Scotlandshire is a term usedThe Scottish World: History and Culture of Scotland;p.168; by Harold Orel, Marilyn Stokstad, Henry Leonard Snyder, Published 1981 Abrams; Old Men in Love: John Tunnock's Posthumous Papers; p.146; By Alasdair Gray; Published 2007 Bloomsbury; Scotland's Relations with England: A Survey to 1707; p.243; By William Ferguson; Published 1994 Saltire Society; to denote either the anglicisation of Scotland or the subordinate political relationship with England. It is recorded as early as 1706 in James Hodges's anti-Union Third Treatise.
By placing the suffix -shire after the country's name, the term parodies the early modern tendency to place the word -shire after some ancient Scottish regions, as well as implicating in a tongue-in-cheek manner that Scotland has the status of an English county, rather than that of a distinct nation. Hence, the term is political in nature.
Several historic regions of Scotland have at times had the suffix -shire added when Scotland broadly adopted English-style county councils during the 19th century.
Argyll - Argyllshire Bute (County of) - Buteshire Fife - Fifeshire Moray - Morayshire (or Elginshire) Ross - Ross-shire Sutherland - Sutherlandshire
Others have alternative names ending in -shire. Angus - Forfarshire East Lothian - Haddingtonshire Midlothian - Edinburghshire West Lothian - Linlithgowshire
See also Scottish cultural cringe Scottish national identity Tartanry North Briton
External links Lyrics of "Scotlandshire" - Jim Malcolm, archived from the original at http://www.jimmalcolm.com/html/main_cly3.htm
References