 A 2019 study managed to group Scotland into six genetic clusters, the North-East, the South-West, the Borders, the Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney. More broadly, Scotland is defined by a North-East South-West division close to the River Forth, a division that reflects the territories of the Gales and the Picts historically. This 2019 study also managed to group the Isle of Man with South-Western and Scottish individuals. And it also found that the Hebrides is genetically distinct from the rest of mainland Scotland, a genetic island so to speak. A 2012 study led by the University of Edinburgh found that around 1% of Scots are direct descendants of the Berber or two reg tribesmen of the Sahara, a lineage which goes back around 5,600 years ago. This study also found that 50% of participants who had the surname Stuart were direct descendants of the Royal Lion of Kings and in fact had royal DNA. A study from April 2013 found that 73% of Scots had the iron brew gene, which meant that you burned easier in the sun. In Orkney there is a remarkable genetic legacy left by the Vikings. Orkney in general was the most genetically distinct across the British Isles. The people of the British Isles study found that 25% of the people of Orkney's DNA comes from Norwegian sources, a clear marker of the Viking presence and the later Norwegian presence. This shows that the Vikings did not completely replace the indigenous population of Orkney however, a Pictish population or thought to have been a Pictish population and intermarried with the native population. More broadly there is a clear Norse presence across all Scottish samples, a clear legacy of the Vikings. Unsurprisingly Orkney's cousin Shetland also has a high degree of Norse ancestry, at around 20 to 25% coming from Norwegian ancestry. In both Orkney and Shetland, the degree of Norse influence is higher from people that traditionally their ancestors were from the north of Orkney and Shetland. Norwegian ancestry is lower in the Hebrides, the south-west and the northeast of Scotland, in addition to the Isle of Man, averaging around 4%. Studies have also found links between people in the north of Ireland and Scotland, hardly surprising given the history of the Gaels and the Kingdom of Dalryada, which I did actually make a video on, which I'll link above. Another reason for the links between the north of Ireland and Scotland is the Ulster Plantation. The people of the British Isles study also found that there was a large movement of people from Northern France into Scotland between 6000 and 3000 years ago. What's your thoughts and what other articles or studies have you came across on the genetic history of Scotland? Please let me know in the comments below. If you would like to support this work, through Patreon and get ad-free content or buy me a coffee or donate through PayPal, all the links will be in the description below. Please subscribe and hit the bell and tell your friends and family about this channel. Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time.