Justin Trudeau put on a decent Scottish accent while accepting an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh

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July 5, 2017 1:52 PM

The Canadian Prime Minister was telling an anecdote about how his great-grandfather moved from Scotland to British Columbia.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepts an honourary degree from the University of Edinburgh.

Justin Trudeau talked up his Scottish roots, putting on an accent as he accepted an honourary degree from the University of Edinburgh.

The Canadian Prime Minister, dressed in full academic gear, gave a speech before receiving an "honoris causa" qualification at the graduation ceremony for the university's School of Social and Political Science.

During the speech he put on a very convincing Scottish accent, mimicking his great-grandfather who apparently decided to move the family from rural Banffshire, Scotland to British Columbia, Canada, so he could fish freely.

Here's what Trudeau said (he put on a voice for the bits in bold):

Another great Scot [was] my grandfather, Jimmy Sinclair. He was born in Banffshire and, as family lore had it, his father, my great grandfather, James George Sinclair, who was a local schoolteacher was also a passionate fisherman.

And, unfortunately, back then there were rules around who can fish in which streams.

And about the fourth or fifth time the local constable caught him, and threatened to throw him in jail if he caught him once again fishing in the laird’s stream, as family lore has it, my great grandfather says: "But if I cannae fish I cannae live!"

So he went home, unrolled his schoolhouse maps, looks at a big map of Canada, pointed to a spot on the west coast of the country, and says "There! British Columbia, where we can be free and no man owns the fish."

Trudeau is in the UK for celebrations linked to the 150th anniversary of Canada becoming a single country. He is due to visit the Queen at Holyroodhouse, her Palace in Edinburgh, later today.

On a stopover in Ireland on the way, Trudeau appeared to criticise the UK for "turning inward" since the Brexit vote last year. When asked by the BBC on Wednesday "whether Brexit was a mistake," he declined to answer.

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