In How the Scots Invented the Modern World Arthur Herman recounts Scots history from the 16th through the 20th centuries. While the Scots didn't create the modern world by themselves, they certainly played a key role. They rapidly transformed their martial feudal/tribal clan society into the first modern literate one.

The Scottish Enlightenment championed the voice of reason and inspired the framers of the Constitution of the United States. Scottish engineers, entrepreneurs, and soldiers powered the expansion of the British Empire. While embracing the world of science and commerce, Scots thinkers were aware of the dangers of forgetting the virtues of war which include courage, honor, loyalty, and perseverance and promoted citizen militias to counter this.

Today Scottish culture is celebrated in festivals and Highland Games around the world. While the Scottish people and culture are popularly considered Celtic, they were also shaped by Scandinavians, Anglo Saxons, and Normans. The surge of Scottish influence had subsided by the mid 20th century, but the effects permeate western civilization.