Scotland Voted ‘No,’ But Boston’s Only Scottish Bar Voted ‘Yes’ For Independence
The votes are in: Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom. But for a few hours the unofficial vote among patrons of The Haven, Boston’s only Scottish restaurant and pub, was a firm’’yes’’ for independence. If only that counted.
Boston’s Scots emphatically chose to secede from the United Kingdom by a 566-174 count. But while the real vote didn’t mirror the bar’s feelings, The Haven was the place to be on Thursday night for any Scottish supporters or sympathizers.
Supporters of Scottish independence across Boston gathered at The Haven on Thursday night, including these Scottish flag-wearers.
“It’s a momentous occasion,’’ Jason Waddleton, the owner of Boston’s only Scottish bar, The Haven, said. “I think we’re welcoming all — There’s Union Jack flags in there, there’s Scottish flags in there. Whatever the result, we’re going to embrace whatever happens with a positive fashion.’’
Waddleton, originally from Stonehaven, Scotland, moved to Boston about 15 years ago. He took over The Haven in 2010 with the intention of making a Scotland-themed pub feel like home.
On Thursday, it felt like just that, with BBC Scotland playing on a big-screen projector and blue-and-white Scottish flags on walls and tables. While it may have been welcoming and open to all, there was a clear pro-Scottish independence vibe among the attendees.
One diner there was Maggie Harrison, a lab administrator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who spent two years studying Scottish Gaelic on the Isle of Skye last decade. Her passion for the question of independence led her to The Haven to watch in a group setting as the results came in.
“I made the reservation about a month ago, at least,’’ Harrison said. “This is something that I’ve seen coming…It’s just been such a huge source of excitement since the first noises about referendums were starting to be made.’’
Brandon Brown, a freshman at Berklee College of Music who came to Boston from Scotland a few weeks ago, said he and all his family and friends voted Yes for independence. Though he has class early Friday morning, he said he’d celebrate the night with a traditional Scottish drink.
“I do have a big bottle of Irn-Bru in my dorm room, so I’ll drink that,’’ Brown said, referring to the Scottish soft drink of choice.
Brown was brought to the pub by Berklee professor Gail McArthur-Browne, a regular at The Haven who said she was fond of the haggis.
“Because of the big event today, I decided to come down,’’ she said. “It’s just something that’s very important to a lot of people back home.’’
No matter the outcome, Waddleton said, he’s happy that Scotland has been in the news so much recently. Still, he said he definitely was hoping for an independent Scotland.
“It’s not Braveheart, it’s not anti-English,’’ Waddleton said. “It’s all about just creating a better society for people who want their own say.’’
Austin Tedesco contributed to this report.
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