The United Kingdom is more than just politics and government. An important part of it is made up of the cultural links between its four nations. It is this relationship that the author of this paper seeks to explore, using the media as a lens through which to view the health of the cultural union.

This paper looks first at the development of a Scottish national press, and its role in facilitating a national conversation in Scotland. It also considers the trend for London based newspapers to 'put a kilt' on their Scottish output, and the implications this has for the UK's ability to hold a national conversation. The paper also looks at the broadcast media, which finds itself in the position of being both an influential promoter of Britishness, as well as having played a key role in building a sense of Scottish identity.