Over the last few generations, the common generic term Gypsies (derived from an old folk belief that the Romani originated in Egypt) is sometimes seen as pejorative.
Another generally dismissive term throughout Britain is Pikeys (also Pikies, Pykies; popularized widely even beyond the UK by the 2000 film Snatch).
The also-pejorative Knackers (a reference to livestock rendering, a low-desire form of work often foisted on Travellers) has become uncommon.
[9][10] There is written evidence for the presence of Roma in the Scottish Lowlands as early as 1505, when – during the reign of James IV – an entry in a book kept by the Lord High Treasurer records a payment of four shillings to a Peter Ker to take a letter from the king at Hunthall, to the "King of Rowmais".
[16] Records in Dundee from 1651 documented the migrations of small groups of people called "Egyptians" in the Highlands, noted to be of the same nature as the Gypsies in England.
They enjoyed a privileged place in Scottish society until the Reformation, when their wandering lifestyle and exotic culture brought severe persecution upon them.
They live in separate and distinct communities from Lowland Gypsies.Gypsies, Roma and Travellers: A Contemporary Analysis[22] Romanichal traders in Scotland were upwardly mobile.
By 1830, they travelled to the potteries in Staffordshire, buying china and other goods and selling the items chiefly in Northumberland while based in Kirk Yetholm in Roxburghshire.
[31] Adam Smith, the economist and philosopher, was reportedly kidnapped by Highland Travellers at a young age before quickly being freed.
As with their Irish counterparts, there are several theories regarding the origin of Scottish Highland Travellers; some that have been claimed at different times are that they are descended from the Picts,[35] originated as excommunicated clergy,[35] were families fleeing the Highland potato famine, or represent a population displaced by the Norman Invasion or prior socio-political disruptions.
As an indigenous group, Highland Travellers have played an essential role in the preservation of traditional Gaelic culture.
Many Scottish show and fairground families live in winter communities based mainly in the east end of Glasgow.
Housing an estimated 80% of all British show families, Glasgow is believed to have the largest concentration of showmen quarters in Europe, mostly in Shettleston, Whiteinch, and Carntyne.
Fairs in Scotland have been held from the early Middle Ages, and traditionally brought together the important elements of medieval trade and a festival.
In the middle ages, the royal charters gave the fairs legal status and developed their economic importance.
The majority of fairs held in Scotland and the rest of the British Isles can trace their origins to charters granted in the medieval period.
Kirkcaldy links market remains the longest-running funfair in Scotland, from a charter granted by Edward I in 1304.
[41] The modern travelling showmen have as strong a family history and heritage as do their counterparts in Wales, England and Ireland.