisine (considering all those burgers we had on the trip). They were also quite friendly and welcoming of visitors.
However, there were a few differences that really stuck out to me. Geographically speaking, Scotland is considerably a smaller landmass compared to the U.S. and they are not as ethnically diverse.
One main difference I noticed between Scotland and the U.S. (really any country other than the U.S.) is how common it is to travel abroad. As we've discussed in previous posts, many Americans do not find it a priority to travel to different countries. Most citizens in the UK have traveled at least once to a foreign country if not more.
Another contrast between cultures I noticed was regarding the importance of being close to family. I talked to a few locals while in Scotland and there seemed to be a pattern of family members living in not only different cities, but completely different countries. I found this odd coming from a culture that values being close to family, especially the nuclear family.
The Scottish did not seem very religious which felt weird being a habitant of the Bible Belt. Many of the churches were abandoned and sold to house businesses.
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