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Text by MICHAEL ZITZPhotos by SCOTT NEVILLE

Scottish culture is ingrained in America--and Fredericksburg. Tartan Day next week celebrates Scottish heroes from James Bond to Lassie; local Scots have several events planned this month to honor their heritage. By Michael Zitz

Date published: 4/2/2005

AMES BOND was a Scotsman. At least the Bond played by Sean Connery was. None of the others really count.

Super-rich industrialist Andrew Carnegie was Scottish.

Half the patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent.

Fredericksburg Revolutionary War hero Hugh Mercer, a Scot, is the only American general ever to have died of bayonet wounds.

Alexander Graham Bell was Scottish.

Half of America's presidents have been of Scottish descent.

Even Lassie had Scottish roots.

This year is the 700th anniversary of William Wallace leading Scotland's battle for freedom from England, and the 10th anniversary of the film "Braveheart," which seared Wallace's story into American pop culture.

But it doesn't bother Robert Scott, the co-host of the PBS series "Tartan TV" (seen locally on WNVT-Goldvein) one bit that the Scot best known to this nation's young people might well be the crazed school maintenance man Groundskeeper Willie from "The Simpsons."

Willie has the fearlessly independent, simultaneously dark and carefree attitude about life that Scots prize.

Principal Skinner: "Willie. Go into the vent and get him."

Groundskeeper Willie: "What!? Have ye gone waxy in your beester? I canna fit in the wee vent, ye croquet-playin' mint-muncher!"

Principal Skinner: "Grease yourself up and go in you guff-speaking work-slacker."

Groundskeeper Willie: "Ooh. Good comeback."

"He's sort of the archetypal, bearded Scotsman," Scott, whose real last name is Sproul-Cran, said of the cartoon character with a laugh during a phone interview from Scotland.

Groundskeeper Willie: "I was wrestlin' wolves back when you were at your mother's teat."

And he has the dark, soulful humanity of the immortal Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Groundskeeper Willie: "I dinna cry when me own father was hung for stealing a pig. But I'll cry now."

It does bother Sproul-Cran a wee bit that older Americans may first think of television's "Star Trek's" iconic and laconic Scotty, played by James Doohan.

The late Doohan's acting was less than stellar, and Scotty was always getting his knickers in a twist.

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Date published: 4/2/2005