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Infobox country|conventional_long_name = Scotland
Alba |common_name = Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 127px|image_coat = Lionrampant.svgborder|symbol_width = 125px|symbol_type = Royal Standard|national_motto = In My Defens God Me Defend ( Scots language|Scots )
(often shown abbreviated as In Defens )|national_anthem = None ( de jure )
Various de facto – see National anthem of Scotland and note ¹|image_map = Scotland in the UK and Europe.svg|map_caption = |capital = Edinburgh |latd=55| latm=57 |latNS=N |longd=3 |longm=10|largest_city = Glasgow |latd=55| latm=57 |latNS=N |longd=3 |longm=12 |longEW=W|official_languages = Scottish English|English |regional_languages = Scottish Gaelic , Scots language|Scots ²|ethnic_groups = 89% Scottish, 7% English, Irish, Welsh people|Welsh , 4% other|ethnic_groups_year =|demonym = Scottish people|Scottish or Scots ³|government_type = Scottish devolution|Devolved government within a constitutional monarchy ⁴|leader_title1 = Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch |leader_name1 = Elizabeth II |leader_title2 = First Minister of Scotland|First Minister |leader_name2 = Alex Salmond Members of the 4th Scottish Parliament|MSP |legislature = Scottish Parliament |legislature2 = UK Parliament |leader_title4 = Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |leader_name4 = David Cameron , MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2010|MP |sovereignty_type = Establishment|sovereignty_note = Scotland in the Early Middle Ages|Early Middle Ages ; exact date of establishment Origins of the Kingdom of Alba|unclear or disputed ; national myth|traditional 843, by King Kenneth MacAlpin |area_rank =|area_magnitude = 1 E10|area_km2 = 78,387|area_sq_mi = 30,414|percent_water = 1.9|population_estimate = 5,222,100|population_estimate_rank =|population_estimate_year = mid-2010|population_census = 5,062,011|population_census_year = 2001|population_density_km2 = 65.9|population_density_sq_mi = 170.8|population_density_rank =|GDP_PPP =|GDP_PPP_rank =|GDP_PPP_year =|GDP_PPP_per_capita =|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =|GDP_nominal = GBP 139.774 billion|GDP_nominal_rank =|GDP_nominal_year = 2010|GDP_nominal_per_capita = 26,766|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =|HDI =|HDI_rank =|HDI_year =|HDI_category =|currency = Pound sterling |currency_code = GBP|time_zone = GMT|utc_offset = 0|time_zone_DST = BST|DST_note =|utc_offset_DST = +1|date_format =dd/mm/yyyy ( Anno Domini|AD or Common Era|CE )|drives_on =left|cctld = .uk ⁵|calling_code = 44|patron_saint = Saint Andrew|St Andrew
Saint Margaret of Scotland|St Margaret

Saint Columba|St Columba
|footnote1 = Flower of Scotland , Scotland the Brave and Scots Wha Hae have been used in lieu of an official anthem.
|footnote2 = English is the official language of the United Kingdom. Both Scots and Scottish Gaelic are officially recognised as autochthonous language s under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ; the Bòrd na Gàidhlig is tasked, under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 , with securing Gaelic as an official language of Scotland, commanding "equal respect" with English.Macleod, Angus (22 April 2005) The Times . London. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
|footnote3 = Historically, the use of " Scotch (adjective)|Scotch " as an adjective comparable to "Scottish" or "Scots" was commonplace, particularly outwith Scotland. However, the modern use of the term describes only products of Scotland, usually food or drink related.
|footnote4 = Scotland's head of state is the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). Scotland has limited self-government within the United Kingdom as well as representation in the UK Parliament. It is also Scotland (European Parliament constituency)|a UK electoral region for the European Parliament . Certain executive and legislative powers have been devolved to, respectively, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh.
|footnote5 = Also .eu , as part of the European Union . ISO 3166-1 is Great Britain|GB , but .gb is unused.
Scotland ( ( )) is a country that is Countries of the United Kingdom|part of the United Kingdom. statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2008. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a Anglo-Scottish border|border with England to the south 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 southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland constitutes over List of islands of Scotland|790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides .

Edinburgh , the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres. Edinburgh was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow , Scotland's largest city, was once one of the world's leading industrial cities and now lies at the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union . This has given Aberdeen , the third largest city in Scotland, the title of Europe's oil capital. ''"Aberdeen's buoyant modern economy – is fuelled by the oil industry, earning the city its epithet as 'Oil Capital of Europe'."'.' Retrieved 1 December 2009.

The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1707, although it had been in a personal union with the kingdoms of Kingdom of England|England and Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland since James VI and I|James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English and Irish thrones in 1603. On 1 May 1707, Scotland entered into an incorporating political union with England to create the united Kingdom of Great Britain . This union resulted from the Treaty of Union agreed in 1706 and enacted by the twin Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union passed by the Parliaments of both countries, despite widespread protest across Scotland. Scotland's legal systems of the world|legal system continues to be separate from those of English law|England and Wales and Northern Ireland law|Northern Ireland , and Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in public international law|public and in private international law|private law.Collier, J.G. (2001) (pdf) Cambridge University Press . "For the purposes of the English conflict of laws , every country in the world which is not part of England and Wales is a foreign country and its foreign laws. This means that not only totally foreign independent countries such as France or Russia ... are foreign countries but also British Colonies such as the Falkland Islands . Moreover, the other parts of the United KingdomScotland and Northern Irelandare foreign countries for present purposes, as are the other British Islands , the Isle of Man , Jersey and Guernsey ."

The continued existence of Scots law|legal , Scottish education system|educational and Religion in Scotland|religious institutions distinct from those in the remainder of the UK have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and Scottish national identity|national identity since the Union.Devine, T.M. (1999), The Scottish Nation 1700–2000 , P.288–289, ISBN 0-14-023004-1 "created a new and powerful local state run by the Scottish bourgeoisie and reflecting their political and religious values. It was this local state, rather than a distant and usually indifferent Westminster authority, that in effect routinely governed Scotland" In 1999, a devolution|devolved legislature, the Scottish Parliament , was founded with authority over many areas of home affairs following a Scottish devolution referendum, 1997|successful referendum in 1997. In 2011, the Scottish National Party|Scottish National Party (SNP) won an Scottish Parliament general election, 2011|overall majority in parliament and intends to hold a Scottish Independence Referendum|referendum on independence in the autumn of 2014.

Etymology

Scotland is derived from the Latin Scoti , the term applied to Gaels, people from what is now Scotland and Ireland, and the Dál Riata who are thought to have originated from Ireland and migrated to western Scotland. Accordingly, the Late Latin word Scotia ("land of the Gaels") was initially used to refer to Ireland. Stephen Gwynn By the 11th century at the latest, Scotia was being used to refer to (Gaelic-speaking) Scotland north of the river Forth , alongside Albania or Albany , both derived from the Gaelic Alba . The use of the words Scots and Scotland to encompass all of what is now Scotland became common in the Scotland in the Late Middle Ages|Late Middle Ages .

History

Early history

Repeated glaciations, which covered the entire land mass of modern Scotland, destroyed any traces of human habitation that may have existed before the Mesolithic period. It is believed that the first post-glacial groups of hunter-gatherer s arrived in Scotland around 12,800 years ago, as the ice sheet retreated after the Last glacial period|last glaciation .The earliest known evidence is a flint arrowhead from Islay . See Moffat, Alistair (2005) Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History . London. Thames & Hudson. Page 42.Sites at Cramond dated to 8500 BC and near Kinloch Castle|Kinloch , Rùm from 7700 BC provide the earliest known evidence of human occupation in Scotland. See megalithic.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2008 and Edwards, Kevin J. and Whittington, Graeme "Vegetation Change" in Edwards, Kevin J. & Ralston, Ian B.M. (Eds) (2003) Scotland After the Ice Age: Environment, Archaeology and History, 8000 BC–AD 1000 . Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press . Page 70.

Groups of settlers began building the first known permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9500 years ago, and the first villages around 6000 years ago. The well-preserved village of Skara Brae on the Mainland, Orkney|Mainland of Orkney dates from this period. Neolithic habitation, burial and ritual sites are particularly common and well-preserved in the Northern Isles and Western Isles , where a lack of trees led to most structures being built of local stone.

The discovery in Scotland of a 4000 year old tomb with burial treasures at Forteviot , near Perth, Scotland|Perth , the capital of a Pictish Kingdom in the 8th and 9th centuries AD, is unrivalled anywhere in Britain. It contains the remains of an Prehistoric Scotland|early Bronze Age ruler laid out on white quartz pebbles and birch bark. It was also discovered for the first time that early Bronze Age people placed flowers in their graves.

Scotland may have been part of a Late Bronze Age maritime trading culture called the Atlantic Bronze Age that also included the other Celtic nations , England, France, Spain and Portugal.

Roman influence

The written protohistory of Scotland 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|province called Roman Britain|Britannia . Roman invasions and occupations of southern Scotland were a series of brief interludes.

According to the Roman historian Tacitus , the Caledonians "turned to armed resistance on a large scale", attacking Roman forts and skirmishing with their legions. In a surprise night-attack, the Caledonians very nearly wiped out the whole 9th Legion until it was saved by Agricola's cavalry.

In AD 83–84 the general Gnaeus Julius Agricola defeated the Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius . Before the battle Tacitus wrote that the Caledonian leader Calgacus , gave a rousing speech in which he called his people the "last of the free" and accused the Romans of "making the world a desert and calling it peace". After the Roman victory Castra|Roman forts were briefly set along the Gask Ridge close to the Highland Boundary Fault|Highland line (only Cawdor (Roman Fort)|Cawdor near Inverness is known to have been constructed beyond that line). Three years after the battle the Roman army|Roman armies had withdrawn to the Southern Uplands .Hanson, William S. The Roman Presence: Brief Interludes , in Edwards, Kevin J. & Ralston, Ian B.M. (Eds) (2003) Scotland After the Ice Age: Environment, Archeology and History, 8000 BC& nbsp;— AD 1000. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press

The Romans erected Hadrian's Wall to control tribes on both sides of the wall, and the Limes|Limes Britannicus became the northern border of the empire, although the army held the Antonine Wall in the Central Lowlands for two short periods—the last of these during the time of Emperor Septimius Severus from 208 until 210.Robertson, Anne S. (1960) The Antonine Wall . Glasgow Archaeological Society.

The Roman military occupation of a significant part of northern Scotland only lasted about 40 years, although their influence on the southern section of the country, occupied by Brython ic tribes such as the Votadini and Damnonii , would still have been considerable between the first and fifth centuries. The Welsh term Hen Ogledd ("Old North") is used by scholars to describe the North of England and South of Scotland during its habitation by British language|Brythonic speaking people around AD 500 to 800. In the 400s, Gaels from Ireland established the kingdom of Dál Riata ."". BBC – Legacies."". Encyclopædia Britannica.

Medieval period

The Kingdom of the Picts (based in Fortriu by the 6th century) was the state that eventually became known as "Alba" or "Scotland". The development of "Pictland", according to the historical model developed by Peter Heather , was a natural response to Roman imperialism.Peter Heather, "State Formation in Europe in the First Millennium A.D.", in Barbara Crawford (ed.), Scotland in Dark Ages Europe , (Aberdeen, 1994), pp. 47–63 Another view places emphasis on the Battle of Dun Nechtain , and the reign of Bridei III of the Picts|Bridei m. Beli (671–693), with another period of consolidation in the reign of Óengus I of the Picts|Óengus mac Fergusa (732–761).For instance, Alex Woolf , "The Verturian Hegemony: a mirror in the North", in M. P. Brown & C. A. Farr, (eds.), Mercia: an Anglo-Saxon Kingdom in Europe , (Leicester, 2001), pp. 106–11.

The Kingdom of the Picts as it was in the early 8th century, when Bede was writing, was largely the same as the kingdom of the Scots in the reign of Alexander I of Scotland|Alexander I (1107–1124). However, by the tenth century, the Pictish kingdom was dominated by what we can recognise as Gaels|Gaelic culture, and had developed a traditional story of an Irish conquest around the ancestor of the contemporary royal dynasty, Kenneth I of Scotland|Cináed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin). reprinted in Dauvit Broun and Thomas Owen Clancy (eds.), (1999) Spes Scotorum: Hope of Scots , Edinburgh: T.& T.Clark, pp. 95–111. ISBN 978-0-567-08682-2

From a base of territory in eastern Scotland north of the River Forth and south of the River Oykel , the kingdom acquired control of the lands lying to the north and south. By the 12th century, the kings of Alba had added to their territories the Old English|English -speaking land in the south-east and attained overlordship of Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic -speaking Galloway and Old Norse|Norse -speaking Caithness ; by the end of the 13th century, the kingdom had assumed approximately its Anglo-Scottish border|modern borders . However, processes of cultural and economic change beginning in the 12th century ensured Scotland looked very different in the later Middle Ages.

The impetus for this change was the reign of David I of Scotland|David I and the Davidian Revolution . Feudalism , government reorganisation and the first legally recognised towns (called burgh s) began in this period. These institutions and the immigration of French and Anglo-French knights and churchmen facilitated cultural osmosis, whereby the culture and language of the low-lying and coastal parts of the kingdom's original territory in the east became, like the newly acquired south-east, English-speaking, while the rest of the country retained the Gaelic language, apart from the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland, which remained under Norse rule until 1468. The Scottish state entered a largely successful and stable period between the 12th and 14th centuries, there was relative peace with England, trade and educational links were well developed with the Continent and at the height of this cultural flowering John Duns Scotus was one of Europe's most important and influential philosophers.

The death of Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III in March 1286, followed by that of his granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway , broke the centuries-old succession line of Scotland's kings and shattered the 200 year golden age that began with David I. Edward I of England was asked to arbitrate between claimants for the Scottish crown, and he organised a process known as the Competitors for the Crown of Scotland|Great Cause to identify the most legitimate claimant. John Balliol was pronounced king in the Great Hall of Berwick Castle on 17 November 1292 and inaugurated at Scone, Perth and Kinross|Scone on 30 November, St. Andrew's Day . Edward I, who had coerced recognition as Lord Paramount of Scotland , the feudal superior of the realm, steadily undermined John's authority. In 1294 Balliol and other Scottish lords refused Edward's demands to serve in his army against the French. Instead the Scottish parliament sent envoys to France to negotiate an alliance. Scotland and France sealed a treaty on 23 October 1295, that came to be known as the Auld Alliance (1295–1560). War ensued and King John was deposed by Edward who took personal control of Scotland. Andrew Moray and William Wallace initially emerged as the principal leaders of the resistance to English rule in what became known as the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1328).

The nature of the struggle changed significantly when Robert the Bruce|Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick , killed rival John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch|John Comyn on 10 February 1306 at Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries . He was crowned king (as Robert I) less than seven weeks later. Robert I battled to restore Scottish Independence as King for over 20 years, beginning by winning Scotland back from the Norman English invaders piece by piece. Victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 proved that the Scots had regained control of their kingdom. In 1315 Edward Bruce , brother of the King, was briefly appointed High King of Ireland during an ultimately unsuccessful Scottish invasion of Ireland aimed at strengthening Scotland's position in its wars against England. In 1320 the world's first documented declaration of independence , the Declaration of Arbroath , won the support of Pope John XXII , leading to the legal recognition of Scottish sovereignty by the English Crown.
However, war with England continued for several decades after the death of Bruce, and a civil war between the Bruce dynasty and their long-term Comyn-Balliol rivals lasted until the middle of the 14th century. Although the Bruce dynasty was successful, David II of Scotland|David II's lack of an heir allowed his half-nephew Robert II of Scotland|Robert II to come to the throne and establish the Stuart Dynasty . The Stewarts ruled Scotland for the remainder of the Middle Ages . The country they ruled experienced greater prosperity from the end of the 14th century through the Scottish Renaissance to the Scottish Reformation|Reformation . The Education Act 1496|Education Act of 1496 made Scotland the first country since Sparta in classical Greece to implement a system of general public education . This was despite continual warfare with England, the increasing division between Scottish Highlands|Highlands and Scottish Lowlands|Lowlands , and a large number of royal minorities.
This period was the height of the Franco-Scottish alliance. The Scots Guard – la Garde Écossaise – was founded in 1418 by Charles VII of France . The Scots soldiers of the Garde Écossaise fought alongside Joan of Arc against England during the Hundred Years War . In March 1421 a Franco-Scots force under John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan , and Gilbert de Lafayette, defeated a larger English army at the Battle of Baugé . Three years later, at the Battle of Verneuil , the Scots lost around 6000 men, but the Scottish intervention bought France valuable time and likely saved the country from defeat.

Early modern era

In 1502, James IV of Scotland signed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Henry VII of England . He also married Henry's daughter, Margaret Tudor , setting the stage for the Union of the Crowns . For Henry, the marriage into one of Europe's most established monarchies gave legitimacy to the new Tudor royal line. A decade later James made the fateful decision to invade England in support of France under the terms of the Auld Alliance . He was the last British monarch to die in battle, at the Battle of Flodden . Within a generation the Auld Alliance was ended by the Treaty of Edinburgh . France agreed to withdraw all land and naval forces and in the same year, 1560, the revolution of John Knox achieved its ultimate goal of convincing the Scottish parliament to revoke papal authority in Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots , a Catholic and former queen of France, was forced to abdicate in 1567.

In 1603, James VI and I|James VI, King of Scots inherited the thrones of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Ireland , and became King James I of England and Ireland, and left Edinburgh for London. 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 . The Glorious Revolution of 1688–89 saw the overthrow of the King James II of England by the English Parliament in favour of William and Mary . As late as the 1690s, Scotland experienced famine , which reduced the population of parts of the country by at least 20 percent."'' ". Karen Cullen,Karen J. Cullen (2010). Edinburgh University Press . p.2. ISBN 0-7486-3887-3

In 1698, the Scots attempted an ambitious project to secure a trading colony on the Isthmus of Panama . Almost every Scottish landowner who had money to spare is said to have invested in the Darien scheme . Its failure bankrupted these landowners, but not the burghs, which remained cash rich. Nevertheless, the nobles' bankruptcy, along with the threat of an English invasion, played a leading role in convincing the Scots elite to back a union with England. http://www.scottishaffairs.org/backiss/pdfs/sa52/Sa52_Scott.pdf

On 22 July 1706, the Treaty of Union was agreed between representatives of the Parliament of Scotland|Scots Parliament and the Parliament of England and the following year twin Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union were passed by both parliaments to create the united Kingdom of Great Britain with effect from 1 May 1707.

18th century

With trade tariffs with England now abolished, trade blossomed, especially with Colonial America . The clippers belonging to the Glasgow Tobacco Lords were the fastest ships on the route to Virginia. Until the American War of Independence in 1776, Glasgow was the world's premier tobacco port, dominating world trade. The disparity between the wealth of the merchant classes of the Scottish Lowlands and the ancient clans of the Scottish Highlands grew, amplifying centuries of division.
The deposed Jacobitism|Jacobite Stuart claimants had remained popular in the Highlands and north-east, particularly amongst non- Presbyterian s, including Roman Catholics and Episcopalian Protestants . However, two major Jacobite Rising|Jacobite risings launched in 1715 and 1745 failed to remove the House of Hanover from the British throne. The threat of the Jacobite movement to the United Kingdom and its monarchs effectively ended at the Battle of Culloden , Great Britain's last pitched battle . This defeat paved the way for large-scale removals of the indigenous populations of the Highlands and Islands, known as the Highland Clearances .

The Scottish Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution made Scotland into an intellectual, commercial and industrial powerhouse."", The University of Iowa. So much so that Voltaire said "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation." With the demise of Jacobitism and the advent of the Union thousands of Scots, mainly Lowlanders, took up numerous positions of power in politics, civil service, the army and navy, trade, economics, colonial enterprises and other areas across the nascent British Empire . Historian Neil Davidson notes that “after 1746 there was an entirely new level of participation by Scots in political life, particularly outside Scotland.” Davidson also states that “far from being ‘peripheral’ to the British economy, Scotland – or more precisely, the Lowlands – lay at its core.”

19th century

Scotland became known across the world for its excellence in engineering, as typified by the River Clyde|Clyde built ships and locomotives built in Glasgow. Prefabricated cast iron buildings made in Scotland are still in use in India, South America and Australia.
Prominent scientists, engineers and architects of the industrial age included David Dale , Joseph Black , Thomas Telford , Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)|Robert Stevenson , James Watt , James Nasmyth , Robert Adam and John MacAdam .

Scottish diaspora

Scots born migrants also played a leading role in the foundation and principles of the United States ( John Witherspoon , John Paul Jones , Andrew Carnegie , John Muir ), Canada ( John A MacDonald , James Murray (Quebec governor)|James Murray , Tommy Douglas ), Australia ( Lachlan Macquarie , Thomas Brisbane , Andrew Fisher ), and New Zealand ( James Mckenzie (outlaw)|James Mckenzie , Peter Fraser (New Zealand politician)|Peter Fraser ).

20th century

First and Second World Wars

Scotland played a major role in the British effort in the First World War . It especially provided manpower, ships, machinery, fish and money.Richard J. Finlay, Modern Scotland 1914–2000 (2006), pp 1–33 With a population of 4.8 million in 1911, Scotland sent over half a million men to the war, of whom over a quarter died in combat or from disease, and 150,000 were seriously wounded.R. A. Houston and W.W. J. Knox, eds. The New Penguin History of Scotland (2001) p 426. Niall Ferguson points out in “The Pity of War” that the proportion of enlisted Scots who died was third highest in the war behind Serbia and Turkey and a much higher proportion than in other parts of the UK. Field Marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal Douglas Haig|Sir Douglas Haig was Britain's commander on the Western Front.

The war saw the emergence of a radical movement called " Red Clydeside " led by militant trades unionists. Formerly a Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal stronghold, the industrial districts switched to Labour Party (UK)|Labour by 1922, with a base among the Irish Catholic working class districts. Women were especially active in building neighbourhood solidarity on housing issues. However, the "Reds" operated within the Labour Party and had little influence in Parliament and the mood changed to passive despair by the late 1920s.Iain McLean, The Legend of Red Clydeside (1983)

The shipbuilding industry expanded by a third and expected renewed prosperity, but instead a serious depression hit the economy by 1922 and it did not fully recover until 1939. The interwar years were marked by economic stagnation in rural and urban areas, and high unemployment.Finlay, Modern Scotland 1914–2000 (2006), pp 34–72 Indeed, the war brought with it deep social, cultural, economic, and political dislocations. Thoughtful Scots pondered their declension, as the main social indicators such as poor health, bad housing, and long-term mass unemployment, pointed to terminal social and economic stagnation at best, or even a downward spiral. Service abroad on behalf of the Empire lost its allure to ambitious young people, who left Scotland permanently. The heavy dependence on obsolescent heavy industry and mining was a central problem, and no one offered workable solutions. The despair reflected what Finlay (1994) describes as a widespread sense of hopelessness that prepared local business and political leaders to accept a new orthodoxy of centralised government economic planning when it arrived during the Second World War .Richard J. Finlay, "National identity in Crisis: Politicians, Intellectuals and the 'End of Scotland', 1920–1939," History, June 1994, Vol. 79 Issue 256, pp 242–59

The Second World War brought renewed prosperity, despite extensive bombing of cities by the Luftwaffe. It saw the invention of radar by Robert Watson-Watt , which was invaluable in the Battle of Britain as was the leadership at RAF Fighter Command of Air Chief Marshal (UK)|Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding|Sir Hugh Dowding .Finlay, Modern Scotland 1914–2000 (2006), pp 162–197

Since 1945

After 1945, Scotland's economic situation became progressively worse due to overseas competition, inefficient industry, and industrial disputes.Harvie, Christopher No Gods and Precious Few Heroes (Edward Arnold, 1989) pp 54–63. Only in recent decades has the country enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance. Economic factors that have contributed to this recovery include a resurgent financial services industry, electronics manufacturing , (see Silicon Glen ),See Stewart, Heather, ", The Guardian|The Guardian Unlimited , 6 May 2007 for an account of Scotland's economic challenges, especially after the dotcom downturn, as it competes with the emerging Eastern European economies. and the North Sea oil and gas industry. Scottish Government publication, (web-page last updated 6 April 2006), which states "Since the 1970s, the development of North Sea oil and gas fields has made an important contribution to the Scottish economy, and underpinned prosperity in the North-East." Retrieved on 7 November 2007. The introduction in 1989 by Margaret Thatcher's government of the Community Charge (widely known as the Poll Tax) one year before the rest of the United Kingdom, contributed to a growing movement for a return to direct Scottish control over domestic affairs. British Broadcasting Corporation, Following a Scottish devolution referendum, 1997|referendum on devolution proposals in 1997 , the Scotland Act 1998 Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 22 April 2008. was passed by the United Kingdom Parliament to establish a devolved Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government with responsibility for most laws specific to Scotland. Scottish Government publication, (web-page last updated November 2010)

Government and politics

Scotland's head of state is the monarch of the United Kingdom , currently Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). The title Elizabeth II caused List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II#Scottish controversy|controversy around the time of the queen's coronation, as there had never been an Elizabeth I in Scotland. A legal case, MacCormick v. Lord Advocate (1953 SC 396), was taken to contest the right of the Queen to title herself Elizabeth II within Scotland, arguing that to do so would be a breach of Article 1 of the Treaty of Union.

The Lord Advocate won the case and it was decided that future British monarchs would be Monarchical ordinal|numbered according to either their English or Scottish predecessors, whichever number is higher. Winston Churchill , House of Commons Hansard|Official Report cols 199–201, 15 April 1953 Hence, any future King James would be styled James VIII (since the last Scottish King James was James VII of Scotland|James VII (also James II of England, etc.)) while the next King Henry would be King Henry IX throughout the UK despite the fact that there have been no Scottish kings of the name.

Scotland has partial self-government within the United Kingdom as well as representation in the UK Parliament. Executive and legislative powers have been devolved to, respectively, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh|Holyrood in Edinburgh. The United Kingdom Parliament retains power over a set list of areas explicitly specified in the Scotland Act 1998 as reserved matters , including, for example, levels of UK UK tax system|taxes , UK social security|social security , UK military|defence , UK international relations|international relations and UK broadcasting|broadcasting . Scotland.org& nbsp;— The Official Online Gateway. Retrieved 26 September 2007.

The Scottish Parliament has legislative authority for all other areas relating to Scotland, as well as Tartan Tax|limited power to vary income tax . Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in a BBC Scotland interview, indicated that the Scottish Parliament could be given more tax-raising powers.

The Scottish Parliament can give legislative consent over devolved matters back to Westminster by passing a Legislative Consent Motion if United Kingdom-wide legislation is considered to be more appropriate for a certain issue. The programmes of legislation enacted by the Scottish Parliament have seen a divergence in the provision of public services compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. For instance, the costs of a university education, and care services for the elderly are free at point of use in Scotland, while fees are paid in the rest of the UK. Scotland was the first country in the UK to ban smoking in enclosed public places.BBC Scotland News Online "", BBC Scotland News , 26 March 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2006.

The Scottish Parliament is a unicameral legislature comprising 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 (Scottish Parliament)|additional member system , serving for a four year period. The Queen appoints one Member of the Scottish Parliament , (MSP), on the nomination of the Parliament, to be First Minister of Scotland|First Minister . Other Ministers are also appointed by the First Minister and serve at his/her discretion, together they make up the Scottish Government , the executive arm of government. Scottish Government. Retrieved 26 September 2007.

In the Scottish Parliament election, 2011|2011 election , the Scottish National Party (SNP) formed a majority government after winning 69 of the 129 seat Parliament; This was the first majority government since the modern post-devolutionary Scottish Parliament was established in 1999. The leader of the SNP, Alex Salmond , continued as First Minister. The Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party continued as the largest opposition party, with the Scottish Conservative Party|Conservative Party , the Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats , and the Scottish Green Party|Green Party also represented in the Parliament. Margo MacDonald is the only independent (politician)|independent MSP sitting in Parliament. The next Scottish Parliament general election, 2016|Scottish Parliament general election will be held on 5 May 2016. The Scotland Bill 2011|Scotland Bill , put forward by the Calman Commission and cleared by the UK House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons , proposes devolving more power to Scotland. The bill has yet to be put into legislation. The Scottish National Party, who did not take part in the consultation, believe the bill does not devolve enough powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Scotland is represented in the British House of Commons by List of MPs for constituencies in Scotland 2010–|59 MPs elected from territory-based Scottish Westminster constituencies from 2005|Scottish constituencies . The Scotland Office represents the UK government in Scotland on reserved matters and represents Scottish interests within the UK government. The Scotland office is led by the Secretary of State for Scotland , who sits in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom , the current incumbent being Michael Moore (UK politician)|Michael Moore .

Administrative subdivisions

Modern Scotland is subdivided in various ways depending on the purpose. For Local government of Scotland|local government , there have been 32 council areas since 1996, Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 26 September 2007. whose councils are unitary authorities responsible for the provision of all local government services. Community council s are informal organisations that represent specific sub-divisions of a council area.

For the Scottish Parliament , there are 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions|constituencies and eight regions. For the Parliament of the United Kingdom, there are 59 list of UK Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland|constituencies . The Scottish fire brigades and police forces are still based on the system of regions introduced in 1975. For healthcare and postal districts, and a number of other governmental and non-governmental organisations such as the churches, there are other long-standing methods of subdividing Scotland for the purposes of administration.

City status in the United Kingdom is conferred by letters patent . Department for Constitutional Affairs . Retrieved 26 September 2007. There are seven cities in Scotland: Aberdeen , Dundee , Edinburgh, Glasgow , Inverness , Stirling and Perth, Scotland|Perth . Department for Constitutional Affairs. Retrieved 26 September 2007.

Scotland within the UK

A policy of devolution had been advocated by the three main UK parties with varying enthusiasm during recent history. The late Labour leader John Smith (UK politician)|John Smith described the revival of a Scottish parliament as the "settled will of the Scottish people".Cavanagh, Michael (2001) . University of Strathclyde . Retrieved 12 April 2008. The constitutional status of Scotland is nonetheless subject to ongoing debate. In 2007, the Scottish Government established a " National Conversation " on constitutional issues, proposing a number of options such as increasing the powers of the Scottish Parliament, federation|federalism , or a referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. In rejecting the last option, the three main opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament have proposed a separate Scottish Constitutional Commission to investigate the distribution of powers between devolved Scottish and UK-wide bodies. . BBC News. Retrieved 18 January 2008. In August 2009 the SNP Scottish referendum bill 2010|proposed a referendum bill to hold a referendum on independence in November 2010. Immediate opposition from all other major parties led to an expected defeat.
These plans were put on hold by the Scottish National Party until after the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections. With the outcome of the May 2011 elections allowing an SNP majority in the Scottish Parliament, a referendum on Scotland's future within the UK is to be held in Autumn 2014, with the Scottish Government launching its consultation on 25 January 2012.

Law and criminal justice

Scots law provides for three types of Courts of Scotland|courts responsible for the administration of justice: Private law|civil , criminal law|criminal and Law of Arms|heraldic . The supreme civil court is the Court of Session , although civil appeal (law)|appeals can be taken to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (or before 1 October 2009, the Judicial functions of the House of Lords|House of Lords ). The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court in Scotland. The Court of Session is housed at Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House , in Edinburgh, which was the home of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland with the High Court of Justiciary and the Supreme Court of Appeal currently located at the Lawnmarket . The sheriff court is the main criminal and civil court, hearing most of the cases. There are 49 sheriff courts throughout the country. www.scotcourts.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 September 207. District Courts of Scotland|District courts were introduced in 1975 for minor offences and small claims. The Court of the Lord Lyon regulates heraldry.

For many decades the Scots legal system was unique for a period in being the only legal system without a parliament. This ended with the advent of the Scottish Parliament , which legislates for Scotland. Many features within the system have been preserved. Within criminal law, the Scots legal system is unique in having three possible verdict s: " guilt (law)|guilt y", " not guilty " and " not proven ". Both "not guilty" and "not proven" result in an acquittal with no possibility of retrial . www.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2008. Many laws differ between Scotland and the rest of Great Britain|Britain , whereas many terms differ. Manslaughter , in England and Wales , becomes culpable homicide in Scotland, and arson becomes wilful fireraising. Procedure also differs. Scots juries consist of fifteen, not twelve jurors as is more common in List of countries where English is an official language|English-speaking countries .

The Scottish civil procedure|civil legal system has however attracted much recent criticism from a senior Scottish Judge who referred to it as being "Victorian" and antiquated. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) manages the prisons in Scotland, which collectively house over 8,500 prisoners. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice is responsible for the Scottish Prison Service within the Scottish Government.

Geography and natural history

The mainland of Scotland comprises the northern third of the land mass of the island of Great Britain, which lies off the northwest coast of Continental Europe . The total area is ,''Whitaker's Almanack'' (1991) London. J. Whitaker and Sons. comparable to the size of the Czech Republic. Scotland's only land border is with England, and runs for between the basin of the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The Atlantic Ocean borders the west coast and the North Sea is to the east. The island of Ireland lies only from the southwestern peninsula of Kintyre ; Norway is to the east and the Faroes , to the north.

The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the 1237 Treaty of York between Scotland and the Kingdom of England National Archives. Retrieved 21 November 2006. and the 1266 Treaty of Perth between Scotland and Norway.Mackie, J.D. (1969) A History of Scotland . London. Penguin. Important exceptions include the Isle of Man , which having been lost to England in the 14th century is now a crown dependency outside of the United Kingdom; the island groups Orkney and Shetland , which were acquired from Norway in 1472; and Berwick-upon-Tweed , lost to England in 1482.

The geographical centre of Scotland lies a few miles from the village of Newtonmore in Badenoch .See highlandhostel.co.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2007. Rising to above sea level, Scotland's highest point is the summit of Ben Nevis , in Lochaber , while Scotland's longest river, the River Tay , flows for a distance of .Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland . London. HarperCollins. Pages 734 and 930. Encarta. Retrieved 21 March 2008.

Geology and geomorphology

The whole of Scotland was covered by ice sheets during the Pleistocene ice ages and the landscape is much affected by glaciation . From a geological perspective the country has three main sub-divisions.

Highlands and islands

The Highlands and Islands lie to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault , which runs from Isle of Arran|Arran to Stonehaven . This part of Scotland largely comprises ancient rocks from the Cambrian and Precambrian , which were uplifted during the later Caledonian Orogeny . It is interspersed with igneous intrusions of a more recent age, the remnants of which have formed mountain massifs such as the Cairngorms and Skye Cuillins .

A significant exception to the above are the fossil-bearing beds of Old Red Sandstone s found principally along the Moray Firth coast. The Scottish Highlands|Highlands are generally mountainous and the highest elevations in the British Isles are found here. Scotland has over 790 islands, which are divided into four main groups: Shetland Islands|Shetland , Orkney Islands|Orkney , and the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides . There are numerous bodies of freshwater including Loch Lomond and Loch Ness . Some parts of the coastline consist of machair (geography)|machair , a low lying dune pasture land.

Central lowlands

The Central Lowlands is a rift valley mainly comprising Paleozoic formations. Many of these sediments have economic significance for it is here that the coal and iron bearing rocks that fuelled Scotland's industrial revolution are to be found. This area has also experienced intense volcanism , Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh|Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh being the remnant of a once much larger volcano. This area is relatively low-lying, although even here hills such as the Ochil Hills|Ochils and Campsie Fells are rarely far from view.

Southern uplands

The Southern Uplands are a range of hills almost long, interspersed with broad valleys. They lie south of a second fault (geology)|fault line (the Southern Uplands fault) that runs from Girvan to Dunbar . The geological foundations largely comprise Silurian deposits laid down some 4–500& nbsp;million years ago. The high point of the Southern Uplands is Merrick, Galloway|Merrick with an elevation of .Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland . London. HarperCollins.Murray, W.H. (1973) The Islands of Western Scotland . London. Eyre Methuen ISBN 978-0-413-30380-6Murray, W.H. (1968) The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland . London. Collins. ISBN 0-00-211135-7Johnstone, Scott et al. (1990) The Corbetts and Other Scottish Hills . Edinburgh. Scottish Mountaineering Trust. Page 9. The Southern Uplands is home to the UK's highest village, Wanlockhead ( above sea level).

Climate

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 has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, for example Labrador , Moscow, or the Kamchatka Peninsula on the opposite side of Eurasia . However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the coldest ever UK temperature of recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains (Scotland)|Grampian Mountains , on 11 February 1895. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2007. The same temperature was also recorded In Braemar on 10 January 1982 and at Altnaharra , Highland (council area)|Highland , on 30 December 1995. Winter maximums average in the lowlands, with summer maximums averaging . The highest temperature recorded was at Greycrook , Scottish Borders on 9 August 2003. Met Office. Retrieved 20 April 2010.

In general, the west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, owing to the influence of Atlantic ocean currents and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea . Tiree , in the Inner Hebrides , is one of the sunniest places in the country: it had more than 300 hours of sunshine in May 1975. Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall exceeding . Met Office. Retrieved 20 April 2010. In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than annually. Met Office. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude. Braemar experiences an average of 59 snow days per year, BBC.co.uk Retrieved 21 September 2007 while many coastal areas average fewer than 10 days of lying snow per annum.

Flora and fauna

Scotland's wildlife is typical of the north west of Europe, although several of the larger mammals such as the Eurasian Lynx|lynx , Eurasian Brown Bear|brown bear , Eurasian wolf|wolf , Moose|elk and walrus were hunted to extinction in historic times. There are important populations of pinniped|seals and internationally significant nesting grounds for a variety of seabird s such as Northern Gannet|gannet s. Frank Fraser Darling|Fraser Darling , F. & Boyd, J.M. (1969) Natural History in the Highlands and Islands. London. Bloomsbury. The golden eagle is something of a national icon.Benvie, Neil (2004) ''Scotland's Wildlife . London. Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-978-2 p. 12.

On the high mountain tops species including rock ptarmigan|ptarmigan , mountain hare and stoat can be seen in their white colour phase during winter months.(pdf) (2006) Cairngorms National Park Authority. Retrieved 14 October 2007. Remnants of the native Scots pine forest existPreston, C.D., Pearman, D.A., & Dines, T.D. (2002) New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora . Oxford University Press . and within these areas the Scottish crossbill , the UK's only endemism|endemic bird species and vertebrate , can be found alongside capercaillie , wildcat , red squirrel and pine marten .Gooders, J. (1994) Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Ireland . London. Kingfisher.Matthews, L.H. (1968) British Mammals . London. Bloomsbury. In recent years various animals have been re-introduced, including the White-tailed Eagle|white-tailed sea eagle in 1975, the red kite in the 1980s, RSPB. Retrieved 5 December 2009. and more recently there have been experimental projects involving the European beaver|beaver and wild boar .Ross, David (26 November 2009) "Wild Boar: our new eco warriors" The Herald. Glasgow.

The flora of the country is varied incorporating both deciduous and coniferous woodland and moorland and tundra species. However, large scale commercial tree planting and the management of upland moorland habitat for the grazing of sheep and commercial field sport activities impacts upon the distribution of indigenous (ecology)|indigenous plants and animals. (pdf) (September 1999) Scottish Natural Heritage . Retrieved 14 October 2007. The UK's tallest tree is a Abies grandis|grand fir planted beside Loch Fyne , Argyll in the 1870s, and the Fortingall Yew may be 5,000 years old and is probably the oldest living thing in Europe. Forestry Commission. Retrieved 24 June 2007. Forestry Commission. Retrieved 26 April 2008.Copping, Jasper (4 June 2011) London. The Telegraph . Retrieved 10 July 2011. Although the number of native vascular plant s is low by world standards, Scotland's substantial bryophyte flora is of global importance. SNH. Retrieved 14 May 2008. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh . Retrieved 15 May 2008.

Economy and infrastructure

De-industrialisation during the 1970s and 1980s saw a shift from a manufacturing focus towards a more Tertiary sector of economic activity|service -oriented economy. Edinburgh is the financial services centre of Scotland and the sixth largest financial centre in Europe in terms of funds under management, behind London, Paris, Frankfurt , Zurich and Amsterdam , with many large finance firms based there, including: Lloyds Banking Group (owners of the Halifax Bank of Scotland ); the Government owned Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Life .

In 2005, total Scottish exports (excluding intra-UK trade) were provisionally estimated to be £17.5& nbsp;billion, of which 70% (£12.2& nbsp;billion) were attributable to manufacturing. Scotland's primary exports include whisky , electronics and financial services. The United States, Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain constitute the country's major export markets. Scotland's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), including oil and gas produced in Scottish waters, was estimated at £137.5 billion for the calendar year 2009.

Tourism is widely recognised as a key contributor to the Scottish economy. A briefing published in 2002 by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, (SPICe), for the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Life Long Learning Committee, stated that tourism accounted for up to 5% of GDP and 7.5% of employment.

As of May 2009 the unemployment rate in Scotland stood at 6.6%— slightly lower than the UK average and lower than that of the majority of EU countries. The Scottish Government's most recent figures (for 2009/10) suggest that Scotland's finances are in a healthier state than for the UK as a whole, with Scotland contributing 9.4% of UK taxes but receiving 9.3% of public expenditure. The Herald, 22 June 2011

Currency

Although the Bank of England is the central bank for the UK, three Scottish clearing banks still issue their own Pound sterling|Sterling banknote s: the Bank of Scotland ; the Royal Bank of Scotland ; and the Clydesdale Bank . The current value of the Scottish banknotes in circulation is £1.5& nbsp;billion.

Transport

The Scottish motorways and major trunk roads are managed by Transport Scotland . The remainder of the road network is managed by the Scottish local authorities in each of their areas. Regular ferry services operate between the Scottish mainland and many Scottish island|islands . These ferries are mostly run by Caledonian MacBrayne , but some are operated by local councils. Other ferry routes, served by multiple companies, connect to Northern Ireland , Belgium, Norway, the Faroe Islands and also Iceland . Network Rail|Network Rail Infrastructure Limited owns and operates the fixed infrastructure assets of the railway system in Scotland, while the Scottish Government retains overall responsibility for rail strategy and funding in Scotland. Office of Rail Regulation . Retrieved on 2 November 2007. Scotland’s rail network has around 340 railway stations and 3000 kilometres of track. Over 62& nbsp;million passenger journeys are made each year. www.transportscotland.gov.uk Retrieved 10 July 2008

Scotland's rail network is managed by Transport Scotland . Transport Scotland. Retrieved 26 September 2007. The East Coast Main Line|East Coast and West Coast Main Line|West Coast main railway lines connect the major cities and towns of Scotland with each other and with the rail network in England. Domestic rail services within Scotland are operated by First ScotRail . During the time of British Rail the West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow Central was electrified in the early 1970s followed by the East Coast Main Line in the late 1980s. British Rail created the ScotRail brand. When British Rail existed many railway lines in Strathclyde were electrified with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive being at the forefront with the acclaimed: "The Largest electrified rail network outside London."

In addition, Glasgow has had a small integrated subway system since 1896. Completely gutted and modernised between 1977 and 1980, its 15 stations serve just under 40,000 passengers per day. There are plans to extensively refurbish the system in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games .

The East Coast Main Line crosses the Firth of Forth by the Forth Bridge (railway)|Forth Bridge . Completed in 1890, this cantilever bridge has been described as "the one internationally recognised Scottish landmark".Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland . London. HarperCollins.ISBN 0-00-255082-2

Demography

The population of Scotland in the 2001 Census was 5,062,011. This has risen to 5,222,100 according to June 2010 estimates. This would make Scotland the 113th largest List of countries by population|country by population if it were a sovereign state. Although Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland it is not the largest city. With a population of just over 584,000, this honour falls to Glasgow . The Greater Glasgow conurbation, with a population of almost 1.2& nbsp;million, is home to nearly a quarter of Scotland's population. rampantscotland.com Retrieved 26 September 2007.

The Central Belt is where most of the main towns and cities are located. Glasgow is to the west, while Edinburgh and Dundee lie on the east coast, with Perth, Scotland|Perth (its city status restored in 2012) lying 20 miles upstream on the River Tay from Dundee. Scotland's only major city outside the Central Belt is Aberdeen , on the east coast to the north. The Highlands are sparsely populated, although the city of Inverness has experienced rapid growth in recent years.

In general only the more accessible and larger islands retain human populations, and fewer than 90 are currently inhabited. The Southern Uplands are essentially rural in nature and dominated by agriculture and forestry.Clapperton, C.M. (ed) (1983) Scotland: A New Study . London. David & Charles.Miller, J. (2004) Inverness . Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 978-1-84158-296-2 Because of housing problems in Glasgow and Edinburgh, five New town#United Kingdom|new towns were created between 1947 and 1966. They are East Kilbride , Glenrothes , Livingston, West Lothian|Livingston , Cumbernauld , and Irvine, North Ayrshire|Irvine . BBC Scotland. Retrieved 24 July 2007.

Following immigration since World War II, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee have small South Asian communities. (2004)Urdustan.net. Retrieved 26 September 2007. Since the recent Enlargement of the European Union more people from Central Europe|Central and Eastern Europe have moved to Scotland, and it is estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 Poles now live there. The Pole Position (6 August 2005). Glasgow. Sunday Herald newspaper. As of 2001, there are 16,310 Overseas Chinese|ethnic Chinese residing in Scotland.Statistics Scottish Government. Retrieved 27 September 2007. The ethnic groups within Scotland are as follows: White, 97.99%; South Asian, 1.09%; Black, 0.16%; Mixed, 0.25%; Chinese, 0.32% and Other, 0.19%.

Scotland has three officially recognised languages: English, Scots language|Scots , and Scottish Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic . Almost all Scots speak Scottish Standard English , and in 1996, the General Register Office for Scotland estimated that 30% of the population are fluency|fluent in Scots language|Scots . Gaelic is mostly spoken in the Western Isles , where a large proportion of people still speak it; however, nationally its use is confined to just 1% of the population. The number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland dropped from 250,000 – 7% of the population – in 1881 to 60,000 today."". Scotsman.com. 16 September 2008.

There are many more people with Scottish ancestry living abroad than the total population of Scotland. In the 2000 Census, 9.2& nbsp;million Americans self-reported some degree of Scottish American|Scottish descent.The . The American Community Survey 2004 by the US Census Bureau estimates 5,752,571 people claiming Scottish ancestry and 5,323,888 people claiming Ulster-Scots|Scotch-Irish ancestry. Ulster 's Protestant population is mainly of lowland Scottish descent,"". American Heritage Magazine . December 1970. Volume 22, Issue 1. and it is estimated that there are more than 27& nbsp;million descendants of the Ulster Scots people|Scots-Irish migration now living in the U.S. In Canada, the Scottish-Canadian community accounts for 4.7& nbsp;million people. gives a total of 4,719,850 respondents stating their ethnic origin as Scottish. About 20% of the original European settler population of New Zealand came from Scotland.Linguistic Archaeology: The Scottish Input to New Zealand English Phonology Trudgill et al. Journal of English Linguistics.2003; 31: 103–124

Education

The Scottish education system has always remained distinct from that of the rest of United Kingdom, with a characteristic emphasis on a Liberal education|broad education . Scotland was the first country since Sparta in classical Greece to implement a system of general public education . Schooling was made compulsory for the first time in Scotland with the Education Act 1496|Education Act of 1496 ; then, in 1561, the Church of Scotland set out a national programme for spiritual reform, including a school in every parish. Education continued to be a matter for the church rather than the state until the Elementary Education Act 1870|Education Act (1872) ."Schools and schooling" in M. Lynch (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Scottish History , (Oxford, 2001), pp. 561–563.

The " Curriculum for Excellence " provides the curricular framework for children and young people from age 3 to 18. All 3- and 4-year-old children in Scotland are entitled to a free nursery place. Formal primary education begins at approximately 5 years old and lasts for 7 years (P1–P7); today, children in Scotland study Standard Grades , or more recently Intermediate 1|Intermediate qualifications between the ages of 14 and 16. 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 qualifications. A small number of students at certain private, Independent school (UK)|independent schools may follow the Education in England|English system and study towards GCSE s and Advanced Level (UK)|A and Advanced Level (UK)|AS-Levels instead. Scottish Council of Independent Schools. Retrieved 26 September 2007.

There are 15 Scottish universities , some of which are amongst the List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest in the world . These include the University of St Andrews , the University of Glasgow , the University of Aberdeen , the University of Edinburgh , Heriot-Watt University , Robert Gordon University , and the University of Dundee —many of which are ranked amongst the best in the UK. The country produces 1% of the world's Academic publishing|published research with less than 0.1% of the world's population, and higher education institutions account for 9% of Scotland's service sector exports.
Scotland's University Courts are the only bodies in Scotland authorised to award degrees.

Scotland's Universities are complemented in the provision of Further and Higher Education by 43 Colleges. Colleges offer National Certificates, Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas. These Group Awards, alongside Scottish Vocational Qualifications, aim to ensure that Scotland's population has the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the workplace.

Scotland's regulatory body for qualifications is SQA Accreditation. Scotland's Qualifications are mapped on the SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework). The SCQF provides a language to help understand the complexity and size of qualifications, ranging from Access 1 (SCQF Level 1) to Doctorates (SCQF Level 12).

Religion

Just over two-thirds (67%) of the Scottish population reported having a religion in 2001, with Christianity representing all but 2% of these. scotland.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2008. By contrast, 28% of the population reported having no religious adherence.

Since the Scottish Reformation of 1560, the national church (the Church of Scotland , also known as Kirk|The Kirk ) has been Protestant and Reformed theology|Reformed in theology. Since 1689 it has had a Presbyterian system of church government, and enjoys independence from the state. About 12% of the population are currently members of the Church of Scotland, with 40% claiming affinity. The Church operates a territorial parish structure, with every community in Scotland having a local congregation.

Scotland also has a significant Roman Catholic Church in Scotland|Roman Catholic population, 19% claiming that faith, particularly in the west.Andrew Collier, "Scotland's Confident Catholics," The Tablet 10 January 2009, 16. After the Reformation, Roman Catholicism in Scotland continued in the Scottish Highlands|Highlands and some western islands like Uist and Barra , and it was strengthened during the 19th century by immigration from Ireland. Other Christian denominations in Scotland include the Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)|Free Church of Scotland , various other Presbyterian offshoots, and the Scottish Episcopal Church .

Islam is the largest non-Christian religion (estimated at around 40,000, which is less than 0.9% of the population), and there are also significant History of the Jews in Scotland|Jewish , Hinduism in Scotland|Hindu and Sikh communities, especially in Glasgow. The Samyé Ling monastery near Eskdalemuir , which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, includes the largest Buddhism|Buddhist temple in western Europe. The Buddhist Channel. Retrieved 24 June 2007.

Health care

Healthcare in Scotland is mainly provided by NHS Scotland , Scotland's public health care system. This was founded by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 (later repealed by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978) that took effect on 5 July 1948 to coincide with the launch of the NHS in England and Wales. However, even prior to 1948, half of Scotland's landmass was already covered by state funded health care, provided by the Highlands and Islands Medical Service . www.60yearsofnhsscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2008.

As at September 2009, NHS Scotland employed 168,976 staff including 68,681 nurses and midwives. In addition, there were 16,256 medical staff (including GPs), 5,002 dental staff (including dental support) and 11,777 allied health professions|allied health profession staff. NHS Scotland The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well Being is responsible to the Scottish Parliament for the work of NHS Scotland.

Military

Although Scotland has a long military tradition that predates the Treaty of Union with England, its armed force s now form part of the British Armed Forces , with the notable exception of the Atholl Highlanders , Europe's only legal private army. In 2006, the infantry regiments of the Scottish Division were amalgamated to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland . Other distinctively Scottish regiments in the British Army include the Scots Guards , the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Scottish Transport Regiment , a Territorial Army Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps .

Because of their topography and perceived remoteness, parts of Scotland have housed many sensitive defence establishments, with mixed public feelings.The large number of military bases in Scotland has led some to use the euphemism "Fortress Scotland". See Spaven, Malcolm (1983) Fortress Scotland . London. Pluto Press in association with Scottish CND. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2007. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2007. Between 1960 and 1991, the Holy Loch was a base for the U.S. fleet of Polaris ballistic missile|Polaris ballistic missile submarine s. Argyll online. Retrieved 29 July 2007. Today, Her Majesty's Naval Base HMNB Clyde|Clyde , north west of Glasgow, is the base for the four Trident missiles|Trident -armed Vanguard class submarine| Vanguard class ballistic missile submarine s that comprise the Nuclear weapons and the United Kingdom|UK's nuclear deterrent . Scapa Flow was the major British Grand Fleet|Fleet base for the Royal Navy until 1956.

Two frontline Royal Air Force bases are also located in Scotland. These are RAF Leuchars and RAF Lossiemouth , the last of which is the most northerly air defence fighter aircraft|fighter base in the United Kingdom. A third, RAF Kinloss will be closed as an RAF unit in 2013–14. RAF Leuchars is due to be turned into an army barracks, ending the RAF's connection in Fife ., The Herald , 18 July 2011, Kate Devlin and Michael Settle

The only open-air live depleted uranium weapons test range in the British Isles is located near Dundrennan Range|Dundrennan . BBC Scotland News , 21 February 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2006. As a result, over 7,000 radioactive munitions lie on the seabed of the Solway Firth . Parliament of the United Kingdom: Science and Technology Committee—Debates 7 February 2001. Hansard. Retrieved 26 September 2007

Culture

Scottish music is a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument is the Great Highland Bagpipe , a wind instrument consisting of three drones and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. Pipe Band|Bagpipe band s, featuring bagpipes and various types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, have spread throughout the world. The clàrsach (harp), Musical styles (violin)#Fiddle|fiddle and accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, the latter two heavily featured in Scottish country dance bands. Today, there are many successful Scottish bands and individual artists in varying styles including Runrig , Susan Boyle and Texas (band)|Texas .

Scotland has a literary heritage dating back to the early Middle Ages. The earliest extant literature composed in what is now Scotland was in Brythonic languages|Brythonic speech in the 6th century, but is preserved as part of Welsh-language literature|Welsh literature .R. T. Lambdin and L. C. Lambdin, Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature (London: Greenwood, 2000), ISBN 0-313-30054-2, p. 508. Later medieval literature included works in Latin,I. Brown, T. Owen Clancy, M. Pittock, S. Manning, eds, The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: From Columba to the Union, until 1707 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007), ISBN 0-7486-1615-2, p. 94. Gaelic,J. T. Koch, Celtic Culture: a Historical Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO, 2006), ISBN 1-85109-440-7, p. 999. Old EnglishE. M. Treharne, Old and Middle English c.890-c.1400: an Anthology (Wiley-Blackwell, 2004), ISBN 1-4051-1313-8, p. 108. and French.M. Fry, Edinburgh (London: Pan Macmillan, 2011), ISBN 0-330-53997-3. The first surviving major text in Early Scots is the 14th century poet John Barbour (poet)|John Barbour 's epic The Brus|Brus , focusing on the life of Robert I,N. Jayapalan, History of English Literature (Atlantic, 2001), ISBN 81-269-0041-5, p. 23. and was soon followed by a series of vernacular romances and prose works.J. Wormald, Court, Kirk, and Community: Scotland, 1470–1625 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1991), ISBN 0-7486-0276-3, pp. 60–7. In the 16th century the crown's patronage helped the development of Scots drama and poetry,I. Brown, T. Owen Clancy, M. Pittock, S. Manning, eds, The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: From Columba to the Union, until 1707 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007), ISBN 0-7486-1615-2, pp. 256–7. but the accession of James VI to the English throne removed a major centre of literary patronage and Scots was sidelined as a literary language.R. D. S. Jack, "Poetry under King James VI", in C. Cairns, ed., The History of Scottish Literature (Aberdeen University Press, 1988), vol. 1, ISBN 0-08-037728-9, pp. 137–8. Interest in Scots literature was revived in the 18th century by figures including James Macpherson , whose Ossian|Ossian Cycle made him the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation and was a major influence on the European Enlightenment. It was also a major influence on Robert Burns , considered by many to be the national poet, and Walter Scott , whose Waverley Novels did much to define Scottish identity in the 19th century. Towards the end of the Victorian era a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations as writers in English, including Robert Louis Stevenson , Arthur Conan Doyle , J. M. Barrie and George MacDonald . In the 20th century the Scottish Renaissance saw a surge of literary activity and attempts to reclaim the Scots language as a medium for serious literature. Members of the movement were followed by a new generation of post-war poets including Edwin Morgan (poet)|Edwin Morgan , who would be appointed the first Scots Makar by the inaugural Scottish government in 2004. From the 1980s Scottish literature enjoyed another major revival, particularly associated with a group of Glasgow writers including Irvine Welsh . Scottish poets who emerged in the same period included Carol Ann Duffy , who was named as the first Scot to be UK Poet Laureate in May 2009.

Scottish theatre has for many years played an important role in Scottish society, from the music hall variety of Sir Harry Lauder and his contemporaries to the more serious plays put on at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and many other theatres throughout Scotland.
Television in Scotland is largely the same as UK-wide broadcasts, however the national broadcaster is BBC Scotland , a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation , the publicly funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It runs three national Scottish television stations|television stations , and the national radio stations, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio nan Gaidheal , amongst others. Scotland also has some Gaelic broadcasting in Scotland|programming in the Gaelic language . BBC Alba is the national Gaelic-language channel. The main Scottish commercial television station is STV (TV network)|STV . National List of Scottish newspapers|newspapers such as the Daily Record (Scotland)| Daily Record , The Herald (Glasgow)| The Herald , and The Scotsman are all produced in Scotland. Important regional dailies include the Edinburgh Evening News|Evening News in Edinburgh ' 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 is represented at the Celtic Media Festival , which showcases film and television from the Celtic countries. Scottish entrants have won many awards since the festival began in 1980.

As one of the Celtic nations , Scotland and Scottish culture is represented at interceltic events at home and over the world. Scotland hosts several music festivals including Celtic Connections (Glasgow), and the Hebridean Celtic Festival (Stornoway). Festivals celebrating Celtic culture, such as Festival Interceltique de Lorient ( Brittany ), the Pan Celtic Festival (Ireland), and the National Celtic Festival ( Portarlington, Victoria|Portarlington , Australia), feature elements of Scottish culture such as language, music and dance.

Sport

Sport in Scotland|Sport is an important element in Scottish culture, with the country hosting many of its own national sporting competitions. It enjoys independent representation at many international sporting events including the FIFA World Cup , the Rugby Union World Cup , the Rugby League World Cup , the Cricket World Cup and the Commonwealth Games , but not at the Olympic Games where Scottish athletes are part of the Great Britain at the Olympics|Great Britain team . Scotland has its own national sport governing body|governing bodies , such as the Scottish Football Association (the second oldest national football association in the world)Soccer in South Asia: Empire, Nation, Diaspora. By James Mills, Paul Dimeo: Page 18 – Oldest Football Association is England's FA, then Scotland and third oldest is the Indian FA. and the Scottish Rugby Union . Variations of football have been played in Scotland for centuries with the earliest reference dating back to 1424. Association football is now the most popular sport and the Scottish Cup is the world's oldest national trophy.

Scotland contested the first ever international football game in 1872, a 0–0 draw against England. The match took place at Hamilton Crescent , Glasgow, home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club . Scottish clubs have been successful in European competitions with Celtic F.C.|Celtic winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup|European Cup in 1967, Rangers F.C.|Rangers and Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 and 1983 respectively, and Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen also winning the UEFA Super Cup in 1983. Dundee United have also made it to a European final, reaching the UEFA Cup Final in 1987, but losing on aggregate 2-1 to IFK Göteborg . The Fife town of St. Andrews is known internationally as the Home of golf Keay (1994) op cit page 839. "In 1834 the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews|Royal and Ancient Golf Club declared St. Andrews 'the Alma Mater of golf'". and to many golfers the Old Course at St Andrews|Old Course , an ancient links (golf)|links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage.Cochrane, Alistair (ed) Science and Golf IV: proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf . Page 849. Routledge. There are many other famous Golf in Scotland|golf courses in Scotland , including Carnoustie Golf Links|Carnoustie , Gleneagles, Scotland|Gleneagles , Muirfield (Scotland)|Muirfield , and Royal Troon . Other distinctive features of the national sporting culture include the Highland games , curling and Shinty , which, given its arrival with the Gaelic language and the original Scottish culture from Ireland, can claim to be Scotland's national sport. Scotland played host to the Commonwealth Games in 1970 British Commonwealth Games|1970 and 1986 Commonwealth Games|1986 , and will do so again in 2014 Commonwealth Games|2014 with Glasgow the host city.

National symbols

Although there is no official National anthem of Scotland , Flower of Scotland is played on special occasions and sporting events such as football and rugby matches involving the Scotland national teams and as of 2010 is also played at the Commonwealth Games after it was voted the overwhelming favourite by participating Scottish athletes. Other less popular candidates for the National Anthem of Scotland include Scotland the Brave , Highland Cathedral , Scots Wha Hae and '' A Man's A Man for A' That .

St Andrew's Day , 30 November, is the national day , although Burns' Night tends to be more widely observed, particularly outside Scotland. Tartan Day is a recent innovation from Canada. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament passed the St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007 , designating the day to be an official bank holiday . Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 22 September 2007.

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