Prof. McKay explains that "tartanism" was a romanticized view of Scotland — all about bagpipes, tartan and highland dancing, but it ignored the politics. "Angus L.," as the premier was known, used this strategy to brand his province to promote tourism.

Oh yes, a few entrepreneurs like Lord Jamie Semple have latched onto the marketability of tartanism and are busy convincing the likes of the Latvians to eschew vodka for that new Scottish cocktail, Ra Wee Voddie, light pilsners for Big Rid Cans.

The best of the St Andrew's Night festivities in Glasgow was a more rigorously structured disagreement. The tartanism of the awards was echoed in the theme of a debate at Glasgow university where 10 rampant university debators from all over the UK gathered to thrash out the motion that Nationalism Has Had Its Day.