Conclusion

What, in the end, characterised Scottish support for the British state in the 1790s – be that either in terms of Scotland’s contribution to the war effort, or the assistance Scottish loyalists gave to the government it is attempts to defeat domestic radicalism? The overall impression which emerges from the decade is that of a profoundly conservative society, the sudden upsurge of political and popular radicalism in the years 1792-1794 notwithstanding. The slower, but eventually stronger, surge of support for the government which materialised in Scotland in response to radicalism serves to demonstrate this point. Yet, while the 1790s was arguably a decade when belief in the Union permeated Scottish society, there was always a two-sidedness to this. Yes, the Scots were eager to present themselves as loyal Britons, but at the same time they were concerned to retain a degree of separate Scottishness, and sensitive to English criticism or interference in Scotland. It was important to be both British and Scottish.