Topic:United Kingdom

Subtopic:Scotland

Capital Edinburgh

Largest City Glasgow

Official Language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots

Government Constitutional monarchy

Queen (of the UK) Queen Elizabeth II

Prime Minister (of the UK) David Cameron MP

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon MSP

Area 78,772 km² (30,414 sq mi)

Population Around 5.2 million(National Records of Scotland)

Population Density 64/km² (167.5/sq mi)

GVA per head £19,744 (2009)(Office for National Statistics)

Currency Pound sterling (GBP)

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION

Small but mighty, Scotland’s geography is a huge part of its charm. From wild coastlines to sandy coves, rolling hills, towering Munros, dense forests and sparkling lochs, Scotland is home to some of the most stunning landscapes in the British Isles. And with a strategic location near the best of Europe and beyond, it’s the perfect destination for work and play.

Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom (UK) and occupies the northern third of Great Britain. Scotland’s mainland shares a border with England to the south. It is home to almost 800 small islands, including the northern isles of Shetland and Orkney, the Hebrides, Arran and Skye.Scotland’s location is to the mid-west of Europe and is surrounded by several different seas. Located to the east of Scotland is the North Sea, which divides the country from other areas of Europe, in particular Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. Across the North Sea to the south-east is Denmark and further south still is Germany.North and west of Scotland’s mainland is the Atlantic Ocean. Travelling north from Scotland will eventually bring you to Iceland and Greenland.To the south-west, across the Irish Sea, is Scotland’s closest neighbouring island of Northern Ireland and Eire.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, although Edinburgh is the capital and political centre of the country.An abundance of natural resources such as coal, iron and zinc contributed significantly to the industrial growth of Scotland during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, energy is a major component of Scotland's econom.Whilst Scotland is the largest producer of petroleum in the European Union, the production potential of renewable energy has emerged as an important economic and environmental issue in recent years.

THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND

The History of Scotland is known to have begun by the end of the last glacial period(in the paleolithic), roughly 10,000 years ago. Prehistoric Scotland entered the Neolithic Era about 4000 BC, the Bronze Age about 2000 BC, and the Iron Age around 700 BC. Scotland's recorded history began with the arrival of the Roman Empire in the 1st century, when the province ofBritannia reached as far north as the line between the firths of Clyde to the Forth. North of this was Caledonia, whose people were known in Latin as "Picti", "the painted ones". Constant risings forced Rome's legions back: Hadrian's Wall attempted to seal off the Roman south and the Antonine Wall attempted to move the Roman border north. The latter was swiftly abandoned and the former overrun, most spectacularly during the Great Conspiracy of the 360s. As Rome finally withdrew from Britain,Gaelic raiders called the Scoti began colonizing Western Scotland and Wales.According to 9th- and 10th-century sources, the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata was founded on the west coast of Scotland in the 6th century. In the following century, the Irish missionary Columba founded a monastery on Iona and introduced the previouslypagan Scoti and pagan Picts to Celtic Christianity. Following England's Gregorian mission, the Pictish king Nechtan chose to abolish most Celtic practices in favor of the Roman rite, restricting Gaelic influence on his kingdom and avoiding war withSaxon Northumbria.Towards the end of the 8th century, the Viking invasions began. Successive defeats by the Norse forced the Picts and Gaels to cease their historic hostility to each other and to unite in the 9th century, forming the Kingdom of Scotland

The Kingdom of Scotland was united under the descendants of Kenneth MacAlpin, first king of a united Scotland. His descendants, known to modern historians as the House of Alpin, fought among each other during frequent disputed successions. The last Alpin king, Malcolm II, died without issue in the early 11th century and the kingdom passed through his daughter's son, Duncan I, who started a new line of kings known to modern historians as the House of Dunkeld or Canmore. The last Dunkeld king, Alexander III, died in 1286 leaving only a single infant granddaughter as heir; four years later,Margaret, Maid of Norway herself died in a tragic shipwreck en route to Scotland. England, under Edward I, would take advantage of the questioned succession in Scotland to launch a series of conquests into Scotland. The resulting Wars of Scottish Independence were fought in the late 13th and early 14th centuries as Scotland passed back and forth between theHouse of Balliol and the House of Bruce. Scotland's ultimate victory in the Wars of Independence under David II confirmed Scotland as a fully independent and sovereign kingdom. When David II died without issue, his nephew Robert II established the House of Stewart (the spelling would be changed to Stuart in the 16th century), which would rule Scotland uncontested for the next three centuries. James VI, Stuart king of Scotland, also inherited the throne of England in 1603, and the Stuart kings and queens ruled both independent kingdoms until the Act of Union in 1707 merged the two kingdoms into a new state, theKingdom of Great Britain. Queen Anne was the last Stuart monarch, ruling until 1714. Since 1714, the succession of theBritish monarchs of the houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Windsor) has been due to their descent from James VI and I of the House of Stuart During the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Its industrial decline following the Second World War was particularly acute, but in recent decades the country has enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance, fuelled in part by a resurgent financial services sector, the proceeds of North Sea oil and gas.

Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions, practices and cuisines associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but shares much with wider British and European cuisine as a result of local and foreign influences, both ancient and modern. Traditional Scottish dishes exist alongside international foodstuffs brought about by migration.Scotland's natural larder of game, dairy products, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the chief factor in traditional Scots cooking, with a high reliance on simplicity and a lack of spices from abroad, as these were historically rare and expensive.

Scotland, with its temperate climate and abundance of indigenous game species, has provided a cornucopia of food for its inhabitants for millennia. The wealth of seafood available on and off the coasts provided the earliest settlers with their sustenance. Agriculture was introduced, with primitive oats quickly becoming the staple.In common with many mediaeval European neighbours, Scotland was a feudal statefor a greater part of the second millennium. This put certain restrictions on what one was allowed to hunt, therefore to eat. In the halls of the great men of the realm, one could expect venison, boar, various fowl and songbirds, expensive spices (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc.), and the meats of domesticated species. From the journey man down to the lowest cottar,meat was an expensive commodity, and would be consumed rarely. For the lower echelons of mediaeval Scots, it was the products of their animals rather than the beasts themselves which provided nourishment. This is evident today in traditional Scots fare, with its emphasis on dairy produce. It would appear that the average meal would consist of a pottage of herbs and roots with bread and cheese when possible.Before Sir Walter Raleigh's introduction of the potato to the British Isles, the Scots' main source of carbohydrate was bread made from oats or barley. Wheat was generally difficult to grow because of the damp climate. Food thrift was evident from the earliest times, with excavated middens displaying little evidence of anything but the toughest bones. All parts of an animal were used.The mobile nature of Scots society in the past required food that should not spoil quickly. It was common to carry a small bag of oatmeal that could be transformed into a basic porridge or oatcakes using agirdle (griddle). It is thought that Scotland's national dish, haggis, originated in a similar way: A small amount of offalor low-quality meat, carried in the most inexpensive bag available, a sheep or pig's stomach. It has also been suggested that this dish was introduced by Norse invaders who were attempting to preserve their food during the long journey from Scandinavia.

ARTSScottish art is the body of visual art made in what is now Scotland, or about Scottish subjects, since prehistoric times. It forms a distinctive tradition within European art, but the political union with England has led its partial subsumation in British art.The earliest examples of art from what is now Scotland are highly decorated carved stone balls from the Neolithic period. From the Bronze Age there are examples of carvings, including the first representations of objects, and cup and ring marks. More extensive Scottish examples of patterned objects and gold work are found the Iron Age. Elaborately carved Pictish stones and impressive metalwork emerged in Scotland the early Middle Ages. The development of a common style of Insular art across Great Britain and Ireland influenced elaborate jewellery and illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells. Only isolated examples survive of native artwork from the late Middle Ages and of works created or strongly influenced by artists of Flemish origin. The influence of the Renaissance can be seen in stone carving and painting from the fifteenth century. In the sixteenth century the crown began to employ Flemish court painters who have left a portrait record of royalty.The Reformation removed a major source of patronage for art and limited the level of public display, but may have helped in the growth of secular domestic forms, particularly elaborate painting of roofs and walls. Although the loss of the court as a result of the Union of Crowns in 1603 removed another major source of patronage, the seventeenth century saw the emergence of the first significant native artists for whom names are extant, with figures such as George Jamesone and John Michael Wright.

Contemporary art Notable post-war artists included Robin Philipson (1916–92), who was influenced by the Colourists, but also Pop Art and neo-Romanticism. Robert MacBryde (1913–66), Robert Colquhoun (1914–64) and Joan Eardley (1921–63), were all graduates of the Glasgow School of Art. MacBryde and Colquhoun were influenced by neo-Romanticism and the Cubism of Adler. The English-born Eardley moved to Glasgow and explored the landscapes of Kincardineshire coast and created depictions of Glasgow tenements and children in the streets. Scottish artists that continued the tradition of landscape painting and joined the new generation of modernist artists of the highly influential St Ives School were Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (b. 1912–2004), Margaret Mellis (b. 1914–2009). Paris continued to be a major destination for Scottish artists, with William Gear (1916–97) and Stephen Gilbert (1910–2007) encountering the linear abstract painting of the avant-garde COBRA group there in the 1940s. Their work was highly coloured and violent in execution. Also a visitor to Paris was Alan Davie (born 1920), who was influenced by jazz and Zen Buddhism and moved further into abstract expressionism. Ian Hamilton Finlay's (1925–2006) work explored the boundaries between sculpture, print making, literature (especially concrete poetry) and landscape architecture. His most ambitious work, the garden of Little Sparta opened in 1960.

TRADITIONSWhat is it that makes the Scots Scottish? And if you think of Scotland or its inhabitants what is the first thing that springs to mind? The history and the clans perhaps? The beautiful landscape? The castles? The bagpipes? The Highland Games? Or is it whisky? Fact is that you are likely to find some unique features in Scotland and its people that you won’t find easily, and originally, anywhere else in the world. For most outsiders Scotland is about clans, battles, kilts, tartan etc. It must be said though that this image is up to a certain point valid for the Highland-Gaelic area but doesn’t include the lowlands of Scotland although most people, and specially the tourist agents, want us to belief that. But let’s start with the typical images some of us have and deal with the other things that make the Scots Scottish later.Highland/Gaelic Culture

Many years ago the ruggedness of the land led to the separation of the Highlanders into small groups called clans. Each clan was ruled by a chief, and the members of a clan claimed descent from a common ancestor. The traditional garment of the Highland clansmen is the kilt (belted plaid), which is suitable for climbing the rough hills. Each clan had its own colourful pattern for weaving cloth and these patterns are called a tartan. Nowadays the kilt is no longer a historic dress but a national costume, proudly worn for special occasions such as weddings etc. I have heard that there are currently over 4,500 different tartans and you can even have your own tartan if you like. Visit one of the many Woollen Mills you’ll find all over Scotland for some tartan related products. The most renowned one is probably the Edinburgh Woollen Mill at the beginning of the Royal Mile.

Highland GamesDespite their name, Highland Games are held all over Scotland, From Spring To late Autumn: they vary in size and differ in the range of events they offer, and although the most famous are at Oban, Cowal and especially Braemar, often the smaller ones are more fun.The Highland Games probably originated in the fourteenth century as a means of recruiting the best fighting men for the clan chiefs, and were popularised by Queen Victoria to encourage the traditional dress, music, games and dance of the highlands, various royals still attend the games at Braemar.The most distinctive events are know as the heavies tossing the caber, putting the stone, and tossing the weight over the bar, all of which require prodigious strength and skill. Tossing the caber is the most spectacular and the most well known event in the highland games, when the athlete must run carrying an entire tree trunk and attempt to heave is end over end in a perfect, elegant throw.Just as important as the sporting events are the piping competitions for individuals and bands and dancing competitions where you will see young children tripping the quick, intricate steps of such traditional dances as the Highland fling.When on holiday in Scotland the Highland games should not be missed and will give you a great insight of Scottish traditions, and leave you with many memories of a great day.

Highland DressAt formal occasions the Scots proudly wear their Highland Dress which consists of a kilt and other pieces of clothing depending on the occasion. The Scottish kilt is usually worn with kilt hose (woollen socks), turned down at the knee, often with garter flashes, and a sporran (a type of pouch), which hangs around the waist from a chain or leather strap. This may be plain or embossed leather, or decorated with sealskin, fur, or polished metal plating. Other accessories which are often used are a belt with embossed buckle, Argyll jacket, a kilt pin and a black knife worn in the top of the right hose.

BagpipesScotland is often associated with bagpipes but the interesting fact is that bagpipes aren’t originally from Scotland. Bagpipes originate from southern Europe and appear in Scotland around 1400 AD. The Scottish Bagpipe, or Great Highland Bagpipe, became established in the British military and achieved the widespread prominence it enjoys today, whereas other bagpipe traditions throughout Europe, ranging from Spain to Russia, almost universally went into decline by the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though widely famous for its role in military and civilian pipe bands, the Great Highland Bagpipe is also used for a solo virtuosic style called pibroch. If you’re interested you can visit the annual Glasgow International Piping Festival which is held in August.

SPORTSSport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football, rugby union and golfdominating the national sporting consciousness. However, many other sports are played in the country, with popularity varying between sports and between regions.Scotland has its own sporting competitions and governing bodies, such as the Camanachd Association, the Scottish Rugby Union, Scottish Rugby League. The country has independent representation at many international sporting events, for example the, Rugby League World Cup and the, as well as the Commonwealth Games; although not the Olympic Games.Scots, and Scottish emigrants, have made several key contributions to the history of sport, with important innovations and developments in: golf, curling, football, rugby union (the invention of rugby sevens, first international, and first league system), Highland games (which have contributed to the evolution of modern athletics events), shinty (the predecessor of both ice hockey and bandy), cycling (Kirkpatrick Macmillaninvented the pedal bicycle), basketball, and water polo (first set of rules, games and internationals).Highland games, the largest and most widespread multi-sport festivals of the 19th century, are claimed to have influenced Baron Pierre de Coubertin and Dr William Milligan Sloane (a scholar of French History and close friend of Baron de Courbertin) of Princeton when he was planning the revival of the Olympic Games. De Coubertin and Milligan, who was researching his book on Napoleon at the time, saw a display of Highland games at the Paris Exhibition of 1889.

SCOTTISH VIP’sEwan McGregorBorn in: PerthBest known for: His breakthrough role as heroin addict Mark Renton in 1996'sTrainspotting. He's also had starring roles in Moulin Rouge, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and famously Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Tilda SwintonBorn in: London. She is ethnically Scottish, considers herself Scottish rather than English, and currently lives in the Scottish Highlands.Best known for: Her Oscar-winning role as Karen Crowder in 2007's Michael Clayton. She also recently had a hilarious role as Amy Schumer's boss inTrainwreck

Alexander Graham Bell the father of the telephne, was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His education was largely received through numerous experiments in sound and the furthering of his father’s work on Visible Speech for the deaf. Bell worked with Thomas Watson on the design and patent of the first practical telephone. In all, Bell held 18 patents in his name alone and 12 that he shared with collaborators. He died on August 2, 1922, in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Lord MacBeth (c.1005 - 1057) Last Gaelic King of Scotland. Immortalized (although totally inaccurately) in Shakespeare's play 'MacBeth'. He was the commander-in-chief of King Duncan's army and killed the King in 1040, succeeding him to the throne where he ruled until killed in battle in 1057

THANKYOU !