St Andrews - A Scots ‘Outsider’ Perspective.

By Cara McCracken

Credit: sketchy_jellybean_on Instagram

As a child, you often become accustomed to the USA’s soft power through media, Music, Films, Politics, and more. In fact, as I am writing this Column, Donny Hathaway is being streamed from my American iPhone, to my American Beats Headphones, into my Scottish ears. Last night, I watched two Tarantino films (American): Jackie Brown and Reservoir Dogs, if you were wondering. And when all 18 years of your life have been enveloped by the cross-Atlantic zeitgeist, you begin to want to visit the States, an almost cultural pilgrimage to see Americana as it’s advertised. When you get to St Andrews, however, it feels like you’ve already been.

Credit: Cara McCraken

It’s geographically within Scotland, it’s governed by Scotland, it’s in the UK, the buildings are those old postcardy ones that scream fish and chips and seagulls. Yet, despite all the key parts of what make it supposedly Scottish, it feels nothing like a town two hours away from Glasgow, - the real Scotland in my eyes. By no means is this column intended to complain about Americans; it’s actually really sweet that you all love Scotland so much and chose to spend, perhaps, the most important four years of your life here, albeit through rose-tinted lenses. Not at all! This column is actually intended to share the experience of Scottish students, especially those from working-class backgrounds, and let everyone from abroad know that it’s not all Braveheart and Kilts, but a lot of struggle and hard work for many of us to even have the opportunity to attend Higher education, never mind St. Andrews of all places.

If I close my eyes on Market Street, it’s a world apart from Glasgow and the rest of Scotland. The majority of accents aren't familiar; it’s New York, it’s Los Angeles, it’s Moscow, it’s different. Compare that to mine, where every time I speak, I receive in return a “Sorry, can you say that again?” Instead of seeing people wearing washed-out Football (the real one) shirts from 20 years ago that don’t fit them at all, it’s Barbour, Ralph Lauren, etc. It’s by all metrics better than stepping over broken vodka bottles and drug needles just to go to class every day, but that’s not the reality I, and many other Scots, are used to. It’s the one we had to fight through to get here.

Poverty and Social issues are rife in areas like Glasgow and Dundee; our schools are underfunded, and a real cultural apathy to education is emerging. Many have to leave Secondary School and go for Vocational Qualifications at college (different from University) before even getting access to Higher education. This isn’t meant to discount the hardships people from abroad face by no means whatsoever, but rather to contextualise what Scotland is for the vast majority of her people, in common terms, a “Shitehole” that we love, and love to hate.

Credit: Cara McCraken

St Andrews is gorgeous, stunning – whichever adjective you want to describe the town as – but it’s like seeing the entirety of the USA as the Hamptons, when there are a lot more realities in Compton, the Bronx, Indiana, etc. Again, we’re more than happy to have everyone here – it is still part of our home after all, and we would give you the shirts off our backs; but please, let our voices be heard this year, especially since we face a pivotal Election next year for our devolved parliament. Metaphorically, make yourself at home, but please take your shoes off at the door.