Scots! Such a fabulous language AND NO it is not the same as Scots Gaelic! Scots (the language of the delightful book below!) is an Anglic language variety from the West Germanic language family, while Scots Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic group of Celtic languages. So simply put, Scots is a Germanic language and Scots Gaelic is Celic - totally different language families, folks! 

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The Scots language has its roots in Old English, which was brought to Scotland by Anglo-Saxon settlers around the 6th century. Over time, Old English evolved into a distinct variety, influenced by Norse (due to Viking invasions) and Gaelic, and by the 14th century, it became known as Scots. This period marked a high point in its literary and cultural prominence, with works like The Brus by John Barbour and poetry by Robert Henryson and William Dunbar contributing to the flourishing of Scots as a language of literature, law, and administration.

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However, after the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and the subsequent union of England and Scotland in 1707, English increasingly became the dominant language in Scotland. Scots faced a gradual decline in prestige, particularly with the rise of Standard English in education, government, and media. By the 19th and 20th centuries, Scots was often regarded as a "low" or "improper" form of speech, leading to a loss of fluency among many Scots speakers. Despite this, Scots remains a vital part of Scotland's cultural identity, with efforts in recent years to revitalize the language, including recognition in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

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Scots is also sometimes referred to as Lowland Scots as it tends to be spoken in the Scottish Lowlands, Northern Isles, and northern Ulster (Scots Gaelic tends to be spoken in the Highlands and Western Isles). Also, Scots is recognized by the Scottish government as an indigenous language as well as a vulnerable language by UNESCO. ​