The views of academics in England and Scotland on developing critical citizenship among their students were investigated using a combination of survey data and interviews. Academics in Scotland and England had different views about the role of critical citizenship. In Scotland, the most civic interpretation of these capacities tended to be held by those who were most distanced from a British identity. These views in Scotland were held also by academics who had come from outside the United Kingdom, in contrast to academics of similar origin in England. In England, those who would encourage a civic commitment among their students saw this as coming about through the kinds of careers on which they would embark, rather than through their role as citizens. Despite this contrast, none of the interviewees in Scotland chose to link their civic views to the new Scottish parliament or to any project of renewing Scottish democracy. (Contains 3 tables.)