I WAS not surprised to hear Scotland being continually collated alongside Northern England as northern Britain or even worse the north of the UK in Digging for Britain on BBC2 on Friday. Orkney was referred to as the “far north of the UK”. Artifacts were compared with others found “all along the west of coast of Britain and Ireland.”

There was one reference to Scotland when moving from describing the railway development in northern Britain (northern England) to Prestonpans. The word “Scotland” was used only twice in the hour-long programme, half of which was describing sites within Scotland.

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I find it hard to believe that Professor Alice Roberts does not know the history of these islands and that Scotland is a separate, independent country in a voluntary union with England, another separate, independent country. I can only assume the current BBC agenda might be to emphasise the unity of the UK by not recognising the historical differences between the national elements of the Union. I think we will find so much more of this over the next few years.

David Neilson
Dumfries