Ruminations from Glaswegia: Some Scotsmen (and Scotswomen) You Might or Might Not Recognize:

Let’s take a break from traveling and focus on some Glasgow-related news. You might have thought that Scotland is a B-side England, or that it’s just a mythical place that Mel Gibson made up so that he could film Braveheart.

Think again.

Scotland is more than kilts and bagpipes. It is more than golf and Sean Connery. In fact, I’ll bet that a lot of the people and characters on this list are people and characters you know and love, and that you assume are from your side of the pond. Well I’m writing to tell you that you might be surprised by some of the following.

Let’s look at some influential characters you might or might not have known about. I’m not talking about Mary, Queen of Scots, here guys. I’m not talking about Willian Wallace or Robert the Bruce. That’s too obvious. How about:

Robert Louis Stevenson

He wrote “Treasure Island” and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” In the top 30 most-translated authors of all time, just below Charles Dickens (according to Wikipedia).

Alexander Graham Bell

This guy not only invented the telephone, but also National Geographic. ‘Artistic’ pictures of naked women? Text messaging? This guy.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Wrote all the Sherlock Holmes stories—credited for the first crime novels. Also the expression “No shit, Sherlock.”

Captain Kidd

The famous pirate rumored to have buried the treasure that inspired numerous stories, including “Treasure Island.” Probably the most frustrating mapmaker ever.

Robert Burns

Known by some as the “Ploughman’s Poet,” “The Bard,” and even “The Greatest Scot,” this guy wrote stuff about farmers speaking to mice and some big battle called Bannockburn.

Honestly, though, who am I kidding? Nobody cares about that stuff anymore. Here are the people that ACTUALLY made Scotland famous (if you don’t believe #1 is Scottish, look him up).

10. Susan Boyle