26 MARCH 1977, Page 18

The Scotch

Sir: Mr Richardson (5 March) is perpetuating an eighteenth-century genteelism. We Scotch began to describe ourselves as Scottish when we consented to have the barrier of a common language erected against us by the English. John Kenneth Galbraith in his excellent book The Scotch was not writing about single malts from Glenlivet, but about emigrants to Canada from Scotland, Harvey Mitchell 10 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh