In my experience among 'Mericans, at least, "thick accent" is the commonest expression for someone's whose accent is strong. This gentleman's accent (the one who does the furniture ads of which i was thinking) sounds a good deal like a Norn Iron accent, but i'd otherwise say it was highland, as the lowland Scots folks i've encountered haven't had such strong accents. Of course, i claim no expertise in this.
The man who is arguably the greatest Scot in Canadian history is usually not even recognized by Canadians as a Scot. Tommy Douglas was born in Falkirk, and his father emmigrated to Canada when Tommy was six. Four years later, his father returned to Scotland to fight with his boyhood comrades in the Great War, and Tommy and his mother lived in Glascow until the entire family returned to Canada in 1919. Douglas became a Baptist minister, and, during the Great Depression of North America in the 1930s, became a political activist, and finally, was elected the first socialist government leader in North America when he became the CCF Prime Minister of Saskatchewan in 1944. He is credited with the first universal health care plan (certainly in North America, and possibly in the world). Two years ago, the CBC asked Canadians to vote for the ten greatest Canadians--Tommy Douglas topped the list.
At this page, one can listen to Tommy Douglas speak. I'd say, scroll down to the link for his "Mouseland" speech, it is quite entertaining, and probably his most famous speech. In Tommy Douglas, you'll hear just the hint of a Scots accent, such as one can hear in many Canadians. The gentleman to whom i referred, who does the furniture ads, sounds as though he had just gotten off the boat.
