Scottish Dialects

There is not one Scottish dialect but in fact a number of related dialects, the dialect map shows their geographic distribution. The scottish dialects are introduced in Wir Ain Leid and they are usually grouped as follows:

• Southern Scots
  The Scottish dialect spoken along the Scots side of the border.
• Central Scots
  The Scottish dialect spoken in central Scotland is subdivided into the following:
  • South East Central Scots
    The Scottish dialect of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
  • North East Central Scots
    The Scottish dialect of south and eastern Perthshire and Fife.
  • West Central Scots
    The Scottish dialect of Clydeside, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
  • South West Central Scots
    The Scottish dialect of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbright.
• Ulster Scots
  The Scottish Dialects in the north of Ireland. Spoken in County Down and the Ards, County Antrim and in County Derry and Donegal.
• Northern Scots
  The Scottish dialects spoken in the north and northeast of Scotland are subdivided into the following:
  • South Northern Scots
    The Scottish dialect spoken in Angus and the Mearns.
  • Mid Northern Scots
    The Scottish dialects spoken in and around Aberdeenshire
  • North Northern Scots
    The Scottish dialect spoken in Caithness
• Insular Scots
  Comprises the Scottish dialects spoken in Orkney and Shetland.
• Urban Scots
  refers to the Scottish dialects spoken in and around towns and cities especially Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
  Although the Belfast dialect cannot be considered a Scottish dialect it does include a number of dialect features of Ulster Scots origin.

All these Scottish dialects differ from Scottish Standard English but have influenced its phonology, grammar and vocabulary. Scottish Standard English is English as it is spoken in Scotland.