He cannot be serious

Dominic Roskrow defends Scottish hotel staff

In your experience of meeting Scots in Scotland, have you found them pleasant and helpful, or rude and aggressive? Would you say that many of the Scots you have met have been in hotels, restaurants and bars? And would you say, on balance, that the Scots you have met have broadly speaking enriched your stay or sullied it?

I ask because recently the Australian owner of a Perthshire hotel announced that he would only employ his fellow country men and women because Scots were too dour, rude, lazy and shiftless. They would rather spend their time on the other side of the bar he said.

I find these comments astounding. No, more than that; I find them astounding and appalling. His comments, bordering on racist, are simply incorrect. And my view is that of an English visitor to Scotland, and not that of an indignant Scot.

Let's deal with these comments one stage at a time.

Firstly the comment about the bar. Well wouldn't you rather be drinking at the bar than working behind it? I certainly would. Most of the people I know would. There is nothing wrong preferring to play rather than work.

Indeed, having spent a disproportionately large amount of my time in the company of Australians, my experience is that not only are they very good at enjoying themselves, but they regard it as a badge of honour.

An Australian once told me that what was wrong with us Brits is that we go to work in the dark, we go home in the dark, and we do this all year just so that we can afford two weeks in a ...

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• By : Dominic Roskrow
• In : Editor's View
• Issue : 18
• Page : 3
• Words : 549