The Pharaoh's daughter and Scotland

The story of how Scotland got it's name is an interesting one.



Tradition has it that the legend starts back in ancient Egypt, where a pharaoh's daughter, called Scota, and two Greek princes formed a group which was very troublesome and they were banished because traditionally, Scota and her group had a reputation everywhere they went of being very troublesome and antagonistic.

According to legend the pharaoh's daughter and her group, who became known as the Scots, ended up in Iberia, now modern day Spain, where they settled, consolidated, and built themselves up. However, in Iberia things were no different, and it is said that they frequently fought with the Moorish Spanish over possession of the land, and these battles would end in bloodshed. Scota's group got together and eventually decided that it would be for the best that they left Iberia and look for new lands to live in. They had heard of this land which was very fertile, and had some very clever farmers and people. So Scota and her family headed north and landed in Ireland.

Back then the people of this island were quite mild, and were brilliant farmers. However, the Scots reputation of being so troublesome, so mischievous, and so disruptive preceded them, and they were banned from Ireland. So they headed east to the west coast of Scotland where they made a nuisance of themselves amongst the Picts, the natives of Scotland, but they still settled there, and it is said that from this settling group known as the Scots is where the country of Scotland got it's name from.

However, this story is pure legend.