Are there any genetic reasons as to why the Scots are paler than the English and Welsh?

[Watersater79]

Yes, they are. Only Trolls say that they’re dark.

I don't think anyone ever said that! But there is a decent minority of Scots who are pretty swarthy as well (but they still look 'Scottish', their Welsh equivalents look a wee bit more pan-European). But yes, the overwhelming majority of Scots are pale and would struggle to get a tan without acquiring sunburn. What is more interesting is how the Irish are just as pale as they are, when they are situated much further south. Gotta be all the feckin' rain. Not conducive to getting rays. Despite all the Germanic admixture in England, I would still say the Welsh are slightly 'darker' on average.

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

Glasgow averages 1200 hrs of sunshine a year...it's like living in a facking cave !

that's why they're extra pale

[Septentrion]

I don't think anyone ever said! But there is a decent minority of Scots who are pretty swarthy as well (but they still look 'Scottish', their Welsh equivalents look a wee bit more pan-European). But yes, the overwhelming majority of Scots are pale and would struggle to get a tan without acquiring sunburn. What is more interesting is how the Irish are just as pale as they are, when they are situated much further south. Gotta be all the feckin' rain. Not conducive to getting rays. Despite all the Germanic admixture in England, I would still say the Welsh are slightly 'darker' on average.

Dude! The Irish aren’t that much further south. Ireland is in Northern Europe (latitude is 53.35 N!) This is further north than most European countries. Even if there is a minority of Scottish who are darker, this is still much lower than the average of other European populations. So it’d take a pure Troll who brand them «*dark*» as if they were darker than most Europeans. There are way more Scandinavians who can tan than Scottish.

[Septentrion]

There are way more Scandinavians, Balts, Dutch, Belgians, Germans, Poles, Byelorussians, Russians who can tan more than the Scottish, Irish, Welsh or English ever will.

[Septentrion]

I saw a group of Scottish men today in my area and they stood out quite markedly because they were quite pale, even the northern English are not quite as pale and the Welsh often blend in more, they stood out more than some groups of Belgians, Germans and Dutch infact.

The genetic reason is linked to the red hair genes (MC1R), as the Brosnan gene (IRF4). The Red hair disables the ability to tanning, increases freckling, increase the incidence to become a redhead. Scotland, Wales have that in abundance.

[Septentrion]

The so-called pinnacle of the white race is reached in populations of the British Isles. No wonder at least 2 centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin made this speech :

«*That the Number of purely white People in the World is proportionably very small. All Africa is black or tawny. Asia chiefly tawny. America (exclusive of the new Comers) wholly so. And in Europe, the Spaniards, Italians, French, Russians and Swedes, are generally of what we call a swarthy Complexion; as are the Germans also, the Saxons only excepted, who with the English, make the principal Body of White People on the Face of the Earth. I could wish their Numbers were increased. And while we are, as I may call it, Scouring our Planet, by clearing America of Woods, and so making this Side of our Globe reflect a brighter Light to the Eyes of Inhabitants in Mars or Venus, why should we in the Sight of Superior Beings, darken its People? why increase the Sons of Africa, by Planting them in America, where we have so fair an Opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Tawneys, of increasing the lovely White and Red? But perhaps I am partial to the Complexion of my Country, for such Kind of Partiality is natural to Mankind.*» This is because the poor ignorant fellow was used to see every single day people with skin phototype 1 and 2, anyone that was skin type 3 and especially 4 was seen as «*swarthy*».

[Septentrion]

I don't think anyone ever said! But there is a decent minority of Scots who are pretty swarthy as well (but they still look 'Scottish', their Welsh equivalents look a wee bit more pan-European). But yes, the overwhelming majority of Scots are pale and would struggle to get a tan without acquiring sunburn. What is more interesting is how the Irish are just as pale as they are, when they are situated much further south. Gotta be all the feckin' rain. Not conducive to getting rays. Despite all the Germanic admixture in England, I would still say the Welsh are slightly 'darker' on average.

You don’t think anyone ever said such? This is because you haven’t been on this forum long enough.

[alnortedelsur]

The so-called pinnacle of the white race is reached in populations of the British Isles. No wonder at least 2 centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin made this speech :

«*That the Number of purely white People in the World is proportionably very small. All Africa is black or tawny. Asia chiefly tawny. America (exclusive of the new Comers) wholly so. And in Europe, the Spaniards, Italians, French, Russians and Swedes, are generally of what we call a swarthy Complexion; as are the Germans also, the Saxons only excepted, who with the English, make the principal Body of White People on the Face of the Earth. I could wish their Numbers were increased. And while we are, as I may call it, Scouring our Planet, by clearing America of Woods, and so making this Side of our Globe reflect a brighter Light to the Eyes of Inhabitants in Mars or Venus, why should we in the Sight of Superior Beings, darken its People? why increase the Sons of Africa, by Planting them in America, where we have so fair an Opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Tawneys, of increasing the lovely White and Red? But perhaps I am partial to the Complexion of my Country, for such Kind of Partiality is natural to Mankind.*» This is because the poor ignorant fellow was used to see every single day people with skin phototype 1 and 2, anyone that was skin type 3 and especially 4 was seen as «*swarthy*».

Wow! if Benjamin Franklin lived today, he would be branded as Nazi

[Septentrion]

Wow! if Benjamin Franklin lived today, he would be branded as Nazi

Yes, you are absolutely right. Guess you inspired the Nazis? It was the British.

[Melkiirs]

I don't think anyone ever said that! But there is a decent minority of Scots who are pretty swarthy as well (but they still look 'Scottish', their Welsh equivalents look a wee bit more pan-European). But yes, the overwhelming majority of Scots are pale and would struggle to get a tan without acquiring sunburn. What is more interesting is how the Irish are just as pale as they are, when they are situated much further south. Gotta be all the feckin' rain. Not conducive to getting rays. Despite all the Germanic admixture in England, I would still say the Welsh are slightly 'darker' on average.

Is Roy Williamson a fair example of a darker-complexioned Scot? He had a somewhat sallow complexion (Von Luschan #7-9) when Scots are more typically fair pinkish-white (Von Luschan #3), although I wouldn't necessarily say he is particularly dark by general standards.