In one sense, most Scots are nationalists. They are conscious of their nationality, prefer to think of themselves as Scots, and can attribute characteristics to Scots in general which are different from those of other nations (for example, England).

Surveys in recent years have attempted to quantify these dimensions of national consciousness. In some cases (e.g. Budge and Urwin, p. 113) the form of the question asked excluded the possibility that respondents might say they were British rather than (or as well as) Scottish, English, Welsh, or Irish. Given this qualification, 76% in Govanhill (Glasgow) and 93% in Craigton (Glasgow) thought of themselves as Scots. In 1970, the Glasgow Herald reported surveys in which the option of ‘British’ was offered. In Glasgow, 18% opted for this (‘Scottish’ 78%), and in other large towns in central Scotland the totals varied from 16% to 24% ‘British’, and from 75% to 78% ‘Scottish’ (Glasgow Herald 11, 13, 16, 18 March 1970). Further evidence is found in the Kilbrandon Commission's Attitudes Survey (Kilbrandon 7, p. 47). 94% of those questioned in Scotland accepted as correct for them the designation ‘A Scot’. In the North of England, 92% accepted ‘A Northerner’.

In 1979, however, the Scottish Election Survey gave different results. Only 52% of people in Scotland identified themselves as ‘Scots’, 35% as ‘British’, 2% as ‘English’, 1% as ‘Irish’, and 10% as ‘other, mixed, don't know’ (Rose 6, pp. 14–15).