Ryegate

Scottish immigrants from the county of Banffshire settled Ryegate in the 1770s, making it one of the earliest planned Scottish settlements in the United States. The town was chartered in 1763, but it was the arrival of these Highland families — recruited by agents who traveled to Scotland specifically to find settlers — that gave Ryegate its distinctive character. Scottish surnames, Presbyterian traditions, and a reputation for thrift and hard work defined the community for generations.

Ryegate sits along the Connecticut River in Caledonia County, with the Blue Mountain looming to the west. The town includes the villages of Ryegate, South Ryegate, and Ryegate Corner. The Ticklenaked Pond recreation area offers swimming and fishing. About 1,170 people call Ryegate home.

The town's Scottish heritage is still remembered locally, though assimilation over two and a half centuries has blended it into the broader Vermont identity. Town meeting, held each March, continues the tradition of direct self-governance — a practice the Scottish founders understood instinctively, having come from a culture that valued community decision-making.