The Romanticism of the Highlands
- In 1778, the Highland Society was founded in London with the goal of preserving Highland culture. In 1782, they succeeded in having the Dress Act of 1746 repealed.
- Ironically, it was Queen Victoria, a Lutheran monarch from the House of Hanover, who made Highland culture incredibly popular in the 19th century. She and Prince Albert loved traveling in the Highlands so much that they purchased Balmoral Castle in 1848.
- Queen Victoria’s love of Scotland and its culture reinvigorated many aspects of Highland tradition, but it also led to the romanticism of the clans and the Highlanders themselves, overlooking the pain of the Clearances.
Highland Culture in America
- Despite the devastation of the Highland Clearances, the spirit of the clan did not die out completely after Culloden.
- Scottish emigrants, especially those traveling to the American colonies, brought the heart of the clan system with them.
- Many Highland Scots settled in North Carolina, encouraging a culturally homogenous enclave within the colony.
- Highlanders in North Carolina made efforts to assimilate into American society, but also retained many aspects of their own culture.
- Today, a distinct Scottish presence continues to be felt throughout North Carolina – Scottish surnames, citizens with Scottish ancestry, Scottish street names, and the Highland Games.
In Popular Culture
- In recent years, Highland culture has become quite popular all over the world.
- In addition to the Highland Games in North Carolina, traditional games are hosted in various areas throughout the United States, as well as in Scotland.
- In 1998, the U.S. Senate named April 6th National Tartan Day to commemorate the contributions of Scottish-Americans to the United States. Every year since, New York City has celebrated Tartan Week, which culminates in the New York Tartan Day Parade.
- New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon has also brought Highland culture to life through her wildly popular Outlander book series. The first two books in the series, Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber, deal specifically with the Jacobite Rising of 1745.
- In 2014, STARZ turned Gabaldon's novels into a TV series, Outlander, which has been attracting millions of viewers worldwide. Sam Heughan, the Scottish star of the show, was the Grand Marshal at this year's NY Tartan Day Parade.
- Tourist officials in Scotland have noted the increase in American tourists since the the premiere of Outlander in August 2014. Clearly, the series is prompting a renewal in interest in Highland history and culture.