Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a 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 and Irish Sea to the...

(Gaelic

Scottish Gaelic language

Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....

: Alba

Alba

Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...

) is a country

Country

A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...

 that is part of

Countries of the United Kingdom

Countries of the United Kingdom is a term used to describe England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These four countries together form the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is also described as a country. The alternative terms, constituent...

 the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, it shares a border

Anglo-Scottish border

The Anglo-Scottish border is the official border and mark of entry between Scotland and England. It runs for 154 km between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. It is Scotland's only land border...

 with England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 to the south and is bounded by the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

 to the east, the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 to the north and west, and the North Channel

North Channel (British Isles)

The North Channel is the strait which separates eastern Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland...

 and Irish Sea

Irish Sea

The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...

 to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islands including the Northern Isles

Northern Isles

The Northern Isles is a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The climate is cool and temperate and much influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main island groups: Shetland and Orkney...

 and the Hebrides

Hebrides

The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...

.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Scotland:

General reference

• Pronunciation: ˈskɒtlənd
• Etymology of "Scotland"
  Etymology of Scotland
  Scotland is a countrythat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain and forms part of the United Kingdom.The name of Scotland is derived from the Latin Scoti, the term applied to Gaels. The origin of the word Scoti is uncertain...
  
  
• Common English country name(s): Scotland
  Scotland
  Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a 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 and Irish Sea to the...
  
  
• Official English country name(s): Scotland
  Scotland
  Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a 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 and Irish Sea to the...
  
  
• Common endonym(s): Alba
  Alba
  Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
  
  
• Official endonym(s):
• Adjectival(s): Scottish, Scots, Scotch
• Demonym(s): Scottish, Scots
  Scottish people
  The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
  
  

Geography of Scotland

Main article: Geography of Scotland

Geography of Scotland

The geography of Scotland is highly varied, from rural lowlands to barren uplands, and from large cities to uninhabited islands. Located in north-west Europe, Scotland comprises the northern one third of the island of Great Britain...

• Scotland is: a constituent country
  Constituent country
  Constituent country is a phrase sometimes used in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity. The term constituent country does not have any defined legal meaning, and is used simply to refer to a country which is a part Constituent country is a phrase sometimes used in contexts...
  
   of the United Kingdom
  United Kingdom
  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
  
  . See Countries of the United Kingdom
  Countries of the United Kingdom
  Countries of the United Kingdom is a term used to describe England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These four countries together form the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is also described as a country. The alternative terms, constituent...
  
  .
• Population of Scotland: 5,168,000 (2008 est)
• Area of Scotland: 78 772 km² (30,414 square miles), roughly 30% of the area of the United Kingdom (UK)
• Places in Scotland
• Atlas of Scotland

Location

• Scotland is situated within the following regions
  • Atlantic Ocean
    Atlantic Ocean
    The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
    
    
  • Northern Hemisphere
    Northern Hemisphere
    The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
    
    , on the Prime Meridian
    Prime Meridian
    The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
    
    
  • Eurasia
    Eurasia
    Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
    
     (but not on the mainland
    Mainland
    Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
    
    )
    • Europe
      Europe
      Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
      
      
      • Northern Europe
        Northern Europe
        Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
        
         and Western Europe
        Western Europe
        Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
        
        
        • British Isles
          British Isles
          The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
          
          
          • Great Britain
            Great Britain
            Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
            
             (the northern third of the island)
          • Several hundred other Islands of Scotland
  • Extreme points of Scotland
    Extreme points of Scotland
    This is a list of the extreme points and extreme elevations in Scotland.The northernmost and westernmost points of Scotland coincide with those of the UK .-General:...
    
    

Environment of Scotland

• Climate of Scotland
  Climate of Scotland
  The climate of Scotland is temperate , and tends to be very changeable, but rarely extreme. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, and given its northerly latitude it is much warmer than areas on similar latitudes, for example Labrador in Canada—where the sea freezes over in winter and...
  
  
  • Climate change in Scotland
    Climate change in Scotland
    The mitigation of anthropogenic climate change in the nation of Scotland is a matter for the devolved Scottish Parliament.- Greenhouse gas emissions :...
    
    
• Ecology of Scotland
  • Ecoregions in Scotland
  • Renewable energy in Scotland
    Renewable energy in Scotland
    The production of renewable energy in Scotland is an issue that has come to the fore in technical, economic, and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century. The natural resource base for renewables is extraordinary by European, and even global standards...
    
    
• Geology of Scotland
  Geology of Scotland
  The geology of Scotland is unusually varied for a country of its size, with a large number of differing geological features. There are three main geographical sub-divisions: the Highlands and Islands is a diverse area which lies to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault; the Central...
  
  
• Protected areas of Scotland
  • Biosphere reserves in Scotland
  • National parks of Scotland
• Wildlife of Scotland
  • Flora of Scotland
    Flora of Scotland
    The flora of Scotland is an assemblage of native plant species including over 1,600 vascular plants, more than 1,500 lichens and nearly 1,000 bryophytes. The total number of vascular species is low by world standard but lichens and bryophytes are abundant and the latter form a population of global...
    
    
  • Fauna of Scotland
    Fauna of Scotland
    The fauna of Scotland is generally typical of the northwest European part of the Palearctic ecozone, although several of the country's larger mammals were hunted to extinction in historic times and human activity has also led to various species of wildlife being introduced...
    
    
    • Birds of Scotland
    • Mammals of Scotland
• Domesticated breeds

Natural geographic features of Scotland

• • Firths
  • Sea lochs
• Glaciers of Scotland
• Islands of Scotland
  • Hebrides
    Hebrides
    The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
    
    
    • Inner Hebrides
      Inner Hebrides
      The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
      
      
    • Outer Hebrides
      Outer Hebrides
      The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
      
      
  • Orkney Islands
    Orkney Islands
    Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
    
    
  • Shetland Islands
    Shetland Islands
    Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
    
    
  • Islands of the Clyde
    Islands of the Clyde
    The Islands of the Firth of Clyde are the fifth largest of the major Scottish island groups after the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. They are situated in the Firth of Clyde between Ayrshire and Argyll. There are about forty islands and skerries, of which only six are inhabited and...
    
    
  • Islands of the Forth
    Islands of the Forth
    The Islands of the Forth are a minor island group to the east of Scotland. The open waters of the Firth of Forth lie between Fife and the Lothians and contain most of the islands. The majority lie east of city of Edinburgh although two are to the west and two more lie in the estuary of the River...
    
    
  • List of freshwater islands of Scotland
• Lochs of Scotland
• Mountains and hills of Scotland
  Mountains and hills of Scotland
  Scotland is the most mountainous country in the United Kingdom. The area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault is known as the Highlands, and contains the country's main mountain ranges. Scotland's mountain ranges, in a rough north to south direction are: The Highlands & Islands, The Hills...
  
  
  • List of Munros
  • Volcanoes in Scotland
• Rivers of Scotland
  • Waterfalls of Scotland
• Valleys of Scotland
• World Heritage Sites in Scotland

Regions of Scotland

• Central Belt
  Central Belt
  The Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless situated at the 'waist' of Scotland on a conventional map and the term 'central' is used in many local...
  
  
• Scottish Midlands
• Scottish Highlands
  Scottish Highlands
  The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
  
  
• Scottish Lowlands
  Scottish Lowlands
  The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
  
  
• Scottish Borders
  Scottish Borders
  The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
  
  
• Galloway
  Galloway
  Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
  
  
• Northern Isles
  Northern Isles
  The Northern Isles is a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The climate is cool and temperate and much influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main island groups: Shetland and Orkney...
  
  

Ecoregions of Scotland

Main article: Ecoregions in Scotland

Administrative divisions of Scotland

Main article: Administrative divisions of Scotland

• Council areas of Scotland
  • Civil parishes in Scotland
    • Municipalities of Scotland
• Unitary authorities of Scotland

Municipalities of Scotland

• Capital of Scotland: Capital of Scotland
• Cities in Scotland
• Towns in Scotland

Government and politics of Scotland

Main article: Government of Scotland

Government of Scotland

Prior to 1707, the Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state, governed by the monarch, the privy council, and the parliament. As a result of the Treaty of Union agreed in 1706, the Parliaments of England and Scotland each passed Acts of Union to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.-History:Between...

 and Politics of Scotland

Politics of Scotland

The Politics of Scotland forms a distinctive part of the wider politics of Europe.Theoretically, the United Kingdom is de jure a "unitary state" with one sovereign parliament and government...

• Form of government
  Form of government
  A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
  
  :
• Capital of Scotland: Edinburgh
• Elections in Scotland
  Elections in Scotland
  Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils.-Scottish Parliament:...
  
  
  • Electoral systems in Scotland
    Electoral systems in Scotland
    Various electoral systems are now used in Scotland. Historically, First Past the Post had been used in most types of elections, but pressure for change has gradually seen the introduction of different systems, especially towards the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st...
    
    
• List of political parties in Scotland
• Pressure Groups in Scotland
  Pressure groups in Scotland
  Due to Scotland having a distinct cultural and political identity, as well as a separate legal system , a number of pressure groups have formed that organise in Scotland alone as well as others that are closely linked to pressure groups that operate across the United Kingdom.Please add links to the...
  
  
• Scottish independence
  Scottish independence
  Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
  
  
  • Fiscal autonomy
  • National Conversation
    National Conversation
    The National Conversation was the name given to the Scottish Government's public consultation exercise regarding possible future changes in the power of the devolved Scottish Parliament and the possibility of Scottish independence, a policy objective of the Scottish National Party, who at the time...
    
    
• Scotland Office
  Scotland Office
  The Scotland Office is a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs...
  
   (Department of UK Government)
  • Secretary of State for Scotland
    Secretary of State for Scotland
    The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
    
    
• Taxation in Scotland

Branches of the devolved government of Scotland

• History of Scottish devolution
  History of Scottish devolution
  The decision of the Parliament of Scotland to ratify the Treaty of Union in 1707 was not unanimous and from that time, individuals and organizations have advocated the return of a Scottish Parliament. Some have argued for devolution - a Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom - whereas others...
  
  

Executive

• Head of government
  Head of government
  Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
  
  : First Minister of Scotland
  First Minister of Scotland
  The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
  
  
• Scottish Government

Legislative

• Scottish Parliament
  Scottish Parliament
  The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
  
  
  • List of Acts of the Scottish Parliament from 1999

Judicial

• Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
  Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
  The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
  
  
• Courts of Scotland
  Courts of Scotland
  The civil, criminal and heraldic Courts of Scotland are responsible for the administration of justice. They are constituted and governed by Scots law....
  
  
  • List of courts in Scotland
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
  Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
  The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by Her Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution,...
  
  
• Faculty of Advocates
  Faculty of Advocates
  The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
  
  
• Lord Advocate
  Lord Advocate
  Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
  
  
• Lord President of the Court of Session
  Lord President of the Court of Session
  The Lord President of the Court of Session is head of the judiciary in Scotland, and presiding judge of the College of Justice and Court of Session, as well as being Lord Justice General of Scotland and head of the High Court of Justiciary, the offices having been combined in 1836...
  
  
• Procurator Fiscal
  Procurator Fiscal
  A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They...
  
  
• Solicitor General for Scotland
  Solicitor General for Scotland
  Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
  
  

Law and order in Scotland

• Capital punishment in Scotland: There has been a history of capital punishment but it is not used now.
• Human rights in Scotland
  • Freedom of religion in Scotland
  • LGBT rights in Scotland
    LGBT rights in Scotland
    LGBT rights in Scotland have advanced in the late 20th and in the early years of the 21st century, though less quickly than in England and Wales....
    
    
• Law enforcement in Scotland
  • Scottish Police Federation
    Scottish Police Federation
    The Scottish Police Federation is an organisation representing Police Officers in Scotland. It has approximately 16,000 members across the eight Scottish police forces. It campaigns on issues that affect pay and conditions though police officers are not allowed to strike. The Scottish Police...
    
    
  • Scottish Prison Service
    Scottish Prison Service
    The Scottish Prison Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked with managing prisons in Scotland...
    
    
    • Prison population of Scotland
• Manrent
  Manrent
  Manrent refers to a Scottish mid 15th century to the early 17th century type of contract, usually military in nature and involving Scottish clans...
  
  
• Marriage in Scotland
  Marriage in Scotland
  Marriage in Scotland is between a man and a woman. Civil partnerships became available to same-sex couples in December 2005 and grant rights and responsibilities identical to civil marriage.-Eligibility:...
  
  
• Rights of way in Scotland
  Rights of way in Scotland
  In Scotland a right of way is defined as any defined route over which the public has been able to pass unhindered for at least 20 years. The route must link two "public places", such as villages, churches or roads. Unlike in England and Wales there is no obligation on Scottish local authorities to...
  
  
• Udal law
  Udal Law
  Udal law is a near-defunct Norse derived legal system, which is found in Shetland and Orkney, Scotland and in Manx law at the Isle of Man. It is closely related to Odelsrett....
  
  

Military of Scotland

Main article: Military of Scotland

Military of Scotland

Historically, Scotland has a long military tradition that predates the Act of Union with England. Its armed forces now form part of those of the United Kingdom and are known as the British Armed Forces.-Royal Scots Navy:...

• Scotland had its own military until 1707. Now merged with British Armed Forces
  British Armed Forces
  The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
  
   except for the Atholl Highlanders
  Atholl Highlanders
  The Atholl Highlanders is a Scottish infantry regiment. Based in Blair Atholl, the regiment is not part of the British Army. Instead, the regiment is in the private employ of the Duke of Atholl, making it the United Kingdom's, and indeed Europe's, only legal private army.-77th Foot:The name Atholl...
  
  .
• Military history of Scotland

History of Scotland

• Battles between Scotland and England
• Kingdom of Scotland
  Kingdom of Scotland
  The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
  
  
  • Parliament of Scotland
    Parliament of Scotland
    The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
    
    
  • Peerage of Scotland
    Peerage of Scotland
    The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
    
    

By period

• Timeline of Scottish history
  Timeline of Scottish history
  This timeline outlines the main events in Scottish history.-1st century – 7th century:* c.84: Romans defeat Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius.* c.143: Romans construct the Antonine Wall.* c.163: Romans withdraw south to Trimontium and Hadrian's Wall....
  
  
• Prehistoric Scotland
  Prehistoric Scotland
  Archaeology and geology continue to reveal the secrets of prehistoric Scotland, uncovering a complex and dramatic past before the Romans brought Scotland into the scope of recorded history...
  
  
• Timeline of prehistoric Scotland
  Timeline of prehistoric Scotland
  This timeline of prehistoric Scotland is a chronologically ordered list of important archaeological sites in Scotland and of major events affecting Scotland's human inhabitants and culture during the prehistoric period. The period of prehistory prior to occupation by the genus Homo is part of the...
  
  
• Declaration of Arbroath
  Declaration of Arbroath
  The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence, made in 1320. It is in the form of a letter submitted to Pope John XXII, dated 6 April 1320, intended to confirm Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland's right to use military action when...
  
  
• List of monarchs of Scotland
• Kingdom of Scotland
  Kingdom of Scotland
  The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
  
  
• Scotland in the High Middle Ages
  Scotland in the High Middle Ages
  The High Middle Ages of Scotland encompass Scotland in the era between the death of Domnall II in 900 AD and the death of king Alexander III in 1286...
  
  
• Wars of Scottish Independence
  Wars of Scottish Independence
  The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
  
  
• Scotland in the Late Middle Ages
  Scotland in the Late Middle Ages
  Scotland in the late Middle Ages established its independence from England under figures including William Wallace in the late 13th century and Robert Bruce in the 14th century...
  
  
• Scottish Reformation
  Scottish Reformation
  The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
  
  
• Scottish colonization of the Americas
  Scottish colonization of the Americas
  Scottish colonization of the Americas consisted of a number of failed or abandoned Scottish settlements in North America, a colony at Darien, Panama, and a number of wholly or largely Scottish settlements made after the Acts of Union 1707, and those made by the enforced resettlement after the...
  
  
• Parliament of Scotland
  Parliament of Scotland
  The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
  
  
  • List of Acts of the Scottish Parliament to 1707
• Treaty of Union 1707
• Jacobitism
  Jacobitism
  Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
  
  
• Scottish Enlightenment
  Scottish Enlightenment
  The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy...
  
  
• Highland Clearances
  Highland Clearances
  The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
  
  
• Lowland Clearances
  Lowland Clearances
  The Lowland Clearances in Scotland were one of the results of the British Agricultural Revolution, which changed the traditional system of agriculture which had existed in Lowland Scotland in the seventeenth century...
  
  

By region

• History of Edinburgh
  History of Edinburgh
  Humans have settled the Edinburgh area from at least the Bronze Age, leaving traces of primitive stone settlements at Holyrood, Craiglockhart Hill and the Pentland Hills for example...
  
  
• History of Orkney
• History of the Outer Hebrides
  History of the Outer Hebrides
  The Hebrides were settled early on in the settlement of the British Isles, perhaps as early as the Mesolithic era, around 8500-8250 BC, after the climatic conditions improved enough to sustain human settlement. There are examples of structures possibly dating from up to 3000 BC, the finest example...
  
  

By subject

• History of education in Scotland
  History of education in Scotland
  -Origins:During the medieval period, Scotland followed the typical pattern of European education with the Roman Catholic church organising schooling. Church choir song schools and grammar schools were founded in all the main burghs and some small towns, early examples including the High School of...
  
  
• History of the Jews in Scotland
  History of the Jews in Scotland
  The earliest date at which Jews arrived in Scotland is not known. It is possible that some arrived, or at least visited, as a result of the Roman Empire's conquest of southern Great Britain, but there is no direct evidence for this...
  
  
• History of local government in Scotland
• Military history of Scotland

Culture of Scotland

Main article: Culture of Scotland

Culture of Scotland

The culture of Scotland refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with Scotland and the Scottish people. Some elements of Scottish culture, such as its separate national church, are protected in law as agreed in the Treaty of Union, and other instruments...

• Architecture of Scotland
  Architecture of Scotland
  The architecture of Scotland has a long and diverse history from beyond Skara Brae to the design of the Scottish Parliament Building. Scotland has also produced some of the most idiosyncratic of architects such as James, John and Robert Adam, Alexander Thomson and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which...
  
  
  • Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of Scotland
    • Cathedrals in Scotland
  • Castles in Scotland
  • Hill forts in Scotland
  • Historic houses in Scotland
  • National Trust properties in Scotland
• Cuisine of Scotland
• Cultural icons of Scotland
  • Harris Tweed
    Harris Tweed
    Harris Tweed is a cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders on the Isles of Harris, Lewis, Uist and Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using local wool....
    
    
  • Hogmanay
    Hogmanay
    Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
    
    
  • Scottish clan
    Scottish clan
    Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
    
    
  • Scotch whisky
    Scotch whisky
    Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
    
    
    • Bean Nighe
      Bean Nighe
      The bean nighe , is a Scottish fairy, seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld. She is a type of bean sìth .-Legends:...
      
      
  • Tartan Day
    Tartan Day
    Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage on April 6, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. A one-off event was held in New York City in 1982, but the current format originated in Canada in the mid 1980s. It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora in...
    
    
• Ethnic minorities in Scotland
• Gardens in Scotland
• Festivals in Scotland
• Humour in Scotland
• Inventions and discoveries of Scottish origin
  Scottish inventions and discoveries
  Scottish inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques either partially or entirely invented or discovered by a person born in or descended from Scotland. In some cases, an invention's Scottishness is determined by the fact that it came into existence in Scotland , by non-Scots...
  
  
• Languages of Scotland
  • Scottish Gaelic language
    Scottish Gaelic language
    Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
    
    
  • Lowland Scots
    Scots language
    Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
    
    
  • Scottish English
    Scottish English
    Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
    
    
  • Highland English
    Highland English
    Highland English is the variety of Scottish English spoken by many in the Scottish Highlands. It is more strongly influenced by Gaelic than other forms of Scottish English. Island English is the variety spoken as a second language by native Gaelic speakers in the Outer Hebrides...
    
    
• Marriage in Scotland
  Marriage in Scotland
  Marriage in Scotland is between a man and a woman. Civil partnerships became available to same-sex couples in December 2005 and grant rights and responsibilities identical to civil marriage.-Eligibility:...
  
  
  • Civil partnership in Scotland
• Media in Scotland
• Museums in Scotland
• Mythology of Scotland
  Scottish mythology
  Scottish mythology may refer to any of the mythologies of Scotland.Myths have emerged for various purposes throughout the history of Scotland, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being completely rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives.-...
  
  
• National symbols of Scotland
  National symbols of Scotland
  The National symbols of Scotland include a diversity of official and unofficial images and other symbols.*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...
  
  
  • Coat of arms of Scotland
  • Flag of Scotland
    Flag of Scotland
    The Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...
    
    
  • National anthem of Scotland
    National Anthem of Scotland
    There is no official national anthem of Scotland. However, a number of songs are used as de facto Scottish anthems, most notably Flower of Scotland and Scotland the Brave...
    
    
• Prostitution in Scotland
• Public holidays in Scotland
• Records of Scotland
• World Heritage Sites in Scotland
  World Heritage Sites in Scotland
  World Heritage Sites in Scotland are specific locations that have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Programme list of sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humankind. Historic Scotland is responsible for 'cultural' sites as part of their wider...
  
  

Art in Scotland

• Scottish art
  Scottish art
  The history of Scottish art which we can take to mean the visual art produced within the modern political boundary of Scotland since the earliest times, forms a distinctive tradition within British and European art...
  
  
  • Celtic art
    Celtic art
    Celtic art is the art associated with the peoples known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre-history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient peoples whose language is uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic similarities with speakers of Celtic...
    
    
  • Migration Period art
    Migration Period art
    Migration Period art denotes the artwork of the Germanic peoples during the Migration period . It includes the Migration art of the Germanic tribes on the continent, as well the start of the Insular art or Hiberno-Saxon art of the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic fusion in the British Isles...
    
    
  • National Gallery of Scotland
    National Gallery of Scotland
    The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
    
    
• Cinema of Scotland
• Comedy in Scotland
• Dance in Scotland
  • Scottish country dance
    Scottish country dance
    A Scottish country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography...
    
    
  • Scottish highland dance
    Scottish highland dance
    The term Highland dance or Highland dancing is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which developed in the Gaelic Highlands of Scotland...
    
    
  • Ghillies
    Ghillies (dance)
    Ghillies are specially designed shoes used for several types of dance. They are soft shoes, similar to ballet shoes. They are used by women in Irish dance, by men in Scottish country dance, and by men and women in Highland dance....
    
    
  • Jig
    Jig
    The Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
    
    
  • Scottish sword dances
    Scottish sword dances
    Performance of sword dances in the folklore of Scotland is recorded from as early as the 15th century.Related customs are found in the Welsh and English Morris dance, in Austria, Germany, Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Romania...
    
    
    • Dirk dance
      Dirk dance
      A dirk dance is a Scottish dance performed while brandishing a dirk . It is a solo dance but can be performed by two or more people dancing in unison. The dance is quite different in style from the better known Highland dances and in many ways imitates the use of a dirk in fighting...
      
      
• Literature of Scotland
  • Fragments of Ancient Poetry collected in the Highlands of Scotland
  • Ossian
    Ossian
    Ossian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. He is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a character from Irish mythology...
    
    
• Music of Scotland
  Music of Scotland
  Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music...
  
  
  • Bagpipes
    Bagpipes
    Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
    
    
  • Bands from Scotland
  • Border pipes
    Border pipes
    The border pipes are a type of bagpipe related to the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe. It is perhaps confusable with the Scottish smallpipe, although it is a quite different and much older instrument...
    
    
  • Clarsach
    Clàrsach
    Clàrsach or Cláirseach , is the generic Gaelic word for 'a harp', as derived from Middle Irish...
    
    
  • Folk music of Scotland
  • Harp
    Harp
    The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
    
    
  • Pastoral pipes
    Pastoral pipes
    The Pastoral Pipe was a bellows-blown bagpipe, widely recognised as the forerunner and ancestor of the 19th-century Union pipes, which became the Uilleann Pipes of today...
    
    
  • Scottish smallpipes
    Scottish smallpipes
    The Scottish smallpipe, in its modern form, is a bellows-blown bagpipe developed by Colin Ross and others, to be playable according to the Great Highland Bagpipe fingering system. There are surviving examples of similar historical instruments such as the mouth-blown Montgomery smallpipes in E,...
    
    
  • Scottish country dance music
• Television in Scotland
  Television in Scotland
  Television in Scotland mostly consists of UK-wide output, with some national variations, the level of which has varied in the past. Though there have been calls for such, Scotland still has no major television channel of its own...
  
  
• Theatre in Scotland

People of Scotland

• Scottish people
  Scottish people
  The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
  
  
  • Celt
    Celt
    The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
    
    
  • Gaels
    Gaels
    The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
    
    
  • Modern Celts
    Modern Celts
    A Celtic identity emerged in the "Celtic" nations of Western Europe, following the identification of the native peoples of the Atlantic fringe as "Celts" by Edward Lhuyd in the 18th century and during the course of the 19th-century Celtic Revival, taking the form of ethnic nationalism particularly...
    
    
• Lists of Scots
  • List of monarchs of Scotland
    • List of Queens of Scotland
    • Scottish monarchs family tree
  • List of Scottish musicians
  • List of Scottish novelists
  • List of Scottish scientists
  • List of Scottish writers
• Scottish surnames
  Scottish surnames
  Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country.-History:The earliest surnames found in Scotland occur during the reign of David I, King of Scots...
  
  

Religion in Scotland

• Religion in Scotland
  Religion in Scotland
  Christianity is the largest religion in Scotland. At the 2001 census 65% of the Scottish population was Christian. The Church of Scotland, often known as The Kirk, is recognised in law as the national church of Scotland. It is not an established church and is independent of state control. However,...
  
  
  • Buddhism in Scotland
    Buddhism in Scotland
    The arrival of Buddhism in Scotland is relatively recent. In Scotland Buddhists represent 0.13% of the population . People were asked both their current religion and that they were brought up in...
    
    
  • Christianity in Scotland
    • Baptist Union of Scotland
      Baptist Union of Scotland
      The Baptist Union of Scotland is the main denomination of Baptist churches in Scotland.-From the 1650s to 1869:Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies of English republican Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, who established small churches in Leith, Perth, Cupar, Ayr and Aberdeen, but they did...
      
      
    • Scottish Episcopal Church
      Scottish Episcopal Church
      The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
      
      
    • Church of Scotland
      Church of Scotland
      The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
      
      
      • General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
        General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
        The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
        
        
        • List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
    • Roman Catholicism in Scotland
      Roman Catholicism in Scotland
      Roman Catholicism in Scotland , overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, currently Pope Benedict XVI. After being firmly established in Scotland for a millennium, Catholicism was outlawed following...
      
      
  • Hinduism in Scotland
    Hinduism in Scotland
    Hinduism in Scotland is of relatively recent provenance, with the bulk of Scottish Hindus having settled there in the second half of the 20th century. Some Scottish Hindus prefer not to be called 'Asians' as this term is often used to refer to Scotland's Pakistani community...
    
    
  • Judaism in Scotland
    History of the Jews in Scotland
    The earliest date at which Jews arrived in Scotland is not known. It is possible that some arrived, or at least visited, as a result of the Roman Empire's conquest of southern Great Britain, but there is no direct evidence for this...
    
    
  • Islam in Scotland
    Islam in Scotland
    The larger immigration of Muslims to Scotland is relatively recent. The bulk of Muslims in Scotland come from families who immigrated during the late 20th century. In Scotland Muslims represent 0.9% of the population , with 30,000 in Glasgow...
    
    
  • History of the Jews in Scotland
    History of the Jews in Scotland
    The earliest date at which Jews arrived in Scotland is not known. It is possible that some arrived, or at least visited, as a result of the Roman Empire's conquest of southern Great Britain, but there is no direct evidence for this...
    
    
    • List of Scottish Jews
  • Sikhism in Scotland
    Sikhism in Scotland
    The arrival of Sikhism in Scotland is relatively recent. According to the Scottish Sikh Association, the first Sikhs settled in Glasgow in the early 1920s with the first Gurdwara established in South Portland Street. However, the bulk of Sikhs in Scotland come from families who immigrated during...
    
    

Sports in Scotland

Main article: Sports in Scotland

• American football in Scotland
  • Scottish Claymores
    Scottish Claymores
    The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
    
    
• Australian rules football in Scotland
  Australian rules football in Scotland
  Australian rules football is currently played by a three-team league in Scotland, with clubs in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh forming the Scottish Australian Rules Football League...
  
  
• Basketball in Scotland
  • Scotland national basketball team
    Scotland national basketball team
    The Scottish national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Scotland in international competition. They are organised by basketballscotland, the sport's governing body in Scotland...
    
    
• Chess in Scotland
  • Scottish Chess Federation
• Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland
  Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland
  Scotland is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since the first Empire Games in 1930. The others are Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and Wales....
  
  
• Cricket in Scotland
  Cricket in Scotland
  Cricket has a lower profile in Scotland than it has in neighbouring England. Scotland is not one of the ten leading cricketing nations which play Test matches, but the Scottish national team is now allowed to play full One Day Internationals even outside the Cricket World Cup, in which Scotland...
  
  
  • Scottish national cricket team
• Curling
  Curling
  Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
  
  
• Field Hockey in Scotland
  • Scotland women's national field hockey team
    Scotland women's national field hockey team
    The Scotland women's national field hockey team represents Scotland in international women's field hockey. Scotland finished 10th in the 2006 Women's Field Hockey World Cup Qualifier, failing to qualify for the 2006 Hockey World Cup in Madrid, Spain....
    
    
• Football in Scotland
  Football in Scotland
  Association football is the national sport in Scotland and highly popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite...
  
  
  • Scotland national football team
    Scotland national football team
    The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
    
    
  • Scottish Football Association
    Scottish Football Association
    The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
    
    
  • Scottish Football League
    Scottish Football League
    The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
    
    
  • Active Nation Scottish Cup
  • Scottish Premier League
    Scottish Premier League
    The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
    
    
• Scotland GAA
  Scotland GAA
  The Scotland Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Scotland GAA is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Scotland. The county board is also responsible for the Scottish inter-county teams...
  
  
• Golf
  Golf
  Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
  
  
  • Royal and Ancient
• Highland Games
  Highland games
  Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
  
  
  • Tossing the caber
• Lacrosse in Scotland
  Lacrosse in Scotland
  Lacrosse in Scotland is primarily played by women and is nationally governed by Lacrosse Scotland. At school level, it is strongest in private schools.-History:...
  
  
• National sports teams of Scotland
• Netball
  • Scotland national netball team
    Scotland national netball team
    The Scotland national netball team, known as the "Scottish Thistles", represent Scotland in international netball tests and competitions. The Thistles competed in every World Championship from 1963–2007, finishing sixth on three occasions . The team are currently coached by Denise Holland...
    
    
• Campaign for a Scottish Olympic Team
  Campaign for a Scottish Olympic Team
  Campaign for a Scottish Olympic Team is a pressure group in Scotland, established in 2005, which aims to persuade politicians to establish a team to represent Scotland at the Olympic Games....
  
   – Scotland does not compete at the Olympic Games, Scottish athletes compete as part of the Great Britain team instead. There is however a long running campaign to get a team.
• Rugby in Scotland
  • Rugby league in Scotland
    Rugby league in Scotland
    Rugby league is comparatively minor sport in Scotland, dwarfed by the popularity of association football, and to a lesser extent sports such as rugby union, curling and shinty...
    
    
  • Rugby union in Scotland
    Rugby union in Scotland
    Rugby union is a popular team sport in Scotland. The national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. The first ever international rugby match was played on March 27, 1871, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, when Scotland defeated England in front of 4,000...
    
    
    • Scottish Rugby Union
      Scottish Rugby Union
      The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
      
      
    • Scotland national rugby union team
      Scotland national rugby union team
      The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
      
      
    • History of rugby union in Scotland
      History of rugby union in Scotland
      Rugby union in Scotland is its modern form has existed since the mid-19th century. As with the history of rugby union itself however, it emerged from older traditional forms of football which preceded the codification of the sport...
      
      
    • Murrayfield Stadium
      Murrayfield Stadium
      Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
      
      
    • List of Scottish rugby union players
    • Rugby union in the Borders
  • Rugby Sevens
    Rugby sevens
    Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
    
     (invented in Scotland)
    • Edinburgh Sevens
      Edinburgh Sevens
      The Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens, also known as the Edinburgh 7s and Scotland Sevens, is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series, held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland. It will have the honour of being the last event in each season's IRB Sevens...
      
      
    • Melrose Sevens
      Melrose Sevens
      Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition dating from 1883, when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose player Ned Haig....
      
      
• Stadiums in Scotland
• Shinty
  Shinty
  Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
  
  
  • Camanachd Association
    Camanachd Association
    The Camanachd Association is the World governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty. The body is based in Inverness, Highland, and is in charge of the rules of the game...
    
    
  • Composite rules shinty-hurling
    Composite rules shinty-hurling
    Composite rules shinty-hurling , sometimes known simply as shinty-hurling) is a hybrid sport which was developed to facilitate international matches between shinty players and hurling players....
    
    
  • Women's shinty
    Women's shinty
    Women's shinty is a sport identical to the men's game - with the same rules, same sized pitch and same equipment. However its history is significantly different. Social pressures - along with the broader game's self image - resulted in a largely hidden history until comparatively recently...
    
    

Economy and infrastructure of Scotland

Main article: Economy of Scotland

Economy of Scotland

The economy of Scotland is closely linked with the rest of the United Kingdom and the wider European Economic Area. Scotland has the second largest GVA per capita of countries in the United Kingdom after England, though it is still lower than the average of the United Kingdom as a whole...

• Economic rank (by nominal GDP):

• Agriculture in Scotland
  Agriculture in Scotland
  Agriculture in Scotland employs around 5% of the workforce of the rural regions and contribute to around 1.3% of the GVA. Other studies suggest the employment rate to be around 8% of the total rural population, and in terms of numbers the estimates indicate that around 68,000 people are directly...
  
  
• Banking in Scotland
  • Bank of Scotland
    Bank of Scotland
    The Bank of Scotland plc is a commercial and clearing bank based in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a history dating to the 17th century, it is the second oldest surviving bank in what is now the United Kingdom, and is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland to...
    
    
  • Royal Bank of Scotland
    Royal Bank of Scotland
    The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
    
    
• Communications in Scotland
  • Scottish media
    Scottish media
    Scottish media has a long and distinct history. Scotland has a wide range of different types and quality of media.-Television:BBC Scotland runs two national television stations...
    
    
  • List of newspapers in Scotland
  • Television in Scotland
    Television in Scotland
    Television in Scotland mostly consists of UK-wide output, with some national variations, the level of which has varied in the past. Though there have been calls for such, Scotland still has no major television channel of its own...
    
    
    • BBC Scotland
      BBC Scotland
      BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
      
      
  • Internet in Scotland
• Companies of Scotland
• Currency
  Currency
  In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
  
   of the United Kingdom: Pound Sterling
  Pound sterling
  The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
  
  
• Economic history of Scotland
  Economic history of Scotland
  The Economic history of Scotland charts economic development in the History of Scotland from earliest times, through seven centuries as an independent state and following Union with England, three centuries as a country of the United Kingdom. Before 1700 Scotland was a poor rural area, with few...
  
  
• Energy in Scotland
  • Energy policy of Scotland
    Energy policy of Scotland
    Energy policy in Scotland is a matter that has been specifically reserved to the UK parliament under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998 that created the devolved Scottish Parliament...
    
    
  • Oil industry in Scotland
    • North Sea Oil
      North Sea oil
      North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
      
      
  • Power stations in Scotland
  • Renewable energy in Scotland
    Renewable energy in Scotland
    The production of renewable energy in Scotland is an issue that has come to the fore in technical, economic, and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century. The natural resource base for renewables is extraordinary by European, and even global standards...
    
    
  • Nuclear power in Scotland
    Nuclear power in Scotland
    Nuclear power contributes about half of Scotland's electricity. The current Scottish National Party government elected in 2007 however has a 'no new nuclear power strategy'. This position is at odds with UK government policy which in January 2008 announced the go-ahead for new nuclear power...
    
    
• Fire services in Scotland
  Fire services in Scotland
  Fire services in Scotland are provided by Fire and Rescue Services each under the control of a Fire and Rescue Authority or a joint fire board ....
  
  
• Health care in Scotland
  • Hospitals in Scotland
  • NHS Scotland
    NHS Scotland
    NHS Scotland is the publicly funded healthcare system of Scotland. Although they are separate bodies the organisational separation between NHS Scotland and the other three healthcare organisations each commonly called the National Health Service in the United Kingdom tends to be hidden from its...
    
    
    • Scottish Ambulance Service
      Scottish Ambulance Service
      The Scottish Ambulance Service is part of NHS Scotland, and serves all of Scotland. It is a Special Health Board funded directly by the Scottish Government Health Department....
      
      
• Mining in Scotland
• Tourism in Scotland
  Tourism in Scotland
  Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4bn per year. Tourists from the United Kingdom make up the bulk of visitors to Scotland...
  
  
• Transport in Scotland
  Transport in Scotland
  The transport system in Scotland is generally well-developed. The Scottish Parliament has control over most elements of transport policy within Scotland and the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department is responsible for the Scottish transport network with...
  
  
  • Airports in Scotland
  • Ports in Scotland
  • Rail transport in Scotland
  • Roads in Scotland
• Water supply and sanitation in Scotland
  Water supply and sanitation in Scotland
  Public water supply and sanitation in Scotland is characterized by universal access and generally good service quality. Water and sewerage services are provided by a single public company, Scottish Water. The economic water industry regulator is the Water Industry Commission for Scotland...
  
  

Education in Scotland

Main article: Education in Scotland

Education in Scotland

Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...

• General Teaching Council for Scotland
  General Teaching Council for Scotland
  The General Teaching Council for Scotland is a Scottish public body. It is the professional regulatory body for teachers in Scotland....
  
  
• List of universities in Scotland
• List of schools in Scotland
• Scottish Qualifications Authority
  Scottish Qualifications Authority
  The Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
  
  

Specific schools

• Public schools in Scotland
  • Grammar schools in Scotland
  • Middle schools in Scotland
• Universities

Types of schools

• Grammar schools in the United Kingdom
• Independent school
  Independent school (UK)
  An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
  
  
• Preparatory school
  Preparatory school (UK)
  In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
  
  
• Gaelic medium education
  Gaelic medium education
  Gaelic medium education is a form of education in Scotland that allows pupils to be taught primarily through the medium of Scottish Gaelic, with English being taught as the secondary language. Education projects in other Gaelic countries; Ireland Gaelic medium education (G.M.E. or GME; Scottish...
  
  

External links

• Scotland.org – the official online gateway to Scotland, managed by the Scottish Government
• Scottish Government – official site of the Scottish Government
• Scottish Parliament – official site of the Scottish Parliament
  Scottish Parliament
  The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
  
  
• National Archives of Scotland – official site of the National Archives of Scotland
  National Archives of Scotland
  Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
  
  
• Homecoming Scotland 2009
• Maps and digital collections at the National Library of Scotland
  National Library of Scotland
  The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
  
  
• Gazetteer for Scotland – Extensive guide to the places and people of Scotland, by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
  Royal Scottish Geographical Society
  The Royal Scottish Geographical Society is a learned society founded in 1884 and based in Perth. The Society has a membership of 2500 and aims to advance the science of geography worldwide by supporting education, research, expeditions, through its journal , its newsletter and other publications...
  
   and University of Edinburgh
  University of Edinburgh
  The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
  
  
• Scottish economic statistics 2005 (pdf) - from the Scottish Executive
• Scottish Census Results On Line – official government site for Scotland's census results
• Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics – Scottish Government's programme of small area statistics in Scotland
• Visit Scotland – official site of Scotland's national tourist board
• ScotlandsPeople – official government resource for Scottish genealogy