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Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland: Frequently Asked Questions

Below is some guidance in response to frequently asked questions about Gypsies/Travellers.

Who are Gypsies and Travellers in Britain?
Who are Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland?
Are you still a Traveller if you live in a house?
What is the difference between a Gypsy and a Traveller?
Are some people 'real' Gypsies?

Visit the education FAQ page to find answers to questions often asked by teachers and schools.

Who are Gypsies and Travellers in Britain?

In Britain the diverse communities of traditionally nomadic people include:

English Gypsies sometimes called Romanies or Romanichals. Romanichals also lived on the Scottish Borders.
Welsh Kale
Irish Travellers (see Irish Traveller Movement site; Pavee Point Travellers Centre site)

For more information go to the Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month website

Scotland’s Travelling communities include Scottish Gypsies/Travellers; Occupational Travellers, New Travellers and Travellers from other parts of the world, in particular from Europe..

Many of these, such as Scottish Gypsies/Travellers and English Gypsies have been travelling here for centuries. Others, for example, European Roma have come in the 2Oth Century as a result of persecution in their countries. Hundreds of thousands of European Roma were subjected to medical research and killed in the Holocaust. Roma in Europe have continued to be persecuted. In Eastern Europe during Communism many Roma were forcibly housed and employed; their children were educated inappropriately in special schools and their culture disparaged. Since then although some governments in Eastern Europe are developing more progressive educational policies there has been a sharp rise in public hostility and violence towards Roma. Similarly, in the 21st century Roma have been experiencing severe hostility and discriminatory treatment in Italian cities.

Who are Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland?

See the "Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland" page.

Are you still a Traveller if you live in a house?

Having a Traveller identity is not dependent on living a mobile life-style, but on having a sense of belonging to a Travelling family. Generally, a Traveller’s sense of identity is strongly felt and highly valued.

As patterns of countryside employment changed many Gypsy/Traveller families found that they could not sustain their livelihood on the road. Nevertheless, Gypsy/Traveller and Showmen families continue to travel for employment reasons and for family and cultural reasons.

Many Gypsy/Traveller families live in houses for all of the year. Some Gypsy/Traveller families live in a house for part of the year, while others travel all of the year. Some Gypsy/Traveller families live a ‘settled life’ either on a local authority site or a privately owned site. Others live in houses because a member of the family needs access to health services or education. This latter use of houses can be traced back as a common response to a family’s needs at one time or another.

What is the difference between a Gypsy and a Traveller?

The difference between being a ‘Gypsy’ or a ‘Traveller’ is one of identity with an associated sense of belonging to the community. The differences, which are complex, relate to each group having a different history, cultures and life-styles. These different communities share an important similarity in that they place the family at the centre of their concerns. See the "Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland" page.

Are some people 'real' Gypsies?

The term ‘Gypsy’ usually refers to people descended from a migration of peoples from the North Indian subcontinent. Migrants from India came to Europe in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries and their ancestry can be traced partly through their language. The differences between Gypsy groups are not issues of being more 'real' or authentic than others. It is thought, for example, that Gypsies from Europe married and worked with Scottish 'tinklers', who were already working and living on the road in Scotland. Some Scottish Gypsies/Travellers believe that they are partly descended from metal workers serving with the Roman armies. The metal workers did not fight for the Romans, had sallow complexions and spoke their own language. When the Romans left these people stayed in Britain and returned to their nomadic life-styles. Scottish Gypsies/Travellers, like other British and European groups, are an ethnic minority group who share some common history and culture.