10 quotes about Scottish family

Family is a vital part of Scottish identity – from ancestors, to spouses, to children. There are a whole host of Scottish proverbs and quotations which reflect the trials and the joys of family life. Here are ten of our favourite Scottish sayings which relate to brides, bairns and forebears.

“Never marry for money, you'll borrow it cheaper.”Scottish proverb

“The mark of a Scot of all classes [is that] he... remembers and cherishes his forebears, good or bad; and there burns alive in him a sense of identity with the dead even to the twentieth generation.”Robert Louis Stevenson

“That man to man the world o'er shall brothers be for a' that.”Robert Burns

“Choose your wife with her nightcap on!”Scottish proverb

“We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”Robert Burns

“Behind every great man is an exhausted woman.”Lady Sam Fairbairn

“To marry is to halve your rights and double your duties.”Scottish proverb

“It's wee surprises like that which keep our marriage alive.”Rab C. Nesbitt, BBC Scotland

“To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.”Mary, Queen of Scots

“May your life be fruitful, little baby; health, honesty and happiness be your gifts.”Traditional Scottish toast