Fast Facts

- Part of the UK
- Capitol is Edinburgh
- Speaks - English, Gaelic, Scots
- Stereotype - Red Hair, Pale Skin, Eating Haggis and Deep Fried Mars Bars while in Kilts
- Flag - blue with a white St Andrews Cross
- Patron Saint - Saint Andrew

History Of Scotland

The history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age. Of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age civilization that existed in the country, many artifacts remain, but few written records were left behind.

The written history of Scotland largely begins with the arrival of the Roman Empire in Britain, when the Romans occupied what is now broadly England and Wales, administering it as a Roman province called Britannia. To the north was territory not governed by the Romans — Caledonia, by name. Its people were the Picts. From a classical historical viewpoint Scotland seemed a peripheral country, slow to gain advances filtering out from the Mediterranean fount of civilisation, but as knowledge of the past increases it has become apparent that some developments were earlier and more advanced than previously thought, and that the seaways were very important to Scottish history.

Tourist Attractions

The Castles: Culzean Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Sirling Castle
Monuments: Wallace Monuments
The Green Countryside
Mountains: Ben Nevis, Goatfell
Parliament Building (Hollyrood)
Glasgow Science Centre

Scotland consists of over 790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.

Banking in Scotland also features unique characteristics. Although the Bank of England remains the central bank for the UK Government, three Scottish corporate banks still issue their own banknotes: the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank. These notes have no status as legal tender, (although they can be used throughout the UK, particularly in Northern Ireland, where Irish banks also issue their own banknotes) and they are also freely accepted in the Channel Islands. In Scotland, neither they nor the Bank of England's notes rank as legal tender (as Scots law lacks the concept), however banknotes issued by any of the four banks meet with common acceptance.

Sports

Scotland has many national sporting associations, such as the Scottish Football Association (SFA) or the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU). This gives the country independent representation at many international sporting events such as the football World Cup. Scotland cannot compete in the Olympic Games independently however, and Scottish athletes must compete as part of the Great Britain team if they wish to take part. Scotland does however send its own team to compete in the Commonwealth Games. Scotland also has its own sporting competitions distinct from the rest of the UK. The main football competitions and leagues are organised by the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. Teams in the Highland Football League, the East of Scotland Football League and the South of Scotland Football League also compete in the Scottish Cup, while those in the Scottish Junior Football Association are outwith that structure. Scottish football clubs compete in international competitions, such as the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. Scotland also is home to WBO champion Alex Arthur The Scottish Rugby Union are responsible for that sport, whose main competition is the BT Premier League. Regional Scottish rugby clubs also compete in the Celtic League, along with teams from Ireland and Wales and in the Heineken Cup, the European League for Rugby Union. Scotland is considered the "Home of Golf", and is well known for its courses. As well as its world famous Highland Games (athletic competitions), it is also the home of curling, and shinty, a stick game similar to Ireland's hurling. Scottish cricket is a minority game .

Media

Scotland has distinct media from the rest of the UK. For example, it produces many national newspapers such as the Daily Record (Scotland's leading tabloid), the broadsheet The Herald, based in Glasgow, and The Scotsman in Edinburgh Sunday newspapers include the tabloid Sunday Mail (published by Daily Record parent company Trinity Mirror and the Sunday Post, while the Sunday Herald and Scotland on Sunday have associations with The Herald and The Scotsman respectively.

Scotland has its own BBC services which include the national radio stations, BBC Radio Scotland and Scottish Gaelic language service, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal. There are also a number of BBC and independent local radio stations throughout the country. In addition to radio, BBC Scotland also runs two national television stations. Much of the output of BBC Scotland Television, such as news and current affairs programmes, and the Glasgow-based soap opera, River City, are intended for broadcast within Scotland, while others, such as drama and comedy programmes, aim at audiences throughout the UK and further afield.

Two Independent Television stations, STV and Border, also broadcast in Scotland. Most of the independent television output equates to that transmitted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the exception of news and current affairs, sport, comedy, cultural and Scottish Gaelic language programming.

Tele-G is the only Gaelic language, broadcasting UK wide on the Freeview platform every night between 6pm and 7pm on Channel 8.

The Gaelic Digital Service is due to begin broadcasting in Summer 2008 after being given the go-ahead by the BBC

Food And Drink

Although the Deep fried Mars bar is jokingly said to exemplify the modern Scottish diet, Scottish cuisine offers such traditional dishes as haggis, Buccleuch Scotch beef, the Arbroath Smokie, salmon, venison, cranachan, bannock, Scotch Broth and shortbread.

Scotland is also known for its Scotch whisky and its distilleries, as well as for Scottish beer.