Quote Originally Posted by Jock Scot View Post
No I am not a member of my Clan association as it all seems a bit artificial to me.

Jock,

I can certainly understand that.

I think most of us who do not live in Scotland join a clan association (society, etc) to celebrate our Scottish heritage. Those who live in Scotland don't have that need - it is all around them.

When I attended my clan gathering this summer I noticed that most of the Scots had a different perception of the "clan" than those of us who were of Scottish descent and living outside of Scotland (or even the UK). Most seemed to be of the opinion that they were an Elliot (or Armstrong, MacDonald, Fraser, etc) by birth, heritage and geography, and didn't need to wear a bit of tartan or formally join a group to prove it. I've no issue with that - and if I lived in Scotland I'd probably feel much the same as they do. But I live in the US and joining a clan association or society is a nice way to celebrate my Scottish heritage with others of like mind.