Made In Scotland: My Grand Adventures in a Wee Country

All roads lead home.‘After my knighthood was announced,a woman from the BBC came toGlasgow to interview me. We satdown in a lovely hotel in a nice partof town, and she hit me with her firstquestion: “This must mean a lot toyou, with you coming from nothing?”I looked at her, and I laughed.“I did’nae come from nothing,”I told her. “I come from something.”I grew up in the tenements ofpost-war Glasgow. I am very proudto be working class, and especiallya working-class Glaswegian whohas worked in the shipyards. I comefrom the working class. And, mostof all, I come from Scotland.Scotland is a unique and wonderfulplace. Its national motto saysa lot about it: Nemo me impunelacessit. A decent translation mightbe: ‘By all means punch mein the nose but prepare yourselffor a kick in the arse.’I did’nae come from nothing:I come from Scotland. And thisbook is about why I will always behappy and proud that I do.’