Scotland, Europe and the English ‘Missing Link’

This article discusses recent developments in the field of Scottish relations with Europe in the early modern period. It does so in two sections; firstly by précising some of the important scholarship conducted in this field over the last decade. This has revealed in greater depth the important military, diplomatic and commercial links one small Atlantic nation had with her European neighbours. The second section of the article flags up the biggest single omission in the field of Scottish migration by looking to Scotland's closest neighbour (and the only European country with which she shares a land border), England. It reflects on the few previous endeavours that have contemplated this field; postulates why the field remains largely untilled and concludes with an assessment of where England might fit in comparison to those locations that have benefited from sustained scholarly attention.