The Scottish folk song ‘Jock Tamson’s Bairns’ tells a story about universal human equality. In the Scots language, Jock Tamson stands in for ‘every man’, as Jock is the generic name for a man and Tamson is a derivative of a common Scottish surname. ‘Jock Tamson’s bairns’ metaphorically represents common humanity, and the idea that all humans share a common ancestry. The song by Steven Clark extends a Scottish homeland to everyone, and connects an abstract and uniquely Scottish symbol with concrete, international, and politically charged populations. The invitation would be provocative in many nations, but the extension of a Scottish vision of egalitarian hospitality reflects political consensus about the desirability of immigration and a vision of Scotland as a welcoming place. In reflecting on why he wrote the song, Clark explained:

Clark’s message of welcome is echoed by the leaders of Scottish political parties, the dominant scholarly voices, and business owners, all of whom discuss migration favourably as a critical part of Scotland’s economic and cultural future. What encourages Scottish actors to perceive immigration as an asset and opportunity at a time when much of Europe and the UK government view it as a liability?