What the Tartan Army have taught us about the Scots language

But as a Scots speaker and writer, the Tartan Army’s use of the leid and the braw reaction to it did not go unnoticed. The fact that it’s been embraced by our fans overseas and our European neighbours’ cements our place as a European country with its own distinct identity from the moment we open our mouths.

But even when the Scots leid, bagpipes and other signals of Scotland’s identity are taken out of the equation, the Euros have shown Scotland fans to be genuinely good people.

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One of the best examples of this, shared by Cologne Football Club, saw two Scotland fans, aptly dressed in kilts and swigging beer, sheltering an elderly person with umbrellas as they walked along the street. The clip has now been viewed over 2.6 million times.

The club wrote: “Scotland fans, we knew we’d love having you here for the Euros. You’re always welcome.”

Cologne Football Club even tweeted to ask if the Tartan Army would be singing one of our most beloved Scots songs, "Loch Lomond", which has likely educated more than a few of our European neighbours about Scots words that simply don’t exist in English, from “bonnie” to “brae”. In fact, FC Köln loves the song so much that they have translated it into their own German dialect.

Then there’s the was the Tartan Army’s rendition of the national anthem, "Flower of Scotland", which is also partially written in the Scots leid. Those who watched last night’s game almost unanimously agreed that it was sung impressively loud.

Scots expert and advocate Billy Kay, who attended yesterday’s game in Frankfurt with his family, took the opportunity to celebrate the occasion in the leid, writing on Twitter (X) that they would walk “a million miles” “[fur] wan o yer goals o Scotland… but taw or three or fower wad be better.”

Billy Kay in the Scottish Parliament

Kay also noted how the Scots leid brings people together and shared a picture of two Scotland fans, draped in the St Andrew’s Cross, and explained that they met on the train in Germany and bonded over his work on the Scots language, aptly described by the writer as “oor mither tongue.”

Scottish broadcaster Alistair Heather, who watched the game in Geneva, similarly took the opportunity to speak in Scots on social media and noted our place in Europe by pointing out the many historical connections between Scotland and Switzerland, including a lion-rampant mosaic.

Even I couldn’t help but slip into the leid as I reflected on last night’s game and opened a bottle of the 1901 “original” Irn Bru, describing the draw with Switzerland as a “braw” enough excuse.

(Image: AG Barr)

European commentators also appeared to get into the spirit of things, with one fan requesting that the Tartan Army “haste ye back”. According to reports, other Germans began singing "Loch Lomond" alongside the Tartan Army.

But regardless of whether we are speaking Scots or Scottish English, the Euros have once again demonstrated that Scottish people do use language in a different way from our neighbours in the UK and it is one of the many things that makes our nation great – and a country in its own right, which, as we know more than ever in the lead up to a General Election, typically shares very different political views from our neighbours.

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Had Scotland had an independent vote on Brexit, we would still be a part of the European Union, and for many, including myself, it is still a sore spot that we were dragged out against our will when so many Scots voted against independence under the false promise that we would remain in the union.

With the SNP’s General Election manifesto promising the voters their ongoing fight not only for independence but to rejoin the European Union, it seems almost guaranteed that Scotland will once again vote very differently from the rest of the UK when it comes to July election – and it’s safe to say that if the Euros are anything to go by, our European neighbours would almost certainly be delighted to have us back.

The Euros are, after all, a braw and bonnie example of what makes every European country unique, but more importantly, they showcase what unites us – our uniqueness, good fun, and national pride. Although contrary to what one Swiss fan wrote on a sign at last night’s game, ah’m feart tae say ah dinnae fink the Alps are better than Loch Ness. Thir baith braw.