Dictionary of Meaning
<<Back
Please select a letter:
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
0-9
Click here for Shopping
SCOTLAND
*** Shopping-Tip: SCOTLAND
{{Otheruses1|the country}}
{{Scotland infobox}}
{{portal}}
'''Scotland''' (''
Alba'' in
Scottish Gaelic language Gaelic) is a
nation in
North-West Europe northwest Europe and a
constituent country of the
United Kingdom. The country occupies the northern third of the
island of
Great Britain, shares a land border to the south with
England, and is bounded by the
North Sea to the east, the
Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the
North Channel (British Isles) North Channel and
Irish Sea to the south-west. Scotland has over 790
List of islands of Scotland islands.
The
capital,
Edinburgh, is one of Europe's largest
Finance industry financial centres.
Scottish waters consist of a [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/99112601.gif large sector] of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest
Petroleum oil Oil resources resources in the
European Union.
The
Kingdom of Scotland was an
Independence independent state until
1 May 1707, when the
Acts of Union 1707 Acts of Union resulted in a
political union with the
Kingdom of England to create the
Kingdom of Great Britain. Scotland continues to constitute a separate
state (law) state and
jurisdiction in
Public International Law.
Scots law, the
Scottish education system and the
Church of Scotland have been three cornerstones contributing to the continuation of
Scottish culture and
Scottish national identity since the Union.
Etymology
The word ''Scot'' was borrowed from
Latin language Latin and its use to refer to Scotland dates from at least the first half of the
tenth century 10th century, when it first appeared in the ''
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' as a reference to the ''Land of the
Gaels'', analogous to the Latin ''
Scotia''.
Scottish kings adopted the title ''
Basileus Scottorum'' or ''
Rex Scottorum'' (meaning ''
High King of the Gaels''), and ''Rex Scotiae'' (''King of Gael-land'') some time in the
eleventh century 11th century, likely influenced by the style ''Imperator Scottorum'' known to have been employed by
Brian Boru in
Ireland in
1005.
In modern times the word ''Scot'' is applied equally to all inhabitants regardless of their ancestral
ethnicity, since the
nation has had a
civil society civic, rather than a monoculturally
ethnic or linguistic, orientation for most of the last millennium.
History
{{main|History of Scotland}}
Image:Jfb skara brae.jpg Skara_Brae.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|left|250px|[[Skara Brae, a
neolithic settlement, located in the
Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland
Orkney..html" title="Meaning of left|250px|[[Skara Brae">thumb|left|250px|[[Skara Brae, a
neolithic settlement, located in the
Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland
Orkney.">left|250px|[[Skara Brae">thumb|left|250px|[[Skara Brae, a
neolithic settlement, located in the
Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland
Orkney.
Prehistory
{{main|Prehistoric Scotland}}
It is believed that the first group of
hunter-gatherers arrived in Scotland around 11,000 years ago, as the
ice sheet retreated after the
Wisconsin glaciation last ice age. Groups of settlers began building the first permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9,500 years ago, and the first significant villages around 6,000 years ago.
First millennium
The written
history of Scotland largely began with the arrival of the
Roman Empire in southern and central Great Britain, when the Romans occupied what is now
England and
Wales, administering it as a
Roman province called ''
Roman Britain Britannia''. Part of southern Scotland was briefly, indirectly controlled by Rome. To the north was territory not conquered by the Romans: '''Caledonia'''.
Caledonia was peopled by the
Picts, with the
Gaels of
Dál Riata in
Argyll. Pictland became dominated by the Pictish sub-kingdom of
Fortriu, but the
Kingdom of Scotland is traditionally dated from
843, when
Kenneth I of Scotland became
King of the Picts ''and''
Gaels Scots. The
Scottish Saltire is believed to have been adopted by King
Óengus II in
832 while engaging the English in battle at
Athelstaneford.
Middle Ages
Image:Robert the Bruce3.jpg Robert_I of Scotland thumb|200px|[[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce..html" title="Meaning of Robert the Bruce.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|[[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce">thumb|200px|[[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce.">Robert the Bruce.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|[[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce">thumb|200px|[[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce.
{{main|Scotland in the High Middle Ages}}
In the following centuries, the
Kingdom of the Scots expanded to something closer to modern Scotland. The period was marked by comparatively good relations with the
Wessex rulers of England, intense internal dynastic disunity and, despite this, relatively successful expansionary policies. Sometime after an invasion of the
Kingdom of Strathclyde by King
Edmund I of England Edmund of England in
945, the province was handed over to king
Malcolm I of Scotland Malcolm I. During the reign of King
Indulf of Scotland Indulf (
954-
962 62), the Scots captured the fortress later called
Edinburgh, their first foothold in
Lothian. The reign of
Malcolm II of Scotland Malcolm II saw fuller incorporation of these territories. The critical year was perhaps
1018, when Malcolm II defeated the
Kingdom of Northumbria Northumbrians at the
Battle of Carham.
The
Norman Conquest of England in
1066 initiated a chain of events which started to move the
Kingdom of Scotland away from its originally Gaelic cultural orientation.
Malcolm III of Scotland Malcolm III married
Saint Margaret of Scotland Margaret the sister of
Edgar Ætheling the deposed
Anglo-Saxon claimant to the
throne of England, who subsequently received some Scottish support. Margaret played a major role in reducing the influence of
Celtic Christianity. When her youngest son
David I of Scotland David I later succeeded, Scotland gained something of its own gradual "Norman Conquest". Having previously become an important
Anglo-Norman lord through marriage, David I was instrumental in introducing
feudalism into Scotland and in encouraging an influx of settlers from the
Low Countries to the newly-founded
burghs, to enhance trading links with
mainland Europe and
Scandinavia. By the late
13th century, scores of Norman and Anglo-Norman families had been granted Scottish lands. The first meetings of the
Parliament of Scotland were convened during this period.
After the death of the
Maid of Norway, last direct heir of
Alexander III of Scotland,
Scotland's nobility asked the
King of England to adjudicate between rival claimants to the vacant
Scottish throne, but
Edward I of England, instead, attempted to install a
Puppet state puppet monarchy and exert outright control. The Scots resisted, however, under the
leadership of Sir
William Wallace and
Andrew de Moray in support of
John Balliol, and later under that of
Robert I of Scotland Robert the Bruce. Bruce, crowned as King Robert I on
March 25,
1306, won a decisive victory over the English at the
Battle of Bannockburn on
June 23 -
June 24,
1314, but warfare flared up again after his death during the second
Wars of Scottish Independence from
1332 to
1357 in which
Edward Balliol attempted unsuccessfully to win back the throne from Bruce's heirs, with the support of the English king. Eventually, with the emergence of the
Stewart dynasty in the
1370s, the situation in Scotland began to stabilise.
By the end of the
Middle Ages, Scotland was showing a split into two cultural areas — the mainly
Scots language Scots-speaking
Scottish Lowlands Lowlands, and the mainly
Scottish Gaelic language Gaelic-speaking
Scottish Highlands Highlands. However,
Galwegian Gaelic persisted in remote parts of the southwest, which had formed part of the
Lordship of Galloway, probably up until the late
18th century. Historically, the Lowlands were closer to mainstream
European culture. By comparison, the
Scottish clan clan system of the Highlands formed one of the region's more distinctive features, with a number of powerful clans remaining dominant until after the
Acts of Union 1707.
Union with England
Image:Battle culloden.JPG Battle of Culloden.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|The [[Battle of Culloden saw the defeat of the Jacobite rebellion.html" title="Meaning of 250px|The [[Battle of Culloden">thumb|250px|The [[Battle of Culloden saw the defeat of the Jacobite rebellion">250px|The [[Battle of Culloden">thumb|250px|The [[Battle of Culloden saw the defeat of the Jacobite rebellion
In
1603, the Scottish King
James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of the
Kingdom of England, and became also "James I" of England. With the exception of a short period under
The Protectorate, Scotland remained a separate
state, but there was considerable conflict between the crown and the
Covenanters over the form of
Presbyterian church governance church government. After the
Glorious Revolution and the overthrow of the
Roman Catholic James VII of Scotland James VII by
William and Mary, Scotland briefly threatened to select a different
Protestant monarch from England. In
1707, however, following English threats to end
trade and free movement across the border, the
Parliament of Scotland and the
Parliament of England enacted the twin
Acts of Union 1707 Acts of Union, which created the
Kingdom of Great Britain.
Two major
Jacobitism Jacobite risings launched from the west of Scotland in
1715 and
1745 failed to remove the
House of Hanover from the
British throne. The deposed
Jacobites Jacobite Stuart claimants had remained popular in the Highlands and north-east, particularly amongst non-
Presbyterians.
Modern period
Following the
Scottish Enlightenment and the
Industrial Revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of
Europe. Its industrial decline following
World War II 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 and
Electronics industry electronics sector, the proceeds of
North Sea oil and
gas, and latterly the
devolved Scottish Parliament, established by the
Government of the United Kingdom UK government under the
Scotland Act 1998.
Politics
{{main|Politics of Scotland}}
Image:Scottish royal coat of arms.png Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland 150px|thumb|The [[Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland|Royal Arms of the
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Queen in Scotland. A version without the helm is used by the
Scottish Executive..html" title="Meaning of Royal Arms.html" title="Meaning of 150px|thumb|The [[Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland|Royal Arms">150px|thumb|The [[Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland|Royal Arms of the
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Queen in Scotland. A version without the helm is used by the
Scottish Executive.">Royal Arms.html" title="Meaning of 150px|thumb|The [[Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland|Royal Arms">150px|thumb|The [[Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland|Royal Arms of the
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Queen in Scotland. A version without the helm is used by the
Scottish Executive.
Image:Jack McConnell.jpg Jack_McConnell.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|150px|[[Jack McConnell Member of the Scottish Parliament MSP, the
First Minister of Scotland..html" title="Meaning of 150px|[[Jack McConnell">thumb|150px|[[Jack McConnell
Member of the Scottish Parliament MSP, the
First Minister of Scotland.">150px|[[Jack McConnell">thumb|150px|[[Jack McConnell
Member of the Scottish Parliament MSP, the
First Minister of Scotland.
As one of the
constituent countries of the United Kingdom, the
head of state in Scotland is the
British monarch, currently
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II (since
1952).
Constitutionally the United Kingdom is a
unitary state, with one national parliament and government. Under a system of
devolution or
home rule adopted in the late 1990s the constitutent countries within the United Kingdom were given limited regional government, subject to the ability of the British Parliament in Westminster at will to amend, change, broaden or abolish the regional governmental systems. As such the Scottish Parliament is not
Sovereignty sovereign. However it is thought unlikely that any British parliament would unilaterally abolish a home rule parliament and government without consultation via a referendum with the voters of the constituent country.
Executive power is the United Kingdom is vested in the
Queen-in-Council, while legislative power is vested in the
Queen-in-Parliament (the Crown and the
Parliament of the United Kingdom at
Palace of Westminster Westminster in
London). Under devolution executive and legislative powers in certain areas have been constitutionally delegated to the
Scottish Executive and the
Scottish Parliament at
Holyrood in
Edinburgh respectively. The United Kingdom Parliament retains active power over Scotland's
UK tax system taxes,
UK social security social security system, the
UK military military,
UK international relations international relations,
UK broadcasting broadcasting, and some other areas explicitly specified in the
Scotland Act 1998 as
UK Reserved Powers Reserved matters. The Scottish Parliament has
legislative authority for all other areas relating to Scotland, and has limited power to vary
income tax.
The Scottish Parliament is a
unicameral legislature comprised of 129
Members of the Scottish Parliament Members, 73 of whom represent individual
Scottish Parliament constituencies constituencies and are elected on a
first past the post system; 56 are elected in eight different electoral regions by the
additional member system. The Queen appoints one of the members of the Parliament, on the nomination of the Parliament, to be
First Minister of Scotland First Minister. Other Ministers are also appointed by the Queen on the nomination of the Parliament and together with the First Minister they make up
Scottish Executive, the
Executive (government) executive arm of
government.
The current (since
2001) First Minister is
Jack McConnell of the
Labour Party (UK) Labour Party, who forms the government on a
coalition basis with the
Liberal Democrats. The main
Opposition (politics) opposition party is the
Scottish National Party, which campaign for
Scottish independence. Other parties include the
Conservative and Unionist Party, the
Scottish Green Party and the
Scottish Socialist Party.
Under devolution Scotland is represented by 59
Member of Parliament MPs in the
British House of Commons elected from territory-based
List of UK Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland the Scottish constituencies. A
Secretary of State for Scotland, who prior to devolution headed the system of government in Scotland, sits in the
United Kingdom cabinet and is responsible for the limited number of powers the office retains since devolution, as well as relations with other
Whitehall Ministers who have power over
reserved matters. The Scottish Parliament can refer devolved matters back to Westminster to be considered as part of United Kingdom-wide legislation under the
Sewel motion system if United Kingdom-wide legislation is considered to be more appropriate for certain issues. The
Scotland Office is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for reserved Scottish affairs. The current Secretary of State for Scotland is
Alistair Darling. Until
1999,
Peerage of Scotland Scottish peers were entitled to sit in the
House of Lords.
The main political debate in Scotland tends to revolve around attitudes to the constitutional question. Under the pressure of growing support for Scottish independence a policy of
devolution had been advocated by all three UK-wide parties to some degree during their history (although Labour and the Conservatives have also at times opposed it). This question dominated the Scottish political scene in the latter half of the
20th century. Now that devolution has occurred, the main argument about Scotland's constitutional status is over whether the Scottish Parliament should accrue additional powers (for example over
fiscal policy), or seek to obtain full
independence. Ultimately the long term is question is: should the Scottish parliament continue to be a subsidary assembly created and potentially abolished by the constitutionally dominant and sovereign parliament of the United Kingdom (as in devolution) or should it have an independent existence as of right, with full sovereign powers (either through independence, a federal United Kingdom or a confederal arrangement)? Finally, will the current devolution system satisfy Scottish demands for self-government or strengthen demands for full-blown independence?
The programmes of legislation enacted by the Scottish Parliament have seen the divergence in the provision of
public services compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. While the costs of a
university education, and care services for the elderly are free at point of use in Scotland, fees are paid in the rest of the UK. Scotland is the first country in the UK to ban smoking in public places. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4845260.stm (BBC)]
Law
{{main|Scots law}}
Image:Parliament House, Edinburgh.JPG Parliament_House, Edinburgh thumb|200px|left|[[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House, home of the supreme courts.html" title="Meaning of Parliament House.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|left|[[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House">thumb|200px|left|[[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House, home of the supreme courts">Parliament House.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|left|[[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House">thumb|200px|left|[[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House, home of the supreme courts
Scots law is the
law of Scotland. It is a unique system with ancient roots and has a basis in
Roman law, combining features of both uncodified
civil law dating back to the
Corpus Juris Civilis and
common law with
medieval sources. The terms of the
Treaty of Union with
England in 1707, guaranteed the continued existence of a separate law system in Scotland from that of
English law England and Wales. Formerly, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, one of which was the use of
Udal Law in
Orkney and
Shetland, based on
Old Norse Law, which for the most part was abolished in
1611. Various systems based on common
Celtic or
Brehon Laws also survived in the Highlands until the
1800s.
Scots law provides for three types of
court of law courts:
civil law civil,
criminal law criminal and
heraldry heraldic courts responsible for the administration of
justice in Scotland. In the civil courts, the
House of Lords is the highest
court of appeal. The
Court of Session is the supreme civil court and the
High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court. Both courts are housed at
Parliament House, Edinburgh, the home of the pre-Union
Parliament of Scotland. The
sheriff court is the main criminal and civil court. There are 60 sheriff courts throughout the country [http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/locations/index.asp].
District courts were introduced in
1975 for minor offences. The
Court of the Lord Lyon regulates heraldry in Scotland.
Scots law is also unique in that it allows three verdicts in criminal cases including the controversial '
not proven' verdict.
Subdivisions
Image:Greenock muni blgs2.jpg Greenock.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|180px|right|The ornate Municipal Buildings in [[Greenock, the headquarters of
Inverclyde Council, feature the Victoria Tower..html" title="Meaning of 180px|right|The ornate Municipal Buildings in [[Greenock">thumb|180px|right|The ornate Municipal Buildings in [[Greenock, the headquarters of
Inverclyde Council, feature the Victoria Tower.">180px|right|The ornate Municipal Buildings in [[Greenock">thumb|180px|right|The ornate Municipal Buildings in [[Greenock, the headquarters of
Inverclyde Council, feature the Victoria Tower.
{{main|Subdivisions of Scotland}}
For the purposes of
Local government of Scotland local government, Scotland was divided into thirty-two
council areas in
1996. These are
unitary authorities responsible for the provision of all local government services, including
Scottish education education, social work, environment and roads services. Some of the larger councils are also further divided into
area committees.
Community councils are informal organisations that represent specific areas within a council area. The Queen appoints a
Lord Lieutenant to represent her in the thirty five
lieutenancy areas of Scotland.
For the purposes of administering
Scots law justice, Scotland is divided into six
sheriffdoms. In the Scottish Parliament, there are 129 MSPs representing 73 individual and 8 regional
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions constituencies (with 7 members per region). In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, there are 59
list of UK Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland Scottish constituencies.
City status in the United Kingdom is determined by
royal charter. Currently there are six cities in Scotland:
*
Aberdeen
*
Dundee
*
Edinburgh
*
Glasgow
*
Inverness
*
Stirling
Royal burgh status is also awarded by royal charter, and is held by 66 places. Dundee is the only city to also retain royal burgh status; Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling have all had the honour withdrawn.
Geography
image:Scotland_map.png thumb|right|250px|Map of Scotland
{{main|Geography of Scotland}}
Scotland comprises the northern third of the island of
Great Britain, off the coast of north west
Europe. The total land mass is around 78,772
square kilometres (30,414
square mile mi²). Scotland's only land border is with
England, and runs for 96
kilometres (60
miles) between the
River Tweed on the east coast and the
Solway Firth in the west. The island of
Ireland lies around 30 kilometres (20 mi) off the south west tip of Scotland,
Norway is around 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north east, and the
Faroes and
Iceland lie to the north. Scotland lies between the
Atlantic Ocean and the
North Sea.
The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the
1237 Treaty of York between Scotland and
England and the
1266 Treaty of Perth between Scotland and
Norway. Exceptions include the
Isle of Man, which is now a
crown dependency outside the United Kingdom,
Orkney and
Shetland, which are Scottish rather than
Norway Norwegian, and
Berwick-upon-Tweed, which was defined as subject to the laws of England by the
Wales and Berwick Act 1746 1746 Wales and Berwick Act.
Rockall was annexed by the United Kingdom in
1972 and administratively made part of the
Isle of Harris in Scotland, although this is disputed by the
Republic of Ireland,
Iceland and
Denmark.
The country consists of a mainland area plus several island groups. The mainland can be divided into three areas: the
Scottish Highlands Highlands in the north; the
Central Belt and the
Southern Uplands in the south. The Highlands are generally mountainous and are bisected by the
Great Glen. The highest mountains in the
British Isles are found here, including
Ben Nevis, the highest peak at 1,344
metres (4,409
Foot (unit of length) ft). All mountains over 3,000 feet are known as
Munros. The Central Belt of Scotland is generally flat and is where most of the population reside. The Central Belt is often divided into the West Coast, which contains the areas around
Glasgow; and the East Coast which includes the areas around the
capital,
Edinburgh. The Southern Uplands are a range of hills and mountains almost 200 km (125 miles) long, stretching from
Stranraer by the
Irish Sea to
East Lothian and the
North Sea.
Scotland has over 790 islands, divided into four main groups:
Shetland Islands Shetland,
Orkney Islands Orkney, and the
Hebrides, divided into the
Inner Hebrides and
Outer Hebrides. The
Firth of Clyde and the
Firth of Forth also contain many islands.
St Kilda, Scotland St. Kilda is the most remote of all the inhabitable Scottish islands, being over 240 km (150 miles) from the mainland.
Climate
Image:BenNevis2005.jpg Ben_Nevis.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|[[Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the
British Isles, is in
Lochaber, the wettest district in the British Isles..html" title="Meaning of 250px|[[Ben Nevis">thumb|250px|[[Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the
British Isles, is in
Lochaber, the wettest district in the British Isles.">250px|[[Ben Nevis">thumb|250px|[[Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the
British Isles, is in
Lochaber, the wettest district in the British Isles.
{{main|Climate of Scotland}}
The
climate of Scotland is
temperate and
Oceanic climate oceanic, and tends to be very changeable. It is warmed by the
Gulf Stream from the
Atlantic Ocean Atlantic, and as such is much warmer than areas on similar latitudes, for example
Oslo,
Norway. However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the coldest ever UK temperature of -27.2°
Celsius C (-16.96°
Fahrenheit F) recorded at
Braemar in the
Grampian Mountains (Scotland) Grampian Mountains, on
February 11,
1895 and
January 10,
1982 and also at
Altnaharra,
Highland, on
December 30,
1995. Winter maximums average 6°C (42.8°F) in the lowlands, with summer maximums averaging 18°C (64.4°F). The highest temperature recorded was 32.9°C (91.22°F) at
Greycrook,
Scottish Borders on
August 9 2003.
In general, the west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, due to the influence of the Atlantic
ocean currents, and the colder surface temperatures of the
North Sea.
Tiree, in the
Inner Hebrides, is the sunniest place in the country: it had 300 days of sunshine in 1975. Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall exceeding 3,000
mm (120
inches). In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than 800 mm (31 inches) annually. Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude.
Braemar experiences an average of 59 snow days per year, while coastal areas have an average of less than 10 days.
Economy
{{main|Economy of Scotland}}
Image:Bank of Scotland HQ.jpg Bank of Scotland.html" title="Meaning of left left|thumb|250px|The headquarters of the [[Bank of Scotland, located on the
Mound (Edinburgh) Mound in Edinburgh.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|The headquarters of the [[Bank of Scotland">left|thumb|250px|The headquarters of the [[Bank of Scotland, located on the
Mound (Edinburgh) Mound in Edinburgh">thumb|250px|The headquarters of the [[Bank of Scotland">left|thumb|250px|The headquarters of the [[Bank of Scotland, located on the
Mound (Edinburgh) Mound in Edinburgh
The Scottish
economy is closely linked with that of the rest of the
European Union, and is essentially a
market economy with some
government intervention. After the
Industrial Revolution, the Scottish economy concentrated on
heavy industry, dominated by the
shipbuilding,
coal mining and
steel industries. Scottish participation in the
British Empire also allowed the Scottish economy to export its output throughout the world. However heavy industry declined in the latter part of the 20th century leading to a remarkable shift in the economy of Scotland towards a
technology and
service sector-based economy. The 1980s saw an
economic boom in the
Silicon Glen corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh, with many large technology firms relocating to Scotland. The discovery of
North Sea oil in the 1970s also transformed the Scottish economy.
Edinburgh is the financial services centre of Scotland and the sixth largest financial centre in Europe[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Scotland/Story/0,,205573,00.html], with many large finance firms based there, including the
Royal Bank of Scotland (the second largest bank in Europe),
HBOS plc HBOS (owners of the
Bank of Scotland) and
Standard Life. Glasgow is Scotland's leading seaport and is the fourth largest manufacturing centre in the UK, accounting for well over 60% of Scotland's manufactured exports. Shipbuilding, although significantly diminished from its heights in the early 20th century, is still a large part of the Glasgow economy. The city has Scotland's largest and most economically important commerce and
retail district. Glasgow is also one of Europe's top 20 financial centres and is home to many of the UK's leading companies.
Aberdeen, sometimes referred to as the Oil Capital of Europe, is the centre of the North Sea oil industry. Other important industries include
textile production,
Chemical industry chemicals,
distilling,
brewing,
commercial fishing fishing and
Tourism in Scotland tourism.
Image:Scottish Bank Notes.JPG thumb|260px|Scottish Ten Pound Notes
In 2003, total Scottish
exports (excluding intra-UK trade) was provisionally estimated to be £18.7 billion, of which 70 per cent (£13.1 billion) were attributable to manufacturing. The largest export products for Scotland are
whisky, electronics, and financial services. The largest markets were the
United States,
Germany and
France. [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/919/0020438.pdf]
Only about one quarter of the land is under cultivation (principally in
cereals and
vegetables), but
sheep farming is important in the less
arable highland and island regions. Most land is concentrated in relatively few hands (some 350 people own about half the land). As a result, in 2003, the Scottish Parliament passed a
Land Reform Act that empowered
tenant farmers and local communities to purchase land even if the landlord did not want to sell.
Finance in Scotland also features unique characteristics. Although the
Bank of England is the
central bank for the UK, three Scottish
clearing banks still issue their own
Sterling banknotes: (the
Bank of Scotland, the
Royal Bank of Scotland and the
Clydesdale Bank). These notes have no status as
legal tender in England, Wales or
Northern Ireland, though they are fungible with the Bank of England banknotes. Despite this, shopkeepers unfamiliar with Scottish notes in other parts of the UK, particularly in England, have been known to refuse to accept the Scottish-issued notes.
The Royal Bank of Scotland still produces a £1 note, unique amongst British banks. The full range of Scottish bank notes commonly accepted are £1, £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100. The current value of the Scottish banknotes in circulation is around £2,000 million, see
British banknotes.
Scottish inventions
{{main|Scottish inventions}}
Since before the
Industrial Revolution, Scots have been at the forefront of
innovation and discovery across a wide range of spheres: the
steam engine, the
pedal bicycle,
macadam roads, the
telephone,
television, the
transistor, the
motion picture,
penicillin,
electromagnetics,
radar,
insulin,
calculus and
animal cloning are only a few of the most significant products of Scottish ingenuity.
Demographics
{{main|Demographics of Scotland}}
The population of Scotland in the 2001 census was 5,062,011. This has risen to 5,078,400 according to July 2004 estimates. This would make Scotland the 112th largest
List of countries by population country by population if it were a
Sovereignty sovereign state.
Languages
Since the
United Kingdom lacks a
codified constitution, there is no
official language. However, Scotland has three officially-recognised languages:
English language English,
Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic and
Scots language Scots. ''De facto'' English is the main language, and almost all Scots speak
Scottish Standard English. Scots and Gaelic were recognised under the
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ratified by the UK in
2001, and the
Scottish Executive is committed, based on the UK's undertakings, to providing support based on Part II of the Charter in the case of Scots and Part II plus 39 out of the 65 provisions outlined in Part III of the Charter in the case of Gaelic [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Arts-Culture/gaelic/17910/europeancharter/Q/EditMode/on].
Over the past century the number of
native speakers of Gaelic , a
Celtic languages Celtic language similar to
Irish language Irish, has declined from around 5% to just 1% of the population, almost always on a fully
bilingual basis with English.[http://www2.arts.gla.ac.uk/SESLL/STELLA/STARN/lang/GAELIC/focus.htm] Gaelic is spoken most in the
Western Isles, where the local council uses the Gaelic name-
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ("Council of the Western Isles"). Under the
Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 which was passed by the
Scottish Parliament to provide a
statutory basis for a limited range of Gaelic language service provision, English and Gaelic receive "equal respect" but do not have equal legal status [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4467769.stm].
It is estimated by the
General Register Office for Scotland that 30% of the population are
fluent in
Scots language Scots, a
West Germanic language West Germanic sister language to
English language English. State support for Scots is slowly growing, after nearly three centuries of suppression. The
Scottish Executive provides some funding to various Scots language projects and bodies, including the
Dictionary of the Scots Language.
Religion
Image:St Andrews Cathedral Ruins Front.jpg Cathedral of St Andrew, St Andrews left|thumb|250px|The ruins of the [[Cathedral of St Andrew, St Andrews|Cathedral of St Andrew in
St Andrews,
Fife..html" title="Meaning of Cathedral of St Andrew.html" title="Meaning of left|thumb|250px|The ruins of the [[Cathedral of St Andrew, St Andrews|Cathedral of St Andrew">left|thumb|250px|The ruins of the [[Cathedral of St Andrew, St Andrews|Cathedral of St Andrew in
St Andrews,
Fife.">Cathedral of St Andrew.html" title="Meaning of left|thumb|250px|The ruins of the [[Cathedral of St Andrew, St Andrews|Cathedral of St Andrew">left|thumb|250px|The ruins of the [[Cathedral of St Andrew, St Andrews|Cathedral of St Andrew in
St Andrews,
Fife.
{{main|Religion in Scotland}}
The
Church of Scotland, also referred to as The
Kirk, is the
national church. It is not subject to
state control nor is it "
established church established" in the same manner as the
Church of England within
England. It was formally recognised as independent of the UK parliament by the
Church of Scotland Act 1921, settling centuries of dispute between church and state over
jurisdiction in spiritual matters.
The
Scottish Reformation, initiated in
1560 and led by
John Knox, was
Calvinist, and throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the
Church of Scotland maintained a strict
theology and kept a tight control over the
morality of the population. The Church had an overwhelming influence on the cultural development of Scotland in early modern times. Other
Protestant denominations include the
Free Church of Scotland, a
Presbyterian off-shoot from the Church of Scotland adhering to a more
conservative style of Calvinism, and the
Scottish Episcopal Church, which forms part of the
Anglican Communion. The
Methodists are a small denomination in Scotland as are the
Congregationalists, a denomination of which famous Scotsman
David Livingstone was a member.
Catholic Church in Scotland Roman Catholicism in Scotland survived the
Reformation, especially on islands like
Uist and
Barra, despite the suppression of the
sixteenth century 16th to late
eighteenth century 18th centuries. Catholicism was strengthened particularly in the west of Scotland during the
19th century by
immigration from
Ireland. Much of Scotland (particularly the West
Central Belt around
Glasgow) has experienced problems caused by
sectarianism, particularly relating to
Soccer football rivalry between the traditionally
Catholic team,
Celtic FC Celtic, and the
Protestant team,
Rangers F.C. Rangers.
Islam is the largest non-Christian
religion in Scotland. There are also significant
Judaism Jewish (''See
History of the Jews in Scotland'') and
Sikh communities, especially in Glasgow. At 28% of the population, Scotland has a relatively high proportion of persons who regard themselves as belonging to 'no religion'. Indeed, this was the second most common response in the
2001 UK census 2001 census.
Education
{{main|Education in Scotland}}
The system of
education in Scotland is separate from the rest of the United Kingdom. It has a distinctive history as the first country since
Sparta in
classical Greece to implement a system of general
public education. The early roots were in the
Education Act 1496 Education Act of 1496 which first introduced compulsory education for the eldest sons of nobles, then the principle of general public education was set with the
Reformation establishment of the national
Church of Scotland Kirk which in
1561 set out a national programme for spiritual reform, including a school in every
parish.
Education finally came under the control of the
state rather than the Church and became compulsory for all children from the implementation of the
Education Act (1872) Education Act of 1872 onwards. As a result, for over two hundred years Scotland had a higher percentage of its population educated at primary, secondary and tertiary levels than any other country in
Europe. The differences in education have manifested themselves in different ways, but most noticeably in the number of Scots who went on to become
leadership leaders in their fields during the 18th and 19th centuries.
School students in Scotland sit
Standard Grade exams at the age of 15 or 16, sometimes earlier, for up to eight subjects including compulsory exams in
English language English,
mathematics, a
foreign language, a
science subject and a social subject. Each school may vary these compulsory combinations. The school leaving age is 16, after which students may choose to remain at school and study for
Access exams Access,
Intermediate exams Intermediate or
Higher Grade and
Advanced Higher (Scottish) Advanced Higher exams. A small number of students at certain private,
Independent school (UK) independent schools may follow the
Education in England English system and study towards
GCSEs instead of Standard Grades, and towards
A-Level A and
AS-Levels instead of Higher Grade and Advanced Higher exams.
The
Scottish Executive fund over forty
List of further and higher education colleges in Scotland Further and Higher Education Colleges where students can study for more
vocational qualifications;
Academic degree degree-entry qualifications such as
diplomas; and specialist courses in
the arts or
agriculture.
Scotland has 13
List of universities in Scotland universities and one
university college, including the
Ancient universities of Scotland four ancient universities founded in the
medieval period:
*
University of St Andrews (1413)
*
University of Glasgow (1451)
*
University of Aberdeen (1495)
*
University of Edinburgh (1583)
Students studying towards
Bachelor's degrees at Scottish universities study for 4 years, with the option to graduate with an
ordinary degree after 3 years or a fourth year of study for a
honours degree. Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, Scottish students studying at a Scottish university do not have to pay for tuition fees. All Scottish universities attract a high percentage of overseas students, and many have links with overseas institutions.
Culture
{{main|Culture of Scotland}}
Image:Robert burns.JPG Robert_Burns.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|200px|[[Robert Burns, Scotland's
national poet..html" title="Meaning of 200px|[[Robert Burns">thumb|200px|[[Robert Burns, Scotland's
national poet.">200px|[[Robert Burns">thumb|200px|[[Robert Burns, Scotland's
national poet.
Scotland shares many aspects of
culture with the rest of
Culture of Europe Europe and the wider
Western world. However, distinct cultural differences are identifiable in many areas. There exists a strong, distinct
Scottish national identity, firmly founded in a shared commitment to Scottish
civil society.
Music
{{main|Music of Scotland}}
The Scottish
music scene is a significant aspect of Scottish culture, with both traditional and modern influences. The most famous type of Scottish music is the
bagpipes, a
wind instrument consisting of one or more musical pipes which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. The
fiddle and
accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, heavily featured in
Scottish country dance bands. Famous traditional musicians from recent times include
Andy Stewart,
The Corries and the contemporary
Dougie MacLean. Traditional Scottish music was taken with
Scottish emigrants to
North America, and became a major early influence on traditional styles of music there, for example
country music.
Modern Scottish
pop music has produced many international bands including the
Bay City Rollers,
Primal Scream,
Simple Minds,
The Proclaimers,
Deacon Blue,
Texas (band) Texas,
Franz Ferdinand,
Belle and Sebastian,and
Travis (band) Travis, as well as individual artists such as
Gerry Rafferty,
Lulu,
Annie Lennox and
Lloyd Cole, and world-famous Gaelic groups such as
Runrig and
Capercaillie (band) Capercaillie. These have been joined by
Gaelic punk bands such as
Oi Polloi who give an ancient culture a new voice.
Literature
{{main|Scottish literature}}
Scottish
literature has had a long and successful history. In Scotland, the most famous works are perhaps those of
Robert Burns, widely regarded as the
national poet of Scotland. The works of Burns, mostly written in the
Scots language, is celebrated annually on
Burns' Night (
January 25). Other famous
Scottish writers include
Walter Scott,
James Hogg,
JM Barrie,
Arthur Conan Doyle,
Robert Louis Stevenson; and more recently,
Alexander McCall Smith,
Ian Rankin,
Iain Banks and
Irvine Welsh.
J.K. Rowling wrote the first
Harry Potter book, ''
The Philosopher's Stone'', in a
coffee shop in
Edinburgh.
Sport
Image:Hampden(g).jpg Hampden_Park.html" title="Meaning of right right|thumb|250px|[[Hampden Park,
Glasgow, home of
Scottish football and holder of most
European records for attendance size..html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|[[Hampden Park">right|thumb|250px|[[Hampden Park,
Glasgow, home of
Scottish football and holder of most
European records for attendance size.">thumb|250px|[[Hampden Park">right|thumb|250px|[[Hampden Park,
Glasgow, home of
Scottish football and holder of most
European records for attendance size.
{{Main|Sport in Scotland}}
Scotland has its own sporting competitions and
sport governing body governing bodies, such as the
Scottish Football League and the
Scottish Rugby Union. This gives the country independent representation at many international sporting events, for example the
football (soccer) football Football World Cup World Cup and the
Commonwealth Games; although notably not the
Olympic Games.
Football (soccer) Association Football is the most popular sport in the country, both played and watched. The
Scottish Football Association is the second oldest national football association in the world, with the
Scottish national football team playing and hosting the world's first ever international football match. The
Scottish Cup is the world's oldest national trophy.
Scottish professional
rugby union clubs compete in the
Celtic League (Rugby Union) Celtic League. However, the country retains a national league for amateur and semi-pro clubs.
Shinty is run by the
Camanachd Association and is played primarily in its Highland heartland, but also in most universities and cities.
Scotland is the "Home of
Golf", and is well-known for its many
Links (golf) links courses, including the
Old Course at St Andrews Old Course at
St Andrews.
Scotland is the home of
curling (2002 Olympic champions, women) which, although not as popular today as in
Canada, remains more popular in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe.
The
Highland Games are another distinctive feature of the national sporting culture.
Media
{{main|Scottish media}}
Scotland has distinct
media, for example, it produces many national
List of Scottish newspapers newspapers such as the ''
Daily Record'' (Scotland's leading
tabloid),
The Herald (Glasgow) ''The Herald'', and ''
The Scotsman''. Regional dailies include ''
The Courier and Advertiser The Courier'' in Dundee in the east, and ''
Press and Journal (Scotland) The Press and Journal'' serving Aberdeen and the north.
Scotland has its own
BBC Scotland services which include the national radio stations, ''
BBC Radio Scotland'' and ''
BBC Radio nan Gaidheal''. There are also a number of
BBC and independent
local radio stations throughout the country, the largest of which are
102.5 Clyde 1 Clyde 1,
97.3 Forth One Forth One and
Real Radio (Scotland) Real Radio.
In addition to radio, BBC Scotland also runs two national
Scottish television stations television stations. The two main Scottish commercial television stations are
Scottish TV and
Grampian TV, while
Border Television Border TV, based in
Cumbria in
England, broadcasts in
Dumfries and Galloway and the
Scottish Borders. Scottish TV and Grampian TV will merge brands in mid 2006 to become STV. STV is the common abbreviation for Scottish TV, causing controversy in the North of Scotland where the loss of Grampian TV is felt by some to be part of a growing loss of local identity.
Tele-G, the only Gaelic language channel, broadcasts on the
Freeview platform between 6-7 pm every day. BBC Scotland and the Scottish ITV channels broadcast Scottish news programmes, as well as Gaelic language programmes.
Scottish news programmes include the BBC's
Reporting Scotland and
Newsnight Scotland, as well as regional programmes like Scottish TV's
Scotland Today and Grampian TV's
North Tonight.
Lookaround is the news programme broadcast in the areas covered by Border TV.
Transport
Image:CalMacFerry.jpg Scrabster.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|270px|A Caledonian MacBrayne ferry at [[Scrabster.html" title="Meaning of 270px|A Caledonian MacBrayne ferry at [[Scrabster">thumb|270px|A Caledonian MacBrayne ferry at [[Scrabster">270px|A Caledonian MacBrayne ferry at [[Scrabster">thumb|270px|A Caledonian MacBrayne ferry at [[Scrabster
{{main|Transport in Scotland}}
Scotland has four main
international airports (
Glasgow International Airport Glasgow,
Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh,
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport Prestwick and
Aberdeen Airport Aberdeen) that serve a wide variety of European and intercontinental routes with scheduled and
chartered flights.
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited Highland and Islands Airports operate 10 regional airports serving the more remote locations of Scotland.
There is no national airline, however various small airlines have their base in Scotland including
Loganair (operates as a
Franchising franchise of
British Airways),
Flyglobespan,
Air Scotland and
ScotAirways.
Scotland has a large and expanding rail network, which is now managed independently from the rest of the UK. The
East Coast Main Line East Coast and
West Coast Mainlines and the
Cross Country Route (MR) Cross Country Line connect the major cities and towns of Scotland with the English network.
First ScotRail operate services within Scotland. The
Scottish Executive has pursued a policy of building new railway lines, and reopening closed ones.
The Scottish
motorways and major
trunk roads are managed by the Scottish Executive. The rest of the road network is managed by the
Scottish local authorities in each of their areas. The country's busiest motorway is the
M8 motorway M8 which runs from the outskirts of
Edinburgh to central
Glasgow, and on to
Renfrewshire.
Ferry services operate between the mainland and the
Scottish island communities. The
Superfast Ferries service from
Rosyth is the only scheduled ferry service connecting Scotland to
mainland Europe.
National symbols
Image:Royal stewart.jpg Royal Stewart Tartan.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|The [[Royal Stewart Tartan..html" title="Meaning of 250px|The [[Royal Stewart Tartan">thumb|250px|The [[Royal Stewart Tartan.">250px|The [[Royal Stewart Tartan">thumb|250px|The [[Royal Stewart Tartan.
*The
Flag of Scotland, the Saltire or St Andrew's Cross, dates from the
9th century, and is thus the oldest national
flag still in use, and it can be found flying all over Scotland. The Saltire now also forms part of the design of the
Union Flag.
*The
Royal Standard of Scotland, a
Flag banner showing the
Royal Arms of Scotland, is also frequently to be seen, particuarly at sporting events involving a Scottish team. Often called the
Lion Rampant (after its chief
heraldic device), it is technically the property of the monarch and its use by anybody else is illegal, although this is almost universally ignored, and never enforced.
*The
unicorn is also used as a heraldic symbol of Scotland. The
Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland, used prior to 1603 by the
Kings of Scotland, incorporated a
lion rampant shield supported by two unicorns. On the
Union of the Crowns, the Arms were quartered with those of
Arms of England England and
Arms of Ireland Ireland, and one unicorn was replaced by a lion (the supporters of England).
*The
thistle, the
national flower of Scotland, features in many Scottish symbols and
logos, and on UK currency.
Heather is also considered to be a symbol of Scotland.
*''
Flower of Scotland'' is popularly held to be the
national anthem of Scotland, and is played at international events such as football or rugby matches involving the Scotland national team. However, since devolution, more serious discussion of a national anthem has led to this being disputed. Other candidates include ''
Scots Wha Hae'' and ''
Scotland the Brave''.
*
Tartan is a specific
woven textile pattern that often signifies a particular
Scottish clan, as featured in a
kilt.
*
St Andrew's Day, the
30 November 30th of November, is the
national day, although
Burns' Night tends to be more widely observed.
Tartan Day is a recent innovation from the
United States. There is currently a campaign within the
Scottish Parliament to create a
national holiday on Saint Andrew's Day.
Gallery of Images
Image:Brecbennoch.PNG|The Monymusk Reliquary, a relic of medieval Scotland
Image:Stirlingcastle.jpg|Stirling Castle
Image:Hadrian's Wall view near Greenhead.jpg|Hadrian's Wall, Scottish-Roman Britain Britannic border in the 2nd century.
Image:Edinburgh-castle.jpg|Edinburgh Castle
Image:Bb-forthrailbridge.jpg|Forth Bridge (railway) The Forth Bridge
Image:UigLoch.jpg|Lewis The Isle of Lewis
Image:MelroseAbbey01.jpg|The Ruins of Melrose Abbey
Image:Scotland EileanDonan1.jpg|Eilean Donan
References
{{Unreferenced}}
See also
{{Scottish topics}}
External links
{{sisterlinks|Scotland}}
-
Maps and [http://www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/index.html digital collections] at the
National Library of Scotland
-
The Gazetteer for Scotland - Extensive guide to the places and people of Scotland, by the
.jpg.html){kind=link}
