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Scotland


 
 
Scotland that occupies the northern third of the island of Great BritainGreat Britain Summary

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
. It is partSubdivisions of the United Kingdom

||-||}The subdivisions of the United Kingdom are complex, multi-layered and non-uniform, varying between England, Scotlan...
 of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast...
, and shares a land border to the south with EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
. It is bounded by the North SeaNorth Sea

he North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Norway and Denmark in the east, Scotland and England in the we...
 to the east, the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 to the north and west, and the North ChannelNorth Channel (British Isles)

The North Channel is the strait which separates Northern Ireland from Scotland....
 and Irish SeaIrish Sea

The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain....
 to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islandsList of islands of Scotland Summary

This is a list of the islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain, as well as a table ...
 including the Northern IslesNorthern Isles

The Northern Isles are a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland....
 and the HebridesHebrides

The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are compo...
.

EdinburghFacts About Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city....
, the country's capitalCapital

In politics, a capital is the principal city or town associated with a country's government....
 and second largest city, is one of EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
's largest financial centres. It was the hub of the Scottish EnlightenmentScottish Enlightenment

The Scottish Enlightenment was a period of intellectual ferment in Scotland, running from approximately 1740 to 1800....
 of the 18th century, which saw Scotland become one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Scotland's largest city is GlasgowGlasgow

The city was formerly a royal burgh, and was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" in the Victorian era....
, which was once one of the world's leading industrial metropolises, and now lies at the centre of the Greater GlasgowGreater Glasgow Overview

Greater Glasgow refers to the Greater Glasgow Health Board area, and the Greater Glasgow Metropolitan Settlement Ar...
 conurbation which dominates the Scottish LowlandsScottish Lowlands

The Scottish Lowlands, although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to inc...
.






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Timeline

79   Gnaeus Julius Agricola enters Scotland but is resisted by the Caledonians.

122   Hadrian gives up the territories conquered in Scotland.

142   Construction of the Antonine Wall began in Scotland.

164   The Antonine Wall in Scotland is abandoned by the Romans.

210   Having suffered heavy losses since invading Scotland in 208, the Romans make peace with the Scots.

304   Fincormachus becomes king of Scotland.

565   St. Columba reported seeing a monster in Loch Ness, Scotland.

600   Irish missionaries preach in Scotland and Germany.

717   The Pictish king Nechtan son of Derile expels the monks from the Scottish island of Iona

806   Vikings slaughter all inhabitants on the religious island of Iona, Scotland, UK.







Encyclopedia


Scotland that occupies the northern third of the island of Great BritainGreat Britain Summary

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
. It is partSubdivisions of the United Kingdom

||-||}The subdivisions of the United Kingdom are complex, multi-layered and non-uniform, varying between England, Scotlan...
 of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast...
, and shares a land border to the south with EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
. It is bounded by the North SeaNorth Sea

he North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Norway and Denmark in the east, Scotland and England in the we...
 to the east, the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 to the north and west, and the North ChannelNorth Channel (British Isles)

The North Channel is the strait which separates Northern Ireland from Scotland....
 and Irish SeaIrish Sea

The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain....
 to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islandsList of islands of Scotland Summary

This is a list of the islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain, as well as a table ...
 including the Northern IslesNorthern Isles

The Northern Isles are a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland....
 and the HebridesHebrides

The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are compo...
.

EdinburghFacts About Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city....
, the country's capitalCapital

In politics, a capital is the principal city or town associated with a country's government....
 and second largest city, is one of EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
's largest financial centres. It was the hub of the Scottish EnlightenmentScottish Enlightenment

The Scottish Enlightenment was a period of intellectual ferment in Scotland, running from approximately 1740 to 1800....
 of the 18th century, which saw Scotland become one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Scotland's largest city is GlasgowGlasgow

The city was formerly a royal burgh, and was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" in the Victorian era....
, which was once one of the world's leading industrial metropolises, and now lies at the centre of the Greater GlasgowGreater Glasgow Overview

Greater Glasgow refers to the Greater Glasgow Health Board area, and the Greater Glasgow Metropolitan Settlement Ar...
 conurbation which dominates the Scottish LowlandsScottish Lowlands

The Scottish Lowlands, although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to inc...
. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European UnionEuropean Union Summary

The European Union is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic member states....
.

The Kingdom of ScotlandKingdom of Scotland

The Kingdom of Scotland was a state located in Western Europe, in the northern third of the island of Great Britain....
 was an independent stateState

A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societie...
 until 1 May 1707 when it joined in a political unionPolitical union

, [[Cambridge U...
 with the Kingdom of EnglandKingdom of England

The Kingdom of England was a state located in western Europe, in the southern part of the island of Great Britain, consisti...
 to create a united Kingdom of Great BritainKingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain| align="center" colspan="2"|...
. This union was the result of the Treaty of UnionTreaty of Union

The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the ...
 agreed earlier and put into effect by the Acts of UnionActs of Union 1707

The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 by, respectively, the Parliament of England and...
 that were passed by the Parliaments of both countries despite widespread protest across Scotland. Scotland's legal systemLegal systems of the world

The four major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, common law, customary law, and religious law....
 continues to be separate from those of England, WalesEnglish law

English law is a formal "term of art" that describes the law for the time being in force in England and Wales....
, and Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland law

Northern Ireland law concerns the legal system in Northern Ireland. ...
; Scotland still constitutes a distinct jurisdictionJurisdiction

In law, jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to de...
 in public and in private law. The continued independence of Scots lawScots law

Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law....
, the Scottish education system, and the Church of ScotlandFacts About Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland is the national church of Scotland....
 have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and Scottish national identityFacts About Scottish national identity

A considerable majority of the people of Scotland share a Scottish national identity, usually with considerable pride in the...
 since the Union. Although Scotland is no longer a separate sovereignSovereignty

Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political authority over a geographic region, group of people, or on...
 state, the constitutional future of Scotland continues to give rise to debate.

Etymology

Scotland is from the LatinLatin

Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome....
 ScotiScoti

Scoti or Scotti was the generic name given by the Romans to the Celtic Gaels who raided from Ireland....
, the term applied to GaelsGaels Overview

The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is of the Gaelic family, a ...
. The Late Latin word ScotiaScotia Overview

Scotia was originally the Latin name for Ireland ....
(land of the Gaels) was initially used to refer to IrelandIreland Summary

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe....
. By the 11th century at the latest, Scotia was being used to refer to (Gaelic-speaking) Scotland north of the river ForthRiver Forth

The River Forth, 47 km long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland....
, alongside Albania or Albany, both derived from the Gaelic AlbaAlba

[[...
. The use of the words Scots and Scotland to encompass all of what is now Scotland became common in the Late Middle AgesScotland in the Late Middle Ages

The history of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages might be said to be dominated by the twin themes of crisis and transition....
.

History


Early history

Repeated glaciationGlacier

A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity....
s, which covered the entire land-mass of modern Scotland, have destroyed any traces of human habitation that may have existed before the MesolithicMesolithic

| style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;" | This time period is part of theHolocene epoch....
 period. It is believed that the first post-glacial groups of hunter-gathererHunter-gatherer

A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and anima...
s arrived in Scotland around 12,800 years ago, as the ice sheetIce sheet

An Ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km....
 retreated after the last glaciation. Groups of settlers began building the first known permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9,500 years ago, and the first villages around 6,000 years ago. The well-preserved village of Skara BraeFacts About Skara Brae

||-|Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located in the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Ork...
 on the Mainland of Orkney dates from this period. NeolithicNeolithic

| style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;" | This time period is part of theHolocene epoch....
 habitation, burial and ritual sites are particularly common and well-preserved in the Northern IslesFacts About Northern Isles

The Northern Isles are a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland....
 and Western Isles, where lack of trees led to most structures being built of local stone.

Roman influence

The written protohistoryProtohistory

Protohistory refers to a period between prehistory and history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed...
 of Scotland began with the arrival of the Roman EmpireFacts About Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
 in southern and central Great Britain, when the Romans occupied what is now EnglandEngland Overview

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
 and WalesWales

Wales is one of four constituent parts of the United Kingdom....
, administering it as a provinceRoman province

In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and until the Tetrarchy, largest territorial and administrative unit of the empir...
 called BritanniaRoman Britain

Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410....
. Roman invasions and occupations of southern Scotland were a series of brief interludes. In 83–4 AD the general Gnaeus Julius AgricolaGnaeus Julius Agricola

Gnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain....
 defeated the CaledoniansCaledonians

The Caledonians or Caledonian Confederacy, is a name given by historians to a group of the indigenous Picts of Scotlan...
 at the battle of Mons GraupiusBattle of Mons Graupius

The Battle of Mons Graupius took place in 83 or 84....
, and Roman fortsCastra

The Latin word Castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean any building or plot of land ...
 were briefly set along the Gask RidgeGask Ridge

The Gask Ridge is the modern name given to an early series of fortifications, built by the Romans in mid-Scotland....
 close to the Highland lineHighland Boundary Fault

The Highland Boundary Fault is a Geologic fault that traverses Scotland from Arran to Stonehaven....
 (none are known to have been constructed beyond that line). Three years after the battle the Roman armiesRoman army

The Roman army was a set of military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of ...
 had withdrawn to the Southern UplandsSouthern Uplands

The Southern Uplands is the southernmost of Scotland's three major geographic areas....
. They erected Hadrian's WallHadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall was a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of Great Britain to prevent mi...
 to control tribes on both sides of the wall, and the Limes BritannicusLimes

A limes was a border defense system of Ancient Rome....
became the northern border of the empire, although the army held the Antonine WallAntonine Wall

The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification, built by the Romans across what is now the central belt of Scotland....
 in the Central LowlandsCentral Lowlands Summary

The Central Lowlands are a broad area of low-lying and heavily populated land in central Scotland....
 for two short periods—the last of these during the time of Emperor Septimius SeverusSeptimius Severus

Lucius Septimius Severus was a Roman general, and Roman Emperor from April 9 193 to 211....
 from 208 until 210. The extent of Roman military occupation of any significant part of Scotland was limited to a total of about 40 years, although their influence on the southern section of the country occupied by BrythonBrython

Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of most of the islan...
ic tribes such as the VotadiniVotadini

The Votadini were a people of the Iron Age in Great Britain, and their territory was briefly part of the Roman province Br...
 and DamnoniiDamnonii

The Damnonii were a Brythonic tribe in the area around modern Glasgow and Strathclyde in west central Scotland, whose territ...
 would still have been considerable.

Medieval period

The Kingdom of the Picts (based in FortriuFortriu

Fortriu or the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish kingdom, and often used synon...
 by the 6th century) was the state which 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. Another view places emphasis on the Battle of Dunnichen, and the reign of Bridei m. BeliBridei III of the Picts

King Bridei III was king of Fortriu and overking of the Picts between 671 and his death in 693....
 (671–693), with another period of consolidation in the reign of Óengus mac FergusaÓengus I of the Picts

?engus son of Fergus was king of the Picts from 732 until his death in 761....
 (732–761). The Kingdom of the Picts as it was in the early 8th century, when BedeBede

Bede , also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or Beda , , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of S...
 was writing, was largely the same as the kingdom of the Scots in the reign of AlexanderAlexander I of Scotland

Alexander I , called "The Fierce", king of Scots, was the fourth son of Mel Coluim mac Donnchada by his wife Margaret, gran...
 (1107–1124). However, by the tenth century, the Pictish kingdom was dominated by what we can recognise as GaelicGaels

The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is of the Gaelic family, a ...
 culture, and had developed an Irish conquest myth around the ancestor of the contemporary royal dynasty, Cináed mac AilpínKenneth I of Scotland Overview

Cined mac Ailpn , was king of the Picts and, according to national myth, first king of Scots....
 (Kenneth MacAlpin).

From a base of territory in eastern Scotland north of the River ForthRiver Forth

The River Forth, 47 km long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland....
 and south of the River OykelRiver Oykel

The River Oykel in Sutherland, in northern Scotland, rises on the southern side of Ben More Assynt and drains into the Dorn...
, 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 AnglicAnglic languages

Anglic is a rarely used term for what are also known as Englishes, in for example World Englishes, and is considered...
-speaking land in the south-east and attained overlordship of Gaelic-speaking GallowayGalloway

Galloway today refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright in southwest Scotland, but h...
 and Norse-speaking CaithnessCaithness

Caithness is a committee area of Highland Council, Scotland; a lieutenancy area; and a registration county,...
; by the end of the 13th century, the kingdom had assumed approximately its 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 stimulus for this was the reign of King David IDavid I of Scotland Summary

King David I, was King of Scotland from 1124 until his death, and the youngest son of Malcolm Canmore and of Saint Margaret....
 and the Davidian RevolutionDavidian Revolution

The Davidian Revolution is a term given by many scholars to the changes which took place in the Kingdom of Scotland during t...
. FeudalismFeudalism

Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
, government reorganisation and the first legally defined towns (called burghBurgh Overview

Burgh represents an corporate entity, usually a town, and has been in use in Scotland since the 12th century....
s) began in this period. These institutions and the immigration of French and Anglo-French knights and churchmen facilitated a process of 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 death of Alexander IIIFacts About Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III , King of Scots, was born at Roxburgh, the only son of Alexander II by his second wife Marie de Coucy....
 in March 1286, followed by the death of his granddaughter Margaret, Maid of NorwayMargaret, Maid of Norway

Margaret , usually known as the Maid of Norway, sometimes known as Margaret of Scotland, was a Norwegian–S...
, broke the succession line of Scotland's kings. This led to the intervention of Edward I of EnglandEdward I of England Summary

Edward I , popularly known as "Longshanks" because of his 6 foot 2 inch frame and the "Hammer of the Scots" , a...
, who manipulated this period of confusion to have himself recognised as feudal overlord of Scotland. Edward organised a process to identify the person with the best claim to the vacant crown, which became known as the Great CauseCompetitors for the Crown of Scotland

, a marriage contract between Margaret and the then five-year old [[Edward I...
, and this resulted in the enthronement of John BalliolJohn of Scotland

John, King of Scots is usually known as John Balliol or, correctly, John de Balliol....
 as king. The Scots were resentful of Edward's meddling in their affairs and this relationship quickly broke down. War ensued and King John was deposed by his overlord, who took personal control of Scotland. Andrew MorayAndrew Moray

Andrew Moray, also called Andrew of Moray, Andrew Murray or simply Moray, was a key military and political...
 and William WallaceWilliam Wallace Summary

Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight who led a resistance to the English occupation of Scotland during significant per...
 initially emerged as the principal leaders of the resistance to English rule in what became known as the Wars of Scottish IndependenceFacts About Wars of Scottish Independence

The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England in the late 13th a...
. The nature of the struggle changed dramatically when Robert de Brus, Earl of CarrickRobert I of Scotland

Robert I, , usually known in modern English today as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scotland ....
, became king (as Robert I). War with England continued for several decades, and a civil war between the Bruce dynasty and their long-term Comyn-Balliol rivals, the flashpoint of which could be traced to the slaying in a Dumfries church of John 'the Red' Comyn of Badenoch by Bruce and his supporters, lasted until the middle of the 14th century. Although the Bruce dynasty was successful, David II'sFacts About David II of Scotland

David II king of Scots, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh, was born at Dunfermline Palace,...
 lack of an heir allowed his nephew Robert IIRobert II of Scotland

Robert II, King of Scots, called "the Steward", a title that gave the name to the House of Stewart....
 to come to the throne and establish the Stewart 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 RenaissanceScottish Renaissance

The Scottish Renaissance was a literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version o...
 to the ReformationFacts About Scottish Reformation

The Reformation in Scotland was arguably the most important event in Scottish history....
. This was despite continual warfare with England, the increasing division between HighlandsScottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault....
 and LowlandsScottish Lowlands

The Scottish Lowlands, although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to inc...
, and a large number of royal minorities.

Modern history


In 1603, James VI King of Scots inherited the throne of the Kingdom of EnglandKingdom of England

The Kingdom of England was a state located in western Europe, in the southern part of the island of Great Britain, consisti...
, and became King James I of England, and left EdinburghEdinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city....
 for LondonLondon Overview

London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom....
. With the exception of a short period under the ProtectorateThe Protectorate

Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland'The Protectorate...
, Scotland remained a separate stateState

A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societie...
, but there was considerable conflict between the crown and the Covenanters over the form of church government. After the Glorious RevolutionGlorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadth...
, the abolition of episcopacy and the overthrow of the Roman Catholic James VII by William and MaryWilliam and Mary

The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the joint sovereignty over the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland ...
, Scotland briefly threatened to select a different Protestant monarch from England. On July 22, 1706, the Treaty of UnionTreaty of Union

The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the ...
 was agreed between representatives of the Scots ParliamentParliament of Scotland

The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Sc...
 and the Parliament of EnglandParliament of England

The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England....
 and the following year twin Acts of UnionActs of Union 1707

The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 by, respectively, the Parliament of England and...
 were passed by both parliaments to create the united Kingdom of Great BritainFacts About Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain| align="center" colspan="2"|...
 with effect from May 1st, 1707.

The deposed Jacobite StuartJacobitism Summary

Jacobitism was the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotla...
 claimants had remained popular in the Highlands and north-east, particularly amongst non-Presbyterians. However, two major Jacobite risings launched in 1715 and 1745 failed to remove the House of HanoverHouse of Hanover

The House of Hanover were a German royal dynasty of Lombard descent which succeeded the House of Stuart as kings of Great Br...
 from the British throne. The threat of the Jacobite movement to the United Kingdom and its monarchs effectively ended at the Battle of CullodenBattle of Culloden

The Battle of Culloden , was the last military clash ever to be fought on mainland Britain, between the forces of the Jacobi...
, Great Britain's last pitched battlePitched battle

A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the op...
. This defeat paved the way for large-scale removals of the indigenous populations of the Highlands and Islands, known as the Highland ClearancesHighland Clearances

The Highland Clearances is a name given to the forced displacement of the population of the Scottish Highlands from their an...
.

The Scottish EnlightenmentScottish Enlightenment

The Scottish Enlightenment was a period of intellectual ferment in Scotland, running from approximately 1740 to 1800....
 and the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th cen...
 made Scotland into an intellectual, commercial and industrial powerhouse. After World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
, Scotland experienced an industrial decline which was particularly severe. Only in recent decades has the country enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance. Economic factors which have contributed to this recovery include a resurgent financial services industry, electronics manufacturing, (see Silicon GlenSilicon Glen

Silicon Glen is a nickname for the high tech sector of Scotland....
), and the North Sea oilFacts About North Sea oil

North Sea oil refers to oil and natural gas produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea. ...
 and gas industry.

Following a referendum on devolution proposals in 1997, the Scotland Act 1998Scotland Act 1998 Summary

The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster....
  was passed by the United Kingdom Parliament to establish a devolved Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland, in the capital Edinburgh....
.

Government and politics



As part of the United Kingdom, the head of stateFacts About Head of State

Head of State or Chief of State is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief p...
 in Scotland is the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United Kingdom

}|-||}Elizabeth II is the Queen of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth Realms....
 (since 1952).

Scotland has limited 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 GovernmentScottish government

Scottish government may refer to:...
 and the Scottish Parliament at HolyroodHolyrood, Edinburgh

Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland....
 in EdinburghEdinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city....
. The United Kingdom Parliament retains power over a set list of areas explicitly specified in the Scotland Act 1998Scotland Act 1998

The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster....
 as reserved mattersReserved matters

In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to le...
, including, for example, levels of UK taxes, social security, defence, international relations and broadcasting.

The Scottish Parliament has legislative authority for all other areas relating to Scotland, as well as limited power to vary income taxFacts About Tartan tax

When legislating for the Scottish Parliament, a number of matters were reserved by the UK Parliament ....
, a power it has yet to exercise. The Scottish Parliament can refer 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 servicesPublic services

Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financ...
 compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. For instance, the costs of a universityUniversity

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees at all levels in a variety o...
 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.

The Scottish Parliament is a unicameral legislatureLegislature

A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws....
 comprising 129 Members, 73 of whom represent individual constituencies and are elected on a first past the post system; 56 are elected in eight different electoral regions by the additional member system, serving for a four year period. The Queen appoints one Member of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish Parliament

Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parl...
, (MSP), on the nomination of the Parliament, to be First MinisterFirst Minister of Scotland

The First Minister is the leader of Scotland's national devolved government, the Scottish Executive, which was established i...
. Other Ministers are also appointed by the Queen on the nomination of the Parliament and together with the First Minister they make up the Scottish GovernmentScottish government

Scottish government may refer to:...
, the executiveExecutive (government)

The executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law and running the day-to-day ...
 arm of governmentGovernment

A government is a body that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws within a civil, corporate, religious, a...
.

In the 2007 electionScottish Parliament election, 2007

The Scottish Parliament election, 2007, will be the third general election to the Scottish Parliament since it was cre...
, the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party

The Scottish National Party }} is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence....
 (SNP), which campaigns for Scottish independenceScottish independence

Scottish independence is advocated by the political movement of Scottish people that desires that Scotland secede from the U...
, won the largest number of seats of any single party and the leader of the SNP, Alex SalmondAlex Salmond Overview

Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond, known as Alex Salmond, born on Hogmanay, December 31 1954 in Linlithgow, West Lothi...
, was elected First Minister on 16 May 2007 as head of a minority governmentMinority government

A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when the governing political...
. The Labour PartyScottish Labour Party

The Scottish Labour Party is the part of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
 became the largest opposition party, with the Conservative Party, the Liberal DemocratsScottish Liberal Democrats

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal structure of the British Liberal Democr...
, and the Green PartyScottish Green Party

The Scottish Green Party is the Green party of Scotland....
 are also represented in the Parliament. Margo MacDonaldMargo MacDonald

Margo MacDonald MSP and was educated at Hamilton Academy; she trained as a teacher of physical education....
 is the only independentIndependent (politician)

In politics, an independent is a politician who is not affiliated with any political party....
 MSP sitting in Parliament.

Scotland is represented in the British House of CommonsBritish House of Commons

|align=left|*Parliament**State Opening of Parliament...
 by 59 MPsList of MPs for Scottish constituencies 2005-

This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons by Scottish constituencies for the Fifty-Fourth Parliamen...
 elected from territory-based Scottish constituencies. The Scotland OfficeScotland Office

The Scotland Office is a department of the United Kingdom government, led by the Secretary of State for Scotland and respons...
 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 ScotlandSecretary of State for Scotland

The Secretary of State for Scotland is the chief minister in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilites for S...
, who sits in the Cabinet of the United KingdomCabinet of the United Kingdom

In the politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of government officials chosen by the Prime Min...
, the current incumbent being Des BrowneDes Browne

Desmond Henry Browne is a British politician and barrister....
.

Administrative subdivisions

Historical subdivisions of Scotland include the mormaerdom, stewartry, earldom, burghBurgh

Burgh represents an corporate entity, usually a town, and has been in use in Scotland since the 12th century....
, parishParish

A parish is a type of administrative subdivision....
, countyCounties of Scotland

The Counties of Scotland may trace their origins to the mormaerdoms, stewartries and sheriffdoms of the High Middle Ages....
 and regions and districtsRegions and districts of Scotland

The local government regions and districts of Scotland were established under the Local Government Act 1973 as a two-tier sy...
. The names of these areas are still sometimes used as geographical descriptors.

Modern Scotland is subdivided in various ways depending on the purpose. For local governmentLocal government of Scotland

The local government of Scotland is organised into 32 unitary authorities covering the mainland and islands of Scotland....
, there have been 32 council areas since 1996, whose councils are unitary authorities responsible for the provision of all local government services. Community councilCommunity council

Community councils are the most local official representative bodies in Scotland and Wales....
s are informal organisations that represent specific sub-divisions of a council area.

For the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland, in the capital Edinburgh....
, there are 73 constituenciesScottish Parliament constituencies and regions

The Scottish Parliament has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality system of elec...
 and eight regions. For the Parliament of the United Kingdom there are 59 constituenciesList of UK Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland

Scotlandis divided into 59 constituencies of the...
. 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 determined by letters patentLetters patent

Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an of...
. There are six cities in Scotland: AberdeenAberdeen

Aberdeen, often called The Granite City, is Scotland's third largest city, with a population of 212,125....
, DundeeDundee

Dundee is the fourth largest city in Scotland with a population of 143,090 and is located near the East coast on the North ...
, EdinburghEdinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city....
, GlasgowGlasgow

The city was formerly a royal burgh, and was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" in the Victorian era....
 and more recently InvernessInverness

Inverness is the only city in the Highland council area and the Highlands of Scotland....
, and StirlingStirling

Stirling is a city and ancient burgh, in the Stirling council area of Scotland....
.

Scotland within the UK


A policy of devolutionDevolution

Devolution or home rule is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a state to government at na...
 had been advocated by all three GBGreat Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
-wide parties with varying enthusiasm during recent history and Labour leader John SmithJohn Smith (UK politician)

John Smith QC was a Scottish and British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden...
 described the revival of a Scottish parliament as the "settled will of the Scottish people". The constitutional status of Scotland is nonetheless subject to ongoing debate. In 2007, the Scottish Government established a National ConversationNational Conversation

The National Conversation is the name given to the Scottish Government's public consultation exercise regarding possible fut...
 on constitutional issues, proposing a number of options such as increasing the powers of the Scottish Parliament, federalismFederation

A federation is a union comprised of a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government....
 or a referendum on Scottish independenceScottish independence

Scottish independence is advocated by the political movement of Scottish people that desires that Scotland secede from the U...
 from the United Kingdom. In rejecting the latter option, the three main opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament have proposed a separate Constitutional Commission to investigate the distribution of powers between devolved Scottish and UK-wide bodies.

Law

Scots law has a basis derived from Roman lawRoman law

Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome....
, combining features of both uncodified civil lawCivil law (legal system)

Civil law is system of law that has its origins in Roman law and sets out a comprehensive system of rules, usually codified,...
, dating back to the Corpus Juris CivilisCorpus Juris Civilis

The Corpus Juris Civilis also known as Codex Justinianus is a fundamental work in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534...
, and common lawCommon law

The common law forms a major part of the law of many countries, especially those with a history as British territories or co...
 with medieval sourcesLegal institutions of Scotland in the High Middle Ages

Scottish legal institutions in the High Middle Ages are, for the purposes of this article, the informal and formal systems w...
. The terms of the Treaty of Union with England in 1707 guaranteed the continued existence of a separate legal systemLegal systems of the world

The four major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, common law, customary law, and religious law....
 in Scotland from that of England and WalesEnglish law

English law is a formal "term of art" that describes the law for the time being in force in England and Wales....
. Prior to 1611, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, most notably Udal lawUdal Law

Udal law is a near-defunct Norse derived legal system, which was formerly found in Shetland and Orkney, Scotland....
 in Orkney and Shetland, based on old Norse law. Various other systems derived from common CelticCeltic law

A number of law codes have in the past been in use in Celtic countries....
 or Brehon lawsBrehon Laws

The Brehon Laws were statutes that governed everyday life and politics in Ireland until the Norman invasion of 1171....
 survived in the HighlandsScottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault....
 until the 1800s.

Scots law provides for three types of courtsCourts of Scotland

The Courts of Scotland are the civil, criminal and heraldic courts responsible for the administration of justice in Scotland...
 responsible for the administration of justice: civilPrivate law

Private law is that part of a legal system which is part of the jus commune that involves relationships between individu...
, criminalCriminal law

Criminal law is the body of statutory and common law that deals with crime and the legal punishment of criminal offenses....
 and heraldicLaw of Arms

The Law of Arms or laws of heraldry, governs the "bearing of arms", that is, the possession, use or display of arms, also ca...
. The supreme civil court is the Court of SessionCourt of Session Overview

The Court of Session is the supreme civil court in Scotland....
, although civil appeals can be taken to the House of LordsJudicial functions of the House of Lords

The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort wi...
. The High Court of JusticiaryHigh Court of Justiciary

The High Court of Justiciary is Scotland's supreme criminal court....
 is the supreme criminal court. Both courts are housed at Parliament HouseParliament House, Edinburgh

Parliament House in Edinburgh, Scotland, was home to the Parliament of Scotland, and is now used by the High Court of Justic...
, in Edinburgh, which was the home of the pre-Union Parliament of ScotlandParliament of Scotland

The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Sc...
. The sheriff courtSheriff Court

The Sheriff Courts are the local Court system in Scotland....
 is the main criminal and civil court. There are 49 sheriff courts throughout the country. District courtDistrict court

District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations....
s were introduced in 1975 for minor offences. The Court of the Lord LyonCourt of the Lord Lyon

The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotl...
 regulates heraldry.

Scots law is also unique in that it allows three verdicts in criminal cases including the controversial 'not provenNot proven

Not proven is a verdict available to a court in Scotland....
' verdict.

Geography and natural history


The main land of Scotland comprises the northern third of the land mass of the island of Great BritainGreat Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
, which lies off the northwest coast of Continental EuropeContinental Europe

Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, exp...
. The total area is 78,772 km² (30,414 sq miSquare mile

A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile in length....
), comparable to the size of the Czech RepublicCzech Republic

The Czech Republic , a member state of the European Union , is a landlocked country in Central Europe....
, making Scotland the 117th largest country in the worldList of countries and outlying territories by total area

This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area....
. Scotland's only land border is with England, and runs for 96 kilometres (60 mi) between the basin of the River TweedRiver Tweed

There are other rivers with this name: see Tweed River...
 on the east coast and the Solway FirthSolway Firth

The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Gal...
 in the west. The Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 borders the west coast and the North SeaNorth Sea Overview

he North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Norway and Denmark in the east, Scotland and England in the we...
 is to the east. The island of IrelandIreland

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe....
 lies only 30 kilometres (20 mi) from the southwestern peninsula of KintyreKintyre

Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the south-west of Argyll and Bute....
; NorwayNorway

Insert non-formatted text hereNorway is a Nordic country on the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering S...
 is 305 kilometres (190 mi) to the east and the Faroes, 270 kilometres (168 mi) to the north.

The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the 1237 Treaty of YorkTreaty of York Summary

The Treaty of York was signed by Henry III of England and Alexander II of Scotland in 1237....
 between Scotland and EnglandKingdom of England Overview

The Kingdom of England was a state located in western Europe, in the southern part of the island of Great Britain, consisti...
 and the 1266 Treaty of PerthTreaty of Perth

.In Norwegian terms the Western Isles were known as the Sudreys and they had become Norwegian territory during centuries when bot...
 between Scotland and NorwayNorway

Insert non-formatted text hereNorway is a Nordic country on the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering S...
. Important exceptions include the Isle of ManIsle of Man

The Isle of Man or Mann , is an island located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of Great Britain and Irela...
, which having been lost to England in the 14th century is now a crown dependencyCrown dependency

Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Kingdo...
 outside of the United Kingdom; the island groups Orkney and Shetland, which were acquired from Norway in 1472; and Berwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed Summary

Berwick-upon-Tweed , situated in the county of Northumberland, is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the...
, lost to England in 1482.

The geographical centre of ScotlandCentre of Scotland Summary

There is some debate as to the location of the geographical centre of Scotland....
 lies a few miles from the village of NewtonmoreNewtonmore Summary

Newtonmore is a village in the Highlands of Scotland with a population of about 1000. ...
 in BadenochBadenoch

Badenoch is a traditional district which today forms part of Badenoch and Strathspey, an area of Highland Council, in Scotla...
. Rising to 1,344 metres (4,406 ft) above sea level, Scotland's highest point is the summit of Ben NevisBen Nevis

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom....
, in LochaberLochaber Summary

colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#9999ff">Lochaber District 1975-96...
, while Scotland's longest river, the River TayRiver Tay

The River Tay is a river in the southern Highlands of Scotland....
, flows for a distance of 190 km (120 miles).

Geology and geomorphology

The whole of Scotland was covered by ice sheets during the PleistocenePleistocene

The Pleistocene epoch is part of the geologic timescale....
 ice ages and the landscape is