---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish…"
description: "\"I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I have one grandfather who is Scottish, although he's called Macdonald, and you don't get a lot more Scottish..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg"
---

#  I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I have one…

![“I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I have one grandfather who is Scottish, although he's called Macdonald, and you don't get a lot more Scottish than that. The Scottish part of my family are from Skye, and I've always been very aware of that - always been very attracted to Scottish subject…” quote by Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg)

> “I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I have one grandfather who is Scottish, although he's called Macdonald, and you don't get a lot more Scottish than that. The Scottish part of my family are from Skye, and I've always been very aware of that - always been very attracted to Scottish subject matter, I guess.”

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He acknowledges a distant Scottish heritage but feels a strong personal connection to Scottish culture despite limited ancestry.

**In simple terms:** He feels Scottish identity beyond ancestry.

Key Takeaway

Embrace cultural interests regardless of lineage.

Themes

identity heritage culture personal connection

Mood

reflective proud

Type

personal cultural

When to use this quote

- Family gatherings
- travel to Scotland
- studying Scottish history
- participating in Scottish festivals

Key Concepts

Cultural affinity self‑identification

Questions to Reflect On

- How does limited ancestry shape cultural identity?
- What does “being Scottish” mean to you?

A Different Perspective

His claim may overstate cultural authenticity; others may view it as superficial.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Scottish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scottish/)

## Related quotes

> [Ah, Scotland. I am three-parts Scottish and terribly proud of it, although maybe we should divide it into eighths, because my two-eighths are Danish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-lumley/ah-scotland-i-am-three-parts-scottish-and-terribly-proud-of-it/)

[Joanna Lumley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-lumley/)

> [I think a lot of my toughness with my fighting comes from having a Scottish dad and Scottish family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-anderson/i-think-a-lot-of-my-toughness-with-my-fighting-comes-from-having-a/)

[Megan Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-anderson/)

> [My mother Diana was a true-blue aristocrat, descended from William the Conqueror and listed in 'Burke's Peerage.' My father David, from a poor Scottish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-imrie/my-mother-diana-was-a-true-blue-aristocrat-descended-from-william-the/)

[Celia Imrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-imrie/)

> [Someone on the Scottish side of the family got me one and I never took it off. I would be down the country park…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/someone-on-the-scottish-side-of-the-family-got-me-one-and-i-never/)

[Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/)

> [I was born into the third generation of an entrepreneurial Scottish family and grew up in the small village of Twynholm, in Dumfries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coulthard/i-was-born-into-the-third-generation-of-an-entrepreneurial-scottish/)

[David Coulthard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coulthard/)

> [“Sir Hamish Graham has many of the qualities &amp; most of the failings that result from being born to a middle-class Scottish family. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-archer/sir-hamish-graham-has-many-of-the-qualities-most-of-the-failings-that/)

[Jeffrey Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-archer/)

> [I don't think of myself particularly as a Scottish director, but you are what you are because the first ten years of your life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-don-t-think-of-myself-particularly-as-a-scottish-director-but-you/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Like a lot of expatriate Scots, when you want to be called Scottish, it's useful. I see myself as being without nationality, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/like-a-lot-of-expatriate-scots-when-you-want-to-be-called-scottish-it/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [“Though the continued march of intellect and education have nearly obliterated from the mind of the Scots a belief in the marvelous, still a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-grant/though-the-continued-march-of-intellect-and-education-have-nearly/)

[James Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-grant/)

> [I buy 1920s iridescent Scottish glass. I love the way the sun hits it every morning. You touch something and you know. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-miller/i-buy-1920s-iridescent-scottish-glass-i-love-the-way-the-sun-hits-it/)

[Judith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-miller/)

> [Scotland forms a crucial part of our Armed Forces which should not be jeopardised by rushed cuts or a rush to the exit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/scotland-forms-a-crucial-part-of-our-armed-forces-which-should-not-be/)

[Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/)

> [Give me but one hour of Scotland, Let me see it ere I die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edmondstoune-aytoun/give-me-but-one-hour-of-scotland-let-me-see-it-ere-i-die/)

[William Edmondstoune Aytoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edmondstoune-aytoun/)

> [Everyone still thinks I'm Scottish - that's totally wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/everyone-still-thinks-i-m-scottish-that-s-totally-wicked/)

[Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/)

> [“She didn't even want to think of how hellish it would be if all the MacGregors made her feel like this one did, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-m-pillow/she-didn-t-even-want-to-think-of-how-hellish-it-would-be-if-all-the/)

[Michelle M. Pillow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-m-pillow/)

> [Our Scottish theory ... is that every country has need of Scotchmen, but that Scotland has no need of the citizens of any other country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/our-scottish-theory-is-that-every-country-has-need-of-scotchmen-but/)

[Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/)

## More by Kevin Macdonald

> [It's so nice to be totally artistically free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/it-s-so-nice-to-be-totally-artistically-free/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Young people read their news online; they expect to get their news for free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/young-people-read-their-news-online-they-expect-to-get-their-news-for/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [I've fallen out very badly with some of the subjects I've interviewed, because they see their lives a certain way; to step into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-ve-fallen-out-very-badly-with-some-of-the-subjects-i-ve-interviewed/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [I was a teenager in the '80s, and I was always a bit dismissive of Houston, as I think a lot of people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-was-a-teenager-in-the-80s-and-i-was-always-a-bit-dismissive-of/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [With fiction, I've grown to really love the challenge of lying, the challenge of telling a good tale that isn't truthful, and working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/with-fiction-i-ve-grown-to-really-love-the-challenge-of-lying-the/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [When you're an outsider and going into a culture like America, it's easier to stay away from any cliches because you're not really aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-you-re-an-outsider-and-going-into-a-culture-like-america-it-s/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Although 'The Anderson Platoon' was what we would now call an 'embedded film' - with all the ambiguities that term implies - somehow Schoendoerffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/although-the-anderson-platoon-was-what-we-would-now-call-an-embedded/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [The relationship between director and subject can become very intense. It's a bit like therapy, with lots of transferences going on. It's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-relationship-between-director-and-subject-can-become-very-intense/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [When we made 'Life in a Day,' we asked people around the globe to record their lives on a single ordinary day. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-we-made-life-in-a-day-we-asked-people-around-the-globe-to-record/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [There were many times during the filming of 'Touching the Void' when I wondered why I had ever thought I wanted to make this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/there-were-many-times-during-the-filming-of-touching-the-void-when-i/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Coming from documentaries, my biggest challenge was to understand actors' psychologies. American actors take it all very seriously; British actors don't enter into all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/coming-from-documentaries-my-biggest-challenge-was-to-understand/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [You can go to places in Africa and Asia and find Marley graffiti. In the slums of Nairobi, you see his lyrics painted on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/you-can-go-to-places-in-africa-and-asia-and-find-marley-graffiti-in/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [The interesting thing to me is that somehow the future of movies will become a more social thing... I think that people will see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-interesting-thing-to-me-is-that-somehow-the-future-of-movies-will/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [A publisher friend of mine suggested that I write a book about my grandfather, who had just died. I had nothing else to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/a-publisher-friend-of-mine-suggested-that-i-write-a-book-about-my/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Elvis Presley's estate is making 30 million a year, and they say that Marley shouldn't be, but he is from a much poorer part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/elvis-presley-s-estate-is-making-30-million-a-year-and-they-say-that/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

[Explore all 100 Kevin Macdonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

[Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I have one grandfather who is Scottish, although he's called Macdonald, and you don't get a lot more Scottish than that. The Scottish part of my family are from Skye, and I've always been very aware of that - always been very attracted to Scottish subject matter, I guess.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kevin Macdonald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish-i-have-one-grandfather-who/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish-i-have-one-grandfather-who/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/kevin-macdonald-5800_always_i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish_354650.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I have one grandfather who is Scottish, although he's called…” — Kevin Macdonald",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kevin Macdonald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm not particularly ethnically Scottish; I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish-i-have-one-grandfather-who/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-m-not-particularly-ethnically-scottish-i-have-one-grandfather-who/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
