The part of NW Florida where I was born and reared was settled very early by Spanish but then came waves of Highland Scots mostly from the Western Islands. My Mother’s Clan, The McDuffies came from the island of Colonsay. They probably came after Culloden as one of her ancestors fought there.
Also a few Scots Irish. All of them originally landed in Virginia or more likely Wilmington North Carolina.
In 1960 over 60% of the population of Walton County had Scottish surnames. My high school was full of beautiful girls, and I mean full of them. I think they must have been from handsome stock.
The military was where I first encountered grits as regularly presented at breakfast in the mess hall. I entered the military from Oklahoma but grits were not part of my family’s culinary history so seeing it every morning was a cultural reminder of where many military members have roots, especially the mess sergeants, it seems. I’ve since learned to occasionally eat grits when I go to Cracker Barrel Restaurant for breakfast.