Gingers: Scotland's redheads - in pictures

Steven McKay, 37, Esther, two, Rebecca, 33, Chloe, six, Lois, three, and Abigail, seven. Steven says: ‘People make judgments about your character by your hair colour. Throughout life it has been helpful in developing character, I was bullied at school and thought it was because of my red hair but it was probably because I was annoying.’

Dez Johnston, 31, theology student and security guard, from Lenzie. ‘I describe my hair as highland auburn but it only appears in my beard. I’ve never really had a problem in life with people insulting me, I can get quite fiery.’

Isla Vereker, 2, from Uphall. ‘I have lovely red curly hair.’

Phil Ford, 33, English teacher, from Glasgow. ‘We are a minority group, unprotected by legislation. People think they can rip into us without legal intervention. My only criteria for getting married was they should not be ginger for the sake of my future gene pool.’

Lynn Ballingall, 23, church adminstrator from Glasgow. ‘I love it - I have blonde and brunette and ginger hairs. You get the best of all three in one.’

Amy Howard, 34, mum of twins, from Edinburgh. ‘The boys have dodged the ginger bullet. I grew up in England but now I feel its part of my identity. My hair has not been as red since I dyed it at school. I was blonde for a long time then black. It’s not as red as it was.’

Caitlin Palmer, 20, student, from Glasgow. ‘I’d say I’m British because Dad is Irish, Mum is Scottish and I was born in England. I have lived in Scotland for nine years. I don’t know what I am! On the subway to come here I sat opposite a guy with red hair and next to someone else. We are a little community in Glasgow.’

Christopher McGowan, 12, from East Kilbride. ‘I was nervous about ‘kick a ginger day’ at school, I didn’t have anyone booting me, just a tap but I felt a bit annoyed. All the adults say they want to have ginger hair but the kids don’t comment on it.’

Anna Dodds, 3, from Edinburgh. ‘It’s orange, like oranges. Daddy is orange. It’s fine. Nan has it.’ Photograph: Kieran Dodds/PANOS

Calum McCruden, 21, student of Applied Maths, from Glasgow. ‘If it’s really really sunny, it’s vibrant ginger but in the winter time it’s a darker colour.’

All photographs by Kieran Dodds/Panos

• Do you have ginger hair? Tell us in the comments what it means to you.