Scottish heritage

Alistair Heather misses the rather obvious points that the heyday of the Scottish Enlightenment occurred after the 1707 Act of Union, while all the wonderful links with Europe he lists were forged before the creation of the EU (‘Brexit to cast a shadow over Scotland’, Scotsman, 13 March). Moreover, Calvin’s Geneva wasn’ t a very nice place and not much to be proud of.

All his arguments could be equally said to apply to Scot-

land’s role in Britain. What of all those Scots who consider themselves British?

Mr Heather is happy for them to lose but bemoans the losses for Scots who see themselves as European.

And the European language he speaks of? It has a name and it’s called English.

DR RICHARD NORRIE

Perth Road, Dundee

It is fascinating to read the very one-sided views of Alistair Heather, to whom the EU is what John Torode calls “a lovely, lovely thing”.

Mr Heather rhapsodises about Scotland’s historic links with other countries like Poland and Ireland. Protestant Scots, for example, were indeed settled by Scots King James VI on land owned by Catholic Irish and he thereby started the problems we are currently trying to deal with over the backstop.

However, our closest links are with Australia, New Zealand and Canada through the Commonwealth, not to mention the USA.

In all of those nations there is much more Scottish genetic and cultural involvement than in Europe.

Our deepest ancestral links are also with our fellowcountrymen and women in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We share a common language of English and a democratic system. He utterly ignores that.

Mr Heather should think of the plus points of leaving the EU – like no more enormous payments, meaning all those grants he extols won’t be necessary, because the money will stay here in the UK and not go to Brussels!

There will be many more university places for Scottish students at Scottish universities as well when they aren’t given free to EU students.

Now, we can look forward to our shared relationship with the Commonwealth, with one-third of the world’s population.

ANDREW HN GRAY Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh