With Scotland approaching a referendum on independence, on September 18th, the question arises: What does it mean to be Scottish? In the United Kingdom, where the pro-separation side is nudging ahead in the polls, there has been a serious debate on that point, involving economy, history, and national destiny. But, for decades, The New Yorker’s cartoonists have looked for an answer, too, and have done their best (or worst) with kilts, Loch Ness, and the call of the highlands. Here, with apologies to bagpipe lovers, is a selection.
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Letter from Islay
Reinventing Scotch Whisky
From 2013: The brash owner of a historic distillery works to make an old spirit new again.
By Kelefa Sanneh
Our Local Correspondents
Donald Trump Is Being Ritually Humiliated in Court
At his criminal trial, the ex-President has to sit there while potential jurors, prosecutors, the judge, witnesses, and even his own lawyers talk about him as a defective, impossible person.
By Eric Lach
Our Local Correspondents
Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation
How bots, mercenaries, and table scalpers have turned the restaurant reservation system inside out.
By Adam Iscoe
News Desk
What Harvey Weinstein’s Overturned Conviction Means for Donald Trump’s Trial
The legal issue behind Weinstein’s successful appeal is also at the heart of the former President’s hush-money case.
By Ronan Farrow