Happy St. Andrew's Day! Take a Look With Us At STAR TREK's Connections to Scotland

Images: Paramount.

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 - In celebration of St. Andrew's Day, Daily Star Trek News is taking a closer look at the profound connection between Scotland and Star Trek.

St. Andrew's Day

St Andrew's Day, also termed "Andermas" or "the Feast of Saint Andrew," is the official national holiday of Scotland and honors the New Testament disciple of Christianity. As St. Andrew's Day always comes on November 30, Scotland honors Andrew the Apostle as its patron saint on this day, and all Scottish government buildings will fly the Saltire flag.

St. Andrew's Day is a yearly event honoring his legacy. According to Christian traditions, Saint Andrew was one of Jesus Christ's 12 followers. According to the Bible, Andrew introduced Jesus to Peter, who is generally regarded as the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

The apostle Andrew, meanwhile, would suffer a horrible end as a martyr for his convictions when the Romans ordered that he be crucified, but he did not think he was "fit" to die in the same way as Jesus. As a result, on November 30, 60 AD, Andrew was crucified on a diagonal cross, and the X-shaped cross that represents his death is represented by the Saltire flag of Scotland. Upon the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, which references Saint Andrew as the "gentle Saint Andrew" who would serve as Scotland's "patron forever" – a designation held to this day – in 1320, Saint Andrew was officially acknowledged as the patron saint of Scotland.

Star Trek and Scotland

Star Trek has a rich history with links to Scotland and Scottish actors. Here are some notable connections like:

Scotty (Montgomery Scott): One of the most iconic characters in Star Trek, Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, was played by the Canadian actor James Doohan. However, the character was written to be of Scottish descent, and Scotty often displayed his Scottish pride. 

Montgomery Scott was from Scotland, born in 2222. (TOS: "Space Seed", "Wolf in the Fold"; TNG: "Relics") When you think of Scotland and Trek, he is undoubtedly the first thing that comes to most people’s minds and the character has been portrayed by three actors getting more Scottish every time.

• First up was James Doohan (1966–1994) who was Canadian but whose parents were actually Irish. Although he had no Scottish blood, there is a connection in a Celtic/Gaelic sense.

• Next up to play the character was Simon Pegg (2009–? Will there be a 4th Kelvin movie?) Although an English actor he does have Scottish ancestry, saying in an interview with the Scotsman newspaper dated 14th Jul 2014, “Well, half of my family is Scottish, and I have a deep affection and loyalty to Scotland,”.

• And so, we come to the current Scotty seen recently in Strange New Worlds season 2 finale episode 10 “Hegemony,” Martin Quinn (2023-?). Martin was born in Paisley on the borders of Glasgow so it’s cool he is being played by an actual Scotsman now.

Throughout various Star Trek series and films, there are occasional references to Scotland and Scottish culture, including kilts, bagpipes, and Scottish holidays and in the Trek Universe Scotland was a country in Old Britain on Earth. Those native to Scotland were known as Scots and spoke the Scots language. As an Aberdonian myself from the Northeast, I actually speak a variation of Scots called Doric.

Let’s have a look at some of the mentions and references I am speaking about.

• The Loch Ness monster was a creature said to inhabit the murky waters of Loch Ness, in Scotland. (ENT: "Storm Front, Part II", TAS: "Bem")

• The omnipotent being Weyland transported Montgomery Scott to Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands in the spring of 1746 via time travel. Scott walked with Seamus through a glen and a gorge to Fort Augustus, a stone fortification at that time. Keppoch asked them to sneak inside the fort and ignite gunpowder stored there. They were successful. Later he was present at the historic Battle of Culloden on April 16. (TOS novel: Home Is the Hunter.)

• Intending to rescue his former commanding officer James T. Kirk from the USS Enterprise-B before he was drawn into the Nexus, retired Starfleet Captain Montgomery Scott travelled back in time aboard the Bounty 2. As he set off to rendezvous with the Enterprise, he murmured a prayer to whatever gods of the Highlands watched over errant engineers. (Star Trek novel: Engines of Destiny.)

• Jessel Howard was an ancestor of Doctor Beverly Crusher. She lived in Scotland in the 17th century. 

• Ronin was also born in Scotland in 1647. (TNG: "Sub Rosa")

• Star Trek Generations (1994): The Nexus ribbon scene was filmed at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Scotland.

• Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln became involved in an incident off the coast of Scotland in 1972, in which Lincoln was nearly burnt alive inside a giant wicker effigy. (TOS novel: The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh.)

• By 1993, Seven and Lincoln had relocated their headquarters to the Isle of Arran, an island off the coast of Scotland, where they monitored the progress of Khan Noonien Singh and his followers. (TOS novel: The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2.)

• In 2024, Scotland was one of the countries that participated in the Europa Mission. (PIC: "Watcher", "Fly Me to the Moon")

• Scott was fluent in his country's ancient language, Scots Gaelic. (TOS novel: Home Is the Hunter, TOS novelization: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.)

• The Caldos colony was a Federation colony terraformed during the 23rd century that was modeled after Scotland. Cornerstones from various buildings in various cities in Scotland were brought to Caldos to build the colony in a Scottish style. (TNG: "Sub Rosa".)

What else can we see in the Trek Universe

Geography

• Aberdeen (TOS: "Wolf in the Fold")

• Edinburgh (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; TNG: "Sub Rosa")

• Glasgow (TNG: "Sub Rosa")

• Kilmarnock was also referenced in a deleted scene from "Sub Rosa"

Landmarks

• Glamis Castle (TNG: "Sub Rosa")

• Loch Ness (TAS: "Bem"; ENT: "Storm Front, Part II")

• Scottish Highlands (TNG: "Sub Rosa"; DS9: "Change of Heart")

Cultural Property

• A claymore was a Scottish sword (TOS: "Day of the Dove")

• A targe was a Scottish shield (TOS: "By Any Other Name")

Clothing

• Kilt, a skirt-like item of clothing worn by males (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", "The Savage Curtain", "By Any Other Name").

• Sporran, a kind of purse worn in front of the kilt (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", "The Savage Curtain", "By Any Other Name")

Entertainment

• Caber toss

Food and Beverages

• Scotch whisky, an alcoholic beverage, originated in Scotland.

• Haggis was a traditional national dish (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon", "The Savage Curtain")

Literature

• Sherlock Holmes was originally created by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle, although Conan Doyle was mistakenly referred to as an English author in TNG; “Ship In a Bottle.”

• The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde was also written by a Scotsman, in this case Robert Louis Stevenson.

Music

• Bagpipes were a traditional Scottish musical instrument (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.)

In essence, St. Andrew's Day is not only a celebration of Scotland's patron saint but also an opportunity for Star Trek enthusiasts to appreciate the deep and enduring connection between the beloved franchise and the rich cultural tapestry of Scotland.

St. Andrew's Day serves as a fitting occasion to explore the profound link between Scotland and Star Trek. From iconic characters like Scotty to cultural references and historical settings, the franchise weaves the rich tapestry of Scotland into its narrative. The celebration is not only about honoring the patron saint but also acknowledging the enduring connection between Star Trek and the diverse cultural heritage of Scotland.

Let’s hope now that, with a load of new Trek in the future, Martin Quinn is the latest in what will be many new actors in the show along with more mentions and visits by performers hailing from Scotland!