Scotch, Scots, or Scottish? Scotch is, for general purposes, an outdated adjective and disliked by many Scots. It should only be used in the specific combinations where it is familiar and established: a Scotch egg; Scotch whisky. Scottish is an all-purpose adjective that can be used for people, places and things in or relating to Scotland: a Scottish soldier; a Scottish tourist resort; the Scottish education system. Scots may be used to describe people (a Scots politician, the Scots Guards), but its use seems to be becoming less common