Scotland

Scotland is also a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Look at the map below and notice where the lowlands and highlands are located. You can click on the map to make it larger.

A map of Scotland

The climate of most of Scotland is temperate and oceanic and tends to be very changeable. As it is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, it has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, such as Labrador, southern Scandinavia, and the Moscow region in Russia. However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK.

VisitScotland: A Guide to Weather in Scotland

Instead of trying to summarize Scotland’s history, let’s watch a video about it instead. 😉

Overly Sarcastic Productions: History Summarized: Scotland
Note: There is a curse word bleeped out in this video.

The previous video mentions the Outlaw King movie. Here’s the trailer for it. Note: There is a bit of violence, so make sure there aren’t any little eyes around.

Outlaw King | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

In the quest to become a nation-state unto itself, in 1997 Scotland received permission to create its own parliament to govern local affairs.

The Scottish Highlands provide for livestock production, and the central Scottish Lowlands are favorable for agriculture.

Rick Steves’ Europe: Scotland’s Highlands
This video is 25 minutes long, so it’s optional.

The North Sea has extensive oil resources. With resources such as these, Scotland is in a position to gain wealth and support its small population of about five million people. As an early export product, scotch whisky has profited many whisky marketers and has become the largest export product of Scotland. Scotland benefited and gained wealth during the Industrial Revolution. As a part of an island, early shipbuilding produced ships that brought about trade and development that coincided with European colonialism.

Postindustrial activities have become a focus of the current economy. High-tech computer industries have concentrated in Silicon Glen, an information-age industrial sector that lies between Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, and its capital of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh, Scotland

With natural resources and postindustrial opportunities, Scotland is in a good position to compete in the global economic community. Scotland attracts a healthy tourism market with its Highlands and many castles. Kilts and bagpipes are a part of Scottish history and often distinguish themselves as a part of the region’s heritage. The game of golf originated in Scotland and is still popular today.

Scotland has three officially recognized languages: English, Scots, and Scottish Gaelic.

Scottish Gaelic: Explained

Learn Gaelic for free!

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. Bagpipe bands, featuring bagpipes and various types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, have spread throughout the world.

Scotland’s natural larder of game, dairy products, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the chief factor in traditional Scottish cooking, with a high reliance on simplicity and minimal seasoning, without the rare and historically expensive spices found abroad. Here are some examples of traditional Scottish foods:

Rumbledethumps is a traditional dish of potato, cabbage, and onion.
Haggis is a savory pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach though now often in an artificial casing instead.
Neeps and tatties
Neeps (rutabaga) and tatties (potato) –
Bannock is a flat quick bread.

Scotland’s wildlife is typical of the north-west of Europe, although several of the larger mammals such as the lynx, brown bear, wolf, elk and walrus were hunted to extinction in historic times. The Scottish wildcat is listed as Critically Endangered and lives in mixed woodland areas.

Scottish wildcat and kitten
Scottish wildcat and kitten – The Scottish wildcat differs from a domestic cat by its heavier, more robust skull and longer limb-bones. It is also larger in body size, but with a shorter gastrointestinal tract.

Let’s move on to the last part of the British Isles!

Key Takeaways:

✎ United with England in 1707, Scotland has been integrated into the United Kingdom while keeping its separate heritage and culture.
✎ Scotland received permission to create its own parliament to govern local affairs in 1997.
✎ Scotland is in a position to gain wealth and support its small population of about five million people thanks to extensive oil reserves.
✎ Scotland has three officially recognized languages: English, Scots, and Scottish Gaelic.

Next: Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland

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Image and additional information credits:

Robert the Bruce info
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce
William Wallace info
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace
Edinburgh
CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=585612
Scotland map
By Eric Gaba, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3217118
Pictland
By Finn (the uploader) – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northumbria_802.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22503132
Scottish wildcat
By Peter Trimming – Scottish wildcatsUploaded by Mariomassone, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18462144
Scottish cuisine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_cuisine
Haggis
By Tess Watson – https://www.flickr.com/photos/tessawatson/369389063, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52429978
Neeps and tatties
By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30801011
Rumbledethumps
By Glane23 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11319287
Bannock
By Lou Sander – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5220449

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